Kaieteur News

CIA carried out drone strike on port facility on Venezuelan coast

December 31, 2025 - Vol. 20 No. 52

Online readership

yesterday, 53,329

ExxonMobil wrapsth up drilling for 6 …as Govt. prepares for early project start for US$12.7B development Two men executed in Linden

Providence woman killed by speeding car The car involved in the accident

(See stories on pages 20 & 22)

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Marlon DaSilva

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Dead: Dion Shawn Ramdyhan

Businessman, Amar Jones

Businessman

to stand trial for killing wife Dead: Kenesha Juman Vaughn

As workers reject 8% raise, hold firm for 10% Pay standoff at Aurora:

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Kaieteur News

The Guinea-flagged oil tanker MT Bandra, which is under sanctions, is partially seen alongside another vessel at El Palito terminal, near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela December 29, 2025. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Hernandez

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Oil tankers still arriving in Venezuela despite U.S. blockade, data shows (Reuters) - At least two oil tankers have made their way to Venezuela in recent days and others are navigating towards the country, a sign of state-run PDVSA’s effort to expand floating storage and keep selling crude even as a U.S. blockade has reduced exports to a minimum.

U.S. President Donald Trump this month announced a blockade of all sanctioned vessels going in or out of Venezuelan waters as part of a strategy to p r e s s u r e Ve n e z u e l a n President Nicolas Maduro.

The U.S. move has cut oil exports this month to about half of their November level.

The U.S. has seized two fully loaded cargoes of Venezuelan oil and its ships are patrolling the Caribbean Sea. The pressure has scared many vessel owners, prompting re-routings and uturns. Only a fraction of ships have kept on course to the OPEC country.

Some tanker owners have insisted. At least two ships under sanctions have arrived in Venezuela over the last few days and two more that are not under sanctions are approaching its coast, according to monitoring s e r v i c e TankerTrackers.com.

As part of swaps and arrangements made since the country was first placed under U.S. energy sanctions i n 2 0 1 9 , M a d u r o ’s administration pays for a long list of purchases and services with oil, including debt service to China.

The two vessels approaching Venezuela are part of a fleet used by China and Venezuela to pay debt service with crude bound for Chinese ports. It was unclear whether China will press for a U.S. waiver to secure delivery of those cargoes.

PDVSA did not reply to a request for comment.

Venezuela’s oil ministry and Maduro have said oil exports will continue.

PDVSA has been negotiating price discounts and contract changes with customers this month to avoid cargo returns or crude production cut-backs. But many buyers are growing impatient as there are no real alternatives to get oil cargoes out of the country, even in non-sanctioned tankers, company sources said.

A cyberattack forced PDVSA to shut down its centralized administrative system this month. The company is now delivering cargoes at its ports at a slower pace, both to fulfill loading windows for export and to store crude and fuel in ships, expanding its storage capacity.

The only loaded vessels departing are Chevron’s tankers, which continue setting sail for the U.S. under Washington’s authorization, and small ships carrying oil byproducts and petrochemicals, shipping data and PDVSA documents showed.

A similar situation in 2020, when Washington ramped up pressure on Maduro by imposing sanctions on PDVSA’s main trading partners, forced the country to switch to littleknown intermediaries to keep selling its oil to Chinese buyers.

Those U.S. measures triggered oil output cuts, oilfield shutdowns and severe scarcity of motor fuel.

It took Venezuela years to reach 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of output again, recover some refining capacity and stabilize exports.

As of this week, almost two dozen tankers were visible from shore near the Jose port waiting for loading windows or for departure instructions. The volume of oil stuck in undeparted tankers increased to some 16 million barrels, from 11 million barrels in midDecember, according to the data and documents.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 31, 2025

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Chief Justice to rule on Mohameds’ request to stay extradition proceedings on Monday Chief Justice (ag) Navindra Singh on Tuesday heard arguments in the request brought by Nazir ‘Shell’ Mohamed and his son Azruddin Mohamed to stay extradition proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court.

The father and son duo has asked the court to stall the extradition case in the magistrates’ court until the constitutional matter is heard in full. The Mohameds have been indicted in a U.S. federal court in Miami, Florida on several charges.

The 25-page indictment, unsealed on October 2, 2025, accuses the Mohameds of orchestrating an elaborate fraud and money-laundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions in taxes and royalties owed to Guyana.

Earlier this month, Magistrate Judy Latchman delivered a decisive ruling that the extradition proceedings against businessman Nazir Mohamed and his son, Azruddin, will go on.

She dismissed the defence’s attempt to halt the case by sending multiple constitutional questions to the High Court, ruling that the issues had already been settled by Guyana’s superior courts. Magistrate Latchman emphasised that the core issues raised by the defence regarding the 2009 amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Act had already been considered by higher courts and did not require further review. As such, the extradition proceedings are set to commence on January 6, 2026.

In light of the magistrate’s ruling, an application to halt extradition proceedings and to hear the challenges to Fugitive Offenders’Act were put to the high court by lead attorney Roysdale Forde who argued that the magistrate improperly exercised her discretion, and the amendments to the l e g i s l a t i o n a r e unconstitutional and infringe on his clients’ fundamental rights. He maintained that the defence had clearly established the inconsistencies and constitutional concerns arising from the 2009 amendments.

On Tuesday morning, the Mohameds’ along with their defence team including, Forde, Damien Da Silva, and Siand Dhurjan, presented

…Nandlall says challenge baseless, abuse of process

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall their case before Justice Singh and asked the court to halt the extradition proceedings at the magistrate level pending a determination on the constitutionality of the amendments to the Act. Forde, speaking to the media, explained the basis of the defence’s submission. He said the defence highlighted the prejudice the Mohameds would likely suffer if the application is not granted. “ I n s u m m a r y, t h e prejudice will be that was these proceedings are pending in High Court challenging the constitutionality of the very legislation under which the magistrate will have to act, and she already indicated a previous decision to accept the validity of those pieces of legislation. They will likely to be imprisoned if the magistrate found that there is sufficient evidence against the Mohameds. Once they are committed, they will lose the right to bail [and] they will be imprisoned. They will now have to make an application to the court, the very high court by a way of habeas corpus,” Forde explained.

Following defence’s argument Tuesday morning, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall SC in an interview with the media stated that no serious issues were raised by the defence.

Defence lawyers , Roysdale Forde along with Damien Da Silva (right)

“Mister Forde in his presentation has accepted that his application is an unusual one, and it’s not normally granted. It’s not normally made in these circumstances. In fact, he began by saying that he couldn’t find a parallel or precedent in the Caribbean.

So, we got to go through the arguments,” he said.

Nandlall posited that taking the matter to the high court is a means of further delaying the extradition proceedings. “But I don’t think that they will succeed.

Expedition law is quite s ettled. There’s a straightforward area of law now. There are complicated extradition cases; this is certainly not one of them.

The issues here, as I’ve said before, are settled,” the attorney general said.

During the afternoon session, which lasted for almost three hours for the attorneys’ response, Nandlall outlined that the Fugitive Offenders Act already entails the procedural steps. He told reporters outside the courtroom that, “I’ve articulated what the legal position is in Guyana, we have a treaty that treaty governs expedition. We have a fugitive Offenders Act that sets out in detail the procedure to be followed when an extradition request is made.”

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e attorney general pointed out that the extradition process in Guyana should not be lengthy and delayed by constitutional issues raised by the defence that were already addressed in the

magistrates’ court.

“Extradition process, by its very nature, is not intended to be embroiled in legal processes, and that’s why the extradition law of Guyana, as does the extradition law of almost every country, sets out a process by which extradition proceedings are heard and determined and the way challenges can be made in relation to that process. The Act itself says that the magistrate must be allowed to commit, do the committal hearing, and if the magistrate discharges the accused persons or the subject persons, the state has a right to challenge that rule, and then the state has a right to appeal. Similarly, if the magistrate rules that the person should be committed, then those persons have a

right to challenge by way of habeas corpus, and then an appeal against that and throughout that process, and it is automatically granted against the extradition taking place by the law itself,” the attorney general explained.

“Clearly, the policy of the law and the intent of the process is not to entertain these side shows and these collateral challenges, these collateral challenges are not contemplated by the law.

That’s why, when the magistrate rejected those provisions, those arguments in the magistrate’s court, there is no right of appeal against that... the Constitution would have so provided once those once the magistrate rejects those arguments, the next step is for the magistrate to be allowed to proceed, not to come back to the High Court, to file proceedings,” he added.

Nandlall in his argument also highlighted that the law also provides an opportunity for the defence to raise any challenges or issues during the proceedings.

“The law provides an opportunity for you to do so.

The law does not contemplate these types of collateral challenges that seek to delay the magistrate court proceedings,” he said.

He further claimed that the application to stall the extradition proceedings is an Continued on page 14

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor-in-Chief: Nigel Williams Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

We must do better As we prepare to enter a new year, we prefer to look ahead in this bright new year and hope. We have been given the gifts, now we must dig deep within ourselves and prove to be worthy of the sparkling endowments that are ours. It can be a glorious 2026 for all Guyanese, but we must do our part, each one of us.

We remind fellow citizens of something that should be familiar to many. It is of young students enriched with vigour and talent, great potential which everyone recognises, but of which the unimpressive comes.

Sometimes nothing at all. For the wondrous personal gifts are wasted, through folly and numerous failures. Because there was little listening, less preparing and dedicating of priorities and energies towards things that were positive.

There was only the arrogance of believing that there is knowing, when there was no knowing at all.

We have seen such human wreckages littering the wayside and alleyways. What applies to individuals also has its place in the life and times of nations. Nations especially gifted must rise to their full potential by making the best use of their endowments, and to the extent that they succeed in becoming the talk of the world. Since the coming of oil, Guyana transformed from a sleepy, backward, un-acclaimed country to the talk on the lips of almost everyone. We have the foundation below. What we do with it is up to us, in our hands first.

So far, we have failed to do what is wise, not even what helps our interests. But that was last year, the years before.

The new year must not follow in the same pattern. We, the Guyanese people, must see to that, and do so with our hearts and our souls. Let that be our resolution. Nothing will come our way easily, or from the generosity of others. We are going to have to get up and get what is due to us. As always, we clarify – as we get, others must also get for the calibre of their expertise, their range of resources, and the depths of their commitments. That is only fair, and we must be exemplary in fairness.

Similarly, we cannot be so submissive to the visions of others that we punish our own. We harbour no hatred for our leaders, either in the PPP/C Government or the Opposition, for that does not help them or one Guyanese.

They have our assurance of presence and voice, but on the one non-negotiable condition that they muster the courage to fight with their last ounce of strength to lift us out of the poverty-stricken ranks. Guyana has been given the means.

Our leaders must devise the methods to leverage our birthright into what is right and bright for us, the first shareholders in this patrimony. This new year must mark the fresh and inspiring beginning of moving from what could be (potential) to what is (reality).

We have the resources. We must accelerate the development of the muscular human resources, none as much as leadership resources. The time for feebleness and shrinking (or gaming) must be about yesterday's behaviours. 2026 must be characterised by leadership, vigour, acumen, and real leadership efforts. The new year must be about Guyanese getting out of the gutter and driving their way to higher economic ground. We cannot wilt; we must not falter.

Tribute to Michael Khan Dear Editor, On behalf of myself and on behalf of the GPHC Board of Directors, we offer our profound condolences to the family and friends of Michael Khan, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Michael Khan served the GPHC at a time when resources were scarce, but it was during that period when the GPHC made tremendous progress and set the stage for propelling the GPHC as a leader for healthcare in Guyana and now striving to be one of the best hospitals in the Caribbean.

For the GPHC, Michael Khan will be a lead figure in the GPHC's Hall of Fame when it is established in 2026.

With the passing of Michael Khan, Guyana lost one of its best hospital administrators and a dedicated public servant and I lost a friend. For me, the news of Mike's passing was devastating. For the past decade I watched as Mike emotionally deteriorated, never being able to recover from the termination of his contract as the CEO of the GPHC. The Mike who people met for the last decade was not the same

Mike that served as GPHC's CEO for more than 16 years and who served the health sector in Guyana for almost 30 years. For the last decade of his life, he was a broken man. The country that he had served with dedication and distinction broke him, caused him to fall to pieces.

In 1994, soon after the restoration of democracy in Guyana in October 1992, Mike returned to Guyana, leaving a lucrative job as a health procurement officer in the Middle East and after serving in the hospital system in the US. He served initially as the deputy administrator at GPHC under Dr. Vibert Shury who served as hospital administrator between 1993 and 1998, having been appointed under the Cheddi Jagan-led Government. In 1997, Mike resigned from the GPHC to take up a position as the CEO at St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital.

When I became Minister of Health, Mike returned to the GPHC as its first CEO, under the Bharat Jagdeo-led Government.

Under his leadership, GPHC successfully transitioned from a hospital administered by the Ministry of Health to a semiautonomous institution, one

with its own budget and in control of its own staff, procurement and i n f r a s t r u c t u r a l improvement. It was a monumental task transitioning from a pure public service institution to a semi-autonomous, selfmanaging institution.

It was under his leadership that the hospital working with the MOH and UG and with international partners established the postgraduate programs that today represent the major source of specialist doctors in Guyana. Without the leadership provided by Mike Khan, together with the thenDirector of Medical and Professional Services, Dr. Madan Rambaran, it would have been very difficult for Guyana to today stand as one of the major specialist training institutions in developing countries.

Many of the advance medical services that the GPHC today continue to build on were started under his tenure as CEO. The cardiac services that offer diagnostic testing such as angiography, and treatments such as angioplasty, stent and open-heart surgery was established during Mike's tenure as CEO. The kidney transplant program and

dialysis were also among the many programs started.

Many of the partnerships we h a v e t o d a y, a l t h o u g h different in character, started when Mike was CEO. Partnerships in heart surgery for children, knee and hip replacement surgeries, the Smile Program for Cleft Palate, etc. are among the programs.

