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Parliamentarians greenlit a resolution reaffirming Guyana’s sovereignty over its internationally recognised territory on Friday, a move that is significant ahead of Venezuela’s sham elections for governor of the Essequibo region on Sunday.

A motion for this resolution was moved early Friday by Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd. A debate then ensued, with government and opposition parliamentarians rejecting Venezuela’s aggression and reiterating Guyana’s commitment to international law and diplomacy.

However, the debate took a turn after Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton contributed to the discussion. Though condemning Venezuela’s actions and underscoring the need for such a resolution, Mr Norton opined that the opposition should have had more say in the motion.

‘Guyana will not be bullied, threatened or intimidated’ – Parliament debates motion on sovereignty

Following his presentation, Mr Norton and the other APNU+AFC parliamentarians walked out of the sitting of the National Assembly. Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips called that action “unpatriotic” and said the country should be united in the face of Venezuelan aggression. Similarly, Deputy Speaker and opposition parliamentarian who represents the joinder list, Dr Asha Kissoon, urged her colleagues to act more maturely and stand with the government to reaffirm Guyana’s sovereignty.

Despite the tensions in the House, the Foreign Affairs Minister said the resolution was a win for Guyana.

“Today is still a good day and a successful day in this House for the people of this country with the representation that they would’ve received today, not only in context but in depth,” he said as he wrapped up the debate.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, then presented the Foreign Affairs Minister with a copy of the resolution.

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As Guyanese lawmakers debated the motion reaffirming Guyana’s sovereignty on Friday, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips said Venezuela’s sham elections for a state in the Essequibo region are unlawful, as no such state exists.

“To elect a governor for Guayana Esequiba is unlawful because the state, Guayana Esequiba, does not exist.

“There is no such state in Guyana. Venezuela has not demonstrated or exercised any political or legal control or jurisdiction over such a state since it does not exist in Guyana

“… Instead, we [Guyanese] have elected officials at the Regional Democratic Council level that exercise political and legal control over the entire Essequibo in the 10 administrative regions and those regions that share the part of Guyana that comprises Guyana,” the Prime Minister said on Friday.

‘Guyana will not be bullied, threatened or intimidated’ – Parliament debates motion on sovereignty

Venezuela announced that it intends to hold elections in the Essequibo, a region that Guyana has administered for over 100 years.

Guyana maintains that Essequibo is an integral part of its sovereign territory, a position upheld by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its December 2023 ruling. So the Venezuelan election plan, scheduled for May 25, 2025, is a violation of the ICJ’s orders and international law.

The motion presented to the House asks the lawmakers to recall the motion passed on November 6, 2023, which reaffirmed the recognition of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the 1966 Geneva Agreement. It also condemns Venezuela’s actions and calls for further support.

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton also condemned Venezuela’s actions but noted that the APNU+AFC Parliamentarians wanted to contribute more to the motion. After his contribution to the debate, Mr. Norton and other APNU+AFC Parliamentarians walked out of the House.

The Prime Minister called that action “unpatriotic” and said the country should be united in the face of the aggression from Venezuela.
Similarly, Deputy Speaker and opposition parliamentarian who represents the joinder list, Dr. Asha Kissoon, urged her colleagues to act more maturely and stand with the government to reaffirm Guyana’s sovereignty.

The post Venezuelan elections for Guyana’s Essequibo unlawful- PM Phillips appeared first on News Room Guyana.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with the organisers of the Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast at State House to outline significant plans for the tournament’s third year, which will see a substantial expansion in scope and participation.

The upcoming edition is set to feature a remarkable 80 teams, a considerable increase designed to broaden the competition’s reach across the nation.

Matches are scheduled to commence on June 28 in Berbice, marking the start of a series of fixtures to be held in each county.

The tournament will culminate in a grand finale at the National Stadium, Providence, on August 3.

During the meeting, President Ali reaffirmed his strong support for the tournament and expressed his pleasure at the organisers’ response to his call for greater community involvement in the event.

Beyond the on-field action, this year’s tournament will also feature a dedicated initiative to raise funds for charity, with a drive planned to coincide with the final.

In a symbolic gesture, Leon Johnson, captain of the reigning champion Titans All-Stars, gifted President Ali the specially handcrafted trophy made from six different species of wood.

The tournament will be held in Berbice Zone from June 28 to 29; East Bank/West Demerara Zone from July 5 to 6; Georgetown/East Coast Demerara Zone from July 19 to 20; Essequibo Zone from July 26 to 27; and Championship Finals from August 3 to August 3, National Stadium, Providence.

