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Police in Region One are investigating the recovery of a suspected illegal .22 pistol following an incident in Mabaruma, North West District.

In a statement, Police Headquarters stated that on Saturday, a 50-year-old taxi driver of Mabaruma was allegedly assaulted and threatened by a male who allegedly brandished a firearm during a fare dispute.

The matter was subsequently reported and acting on information received, ranks conducted a follow-up operation in the early hours of Sunday at Mabaruma, where two male suspects- a 21-year-old and a 23-year-old, both construction workers of Parika, East Bank Essequibo- were located and detained.

During further inquiries, one of the suspects led investigators to a bushy area in Mabaruma, where a suspected .22 pistol believed to have been used in the incident was recovered.

The firearm has been lodged and both suspects remain in custody as investigations continue.

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Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali wants to transform Georgetown and the Tiger Bay/ Kingston area is first up in his plans for the capital city.

On Sunday morning, the President went to Tiger Bay with a team of government officials and business owners from the community to engage residents. In between ‘gyaffs’, domino games, and preparing Cook-Up, the President highlighted forthcoming plans to transform the community.

“Mr Mattai [owner of the Mattai’s Supermarket] has given us the use of three plots of land…. Next week, we will start converting that to a Futsal and Basketball facility with night lights,” President Ali told the residents.

President Dr Irfaan Ali (center) and business owners from the community prepare cook-up for residents (Photo: James Bond/ Facebook/ November 16, 2025)

The President said Calvin Ming, another businessman in the area, will be leading a pilot project to vastly improve the community’s drainage network. School of the Nations, which is also located in the Tiger Bay/ Kingston area, will be working alongside the government to roll out a new training programme for residents.

President Ali said he wants these efforts to uplift the community and its residents.

“We have to remove a big stigma from the area, and we are going to remove it,” Dr. Ali said.

Beyond these initiatives, the President said wider beautification efforts will unfold as the government aims to make this north Georgetown area a tourism hotspot. He said from the seawalls at Kingston to Avenue of the Republic and the Botanical Gardens, a “walking tourism lane” will be developed. There will also be at least one new restaurant, bars and craft shops.

The success of that venture, he acknowledged, depends on the residents here. He urged them to become wardens of the community, ensuring that it is safe for all.

 

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Several quantities of cannabis were in Better Hope and Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, after Police operations were conducted in these communities on Saturday.

During the operation at a property in Better Hope South ranks recovered:

a). 247 grams of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis found on the person of a 26-year-old Gold Miner of Britton Street, Plaisance, and

b). 63.5 grams of suspected cannabis found inside a wardrobe belonging to a 48-year-old construction worker of Better Hope South.

Both individuals were arrested and taken to the Sparendaam Police Station. The suspected narcotics were weighed in their presence and lodged as evidence.

Later, at Britton Street, Plaisance, Police found suspected cannabis

a). Concealed in a black plastic barrel in one yard and

b). Inside a black plastic bag hidden among vegetation in another yard.

The suspected narcotics weighed 1,411 grams. They were taken to the Sparendaam Police Station, marked, sealed and lodged.

No arrests were made in relation to this discovery. Investigations are ongoing.

Police Headquarters also reported that two other men were arrested during the operation for separate matters.

a). A 32-year-old Taxi Driver of North Sparendaam for alleged Larceny of Cattle and

b). A 33-year-old Construction Worker of Vryheid’s Lust for alleged Discharging a Loaded Firearm.

Investigations continue.

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Police are investigating the alleged break and enter and larceny at the Hampton Court, Essequibo Coast home of a 51-year-old businessman.

In a statement, Police Headquarters said that investigations revealed that a window on the lower flat was prised open and entry is believed to have been gained through that point. The interior of the home was found ransacked. Several items of clothing and other personal effects were discovered outside near the compromised window and were lodged at the Anna Regina Police Station.

Police also said an undisclosed quantity of items and their value are being assessed and will be determined later.

Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage as investigations continue.