But outside of his technical and administrative contributions, Mike's professionalism and his humility served the GPHC the best. He worked to support the staff and also with patients and their families.

When I was Minister and even after I left the Ministry of Health, Mike was supportive. He was always available when I called for the hospital to help with patients and their families.

No matter who I had called for, Mike immediately responded and helped.

Whether the person was a poor person or a person with political and other connections did not matter. It was this willingness to immediately respond that made him a successful administrator. I cannot recall a single occasion when I called that Mike did not (Continued on page 6)

Standing tall for all women and girls in 2026 Dear Editor, We wish we did not have to write this letter at the end of 2025, because it is painful to acknowledge how little has changed for women and girls around the world.

Women and girls are still fighting for the same things we have always deserved s a f e t y, e q u a l i t y, a n d freedom.

There was a time when women did not even have the right to vote. Progress was made because of courageous women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who won six landmark Supreme Court cases in the 1970s that helped end gender discrimination. Her work p r o t e c t e d e q u a l p a y, pregnancy rights, access to education, and workplace equality. In 2006, the #MeToo movement was founded by activist Tarana Burke, whose advocacy led to stricter sexual harassment laws in workplaces, reforms in assault reporting in schools, greater accountability for highprofile offenders, and overall

improved protections for survivors.

These are just two women among countless others who fought for us when we did not have a voice or were afraid to speak up.

We are still fighting for the right to exist without fear - in our homes, on the streets, online, in workplaces, everywhere. We are still fighting for equal pay, the freedom to walk down the street without being harassed, and control over our own bodies.

We w o u l d l i k e t o reference an article published by Stabroek News titled “NGOs call for urgent reform of Guyana's child marriage laws,” which highlights that girls in Guyana continue to face grave human-rights violations.

Despite Guyana's Marriage Act establishing 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage, legal exceptions allow girls as young as 16 to marry by having a parental consent, and even younger in cases such as pregnancy.

These loopholes, according to NGOs, expose girls to harm, exploitation, violence, and lifelong inequality.

Child marriage remains one of the most pervasive human-rights violations affecting girls in Guyana, and the country has some of the highest rates of early marriage in the Caribbean.

These harmful practices increase vulnerability to gender-based violence, disrupt education, pose serious health risks, and perpetuate cycles of poverty.

This year has not been easy, as femicide continue to occur. Women and girls are still being silenced, controlled, and harmed by parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, other family members, co-workers, employers, friends, and partners. We are abused mentally, emotionally, and physically, and too often treated as vessels rather than as human beings.

Feminists continue to fight so we can have a voice, choices, and a future that includes us. Yet people still

ask: Why do we need feminism in 2025? We need it because women are still being silenced and controlled simply for attempting to exist freely.

Because reproductive rights remain under threat. Because harassment is still normalized and genderbased violence is still a daily reality for many.

We want to live in a world where safety and health rights are not privileges, where respect is not conditional, and where equality is not up for debate.

It is time to hold abusers accountable, strengthen efforts to uncover and address criminal cases, encourage reporting without fear of retaliation, and make perpetrators accountable.

Women and girls must not remain statistics in the fight against gender-based violence. Real change must happen, and we hope that in the coming year, we will see meaningful progress for everyone.

Sincerely, Childlink Inc.

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

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Testing the Sincerity of Digital Transformation: From "Online Forms" to "Algorithmic Integrity” Dear Editor, President Irfaan Ali's vision for a digitized Guyana is a welcome evolution.

However, for the critical thinker, "digitization" is a double-edged sword. It can either be a thin veil over old habits or the very scalpel that cuts out the cancer of nepotism and corruption. If the government is sincere about transparency, it must move beyond simple "ease of doing business" and toward Algorithmic Accountability.

We currently face a

public service where the "Permanent Secretary"—the CEO of a Ministry—is often a political appointee rather than a career technocrat. This creates a system where the "connected" are favored and the "competent" are shunned. If we are to leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence, as the President suggests in the healthcare sector, we must apply that same logic to the very machinery of government.

1. Anonymous, AIDriven Recruitment

The technology exists today to create a "Blind Hiring" platform. Imagine a system where all public service hiring is conducted on a portal where, jobs are posted and applications are submitted allowing : Anonymity to be Absolute: Candidates are assigned unique ID numbers. Names, ethnicities, and political affiliations are scrubbed from the view of any human official.

Merit-Based Scoring: AI models, trained on objective performance metrics and

The Constitution Demands It: Elect the Opposition Leader Without Delay!

Dear Editor, As Guyana prepares to enter a new year, our nation remains without one of its most essential constitutional offices: the Leader of the Opposition. It has now been almost two months since Members of Parliament were sworn in on November 3, 2025, yet the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Manzoor Nadir - being paid by taxpayers, not by the PPP/C - has failed spectacularly at the one constitutional duty only he can perform: convening the meeting to elect the Opposition Leader. This is unprecedented, and it is deeply troubling.

Article 184(1) of the Constitution is unambiguous: “The Leader of the Opposition shall be elected by the nongovernmental members of the National Assembly at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Speaker.” This is not a suggestion. It is not optional.

It is a constitutional command. And Article 8 reminds us that “the Constitution is the supreme law of Guyana.”

While the Constitution does not specify a timeframe for this election, history provides clear guidance. In 2015, for example, the Opposition Leader - now Vice President - was elected on the very same day that opposition MPs were sworn in. That moment demonstrated the independence, integrity, and democratic posture of the then Speaker, in stark

contrast to the troubling inaction of the current Speaker. Clearly, historical guidelines and traditions escape the PPP/C, as evidenced by the selection of the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

N o w, G u y a n a i s experiencing the longest delay in its history, despite every opposition party publicly indicating their readiness to participate. This delay is not administrative. It is political. And it is dangerous. It places the interests and emotions of a single party, the PPP/C, above the well-being of the nation, above transparency, above constitutional order, and above the very principles of democracy.

Instead of “giving permission” to the Speaker to call the meeting to elect the Opposition Leader, the nation witnessed President Irfaan Ali deliver a two-hour speech on the lawns of the Arthur Chung Conference

Centre - a national address that should have been delivered in the parliamentary chamber before all elected representatives, but was instead staged outside, as though Parliament is an optional accessory. The symbolism is unmistakable: avoid the House, avoid the Opposition, avoid accountability.

This is not normal. This is not democratic. This is not accountable governance. It is the PPP/C displaying, w i t h o u t a p o l o g y, t h e hallmarks of a dictatorship.

The refusal to call the meeting to elect the Opposition Leader has stalled key constitutional bodies. Without a Leader of the Opposition, there can be no meaningful consultation on appointments to the Judicial Service Commission, the Police Service Commission, the Public Service Commission, (Continued on page 6)

international standards, score candidates based on verified qualifications and psychometric testing.

The "Unacceptable" Hire: The system generates a public leaderboard of candidates. To skip the topranked AI-scored candidate to hire a lower-ranked "favorite" would require a public, written justification, creating an immediate audit trail of bias.

2. Removing the "Human Factor" in Procurement Public procurement remains the greatest "hotspot" for corruption. A digital transformation that merely uploads PDF bids is useless.

True transformation would involve: Automated Bid Submission and Analysis: AI tools can extract and summarize data from thousands of pages of contracts in hours, flagging "red flags" like irregular pricing, bid-rigging patterns, or hidden links between vendors and officials.

Neutral Scoring: By allowing AI to score bids against the technical requirements of a project, we remove the "human interaction" that so often

leads to kickbacks and "skullduggery." Again a publicly accessible dashboard that enable scrutiny and enhancing transparency would serve to bolster stakeholders confidence in Govt. This same system can be replicated with the Housing Allocation applications process, allowing applicants to file and track their applications without human intervention.

3. The Healthcare Precedent The President has already acknowledged AI's efficacy in diagnostic interpretation.

If we trust an algorithm to diagnose a lifethreatening illness because it is more consistent than a human, why do we not trust an algorithm to "diagnose" the best contractor for a new road or the most qualified engineer for a government post?

The Challenge to the Administration A digital system that still leaves the final "yes/no" in the hands of a political appointee is not a transformation; it is merely a faster version of the status quo.

To truly test the sincerity of the 2026 digital push, the public must demand Open

Algorithms. We don't just want a government app; we want a government where the "gatekeepers" are replaced by transparent, auditable code. Only then will the "brightest and best" return to serve the nation, knowing that their merit—not their connections—is their currency.

Obviously the way is there with leveraging the technology, would the lack of political will be its setback? Yes a lack of political will is frequently a significant setback for e ff e c t i v e l y l e v e r a g i n g technology to address societal challenges and drive progress. While technological solutions may exists, political factors can often hinder their successful implementation and widespread adoption, effectively resulting in a collective loss.

It is time to take the "Human Bias" out of the loop. Is the Government ready to let the data speak for i t s e l f ? We c h a l l e n g e President Ali to lead this transformation into a “world-class” system you so often boast of. “The time is now—the moment is yours” Sincerely, Hemdutt Kumar

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

Acting appointment of the chancellor and chief justice of Guyana Dear Editor, I have been practicing law since 1971 and had the honor to have served as the Chief Magistrate of Guyana.

As such I have a vested interest, apart from being a citizen of Guyana, to voice my views as to the judiciary and the rule of law in Guyana. I have never joined or been associated with any political party in Guyana. I make the above points as a prelude to any view or opinion I make in this article or may make in the future and the response from anyone to say that I am being political. Far from it!

When decisions or appointments are made by a government or a public institution and they are seemingly out of the ordinary or not in conformity with what is expected because of past decisions, it would be wise for there to be an explanation or rationale for the decisions or appointments. If none is forthcoming then it will surely lead to conjecture, assumptions, rumors or embarrassment and the loss of confidence in the decisions or appointments. If a decision or appointment is made in order to oust someone then more so, the person making the decision should ensure that there is a good cover for what has or is to be done. There was and is a lack of explanation and information that surrounded the acting appointments of Madam Roxane George and Justice Navindra Singh as Acting Chancellor and Chief Justice respectively.

The President of Guyana under Article 127(2) of the Constitution of Guyana has

the power to appoint such other of the judges to perform the functions of Chancellor or Chief Justice until there is a permanent appointment and such appointment should be made after meaningful consultation with the leader of the Opposition. I would with the greatest of respect to the President, submit that any appointment must not be willy- nilly but should be sound, reasonable and as far as possible in keeping with the custom, criteria and experience of the person(s) to be appointed. The discretion is with the President but that does not preclude an examination to see if the discretion was used wisely.

Let me state Immediately that I have no grudge or problem with any of the above two persons and it is my humble opinion that Madam Roxane George is the brightest and most learned judge in Guyana and she is destined to be elevated to the Caribbean Court of Justice sometime in the future. I would wish to give a chronology of events and appointments that are relevant to the issue at hand.

These are as follows -(1) On the 19th July, 2017, the then President David Granger appointed Justice Deo Rishi Persaud as a Justice of Appeal of the Guyana Court of Appeal.

Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud had previously been appointed a judge of the Supreme Court on the 30th June, 2004.

(2) On the 29th October, 2012, Mr. Navindra Singh was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Guyana.

On the 21st May, 2025 he was elevated as a judge of the Guyana Court of Appeal.

(3) On the 5th March, 2020, lawyers for the PPP/ Civic Party applied for and obtained an injunction from Justice Navindra Singh that restrained the Chief Returning Officer and the R etu r n in g O ff icer f o r Region 4 Clairmont Mingo from declaring the election results unless done in compliance with the law.

This Order from the High Court was proper and cured the breach that Mr. Mingo was conjuring.

(4) President Irfaan Ali on the 26th May, 2025 at the 59th Independence Flag Raising Ceremony announced that September 1, 2025 would be the date for the General and Regional Elections.

(5) Acting Chancellor Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards had on the 4th August, 2025 proceeded on leave. The period would cover the period during and after the elections.

(6) On 5th August, 2025, President Irfaan Ali swore in the Acting Chief Justice Roxane George to act as the Chancellor of the Judiciary and Justice Navindra Singh to act as the Chief Justice of Guyana.

(7) On the 23rd October, 2025 Acting Chancellor Yo n e t t e C u m m i n g s Edwards returned to her office at the Guyana Court of Appeal from her leave. She had no problem in having her office as Justice Roxane George vacated the office as she knew that her acting appointment as Chancellor was during the absence of the Acting Chancellor

Tribute to Michael Khan...

From page 4 immediately respond and ensured that any patientrelated matter was not resolved.

When the Government changed in 2015, Mike continued to serve for a short while. Towards the end of 2015, Mike Khan was sent on administrative leave by the then APNU/AFC Government when they announced that an audit for financial mismanagement would be conducted.

The audit was conducted

by Christopher Ram with no findings of any financial mismanagement. Still, Mike's contract was

terminated without explanation. Mike was never the same person.

It was not the humiliation of termination that affected Mike. It was the separation from GPHC which had become his family. Mike lived for the GPHC and even though Mike was offered a position as the CEO of the New Amsterdam Hospital in 2020, he was never the same man he was at GPHC. H i s l o v e a n d commitment to GPHC never waned and the separation from GPHC in 2016 killed him emotionally.

He was my friend. I will forever have a place in my

heart for Mike Khan.

Mike Khan served the GPHC with distinction and the GPHC Board is saddened with his passing.

The new GPHC that the Government, the Board and the Management have been building since 2020 is a continuation of the work that was started by the government and under the then management of Mike Khan.

The Board salutes his contribution to the GPHC and to the health sector.

May his soul rest in peace.

Regards DR. Leslie Ramsammy

Cummings-Edwards and that had ended, (8) Justice Roxane George being of the sound belief that she was now reverting back to her former position as acting Chief Justice and without any notification from the President of Guyana or his office or from the Judicial Service Commission proceeded to her office in the Supreme Court to resume her duties.

(9) Upon arriving at her office, Justice Roxane George could not gain access to her office as apparently Justice Navindra Singh still occupied it and although aware that Justice Roxane George had returned, did not vacate it.

