Articles by Stabroek News

Technology

BRAVA Guyana open tees off this weekend at Lusignan Golf Club

Guyana’s premier golf event, the BRAVA Guyana Open Golf Tournament will tee off this weekend, November 1–2, at the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC), promising two days of exciting competition among some of the region’s best golfers. This year’s edition has attracted between 80 and 90 participants, with players expected from across the Caribbean and North America. However, some competitors from Jamaica are facing travel delays following Hurricane Melissa, according to tournament officials. Speaking at the launch last evening at the LGC, Grounds Superintendent Brian Hackett noted that despite the large turnout, the club is well-prepared to host a “robust tournament.”

1 days ago

Technology

New champion to be crowned as Courts Optical Pee Wee tournament concludes today

A new champion will be crowned today when the curtains come down on the 2025 edition of the Courts Optical Pee Wee Under-11 Football Tournament at the Ministry of Education (MOE) Ground on Carifesta Avenue. Neither of the two finalists, St. John the Baptist and Leonora Primary, have ever lifted the coveted title, setting the stage for a thrilling and historic finale. The eagerly anticipated championship match kicks off at 17:00 hrs and promises an afternoon of excitement and raw youthful talent, as both sides battle to etch their names into the competition’s history books. St. John the Baptist, who have been impressive throughout the tournament, will look to continue their fine form, while Leonora Primary will be aiming to cap off their fairy-tale run with silverware.

1 days ago

Technology

Western Tigers roar to 6–1 win as Fruta Conquerors edge Mainstay

GFF Women’s League- Division 1 Western Tigers delivered a dominant performance last night at the National Training Centre in Providence, defeating Den Amstel FC 6–1 as action continued in the GFF Women’s League Division 1 before an estimated crowd of 100 spectators. The Tigers took control from the opening whistle, racing to a 4–0 lead by halftime, with striker Marissa Frank turning in a sensational four-goal display. Frank found the net in the 3rd, 8th, 22nd, and 39th minutes, overwhelming Den Amstel’s defence with her pace and precision. Ceara Glasgow also got in on the act, scoring in the 11th and 55th minutes to complete the rout.

1 days ago

Technology

US judge permanently blocks Trump order requiring voters to prove citizenship

NEW YORK, 1 (Reuters) – A federal judge on Friday permanently blocked part of an executive order from Republican U.S. President Donald Trump, ruling that the president cannot require voters to show passports or similar documents as proof of citizenship before voting. Several lawsuits have challenged the president’s March 25 executive order, a sweeping order aimed at overhauling federal elections, and courts had already temporarily blocked it from going into effect. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., was the first to reach a final ruling against the executive order. Kollar-Kotelly permanently blocked the part of the executive order that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. The judge had previously declined to block the part of the executive order that would bar states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The ruling came in response to lawsuits by groups including the Democratic National Committee, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the League of Women Voters Education Fund. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the League of Women Voters in the case, said on Friday that Americans without up-to-date passports should not be required to purchase new documents in order to exercise their rights. “While we celebrate this victory, we remain vigilant and will keep fighting to ensure every eligible voter can make their voice heard without interference or intimidation,” ACLU’s Sophia Lin Lakin said. “No president can sidestep the Constitution to make it harder to vote.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The executive order had called on a non-partisan federal election body to modify a standardized national voter registration form to require a document such as a passport proving citizenship. Kollar-Kotelly found that part of the order was illegal because the U.S. Constitution gives states, not the president, the power to oversee elections. Trump has long questioned the U.S. electoral system and continues to falsely claim that his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud. Trump and his Republican allies also have made baseless claims about widespread voting by non-citizens, which is illegal and rarely occurs.

1 days ago

Technology

Ad Hoc Group will next Tuesday meet to express its appreciation to the former Acting Chancellor

