Kaieteur News

‘YOURVOICE,YOURVOTE’

-CanadianenvoyurgesGuyanesetodemandfreeandfairelections

The Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Sébastien Sigouin, has called on citizens to raise their voices and demand urgent action to ensure the country’s electoral process is truly free and fair, following the release of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) report.

Less than 24 hours after the report was made public, Sigouin took to social media, urging Guyanese to hold their leaders accountable and push for reforms recommended in the EU report. WhileacknowledgingthatElection Day ran smoothly, Sigouin emphasised that much work remains to strengthen the electoral framework. “Democracy belongs to the Guyanese people,” he said. “So speak up, call on your elected representatives, on your National Assembly, on your Government to take action and make the changes needed so that your electoral process is truly free and fair It’s yourrightandyourresponsibility.”

On Tuesday the EU Elections Observation Mission (EOM) pointed to the need for enhanced key electoral reforms through an

established and robust Constitutional Reform Commission (CRC) framework. Chief Observer, Chief Observer Robert Biedroñ, in presenting the final report at the Pegasus Suites on Friday, said that many stakeholders are waiting for the constitution of the CRC so that the body can fulfil its mandate. “The CRC has a legal mandate to consult on and propose electoral reforms –supportingthisyear’sCRC’s process with solid electoral and legal expertise could be the key to driving a well framed future electoral reform of a constitutional nature. Therefore, we recommend enhancing the prospects for key electoralreformthroughnecessary electoral expertise as part of a robust CRC operational framework…”

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Sébastien Sigouin

rules…,”theChiefObserver said.

Meanwhile,initsreport, the observation mission reminded that “the 21memberCRCwaslegislated in 2022 and formed in 2024 to engage in public consultations including on electoralmatters,howeverit has yet to commence its work, which was reportedly delayedduetologisticaland financial challenges and deficiencies in member selection.”

address this issue has yet to begin its work, including on electoral reforms and a target period for publicising its methodology and timeframes is overdue, reportedly due to logistical challenges and deficiencies in member selection. Its role, underpinned by the necessaryexpertise,willbecrucial to several aspects of electoral reform.”

Biedroñ explained that in absence of an active CRC, the country cannot adopt clear and comprehensivecampaignrules.“In those elections, we saw how the line between State and party was oftenblurred.

For example, public projects inauguration or government social programmeswereusedinwaysthat clearly supported one party State vehicles were observed transporting supporters to campaign events Government social media channels supported PPP/C campaigns Clear and forcible rules for how public officials use State resources and governmentcommunicationcanbe used in election period We therefore recommend adopting clearandcomprehensivecampaign

TheEUreportnotedthat the body could be crucial to promoting consensus aroundkeyelectoralreforms including on the future of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). “The GECOM, as a constitutional body, has a partisan framework which splits the commission into opposing sides, precluding broader stakeholder inclusion and risking inefficient decision making,” the report said pointing to representatives of the government and opposition sitting ontheelectionscommission.

“A 21-member Constitutional Reform Commission which could

Importantly, the mission stressed that the law sets requirements for financing the CRC and a target period for publicising its methodology and timeframes, which are positive measures to increase trust once carriedout.

Given the CRC’s key role, the EU observation mission noted that electoral expertise is important for robust outputs and meaningful electoral reforms Back in September, the Carter Center Observer Mission released its preliminary findings on Guyana’s general and regional elections, urgingtheincominggovernmentto implement reforms aimed at fosteringamoreequitableelectoral process and restoring public confidence in GECOM and the country’sdemocracy

Govt. snubs IACHR hearing on Guyana’s FOI crisis

ByAllyiahAllicock

Representatives of the PPP/C Government were a no-show at Wednesday’s Inter-AmericanCommission on Human Rights (IACHR)

hearing on Guyana’s dysfunctional Freedom of Information (FOI) system, leavingcivilsocietytodetail more than a decade of official silence, blocked

r e q u e s t s , a n d a

C o m m i s s i o n e r o f Information who refuses to performhislegalduties.The hearing, held in Miami and livestreamedbytheIACHR, included Commissioners

Edgar Stuardo Ralón, Roberta Clarke, Carlos Bernal Pulido and Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Pedro Vaca Villarreal. From Guyana, only a handful of civil society advocates appeared:

Attorney-at-law and Accountant Christopher Ram,DanutaRadzik,Vanda Radzik,andcolumnistGHK Lall, who also presented statements on behalf of Anand Goolsarran and AlfredBhulai.Despitebeing formallyinvited,nomember of the Guyana Government attended.

In his presentation, Ram told the Commission that Guyana’s Commissioner of

Information, Charles Ramson Sr , has failed entirely to carry out the duties assigned under the Access to Information Act. Presenting a few instances where he sought to seek

information from the

Commissioner, Ram recalled that beginning in 2021, he made multiple requestsundertheAccessto Information Act, which he noted were specific, lawful, andfullyinaccordancewith the Act’s requirements. He related that some of these requests for information includeacopyofaReporton thecircumstancesleadingup to the signing of the 2016 Petroleum Agreement; particulars of taxes paid on behalf of the oil companies under the said Agreement; information on the Guyana

Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), and the administration and performance of the CommissionofInformation.

Mr Ram informed the HumanRightsbodythatnot once did he receive a substantive response and that he turned to the courts

where the proceedings are pending.Healsosharedthat he wrote directly to the President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali on several occasions where he informed him of the Commissioner’s unexplained inaction and asked him to intervene to uphold the law Ram noted that the President had acknowledged with a casual remarkatapublicgathering, saying “I will look into it after the elections ” Ram further stated that now that the election has come and past,thereisstillsilence.He a l s o i n f o r m e d t h e Commission that before appearing at the hearing, on October 21, 2025, he wrote again seeking an update to get a response, to which he noted no reply has been received.

TheIACHRalsolearned from Ram of the several protest action he along with the Transparency Institute, t h e G u y a n a P r e s s Association, the trade union movement, and other individuals, organised peacefully outside the OfficesofthePresident,and C o m m i s s i o n e r o f Information, where they demanded that the law be implemented. Not once has the group of individuals b e e n e n g a g e d , acknowledged, or invited to discuss the matter, Ram told the IACHR “we have each been systematically denied

t h e e x e r c i s e o f a constitutional and internationally recognised right ” He continued, “International observers have noticed this too, the United Nations Human Rights Committee, electoral monitoring missions, editors,andcolumnistsinthe national press have all remarkedonthehollowstate of Guyana’s access-toinformation system They have noted that it undermines transparency, dilutes press freedom, and corrodespublictrust.”

Aftermorethan12years ofan“unproductiveActand an inactive Commissioner,” the Attorney informed the Human Rights body that

credibility demands immediate,concretestepsin meeting all outstanding requests, ending legal

obstacles, and fully

operationalizing and improving the Act. “We are not asking for special treatment. We ask only that

our right to information is respected,”heexpressed.

In their remarks which were presented by Mr Lall, both Mr. Goolsarran and Bhulai shared some of their own experiences with this Commission in accessing critical information. “On 9 June2014,inmycapacityas the then President of the Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI), I submitted a request to the Office of the Commissioner ofInformationunderSection 12 of the Access to Information Act that provides for ‘the right of every Guyanese citizen or person domiciled in Guyana toobtainaccesstoanofficial document,” Goolsarran informed.

He shared with the Commission of Human Rights that in January 2017, he had written an article h

shortcomings in the functioning of the Office of the Commission for which he is facing a defamation l a w s u i

h e Commissioner “The matter is pending in the Guyana Court of Appeal To date, after 12 years since the appointment of the Commiss

responded positively to any request for information,” he stated.

Forhispart,Bhulaiinhis statement described the situation as a “blatant dereliction of duty by this public servant paid from the public purse to implement the Act ” Sharing her experience, Ms Danuta Radzik noted that she had requested some 10 documen

Commissioner relating to

s industry Similarly,shenoted

- Civil Society lays bare 12 years of stonewalling

During her brief presentation, Ms Radzik, told the Commissioners that “what we bring you today is notanabstractconcern.Itisa lived experience of a right denied persistently, d e l i b e r a t e l y, a n d systemically ” In hearing their concerns and experiences, Ms Radzik then respectfully asked the HumanRightsbodyto“Urge the State of Guyana to bring its practice into conformity

A

that requests for many of these documents were previously made to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with no success.

“Based on the response from the Commissioner of Information, request for informationisonceagainata dead end and calls into questiontherightofcitizens of Guyana to access information even though since 2011 the Access to InformationAct has been in effect,”sheexpressed.

w

Information Act, its Constitution,anditsbinding internationalobligations.”

Secondly, she called upon the Commissioner of Information to fulfill his duties under the law, which is to receive, process, and respond to requests in a timely, lawful manner. The SocialJustice&RuleofLaw

advocate also made recommendation for concrete measures to guaranteetheindependence, functionality, and accountability of the entire access-to-information mechanism.

Carefulnote

F o l l o w i n g t h e i r

presentations, the Commissioners informed the civil society individuals thattheytookcarefulnoteof theirconcerns,towhichthey alsoaskedafewquestionsin relation to the information provide to them “During this hearing, we have taken careful note of the concerns expressed by the civil society Theperspectiveswe have heard are so far essential to understanding how the law is operating in practice and where challenges exist,” Mr Villarrealaddressed.

In his brief remarks, he notedthatatthesametime,it iskeytoheartheState’sown assessment on the current state of the Access to Information Law, how it is functioning, what obstacles have emerged and what measures are being taken to e n s u r e i t s f u l l implementation “This balance of perspectives a central part of the Commission’sandouroffice independent and impartial methodology, which requires listening to all actors,contrastingthe Continued on page 6

Attorney-at-law, Christopher Ram

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EDITORIAL

EU-EOM recommendations

TheEuropeanUnionElectionObservationMission(EU EOM) has done what Guyanese journalists, civil society groups, and this newspaper have been shouting for years: callouttheglaringpoliticalcaptureofGuyana’sbroadcast landscapeandthesystematicabuseofstatemediabythose inoffice.

The EU’s final report on the 2025 elections pulls no punches.ItconfirmsthattheGuyanaNationalBroadcasting Authority(GNBA)lacksindependencethatthestatemedia overwhelmingly favours the ruling party, and that critical reporting is often stifled through defamation lawsuits and opaque regulatory practices. These findings are not surprising. What is surprising, though perhaps only to the EU, is the expectation that this government will seriously addressanyoftheseconcerns.

Successive Kaieteur News editorials have documented the misuse of state resources to shape national narratives, suppressdissent,andelevatetherulingparty’spropaganda machinery Whetheritisthelopsidedcoverageonthestate broadcaster, the weaponisation of public offices to intimidate journalists, or the refusal to publish GNBA’s monitoring reports, the government has created a tightly controlled information ecosystem where truth becomes inconvenientandtransparencyathreat.

The EU report rightly recommends that the GNBA’s board appointmentprocess be depoliticised.Currently, the board is dominated by nominees loyal to the ruling party, anditshearingsareclosedtothepublic.Theseareredflags in any democracy.The GNBAdecides who gets broadcast licences, who is sanctioned, and which media houses are “compliant.” Yet its decisions are made behind a curtain, immune from scrutiny, and heavily guided by political interests. When the watchdog answers to the entity it is supposedtoregulate,thepublicisleftdefenseless.

The EU also takes aim at the failure of the GNBA to release monitoring reports. For years, Guyanese have suspectedthatthesereportsiftheyexistatallwouldexpose the obscene imbalance in state media coverage.The stateowned NCN and the Guyana Chronicle operate as extensions of the ruling party’s communications arm. Duringelectioncycles,thisimbalancebecomesevenmore glaring, with government events and personalities dominatingheadlineswhiletheoppositionandindependent voicesfightforscrapsofvisibility

The EU is correct in saying the legal framework is inadequate.Criminaldefamationwasstruckdown,butcivil defamation remains a favored tool used by the politically powerfultomuzzlecriticism.

This government, along with well-connected business elites,hasperfectedtheartoffinancialintimidation:ifthey can’t silence you legally, they will bankrupt you through litigation.Thisnewspaperhasbeenavictimofthistypeof intimidation.