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Chris Hall, a 63-year-old logger and skidder operator of Grant Sand Road, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, died on Saturday after a tree branch struck him.

Police Headquarters reported that Hall was working at a logging concession located at 43 Miles, Mabura Road, when a falling tree branch struck him. He subsequently became motionless. The matter was reported to the Police, and ranks later visited the scene.

Hall was later transported to the Linden Hospital Complex, where he was examined and pronounced dead by a doctor on duty. The man’s body has since been taken to the Pensioners’ Mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Investigations are ongoing.

 

 

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Guyana has recorded an unprecedented 100% recovery of all overpayments detected in government contracts for the third consecutive year, a major achievement highlighted in the 2024 Auditor General’s Report and celebrated by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali in a social media address on Saturday.

The president said this milestone reflects the administration’s aggressive efforts to strengthen financial discipline, improve oversight, and ensure taxpayers get full value for public spending.

 

“In 2022, 2023, and now 2024, every cent of overpayment was recovered before the Auditor General’s Report was finalised. This has never happened before in our country’s history,” President Ali noted.

He contrasted this with the APNU+AFC’s tenure, when overpayment recovery rates were extremely low: only 7.49% in 2015, 29.7% in 2017, and 12.1% in 2018.

“These are not opinions. These are facts from the Auditor General,” he emphasised.

Despite the Audit Office reviewing 829 contracts worth almost $50 billion in 2024, less than 3% were cited for overpayments.

President Ali credited this improvement to:

• Extensive training in procurement and contract administration
• Strengthened oversight systems
• The introduction of new technology to monitor in real time

“We are moving toward full-scale project accounting using technology, AI and predictive indicators,” he said, before stating, “That will allow us to detect issues even during the project cycle.”

The president stated the broader findings of the 2024 Auditor General’s Report show that accountability and transparency have improved significantly between 2020 and 2024.

This includes:

• 81% of 2023 recommendations were fully or partially implemented
• Major reduction in procurement breaches
• Stronger internal controls
• Faster resolution of audit queries
• Record expansion of audit coverage across public agencies

He noted that, unlike the period 2015–2019, when the Auditor General repeatedly warned the APNU+AFC administration for failing to act, the PPP/C government has consistently addressed issues as they arise.

Audit recommendations: a sharp contrast between administrations

Between 2015 and 2019, according to the Auditor General:

• Only 27% of recommendations were implemented
• 41% were not implemented at all
• Recommendations were repeated year after year without action

In comparison, under the PPP/C between 2020 and 2024:

• 42.4% of recommendations were fully implemented
• 37.4% partially implemented
• Only 20% unimplemented

“As a responsible government, we do not wait for the Auditor General to repeat the same recommendation year after year,” President Ali said. “We act.”

The report also shows progress in audit coverage:

• 254 audit opinions issued in 2024, the third-highest since 2015
• 34 audits of foreign-funded projects, all receiving unqualified opinions
• Expanded coverage of public enterprises, statutory bodies, NDCs, and constitutional agencies

“This reflects a stronger culture of accountability across the public sector,” the president stated.

While acknowledging progress, President Ali said the government will continue to push for higher standards. Accounting officers have already begun implementing the 2024 recommendations, and those who fail to comply will face consequences.

New performance indicators will soon be introduced for permanent secretaries and agency heads to ensure continuous compliance with financial rules and stronger internal management systems.

“We are not satisfied,” the President said. “We will continue to enhance transparency, accountability, and good governance in every agency.” (Republished from the Department of Public Information)

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Everyone climbed onto the struggle bus in Christchurch, even Daryl Mitchell whose seventh ODI century cost him a little bit of his good health. A groin injury left him inside the dressing room for the entirety of the second innings, which wasn’t the worst thing ever. He could put his feet up and watch New Zealand pull off a seven-run victory.

A two-paced pitch that offered sideways movement throughout the day made batting a distasteful exercise. Mitchell seemed immune initially but soon he was battling not just a disciplined West Indies attack but also his own body breaking down from the stress.

