Young Guyanese runner Hicks Mittelholzer has announced his arrival on the regional long-distance scene with an exceptional performance at the Run Barbados Marathon & Wellness Weekend, securing top honours in his age group across two major events.
Mittelholzer, competing in the highly competitive M21–25 category, showcased both speed and endurance, proudly serving as the first Guyanese athlete to cross the finish line in both the 5K race and the full marathon.
The athlete started the weekend with conviction in the 5K event, where he not only placed 1st in his age category but also secured a notable 12th position overall in the international field.
His momentum carried through to the marquee event. In his debut marathon—the gruelling 26.2-mile course—Mittelholzer displayed incredible discipline, crossing the line in a superb time of 3 hours, 24 minutes, and 19 seconds.
His final rankings underscore the achievement: Overall Finish: 8th out of 79 participants; Men’s Finish: 6th among all male runners and Age Category (M21–25): 1st place.
Mittelholzer’s success is particularly inspiring given his independent training regimen. Driven by sheer commitment and passion, his results highlight the immense, often untapped, athletic potential within Guyana.
The performance, coming shortly after he graduated from the University of Guyana with an Associate of Science in Computer Science, raises a clear question for national sporting bodies: following such an outstanding international debut, is there an opportunity to formally recognise and support this emerging talent?
Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday as their legal team advanced a constitutional challenge to recent amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Act.
During Monday’s hearing, the defence presented oral submissions on behalf of the U.S.-indicted businessmen, arguing that the legislative changes violate the Constitution of Guyana.
According to the legal team, the amendments infringe on the Mohameds’ right to liberty and compromise their access to a fair legal process.
Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde contended that the disputed provisions strip defendants of fundamental protections and limit their ability to adequately defend themselves. Meanwhile, attorney Siand Dhurjon contended that the magistrate has two options: treat the objections as frivolous and proceed, or refer the constitutional questions to a higher court for resolution.
The defence is formally requesting that the issues be sent to the High Court for proper determination.
Once the defence concludes its arguments, the Prosecution is expected to deliver its oral submissions.
Magistrate Judy Latchman has set aside Wednesday, December 10, for ruling.
See below the full release from the Ministry of Home Affairs:
The Ministry of Home Affairs wishes to inform the public that at approximately 04:00 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025, an unknown individual unlawfully entered the Ministry’s building.
Security personnel detected the intruder via CCTV cameras and immediately raised an alarm. One officer pursued the individual but was unsuccessful in apprehension. The Guyana Police Force was promptly notified, and an investigation was launched without delay.
The Ministry assures the public that all necessary measures are being taken, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Sarah Browne, on Sunday dismissed allegations levelled by U.S-indicted businessman and WIN political leader Azruddin Mohamed about the condition of the Amerindian Hostel, describing his sudden show of interest as nothing more than a calculated attempt at political relevance and a distraction from his looming extradition issues.
Mohamed and his team appeared at the Princess Street, Georgetown facility on Sunday, claiming they had been “invited by occupants” and were denied access. A social media posts painted a picture of overcrowding and inadequate care.
But the Minister was unreserved in her response, charging that Mohamed was manipulating a sensitive matter for political mileage, deliberately sowing division and attempting to deflect attention from the “real issue” he is facing.
According to Minister Browne, the Amerindian Hostel has outgrown the capacity of its decades-old building — not because of neglect, but because the Ministry has a longstanding policy of refusing to turn away any indigenous person who arrives seeking shelter. In 2025 alone, more than 12,175 people passed through the hostel, many of them stranded patients, vulnerable individuals or persons seeking urgent medical help.
Amerindian Hostel
She underlined that the Government, and specifically President Irfaan Ali, has long recognised the pressure on the current facility. The President made a public commitment to build a new Amerindian Hostel, and this promise is already being fulfilled. The Minister revealed that land has been identified, designs for the new building have been completed, and funds to commence construction have been explicitly placed in the 2026 National Budget. She noted that Mohamed and his circle are fully aware of these developments, since the Head of State confirmed them publicly, including at an international meeting in Moraikobi.
The Minister said that despite the constraints of the ageing structure, the hostel continues to provide three full meals daily, a safe place to rest, welfare services, and even air and land transportation back to hinterland regions. The Ministry has flown sick patients home, ensured counselling, funded emergency assistance through the Difficult Circumstances grant and made sure that indigenous people arriving in the city are never left abandoned. She said she has personally visited the hostel several times, spoken directly with the residents and taken actions to address shortcomings.
She emphasised that maintaining a facility that is constantly full means appliances, mattresses, furniture and plumbing require regular repairs and replacements. In recent weeks the Ministry replaced mattresses, and she indicated that financial records for dietary, janitorial and maintenance services could be made available, refuting any claim that upkeep has been neglected.