The EU report also alluded to the fact that the 2011 Access to Information Act is treated like a decorative ornament, always on display, never functional. The Commissioner of Information- an obdurate, hard-nosed politician has made a mockery of the office and despite promises of reform nothing has happened. Journalists and civil society activists have routinely encountered stone walls, unanswered requests by a Commissioner of Information who has turned obstruction into a full-time vocation.

ButwhiletheEU’srecommendationsaresensible,they collide with an uncomfortable truth: this government thrives on information control. Media independence is not seenasademocraticnecessitybutasapoliticalthreat.The rulingPPP/Chasshownnoinclination,nonewhatsoeverto loosen its grip on the information sphere. In fact, it has expandedthatgrip.Everycriticismismetwithaccusations of bias; every independent report is smeared; every dissenting voice is portrayed as working for “foreign

How to spend oil revenues to benefit all Guyanese

DEAREDITOR

, While Guyana brags about pumping 900,000 barrels of oil a day, more than half the country’s people are still struggling in poverty It is a danger to the nation if the government continuestoturnablindeye to the need for fairness in how oil wealth is managed and shared among all Guyanese. Reposted below are thoughts from 2019 on howoilmoneycouldbeused fairly and justly to fund socialprogrammesthatgive the marginalised, the forgotten, and the ignored a real chance to rise in equal measure with the elites and thepoliticallyconnected.

Direct Oil Benefit/Cash Transfer through Social ProgrammesisEssential

There is nothing new about Social Programmes withdirectandindirectCash Transfers, with or without conditionalities. This topic has emerged with the potential estimated oil wealth projected to place Guyana among top oilproducing countries per capita.Guyana’sgrowthrate isexpectedtomovefromits highest eight percent to 30 plus percent. Cash transfer programmesalreadyexistin oursocietywhereweseethe business sector getting indirect forms of cash transferthroughtaxwaivers, duty-free concessions and muchmore.

Theelderlyandothersin need receive Social Assistance in the form of direct cash benefit. Cash transfers can be with or withoutconditionsattached, somecanbeandarealready doneusingameanstest.This is evident with the Social

Assistance programme

Applying qualifying conditionalities allows government the opportunity to maximise on societal complianceinareasofneed.

For example, persons accessing direct transfers canberequiredtopursueand completecertaineducational programmes, achieve certain grades, ensure their children are vaccinated, and so forth. The opportunities and conditionalities are limitless. The benefits to society are bountiful and Guyanese must not allow thisopportunityforpeople’s empowerment from Direct Oil Benefit (DOB) to be dismissed as encouraging mendicancy It is a vision any caring, progressive government is expected to exploreandhave.

The World Bank holds the perspective that cash transfersareaSafetyNetfor manyinsociety anddefines this as: “the provision of assistanceintheformofcash to the poor or to those who faceaprobableriskoffalling into poverty in the absence of the transfer The main objective of these programmes is to increase poor and vulnerable households’realincome.”

According to the Bank some areas targeted to achievetheobjectiveare:-”i) Conditionalcashtransfer;ii) Fee waivers for health services;iii)Feewaiversfor other services; iv) Foodrelated programmes; v) Microfinance; vi) Public works; vi) Price and other subsidies; vii) School feeding programmes ” Going by the aforesaid Guyana had/has both direct and indirect cash transfer as

agents” or “political enemies.” Even the Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo’s weekly press conferences have become platforms to attack private media and to deploy misinformation against journalists who refuse to toe the line.

TheEUalsohighlightshowstate-runmedia“favoured thegovernment”andhowprivatemediaoftenreflecttheir owners’political loyalties. But it is important to note that only a handful of outlets—this newspaper among them, consistently uphold nonpartisan scrutiny This does not happenbyaccident;ithappensthroughrelentlesshostility and pressure from those in power who fear scrutiny Still, the EU hopes that Guyana will reform.We wish we could share that optimism. But this government has made it painfully clear: it intends to control every sector, media, regulatory bodies, institutions, public information, even civilsocietyspaces.

Any area not under its influence becomes a target. We welcome the EU’s honesty But Guyana’s real struggle continues:securingamedialandscapewheretruthisnota political casualty and where those who govern do not fear thelight.

evidentinPNCGovernment free uniform distribution, PPP/C government school uniform voucher, school feeding programme and recent grants given to the Amerindian community for micro-financing.

In 1976, after the nationalisation of bauxite and under the vision of the F o r b e s B u r n h a m Government the Guyana Mining Enterprise (GUYMINE) established a Housing Department. That year the bauxite unionsGuyana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) and GuyanaBauxiteSupervisors Union (GBSU) now the Guyana Bauxite & General W o r k e r s U n i o n (GB&GWU) - negotiated w i t h G U Y M I N E management a Loan and Grant Scheme for workers. This achieved a sixthousand dollars ($6000.00) grant buttressed by a sixthousand ($6000 00) interest-free loan for the purchase or construction of homes. There were housing developments such as the constructionofAmeliaWard self-help, Wisroc housing scheme, Ituni housing scheme, Kwakwani housing scheme, and Bermine housing scheme in New Amsterdam. Likewise, with the nationalisation of sugar, the Burnham government maintained the Sugar Industry Welfare Fund which was introduced in colonial times. This money went towards loans for workers employed in the industry for the purchase of house lots and home construction. The Fund also provided money for improving and building culverts, bridges and roads in communities adjoining thesugarestates.Thesewere notonlyofpersonalbenefit, they benefitted entire communities.

We know government willbuildschools,andother capital infrastructural developmentsthatwillserve society well. What we also need is a focus on making Direct Oil Benefit (DOB) with cash transfers to boost SocialDevelopmentandour Human Index. This is a potentialgame-changerasit crosses all divides and brings the small man, the working class, the vulnerable,allgenders,ages and classes into DOB that they can relate to individuallyandwithintheir communities.

Rather than looking at waystodenytransfer-direct andindirect-weshouldlook at ways how we can implement and execute DOB to all citizens In principle, I support ProfessorCliveThomas’call forrevenuefromoilandgas to be paid as cash transfer which I refer to as DOB. I support disbursement of fundswhichprovidesmoney f o r i n v e s t m e n t opportunities- be it for home, education, business, or approved programmes to be identified after careful research.

I support direct and indirectcashtransferaswell as transfers with or without conditionalities. I am not opposed to extending beyond these areas of immediate interest and recognition:-

1. PAYE and tax rebatefor the employed and selfemployed which allows for greater take-home income. For those18 years and older who are unemployed a monthly grant with conditionalities can be set. The conditionality can vary from returning to school to pursuingcertaineducational programmes that vary from time to time dependent on national needs. This is a gentle way of encouraging development of our human resources and chanelling same in directions of national need Such educational grants can be availabletoall.

2 Unemployment Benefit-paidforastipulated maximum time period, enablingpersonsinbetween jobs to be able to sustain themselves at least on the basics.

3 Meal programmeExpansiontoprovideadaily balanced lunch for school children from nursery to secondary for all public schools.Parentscouldopt-in orout.

4 Improvement of medicalservices-Inaddition to all 10 administrative regionsbeingfullyequipped withamainreferralhospital and trauma centre, intensive care and diagnostic facilities, all should be able to get yearly mammogram, pap smear, prostate, basic annual blood tests and other necessary preventative health and wellness care services as necessary for promotingahealthylifestyle

(Continuedonpage06)

The narrative both Jagdeo and Routledge are spreading is a false one

DEAREDITOR

The road-show run by Exxon in collaboration with the Govt. of Guyana finally came to Queens, NY on Friday Nov 14th. Similar shows were performed in other centers of Guyanese concentration – Toronto, Miami/Ft Lauderdale, Londoninthelastfewyears.

ItwasataroomatRussoon-the Bay, Queens, NY;

about 100 Guyanese attended;Alistair Routledge (President, Exxon-Guyana)

and Robert Persaud (Minister, GoG) led the show JoelBhagwandinwho was featured in all previous road-shows, was notably absent.

Theeventwasbilledasa GuyaneseInvestorsforum–to provide information to Guyanese-sotheymaytake advantage of great investment opportunities that go begging in their homeland.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should state here that I am an activist of the OGGN group whose mission can be described in oneword:Renegotiation.To engage in activities to expose what we call scams embeddedintheoilcontract and to pressure GoG to demand renegotiation of a verylopsidedcontract.

I got a call from a friend who was already at Russoon-the-Bay telling me Mr Routledge was there I thought it was a good opportunity for me to try engaging Mr Routledge –ask him to explain a few troublingissuesabouttheoil contract. (Only later did I learn it was a meeting byinvite only, so I essentially crashedtheevent).

I went to the front – and finally got to talk with Mr Routledge. I asked him why this lopsided contract couldn’tberenegotiated.He said,“…itisnotlopsided”.I said,nootherPSAhassucha low 2% royalty, right nextdoor Suriname’s provided for a 6.25% royalty He insisted 2% for Guyana is “fair”. I told him all the money the OCs (three companies) brought in totaled less than $9 billionand they have long recovered and repatriated thatmoney.So,thebusiness is now run on so-called free money Most of the 75% of revenues (Cost Recovery) are pumped back into the business, each time it is recorded as fresh capex –andthatisacaseofRetained Earnings turned on its head. It is a scam. Routledge denied this basic fact. He explained Exxon has yet to “de-risktheproject”.Idon’t know what he meant – but I said once the “discovery of an 11-billion-barrel reserve was made; there is no risk. He denied this fact –mentioning “geological risks” (maybe he meant earthquakes);hesaidExxon was nationalized twice in Venezuela, to which my retortwasthereisnochance ofthathappeninginGuyana. When I said Exxon has recovered all its initial capex, Routledge said we have to look at “cash flow”. Really?Ifcashflowwasthat bad, where did $51 billion dollars come from - the difference between the total $60 billion invested thus far and the initial capex of less than$9billion?

I raise the issue of Guyana paying Exxon’s

When I got there Mr Routledge had already spoken. Other members of the panel were performing their set pieces. The Emcee allowed questions for 15minutes – but unfortunately the stage managers chose a fewfolksatthefront.Sitting in the back row, I lost out. I was told another panel would start immediately, after which there would be another opportunity to ask questions. That turned out not to be true. The second panel ran its course and the meeting concluded. Most of the attendees moved over to thefoodanddrinksbar

taxesoutofitsprofit-share.I said, “how does Exxon dare ask a Host country to pay Exxon’sprofits’taxoutofits profit-share and issue TRs stating taxes fully paid?”. That must be another scam embedded in the contract. Mr Routledge insisted that practiceisnormalinPSAs.

My conversation with Mr Routledge lasted no more than 5-minutes.Aline had been forming of folks wanting to pose for pictures with the Star of the show Several Guyanese spoke of Exxon as the Saviour of Guyana. Some guys keep tappingmyshouldersaying, “othersarewaitinginline”.

Let me say, Mr Routledge was calm, he is tough, he would boldfacedly deny basic facts, he isanabledefender/leaderof Exxon He makes a reportedly one-milliondollar salary a year I would say - for the job he is doing for Exxon, he earns it. I like Routledge, nice man, he would answer your questions-evenifhedenies basicfacts.EvenwhenIsay t h e P S A ’ s a

n

n

ncial gymnastics are embedded scams, he does not get hostile but continues to speakinasoftvoice.

InAmericatherearelots ofSundaytalkshowsonTV, where CEOs of big companies are literally grilled on topical issues in very respectable dialogues. Guyana’sTVhosts/reporters should employ the same format This way the dialogues would elicit solid basic facts about this horribly lopsided contract. I have the clear impression Mr Routledgewouldoblige. Icontinuetobelievethat Guyana is losing over $100 billion on that 11-billionbarrel reserve in the StabroekBlockbecauseofa contractthatcameintobeing through fraud. That fraud is nowvigorouslydefendedby Guyana’s Oil Czar Bharat Jagdeo. The narrative both

Jagdeo and Routledge are spreading is a false one. Jagdeo and his peons say Guyana makes progress under Exxon Routledge says Exxon is there to help Guyana develop. A small country with such a small population (750,000) can be rebuilt 20-times over with 1/100 barrels (royalty) and 5/100 barrels (profit-share out) So, rebuilding the infrastructure, making everything shiny and new is not the issue. The issue is Fair Value for Guyana’s nonrenewable natural resource. This is the 21st century, not the era of pennies-a-ton for its bauxite ore when Guyana was a colony A sovereign, independent country has leverages to pressure Exxon back to the Re-N table. Nevermindallthenonsense aboutthegovernmentwould be ousted from power or all the geopolitics about the need for US Govt. help to defend the nation against Venezuelan aggression. ExxonisnotUSGovt.–and these two entities do not collude to oust govts., if Guyanaweretodareaskfor Re-Ntomakeanoilcontract alittlebitlessunfair Thereis collusion to spread fear of bad things will happen, if Guyana’s leaders were to demandRe-Negotiation.