Meanwhile, registration for the third edition is underway, and based on the enthusiastic response, FL Sport anticipates reaching its target of 80 participating teams soon.

The registration fee is GY$ 30,000.

Prospective teams and individuals seeking further information can contact Akeem Greene via WhatsApp at +5926352235 or visit the tournament’s official social media pages under “One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast.”

The team limit for each zone, except for the Georgetown/East Coast Demerara zone, is 16.

The possibility exists that some zones may be extended beyond 16.

The Georgetown/East Coast Demerara zone can accommodate up to 32 teams.

The Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast boasts a lucrative prize structure to reward zonal success and national championship aspirations.

The winning team from each zone will pocket GY$300,000 and earn automatic qualification for the national finals.

The ultimate national champion will be awarded a staggering GY$1.7 million, while the national runners-up will receive GY$700,000.

The two losing semi-finalists will each receive GY$300,000, and the losing finalists at the zonal level will also receive GY$100,000 each.

Individual player performances are also significantly incentivized with attractive cash prizes and awards:

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) will receive GY$ 150,000 and a motorcycle.

Prizes of GY$ 100,000 are designated for the players with the Most Runs and Most Wickets.

The Player-of-the-Final at the Nationals will earn GY$ 75,000.

GY$ 35,000 will go to the Super Striker and the player with the Best Economy rate.

Some of these impressive prizes will also include custom-made trophies and televisions, adding to the prestige of individual achievements.

 

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A star-studded line-up of veteran footballers is set for a nostalgic showdown this Sunday as the Oliver Hinckson Memorial Knockout Over-40 Football Tournament takes centre stage at the GFF Artificial Turf, National Training Centre in Providence.

Organised by Thomas United Masters, the one-day event on May 25 promises a blend of memories and competitive action. It kicks off at 10:00 AM and runs until 8:30 PM local time.

Thirteen teams packed with experienced campaigners will battle it out for top honours and many attractive prizes.

The teams involved include Beacon FC, Charlestown United, Club 45, Guyana Defence Force Masters, Heat of Oak (Berbice), Linden Elite Masters, N.T.C Masters, Park Squad, hosts Thomas United Masters, Mainstay Masters, Campton FC Masters, One Love Masters, and Westside Masters.

The stakes are high, with the winners set to pocket a significant GYD$200,000, generously donated by The Hinckson Family, alongside a trip for 20 to the Koriabo Island Adventure Resort.

The runners-up will receive GYD$75,000, while third place, sponsored by Guyana Breweries, will take home GYD$50,000. The fourth-placed team will also receive GYD$30,000.

Individual awards are also up for grabs. The tournament’s Most Valuable Player will receive a GYD$ 20,000 voucher from Tami’s Online Store.

The Best Goalkeeper and the Most Goal Scorer will each win an ATV ride from The Off Road Experience and Savannah Tours, plus a Sunset ATV Tour for two.

The tournament has received significant backing from the local business community, with sponsors including the Guyana Football Federation, Banks DIH (Banks Beer), Full Works (Blue Spring Water), Guyana Breweries Inc. (Rockstone Hard wine), Richard Hing, Ryan Fung, Alpha 7 mini mart, Sigma Digital, and 3S Legacy Enterprise.

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Over 286 athletes, including returning US-based scholarship holders, will compete at the ninth edition of the Guyana Overseas-Based Sports Association (GOBSA) Independence Track and Field Classic on May 24 at the National Track and Field Facility, West Coast Demerara.

The meet, David Thomas’s brainchild, promises a full day of competition, scheduled to commence promptly at 09:30h.

Altethics Association of Guyana (AAG) First Vice-President, Mark Scott, confirmed the strong registration numbers and highlighted the presence of returning talent. “So far, we have 286 athletes registered for this meet.

We have overseas-based Guyanese on scholarships; they’re here for the meet. For example, we have Cassie Small and Revon Williams, two names who will be competing on Saturday.”

Scott also elaborated on the introduction of the hurdles events, “This is the brainchild of what we had recently with the training programme with Mr Sanchez, the two-time Olympian. It was not initially on the programme, we thought it best that it should be included in this programme.”

The inclusion of the men’s 110m hurdles and the women’s 100m hurdles will be a major highlight of this year’s event.

This decision follows a successful elite training programme conducted by former Olympic champion Felix Sanchez, a camp supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Competition will be fierce across four categories: Under-12, Under-15, Under-18, and 18 and older.

While younger athletes in the U-12 and U-15 divisions will be vying for medals, the U-18 competitors will be rewarded with cash vouchers and prizes such as electronic tablets.