Sarah Browne, Minister of Amerindian Affairs
Turning to comments made online by Mohamed’s sister, Hannah, the Minister did not mince words. She said that those who grew up insulated from the daily challenges of hinterland life cannot presume to understand or speak on the lived experience of indigenous communities. She stated openly that Hannah’s remarks were purely for political gain and that neither sibling has lived the reality of indigenous struggles.
Minister Browne said Mohamed’s stunt outside the hostel was a “desperate effort” to stir ethnic and political division at a moment when his own legal situation demands scrutiny. She noted that while his page spoke theatrically about “representing” Amerindians, it ignored the fact that the hostel is a regulated Government facility, not a stage for political performance, publicity tours or campaign videos.
In her concluding remarks, the Minister drew a clear line between those who work and those who seek relevance.
“The public must understand what is happening. We represent our people, we care for our people, and we have already advanced plans to build a new hostel that meets the present and future needs of Guyana’s indigenous citizens. What Mohamed is doing is not advocacy. It is politics, and it is a distraction.”
Talented wicketkeeper/batter Lomar Seecharran has been named captain of the Guyana Under-13 team to face Barbados in a five-match 40-over series from December 12 to 20 in Guyana.
Berbice all-rounder Sahid Gajnabi, the brother of Guyana and West Indies player Shabika, had been handed the vice-captaincy role, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has announced.
Encampment, the GCB said, will commence begin immediately after the conclusion of the GCB Senior Women’s Inter-County T20 Tournament on December 11.
The squad reads: Lomar Seecharran (Captain), Sahid Gajnabi (Vice-captain), Nathaniel Ramkhelawan, Timothy Ramdat, Afraz Ali, Makai Dowlin, Afraz Khan, Fayyad Baksh, Ashton Collins, Deshawn Ramnauth, Adrian Emmanuel, Jasani Craig, De Marcus Thomas, and Jaden Ganpat.
The reserves are: Aaron DaCosta, Khemraj Bharrat, Markanthong Obermuller, Tilak Eshwar, Kelvin Henry, and Mario Singh.
Ameer Rahaman, Kumar Bishundial and Clive Holder will perform coaching duties.
The Barbados Under-13 team is expected to arrive in Guyana on December 12, and the series will begin the following day at the historic GCC ground, Bourda. The second match will also be played at GCC on December 14.
After a rest and tour day, the third match of the series will be held at GCC on December 16, followed by the fourth match at Everest Cricket Ground on December 17.
After another rest and tour day, the final match of the series will be played at Everest Cricket Ground on December 19, with the Barbados team departing Guyana on December 20.
All matches are scheduled to begin at 10:00h and will be played with white clothing.
Earlier this year, the Guyana Cricket Board and the Barbados Cricket Association signed a historic agreement to facilitate an Under-13 cricket tour to Guyana.
The agreement was signed by the Head of the Guyana Cricket Board, Bissoondyal Singh, and the Head of the Barbados Cricket Association, Calvin Hope.
“The GCB extends best wishes to the Under-13 squad as they prepare to host Barbados for this important developmental series, aimed at showcasing young talent and strengthening regional cricket ties,” the GCB said.
McLaren’s Lando Norris won his first Formula 1 drivers’ championship by finishing third in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old won the title by two points from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who won the race to take his eighth victory of the year, one more than the Briton and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
McLaren were always in control of a race packed with tension even though Verstappen was on course for victory from the first lap, because Piastri finished second and was in a position to help Norris if needed.
Norris becomes the 11th British F1 world champion at the end of his seventh season in F1, a year that he started slowly but in which he came on strong in the second half of the year.
And it is McLaren’s first drivers’ and constructors’ title double since 1998.
While the McLaren has been the fastest car on balance this season, Norris’ championship will be given added credibility by the fact that he won it in the face of a tough challenge from Verstappen, who is widely acknowledged as the finest driver of his generation.
Norris cried in his car on the slowing down lap as he accepted the congratulations of his team and thanked them and his family for getting him into a place to fulfil his lifetime ambition.
The key stories of the race were:
Norris and McLaren’s calm and controlled drive to the title
A battle between Norris and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda as the Japanese sought to help out Verstappen mid-race and a brief threat of a penalty for the McLaren driver
A dominant victory from Verstappen to crown perhaps the most impressive year of his career
McLaren and Norris deal with the pressure
As the race finally started after a nervy weekend for McLaren, the pressure was high after the team had suffered two difficult races in the grands prix preceding this one.
A double disqualification in Las Vegas followed by a botched strategy that handed Verstappen victory in Qatar had upped the stakes for McLaren at the end of a year in which they won the constructors’ title with six races to go.
Norris took a cautious approach to the start, not engaging with Verstappen as the Dutchman aggressively defended his lead from pole position on the run to the first corner.
Halfway around the lap, Piastri swept around the outside of Norris at the long left-hander of Turn Nine, an apparent strategic move to bring the Australian into play for the victory against Verstappen.