Dear Editor, The ‘Building Our Dream Guyana Movement – Defenders of the Rule of Law Ad Hoc Group’ have organized an ‘Advocacy Activity’ for the former Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonnette Cummings Edwards, outside of the Court of Appeal on High Street, Kingston, Georgetown, on Tuesday November 4, 2025, from 11:00 – 13:00 hours (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.). The focus of this activity is to express our appreciation to the former Acting Chancellor for her sterling contributions to the development of Guyana, and more specifically, for her exemplary leadership in the judiciary from 2017 – 2025. Many professional women in Guyana are of the strong view that the chapter in the story of how the former Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonnette Cummings Edwards exited the judiciary must be re-written, and this activity is one of the many activities to re-write her story as a honourable and distinguished citizen, jurist, professional and sister in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. The ‘Building Our Dream Guyana Movement – Defenders of the Rule of Law Ad Hoc Group’ was recently formed to mobilize, coordinate and organize members of the public, civil society, among others to defend judicial officers, the judiciary and the rule of law, whenever it becomes necessary, so that the judiciary would remain independent and judicial officers could administer justice without fear or favour, affection or ill will. The Ad Hoc Group will also educate and create greater awareness among members of the public about the rule of law and their rights. We are inviting our Guyanese brothers and sisters to join us on Tuesday November 4, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., we will be standing on the pavement in front of the Court of Appeal on High Street, Kingston, Georgetown, as we engage and advocate peacefully. All are invited. Women are encouraged to come out and support. Members of the public, please circulate this invitation widely, and kindly bring your placards with words of appreciation. Members of the media are also invited. Citizen Audreyanna Thomas Coordinator, Building Our Dream Guyana Movement

1 days ago

Technology

Trump administration cannot suspend food aid benefits, US judges rule

BOSTON, (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration cannot suspend food aid for millions of Americans during the ongoing government shutdown, two federal judges ruled on Friday, saying the government must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits. The dual rulings by judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island came in a pair of lawsuits seeking to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s suspension on Saturday of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, known as SNAP or food stamps. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been trading blame for the prolonged shutdown, which has put SNAP benefits in jeopardy. It was not immediately clear whether the rulings mean that benefits will be paid on November 1. Both judges ordered the administration to report back to them on Monday on how it will comply with their decisions. Trump said on social media that the federal government likely does not have legal authority to pay SNAP benefits during the government shutdown, and that his lawyers are asking courts “to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.” “If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding,” Trump wrote. SNAP benefits are available to Americans whose income is less than 130% of the federal poverty line, or $1,632 a month for a one-person household and $2,215 for a two-person household in many areas. States are responsible for the day-to-day administration of the benefits, which are paid out monthly. The USDA has said insufficient funds exist to pay full benefits to 42 million low-income Americans, as they cost $8.5 billion to $9 billion per month. The administration said the agency lacked authority to pay them until Congress passes a spending bill ending a government shutdown that began October 1. But U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, at the end of a hearing in a lawsuit brought by cities, nonprofit organizations and a union, said the administration’s decision not to tap $5.25 billion in contingency funds to fund November benefits was arbitrary. “There is no doubt and it is beyond argument that irreparable harm will begin to occur if it hasn’t already occurred in the terror it has caused some people about the availability of funding for food, for their family,” McConnell said. He said the agency must distribute the emergency money “as soon as possible,” and if the money is insufficient, the agency should determine if money from a separate fund with around $23 billion could be used. Minutes earlier, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston ruled that the administration was wrong in saying it was legally barred from using the contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits during the shutdown. The Boston ruling came in a lawsuit brought by 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia. The judge, who like McConnell was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama, said the “suspension of SNAP payments was based on the erroneous conclusion that the contingency funds could not be used to ensure continuation of SNAP payments.” The USDA’s shutdown plan, released last month, had said contingency funds were available to keep funding SNAP benefits if Congress did not enact spending legislation to avert the lapse in funding that began October 1. But the department last week updated its website to say that no benefits would be issued on November 1 and that “the well has run dry,” prompting the filing of the lawsuits. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Friday morning that the argument by Democrats in Congress and Democratic-led states – that the USDA has money to spend on November SNAP benefits – was a “lie.” “It is a contingency fund that can only flow if the underlying appropriation is approved,” Rollins told reporters, speaking on Capitol Hill alongside House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson. During a Thursday hearing, Justice Department attorney Jason Altabet warned that partial payments, unprecedented in the program’s history, could be difficult, saying that officials were “legitimately scared” about whether the antiquated systems some states use could handle their distribution. “The agency thinks it would be catastrophic,” he said. Both McConnell and Talwani indicated, however, that the administration had the ability to fund SNAP benefits in full if it used its discretion to tap other funding to cover the shortfall.