IdonotbelievePresident Trump (or any other US President) would move to oust the GoG from power if itweretouseitsleveragesto pressure Exxon back to the renegotiation table to make an egregiously lopsided contract a little bit less lopsided. President Trump should be asked to make a pronouncement on this matter

Afewnoteworthyitems. Hansa Persaud, who is a

professional engineer, told hisstoryofspendingalotof time going down to Guyana andtryingtobidforcontracts intheoilbusiness Allhistime, effortandmoneywerelost He said, “In Guyana it comes downtowhoyouknow;don’t know the powerful folks, bad luck” And, as if Hansa was tryingtowarnotherwould-be investors, another man was waiting in the wings to blunt Hansa’s message The other man (sorry, I did not get his name)saidhewentdownfrom London – and got a $42 million contract to supply medical stuff He said he had no connections with folks at the top Minister Robert PersaudadvisedHansatokeep trying I missed Routledge’s speech, but three persons toldmeRoutledgestatedthat next year the Exxon-led consortiumwouldpayoffits Capex (Capital outlays) –and after that Guyana’s profit-share (currently 14.5/100barrels)wouldrise. This statement needs explanation.Exxonisstillin an expansive phase. Guyana’soutstandingCapex is now at $55 billion – and still rising with every new project His statement is incomprehensible.What did hemean,nooneknows.

Two persons there –Dhanraj Singh and Dr Roshan Khan – who were part of the road-show team

toldme$60billionhadbeen invested thus far in this Guyana project No one denies this basic fact. But thesegentlemendonotseem to realise that the OCs came inwithatotaloflessthan$9 billion – so where did the other$51billioncomefrom? ItisreallyacaseofRetained Earningturnedonitshead–but the key idea here is that Guyana is not a shareholder in this business; CR money pumped back into the business endlessly and recorded as fresh capex is a fraud,anywayyoulookatit. Only OCs shareholders will benefit from this massive ramp-up from 470,000 bpd to1.2millionbpdby2026. Guyana benefits, yes –but only because of the aggregate barrels times the same royalty rate and fixed 12 5% profit-share More barrels, more aggregate revenues It should be obvioustoallGuyanesethat Exxon is pumping out our reserves at expedited levels, and we are getting the same 14.5barrelsoutofevery100. If Mr. Routledge truly believes Guyana’s “take” willincreaseafternextyear, he should publish a proforma statement (a sort of amortization table) showing how Guyana’s share of barrels would increase yearafter-year

Sincerely

MikePersaud

Sinotruk hosts successful 2025 global partner conference

SINOTRUK convened

P

r Conference in Qingdao, welcoming 620 partners from 97 countries and r

g

n

t

discuss cooperation and chart the

courseforfuturegrowth. The event featured two key segments: strategic meetings and product showcases, a press release from the company said. In the meetings, SINOTRUK

reported impressive results for the January–September period, with total vehicle salesreaching335,000units, up 22.8% year-on-year. Heavytruckexportsstoodat 111,000 units, a jump of

How to spend oil revenues...

Frompage04 and society 5. Reduction in electricity, transportation and gas prices- With the productionofoilandgasitis possible to transfer some of this benefit through the reduction in the cost of electricity and the sale of non-taxable gas This country should also be able to reinstate a public transportation system, creating competition in the system,alternativemeansof transportation and moreso aiding the vulnerable in being able to afford and accessthisservice.

6. VAT reduction and eventual elimination- This can be done for certain items, particularly essential items like water, health care and education The applicability of this is worthyofreview

7. Green economy- cash transfers to encourage citizens to engage in more clean energy, for example, solarandorwindenergyand o t h e r s u s t a i n a b l e developmentprogrammes.

In addition to the above which is advocated to bring personal and direct benefit the following areas of investmentareadvocated:

8.Propertyownersdirect and indirect cash transfers throughinterest-freeorvery low-interestratesoftloansto improve and maintain residences and immediate home environment This w i l l l e n d t o t h e beautification of property, our communities, villages andtowns.

9 Erasing National Insurance Scheme (NIS) deficit- this is needed to return the Scheme to viabilitysincetheNISisthe most important pillar safeguarding workers income and protecting each againstlossofpayasaresult of industrial, injury, sickness, maternity and other conditions such as old age, invalidity and loss of incomethroughdeathofthe breadwinner and providing assistancewithmedicalcare and other benefits.Thiswill correct the years where NIS was adversely affected by political decisions that militated against actuarial decisions.

1 0 I m m e d i a t e rest

e constitutional right to free education- from nursery to university This should see capacity building in the

University of Guyana, technical and vocational schools,andthestartofearly public education that prepares our children for a technologically driven economy with e-learning. Thisincludesfacilitatingthe expansion and upgrading of Critchlow Labour College, GITC, Government Technical institutes, NARI, Guyana School Of Agriculture, Institute of D e v e l o p m e n

d ContinuingEducation,etc. 11 Revetment and covered concrete drainage (and irrigation) structures meeting certain specific building and structural requirements as stipulated by the regional and local government authorities or those with oversight responsibilities. That will servetoregainmuch-needed landspace,andwhichcanbe utilised for greater parking andsaferroaduse. This proposal not only targets the workers- past, present and futureirrespective of diversity but allows for equity in the system.DOBisessentialfor SocialDevelopment.

Regards LincolnLewis

24.5%. Emerging business lines also delivered robust growth, with significant increases in new energy vehicle sales, light truck exports, mining trucks, and aftermarket parts revenue. Traditional and emerging segments moved forward in tandem.

On service support, SINOTRUK has built an international network of over 700 service and parts outlets and more than 40 training centers, delivering professional and efficient support to customers worldwide, the release stated.

Accordingtotherelease, Chairman Liu Zhengtao reaffirmed the company’s commitment to five transformation strategies: “Sustainability, Digital

Expansion, and Business D

H

pledgedtoworkcloselywith global partners to deliver superior products, attentive service, and cutting-edge technologies, forging new pathways for high-end growth.

Overthenextfiveyears, SINOTRUK will make internationalisationthefocal point of its strategy By 2030, it aims to export 250,000 heavy trucks, 100,000lighttrucks,50,000 light vehicles, and 3,000 mining trucks, with a target of $1 billion in overseas aftermarket revenue, the releaseadded.

The product showcase feat

ed 24 vehicles covering a full range of

applicationsacrosslogistics, construction, new energy, and light-duty vehicles. In the logistics segment, highlightsincludedtheC9H tractor,thefirstinitsclassto e a r n E U W V T A certification, featuring advanced technologies that set new benchmarks in performance, safety, and environmental standards. In construction, dump trucks s h o w e d e n h a n c e d adaptability to various conditions, while mining trucksnowrangefrom30to 135 tons in diesel and pure electric versions. The new energy line-up focuses on pure electric models, complemented by hydrogen fuel, plug-in hybrid, and range-extended options Light-dutyvehicleofferings (Continuedonpage09)

Govt. snubs IACHR hearing on Guyana’s FOI crisis...

Frompage3

information received and promoting an informed and constructivedialogue.Inowwould like to recall the Inter American standards regarding access to information, which require the legal mechanism for requesting information is simple, accessible and effective. This also includes, for example, minimal formal requirements, low or no cost, firm deadlines for responses, the possibility for oral request in certain circumstances, an obligation for authorities to assist petitioners and the availability of appeals,”hesaid.

Promisedreform

Leading up to the September 1 general and regional elections and after months of protest for greater access to public information and the refusal of Ramson Snr to respond to requests from civil societyandmembersofthemedia, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that there will be some

improvement in this area if his party is reelected to government. SincethePPP/Chasbeenreelected therehasbeennomovementinthis regard.

ThePPP/Chadevenplacedthe issue in its manifesto promising changes.Jagdeobackthenwenton to state that his government has already been moving in this direction by publishing information from the oil and gas sector.“Wehavedonesointheoil and gas sector by publishing all of the agreements signed. All of the environmental permits We are publishing now the production schedules/ production and other metrics regularly”, he claimed. He added too that his government has also published large-scale contracts for mining and the forestrysector “Wearenowonline with all of the contracts that were issued above fifteen million by NPTAB (National Tender and Administration Board)” he continued before adding that more

needs to be done when it comes to the Commissioner of Information.

“We clearly have to provide through that office we have to strengthen the law and provide more information I can say that now”,Jagdeosaid.

Kaieteur News back then pointed out to Jagdeo Ramson’s reluctance to do his job with civil society activists raising concerns that he might be squatting in the office.

Responding to this the Vice Presidentsaid,“AsIsaidbeforethe Presidentwillexaminethisbutthe job based on that commitment we made,thejobdoesnotbelongtoan individual so we will have to examinethat.”

Led by Ram, Guyanese, civil society and even journalists have been protesting against the reluctance of Ramson Snr. to release key information on several matters, including documents that can provide some clarity to the signing of the lopsided 2016 oil

deal with ExxonMobil Guyana for thelucrativeStabroekoilblock. At oneoftheprotests,Ramhadnoted the information is not critical for transparency only but could help shape polices for Guyana that can benefitthecitizens.

Theprotestershadstartedtheir demonstrationoutsideofRamson’s officebutlatermovedtotheOffice ofthePresident.

The protestors argued that the presidenthasthepowertonotonly release the information they are seekingbutalsotakeactionagainst Ramson since he is collecting a salaryfordoingnothing.

To date, the government is yet to release the information or take anyaction.

Leading transparency organisations in the Caribbean have offered strong support for Guyana’s civil society’sAccess to Information campaign, with the TrinidadandTobagoTransparency Institute (TTTI) and Jamaica’s National Integrity Action (NIA)

commending “the sustained, principled, and peaceful actions undertaken by journalists, civil society actors, members of parliament, trade unions, and concernedcitizensinGuyana,who have collectively brought to light systemic non-compliance by the [Guyana] Office of the CommissionerofInformation.”

The transparency international chapters expressed “grave concern” about the failure of the executive to engage meaningfully w

h

s constitutionalmatter

The organisations noted “with particularconcernthedocumented absence of public reporting, operational transparency, and meaningful responsiveness by the Commissioner’s Office,” stating these deficiencies “contravene the letter and spirit of the Access to I

undermine the rule of law and citizens’ confidence in public institutions.”

Chairman of the company, Liu Zhengtao addressing the audience

Asection of the audience at the conference

PPC slams tender boards for hiding procurement minutes

— CALLS FOR LEGISLATION TO FORCE TRANSPARENCY

The Public Procurement Commission (PPC), in its latest 2024–2025 Annual Report, has issued a strong

rebuke to Regional, Ministerial, Departmental, and Agency Tender Boards for consistently failing to publish minutes of tender

o p e n i n g s , a b a s i c transparency requirement that has now become a chronicnationalproblem.

TheCommissionwarned thatthecontinuedabsenceof publicly accessible tender

m i n u t e s s e v e r e l y undermines oversight of

Guyana’s procurement system. According to the report, which covers the period July 7, 2024 to March 31,2025,thePPC’seffortsto monitor the work of tender boards have again been stalled by entities simply refusing to provide records.

This newspaper understands thatthetimelypublicationof tender minutes is essential for ensuring accountability, deterring corruption, and maintaining confidence in the multi-billion-dollar procurementprocess.

S p e a k i n g o n t h e

observation made on the Regional Tender Board (RTB), the Commission stated that as was done during the previous year of operation, it requested that the Regional Tender Boards submit their minutes of tender openings. “This was m e t w i t h m a r g i n a l acquiesce,” the Commission reported. Similar to RTBs, PPCstatedthatasreportedin its last Annual Report also, one of the recurring challenges to conducting effective monitoring of Ministerial, Departmental,

and Agency Tender Boards tender openings has been the unavailability of minutes of tenderopeningsessions.