(10) There was an article on the 24th October, 2025 in the Kaiteur News that had the headlines “Confusion in the Courts-- Chief Justice shut out of chambers after Chancellor's return.”

(11) Up to the date of writing this article, there has been no explanation why Justice Roxane George had to suffer the indignity of having to being locked out of her office and or why the confusion arose and or that

the news item was incorrect.

(12) On the said 24th October, 2025 several hours after the Kaiteur News headline, President Irfaan Ali made an announcement that Justice Roxane George will continue to act as Chancellor and Justice Navindra Singh will also continue to act as Chief Justice.

(13) President Irfaan Ali in his announcement made the startling and unexpected pronouncement that Madam Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards will proceed on pre-retirement leave. Prior to this there had been no indication or rumor of her going on pre-retirement leave. Not a whisper!

To date, there has been no announcement or communication from Madam CummingsEdwards as to why she suddenly decided to proceed on pre-retirement leave. I must confess that I am unaware as to when she had to retire and how many months or years that she may have before having to retire but I am informed that it was about two years. As I stated at the beginning of this article that when there is a

paucity of information or none at all, persons will come to conclusions on the facts and the circumstantial evidence before them. It does seem that something occurred and or was said to o r o ff e r e d t o M a d a m Cummings-Edwards for her to make the decision to proceed on pre-retirement leave.

I have drawn the following conclusions and if I am wrong, then I will apologize. Indeed I do hope that I am incorrect. ( a ) A c t i n g Yo n e t t e Cummings-Edwards was not liked by the government as a result of the majority decision(s) of the Court of Appeal that she gave with the appeals pertaining to the 2020 elections. Justice of Appeal Dawn GregoryBarnes was the other judge that made up the majority.

These decisions were overturned by the Caribbean Court of Justice and I was in agreement with them being over-turned. (b) When Madam Cummings-Edwards applied to proceed on leave, the plan was hatched to have her removed. The plan also (Continued on page 24)

The Constitution Demands It: Elect...

From page 5 and other oversight mechanisms. The absence of these checks and balances weakens the very fabric of our parliamentary democracy.

Guyanese - taxpayers, voters, citizens - are now openly questioning how democratic our country truly is. How can the government speak of “One Guyana” when it openly refuses to honour the constitutional rights of nearly 110,000 Guyanese who voted for the We Invest in Nationhood party?

How can we claim unity when the Speaker continues to ignore his constitutional duty and blatantly shows favour to the installed government?

The optics are clear: a government avoiding scrutiny. A Speaker shielding the executive. A Parliament deliberately stalled. A nation left without accountability.

T h e P P P / C administration appears fearful of the strong, diverse opposition now seated in the National Assembly - fearful of what parliamentary committees may uncover

once properly constituted, fearful of what transparency may reveal, fearful of a functioning democracy.

But fear is no justification for violating the Constitution.

Each day that passes without an Opposition Leader erodes public trust and deepens the perception that Guyana is drifting toward authoritarianism.

The Constitution does not permit indefinite delay. It does not allow political manoeuvring. It does not bend to the convenience of any government.

The Speaker must act, not next month, not next week, but now. I call on President Irfaan Ali to uphold democratic principles and ensure that the Speaker convenes the meeting to elect the O p p o s i t i o n L e a d e r.

Delaying this process until it becomes absolutely unavoidable - such as when the national budget is to be presented and debated exposes a troubling weakness in the government's approach. It suggests a governance style driven more by emotion and

partisanship rather than by professionalism, constitutional responsibility, or democratic norms.

I call on our regional and international partners including CARICOM, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the OAS - to reaffirm the importance of timely constitutional processes and the proper functioning of Parliament.

I urge our local civil society bodies, such as the Bar Association, the Private Sector Commission, and religious organisations, to lend their voices in defence of democratic norms.

Guyana's stability depends on institutions working as they should, not at the convenience of any government.

Guyana stands at a crossroads. History will judge whether we defended our democracy or allowed it to be quietly undermined.

The people deserve better.

The Constitution demands better. And the taxpayer funded Speaker must fulfil his duty without further delay.

Yours sincerely, Nandranie Singh, MP

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Murders, sexual crimes dominate …as High Court clears 200 cases in 2025 The High Court of Judicature in Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo heard 200 of 310 cases in 2025. Ten matters were Nolle Prosequi (Abandoned) by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

In a statement to the media, the Chambers of the DPPP said that of the 200 cases, 130 were presented at the Demerara Assizes, 26 at the Berbice Assizes and 44 at the Essequibo Assizes.

There were 100 murder cases, 16 manslaughter cases, and several cases of sexual offences, attempt to commit murder, and one each for the offences of conspiracy to commit murder, accessory after the fact to murder, felonious wounding and wounding with intent.

There were 29 convictions, 94 guilty pleas, 39 not guilty verdicts by jury, 44 normal verdicts of not guilty, 2 hung juries and 1 aborted trial. Further, 218

accused persons had their trials heard in the High Courts.

According to the press release, the DPP's office received 228 committals documents, 158 of these were for the County of Demerara, 35 for the County of Berbice and 35 for the County of Essequibo.

“Of these 225 depositions, 190 have been indicted, charges for 19 were discontinued because there were insufficient evidence for the DPP to prefer an indictment, 2 are receiving attention, 4 were remitted to the Magistrates' Courts for additional evidence to be taken,” the DPP's Chambers said while noting that the DPP's office proffered legal advice in 4,060 police files received from the Guyana Police Force.

Meanwhile, the Demerara January 2026 Criminal Assizes will open on Tuesday 13th January, 2026, with 26 cases listed to

With the increase in the number of judges sitting in the Assizes there has been an improvement in the number of criminal cases disposed of in the High Courts be heard before the Chief Justice (ag) Navindra Singh and Justices Gino Persaud, Simone Morris and Hessaun Yasin.

Of the 26 cases, 30 are for the offence of murder, 7 for manslaughter, 11 for attempted murder, 1 for trafficking in narcotics and 77 sexual offences cases to be heard by one judge in the Sexual Offences Court.

The Berbice October 2025 Criminal Assizes will continue in January until Tuesday 3rd February, 2026 when the February Criminal Assizes will open. Madam

Justice Deborah KumarChetty will preside in the criminal court from January to March 2026.

The Essequibo October 2025 Criminal Assizes also continues in January and will conclude on February 17, 2026 when the February Assizes opens. Madam Justice Fidela CorbinLincoln will preside in the criminal court from January to March 2026.

COURT OF APPEAL Forty-three matters were heard in the Court of Appeal and according to the DPP's Chambers, the state was

represented by the DPP Mrs. Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, Assistant DPP Dionne McCammon, ADPP Teshana Lake, ADPP Diana O'Brien, ADPP Natasha Backer, ADPP Lisa Cave, ADPP, Tiffini Lyken, State Counsel Mohammed Muntaz Ali, State Counsel Joy Williams, State Counsel Rbina Christmas and State Counsel Mtumika Lumumba.

“Of these 43 matters, 6 were for Murder, 5 for Manslaughter, t4 for Sexual Offences, 4 for Possession of Narcotics for the Purpose of Trofficking,3 for Attempt to

Commit Murder, 4 Obtaining by False Pretense, 2 for Felonious Wounding and one each for the offences of Assault Causing Actual Bodily Harm, causing Death

by Dangerous Driving, Utter A Forged Document, Simple Larceny and Possession of Firearm with License,” the press release said.

Of the 43 matters, 20 were for bail pending appeals against convictions and sentence; 12 were denied, 6 granted and 2 were withdrawn.

“Five other matters were (Continued on page 20)

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 31, 2025

PAGE 09

Drainage is Mathematics F

looding in Guyana is often discussed in emotional terms. People are angry.

People are frustrated. People want quick fixes.

But drainage does not respond to anger. It responds to numbers. That is the uncomfortable truth.

This is not a new idea. In 2016, the Dutch Risk Reduction Team came to Guyana. They told the authorities something very simple. Drainage problems cannot be solved without data.

They cannot be solved without proper mapping. They cannot be solved without mathematical models. In short, they said drainage is mathematics.

Without knowing how much water falls, where it flows, how fast it moves, and how much can be removed, there can be no real progress in addressing flooding. Policy without numbers is guesswork.

And guesswork is what floods homes and farms.

This failure was exposed again during the recent overnight floods in Black Bush Polder. Let us look at the numbers. Not politics.

Not press releases. Just the math.

Black Bush Polder covers roughly 242 square miles. That is a massive area.

Now assume one inch of rainfall falls overnight. This is not an extreme assumption. It happens often during the rainy season.

One inch of rain over that

area produces more than four billion gallons of water. That water does not disappear. It must go somewhere. The pumping station being built for Black Bush Polder has a discharge capacity of about 252,000 gallons per minute.

That sounds impressive. Until you do the math.

At that rate, removing one inch of rainfall from 242 square miles takes close to 14 days. That is fourteen days of continuous pumping.

No breakdowns. No power failures. No high tides. And no additional rain.

Anyone who lives in Guyana knows that last condition is impossible. It almost always rains again before the water is gone. So, the system never catches up.

Now consider the Adventure Pump Station. It reportedly has a capacity of about 126,000 gallons per minute. Less than half of the Black Bush Polder pump that is supposed to be under construction. More importantly, it only marginally drains Black Bush Polder. Its drainage area stretches from to Number 43.

That is a different hydraulic system. Any effect it has on Black Bush Polder flooding is marginal at best.

Ye t t h e p u b l i c i s encouraged to feel reassured. To believe that these pumps are the solution.

To trust that the problem is being handled. But feelings do not drain water.

There is another hard

truth. Black Bush Polder is deep. Not in miles. The canals are unending. Water has to travel long distances through canals before it reaches a pump or a koker. That takes time. Even with perfect maintenance, it takes time.

If floodwaters are coming from an overtopping Canje Creek, the problem becomes even more severe.

In that case, water is entering the system faster than it can be removed. No pump can provide short-term relief under those conditions.

This is not opinion. This is physics.

So, when authorities say that a G$446 million pump at Adventure and a nearly G$800 million pump in Black Bush Polder will solve flooding, one simple question must be asked.

Show us the math. Show us the drainage model. Show us the rainfall assumptions. Show us the storage capacity of canals. Show us the pumping curves. Show us how long it takes to drain one inch, two inches, or four inches of rain.

W i t h o u t t h i s information, the public is being asked to trust without evidence. That is not engineering. That is hope.

Hope is not a drainage strategy.

The Dutch were clear in 2016. Map the system.

Measure the system. Model the system. Then plan. Then build.

Guyana has invested billions of dollars in drainage infrastructure. That

DEM BOYS SEH

Time fuh students measure rain Every time flood lick Guyana, one miracle does happen. Everybody turn meteorologist overnight.

Soon as water touch yuh socks, some official jump up pon TV and holler, “Is de rain! Too much rain fall in too short a time!”

Four inches. Five inches. Sometimes ten inches.

All in one night.

Dem boys seh de rain falling so fast nowadays it ain't even got time fuh touch de ground. And dem does announce it proudproud too. Like dem expect yuh to clap while yuh fridge floating past yuh bed and yuh mattress doing backstroke in de yard.

But here is de funny part. Who measuring dis rain? Ain't nobody know.

Ain't no one see de gauge. Ain't no one see de chart. Ain't no number yuh can check. Just vibes. Dem boys seh de only “rain gauge” most people got is how much bucket a water dem bail out de house. If yuh bail ten bucket, dat must be ten inches. Scientific enough.

Back in dem boys school days, every school had a proper rain gauge in de yard.

Teacher used to say, “Go outside. Check de level. Write it down.” Pickney learn science.

Learn math. Learn facts.

Nowadays, de only thing schools measuring is how high de flood reach pon de step.

“Miss, today is ankle.” “Tomorrow knee.” “By Friday, waist.”

Dem boys seh is time fuh bring back rain gauge in schools. Mandatory. One per school. Let de pickney dem measure rain for real. Then when big people come on TV and seh, “Ten inches fall in thirty minutes,” we gon have lil scientist raise dem hand and seh, “Excuse me, sir… we gauge seh two-point-three.” And while dem at it, dem boys want answer to one more question. Is it really de rain causing all dis flood? Or is dem canal choke-up like traffic on East Bank at rush hour? Secondary drains block.

Tertiary drains vanish. Some ain't see a excavator since Burnham had sideburns.

But rain always get de blame. Rain can't answer back. So leh we stop tekking excuse and start tekking measurement. Because when yuh can't measure something, yuh can blame it for anything.

Dem boys seh rainfall ain't falling heavier. Is cover-up falling harder.

Talk half. Leff half.

investment deserves greater transparency. It deserves mathematics.

Drainage alone will never solve flooding in Guyana. It cannot. The volumes of water that fall during heavy rainfall events are simply too large to be removed quickly by pumps and kokers, no matter how expensive or modern they are.

Pumps work at fixed rates, while rain can fall in minutes and hours. When rainfall exceeds drainage capacity, water must be held somewhere.

That is where storage becomes essential.

Conservancies, retention basins, flood plains, and properly designed canals act

as buffers, holding excess water until it can be released safely.

Without storage, every inch of rain becomes an emergency, every pump becomes overwhelmed, and every system falls behind.

Real flood control is therefore not drainage or storage. It is drainage and storage working together, planned, sized, and managed using sound mathematics.

Flooding will not be solved by press conferences.

It will not be solved by ribbon cuttings. It will not be solved by telling people to feel reassured.

Flooding will not be solved by dispatching excavators to exploder

farmlands or engage in lastminute clearing of canals.

It will only be solved when decisions are driven by data. By maps. By models.

And by numbers that can withstand scrutiny. Until then, every heavy rainfall will tell the same story. And the water will keep reminding us.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10 S

UTH

D TR

HAR

HK

BY G

LALL

Wednesday Monday December May 02, 31,2022 2025

H@RD TRUTHS

BY GHK LALL

Govt. and corruption T

he reaction from t h e P P P Government was immediate and sharp.