1 days ago

Technology

Cameron vacates WBC title in protest against men’s and women’s rules

(Reuters) – Chantelle Cameron relinquished her WBC Super Lightweight title on Friday in a bold protest over women’s boxing rules, with the British fighter demanding the right to fight three-minute rounds like her male counterparts. Cameron’s decision to vacate her championship belt stems from her opposition to the World Boxing Council’s mandate that women compete in two-minute rounds, which the 34-year-old views as unequal treatment. “Women’s boxing has come a long way, but there’s still progress to be made,” Cameron said in a statement. “I’ve always believed in equality and that includes the choice to fight equal rounds, equal opportunities, and equal respect.” Cameron was upgraded to WBC super-lightweight world champion when Katie Taylor was designated ‘Champion in Recess’ as she stepped away from boxing. The WBC was set to have a purse bid on Friday for a fight between Cameron and fellow British boxer Sandy Ryan. Reuters has contacted the WBC for comment. In December 2023, Amanda Serrano also relinquished her WBC title after they refused to allow her to compete in bouts under the same rule-set as men’s boxing, with 12 three-minute rounds. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman had said earlier in 2023 that they would not sanction 12 three-minute rounds in women’s bouts. “(In) tennis – women play 3 sets, (in) basketball the basket is shorter and the ball smaller and those are not contact sports. We stand by safety and well-being of the fighters,” he wrote on X. Most women’s title fights have 10 rounds of two minutes each and Cameron was one of more than two dozen boxers — including Serrano — who launched a campaign in 2023 to have the choice to compete under the same rules as men. Cameron, who holds a 21-1 professional boxing record, made clear her protest goes beyond personal preference, framing it as a fight for future generations of female boxers. “I’m proud of my accomplishment in becoming a WBC champion, but it’s time to take a stand for what’s right and for the future of the sport,” she added. Cameron is not stepping away from boxing entirely, however, with her promoters MVP saying she plans to pursue other championship opportunities and marquee bouts while maintaining her insistence on competing in three-minute rounds.

1 days ago

Technology

Trinidad and Tobago’s threat to disengage from CARICOM has implications for the region’s political and economic stability

Dear Editor, The recent remarks attributed to the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, asserting that CARICOM is “no longer a reliable partner,” are deeply troubling and risk undermining one of the most enduring pillars of regional cooperation and development. Such a stance threatens not only diplomatic harmony but also the progress made toward economic integration, shared security, and cultural unity across the Caribbean. While leaders are right to demand efficiency and accountability from regional institutions, disengaging through public doubt rather than constructive dialogue serves only to weaken the region. The Caribbean has long recognized that unity amplifies our voice in global affairs and strengthens our resilience in the face of shared economic, climate, and security threats. Beyond diplomatic implications, any move toward disengagement from CARICOM would carry significant economic costs for Trinidad and Tobago. CARICOM partners account for major export markets for Trinidadian manufactured goods, energy products, and financial services. Losing preferential access, shared regulatory systems, and regional labour mobility would threaten business confidence and investment flows. Independent analyses of similar regional withdrawals suggest transitional and trade-loss costs easily reaching into the US$1–3 billion range, funds Trinidad can ill afford to divert in a time of global uncertainty. The tone of this critique echoes elements of the rhetoric surrounding the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. Brexit demonstrated that frustrations with regional frameworks can escalate into costly political and economic realignment when not addressed thoughtfully and collaboratively. The Caribbean cannot afford a similar path of fragmentation. Our vulnerabilities are far greater, and our strength lies firmly in cooperation, not separation. It is incumbent upon our leaders to pursue reform through engagement, not retreat. Regional unity has always been our greatest asset; we should not jeopardize it through language that divides rather than builds. Keith Bernard