“Unlike tenders opened by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board(NPTAB),minutesfor tenders opened by Regional, Ministerial, Departmental, and Agency Tender Boards are not published,” the Commissionhighlighted.

To a d d r e s s t h i s deficiency, the Commission said it previously issued formal requests for the submission of such minutes.

“However,aswasthecasein the preceding reporting year, this request continues to be met with limited adherence.

Notably, no further submissions have been received within the current interim reporting period Consequently, the data remains unchanged from the last reporting cycle,” it explained.

F u r t h e r , i n i t s recommendation on its findings, PPC recommended that there should be, “Legislative intervention compelling the publication of tender opening minutes and or the submission thereoftotheCommission.”

Ensuring transparency also, the Procurement Commission called on Regional Tender Boards to

The Public Procurement Commission 2024/2025 Report.

implement live-streaming technology. During the reporting period they observed this was done only by the Regional Democratic Council of Region Nine, which was commendable.

“This practice, of live streaming the opening of tenders, significantly e n h a n c e s p u b l i c transparency and promotes real-time access for stakeholders unable to be physically present This

initiative is aligned with modern best practices in public procurement oversight and should be emulated by other procuring entities nationwide,” the Procurement watchdog explained. The Commission strongly encourages the replication of such digital innovations to strengthen accountability and bolster public confidence in the procurement system,” it notedinthereport.

Concrete Cure for a Maintenance Disease

Therecomesatime in the affairs of a city when one must decide whether its salvation lies in tending to what one already has, or in the restless reinvention of everything,thelattercoming at great expense and with a clawing earnestness that suggests modernity is something that can be pouredfromacementtruck.

Thegovernmentappears tohavereachedthatmoment when it comes to the city and, by all indications, has chosenthelattercourse.

The advertisements announcingconsultationson “improving drainage” bear the familiar perfume of decision-making already made:apromisetoconcrete theearthencanals,asthough theancientveinsofthislow coastal city have somehow grown too old-fashioned to beuseful.

I confess to a certain fondness for those old canals not because they arepicturesque(thougheven in their unkempt state, they can be), but because in the distantpasttheyrepresented the triumph of attentive maintenance over brute engineering.

They are evidence of a timewhenacityunderstood where it sat: on and, below sea level, precariously habitableonlybecausewater couldbepersuaded,politely butfirmly,togoelsewhereat

Sinotruk

Frompage06

the appointed hour The DutchandtheBritishdidnot bequeath us canals out of whimsy; they carved them out of necessity, and they tended them the way one t e n d s a t r u s t e d animal regularly, respectfully, and with a healthy fear of what might happenifoneeverstopped.

And stopped, we certainlydid.

Thestoryofourdrainage woesisnotastoryofearthen canals proving unequal to the task; it is the much simpler story of a society that grew allergic to maintenance. It is easier, afterall,todeliveracontract thantodeliveracleancanal. It is easier to promise a new system—modern,gleaming, concrete—than to confront the quiet shame of having allowed the existing one to fallintodisrepair

Anyone who has watchedatrenchbloomwith weeds,swallowsilt,andlose its depth knows that no system, however expertly designed,survivesneglect.

The kokers, those humblewoodenimpresarios ofthetide,oncedirectedthe watery comings-and-goings of the city with little more than gravity and good timing. They released water at low tide, held it at high tide, and in so doing performedadailymiracleso ordinary that we ceased to appreciate it. Their decline

did not begin because the principle was flawed; it beganbecausetheirdesilting schedules were sacrificed to the greater gods of forgetfulness and fiscal insufficiency It takes very little for a koker to become ineffective: a few inches of silt, a few seasons of governmental indifference, andsuddenlythetidemocks ourincompetenceinsteadof obeyingourbidding.

Now comes this plan to concrete the canals, as though the fundamental problem were not clogged waterways but earthen walls. One hears talk of “modernization,” the sort of word that functions as a diplomatic substitute for “contracts.” We are invited to believe that a concretelined canal is superior to its earthen predecessor, yet no one has adequately explainedhowconcretewill overcomethesheerubiquity ofdebris,plastic,vegetation, and silt all of which accumulatejustasreadilyon cementasonsoil.Aconcrete jungle, however well intentioned,stillclogsifleft unattended.And unattended ispreciselyhowourexisting system arrived at its current state.

The impulse to concrete everyinchofthecity’sveins islessaboutengineeringand more about psychology. Concrete has a certain authoritarian charm It

hosts successful 2025...

included pickups and vans.Also on display were fleet management and AI-based diagnosticsystemsdesignedtocutoperating costs, boost safety, and increase fleet efficiency

appears permanent, decisive, incapable of being ignored. Maintenance, by contrast, is quiet, ongoing, anddevoidofspectacle.

It makes no headlines, yields no ribbon-cuttings, o f f e r s n o p h o t o opportunities.Agovernment that maintains a canal earns no applause; a government that concretes one earns a ceremony, and a fleeting sense that something grand hasbeendone.

Yet concreting a canal is not grand. It is, in fact, a confession a tacit admissionthatwenolonger believeourselvescapableof performing the mundane acts of stewardship upon whichcitiesdepend.Itisthe bureaucratic equivalent of a man who, having grown tired of bathing, purchases an expensive cologne and hopesnoonewillnotice.

Beforeweplungedeeper

into this concrete reverie, it would be useful to consult the study done under the A P N U + A F C administration—a study, we are told, that examined the city’s drainage system in some detail. One assumes it still exists, gathering dust in the nation’s preferred repository for unused documents: a shelf in some well-air-conditioned office.

If the study concluded that m a i n t e n a n c e n o t reinvention—was the cure, it would explain its disappearance.Maintenance is the prescription no government wishes to receive.

Perhaps the time has come to abandon our flirtation with the concrete jungleandreturn,instead,to the simple virtues of cleaning what we have and do so weekly rather than onceeverytenyears.

The canals worked for centuries. They would work again if we treated them as livingpartsofthecityrather thancarcassestobeencased incement.Georgetowndoes notneednewcanals;itneeds new habits—habits of care, consistency, and the unfashionable discipline of maintenancecrews showing up to do the same unglamorous work every day

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)No concrete canreplacethat.

The conference honoured partners with the 2025 Outstanding Service Award, Outstanding MarketingAward, and Notable ContributionAward.

Each award-winning partner received a SINOTRUK pickup truck, underscoring the company’s appreciation and commitment to itstopcollaborators.

DEM BOYS SEH

Do suh, nah like suh!

Wh e n y u h driving and yuh gat fuh turn around, yuh does look for de nearest bridge and either back-in and then drive out fuh change direction.Oryuhcouldtun indeentranceandbackout and change to de direction yuhwantgo. Dem boys nah know a driver who nah do dat. But deh gat some people who nah like yuh fuh use dem bridge fuh tun around Some of dem does put big brick fuh stop yuh from using dem bridge fuh tun around.Butdemdoeswant useotherpeoplebridgefuh

dodesame. Some people does put chain across dem bridge. Some of dem does shout at yuh and stop yuh from using dem bridge fuh tun around. Is so with selfish people and dem gat nuff in Guyanalikeduh. But de best dem boys ever hear about is de man wah seh how dem people wah turning around pon he bridge,comefuhintimidate he. Dem boys want know how dem people gan know he peeping through he window at dat hour of de nightfuhseewhendemcar tunaroundponhebridge. It mek dem boys

remember de story of de driverwahbinreversinghe truck,upahillonanarrow graveltrack,alilboyseehe and ask, “Why yuh don’t driveupinforwardgear?”

De driver tell he, “Is a narrowtrack,incaseIdon’t find a place to turn up there.”

Delilboyseh,“Ok,that issmart!”

Ashortwhilelater,delil boy see de same driver reversing down de hill. He turned to de driver and asked,“Whathappened?”

De driver tell he, “I found a place to turn around.”

Talkhalf.Leffhalf

H@RD TRUTHS

Govt.officials-holdonJagdeo

Iam keeping this gold smuggling business on the front burner If Vice Pres. Dr BharratJagdeobelievesthatthe momenthaspassed,Iregrethaving todeliverasurprise.

This is now beginning, barely reaching lukewarm temperature. He may have felt that he and his team have done their damage, and arereadytomoveon. Holdhorses, boss. What’stherush? Thishasto stay public, under the spotlights. Amid the swirl of sanctions and then U S Federal grand jury indictments, two words were alwaysprominent,becametherage in dirty political Guyana, i.e., PPP Guyana.

“Government officials”, the two words are, and from both Treasury’s OFAC, and the Federal Court in Florida. Now there’s a mysteryinthosetwowords.

Through some high-level arrangements, most likely involving some horse-trading, Ms. Mae Thomas was sent to a PPPconstructed convent to say her prayers of remorse and thanksgiving.

Like Queen Guinevere in the Legend of KingArthur, due to her very public lapse, it was off to the cloistered confines of silent monastery

Withthearrangedandhastened exit of Ms. MaeThomas, enter the PPPGovt’schiefpropagandistand boiler-room attendant, Bharrat Jagdeo(doctorofshiftanddrift)to expoundontheU.S.presentationof “governmentofficials”tiedtogold smuggling. In Jagdeo’s suddenly tightly narrowed head, “government officials” reduced to the one person that he wanted to identifybyname,anddid.

GHK Lall held that dubious honour In a split second, Lall

mutated into the sum of “government officials.” Jagdeo was cunning enough to throw in ‘customsofficials’forcamouflage, butthosewhoarefamiliarwithhow heoperates,wouldhaverecognized

FromJune11,2024toOctober 6, 2025, a total of 16 months, governmentofficials,thoughinthe plural, rested on one named Guyanese public servant Permanent Secretary, and PPP nonvoting Central Executive member, Ms. Mae Thomas. A remarkable development occurred at the end of those 16 months.

the decoy of customs officials, mereextras. Hisfirstandultimate objective was to be rid of an infernal problem once and for all. Jagdeofailedagain,fellonhisface, asusual.

Question:Whydo“government officials” not ensnare PPP personnel in nationally high offices? Particularly those comrades that maintained close relationships with the Mohamed family,othermembersinthesmall gold trading community? More pointedly, why is Bharrat Jagdeo disqualifying himself and his ministerial comrades from the definition of “government officials?”

It doesn’t have to be an expansiveone,anditstillappliesto their persons When gold smugglingistheconcern,noonein government should be exempted from consideration Not past governments, not the present government.

Igofurther,thosewhosharedin gold community friendships, in political campaign financing exchanges, and in dumping gold smugglingrealitiesunderthebedin the backroom, all fall within the

U.S. Government’s all-encircling description of “government officials.” Dr Jagdeo has no authority to remove himself Further, Jagdeo is not the proper person to be deciding who is a governmentofficialinGuyana,and whoisnot. Hashenotbeenpartof government(s)? Therefore, he cannotunilaterallyseparatehimself and others from “government officials.” What are ministers, he himself, public sector officials?

Religious (ha, ha) officials? Civil societyofficials? Imovealong.

Duetotheradioactivenatureof goldsmuggling,itmeansthatsuch smuggling must be contained to very trusted people. That means political people with clout, who owe their generous donors, their recklessfriends.

That means very senior public servants who delight in executing certaintransactionsacertainwayto collectlucrativerewards.

And that means, when matters bordering on deep political crisis spill into the news, then the reengineeringofthenarrativesand redirectingoftheblamemustbethe firstpartofcoverups.

The second is to locate a

whipping boy and try to bully him intosilence. Isn’tthiswhatJagdeo and his agents have tried their best to distance from the PPP Govt.? And next to pin on a convenient, object of their wrath, under the banner of “government officials”?

Often men and women who think that they are the smartest in the roomoverestimatethemselves.

They compound that human error by making a fatal one: they underestimate who is standing againstthem.

Whether they attack in single file, or in swarming formations, it doesn’t matter Because their substances are scurrilousness, deviousness, and two other undeniableelements.

Their hands are dirty, and their clothes smell of the fragrance of theirslipperyfriends. Forthebest in the U.S. kind of government officials,startatthetop,thenmove lower

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

ECLAC report puts Guyana as region’s top export performer

…BUT WARNS OF DEEP STRUCTURAL

A new report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)hasplacedGuyanaatthe very top of the region’s export performance rankings for 2025, projectingthehighestgrowthinthe value of goods exports among all 33countriesassessed.