Objection! Objection to the 2025 US International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) on Guyana.

Objection to the INCSR about pervasive corruption.

Paralyzing corruption.

Forget about corruption with national tenders and procurement.

The INCSR is about sprawling corruption ensnaring high people and sabotaging this country's efforts to stem the narcotics traffic, manage the money laundering paradise that Guyana has become.

The PPP Government is objecting. What else is left for it to do, other than brazenly deny the undeniable?

Only recently, it was the unmistakable figure of Excellency Irfaan Ali who proclaimed the USA a special friend. A true friend doesn't turn a blind eye to what is destroying a good friend.

Nor what is destroying the friendship also. It would take a friend of unbelievable treachery (particularly a special one) to manufacture all that is incorporated into that damning 2025 INCSR on Guyana's efforts, or lack thereof, re narcotics and dark money.

Though the US itself has a reputation for being destructive when such suits its visions, Guyanese don't need any US INCSR to inform them of what they live with, see unfold in spurts and showers in their midst.

Would that seizure of

over four tons of the hard stuff in the interior ever had made the news, if left to Guyanese minds and hands alone? I shouldn't need to answer. Go on, mister; keep on objecting.

Lame objections.

Hollow objections.

Comical ones, too.

Corruption is a cancer and a killer in Guyana, and the PPPC knows it. But there is the PPPC Government raging against it. The C in PPPC stands for corruption.

But the government is furious. Furious over what, fabrications and supposed exaggerations?

Or furious over being found out and flayed before the world? The Europeans know so, for they are the ones having to do honest work, and catching those fat consignments of drugs from

Guyana every now and again. Just think of how many more huge consignments elude official nets. The local ones are part of the problem, the hemorrhage.

The foreign ones are forced to toil harder, and with an eye on its supposed national partner.

If the Guyana Government is angry- more like putting on a good performance on being so- just think of how much angrier the Yanks are.

It is American youth and American systems that pay an ongoing and draining price from the death-dealing products that have Guyana stamped on their packages. I have a problem with the demand side, but that will always win, and with slapdash and subservient countries like Guyana

booted about at will.

The drugs might be recreational and whatnot, but the money laundering swarm is another matter altogether. I recall from over a quarter century ago, when the Americans started to tighten their efforts against money laundering. Considering the money spent, the manpower recruited, and the management systems thrown at anti-money laundering (AML), I said to myself that this is as serious as pneumonia. If anything, the scope and intensity of America's AML efforts keep expanding and probing, deepening and calling out.

Note some former foreign big names that have been taken aim at, with a common condition: corruption.

Money laundering is an almost automatic aspect of their once presidential or ministerial greatness.

I have a warning to share with my Guyanese brothers in the PPP Government: friends have their utility.

But only to a point.

The Americans know who is corrupt here, and the higher they are, the more prominent they are on the white people's radar, and in their thinking.

Nothing, nobody, remains hidden.

Another caution may also be helpful.

The illicit narcotics business is one thing, and though bad enough, don't tamper with the money network setup largely by the Americans, with able assistance from the Europeans.

Undermine, and there's usually hell to pay. Special friendship or whatever, the Americans have manifested a certain doggedness when their anxieties are substantial. It is where they are with Guyana. Look at the fallen angels in the PPP

Government's firmament.

Customs, and that is a whale of an institution.

Law enforcement and what is that, if not one big building after another with big people and their big ideas on how to make billions.

There is road traffic and those other kinds of traffic that the INCSR identified.

Try drugs and money laundering, and the corruption traffic that makes both so flourishing. And self-enriching also.

Here is a sidebar that is not a laughing matter.

In a big meeting here with senior officers of the law and civilians from private business, there was an unbelievable spectacle.

Two of the very senior men were competing openly for command of a certain area.

Everybody else in that conference room knew that it was for the captaincy of one of the more lucrative drug spots in this country.

Seniors in the open and uncaring; that should convey how bad the bad business is here. This can't be a country.

Guyana is a crime syndicate, and there are the right godfathers presiding over it.

My final hand is reserved for the baleful stars in the mighty PPP Government.

Those who protest the loudest often have the weakest substance, stand on the slipperiest slope.

The PPP may consider itself mighty in Guyana, and not without justification.

There is a problem, Georgetown.

The Americans are mightier.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Black Bush Polder widow seeks help to rebalance after flood disrupts livelihood A woman who lives on her own in the Corentyne community of Black Bush Polder, is seeking help from public to recover from losses sustained due to flooding that covered significant portions of farmlands over the weekend.

Like many others in the c o m m u n i t y, D e v i k a Lekaran, known to many as 'Ratty', depends mainly on farming activities for livelihood, and due to the heavy rainfall and the ensuing flood, many crops were destroyed.

The 58-year-old lifelong resident of Mibicuri North is a widow; her husband passed away some five years ago.

Her two daughters who occasionally check in with her are with their individual families elsewhere in the country. Owing to that, Lekaran survives on what she harvests from planting pumpkin, eggplant and other vegetables, and the earnings from poultry farming. She rears ducks and chickens, and owns several heads of sheep.

Subsequent to the highwater levels three day ago, Lekaran told this publication that some of her ducks and chickens died, in addition to three lambs. Unable to position the animals on the street, the remaining sheep occupy the already limited high grounds at her home for safety. Her plants which were completely submerged perished. She however managed to save some pumpkins that are marketable.

She is a recipient of the government's public assistance, for which she maintains gratitude. This, she noted however, is not entirely sufficient to accommodate her.

“I get $22,000 a month public assistance, (that) money nah do for me. I have to pay for my light, have to

indoor facility for her onestory elevated home. Aside from the damages to crop and the economic blow occasioned by the highwater levels, caimans and snakes are brought closer to domestic spaces, and this too is a threat for Lekaran.

Many cash crop and rice farmers have been left frustrated by the situation, and were assured of governmental support when officials convened a meeting with them on Sunday.

Devika Lekaran, who suffered economic damages due to the weekend flood

pay for my water, and what left, that is what I use….”

Lekaran stated that the conditions are tough, and the situation over the last couple of days only served to exacerbate things for her.

She sells whatever she harvests, or items contributed to her by those familiar with her.

“If I get anything, then I can go sell. Couple dry coconuts, sometimes my sister daughter does give me lil green mangoes and so and I can go sell them. When my fowl them lay couple egg, I get them to sell. That's what I try to make up myself with,” the woman related to this publication.

She is pleading for assistance to construct a fence to standardise her immediate space and keep her cattle within a safe zone.

“If I have a fence, better for me,” she expressed.

Wooden fixtures set up in her yard as her washroom facilities are the least ideal in instances of flooding, as was the case over the weekend.

They were inundated with w a t e r. T h e w i d o w i s desperate for the comfort and convenience of an

Millions worth in crops were said to be destroyed by the flooding, and some pointed to ineffective drainage systems at Black Bush Polder.

Regional authorities and the relevant agencies, spearheaded by Region Six Chairman Junior Bassant a n d R e g i o n a l Vi c e Chairman Wajid Khan, have been in and out of the community, working with farmers and residents since Sunday to provide relief.

Already, the flooding situation has been mitigated, aided by the excavators and mechanical pumps strategically installed.

Today, the chairman once again visited and inspected the pump stations to affirm their effectiveness.

A release from the Ministry of Agriculture detailed that following relief measures coordinated by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), farming and living areas are

no longer flooded.

The ministry also updated that an 80 cubicfeet-per-second drainage pump is being transported for installation at the Number 43 Village outfall to lend to the operation of the pumps already in place, as NDIA engineers continue to monitor the situation.

Persons desirous of making a contribution to Lekaran can contact Krishana Beerbusham on 661 9868.

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 31, 2025

CIA carried out drone strike on port facility on Venezuelan coast The US-sanctioned oil tanker Avril is pictured near the Venezuelan port of La Salina in Maracaibo, Venezuela, on February 25.

Isaac Urrutia/Reuters/File

(CNN) The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility on the coast of Venezuela, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target in that country.

The drone strike, the details of which have not been previously reported, targeted a remote dock on the Venezuelan coast that the US government believed was being used by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to store drugs and move them onto boats for shipping, the sources said. No one was present at the facility at the time it was struck, so there were no casualties, according to the sources.

Two sources said US Special Operations Forces provided intelligence support to the operation, underscoring their continued involvement in the region. But Col. A l l i e We i s k o p f , a spokesperson for US Special Operations Command, denied that, saying, “Special Operations did not support this operation to include intel support.”

President Donald Trump appeared to first acknowledge the attack in an interview last week that initially attracted little notice, though he offered few specifics, including when reporters asked directly about it on Monday. The strike could significantly escalate tensions between the US and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who the US has been pressuring to step down through an aggressive military campaign.

The US has launched strikes destroying more than 30 boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in what it has described as a counter-narcotics campaign, and Trump has ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela. Trump had also repeatedly threatened to carry out strikes inside Venezuela, but until the CIA attack earlier this month, the only known US strikes on Venezuelan targets were against the suspected drug-trafficking boats in international waters.

The CIA declined to comment. CNN has asked the White House, US Special Operations Command, and Venezuela's Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

Trump acknowledged in an interview on Friday that the US had knocked out some

type of “big facility where ships come from” as he talked about his administration's campaign against Venezuela.

Asked about it again on Monday, he said the US attacked “in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs.” But he declined to comment when asked whether the attack was conducted by the military or the CIA. “So we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area,” Trump said Monday. “It's the implementation area, that's where they implement, and that is no longer around.” One of the sources said the strike was successful in that it destroyed the facility and its boats, but described it as largely symbolic since it is just one of many port facilities used by drug traffickers leaving Venezuela. It also appeared to attract little to no attention, even in the country, in real time.

Trump earlier this year expanded the CIA's authorities to conduct operations in Latin America, including inside Venezuela, CNN previously reported.

But even then, the US military had the legal authority only to conduct strikes against suspected traffickers at sea, not on land, as CNN has reported.

The Trump administration has offered varying justifications for the campaign in Venezuela, which has involved a massive buildup of military assets in the Caribbean. Officials have pointed to a counter-narcotics imperative, but Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, told Vanity Fair in an interview that the boat strikes were aimed at getting Maduro to “cry uncle.” The Venezuelan leader has shown no signs of relinquishing power.

Top officials have made clear publicly and in briefings to lawmakers that they intend to continue targeting suspected drug smugglers using a similar playbook to the one used for killing terrorists during the global war on terror – a campaign in which the CIA played a crucial role, too.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has openly compared drug traffickers to al Qaeda.

“These narcoterrorists are the al Qaeda of our hemisphere,” the secretary said at the Reagan National Defense Forum earlier this month.

“And we are hunting them with the same sophistication and precision that we hunted al Qaeda.”

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

As the new year dawns, citizens can expect a familiar ritual from their political leaders: a cascade of promises.

Just as on the election campaign trail, politicians will unveil grand plans and lofty assurances, packaged as New Year's resolutions for the nation. Promises, after all, are the currency of politics.

Without them, a politician or political party would have little to sell. These pledges are designed to energise supporters and project optimism through polished statements and attractive soundbites.

Today both government and opposition will seek to outdo each other, each claiming to hold the key to a brighter tomorrow.

But history urges caution.

Guyanese need no reminder of the promised Christmas cash grant that never materialised, or the much-touted 50 per cent cut in electricity tariffs that remains elusive.

As the calendar turns, citizens must listen carefully, remember clearly, and remain wary. Promises are easy; delivery is not.

PAGE 13

PAGE 14

The car involved in the accident

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Providence woman killed by speeding car The body of Leslyn Cupidore at the scene of the accident

Police are investigating a fatal road accident that claimed the life of a 38-year-old Providence, East Bank Demerara woman in the early hours of Tuesday morning along the Providence Public Road.

The accident occurred around 01:30hrs on the western carriageway, police said in a press release. It involved motor car PAM 8305, driven by a 33-year-old man of North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, and pedestrian Leslyn Cupidore of Providence, who died at the scene.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the vehicle was travelling north at an allegedly high rate of speed when Cupidore attempted to cross the roadway from east to west and was struck. The impact flung her onto the road, causing severe head and body injuries.

She was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation who arrived with EMTs. Her body was taken to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home pending a post-mortem. A breathalyzer test showed the driver was .04 and .08 micrograms which are below the prescribed limit of 35 micrograms. CCTV footage has been identified for review. The driver remains in custody as investigations continue.

Linden cops retrieve stolen SUV after high-speed chase Police on Monday were able to retrieve a stolen Nissan X-Trail following a high-speed chase with the suspect through the streets of Linden after the vehicle was picked up at Green Heart Street Mackenzie, Linden allegedly by a man of unsound mind.

The incident occurred about 19:30hrs in the vicinity of Green Heart Street, Mackenzie, Linden, police said in a press release. The incident involved a black 2017 Nissan X-Trail motor vehicle PWW 2165, property of a distillery company.

Initial enquiries revealed that the vehicle was parked

on the western side of the roadway while the driver entered a supermarket. Upon his return, the vehicle was observed missing and a report was made to the Mackenzie Police Station.

Acting on information received, Police later observed the vehicle and intercepted it in the vicinity of Redwood Crescent, Mackenzie, Linden. A 27year-old male of Mackenzie was arrested and escorted to the Mackenzie Police Station where he remains in custody.

CCTV footage will be reviewed. No injuries were reported. Investigations are ongoing.

Chief Justice to rule on Mohameds'...

From page 3 abuse of the process and articulated that the arguments raised by the defence are “frivolous and vexatious”.

“In any event, for you to get a stay of proceedings, you have to show that you have meritorious issues.

You have to show that you have serious issues for a court to determine,” Nandlall stated.

Meanwhile, attorney Forde maintained that his team's arguments are relevant and that the attorney's presentation is “worthless”.