1 days ago

Technology

Brazil to blast Amazon tributary for grains shipping as soy frontier advances

ITUPIRANGA, Brazil, (Reuters) – A narrow skiff slides among massive rocky outcroppings on the Tocantins River, where the catfish and peacock bass throng in the eddies during the waxing moon. For most of his life, Welton de Franca has fished like his father before him among these rocks on one of the largest tributaries in the Amazon Basin. Brazil’s government now wants to blow them up. Regulators have given the green light to blast a channel through 22 miles (35 km) of rocky rapids, turning this sleepy stretch of the Amazon rainforest into an expressway for Brazil’s booming tropical farm belt. Opening the Araguaia-Tocantins riverway to barges year-round could clear the way for soy and corn exports through the Amazon Basin to rival the Mississippi River, cutting freight costs and cementing Brazilian supremacy in the global grains trade. Federal prosecutors, however, are trying to halt the $7.3 billion project, including another 110 miles of dredging, as they urge courts to consider impacts on riverside communities. “We can’t go anywhere without our boats. We live from the fish,” said Franca, whose family settled on an island in the river overlooking the rocks when he was 12. During legal hearings on site in late September, his father and neighbors told three visiting magistrates they worry about hazardous boat traffic replacing their fisheries. Franca’s father ferries his two grandchildren across the river every day to school. Neighbors in the village of Tauiry cross daily in the other direction to harvest babassu coconuts. Researchers including Alberto Akama, from the state-funded Emilio Goeldi Museum, warn the river’s biodiversity would also suffer if blasting destroys these rare rapids, where endangered fish gather, turtles breed and river dolphins feed. Brazilian environmental agency Ibama authorized blasting outside the most sensitive reproductive and migratory seasons, with provisions to monitor and relocate turtle nests. Transport infrastructure agency DNIT said teams will work to scare animals away from the rocks before blasting. For advocates including Governor Helder Barbalho of Para state,the advantages of cheaper and cleaner freight far outweigh any drawbacks. “The state of Para believes it is possible to reconcile environmental preservation with economic development,” he said. Brazil’s government has forecast that the Araguaia-Tocantins riverway could start carrying some 20 million metric tons of corn and soybeans to northern river ports each year, cutting down on long, polluting truck trips. The impact on emissions, however, is not so simple, as delegations will discuss over 300 miles (500 km) downriver in Belem in November during the United Nations COP30 climate summit. Brazil’s main source of greenhouse gases is deforestation, as vast swathes of the Amazon rainforest and neighboring Cerrado savannah are cleared each year for farmland and ranches. Nowhere is that farm frontier advancing faster than the so-called Matopiba region around the Araguaia and Tocantins rivers – a trend that cheaper shipping can only encourage. Maria de Sousa, one of several women in Tauiry who harvest babassu coconuts to crack open and produce cooking oil and flour, said their way of life is already threatened by encroaching farms. Neighbors have been poisoning the area’s coconut palms as they expand their ranches and farms, forcing the women to cross the river to fill sacks with the small coconuts, she said. “If they open the waterway, we won’t be able to collect the coconuts,” said Sousa. “They say the babassu is a plague … but for us coconut crackers, it is survival.” New infrastructure at Brazil’s northern river ports over the past decade has been key to the Matopiba grains boom. River barges are around 60% cheaper than road freight for medium- and long-distance shipping, said logistics expert Thiago Pera. Brazilian researchers at the Climate Policy Initiative, a think tank, have found that even investments in less-polluting transport infrastructure such as rail and waterways can drive indirect emissions by spurring deforestation to create farmland. For example, CPI found a proposed railway for grain exports, called the Ferrograo, would cut about 1 million tons of direct emissions by taking trucks off the road – but add some 60 million tons of indirect emissions by driving expansion of Brazil’s farm frontier. For the communities trying to stop the proposed blasting on the Tocantins River, the fear of displacement is palpable. “We’ll lose space on the river to the barges carrying iron ore and agricultural goods,” said community leader Ademar de Souza. “We’re not sure about the future.”