According to Figure 1 of the ECLAC International Trade Outlook 2025, Guyana leads the region with the most robust projected increase in merchandise

export value, outpacing heavyweights like Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia. The surge is driven overwhelmingly by crude oil, which continues to dominate Guyana’s export profile and overshadoweveryothersector

The report however, underscores Guyana’s dependence on a single commodity places it among the most vulnerable economies in the hemisphere at a time when global trade is being reshapedbypoliticaltension,tariff battles, and shifting alliances ECLAC’s analysis of sectoral exporttrendsshowsminingandoil outperforming agriculture and manufacturing across the hemispherefor2025.

Guyana’s position within that pattern is extreme. The country’s export growth is almost entirely concentrated in oil, leaving it exposedtothesamevolatility,price risks, and geopolitical pressures that have long destabilised other resource-dependent nations, the report pointed out. The report further highlights that Latin America’s exports to the United States still the world’s largest consumer market are undergoing strain because of Washington’s 2025 tariff shifts. Although many South American countries face relatively low U.S. tariff rates due tothenature

Figure 3 of the ECLAC report shows that only 15% of Guyana’s total goods exports went to the United States in 2024, placing it among the South American countries least dependent on the U.S. market. On the surface, this cushions Guyana from U.S. tariff swings, but also signals something more worrisome: Guyana lacks diversified markets and is overwhelmingly tied to oil shipments into global commodity markets rather than structured bilateraltraderelationships.

The report stresses that countries with weakly developed manufacturing bases, low technologicalcapacity,andlimited integration into value chains are at severe risk in today’s era of “weaponised interdependence”—a term ECLAC uses to describe the

VULNERABILITIES

geopolitical use of trade as leverage In its assessment of advanced manufacturing, modern services, and high-technology exports, ECLAC paints a stark picture. Mexico dominates hightech manufacturing exports with 85% of the region’s share; Brazil leads modern services with 33%.

Costa Rica, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, and even Panama appear prominently in the exports of high-skill, high-value sectors. Guyana does not appear anywhere inthesecategories.

The report repeatedly warns thatLatinAmericanandCaribbean countries that fail to develop technological capacity, skilled human capital, and institutional strength will be locked out of the most dynamic sectors of global trade For Guyana, where oil revenues now drown out every othereconomicsignalthedangeris clear: without structural transformation, the country risks cementing itself as a mono-export economywithlimitedresilience.

Diversifytraderelations

Meanwhile, the report noted thatgiventheshiftinUnitedStates tradepolicythisyear,governments in the region should diversify their trade relations and strengthen regional integration. In its three chapters, the document details the recent evolution of the region’s trade along with projections, analysing in particular the impact

that the new United States trade policy has had on the region’s countries.

Italsoanalyzesthechallengeof increasingthetechnologyintensity and advanced human capital intensity of goods and services exportsfromLatinAmericaandthe Caribbean.

Accordingtothedocument,asa result of the various tariff hikes implemented by the United States since February 2025, Latin AmericanandCaribbeancountries face,onaverage,aneffectivetariff rateofaround10%inthatcountry, whichis7percentagepointslower thantheaverageimposedglobally The highest average tariff is faced by Brazil (33%), followed by Uruguay (20%) and Nicaragua (18%). Mexico is subject to an averageeffectivetariffof8%,since the majority of its exports enter tariff-free, either because they benefit from the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States and Canada (USMCA) or becausetheyareexemptedfromthe hikes.

Overall, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean face lower tariffs in the United States than several of that country’s main trading partners, particularly from Asia This situation creates opportunitiesfortradediversionin favor of the region’s exports, in sectors such as clothing, medical

China, the European Union, India, theAssociation of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN), the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and theAfrican Continental Free Trade Area. In addition, it recommends strengthening regional integration inareassuchasinfrastructure,trade facilitation and regulatory convergence.

Regionaltrade performancein2025

The International Trade OutlookforLatinAmericaandthe Caribbean 2025 report indicates that the value of regional goods exportsfromLatinAmericaandthe Caribbean will grow by 5% in 2025,similartotheincreaseseenin 2024 (4 5%) This projected expansion is attributed to a 4% increase in the volume exported anda1%increaseinprices.

devicesandagro-industry,ECLAC indicates.

Meanwhile, there is evidence that the uncertainty generated by the changes in U.S. trade policy is affecting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows to the region, especially in sectors that accountforalargeshareofexports to that market, the report states. In the first half of 2025, FDI project announcements in the region totaled $31.374 billion dollars, down53%fromthesameperiodin 2024and37%lowerthanthe20152024average.

To address this situation, ECLAC recommends that the region’s countries deepen their traderelationswithpartnerssuchas

Meanwhile, the region’s importsareseenrisingby6%,asa result of a 7% increase in volume anda1%declineinprices. Among the region’s main trading partners, Chinaisexpectedtoaccountforthe biggestexportincreasebyvaluein 2025, with regional shipments to that country rising by 7%, due mainly to growth in the sales of meatandsoybeansaswellashigher prices for minerals such as copper ExportstotheEuropeanUnionare seen growing by 6%, and those to theUnitedStatesby5%.

With regard to intraregional trade, it is expected to grow by around 1%. Because extraregional shipments are forecast to experience more dynamic growth than those within the region, the intraregional trade ratio is seen declining slightly, from 14% to 13%. Meanwhile, it is estimated that the value of regional services exports in 2025 will rise by 8%, which is one percentage point below the growth registered in 2024. Despite this, these exports continue to outpace goods exports invalueterms.

Assuria launches “No fault, no deductible” add-on

- eliminates out-of-pocket costs for not-at-fault drivers

Suriname-headquarteredAssuriaInsuranceCompanyhas launcheditsnew“NoFault,NoDeductible”Add-On.

This groundbreaking enhancement ensures that drivers whoarenotatfaultinanaccidentnolongerfaceunexpected out-of-pocket expenses, a major leap forward in fairness, convenience,andprotectionforeveryGuyanesemotorist,the companysaidinapressrelease.

According to the company with this Add-On, Assuria’s customers can enjoy seamless claims processing and zero deductibles in cases where a third party is responsible. The result is faster settlements, less financial stress, and greater confidence every time they take the road. “Our customers deserve insurance that works for them — not against them,” said Mr Yogindra Arjune, Managing Director of Assuria Guyana. “This new add-on is about fairness, empowerment, andtrust.Whenyou’renotatfault,youshouldn’thavetopay It’sthatsimple.Assuriaisproudtoleadthewaywithsolutions that put people first. We will always provide options so you canchoosewhatbestsuitsyourneeds.”

Key Features of the programme includes: no deductible whenthepolicyholderisnotatfaultinathird-partyincident; low-cost upgrade—only 10% of the current deductible; available to both new and existing policyholders; can be repurchasedifthedeductiblebenefitisused;simpleandquick toaddtoanyexistingComprehensiveMotorPolicy

This new feature reinforces Assuria’s mission to deliver transparent, customer-centered insurance solutions that keep pace with Guyana’s expanding economy and evolving transportationlandscape,thereleasenoted.Thecompanysaid it continues to modernise processes and introduce valuedrivenprotectionsthatgivecustomersmorecontrolandpeace ofmind.MotoristscanaddtheNoFault,NoDeductibleAddOntotheircurrentpoliciesbycontactinganyAssuriaofficeor messagingWhatsApp:623-7278.

IDB report urges boost in agricultural productivity to guarantee food security in Caribbean

Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean face a unique opportunity to boost agricultural productivity to safeguard food security, improve rural livelihoods, and protecttheenvironment,accordingtoanewflagshipreport fromtheInter-AmericanDevelopmentBank(IDB).

The study, titled “Agricultural Productivity in Latin AmericaandtheCaribbean:WhatWeKnowandWhereWe Are Heading,” reveals that although total output has increasednearlysixfoldsince1960,recentgrowthhasrelied more on the increased use of inputs – such as land, labor, fertilizers, machinery, and water – than on productivity gains.

Between2010and2020,totalfactorproductivity(TFP) –akeymeasureofefficiency–grewbyjust0.9%peryear, comparedwithanannualaverageof1.7%overtheprevious 60 years. This deceleration threatens the ability to meet risingfooddemandinaregionwhere28%ofthepopulation faces food insecurity and nearly four in ten rural residents liveinpoverty

“Thisreportoffersapractical,evidence-basedroadmap forpolicymakerstoboostagriculturalproductivityinLatin AmericaandtheCaribbean,”saidFabrizioOpertti,manager oftheIDB’sProductivity,Trade,andInnovationSector.“By identifying the drivers of sustainable growth and highlighting technology adoption, climate-smart innovation,andinclusion,thereportprovidescountrieswith toolstoimproveyieldsandefficiency,protectnatural

Continued on page 19

GuyanawelcomesadoptionofUNSCTrump-GAZAresolution

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has said that Guyana welcomes the adoption of theUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil(UNSC) resolution,whichendorsesPresidentDonald Trump’s20-pointpeaceplanforGaza.

The president made this comment on his Facebook social media page on Tuesday afternoon. “We applaud the USA for its leadership in this initiative”, the president noted. The UNSC on Monday approved PresidentTrump’speaceplanforGaza.This significant breakthrough provides a legal U.N.mandatefortheadministration’svision on how to move beyond the ceasefire and rebuildtheGazaStripaftertwoyearsofwhat the international community, including President Ali, has described as genocide againstPalestinians.

The Council’s vote also marked a major diplomaticwinfortheTrumpadministration. Over the past two years, amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the United States faced isolation at the United Nations due to its strong support for Israel.

TheU.S.resolutioncallsforanInternational StabilisationForcetoenter,demilitarise,and

govern Gaza. The proposal also proposes a “Board of Peace” to oversee the peace process, although it does not specify the board’s composition “As a matter of principle, Guyana voted in favour of the resolution, which will build on the existing ceasefire and advance sustainable peace for the Palestinian people”, according to the Guyaneseleader

Theresolutionwasadoptedwith13votes infavourandnoneagainst.RussiaandChina, bothofwhichcouldhavevetoedit,abstained, apparently influenced by support for the resolution from several Arab and Muslim nations: Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, SaudiArabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Indonesia,Turkey,andPakistan,amemberof theCouncil.

The U S resolution calls for an International Stabilisation Force to enter, demilitarise and govern Gaza. Throughout the conflict, in September of this year, PresidentAlitoldaUNMeetinginNewYork that‘powermustnottriumphoverprinciple’.

Dr Alicalledforintensifiedactionbythe UnitedNations(UN)oncriticalglobalissues

suchasthewarsinUkraineandGaza,stating that measures guided by principle must be employed to restore peace. “The United Nations’ noble mission to maintain international peace and security will ring hollow if it allows power to triumph over principle and might to override right in remaining faithful to its charter The [UN] mustensurethatthesurvivalandprogressof humanityarenotmortgagedtotheambitions ofthepowerful,”hesaid.

PresidentAlihadtoldthe80thSessionof theUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyinNew

York that Guyana insists on a two-state solutionastheonlyoptiontoresolvethelonglasting Israeli-Palestinian conflict He classified the destruction of Gaza not as warfare, but “mass extermination, a systematic slaughter and displacement of Palestinianmen,women,andchildren.”“We must take urgent action to halt the genocide, returnthehostages,andaccelerateourefforts towards a two-state solution.We urge Qatar, Egypt,andtheUnitedStatestocontinuetheir efforts in this regard,” President Ali said. (DPI)

Govt.tospend$250MtoupgradeAnnaReginaairstrip

The Ministry of Public Worksismovingaheadwith amajorupgradetotheAnna Regina airstrip in Region Two, unveiling plans to rehabilitate the runway and construct a new passenger waiting facility, a project valued at just over $250 million.

According to documents

from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), the project has been divided into two lots. Lot One, covering the rehabilitation of the airstrip,

i s e s t i m a t e d a t $222,467,018, while Lot

Two, dedicated to constructing the waiting facility,carriesanestimateof $28,375,274. Together, the workstotal$250,842,292.