He pointed out to the court that that there is a significant body of law to support their

claim that challenges can be made before the end of a committal process.

“We're able to cite cases from court abuse cases from Trinidad and Belize that dealt with very similar situations.

We were able to highlight to the core the complexity of the legislation, why we say it's unconstitutional, and the prejudice that our clients will suffer,” Forde told reporters.

He maintained the clients' rights in the matter, and to not deny them a fair judicial process.

After hearing both sides of the argument, Justice Singh adjourned the matter to January 5, 2025 for ruling.

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

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Pay standoff at Aurora: As workers reject

8% raise, hold firm for 10% Aurora Gold Mines (AGM), owned by Chinese state-owned Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., has increased its proposed across-the-board salary adjustment from six per cent to eight per cent, but the offer has not been accepted, as workers are holding out for a 10 per cent increase.

This offer follows a brief work stoppage last Sunday at the Aurora Gold Project in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), where workers protested the company’s initial 6 per cent proposal and demanded at least 10 per cent, citing increased activity in gold operations.

General Secretary of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), Dawchan Nagasar, said on Tuesday that the union met with company representatives, during which

A section of the AGM’s gold operation in Region Seven

With over $240B invested in drainage and irrigation, govt. failing to protect flood-prone communities – Vinceroy Jordan A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Vinceroy Jordan has accused the government of failing to protect flood-prone communities, despite allocating over $240 billion to drainage and irrigation works since 2020.

In a missive posted on the party’s Facebook page, Jordan said communities and flood-prone areas remain submerged yearafter-year, even as budgetary allocations for drainage and irrigation continue to increase.

He argued that the recurring floods are not unexpected but stem from weak planning, poor execution and an overreliance on shortterm measures.

“Communities such as Black Bush Polder and many other flood prone areas in Guyana have once again been left submerged, with homes damaged, crops destroyed, and livelihoods placed at risk. These floods are not unexpected or unavoidable. They are the direct result of poor planning, weak implementation, and a reliance on short-term “quick fixes” instead of durable, long-term solutions,” Jordan stated.

The MP also outlined the allocation to drainage and irrigation since 2020. He noted that approximately $12 billion was allocated for drainage and irrigation in 2021, followed by $13 billion in 2022. Spending rose to about $20 billion in 2023, while the Ministry of Agriculture reported that more than $98.7 billion was spent on drainage and irrigation works in 2024 alone. For 2025, a further $104.6 billion was allocated.

Despite these investments, Jordan said the impact on the ground has been minimal for residents and farmers in flood-prone communities.

“These enormous expenditures, the same communities flood year after year. Black Bush Polder farmers continue to suffer millions of dollars in losses. Residents of

APNU’s Member of Parliament, Vinceroy Jordan many other communities face recurring inundation, damaged property, and uncertainty every rainy season. This raises a serious and unavoidable question: where is the return on this massive public investment,” the parliamentarian noted.

Further, he stated that the government’s approach has been largely reactive, with pumps and relief measures deployed only after communities are already flooded, instead of implementing long-term, climateresilient solutions.

“The reality is clear: spending money without proper planning, climate-resilient design, timely execution, and regular maintenance does not solve flooding… After over five years in office and billions of dollars spent, the PPP Government can no longer blame weather, tides, or “unusual rainfall.”

This is a failure of governance and accountability,” he stated.

Additionally, he noted that with over five years in office and billions of dollars spent government can no longer blame weather, tides, or “unusual rainfall” but must take accountability.

the revised eight per cent offer was made. “We haven’t agreed to it as yet,” he said.

“They offered 8% and we demanding 10% as the workers them asked for, there are other benefits that are reasonable that the workers accept it’s just the across the board is the problem right now…” he further explained.

AGM had described Sunday’s incident as a, “brief work stoppage”. According to the company, the stand-down took place between 07:18 hrs. and 08:10 hrs. and involved employees from the mills

department. AGM also said it r emain s co mmitted to respectful dialogue, workplace stability, and constructive engagement with employees and their representatives as discussions continue.

The Aurora Gold Mine is wholly owned by AGM and remains Guyana’s only largescale gold mine currently in production. It holds estimated reserves of 184 tonnes (approximately six million ounces) of gold.

Notably, the Chinese company took over the operations back in 2020.

AGM Inc., earned RMB1.4789 billion (over US$200 million) from the Aurora Gold Mine during the first half of 2025.

The company’s interim report valued the mine’s total assets at RMB4.5287 billion and disclosed that it produced 2,039 kilograms (over 71,000 ounces) of gold between January and June. Aurora’s output contributed to the 41,186 kilograms of gold produced across its global operations, marking a 16 per cent increase over the same period last year.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

ExxonMobil wraps up drilling for 6th project …as Govt. prepares for early start for US$ 12.7B development ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of the Stabroek Block is currently wrapping up developmental drilling works at the sixth project site, Whiptail, as preparations continue for production activities likely to commence in 2027.

A notice from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) published in Tuesday’s Kaieteur News stated, “ M O D U N o b l e To m Madden will be engaged in drilling activities, which will conclude on December 31, 2025.”

Developmental drilling takes place after an oil discovery is made to prepare for the extraction of the resources. It involves drilling multiple wells (production, injection) in a proven area, installing subsea equipment like a

Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) and pipelines, and connecting wells to production facilities.

Whiptail’s drill center is situated approximately 108 nautical miles or 180 kilometers off the coast of Guyana. It covers an area of 0.29 square nautical miles or one square kilometer.

MARAD has warned all mariners to stay clear of vessels within the district and navigate with extreme caution when in the vicinity.

The Whiptail project is pegged at a whopping US$12.7B and was approved by the government of Guyana in April, 2024.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Whiptail explains that installation of subsea components is planned to begin in the second half of 2025 or early 2026.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat

Meanwhile, the FPSO installation, commissioning, and start-up are planned to occur in 2027 for the 20-year project.

Exxon in announcing its Final Investment Decision (FID) for the project stated that the development is expected to add

approximately 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) to Guyana’s daily output by the end of 2027 but the development may come online sooner.

Kaieteur News understands that the Whiptail project will target an estimated resource base

of more than 850 million barrels of oil and include up to 10 drill centers and 48 production and injection wells. The floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for Whiptail, which will be called Jaguar, is already under construction by SBM Offshore.

Prior to the startup of Whiptail, a fifth project is slated to come on stream next year. The Uaru project is also priced at US$12.7B and will produce 250,000 bpd by 2026.

To date, Exxon has received approval for seven deep water projects in the Stabroek Block. Currently, four projects- Liza One, Liza Two, Payara and Yellowatilare in operation, producing an average of 900,000 bpd.

The American oil major recently boasted about its record performance in

Guyana, moving from discovery to production at a pace unknown to the industry.

Chief Executive Officer of Exxon, Darren Woods told shareholders that the fourth development, Yellowtail, was able to come online four months ahead of schedule. That FPSO started production activities in August this year.

To t h i s e n d , i t i s anticipated that the fifth project will come online before its estimated timeline.

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat previously noted that government has adjusted their expectations based on Exxon’s pattern of early delivery. “So, we have grown to accept that when Alistair Routledge (EMGL’s President) said early 2027 he meant late 2026, but we are working with his time frame,” he added.

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

Over $19B budgeted for salary increases in 2025 …former Auditor General raises questions over redirection of sum

F

ormer Auditor General (AG) Anand Goolsarran is questioning the nonpayment of salary increases to public servants this year as over $19B was set aside in the 2025 Budget to meet such expenses.

In his recent column ‘Accountability Watch’ published

by Stabroek News, the Chartered Accountant said it was most disappointing that the government failed to announce salary increases this year for public servants and other categories of government workers and reneged on its promise of a cash grant.

Goolsarran went on to point out, “The 2025 budget for the

Ministry of Finance shows an amount of $19.354 billion for other employment costs under Sub-head 6141. This amount is normally reserved mainly for the payment of salary increases.”

As such, the anti-corruption advocate urged that government should explain if that sum was used to meet other costs and what specifically it was used to finance.

Moreover, Goolsarran pointed out that when budgetary allocations prove insufficient during the execution of the budget, a Supplementary Estimate is normally required. In such circumstances, the National Assembly is convened to enable

Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran

parliamentary approval of the said Estimate.

As such, he reasoned, “Why was this not done? Or is it that the Government decides that there will be no increase in salaries for 2025?

If so, it would be unprecedented, especially considering that that while Guyana is considered one of the fastest growing economies in the world, 58 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, with 32 percent living in extreme poverty, according to a recently released report from the Inter-American Development Bank.”

In addition, the former AG noted that Guyanese, especially

those in the lower round in the economic ladder, are reeling from the effects of the high cost of living and are in dire need of financial relief.

He was keen to note that members of the disciplined services received the usual one month’s tax-free bonus, and asked whether other government workers were also not deserving of a similar bonus.

On December 18, President Irfaan Ali announced a one-month tax-free bonus for members of the joint services. The announcement came one day after the President announced that government will not be paying out a cash grant to the wider Guyanese population ahead of Christmas, although he previously hinted on the campaign trail that “you will have a bright Christmas.”

As such, public servants such as doctors, nurses, teachers and others in the various ministries and agencies were forced for the first time in years to meet holiday expenses without any additional revenue from government to cushion their high expenses.

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) faction of the Parliamentary opposition described the move as deceptive electioneering, and accused the government of failing to deliver on its promises.

Leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed also slammed the Head of State for failing to keep his campaign promise. The politician argued that such statements amounted to more than political rhetoric.

“That statement created a moral contract, not just a policy promise. When leaders speak that way, people don’t hear maybe or next budget. We hear certainty…now after the election, the language has changed. You want to give the nation a meager $100,000 with all the monies generated from oil, the cash grant was a campaign tool, not a g u a r a n t e e d obligation…”

Mohamed said.

Wednesday December 31, 2025

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Bamia farmer shot dead in home A poultry farmer of Bamia, Linden-Soesdyke Highway was shot dead early Tuesday morning in his home, police have reported.

Dead is Dion Shawn Ramdyhan 47 a bus driver and poultry farmer. In a statement police said the murder occurred around 02:30hrs.

Initial enquiries revealed that Ramdyhan was in a small zinc-house when loud explosions were reportedly heard. He was later found motionless the house. No arrests have been made.

Further details will follow as investigations continue, police said.

Reports reaching this newspaper are that another poultry farmer Ernest Hall was with Ramdyhan at the time of the shooting. Both men were in the house when Hall was awakened around 02:30hrs by the loud explosions and heard Ramdyhan screaming for

Dion Shawn Ramdyhan help, while groaning before he died. Hall reportedly alerted neighbours who summoned the police.

Ramdyhan suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

Investigators collected from the scene several spent shells.

Murders, sexual crimes...

From page 8 appealed against conviction and sentence; 7 of these were denied. While 7 others were allowed of which 6 appellants had their sentences varied and reduced. One other who was a juvenile when the crime was committed, had his case redirected back to the High Court and after the tendering of Welfare, Probation and Medical Reports, the High Court ordered that the accused be discharged at the Courts' pleasure when it was satisfied that Section 38 of the Juvenile Offenders Act in relation to the appellant was achieved. The appellant had served 14 years and 10 months in prison.One matter remains in progress.

There were 8 applications for Extension of Time to File and Serve Notice to Appeal, of which, 7 were granted and l was withdrawn,” the DPP's chambers said.

FULL COURT ln 2025, three matters were heard in the Demerara Full Court, one each for possession of ammunition and firearm without a license, possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking and assault.

Of the three applications, one was for Extension of Time to File an appeal against a magistrate's decision. This was dismissed. The two others were applications for bail pending appeals; one was granted while the other was withdrawn.

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

Additionally, the DPP chambers said that during July to November 2025, it submitted legal documents in response to an appeal filed at the CCJ in one matter for a sexual offence. “The appellant in this matter was found guilty by a majority jury verdict in the Berbice Criminal Assizes and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in August 2018. He subsequently filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence in the Guyana Court of Appeal (COA). The COA dismissed the appeal against conviction and allowed the appeal against sentence and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment with deductions made for time spent on remand. The appeal before the CCJ remains in progress.”

Meanwhile, in 2024, 10 new Puisne judges were appointed which resulted in four judges sitting in the Demerara High Court Assizes during 2025. “With the increase in the number of judges sitting in the Assizes there has been a great improvement in the number of criminal cases disposed of in the High Courts in Guyana which reduced the backlog.

This also resulted in cases being heard in a relatively speedier manner than before in adherence with the Needham Point Declaration and consequently persons having to wait less time for the hearing of their cases,” the press release said.

Wednesday December 17, 2025

Kaieteur News

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Exxon gets EMA approval, Moonilal says red tape costing TT US$120m annually (Trinidad Newsday) ENERGY Minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal said ExxonMobil's return to Trinidad and Tobago could be part of reshaping the nation's economic future, but the slow pace of project processes is costing TT billions in revenue.

He was speaking at the Eric Williams Finance Building, Port of Spain, on December 29, as ExxonMobil was given the green light from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), with a certificate of environmental clearance (CEC), to begin seismic surveys of Block TT Ultra Deep 1 (TTUD-1), which are set to begin in two months.

TTUD-1, a combination of seven blocks east of TT, spans beyond TT's 5,128km surface area at 7,165 square km and is set to cost Exxon US$42.5 million (TT$288 million) in the first phase.

Per the block's productsharing contract, development cost is estimated at between US$16.4 billion and US$21.7 billion, with the potential to bring over US$21.7 billion in investment.

This was attributed to advancements in technology, which have expanded the depths of drilling capabilities with the design of drill ships, semi-

CEC APPROVAL: (From left) Energy Minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal; Neeala Mongroo, Deputy Chairman of the EMA; Alex Almandoz, Local Advisor, In Country Representative ExxonMobil; Wayne Rajkumar, acting Managing Director, EMA; and Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs Dr. Kennedy Swaratsingh at the CEC distribution, Eric Williams Finance Building, Port of Spain, December 29. - Photo by Mya Quamie submersibles and other highpressure temperature technologies, addressing many of the issues in deepwater exploration.