The senior athletes in the 18 and older category will compete for significant cash prizes, with $30,000 awarded for first place, $25,000 for second, and $20,000 for third.

Spectators are encouraged to attend, and the admission fee is $500 for children and $1000 for adults.

The post Over 280 athletes show interest in GOBSA Track and Field Meet appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Global footwear icon BATA is making a stylish return to the Guyanese market with the opening of its flagship store at Giftland Mall, East Coast Demerara.

This exciting re-entry marks the revival of a beloved brand that holds deep sentimental value for many Guyanese. The relaunch not only rekindles those nostalgic connections but also introduces a new generation of Guyanese consumers to the brand’s modern, stylish, and diverse collections.

“This is more than just the launch of another shoe store – it’s a homecoming,” said Francis Cumberbatch, CEO of the franchise. “Generations of Guyanese have grown up wearing these shoes, and now we’re excited to showcase how the brand has evolved — blending its legacy of quality with today’s fashion-forward styles and comfort.”

Pankaj Gupta, Head of International Franchise at BATA, added: “We’re thrilled to reestablish BATA’s presence in Guyana. The brand has always enjoyed strong emotional equity in the Caribbean, and this launch is a reflection of our strategy to grow in markets where we see long-term potential. Our focus is to offer Guyanese customers a world-class retail experience and access to our latest global collections.”

BATA operates in both emerging and established markets, adapting to local needs without losing sight of its global approach. From Europe to Asia, Africa, and the Americas, the brand has earned the trust of millions of customers by offering products that combine comfort, durability, and design. With a wide variety of styles, brands, and categories, the company offers a broad range of products, including casual, athletic, formal, and specialized footwear.

Its associated brands — Bata Red Label, Bata Comfit, Power, North Star, and Bubblegummers — cater to the specific needs of men, women, and children. Every product reflects BATA’s commitment to excellence and attention to detail. The new BATA stores in Guyana will carry a curated mix of these collections, offering stylish, high-quality footwear for every occasion and every generation.

Following the Giftland Mall opening, BATA plans to expand its footprint across Guyana with additional stores in New Amsterdam, Linden, Bartica, and Lethem.

Founded in 1894, BATA has grown into the world’s largest footwear company, with a strong global presence in over 90 countries and more than 5,000 retail stores. Over the decades, BATA has evolved with changing consumer needs while staying true to its core values of durability, affordability, and innovation.

 

The post BATA returns to Guyana with flagship store at Giftland Mall appeared first on News Room Guyana.

[BBC] – Out of 186 countries, only Guyana produces enough food to self-sufficiently feed all its citizens without foreign imports, according to new research.

The study, published in Nature Food, investigated how well each country could feed their populations in seven food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, plant-based protein and starchy staples.

Worldwide, the study found that 65 per cent of countries were overproducing meat and dairy, compared to their own population’s dietary needs.

It also found that Guyana, located in South America, was the only country that could boast total self-sufficiency, while China and Vietnam were close behind, being able to produced enough food in six out of seven food groups.

Just one in seven of the tested countries were judged self-sufficient in five or more categories.

At the same time, there was a global shortfall in nutrient-dense plants, with less than half of countries involved in the study producing enough plant-based protein – such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts and seeds – or starchy carbs, and only 24 per cent growing enough vegetables.

Europe and South America were generally closer to being self-sufficient than other countries. But small island states, countries on the Arabian Peninsula and low-income countries were more likely to rely on foreign imports for food.

And six countries – Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Macao, Qatar and Yemen – did not produce enough of any food group to be considered self-sufficient in that category.

“Low self-sufficiency is not inherently bad,” Dr Jonas Stehl – researcher at Göttingen and first author of the study – told BBC Science Focus. “There are valid and often beneficial reasons why a country may not produce the majority of the food it needs.”

For instance, a country might not have enough rain, good-quality soil or stable temperatures to grow enough food for its population.

Stehl said it could be cost-effective, too, to import food from regions better suited to producing it.

“However, low levels of self-sufficiency can reduce a country’s capability to respond to sudden global food supply shocks such as droughts, wars or export bans,” he said.

To find this out, a team at the University of Göttingen, Germany and the University of Edinburgh, UK measured how much food each country produced.

Then they compared this to what was needed to meet their citizens’ nutritional requirements, according to the World Wildlife Fund’s Livewell diet.

The Livewell diet describes itself as “a flexible diet that involves rebalancing our protein consumption toward plants, eating more vegetables, pulses and wholegrains, and fewer foods high in fat, salt and sugar.”

Debates about the advantages of self-sufficiency have risen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic or the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war – when instability disrupted the reliable supply of food to importing countries.