The fact that he was able to ride those challenges – and take New Zealand to a total of 269 – made the innings all the sweeter.

Mitchell must have felt it too. As soon as he reached his hundred, he whipped his helmet off and roared the word “yes” with so much emotion even the veins on his shaved head were popping all over the place. Performances like these were once the purview of Kane Williamson or Ross Taylor, two all-time Black Caps legends.

Increasingly though, Mitchell has been putting himself up on their level, this 119 off 118 a prime example. No one else was able to make even half of those runs with Sherfane Rutherford‘s 55 off 61 the next best score. Conditions at Hagley Oval on Sunday were not for the faint of heart.

West Indies suffered in their chase, the help that was already available in the day now exaggerated under lights. Keacy Carty spent most of his 67 balls as a crash test dummy. He would’ve been fine if it was just swing or just seam or just bounce. But all three kept combining at the behest of New Zealand’s quicks and all the West Indian No. 3 could do was steel himself for the body blows.

The first 10 overs produced just 32 runs. The next nine 27. There were 30 balls in between when only seven scoring shots were possible. And this was the change-bowlers – Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes – in operation.

Shai Hope (37 off 45) and Rutherford fared a little better and New Zealand shelled a series of catches in the back end but West Indies had fallen too far behind to be able to catch up.

They came into this game with five changes – three spinners out, three seamers in. The best of them was Matthew Forde who was on a hat-trick in the seventh over, removing Rachin Ravindra for 4 and Will Young on his 50th ODI for a golden duck.

That’s when Mitchell walked in and immediately flipped the game on its head. Till then, New Zealand’s batters were trapped in the crease and Forde was given the leeway to do whatever he wanted.

Mitchell, though, walked at the fast bowler, trusting his reflexes to deal with the speed of the ball – which on average was only 122 kph – and negating the biggest thing that Forde had going for him – sideways movement, particularly into the right-hander. West Indies tried to stop that by bringing the wicketkeeper up but that only slowed Mitchell down. It didn’t uproot him.

Mitchell was 33 off 37. He needed 24 deliveries to get to fifty. New Zealand were 91 for 2 in the 18th over. Only two of the next 16 would go for even a run a ball. Five of them almost became maidens.

West Indies were remarkably tight, particularly Roston Chase, who harnessed the wind blowing across the ground to appear unhittable (just one four from his 10 overs) and mask the loss of Romario Shepherd (4-0-23-0) to a hamstring injury.

It was a small miracle the offspinner only ended up with one wicket – that of Michael Bracewell – because he created enough opportunities – three against Bracewell alone – to be driven to exasperation. “Jeeeesus,” Chase said when Hope missed a straightforward stumping.

New Zealand were 192 for 5 in the 42nd over, but of greater concern was Mitchell pulling up in the middle of running a single and needing repairs to his left leg. He was 78 off 92 at that point, just starting to cut loose.

Now, he was hampered running between the wickets and left to just stand and deliver. Good thing he’s six feet and change of pure muscle. Mitchell belted out those straight hits that he’s renowned for, thundering to his seventh ODI century, an innings that had so many phases.

The initial acceleration, where he showcased a mutant pull shot, bringing the cross-bat up high and then whirling his wrists on impact with the ball to generate pace and find the boundary in front of square.

The slowing down (from 33 off 37 to 56 off 77) because he knew he had to be there till the end. The injury (78 off 92) complicating things. The will to keep going. And the power to finish strong (41 off 26).

West Indies could have had Mitchell for 19 and 67 but Chase at point and Jayden Seales at long-on put down two tough catches. New Zealand also benefited from Devon Conway’s persistence at the top of the order, where he scored 49 off 58 despite looking far from his best.

Having specialist fast bowlers helped as well. Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Duffy all produced standout spells (29-4-146-4). They had the pace and the faith to go short, generating extra bounce. That was a clear a point of difference.