At the reading of bids,

fourcontractorshaveapplied for the contract The companies are: Technocon Investments - Lot1 $ 223,099,380 and Lot2

$38,686,709; Builders Hardware, General Supplies and Construction- Lot1

$194,859,315 and Lot2

$29,921,483; ICAN

Engineering & Construction - Lot1 $199,709,685 and Lot2 $26,492,494; Vijay Persaud & Sons Contracting

S e r v i c e s - L o t 1

$212,911,178 and Lot2

$31,316,335.

This publication understands that during a meeting with residents at CharitybackinMarch2025, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill had mentioned the government’s plans of upgrading the Anna Regina facility The Department of

Public Information (DPI) reported at the time that the public works minister revealed plans to renovate the facility to include a waiting area, among other features.TheairstripatAnna Regina is located near a popular tourist resort, Lake Mainstay

Theupgradesalsoaimto encourage and support the increasing tourism sector and economic activity along the Essequibo coast. “Of course, once we do the airstrip, we also have to do theroadbecausewecan’tget to the airstrip if we don’t have a road,” the minister saidaccordingtoDPI.While plans to upgrade the Anna Regina facility move forward, the government is also looking to construct a newairstripatCharity

The Anna Regina Airstrip in Region Two. (Photo credit, DPI)

Hurricane Melissa hits Jamaica with record

US$8.8B in damage

HurricaneMelissahasinflicted unprecedented destruction on Jamaica, leaving physical damage estimated at US$8 8 billion, equivalent to 41 percent of the country’s 2024 GDP— making Melissa the costliest hurricane in Jamaica’s recorded history, according to the World Bank and Inter-AmericanDevelopmentBank (IDB).

The Global Rapid Damage Estimation (GRADE), conducted immediately after the hurricane, assessed damages across residential, non-residential, infrastructure, and agricultural sectors. Preliminary findings indicate: 41% of damage to residential buildings 33% to infrastructure 21% to nonresidential buildings 5% to agriculture,includinglivestockand relatedinfrastructure.

The GRADE assessment will inform a more detailed evaluation ofdamagesandeconomiclossesby sectors as part of a collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank and the United NationsEconomicCommissionfor Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and, under the leadershipofthePlanningInstitute ofJamaica.

According to the preliminary findings,whilephysicaldamageto agricultureiscomparativelylower, the sector is expected to face significant economic losses

“Jamaica will soon be advancing into the reconstruction phase following the impact of Melissa,” said Susana Cordeiro Guerra, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The country’s resilience, strong leadership, and collective determination will guide the recoveryandhelprebuildlivesand restore opportunity The World Bank stands firmly with the GovernmentandpeopleofJamaica as they transition from response to reconstruction. We are ready to mobilize our full range of support in collaboration with other internationaldevelopmentpartners to help deliver a resilient and inclusiverecovery.”

“Thescaleofdamagecausedby Hurricane Melissa demands a fast, coordinated, and evidence-based response,” said Anabel González, IDB Vice President for Countries and Regional Integration. “The IDB is fully committed to supporting the Government of Jamaica, beginning with a clear understanding of Hurricane

Melissa’s impact, as the country movesfromemergencyresponseto reconstruction. Together with our partners, we will help Jamaica rebuild stronger, safer, and more resilient.”

Jamaica’s comprehensive disaster risk financing system has positionedthecountrytorespondto a range of impacts using multiple financialinstruments.Adisasterof this magnitude, however, will require scaled-up and well-

A drone view shows people walking in Black River, Jamaica, after Hurricane Melissa hit

partnerships.

The World Bank and the IDB are supporting the Government of Jamaica through contingent

assistance—includingmechanisms like GRADE and long-term support to coordinate resilient recoveryandreconstruction.

The GRADE methodology provides an independent, rapid estimationofphysicalpost-disaster

damage, offering an initial sectorby-sector quantification of a disaster’s severity The GRADE report for Jamaica was conducted and financially supported by the Global Facility for Disaster ReductionandRecovery(GFDRR) and the Ministry of Finance of Japan, through the World-Bank program for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management in Developing Countries in collaborationwiththeWorldBank.

the country

Police discovered the 55.75lbs cannabis in a home in Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice

Angoy’sAvenuemenarrested with55.75poundsofganja

Twomenareinpolicecustodyfollowing the discovery of a large amount of cannabis duringapoliceoperationinAngoy’sAvenue, NewAmsterdam,Berbice.

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force narcoticsbranchonTuesdaysearchedatwostorywoodenhouseinthecommunityaspart ofanintelligence-ledoperation.

Contact was made with two males; a 27year-oldanda26-year-old,bothofwhomare masons of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.

The police stated that a search of the livingroomledtothediscoveryoftwobulky black plastic bags and several parcels wrapped in transparent plastic, all of which contained leaves, seeds and stems suspected tobecannabis.

Thenarcotics,transportedtothenarcotics branch were weighed in the presence of the suspects and amounted to 55.75 pounds. It wasprocessedandlodged.Bothmenremain incustodyasinvestigationscontinue.

—

uncovered Police crack down on ganja, reckless bikers in Berbice

16motorcyclesseized;drugs

Days after its Christmas policing initiative was rolled out, ranks from Police DivisionSix,EastBerbice-Corentyne,suited upandtooktothestreetstoexecutetheirlaw enforcement operations for the Christmas season.

OfficersundertheleadershipofRegional Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Shivpersaud Bacchus, carried out a stringofsuccessfulenforcementactivitieson November17.

The division commenced the series of coordinated activities with a cordon and search operation, led by Deputy Superintendent, M Newland, Assistant

Several motorcycles ceased and taken to Whim Police Station.

Drugs discovered during the operations.

SuperintendentJ.Henry,andotherranks. SeveralhotspotswithinNewAmsterdam Continued on page 22

…church apologises to nation Pastor fired after cutlass rampage

The Universal Church’s governing board has terminated the services of one of its pastors for his aggressive and threatening public display, while maintaining that his actions in no way represent the church.

Inaviralvideowhichhas dominated social media spacesoverthelasttwodays, thepastorisseeninaheated argument with a man who had parked his car at a parkingspaceinfrontofthe church. The pastor held firmly that it was a private parking zone for the church, and after a few seconds of ineffective tit-for-tat, exploded into a fit, while positioning himself behind theman’svehicleanddaring him to “get inside the car!” andrunhimover

Backed by several m e m b e r s o f h i s congregation, two of whom alsoconfrontedthedriverin afierceverbalexchange,the pastor also brandished a cutlass,inanapparentthreat to the driver The pastor’s outburst has received widespread condemnation fromthepublic.

City officials promptly struck down the pastor’s claimofexclusiveparking.

The president of the religious organisation, Dillipchan Bikharie, last evening apologised on behalf of his local team to President Irfaan Ali, Prime MinisterMarkPhillips,Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, andtheentirepopulationfor

theincident.

Frompage12

A day after the incident, workers attached to the GeorgetownMayorandCity Council (M&CC) cleared thepavementatthecornerof Charlotte and Wellington Streets.

Kidackie Amsterdam, who later identified as the driver in the video, told the press that the situation exposes the need for regularisation of parking spots in the city “I was the person involved in my humble opinion this is a matter that needs to be followedbythemedia. The issue of parking and nonparking is an aggravating one.Thevideodemonstrates whatkindofaggravationand situationwhichcanariseout ofthesituation.”

Shortly after the video went viral, the city engineer’s department was promptly deployed to the locationandclearedthearea of all encumbrances found

capital, and unlock the potential to turn agricultureintoanengineofcompetitiveand resilientdevelopment,”headded.

To encourage sustainable productivity growth in the region, the report calls for closing the technology-adoption gap by strengthening technical assistance, farmers’ training, and extension services. It also encourages incorporating environmental impactsintoproductivitymetricsandpolicy design to ensure long-term sustainability. Thestudyemphasizesclimateadaptationas akeyopportunitytoenhanceresilienceand competitiveness, and urges countries to address social disparities through tailored, data-driven interventions It advocates balancingdirectsupportwithinvestmentsin public goods, such as infrastructure, research,andinnovation,andstrengthening agricultural-data systems to enable evidence-based policymaking across Latin AmericaandtheCaribbean.

The report includes case studies analyzing agricultural productivity at national and subnational levels in nine

The pastor was relieved of his duties at the Universal Church

on the city parapet. In a statement released via Facebook, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) sought to remind the citizens that no permissionisgrantedforthe placement of “No Parking” signs or any form of encumbrances on city parapets, roadways, or public spaces The city council urged residents and businessestocomplywithits regulations to ensure order, accessibilityandthesafeuse ofpublicthoroughfares.City Mayor, Alfred Mentore in a followupstatementclarified that the Universal Church was never granted any special concession for reserve parking spaces. “… Let me make clear, this council has never given the Universal Church any parking, the Universal Church has never applied to thiscouncilforthemtohave anyreservedparkingspace

Continued on page 22

IDB report urges boost in agricultural...

countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay It also introduces the SustainableProductivityIndex(SPI),which incorporates environmental costs into the measurement of agricultural productivity growth in the region between 1995 and 2021. The SPI shows that while the region has made significant progress in increasing agricultural output, overall performance appears less robust once environmental sustainability is factored in, underscoring the need to balance agricultural production with ecological responsibility for sustainablegrowth.

Agricultureremainsacornerstoneofthe region’seconomy,contributing6%ofGDP, 15% of employment, and 24% of exports. Bringingtogethercutting-edgeresearch,the study aims to help countries in Latin America and the Caribbean design policies that promote higher productivity, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience, advancing a more inclusive, competitive, and sustainable agricultural futurefortheregion.

180 km/h recorded as new traffic system nails 15,000 speeding drivers – 21 licences suspended

The Safe Road Intelligence System

Guyana’s roads have become a danger zone, and the numbers exposed last week by Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh show just how out of control some motoristshavebecome. Singh revealed that almosthalfofthestaggering 32,768 speeding tickets issued for the year came

directly from the Road Intelligence System, which has been quietly capturing drivers tearing across the country at insane speeds as high as 180 km/h.“Ithinktheonlything left for some of them is to pullthegearshiftandflythe vehicle into the air,” Singh said, disgusted by the level of recklessness being recorded.

T h e r e w e r e

approximately 47,000 tickets issued for traffic related offenses this year, fromJanuary1tothetimeof his presentation In a shocking revelation Singh said that, “21 driver’s license would have been suspended for the period from January 1 to present

Cuba struggles to ease power cuts amid reduced fuel supplies from Venezuela, Mexico

HAVANA, Nov 19

(Reuters) - Cuba’s imports of crude and fuel in the first 10 months of the year fell more than a third compared withthesameperiodof2024 as key allies Mexico and Venezuela slashed supplies, according to shipping data and documents seen by Reuters, preventing the Caribbean country from easingdailypowercuts.

LONGCUTSREACH HAVANA

day, for drivers who would have been involved in accidents, most of them causedbydangerousdriving charge.”

Additionally, 1,428 persons were charged with driving under the influence, with fines ranging from $200,000 down to $5,000 and or a reprimanding discharge.

CatholicChurchsuedoveralleged childhoodabuseatStDominic’s

( T R I N I D A D EXPRESS) FIVE men who, as children, once lived at St Dominic’s Children’s Home have taken legal action in the High Court, alleging that they suffered years of physical and sexual abuse while under the home’s care

The group has brought proceedings against the R o m a n C a t h o l i c Archdiocese of Port of Spain, the Office of the Attorney General, the Statutory Authorities ServiceCommissionanda former supervisor, claiming each bears responsibility for the harm they endured as children

Theincidentsaresaidto have taken place between 1983 and 2006. The claim, lodged on October 10, will come before Justice Carol Gobinnextweek.

The former wards are represented by attorneys Christlyn Moore, Adana Joseph-Wallace and JoshuaHamlet.

In the court filings, the claimants say they were unable to initiate action earlier because they were minors at the time of the alleged abuse, and later developed psychological

conditions that prevented them from recognising the extent of the wrongdoing or pursuing redress.

Theyarguethatthecourt should allow the case to proceed outside the usual limitationperiod,relyingon recent psychiatric assessments and delayed publicawarenesssparkedby the Sabga Report of 1997 and the Jones Report publishedin2022

ThesuitcontendsthatSt Dominic’s failed in its legal duty to safeguard children placed in its custody, allowing a climate in which v i o l e n c e , s e x u a l exploitation and unsafe living conditions went unchecked.