1 days ago

Technology

Death of Navindra Mahes 

As President Ali and his government continually play up the image of Guyana on the international stage they really need to come to grips with the brute reality of daily living – and dying – in Guyana. The death of 15-year-old Navindra Mahes of Le Ressouvenir at a pedestrian crossing on Monday underlines three of the chronic problems facing the country with many others in tow. The widowed mother of Navindra, Jennifer Arjun has had a difficult time keeping her family together. Having lost her husband, the cost of living became a severe burden for Ms Arjun. This at some point required her to have other family members temporarily look after Navindra while she tried to take care of her daughter. Those types of enforced separation pile stress on all involved: the mother, the children and the other family members. When he was sworn in on September 7th, nearly two months ago, President Ali vowed to address the impoverishment of families whose tribulations have been chronicled week after week in this newspaper’s cost-of-living series. The President said: “As I have said before, Guyana must never again be a country rich in resources but poor in living standards. We will also launch a national crusade against poverty itself. Not just the visible poverty in our streets, but the structural roots and hidden burdens that keep families from rising. We will fight it, reduce it, and ultimately eradicate it. “The key to delivering on these commitments lies in building a highly efficient, service-oriented public service, one that places the citizen at the centre of every action. We will dismantle the bottlenecks that frustrate citizens, cut away the red tape that slows delivery, and modernise the systems that too often stand in the way of progress. We will refashion a public service that delivers more online services, works for the people, responds with urgency, and executes with excellence. Because only then can the promise of development be fully realized”. Aside from the unfortunate use of the word crusade, there has been no sign of the President living up to this commitment even if it was to say that such a programme needed to be funded from next year’s budget. Each day of delay while this government and its functionaries spend on overseas junkets is another day of pain for the impecunious. Some of the leaders in the President’s presence at the 9th Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia last week might be flummoxed at the penury that is still to be recognized here and tackled in a structured manner. Another chronic issue highlighted by Navindra’s death is the ongoing carnage on the roads and the chaos in traffic management. For the five years of President Ali’s first term in office, the traffic situation on the East Coast of Demerara grew progressively worse, a result of no policy on the importation of gasolene-fuelled vehicles, the terror of monster trucks, the collapse of bridges and the higgledy-piggledy contracting and execution of road works. This has also seen poor or no road signage, construction material in the way of traffic, no lighting of roadways at night and gridlocked traffic among other abominations. The failure by the government to manage East Coast traffic, as remains the case on the East Bank, inspired counterintuitive measures such as transforming lanes intended solely for east to west traffic into west to east traffic, leading to endless problems. It was at one such switch that Navindra died. That the driver at the wheel was a policewoman underscores that third ongoing foundering of the government: the lawlessness in the police force. Following the death of the child, the police force ended the third lane going east to west in the morning which was itself a kneejerk reaction. The evidence is replete that not only has the police force failed to rein in traffic lawlessness despite the outlays on traffic cameras, body cameras, higher pay etc but policemen and women at the wheel are just as lawless as those that they seek to control. In accountable societies there would have been substantial personnel changes and policy rethinks in light of the ongoing slaughter on the road. There is no evidence of this and into his second term the scrutiny has to now be on President Ali. Since he was unable to significantly address these problems between 2020 and 2025 radical action is needed and he is the one who must deliver.

1 days ago

Technology

Lack of air traffic controllers hits almost half of major US airports

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Nearly 50% of the 30 busiest U.S. airports are grappling with shortages of air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday, leading to flight delays nationwide as a federal government shutdown hit its 31st day. The absence of controllers is by far the most widespread since the shutdown began, with one of the worst-hit regions being New York, where 80% of air traffic controllers were out, the regulator said. It delayed flights at airports in Austin, Newark and Nashville as air traffic control staffing problems snarl flights. At least nine FAA facilities reported staffing problems earlier in the day, with the regulator saying it was likely to delay flights later at airports in the Houston and Dallas area. Flight delays were averaging 61 minutes at Nashville, 50 minutes at Austin and 101 minutes at Newark. By 12:30 a.m. ET, Aviation tracking site FlightAware showed, 2,200 U.S. flights had been delayed and 300 canceled. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he expected more flight delays in the next few days. “Coming into this weekend and then the week after, I think you are going to see even more disruptions in the airspace,” Duffy said on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” On Thursday, air traffic control staffing shortages snarled flights at Orlando, Dallas/Fort Worth and Washington, D.C., when FlightAware data sh\owed 7,300 flights delayed and 1,250 canceled across the United States. The shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay. Delta Air Lines, United, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have all called on Congress to quickly pass a stop-gap funding bill to let the government reopen amid talks on disputes over healthcare policy. The shutdown has led to flight delays due to air traffic controller absences and affected thousands of flights, the Transportation Department said. The shutdown began on October 1 and continued since as a federal funding bill has stalled in Congress. Republican lawmakers want to pass a “clean” funding measure with no strings attached, while Democrats have demanded talks on extending health-care subsidies set to expire at year-end. Airlines have repeatedly urged an end to the shutdown, citing aviation safety risks. The shutdown has exacerbated existing staffing shortages, threatening to cause widespread disruptions similar to those that helped end a 35-day government shutdown in 2019. The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.

1 days ago

Technology

One man dead, another critical after bee attack at Triumph

Police are investigating an incident at Surat Drive, Triumph, East Coast Demerara, where a swarm of bees attacked a group of road workers yesterday, leaving one man dead and another hospitalized. In a release, the police said that the deceased has been identified as 29-year-old Winston Semple, a contractor of Prince William Street, Plaisance, while the injured man is 40-year-old Glendon Simpson of Non Pariel, both on the East Coast. According to preliminary reports, Semple, Simpson, and other workmen were engaged in road construction activities in the area when they came under attack by the bees. Both men reportedly sustained multiple stings and collapsed during the incident.