ExxonMobil's agreement covers the drilling of two exploration wells, with one well in each of the optional second and third phases of the exploration period. The company also agreed to administrative charges, minimum payment, training contributions, research and development contributions, technical assistance, equipment bonus as well as scholarships.

The value of the financial

obligations amounts to US$12.8 or TT$87 million in phase one of the project, and successful development of the block could result in an investment of up to US$21.7 billion.

When a productionsharing contract for TTUD-1 was initially awarded on August 12 at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, Prime Minister Kamla PersadBisessar said some assessments indicate that around a third of the world's undiscovered oil and gas lie in deep water basins.

TTUD-1 is said to have a depth of over 2,000 metres (approximately 6,560 feet).

Moonilal said since ExxonMobil's return, TT has worked with other major oil companies, paying particular attention to fasttracking TTUD-1 development. He noted that the CEC for TTUD-1 was delivered long before its January 26 due date and faster pace is needed to stimulate the industry.

“Data that came to me very early suggested that if we just take decisions faster, we can actually earn, as a country, US$120 million per year…Our ministry works across the board with 16 other state agencies and ministries for licenses for

approvals, amendments, legal orders and so on, so there is an enormous amount of co-ordination that we do,” he said.

“One of the problems over the years that we have heard of is related to the EMA and the length of time some of these processes take.

So, this morning, we are particularly pleased that we can sign a productionsharing contract in August and before the end of December, we can be here to collect our CEC…We have enormous other matters before us that will require fast pace.”

He said to encourage

this, the ministry is developing an energy hub to ease logistical processes in the sector. He said that with Cabinet approval, the hub will include entities within and outside of the ministry.

“This will co-ordinate the problems and complaints in real time to sort out some of the problems that we face.

The energy sector has a myriad of challenges: it could be a lease operator on land waiting too long for a particular bureaucratic process to take place; it can be an international oil and gas company waiting a long time for legal matters to be sought out…for example, work permits. It will shock you to know that whether you are cooking at a restaurant or you are the president of BP or Shell, you still need to line up and get your permit.

“Those things take time, and that creates a problem along the way.”

In facilitating both energy and non-energy activity, Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Minister Dr. Kennedy Swaratsingh also announced that his ministry's Priority Projects Portal is now live.

Developed as part of the government's revitalisation blueprint, the portal is intended to give citizens clearer insight into the progress of national initiatives.

CIBC Caribbean delivers US$159.7 million profit (Barbados Today) CIBC Caribbean Bank Limited says strong loan growth and steady core business helped it remain profitable in 2025, even after taking a major loss on a non-core investment.

The bank reported net income of US$159.7 million for the financial year ended October 31, down from US$277.5 million the year before.

Chief executive officer, Mark St Hill said the lower result reflected higher credit costs, new tax rules, and a one-time investment loss.

He explained that the headline figure was affected by unusual items.

“Results for 2025

include a US$56.2 million fair value loss on a non-core investment, and a US$2.4 million net gain related to the previously announced divestitures,” St. Hill stated.

When those items were removed, St. Hill said the bank's underlying performance was stronger.

“Excluding these items of note, adjusted net income was US$213.5 million,” he said, when compared with US$285.2 million in 2024.

According to the CEO, higher costs weighed on earnings. “The decline in adjusted earnings was primarily due to higher provision for credit losses and increased income taxes

following the adoption of the G l o b a l M i n i m u m Ta x Framework in the Bahamas,” St. Hill said.

Despite these challenges, the CIBC top executive said the bank continued to expand its lending business across the region.

“Our client focused strategy across our regional footprint supported by a strong capital position, allowed us to build the largest performing loan book in our history.

“This resulted in the bank delivering a solid underlying core performance while we navigated select credit and operational pressures,” St

Hill added.

Looking at the wider economy, St. Hill said growth continued but at a slower pace. “Caribbean economic activity continued to expand moderately in 2025, though momentum softened as tourism growth eased in several markets,” he said, while acknowledging that price pressures eased in many countries.

“Inflation generally declined alongside lower commodity prices, while fiscal positions improved in some territories.”

However, St Hill said risks remain heading into the new year.

“Risks from shifting

global trade policies, geopolitical tensions and weather-related disruptions persist,” he said, adding that “the regional outlook is broadly stable heading into 2026”.

On the revenue side, St Hill said loan growth helped offset lower interest rates.

“While net interest income was negatively impacted by a lower US interest rate environment, this was largely offset by the earnings impact from strong loan portfolio expansion,” he said.

Operating expenses increased by six per cent, or US$26 million, due to “higher employee related

costs” and continued spending on technology and strategic projects.

The bank also increased its provision for credit losses, mainly due to impaired securities and updated risk models, though St. Hill stressed that “our underlying credit quality remains strong”.

He said CIBC Caribbean remained well capitalised.

“At fiscal year end, the tier one and total capital ratios stood at 18.3 per cent and 20.8 per cent,” he noted.

Reflecting that strength, the board approved a quarterly dividend of US$0.0125 per share, payable on January 15, 2026.

PAGE 22

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

Linden businessman gunned down at home WANTED Sales Rep needed, ages 1830 years. Knowledge of vehicle model will be an asset. Contact: 619-1237.

Wanted house lot to buy & land with unfinished building. We pay cash. Call: 2160671 / 692-8464. Whataspp 622-0267.

Live in maid wanted please call : 762-3155, Robb Street Bourda.

Wanted one Maid. For more information please Call: 680-1282.

VACANCY One Day and one Night nurse for the East Bank, call 615-9132 .

General Domestic (4 day work) & experiened handyman, apply at Keyfood Trading Mc Doom next to the post office.

Female domestic $6000 labour $6000-7000,semi skilled worker $70008000,skilled worker $10,00012,000 to work at Vreed EnHoop #682 5230,615 4414 LAND FOR LEASE Wales public road, W.B.D, Parcel 21 (0.467 acres) 20,342 SQ FT. Available long term 20-25 years. Sign on property. Phone / Whatsapp: 592-615-2270 / 592-628-8619.

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SERVICES VISA Application for USA, Canada, UK, ETA, ETC. Naturalisation guidance + application filling & Building Plans. Tel: 626-7040.

Need a bus? Planning a tour or trip? Call/whatsapp Matthew's Bus Service & tours at: 639-2663, 673-2348, 689-6661.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Aracari hotel renovated LEGAL NOTICE rooms, A/C, TV, Restaurant, Bar, Pool, Gym. Stay 7 nights, 1 FREE! Call 264 2946.

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FOR SALE TRUCK TIRES 295 / 75R22.5 $40K EACH. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL / WHATSAPP:+592-6883201.

ENTERTAINMENT Family Fun Aracari Resort!

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PROPERTY FOR SALE Herstelling two storey house 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms apartment,garage,and recreation space.Asking price : 128 million . Call 6288619/615-2270 .

Linden business man Amar Jones was gunned down Tueaday afternoon at his home hours after another man from neighbouring Bamia was killed in similar fashion.

Jones, according to reports was executed by two masked gunmen.

Reacting to the killings, Regional Councillor, Mark Goring said “we are shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of two young lives, Amar Jones and Dion Ramdyhan in Linden within a span of 12 hours. Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families,

friends, and loved ones. This senseless violence is unacceptable and demands immediate attention and action from our law enforcement and policy makers.”

Goring who is tipped to be the chairman of Region 10 said the recent incidents in Linden, highlight the urgent need for change and a safer community.

“We echo the call for reelection and action to address the root causes of this violence and ensure justice for the victims and their families.”

Businessman, Amar Jones

Three confess to killing Chinese businessman

Three suspects have been arrested as police continue their investigation into the robbery and murder of the owner of a Chinese supermarket at Cumberland Village East Canje, Berbice last week.

Sixty-one-year-old businessman Chen Yongping was killed during the incident, which occurred on Monday December 22, 2025 about 05:00hrs.

As part of the ongoing investigation, three males – a 17-year-old of Bun Bush Dam, Canje; a 29-year-old of Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme and a 29-year-old also of Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme were arrested on Monday December 29, 2025, cautioned and interviewed during which they made admissions. The three suspects remain in custody as investi-

gations continue.

The initial police report had listed another colleague of the dead businessman injured after the two were attacked by knife-wielding assailants. Preliminary investigations revealed that the two victims had returned home after travelling earlier that morning when they were confronted by two identifiable males armed with knives, who

allegedly robbed them of a quantity of Guyana currency and mobile phones.

During the incident, both victims sustained injuries and stab wounds and were escorted to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital for medical treatment where Yongping succumbed to his injuries while receiving care and the injured male was subsequently discharged.

U.S. sanctions 10 people and firms from Iran and Venezuela over drone and missile trade (AP) — The U.S. imposed sanctions on 10 people and firms from Iran and Venezuela over allegedly contributing to Iran’s drone trade and ballistics program which the Trump administration says threatens the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East.

The Treasury Department said the latest measures are intended to support the reimposed United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, further squeezing the Islamic Republic. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful.

Included in Tuesday’s sanctions is a Venezuelan firm and its chairman, accused of purchasing Iranian drones; three Iranian men connected with efforts to procure chemicals used for ballistic mis-

siles; and a group of Iranbased people and firms connected to Rayan Fan Group, a holding company previously sanctioned by the U.S. In February, President Donald Trump reimposed a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran in an effort to to block its development of nuclear weapons. The campaign included U.S. led strikes on three critical Iranian enrichment facilities this summer after a week of open conflict between Israel and Iran, sparked by a sudden barrage of attacks by Israel against Iran’s nuclear and military structure.

This week, Trump warned Iran that the U.S. could carry out further military strikes if the country attempts to reconstitute its nuclear program

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) as he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.

“Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly

weapons around the world,” said Treasury’s Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John K. Hurley. “We will continue to take swift action to deprive those who enable Iran’s military-industrial complex access to the U.S. financial system.”

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Iran continues to violate UN restrictions. “Iran’s ongoing provision of conventional weapons to Caracas is a threat to U.S. interests in our region,” he said.

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

A decimated Gaza marks the end of another year of Israeli bombs Nobody relaxes too much in the fleeting moments of nearnormalcy because they know these can disappear at any time.

(AL-JAZEERA) Over t h e p a s t y e a r, G a z a ' s infrastructure has been subjected to a devastating reality.

What once functioned under strain has been pushed beyond the point of collapse.

Electricity networks, water systems, hospitals, roads and municipal services have been systematically destroyed or severely damaged, leaving daily life defined by survival.

It is not unusual for families to plan their days around the sound of generators, if fuel is available at all. Parents and children queue for hours for a few litres of unsafe water or a pack of bread.

Hospitals operate in near darkness, doctors performing life-saving procedures using mobile phones for light.

Streets that once carried children to school are reduced to rubble.

Gaza's reality is always harsh Life in Gaza was never easy, even during the moments the outside world labelled as “normal”.

For most people, life was lived with constant uncertainty.

You learned not to plan too far ahead, because calm was fragile, always temporary.

There were days with electricity, when the streets felt quieter, and families allowed themselves a small sense of relief, but everyone knew it could disappear at any time.

Gaza's infrastructure mirrors that. It was fragile long before the latest devastation of Israel's genocidal war.

Decades of illegal Israeli blockade, repeated military assaults and tight restrictions on construction materials meant systems were always patched up, always operating on borrowed time.

Nothing truly recovered.

One of the most visible losses has been electricity.

Across the Gaza Strip, darkness is not an exception.

Our only power plant was severely damaged and shut down due to fuel shortages; close to 80 percent of power transmission has been destroyed.

For families, this loss is felt in small, relentless ways.

A mother charges her phone whenever a neighbour's generator briefly hums to life, knowing it may be her only chance to contact family.

Children do their homework by candlelight, if they do it at all. Refrigerators sit useless, food spoiling.

Access to water has also deteriorated sharply. Israel's bombardment damaged wells, desalination plants and pumping stations. Without electricity or fuel, clean water cannot be extracted or distributed Over the course of our reporting on Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, we documented families lining up with plastic containers, waiting for water trucks that may or may not arrive. When they do, the water often smells of salt or metal, its taste sharp and unfamiliar.

Many have no choice but to drink it anyway. Children fall sick with stomach infections. Skin rashes spread. Washing becomes a luxury.

The cumulative

effect: Paralysis Hospitals, once overstretched but functioning, now operate in crisis mode. Over the past month of fieldwork, I visited many medical facilities that have been damaged or forced out of service entirely.

Those still functioning face severe shortages of medicine, equipment, electricity and staff.

I remember the depressed feeling I had after visiting two intensive care units in Gaza City and the central area of the Strip.

Both were overcrowded, forced to put patients two to a bed.

The dialysis machines operated under constant threat of power loss, as did operating theatres that would often go dark mid-procedure.

Harshest of all, the medical teams are often forced to make impossible decisions about who receives care and who must wait.

Beyond health and utilities, the destruction of roads, public facilities and municipal infrastructure has fractured Gaza from within: rubble-filled streets, sewage-flooded roads, slow ambulances and aid delivery.

Rubbish collection has largely ceased, leading to the spread of disease.

Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s infrastructure has been repeatedly knocked out, isolating families and cutting people off from emergency services and the outside world.

There's a cumulative effect of Israel's intense bombing campaign – which is being carried out deliberately to paralyse daily life –

because infrastructure systems depend on one another.

Without electricity, water cannot be pumped. Without fuel, hospitals cannot function. Without roads, aid cannot reach those in need.

Each collapse accelerates the next while creating new layers of difficult living conditions.

As the year 2025 approaches its end, Gaza's entire infrastructure no longer supports normal life; it barely sustains survival.

Talking about rebuilding does not simply mean reconstructing buildings, but also the restoration of

Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud reports live from Gaza City, Gaza [Al Jazeera] systems that allow people to live with dignity: safe water, r e l i a b l e e l e c t r i c i t y, functioning hospitals, and basic public services.