The claimants allege that employees, visitors, older residents and, most prominently, a supervisor assigned to the home in the 1990sperpetratedtheabuse. That supervisor, appointed through the Statutory

Authorities Service Commission, is accused of repeated sexual assaults, threats and physical punishment

The Archdiocese, whichexercisedoversightof the home’s operations, is accused of negligence and may face vicarious liability

for the actions of those acting under its authority

The Attorney General is named on the basis that, prior to amendments made in 1998, the officers involved were considered servantsofthestate.

A f t e r t h o s e legislative changes took effect, the Statuto

uthorities Service Commission is alleged to have become directly

responsible for the recruitment,supervisionand continued employment of individuals who, according totheclaim,laterabusedthe children.

The filings state that thevariousauthoritiesfailed to respond to warnings, neglected to report allegations, kept poor or incomplete records, and refused to provide documentsrequestedduring pre-actionprocedures.

The claimants also say there was no meaningful investigation, no proper medical intervention and no adequate steps taken to protect vulnerable children inthehome.

Theyareseekinggeneral and aggravated damages, interest and any further relief the court considers appropriate for the psychological trauma,

disrupted education, reduced employment prospects and long-term mental health consequences they say resulted from the abuse.

According to pre-action correspondence, the defendants have denied liability and raised objectionsbasedonthetime that has passed since the allegedevents.

The court is expected to first consider whether the matter can proceed despite the significant delay In explaining that delay, the claimants say t h e t r a u m a t h e y experiencedcausedthemto s u p p r e s s o r compartmentalisewhatthey endured, leaving them unable to come forward earlier or to understand the breadthoftheirclaims.

Theysaytheyfearedthe personal and social repercussions of speaking out,andlackedaccesstothe Sabga Report when it was completed in 1997, as they were still minors and the document was not publiclyavailable

The claim adds that the individuals who witnessed or experienced the events remain

available to give evidence

The Communist-run island relies on imported refined products to meet demand, including fuel oil and diesel for power generation, and jet fuel and gasoline for transportation. U.S. sanctions and a deep economic crisis have for yearsmadeitimpossiblefor the government to buy enough fuel, forcing a growing dependence on allies.

Between January and October, Cuba’s oil imports from Mexico - which emerged as a reliable provider in 2023 after regularizing shipments of light crude - declined to some5,000barrelsperday,a 73% fall from the 18,800 bpd received in the same periodof2024,accordingto theshippingdata.Importsof crude and fuel from Venezuela, Cuba’s most important political ally, fell almost 15% over the same period to 27,400 bpd, with the reduction particularly hittingsuppliesoffueloilfor power generation, internal documentsfromVenezuelan state oil company PDVSA showed. In total, Cuba’s imports of crude, liquefied petroleum gas and residual and motor fuels from all origins fell 35% to some 45,400 bpd in January to October,from69,400bpdin thesameperiodlastyear

Mexico and Venezuela arebothdealingwithoutput limitations and do not have muchsparecapacitytooffer Cuba The

availability of light crude and fuel oil for export, coupled with Cuba’s strug

purchases on the spot market,haveputaceilingon fuelimports.

Russia, a supplier that has helped Cuba in past crises,hasonlysentacouple cargoes of Urals crude this year, in line with last year’s supply, the data also showed.

PDVSA, Mexico’s state oilcompanyPemex,andthe information ministries of Cuba andVenezuela did not reply to requests for comment.

Cuba’s government blames the fuel shortages, decrepit infrastructure and damage from Hurricane Melissa for worsening power outages, which are increasingly hitting the capital Havana, the country’s economic engine. Almost 900 megawatts of power generation, nearly a third of daily demand, was shut down on Wednesday due to lack of fuel and lubricants, the country’s electrical union said. The element Yttrium faces Chinese export restrictions, whichhasled

In Havana, unplanned power cuts sometimes top nine hours daily Many outlying provinces see just two to four hours of electricity a day, vastly reducing productivity and complicatingdailylife.“The situation with the blackouts is awful, to say the least,” said 18-year-old university student Daniela Castillo “Wearrivehomeexhausted, there’s no electricity, and many times we have to wait for it to come back on - if it comesbackonatall-sothat we can eat, so we can study...?”

LESSSPARE CAPACITY

A traditional heavy oil producer, Mexico’s output of the Olmeca light sweet crude that fits the Cuban refineries’ diet is typically reserved for well-paying international customers, especially amid Pemex’s reduction of overall crude exports. Pemex’s oil output fell almost 9% to 1 63 million bpd in January to September, from some 1.79 million bpd in the same period of 2024, while crude exportssuffereda23%cutin that period to 604,000 bpd, officialdatashowed. Venezuela faces a similar situation. Numerous changes in U.S. sanctions policies towards the OPEC producer have forced PDVSA to supply more crude and feedstock to its own refineries, limiting the volume and types of productsPDVSAcanexport toCuba.

PDVSA has reduced outputoftheresidualfueloil Cuba demands for power generation, internal company documents showed Flows are also being disrupted by a longstanding lack of sufficient vessels to move oil supplies fromVenezuelaandMexico toCuba,thedatashowed.

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Lifetime toll: 840 million women faced partner or sexual violence

Violence against women remains one of the world’s most persistent and underaddressed human rights crises, with very little progress in two decades, according to a landmark report released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN partners.

Nearly 1 in 3 women – estimated 840 million globally –have experienced partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, a figure that has barely changed since 2000. In the last 12 months alone, 316 million women – 11% of those aged 15 or older – were subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Progress on reducing intimate partner violence has been painfully slow with only 0.2% annual decline over the past two decades.

violence is not only a matter of policy; it is a matter of dignity, equality and human rights. Behind every statistic is a woman or girl whose life has been forever altered. Empowering women and girls is not optional, it’s a prerequisite for peace, development and health. A safer world for women is a better world for everyone.”

Efforts face funding cuts amidst mounting needs

against women, and funding has further fallen in 2025.

Widespread and lifelong risks

Women subjected to violence face unintended pregnancies, a higher risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections and experiencing depression. Sexual and reproductive health services are an important entry point for survivors to receive the highquality care they need.

The report underscores the reality that violence against women begins early and risks persist throughout life. For example, in the past 12 months alone, 12.5 million adolescent girls 15-19 years of age or 16% have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner.

and women with disabilities, as well as data from fragile and humanitarian settings. Progress has been achieved in countries where there is political commitment to do so. For example, Cambodia is implementing a national project that will update legislation on domestic violence, improve service delivery, quality and access, refurbish shelters and leverage digital solutions in schools and communities to promote prevention especially with adolescents.

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For the first time, the report includes national and regional estimates of sexual violence by someone other than a partner. It finds 263 million women have experienced nonpartner sexual violence since age 15, a figure experts caution is significantly under-reported due to stigma and fear. “Violence against women is one of humanity’s oldest and most pervasive injustices, yet still one of the least acted upon,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “No society can call itself fair, safe or healthy while half its population lives in fear. Ending this

The new report, released ahead of the International day for the elimination of violence against women and girls observed on 25 November, represents the most comprehensive study on the prevalence of these two forms of violence against women. It updates 2018 estimates released in 2021. It analyses data between 2000 and 2023 from 168 countries, revealing a stark picture of a deeply neglected crisis and critically underfunded response.

Despite mounting evidence on effective strategies to prevent violence against women, the report warns that funding for such initiatives is collapsing – just as when humanitarian emergencies, technological shifts, and rising socio-economic inequality are further increasing risks for millions of women and girls. For instance, in 2022, only 0.2% of the global development aid was allocated to programmes focused on prevention of violence

While violence occurs in every country, women in least-developed, conflict-affected, and climate-vulnerable settings are disproportionately affected. For example, Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) reports 38% prevalence of intimate partner violence in the past year – more than 3 times the global average of 11%.

A call for action – and accountability

More countries than ever are now collecting data to inform policies, yet significant gaps remain – particularly on non-partner sexual violence, marginalised groups such as indigenous women, migrants,

Ecuador, Liberia, Trinidad and Tobago and Uganda have developed costed national action plans. Legislative and advocacy actions in these countries have contributed to some domestic financing for this issue, signalling increased political commitment at a time of decreasing aid budgets. To accelerate global progress and deliver meaningful change for the lives of affected women and girls, the report calls for decisive government action and funding to:

• scale up evidence-based prevention programmes

• strengthen survivorcentred health, legal and social services

• invest in data systems to track progress and reach the most at-risk groups

• enforce laws and poli cies empowering women and girls.

Cromarty couple busted

- firearm, drugs found during raid

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in Regional Division Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) have discovered firearms, ammunition and a quantity of what is suspected to be cannabis after they carried out an Intelligencebacked operation at Cromarty Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

Led by senior officers, the

ranks swooped down on a residence on November 18 and conducted a thorough search of the premises belonging to a 43-year-old farmer and his 55-year-old partner, a part-time worker, both of Cromarty Farm.

Police reports stated that ranks recovered one .32 firearm under a mattress in a

bedroom during the search operation, along with one .32 round.

The ranks also discovered two additional .32 rounds in another section of the home, along with three small transparent zip-lock bags containing leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The two individuals were then told of the offence and were arrested. The narcotics were weighed in their presence and amounted to eight grams and was lodged along with the firearm and ammunition.

The duo remains in custody as investigations continue.

Pastor fired after cutlass rampage...

From page 19 by this council,” the city mayor clarified.

The mayor expressed concern and disappointment that the pastor acted out of character. “So, it is very erroneous for the pastor to speak

so vociferously about reserved parking, and to appear to have reserved parking, or have reserved parking from this council. I was very disappointed when I saw the pastor behaving with such anger, acting outside of the norm.” Mentore said that he was happy that city workers were able to act swiftly to remove the encumbrance and signs.

“We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the area is cleared that anybody can park at any time. And we want to make it clear that we have never stopped use of the pavement and that we will never consider giving that concession especially with how the pastor behaved,” Mentore added.

Police crack down on ganja, reckless bikers in Berbice...

From page 17 were thoroughly searched, which yielded a quantity of cannabis that amounted to 1,635 grams.

Commander Bacchus then led a motorcycle compliance campaign in which the police targeted the high rate of unlicensed motorcycle users and

the trend of those not wearing helmets. The commander also hauled in motorcycles that were modified with devices that amplify exhaust noise and disturb residents.

A total for 16 motorcycles were seized during the operations, and were lodged at the Whim Police Station on the

Corentyne, where they will be inspected by a licensing and certifying officer. A statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) stated that the activity received the blessings of the public, some of whom have been particularly concerned about the reckless and unlawful manner in which bikers operate. “The initiative was well received by community members who have been directly affected by these issues. Commander Bacchus noted that this activity, along with several ongoing enforcement campaigns, will continue throughout Regional Division #6,” the statement read.

Children among 25 killed in one of Russia’s deadliest strikes on western Ukraine

(BBC News)At least 25 people have been killed including three children in a Russian missile and drone attack that hit two blocks of flats in the western city of Ternopil,Ukrainianofficials say They say another 73 peoplewerewounded,15of them children, in the strike earlyonWednesday-oneof the deadliest in the region since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February2022.

Ukraine’s air force later said Russian X-101 cruise missiles had hit the residentialflats.

The neighbouring Lviv andIvano-Frankivskregions werealsostruck,andadrone attack on three districts of the north-eastern city of Kharkivwoundedmorethan 30 people. Photos posted onlineshowedbuildingsand carsablaze.

Ukraine’sairforcesaidit had shot down 442 of 476 dronesand41of48missiles

launched by Russia, including 10 missiles destroyed by F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighter jets supplied to Kyiv by its Westernallies.

Butinareferencetohow stretched Ukraine’s air defences currently are, the air force pleaded for “the uninterrupted and timely supply of aviation weapons fromWesternpartners”.

Ternopil, a city closer to the Polish border than the capitalKyiv,hasrarelyfaced attacks since the full-scale invasion Social media footage of this strike shows missiles shooting across the sky towards the city, though very little sign of air defences reacting from the ground.

The devastation caused by the Russian strikes on Ternopil soon became clear

AvideosharedbyUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky showed one of the blocks of flats had completelycavedin.Interior MinisterIhorKlymenkosaid it had been destroyed between the third and ninth floors.