Piastri was on hard tyres and Verstappen and Norris on medium, so the plan was to run long and give Red Bull something to consider and reduce the risk of him backing up the field to Norris’ disadvantage.
Norris was left to battle with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for third place but was always in control.
And after a second tyre stop for Norris to mirror Leclerc’s two-stop strategy, the Briton closed in on Piastri in the final laps. (BBC)
India batter Smriti Mandhana has confirmed that her wedding has been “called off”. She and music composer Palash Muchhal were scheduled to marry on November 23, but it was initially postponed after Mandhana’s father was hospitalised.
Mandhana appealed for privacy in her statement on Instagram.
“Over the past few weeks there has been plenty of speculation around my life and I feel it is important for me to speak out at this time,” she wrote in her post.
“I am a very private person and I would like to keep it that way but I need to clarify that the wedding is called off.
“I would like to close this matter here and implore all of you to do the same. I request you to please respect the privacy of both families at this time and allow us the space to process and move on at our own pace.
“I believe there is a higher purpose driving us all and for me that has always been representing my country at the highest level,” she wrote. “I hope to continue to play and win trophies for India for as long as possible and that is where my focus will forever be.”
She concluded her statement by saying, “It’s time to move forward.”
Mandhana was the second-highest run-scorer during India’s successful campaign in the recent women’s ODI World Cup, with 434 runs at an average of 54.25.
Her next assignment is the five-T20I series against Sri Lanka at home from December 21 to 30, after which she will lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2026 WPL from January 9. RCB play the opening game of the season against Mumbai Indians in Navi Mumbai. (ESPNcricinfo)
Police are investigating the murder of a 48-year-old Cuban national who was found dead with multiple suspected stab wounds on Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown, on Saturday afternoon.
The victim, identified as Ariel Betancourt Ramiel, was discovered lying motionless on an access road around 14:00 hrs. A doctor from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation examined Ramiel at the scene and pronounced him dead.
Ranks subsequently recovered a knife believed to have been used in the attack. The weapon was found in a nearby drain and has been lodged as part of the investigation.
The body was later transported to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where it awaits a post-mortem examination to determine the precise cause of death.
Police have secured CCTV footage from the area, which is currently under review. Investigators say they are pursuing several leads, but no arrests have been made at this time. The investigation continues.
Police in Region Seven have seized a suspected firearm, ammunition and cannabis following an intelligence-led riverine patrol in the Essequibo and Mazaruni Rivers on Saturday.
The operation, conducted around 08:45 hrs near Bamford Point, Essequibo River, resulted in the interception of a wooden vessel. A search of the boat uncovered a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis, along with two magazines containing eleven .45 calibre live rounds and five 12-gauge cartridges.
The operator of the vessel, a 35-year-old gold miner from Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, was arrested. He and the seized items were taken to the Bartica Police Station, where the suspected cannabis was weighed in his presence, amounting to 28.90 grammes. The narcotics and ammunition were lodged as police continued their investigation.
Later on Saturday, police escorted the suspect to his mining camp at Ramsheep Backdam, Mazaruni River. A search was carried out, during which ranks recovered a suspected Glock 9mm pistol fitted with a magazine.
The suspected firearm and magazine were lodged, and the miner remains in custody as investigations continue.
Construction on the US$192 million East Coast Demerara Road Widening and Improvement Project is progressing steadily, with overall works now 84 per cent complete.
This is according to the Ministry of Public Works, which said that significant strides have been made along the Railway Embankment corridor between Sheriff Street and the Ogle Roundabout, where the asphalt surface has been fully paved.
Ongoing construction on the East Coast Demerara road expansion project
The ministry said the newly laid roadway will offer commuters a smoother and more durable driving experience.
The next phase of work in this section includes road markings, the installation of traffic lights and signs, and new lighting for the four-lane carriageway.
These final works will prepare the corridor for full use as construction continues eastward.
Beyond the paved sections, reconstruction is ongoing on several key bridges at Plaisance, Success, La Bonne Intention (LBI), Mon Repos and Foulis.
Ongoing works on the East Coast Demerara Road expansion project
The bridge at Foulis is already “substantially complete”, with only approach and railing works outstanding.
Bridge works began in November and are scheduled for completion by January 2026.
The China Railway First Group Company Limited is executing the project. It involves expanding the Railway Embankment road into a four-lane highway from Sheriff Street to Enmore.
The project will also see the construction of a new four-lane road from Enmore to Orange Nassau, Mahaica.
It encompasses a comprehensive reconstruction of the entire Railway Embankment alignment, which includes the construction of 42 new bridges and 77 culverts, of which 29 bridges and 70 culverts have been completed.
Once completed, the project will significantly enhance connectivity along the stretch. It will also facilitate easing the traffic congestion, promoting easier commuting and investments through improved accessibility. [DPI]
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Sarah Browne, Minister of Amerindian Affairs
Ongoing construction on the East Coast Demerara road expansion project
Ongoing works on the East Coast Demerara Road expansion project