Oct 23, 2025

Technology

Guyana’s collateral registry now fully operational

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce (MINTIC) has announced the full operationalisation of the Guyana Collateral Registry, marking a major step in improving financial inclusion, transparency, and security within the country’s business and financial sectors. The registry was developed through collaboration among the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Legal Affairs, and the Commercial Registry, with financial and technical support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Established under the Security Interest in Movable Property Act, No. 20 of 2024, the new system allows individuals and businesses to use movable assets such as vehicles, equipment, inventory, consumer goods, farm products, petroleum or minerals, and receivables as collateral when applying for loans or credit, a release from the ministry said. With the registry now fully operational, banks, automotive dealers, retail suppliers, and other credit-based entities can directly register their security interests online. This new system simplifies lending procedures, strengthens legal protection for both lenders and borrowers, and promotes greater efficiency across the financial landscape. Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues described the launch as a “landmark achievement” in the government’s drive to build a more inclusive and modern financial system. “The establishment of the Collateral Registry is another important milestone in our efforts to improve access to credit, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, women entrepreneurs, and other vulnerable groups,” Minister Rodrigues stated. “It represents a critical step in our digital transformation agenda within the financial sector and reaffirms our commitment to modernising systems and expanding opportunities for all Guyanese.” The Minister also express-ed appreciation to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for its continued partnership and support, and to consultants IOS Partners and Dr. Tom Johnson for their technical assistance in developing and implementing the system. Acknowledging the teamwork behind the project, Rodrigues extended gratitude to the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, along with Reza Manraj, Registrar of Com-merce, and Ananda Dhurjon, Legislative Drafting Consultant. She also recognised the dedication of the MINTIC team, including Safrana Cameron-Baird, Direc-tor of Commerce, and Alicia Robertson, Legal Officer, whose expertise and commitment ensured the successful rollout of this transformative initiative. The fully functional Collateral Registry is now positioned to strengthen Guyana’s credit environment, making financing more accessible and secure for citizens, businesses, and financial institutions nationwide, the release said.

Oct 23, 2025

Technology

PPP needs refashioned house-to-house programme to make political inroads – Ramkarran

Commentator Ralph Ramkarran says that the election results prove that infrastructure work and a high GDP are not enough to attract a significant increase in support and the PPP would have to refashion its house-to-house campaign to make political inroads. Ramkarran, who was a member of the PPP for nearly 50 years before resigning, made the comment in his column in the last Sunday Stabroek which suggested that the ruling party had not gotten the level of support that had been expected. “The results of the September 1 elections prove that infrastructure works, vast strides in education and health and high GDP figures are not enough to attract a significant increase in support in the face of rising prices, inflationary pressures and continuing poverty. Regular community visits and interactions by Ministers are also not enough. A restructured and refashioned house-to-house programme is needed. It can concentrate on investigating and satisfying the people’s needs, issues and concerns and seeking to resolve them. As a permanent feature of political work, coupled with empathetic governmental outreaches that talk with and not down, that actually have impacts on resolving problems, rather than taking complaints and having no follow up, as is often the case. A restructured and renewed approach to political campaigning will earn major political dividends”, Ramkarran wrote.

Oct 23, 2025

Technology

Exxon inks agreement with Gabon to explore for oil and gas

HOUSTON, (Reuters) – Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), said yesterday it signed an agreement with the government of Gabon to explore for oil and gas off the coast of the central African country. The memorandum of understanding, a non-binding agreement, marks an expansion of the top U.S. oil major’s activities in Africa. The company has operations in Nigeria, Angola and Mozambique, though it made a decision in 2022 to exit Equatorial Guinea. An Exxon spokesperson said in a statement that the company will work with the Gabonese government to explore deepwater and ultra-deepwater offshore areas for oil and gas. In August, Exxon reached an agreement with Trinidad and Tobago to explore deepwater areas, marking the oil producer’s return to the country in more than 20 years.