West Indies got none of that, a drawback perhaps of having allrounders making up the majority of the seam attack. Justin Greaves, Shamar Springer and Shepherd stuck to the basics and were tidy (21-0-136-1) but in conditions that were often unplayable tidy doesn’t cut it. (ESPNcricinfo)

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For the third consecutive year, Nexgen Golf and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) have teamed up to deliver an exciting and interactive mini-golf experience for visitors to GuyExpo.

This year’s exhibition features a striking mini-golf replica of the Dr. Bharat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, drawing large crowds and enthusiastic participation at the Tourism Village.

The attraction was designed by Aleem Hussain, President of the Guyana Golf Association and designer of the Westside Golf Course, and constructed with the assistance of Geru Gordon.

Visitors can ‘roll across’ the bridge for a chance to win instant prizes from Igloo Ice Cream and Sunshine Snacks, along with opportunities to win premium local excursions.

Prizes include trips for two to Kaieteur Falls, Elite Kayaking experiences, the Demerara Sunset Tour, Essequibo River Day Tour, Georgetown City Tour and ATV adventures.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues praised the initiative, stating: “Golf is an important part of our focus on sports tourism, and we have asked Aleem to do everything possible to make this happen. This exhibition, which has attracted thousands to try golf- many for the first time- shows that we can create avenues for high-end sports tourism.”

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority Kamrul Baksh echoed the Minister’s sentiment: “We committed to promoting golf several years ago with Aleem and Nexgen Golf, and the results have been fantastic. We believe that together, we can generate widespread enthusiasm for the sport while creating jobs and driving revenue into the country.”

The mini-golf attraction is located at the Tourism Village and is free of charge, welcoming participants of all ages. (Nexgen Golf Press Release)

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The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) has announced its men’s and women’s squads for the upcoming Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens Championships, where qualification for major international events is on the line.

The tournament, taking place from November 21 to 23 at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, Trinidad, holds significant competitive value.

Winners of both the Men’s Tier 1 (MT1) and Women’s brackets will secure spots on the coveted World Rugby SVNS pathway.

Furthermore, the competition serves as a direct qualifier for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, with the top three MT1 teams (excluding Canada) and the top two Women’s teams advancing.

The tournament has been expanded to three days this year, reflecting an increase in regional participation across the three divisions: Men’s Tier 1, Women’s, and Men’s Tier 2 (which offers promotion opportunities).

Guyana’s men have historically been a regional powerhouse, winning the RAN championship a total of seven times, most recently in 2016. However, the team, which finished seventh in Tier 1 last year, is currently undergoing a transitional phase.

This year marks a welcome return for the women’s team to the tournament, competing against five other nations, including Bermuda, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados.

The ladies are making a return to the Sevens tournament, it is understood they last featured in 2018 (PHOTO: News Room/Davin Ramnarine/November 15, 2025)

In a boost to their preparation, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has secured free access to the high-level strength and conditioning facilities at Fitness 53, owned by former West Indies cricket captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, for the national players.

The Men’s Tier 1 will feature Guyana competing in a pool format against regional heavyweights, including the defending champion Canada, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Lionel Holder will captain the Men’s team, while Sabola Gray will lead the women’s team.

Women’s Team: Nicole Nero, Tiffany Pilgrim, Nikita Andrews, Mandy Browne, Sabola Gray (captain), Jalena Shepherd

Aniqah Powley, Tonya Smith, Carrey Carter, Serra Persaud, Alison Smiley, Sasha Greaves

Management: Laurie Adonis (Head Coach), Tricia Monroe (Assistant Coach) and Ryan Gonsalves (Manager)

Men’s Team: Renaldo Niles, Shawn David, Jamal Angus (vice-captain), Mathew Talbot, Micheal Barrow, Jonathan Garnette, Lionel Holder (captain), Rahsaan Dathorn-Howell, Gavin McPherson, Tyresse Prescod, Godfrey Polleydore
Yannic Williams, Elisha Crawford

Management: Stephen Lewis (Head Coach), Claudius Butts (Assistant Coach) and Ryan Gonsalves (Manager)

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