Stehl added that the “resurgence in interest” in national food self-sufficiency might also reflect broader political shifts, “including growing nationalism and a desire among some to reduce dependence on foreign countries.”

Stehl said: “Building resilient food supply chains is imperative for ensuring public health.”

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Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said there is no special treatment for any group, and sought to debunk claims that the government is embracing more Chinese businesses and operations than any other group.

At his weekly press conference, Jagdeo debunked claims that the Chinese are dominating quarry and sand production activities. He acknowledged that the number of operators in the sector increased owing to the growing demand; there are now 16 quarries as opposed to six in 2020, and production surged from 740,000 tonnes annually to 3.3 million tonnes.

However, Jagdeo emphasised that the new licensees are Guyanese, not Chinese.

“It’s a fallacy, it’s fiction,” he said.

For sand production, there are now 67 holders compared to 18 in 2020. There has been a similar surge in sand production and Guyanese are involved in this venture.

The demand for these materials increased significantly over the past several years as the government’s facilitates and pursues robust development. Though Chinese are involved in some large publicly-funded projects like the new Demerara Harbour Crossing and a mega solar farm in Linden, Jagdeo explained that many of the publicly-funded projects go to locals and other nationalities.

In the private sector, there are Chinese companies executing projects and Chinese workers assisting. The construction of many new hotels, Jagdeo said, involved the Chinese.

“They contract them because the Chinese may be able to do it faster and in some cases, cheaper,” he noted but emphasised, “There must be no special treatment for anyone.”

Previously, Jagdeo spoke about the number of Chinese supermarkets opened all across the country. He again spoke about this at Thursday’s press conference, reiterating that the government is serious about ensuring that the Chinese comply with all regulations and get the licenses they need- such as liquor licenses- before they engage in any of these operations.

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Businessman – 39-year-old Randy Jagdeo of Alexander Village – has been charged with inciting persons to commit treason, following a controversial Facebook post and inflammatory signage at his retail business. The charge stems from an alleged violation under Section 314 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01.

Jagdeo was arrested on Wednesday by detectives and brought before the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court this morning, where he faced Magistrate Bess. The court heard that Jagdeo’s actions, both online and in physical signage, were considered by authorities to have potentially seditious implications, particularly relating to the sensitive territorial issue of the Essequibo region.

During the hearing, the Prosecutor strongly objected to bail, citing the gravity of the charge and the broader implications for national security. However, the Magistrate granted Jagdeo bail in the sum of $350,000, imposing strict conditions: he must report to the head of the Police Cyber Crimes Unit at Eve Leary on the third Friday of every month, refrain from any activity on social media platforms, and lodge his passport with the court. The case has been adjourned until June 16.

Jagdeo has faced intense backlash from the public following a Facebook comment in which he declared that Essequibo belongs to Venezuela—a highly provocative and factually incorrect statement, given that the region is internationally recognised as part of Guyana. Public outrage intensified after it was revealed that his business, the ‘Thousand Dollar Store’ located on the East Bank of Demerara, had displayed signage featuring the official ‘One Guyana’ logo paired with a map that conspicuously excluded the Essequibo region.

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Anthony Drayton has emerged victorious in Guyana’s inaugural Chess 960 Freestyle Tournament, recently held at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre in Georgetown.

The event, hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) and sponsored by Brava Solutions, introduced a creative variation of classical chess.

Drayton, a familiar face at the top of the podium, played unbeaten through nine intense rounds, securing first place with an impressive 8.5 points.

His only draw came against long-time teammate CM Taffin Khan.

Khan, the defending champion of the upcoming National Open Championships, finished in second place with 7.5 points. His sole defeat was to current Junior Champion Ricardo Narine, with his draw against Drayton.

Fourteen-year-old CM Sachin Pitamber secured third place with 7 points, further cementing his reputation as a rising talent in Guyanese chess.

Other notable performances included:

• Kyle Couchman (15): Fourth place with 6 points.
• Ricardo Narine (20): Fifth place with 6 points, including a notable win against Khan.
• Woman Candidate Master Jessica Callender: Best female prize with 5 points.
• Alek Ubaldo-Singh: Also gained 6 points.
• Matthew Persaud: A newcomer, scored 5.5 points.
• Joshua Gopaul and Kishan Puran: Rounded out the top ten with 5 points each.

GCF President Anand Raghunauth praised the tournament for challenging players to think unconventionally. The top twelve boards were live-streamed, showcasing the innovative format.

Chess action in Guyana continues with the National Open Chess Championships, set to begin on Saturday, May 24, at the David Rose Special School.

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