Until then, Gaza's civilians continue to endure the consequences of another year that has shaken the foundations of daily life.

Acting appointment of the chancellor...

From page 6 included to have Justice Navindra Singh being appointed to act as Chief Justice in order to cover any case that might come up before or after the elections to be held on the 1st September, 2025. (c) In order to appoint Justice Navindra Singh, Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud had to be by-passed even though he was a very senior judge by many, many years. The practice in the past is that a senior judge of the Court of Appeal would be appointed to act as Chief Justice when necessary.

Justice Navindra Singh had only been appointed a court of appeal judge in May 2025 whilst Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud had been a court of appeal judge since July 2017. (d) I am unable to make a firm conclusion whether at the beginning of the plan to appoint Justice Navindra Singh to act as chief justice, it included for him to remain in that position. (e) However, I do believe that I am on safe grounds to reasonably conclude that it was decided before Acting Chancellor CummingsEdwards came back from her leave that she would be forced to retire and or enticed to do so and that Justice

Navindra Singh would remain as acting chief justice. This decision was communicated to Justice Navindra Singh and it is the only reasonable conclusion that he remained in Justice Roxane George's office and did not vacate it although she came to her office. Justice Navindra Singh is a decent, honorable and ambitious person. He had and has the greatest of respect for Justice Roxanne George. He would never, never shut her out of her office if he was not instructed to do so. (f) Again Justice Rishi Persaud in this continuing chess play was again bypassed. He had been a competent judge in the Supreme Court and in the Court of Appeal. His record at the Caribbean Court of Justice is excellent. (g) Since Justice Navindra Singh appointment as acting chief justice, he has worked hard, brought applications for probate and letters of administration up to a waiting period of weeks, has as in the past given his decisions promptly. I cannot fault him as he was given the opportunity to be chief justice and in time, he may turn out to be an excellent chief justice. (h) I do, however, fault and do not support the by-

passing of Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud as I am unaware of any good and proper reason why he is unable to fulfill the duties of chief justice. (i) As regards the appointment of acting Chancellor Roxane George, I commend it as there is no better person to be so appointed and she should be confirmed as chancellor as quickly as possible. These long periods of acting appointments have been a blight on our judiciary and more so on those whose responsibility it is to make the respective appointments.

I wish to state that what was done to Madam Cummings-Edwards to force her to retire without giving her the opportunity to retire with dignity was wrong and failed to consider the decades that she served in the public service. I do hope that there is never a repeat of such an occurrence. I did say that I was drawing conclusions and would be happy to learn that my conclusions were erroneous but if they are not then this not good for the judiciary and for Guyana.

Lastly, I was and am disappointed that the Guyana Bar Association remained silent on this issue.

Regards K.A. Juman-Yassin S.C.

Wednesday December 31, 2025

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Kaieteur News

Businessman to stand trial for killing wife T h i r t y - t w o - y e a r- o l d businessman Marlon Da Silva was on Tuesday, committed to stand trial for the murder of his wife, Kenesha Juman Vaughn, which occurred on February 22, 2025.

The incident occurred at the couple's home in Block 'X 'Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Da Silva is accused of shooting his wife multiple times during a “heated argument” at their home. He was remanded to prison on February 26, 2025 when he appeared at the Diamond Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Wanda Fortune.

During his appearance on Tuesday before Magistrate Dylon Bess, the magistrate determined that there is enough evidence submitted to the court that would commit Da Silva to stand trial at the Demerara High Court.

DaSilva was represented by attorneys Sanjeev Datadin, Glenn Hanoman, and Everton Singh-Lammy.

Meanwhile the prosecution was represented by attorney Nigel Hughes and Kiswana Jefford.

Kaieteur News understands that during a previous court proceeding in N o v e m b e r, t h e c o u r t dismissed a no-case

the shooting.

His wife, according to police had called him to come home and it reportedly annoyed the intoxicated DaSilva. He arrived home around 20:00hrs and met Vaughn in the kitchen, police said. They got into a heated argument and it reportedly escalated into violence when DaSilva slapped Vaughn.

Marlon DaSilva committed to stand trial for the murder of his wife submission made on behalf of Da Silva, on the grounds of insufficient evidence that was presented to court to uphold a murder case against him.

Kaieteur News reported that DaSilva had contacted the police after reportedly shooting the woman.

Investigators said that at the time of his arrest, DaSilva's alcohol level in his body was 83%. “Note the legally prescribed limit is 35%”, police stated before adding that initial investigations revealed, he was drinking at a popular drinking establishment on Main Street Georgetown, prior to

Enmore man chopped in head during fight An Enmore East Coast Demerara man was chopped in his head early Sunday morning during a fight with his neighbour, police have reported.

The chopping incident occurred about 00:30hrs at Beezie, Enmore, East Coast Demerara. The incident involved a 52-year-old male Labourer and a 31-year-old male Taxi Driver, both of Beezie, Enmore, ECD. Enquiries revealed that the two males who are neighbours, were involved in a verbal argument which led to a physical altercation.

During the altercation the 3 1 - y e a r- o l d a l l e g e d l y

managed to take possession of a cutlass that was in the possession of the 52-yearold and dealt a chop to the left side of his head.

The 52-year-old collapsed a short distance away and was later observed by ranks on mobile patrol who immediately transported him to the Enmore Regional Hospital where he was admitted in a stable condition. The 31-year-old suspect was later arrested at the Enmore Police Station and escorted to the same hospital for medical attention. Investigations are ongoing.

Allegations are being made that she then ran for a knife and returned.

As she allegedly approached him, DaSilva pulled out his gun and began shooting her. She fell to the ground wounded and he called police immediately after. Ranks showed up promptly and rushed her to the hospital where

unfortunately she passed away. “Police examined the body at the Diamond Hospital and twelve injuries (entry and exit) suspected to be gunshot wounds, were discovered on her body”, police said. Detectives processed the crime scene and found four 9MM shell casings and three projectiles (fired bullets).

Dead: Kenesha Juman Vaughn

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

Wednesday December 31, 2025

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

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Wednesday Thursday November December 24, 31, 2022 2025

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Shiffrin roars back to win Semmering World Cup slalom (Reuters) - Mikaela Shiffrin recovered from a tentative opening run to produce a precise second one under the floodlights and win the women's World Cup slalom in Semmering, Austria on Sunday.

Lying fourth and over

half a second behind the leader after the first run, the American stormed back to beat Switzerland's Camille Rast by 0.09 seconds, with Albania's Lara Colturi finishing third.

It was Shiffrin's 106th World Cup victory and sixth

consecutive slalom triumph, five of them this season.

"It was a really hard day," Shiffrin said. "The conditions were tough and it was a big fight. The pressure was on, but I managed to deliver the best run I could."

The 30-year-old twice

Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. in action. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)

Wednesday December 31, 2025 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) In a philosophical or political conversation, you don't hesitate to offer your thoughts. Your examples may be extreme, but your principles are sound.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You should be in a good mood, although you might have a hard time fully expressing yourself. Perhaps you feel like there is someone keeping an eye on your every move.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may get the feeling that despite all the hard work you've accomplished, something is still missing, Gemini. There's still a long road ahead, regardless of the goals you've attained so far.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Freedom may be a theme for you today. You're beginning to question what it is you're trying to free yourself from. A person? Job? Commitment?

These may be the very things you start to search for as soon as you're free of them.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You may feel a strange tension.

It seems that nothing you say or do is quite right, Libra. As much as you may try to do the correct thing, you can't make things click the way you'd like.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) It may be hard for you to maintain your self-discipline.

Your childlike nature wants to go out and play. Emotionally, you're anxious to let loose and follow your playful, instinctual nature.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov.22–Dec.21) If you're unclear about the topic of discussion, say so. Asking questions is an important part of learning. You shouldn't be afraid to ask. Communication may take on a serious tone, and intellectual discussions are likely to get heated.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may be shy when it comes to expressing your emotions today, Capricorn. This could be a rare thing for you. Other people may wonder if something is wrong.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You're the liquid that takes the shape of its container, Leo. Even though this may seem like the most nonconfrontational way to do things, you may find that it's actually a cause of great frustration for you and others

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may not know which way to turn, Aquarius. You may be emotionally weighed down by sentimental feelings and memories that bind you to the past. You may also feel restricted by authority figures.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may feel like a puppy that has been let outside for the first time, Virgo. The air is warm and you're full of energy. You're ready to run over the fields and hills.

Unfortunately, you're tied to a stake and you can't move beyond a ten-foot radius.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your mind may be going in many different directions, with fantastic ideas about how things should be done, Pisces.

The difficulty is communicating these ideas in a way that makes sense. Others may see you as a threat to their authority.

Olympic gold medallist will be among the favourites at next year's Winter Games in Milano Cortina.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

Arsenal crush Villa to Recovering Archer in England squad for T20 World Cup confirm title credentials Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Leandro Trossard and Martin Zubimendi. (REUTERS/David Klein)

England's Jofra Archer in action. (REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/File Photo)

LONDON, (Reuters) Premier League leaders Arsenal slammed the door shut on charging Aston Villa with a 4-1 home thrashing of Unai Emery's side on Tuesday that kept them clear at the top of the table going into the New Year.

Goals by Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Zubimendi early in the second half gave Arsenal control of a game that looked fraught with danger against a

Villa side on an 11-match winning streak.

Defender Gabriel bundled in the opener from a corner in the 48th minute before Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard slid a pass through for Zubimendi to score four minutes later.

Arsenal secured the points when Leandro Trossard fired home from the edge of the area before Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to add the fourth.

Ollie Watkins grabbed a consolation goal for Villa in stoppage time.

Arsenal moved five points clear of secondplaced Manchester City, who can close the gap when they go to Sunderland on Thursday. Villa, who will rue not getting ahead in an impressive first half, stayed in third place, six points adrift of Arsenal after their first defeat for nearly two months.

LONDON, (Reuters) England named fast bowler Jofra Archer in their provisional squad for the Twenty20 World Cup on Tuesday despite a side strain that prematurely ended his Ashes campaign in Australia earlier this month.

The 15-member squad for the World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 also includes Nottinghamshire seamer Josh Tongue, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.

Beginning on January 22, England will play three one-day internationals and an equal number of T20s in

Sri Lanka before heading into the World Cup. "Sussex fast bowler Jofra Archer is included in the provisional T20 World Cup squad but will miss the tour of Sri Lanka as he continues his rehabilitation with the England medical team following the left-side strain sustained during the third Ashes test in Adelaide earlier this month," the ECB said.

Batters Jamie Smith and Jordan Cox have been axed while seamer Saqib Mahmood could not retain his place either.

England picked Ben Duckett in both the T20 and

ODI squads despite the opener's ongoing run drought in the Ashes series.

The Harry Brook-led team will begin their T20 Wo r l d C u p c a m p a i g n against Nepal in Mumbai on February 8.

England are 1-3 behind in the ongoing Ashes series against Australia and their performance in the T20 World Cup could determine the future of their leadership, including coach Brendon McCullum and team director Rob Key. England T20 squad for Sri Lanka tour and World Cup: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer (World Cup only), Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse (Sri Lanka tour only), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood England ODI squad for Sri Lanka tour: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Luke Wood

South Africa edge Zimbabwe 3-2 to book knockout place (Reuters) - Oswin Appollis scored a penalty in the final 10 minutes to hand South Africa a 3-2 victory over Zimbabwe in Marrakech on Monday and seal second spot in Group B at the Africa Cup of Nations, dumping their southern African rivals out of the tournament.

South Africa finish with six points in the group, one behind winners Egypt. Both of those advanced to the last 16 as Angola (2) finish in third and face an anxious wait to see if that is enough as one of the four best thirdplaced sides.

South Africa led three times in the game thanks to a first international goal from Tshepang Moremi, as well as strikes from Lyle Foster and Appollis, but coach Hugo Broos will be concerned by how open his side were at times at the back.

Tawanda Maswanhise scored an excellent first equaliser for Zimbabwe and they also profited from an Aubrey Modiba own goal as they missed several other chances and should have earned at least a draw.

South Africa, who finished third in the Ivory Coast two years ago and have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, have yet to hit top gear in the tournament, and were cut apart far too easily by Zimbabwe at times. South Africa led after seven minutes as Moremi's shot took a wicked deflection off Divine Lunga and looped into the net.

Zimbabwe hit back in the 19th minute with a goal that will go down as one of the best of the tournament as Maswanhise picked up the ball 35 yards out and danced past two defenders before drilling a low shot past

goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

POOR DEFENDING But South Africa were back in front five minutes after the break when Lunga's back header to keeper Washington Arubi allowed Foster to sneak in ahead and nod the ball into the net. Zimbabwe equalised again in the 73rd minute as Maswanhise's low shot was saved by Williams, but the ball deflected onto Modiba and into the net for an own goal.

South Africa were awarded a penalty with 10 minutes remaining when midfielder Marvelous Nakamba made a goalkeeper-style diving save and handled a shot that appeared to be going wide.

Appollis converted from the spot and Zimbabwe's hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages at the sixth attempt were dashed.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 31, 2025

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Africa Cup of Nations hosts Morocco in convincing form as they dispatch Zambia RABAT, (Reuters) Morocco forward Ayoub El Kaabi netted a double and midfield maestro Brahim Diaz added another as the Africa Cup of Nations hosts turned in a convincing performance in outclassing Zambia 3-0 on Monday to top Group A. El Kaabi powered home an early headed goal and then scored with one of his trademark bicycle kicks while Diaz netted for the third successive game as Morocco swept their opponents aside to finish on seven points ahead of second-placed Mali on three.

After a timid start to the tournament, with a nervy opening game win over tiny Comoros and then an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Mali on Friday, Morocco finally looked like the favourites that many have made them for the 24-team tournament.

Defeat meant Zambia were eliminated, as they finished bottom of the group with two points, behind Comoros on goal difference.