Oct 23, 2025

Technology

Online child sexual abuse is real and it’s happening closer to home

Dear Editor, “Mommy, I have something to tell you. Please don’t get upset with me.” Those are words no parent ever wants to hear. They are often followed by a confession that leaves us shaken, a secret our child has been carrying, a pain they didn’t know how to share. As parents, we spend so much time worrying about our children’s safety in public spaces, strangers on the road, unsafe neighbourhoods, and negative influences. Yet, many of us overlook the growing danger that hides behind the very devices we hand to them every day. The internet, though a gateway to learning and connection, has also become an easy hunting ground for predators who use it to groom, exploit, and abuse children. Online child sexual abuse takes many forms: from sharing or producing child sexual abuse material to grooming, where adults build trust with minors for sexual purposes. These abusers can be total strangers or even people known to the child, using fake identities or friendly online personas to gain their trust. In Guyana, there have been troubling reports of young people being exposed to, or coerced into, creating and circulating pornographic content. Some are pressured, others are blackmailed. Similar patterns are seen across the Caribbean and the world. What’s most alarming is how many parents don’t even know it’s happening and may have no idea on how to control this in their homes. We assume our children are just watching movies, chatting with friends, or doing research for school. But apps like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, and a common favourite Calculator# are giving predators countless ways to contact and manipulate these young innocent minds. Groomers often start small by a friendly chat, a compliment, a shared interest and gradually move the conversation into private spaces. Before long, it becomes a cycle of exploitation, secrecy, and shame. In some instances, children are lured into sharing the private photos and these are used to threaten them into meeting with their predators. Children generally fear losing their devices, shamed by the predators, or disappointing their parents, so they stay silent out of fear, guilt, or confusion and risk doing what the predators are demanding. That’s why awareness and involvement are so important. Keeping children safe online doesn’t mean spying on them rather it’s about guiding them, know how to set controls on their devices and monitoring this and setting boundaries, and sharing opening about the risks. Parents, start the conversation early. Talk about online safety and let your child know they can come to you if someone makes them uncomfortable or asks for private photos. Set clear boundaries, establish limits for screen time, app use, and device access. Use parental controls, many devices and apps have settings that help block harmful content and monitor online activity. Know who your child is talking to, encourage them to communicate only with people they know in real life, and stay alert for new “friends” they can’t identify. Stay informed, the online world changes every day, and new apps and trends appear faster than we can keep up. Take a little time to learn about the games, platforms, and chats your child enjoys, not to invade their space, but to understand it. When we show interest, they’re more likely to open up about what they’re doing and who they’re talking to. Remember, the internet isn’t the enemy. It can be a wonderful space for children to learn, create, and explore. But like any powerful tool, it must be used with care. As parents, guardians, and community members, we all share the responsibility of keeping those digital spaces safe for our children. And if you ever have even the smallest feeling that something isn’t right, that your child, or any child, may be in danger online, please don’t ignore it. Speak up, ask questions, reach out for help. Sometimes one brave step can stop a lifetime of harm. Child sexual abuse via the internet is real, and it’s happening closer to home than many of us want to believe. But awareness, vigilance, and love can stop it. The first step is acknowledging it exists and taking action before another child whispers, “Mommy, I have something to tell you.” Lucria Rambalak Advocacy/ Communications Officer ChildLinK Inc.

Oct 23, 2025

Technology

GCAA launches E-Services system for aircraft landing permits

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) yesterday launched its new Aircraft Landing Permit e-Services Portal, marking a major step in the ongoing digital transformation of Guyana’s aviation sector. The launch, held at the GCAA headquarters in Kingston, brought together government and aviation officials, including Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, National Security Advisor to the President Captain Gerry Gouveia, GCAA Director General Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field, and Chief Technology Officer at the Office of the President Darrell Akeung. The new online system will now allow aircraft operators and handlers around the world to apply for landing permits through a secure digital platform which replaces the traditional paper based and email process that the GCAA has used for nearly two decades. “This is a big deal for Guyana’s aviation industry,” said Director General Field. “From 2003 to 2007, operators wrote requests on paper, then by email. Today, we are fully digital, and not many CARICOM countries have such a system. In fact, we may be the only one.”

Oct 14, 2025

Technology

Pres Ali, VP Jagdeo and AG Nandlall have the opportunity now to stop the hemorrhaging of rule of law in Guyana