Morocco were on the attack from the start with Zambia goalkeeper Willard Mwanza forced into a save after 12 seconds and then

Morocco's Ayoub El Kaabi scores their third goal. (REUTERS/Stringer)

making a point-blank stop in the sixth minute to deny Abdessamad Ezzalzouli.

But he was unable to stop El Kaabi's diving header in the ninth minute as the striker powered his way in between three defenders to get onto the end of a corner.

El Kaabi might have had

his second goal in the 27th minute but failed to get a touch to Ezzalzouli's driving cross. But Diaz timed his arrival in the box perfectly to sweep it home with the left foot.

Diaz drove most of the Moroccan attacks. A menace to the opposing defence with

his trickery on the ball, he is fast becoming a fan favourite at the tournament.

El Kaabi's second goal came from a ball over the top of the Zambian defence as he launched into an overhead kick for a spectacular finish.

It was initially flagged offside but a VAR check

confirmed he was onside when the ball was delivered.

“It was not an easy match but thanks to a well thought game plan, we managed to secure the result we needed and seal our qualification," said Morocco coach Walid Regragui.

"We are the home team

so we must always play our games as a final. We have a very supportive crowd who are rallying behind us and that is why all the players are giving it their best in every match," he added.

HAKIMI MAKES RETURN TO ACTION Morocco captain, and recently crowned African Footballer of the Year, Achraf Hakimi came on to great acclaim as a 64th minute substitute and had a beaming smile on his face in his first outing since suffering an ankle injury in the Champions League almost eight weeks ago.

Hakimi's participation in the tournament had been in doubt but his recovery was completed sooner than expected with praise from his coach for his application in the rehabilitation process.

The Paris St Germain right back was inches away from a fairytale goal in the 81st minute as a stabbed effort with the outside of the boot looked bound for the net, only for Mwanza to make a full-stretch save.

Morocco now wait to find out the identity of their opponents in the last 16 at the weekend, which will be one of the four best thirdplaced finishers.

Nigeria complete perfect group campaign with 3-1 win over Uganda (Reuters) - Raphael Onyedika scored twice and Paul Onuachu netted his first international goal in four years as Nigeria beat 10-man Uganda 3-1 in Fes on Tuesday to record a third win in Group C at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and send the East African side home.

Nigeria finished top of the pool with nine points followed by Tunisia and Tanzania, who reached the last 16 as one of the four best third-placed sides following their 1-1 draw with Tunisia on Tuesday.

It was a dominant performance from Nigeria despite resting several regulars having already been assured of top spot in the group. Uganda netted a consolation through Rogers Mato and used three goalkeepers in the game following an injury and a red card for Salim Magoola, another calamity in a chaotic tournament for coach Paul Put's side.

Nigeria have impressed in the

group stage having been losing finalists two years ago, and following the shock of missing out on 2026 World Cup qualification.

After Onuachu had missed a simple chance midway through the first half, he found the back of the net after 28 minutes.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru showed quick feet on the left and his pass into Onuachu was perfect for the big forward to finish. The goal was the striker's first for Nigeria since 2021.

Uganda were reduced to 10 men in the 56th minute when substitute goalkeeper Magoola used his hands some 10 yards outside his area to stop a Victor Osimhen shot.

THREE GOALKEEPERS Magoola had been a halftime replacement for injured starter Denis Onyango, so Uganda had to use their third goalkeeper in the game as Nafian Alionzi was brought on.

Nigeria scored their second

Uganda's Salim Magoola (right) lasted just 11 minutes before being shown a straight red card for handling outside his box. (Getty Images)

goal in the 62nd minute when Onyedika took Samuel Chukwueze's pass and drilled his shot low through the legs of Alionzi. Onyedika netted his

second five minutes later with a side-footed finish, Chukwueze again the provider with a pass from the right.

Uganda got a consolation goal

with 15 minutes left as the Nigerian defence momentarily went to sleep and Mato had time and space from Allan Okello's pass to lift the ball over the keeper and into the net.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

One Guyana/K&S/ President's Futsal Championship

Queensway Group of Companies and Bakewell chip in W

i t h t h e championshi p matches set to take place this Friday, January 2, 2026 at the Clif Anderson Sports Hall, two more companies have chipped in with support for the 3rd edition of the One Guyana / Kashif & Shanghai / President's Futsal Championship.

Long-time supporters, Queensway group of Companies and Bakewell presented their contributions to Co-Directors of the coordinating group, Kashif

and Shanghai Organisation MS. Mohamed Hussein, Manager of the Queensway Group of Companies (QGoC) said that they were pleased to play a part in this historic championship which has seen a schoolboys tournament for the first time.

Hussein also noted that young players are the bedrock of the game and it is plausible to see a solid foundation being laid for this format of the game which can see Guyana making waves at the regional and

international levels once there is consistency in playing.

Shannan Ganga, General Manager of Bakewell, another longtime support of football and sport in Guyana overs the years through it Founder/Owner, the late Naeem Naseer, noted that it is an absolute pleasure for Bakewell to continue a great legacy and partnership with the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation.

“We see our partnership with Kashif & Shanghai as a pivotal part of the

development of football in Guyana. This is a relationship that dates back decades, and we have seen what such collaborations bring for our athletes and the nation. So, we are happy to continue something we see as one of our social responsibilities.”

Both Co-Directors expressed gratitude to Mohamed Hussein and Shannan Ganga for their companies continued and unwavering support for the game whilst wishing them both a Blessed 2026.

Shannan Ganga, General Manager of Bakewell hands over cheque to Aubrey Major.

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

Yarrowkabra roars to first Royal Tapeball crown

Y

arrowkabra Community Schoolboy's cricket team etched their name into local Tapeball history after being crowned Royal Tapeball Cricket Academy champions for the first time, following a dominant 65-run victory over Patentia Community in the end-of-year 30-ball tournament final.

After winning the toss, Yarrowkabra opted to bat first and made full use of the decision.

Led by a commanding innings from Wazim Ali, the eventual champions piled on an imposing 112 for 3 from their allotted five overs.

Ali was in devastating form, striking a blistering 59 runs to anchor the innings

and put the Patentia bowlers under immense pressure.

Kevin Mhase was the lone bright spot with the ball for Patentia, finishing with figures of 2 for 38.

I n r e p l y, P a t e n t i a Community never found their footing against a disciplined Yarrowkabra bowling attack.

They were eventually restricted to just 47 for 6 in their five overs, as Nicholi Morris kept things tight for Yarrowkabra, claiming 3 for 13 to seal a comprehensive win for his side.

At the close of the competition, Wazim Ali's outstanding performances throughout the tournament earned him the Player of the Tournament (MVP) award.

Christopher Persaud was

recognized as the standout performer for the Patentia Community team.

The tournament was coordinated by James “Uprising” Lewis, alongside friends from the United States of America.

Under Lewis' leadership, the 2025 calendar successfully hosted 17 schoolboy community and secondary school Tapeball cricket competitions, further strengthening grassroots cricket development.

It marked another successful year for the local Tapeball fraternity, with hopes high that even more tournaments and opportunities for young cricketers will emerge in 2026.

Yarrowkabra Community Schoolboy's cricket team celebrate with trophy after their win.

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Wednesday December 31, 2025

Penalty drama defines classic GFF Super 16 semi-Final double header …Slingerz FC and Western Tigers to clash in January 1 final

Jamaican Kemar Beckford gives a listening ear to the "booing" GPF FC supporters, after equalizing. (Super 16 photo) Football fans at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Training Centre, Providence on Monday evening, were treated to an unforgettable night of drama, tension and elite goalkeeping as both semi-finals of the GFF Super 16 Cup were decided by penalty kicks.

When the dust finally settled, Elite League champions Slingerz FC and Western Tigers emerged as the last teams standing, booking their places in the New Year's Day final after two nerve-shredding encounters that ended 1–1 after regulation and extra time.

The double header delivered everything supporters crave; pace, physicality, quality attacking play and heroic moments between the posts. Indeed, it was by far the best matchday of the tournament, highlighted by outstanding goalkeeping performances from Western Tigers' Joel Yhap and Slingerz FC's reliable custodian, Denzil Smith. The night's opening encounter saw Western Tigers edge Guyana Defence

Force (GDF) FC 5–4 on penalties after a tightly contested battle.

GDF FC struck first in the 19th minute when Ian Dooker found the back of the net to give the Army side a deserved early lead.

However, Western Tigers responded through Kevon “ S h o w t i m e ” Wo o d l e y, whose equalizer restored parity and injected new life into the contest.

Despite chances at both ends, neither side could find a winner through regulation or extra time. The match ultimately hinged on penalties, where Joel Yhap set the tone with a crucial early save. His teammates showed remarkable composure from the spot, converting all their kicks to send the West Ruimveldtbased club marching into the final.

If the opener was intense, the second semi-final between Slingerz FC and Guyana Police Force (GPF) FC raised the entertainment level even higher.

Played at a blistering pace, the match was a tactical and physical chess match, with both teams

testing each other's defensive resolve.

GPF FC enjoyed significant control in midfield, particularly with Curtez Kellman missing from Slingerz' starting lineup, only coming on as a second-half substitute due to an injury.

The pairing of Marcus Wilson and Ryan Hackett dictated tempo and distribution for the lawmen, with Hackett once again justifying his “BoomBoom” moniker.

Just before the stroke of half-time, Hackett unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the penalty area that swirled into the net with unstoppable power, one of the finest goals of the tournament. It was the kind of effort that would have probably beaten even the world's best goalkeepers on any given day.

Slingerz FC responded with urgency after the break, creating opportunities of their own, but GPF's defence held firm. The breakthrough finally came in the 70th minute when Slingerz talisman Kemar Beckford rose perfectly to head home

Slingerz FC players showing appreciation to goalkeeper Denzil Smith after his heroics against GPF FC. the equalizer, reigniting the contest.

What followed was a gripping stretch of nearmisses, brave blocks and last-ditch defending through regulation and extra time, forcing yet another penalty shootout.

That was when Denzil Smith seized the spotlight.

The Slingerz goalkeeper produced two crucial saves, while another GPF effort sailed over the bar. Only Nerron Borrow managed to convert for Police FC. At the other end, despite Darron Niles' effort drifting inches wide, Curtez Kellman, Bryan Wharton and guest player Omari

Glasgow held their nerve, converting to secure a 3–1 shootout victory and send the Vergenoegen-based club into the final.

With Slingerz FC and Western Tigers now set to collide on January 1, 2026, the stage is perfectly set for a thrilling New Year's Day finale.

GCB Women's squads commence preparation...

From page 31 achieved remarkable success earlier this year by capturing t h e T 2 0 B l a z e Championship, is focused on maintaining its winning form. Preparations have already begun within the GCB to ensure a smooth and effective build-up to the tournaments, emphasizing player readiness, strategic planning, and overall team cohesion.

Captain Shemaine Campbell will lead a squad featuring Ashmini Munisar as Vice-Captain, alongside Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta

Grimmond, Realeanna Grimmond, Nyia Latchman, Kayshia Schultz, Laurene Williams, Latoya Williams, Analesia D'Aguiar, Plafianna Millington, Mandy Mangru, Feona Benjamin, and Tremaine Marks. The squad will be supported by a strong group of reserves, including Cyanna Retemiah, Letisha Jordan, Crystal Durant, Tiea Isaacs, Anastecia Valenzuela, Tifeny La Rose, Sarah Bheir, and Nyomi Barkoye.

Talented All-rounder Cherry Ann Fraser is out

with injury and the coaches will continue to support her.

The GCB is committed to providing the team with the resources and preparation necessary to defend their T20 Blaze crown successfully, while aiming to make a strong impact in the Super50 Championship.

The Board looks forward to an exciting start to the new year as Guyana's senior women cricketers prepare to showcase their talent and continue the nation's proud tradition in regional women's cricket.

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Kaieteur News

DVA to focus on talent scouting during 2026

T

he Demerara Vo l l e y b a l l Association (DVA) utilized its final yearend tournament as a measuring-stick for scouting player talent for 2026, with lots planned for the new year.

The Beach tournament, which was hosted at the Marriott Beachfront, won by the pair of Vance Harding and Juan Velazquez, Team Spartans defeated the

Upsetters 2-0.

While the tournament was captivating based on the quality of players involved, the DVA is clearly geared towards ensuring the brand continues to be wellmanaged heading into 2026.

Guyana's Volleyball team had a decent run in the 2025 IGGs, thus adding to the importance of selecting the best male and female players which will continue to represent the Country at

GCB Women's squads commence preparation for CG United Super50/ T20 Blaze Championships - Campbell to lead teams in 2026

Shemaine Campbell As the year winds down and Guyana and the world prepares to welcome 2026, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has officially begun preparations for the upcoming CG United Super50 and T20 Blaze Women's Championships.

The GCB Senior Women's Team, under the guidance of Head Coach Tr e m a i n e S m a r t a n d Assistant Coach/Manager Clive Grimmond, is set to reconvene for an encampment from January

Shabika Gajnabi

Ashmini Munisar 2 to 7 in anticipation of defending their T20 Blaze title and vying for success in the Super50 competition.

The team, which (Continued on page 30)

all levels.

Given the solid 2025 the DVA and by extension the G u y a n a Vo l l e y b a l l Federation (GVF) endured, it is likely that more groundbreaking moves will be made during 2026 as the trajectory remains on an upward path.

DVA will be placing heavy emphasis on talent scouting ahead of the New Year.

PAGE 35

s t r o Sp

Penalty drama defines classic GFF Super 16 semi-Final double header Trinidadian Kevon "Showtime" Woodly, on the attack, against GDF FC Collin Nelson in their GFF Super 16 semi-final.

…Slingerz FC and Western Tigers to clash in January 1 final

One Guyana/K&S/ President's Futsal Championship...

Queensway Group of Companies and Bakewell chip in

Kashif Muhammad receives contribution from QGoC Manager, Mohamed Hussein in the presence of Aubrey Major.

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