Dear Editor, President Ali has a golden opportunity to show his essences. A man of bluff and fluff; or one possessing the right stuff. Vice President Jagdeo can be reborn, prove to Guyanese that deviousness and he are strangers, that his compass is of clean leadership. Attorney General Nandlall has an opening to demonstrate what he is truly about – someone that genuinely respects the majesty of the law. Or a man made of straw of the weakest fiber. In the event that Prime Minister, Phillips is upset that his name doesn’t feature, he can be reassured that his day is near. Five years ago, the president made a big speech about he is for transparency and accountability. Those two words may mean different things in other languages, but I took it that Guyana’s president had English Language meanings in mind. I don’t like to be wrong. So, today, Pres. Ali has his work cut out for him. The PPP Government (his) has been of the transparency associated with sleaze and the sewer. Facts have fled. Truth sent into exile. And leadership besmirched. I nod at U.S. developments relative to gold smuggling in Guyana and whose prints are all over that enterprise. Somebody owns that business, and the president’s people say that it is me. A caution for the president and the others: American Ambassador Nicole D. Theriot and her team have all the intel they need about who smuggled, who continues to smuggle, and who are the ones invested in it. That kind of info is a two-way street. From GT to DC and from one of those Greek or Roman government structures in the U.S. to U.S. territory in Guyana. Excellency Theriot is in the know; has plenty on her hands, mind. Pres. Ali is smart enough to figure out where gold smuggling matters stand, and the names that feature in those. Don’t shoot the messenger, Dr. President. Vice President Jagdeo has been all smugness. Guyana is not North Korea. But he has a Palace Guard. Guyana is nowhere in the category of 1930s Germany or the East Germany of Walther Ulbricht. Talk is dirt cheap. For there are those who are recruited to wield batons and crush a few objectionable skulls. Undesirables are what both Uncle Joe Stalin and the Feuhrer of Germany called them. When a government, the PPP Government falls to such depths, and loves it, then the gutter is cherished as a castle. The PPP can have it. But where does that leave its leaders? When truth and light are feared, then darkness has descended on this land. Guyana may not be the Transylvania of Dracula, but already it is overrun by its own Princes of Darkness. For balance, the princesses must also be recognized. I am the king of gold smuggling. This is how friends and flunkies of leaders engage in truth juggling, the reworking of facts with remarkable developments from Florida. This blows back into the PPP face. AG Nandlall is ready, steady, and heady with nervous energy: extradition will happen, once the papers come off the typewriter. Anyone who can remember major financial benefactors discarded so swiftly is invited to share with the public. Listen to AG Nandlall and he is the epitome of blindfolded justice, a man of law, one who respects the law. Like HE Ali and the honourable VP, the AG now has a full plate before him relative to the provisions of Guyana’s Cybercrime Act being violated and ravaged at will. Which side of AG Nandlall will turn up: the man that says how much he respects the law and its rule? Or the one who is pleased by his convenient blindness, deafness, and voicelessness? Now is not the hour for gutlessness, Mr. Nandlall. The world is watching. Big indictments about gold smuggling coming out of the U.S. Who was in, who was in the bosom, who was aided and abetted, the path cleared for them, by the government looking the other way? Take money from people, and ways must be found for them to make it back. Return on invested capital that is called. To Pres. Ali, VP Jagdeo, AG Nandlall, this is bigger than anyone given license to revile and defame citizens, conscientious and law-abiding ones. Or all of the slanderers, be they in press conferences, or hide behind the skirts of the Prime Minister’s office. Bigger than me. This goes to the heart of the integrity of the presidency, AG Nandlall’s laws, the standards of leaders, the potency or impotency of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority. Where is it? All those areas cannot be so depravedly indifferent to crimes being committed in plain sight. But they are. Gold smuggling frees the wicked genie. I am ready to take this to the ends of the earth.

Oct 14, 2025

Technology

GPL gave me a meter built with racing parts

Dear Editor, I had to remove my old GPL meter from one location to another. Then the meter stopped working. On 24th September GPL crew came to install the new pluz meter. Yesterday made 12 days since using it. Meter read 153 kwh used x $54 = $8, 254. GPL is not advising customers about this racing part meter and it is very costly. This meter has racing parts and I cannot afford to upkeep with it. My daily usages in my home are one fridge, one small freezer, 1 – 32” TV, 1 fan during the day, 3 fans at night, 3 lights burn at night, internet and washing machine used once a week. GPL, please change this meter. I cannot afford to pay twenty something dollars per month since my hubby is the only bread winner for the home. This is very inconsiderate for de customers. Y’all bring in these meters and don’t care about the customers pockets. My amp and earth wire are perfectly fine. Sincerely

Oct 14, 2025

Technology

Demerara aim to maintain winning momentum against GCB Select XI

The Queensway GCB Inter-County Super50 Cup continues today with defending champions Demerara set to clash with the GCB Select XI at the Enmore Community Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara. The fixture is expected to be a keenly contested affair as both sides look to make a statement at this crucial stage of the tournament. Demerara enters the encounter with momentum on their side after registering a convincing 50-run victory in their opening match. Skipper Matthew Nandu expressed confidence in his team’s approach, emphasizing the importance of discipline and sticking to what works. “I think it’s important that we continue to stick to the basics and our strengths moving forward. If we do that, the results will take care of itself,” Nandu said.

Oct 14, 2025