The attack had caused “significant destruction”, said Zelensky, and many victims were reported to be intherubble.

Plumesofsmokepoured from windows and small fires burned outside the tenement.

Agiantsmokecloudrose in the distance behind the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ternopil, as sirens blared throughout

thecity

With limited defence systems, and a vast country to defend every night, no matter how effective Ukrainebecomesatshooting down Russian missiles and drones,thereisalwaysarisk some will get through – to devastating effect, as happenedinTernopil.

Energy facilities, transport and civil infrastructureweredamaged elsewhere in western Ukraine.

The energy sector came under attack in IvanoFrankivsk region where two of the three people reported woundedwerechildren.

The head of Lviv region said an energy facility had beenstruck.

Russia has recently upped its attacks on

Ukraine’senergygrid-asthe fourth winter of the war approaches - hoping to damage morale as well as logistics and Ukraine’s own defenceindustry

Electrical supplies are already being rationed and, after the latest attacks, the energy ministry announced more power cuts across the country

Russia’s defence ministry said it had carried out its “massive strike using long-range precision weapons”, claiming it had targetedUkraine’s“militaryindustrial complex and energysector”inresponseto Ukrainian attacks on “civiliantargets”.

Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday it had fired USsupplied longer-range Atacms missiles at military

targets inside Russia, the first time they had admitted using Atacms on Russian soil.

Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukraine of firing four of the missiles at the southern city of Voronezh but said they had all been shot down by air defences.

Meanwhile, Zelensky has travelled to the Turkish capitalAnkara,inanattempt toreviveaUSbidtoendthe war

He held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid reports President Donald Trump’sspecialenvoySteve Witkoffhasbeenworkingon a plan with Russian counterpartKirillDmitriev.

The Kremlin said earlier t h a t n o R u s s i a n representative would be joiningthetalksinAnkara.

Russian President VladimirPutin’sspokesman appeared to dismiss US media reports that Washington and Moscow hadbeenworkingonapeace plan for Ukraine - without anyinvolvementofKyivand itsEuropeanallies.

“Inthiscase,wehaveno additional innovations to what we call ‘the spirit of Anchorage’ , ” Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s staterun media, referring to the August summit between Putin and Trump in the US stateAlaska.

Any agreements reached during the one-day meeting havenotbeenmadepublic.

Peskov’s comments came as Zelensky was reportedly due to meet two top US army officials in KyivonThursday

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Army Chief of

StaffGeneralRandyGeorge are the most senior US military officials to visit the Ukrainian capital since President Donald Trump tookoffice,Reutersreports.

I n a s e p a r a t e development, Romania’s defence ministry said a Russian drone had flown about8km(5miles)through itsairspaceintheearlyhours of Wednesday The drone then crossed into Ukraine and Moldova before returningtoRomania,itsaid. Romanian and German air force planes were scrambledinresponsetothe incursion and the defence ministry said it was unclear where the drone had come down.

Polandalsodeployedjets early on Wednesday and temporarily closed two airports in the southeast in response to the strikes in westernUkraine.

Asthefourthanniversary of the start of Russia’s fullscale invasion approaches next February, Moscow and Kyiv remain fundamentally opposed in their views of howtoendthewar Ukraine and its Western allies, including the US, havecalledforanimmediate ceasefirealongthevastfront line – but Russia has repeatedly ruled that out, repeating demands that Ukraine says amount to its defactocapitulation.

Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow’s pre-conditions for a peace deal - including tough curbs on the size of Ukraine’s military and the country’sneutrality-hadnot changed since Putin laid them out two months before thefull-scaleinvasion.

CatholicpriestfallsvictimtocrimeinBlanchisseusse

CATHOLIC APRIEST was

r o b b e d i n

Blanchisseusse between MondaynightandTuesday

Police said that around 8 45 p m on Tuesday

o f f i c e r s o f t h e

Blanchisseusse Police Station were visited by the priest who told them that he was robbed of his hybrid vehicle’sbattery

Heexplainedthataround 5.50 p.m. on Monday he parked his Toyota Fielder Wagon at the 3/4 mile mark off the Paria Main Road, L o w e r V i l l a g e ,

Blanchisseusse, locked the doors and went away. Around 8.15 a.m. the next day one his colleagues calledhimandtoldhimthat his car appeared to have been tampered with as a several bits of the vehicle’s accessories were spotted outsidethenowopenedcar

Thepriestrushedoutand found that a rear glass had beenremovedaswellasthe car’sbackseat.

He then realised that the car’s hybrid battery was gone following which he made a report. (TRINIDAD EXPRESS)

Israeli airstrikes kill 25 Palestinians in Gaza, rattling ceasefire

(Reuters) - At least 25 Palestinians were killed in four Israeli airstrikes on WednesdayinapartofGaza underHamascontrolsincea shaky ceasefire took effect in October, health authoritiessaid.

Medics said 10 people werekilledintheGazaCity suburb of Zeitoun, two in Shejaia suburb to the east and the rest in two separate attacksinKhanYounisinthe southernGazaStrip.

The Israeli military said its forces struck Hamas targets across Gaza after members of the Palestinian militant group fired on its troops in violation of the nearly six-week-old ceasefire. No Israeli forces wereinjured.

Repeated shooting incidentshavepointedtothe fragility of the ceasefire.

Israel and Hamas have traded blame for what both call violations of the U.S.brokered truce, the first stage of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for a post-warGaza.

Allthreeattackswerefar beyond an agreed-upon imaginary “yellow line” separating the areas under Israeli and Palestinian control, according to medics, witnesses and Palestinian media The Zeitoun attack was on a building belonging to Muslimreligiousauthorities and the Khan Younis attack wasonaU.N.-runclub,both of which house displaced

families. The October 10 ceasefire in the two-year Gaza war has eased the conflict, enabling hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to Gaza’s ruins. Israelhaspulledtroopsback from city positions, and aid flowshaveincreased.

But violence has not

authoritiessayIsraeliforces have killed 305 people in strikes on Gaza since the truce, nearly half of them in one day last week when Israelretaliatedforanattack onitstroops.

Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed sincetheceasefirebeganand it has targeted scores of fighters.

Brazil’s Lula makes diplomatic push for early climate deal at COP30 summit

(Reuters) - Brazil’s president was meeting with key negotiators at the COP30 summit on Wednesdayaspartofadrive tolandanearlydealonsome ofthemostdivisiveissuesin the global climate talks, including fossil fuels and climatefinance.

The two-week U N summit in the Amazon city ofBelemhasbroughtnearly 200countriestogethertotry to ratchet up multilateral action to limit climate change, despite the absence of the U.S., the top historic greenhousegasemitter

But rifts on key issues remain,posingafreshtestof theinternationalwilltoslow globalwarming.

Host Brazil, hoping to buck the trend in which recent climate summits ran well past deadline, seeks to endorse a package of agreements later on

Wednesday, and the outstandingissuesonFriday

Brazil and around 80 other supportive nations wanttoagreesomethingthat helps spur action on a 2023 agreement made at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels, the main source of greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the idea of creating a roadmap to help guide that transition had so far been rejected by others, Brazil’s COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago said onTuesday

fossilfuelplan.

Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requestsforcomment.

“I think it’s going to be very difficult because we’ve got blockers,” Regenvanusaid.

Otherislandnationssaid theissuewasvital.

countries will provide finance to poorer countries to switch to clean energy, andwhatmustbedoneabout a gap between promised emissions cuts and those needed to stop temperatures rising.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures as he speaks during the opening ceremony of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), in Belem, Brazil, November 10, 2025. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

But it is already facing delays publishing new negotiatingtexts. FRESHDRAFT EXPECTEDON WEDNESDAY

President Luiz Inácio LuladaSilvaarrivedbackat the conference on Wednesday, giving renewed politicalimpetustothetalks. Hewasexpectedtomeetkey negotiators as well as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“We’re going to have to fight tooth and nail. There are many parties who have alreadysaidthattheydonot want that in the text at all,” Marshall Islands climate envoy Tina Stege told Reuters.

Poorer countries already bearingtheimpactsofglobal warming are rallying for a strongoutcome.

“We want ambition on finance.

We want ambition on adaptation. We want to see ambition on the transition,” Jiwoh Abdulai, Sierra Leone’s climate minister, toldReuters.

“And we want to ensure that we live here on a path that is sustainable, not just for this generation, but for futuregenerations.”

The COP30 presidency had planned to land a fresh draft of the initial deal early on Wednesday, but no announcements had been issued by early afternoon. Negotiators told Reuters toughtalkswereongoing.

‘WE’VEGOT BLOCKERS,’

VANUATUSAYS

The first version of the deal published on Tuesday had presented a range of optionsthatsplitopinion.

Pacific island nation Vanuatu’s climate minister Ralph Regenvanu told Reuters Saudi Arabia was one of those opposed to the

A coalition of 100 organisations, including companies like Volvo and Unilever, sent a letter to the COP30 presidency expressing support for a roadmap to transition away fromfossilfueluse,sayingit would help countries and businesses plan the shift to cleanerenergy

CLIMATEFINANCE

Other contentious issues in the package include pinning down how rich

Plans to launch a U.N.backed global market for trading carbon offset credits have hit a snag as governments dispute over thefundingtogetthemarket upandrunning,fivesources toldReuters.

An injured Palestinian receives treatment following an Israeli air strike, according to medics, at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

BLUNT BLUNT

Tax collection and tax waivers

Guyana has once again proven it is the only oil-producing nation on earth that can pump billions of dollars worth of crude and still end up poorer.

The 2024 numbers lay it bare: this country gave up more in taxes for ExxonMobil and its partners than it earned from every taxpaying business and citizen combined. A staggering $493B in income taxes was waived for Exxon, Hess and CNOOC—more than the $420B GRA managed to collect for the entire nation.

This is not mismanagement. It is a structural giveaway baked into the 2016 PSA—a deal so warped that Guyana pays Exxon’s taxes for them while borrowing billions to pave roads, build clinics and keep the lights on. Six years into oil production, our national debt has exploded from US$1.8B to US$7.7B.

Oil was supposed to lift Guyana; instead, the country is sinking deeper, financing development with loans while Exxon walks away with tax receipts stamped “paid.” This is not partnership. It is surrender— and Guyana is footing the bill with its future.

BadmintonAssociation praises

MCYS/NSCforhistoricgalaawards

The Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) is pleased to join the national sportingcommunityin celebrating this year’s National Sports Awards Gala. This event plays an importantrolein

recognising the outstanding achievements ofourathletes,coaches,and administrators,andin

continued growth of sport acrossGuyana. We (GBA) extend sincere congratulations to all nominees and awardees. Their commitment and discipline reflect the true spiritofexcellence.

The Association also takes this opportunity to expressdeepappreciationto the Government of Guyana andtheMinistryofCulture,

Youth & Sport for their

Government investment in sport has had a positive and measurable impact on the developmentofbadminton

facilities, expanded training

assistance for participation in

internationalcompetitions.

This support continues to strengthen our athletes’

contributes significantly to the advancement of the sport.

The GBA remains committed to working

Government as we pursue our long-term goals, including wider youth participation, improved coaching capacity, and the aspiration of qualifying a Guyanesebadmintonplayer fortheOlympicGames.

To

badminton and foster nationalpridethroughsport.

Thursday November 20, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Some unexpected but very welcomevisitorscouldarrive today, Aries They might bring some people you don't knowbutshouldconnectwith rightaway Expectinteresting n e w s , f a s c i n a t i n g information,.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Taurus, who's that intriguing new person in your neighborhood? What is it about this new neighbor that makesitimpossibleforyouto stop wondering about them? Quitobsessing.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

An unexpected letter could arrive today, Gemini, with a check enclosed, perhaps a gift, bonus, or offer to make more money.This might be a welcomebreak.

CANCER(June21–July22)

If you're in the arts or sciences, Cancer, sudden inspirationcouldcauseyouto startorcontinueaprojectthat meansalottoyou.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Meditation, dreams, or visions could bring amazing insights your way, Leo. You mightfindthemtoobizarreto believe, at least at first, but follow-up research could reveal that what you've come upwithisquitecredible.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

You're an adventurous soul, Virgo.Areyouthinkingabout a little mischief today? Are yougoingtoproposethatyou and a friend or perhaps your partner skip town for a day andforgetaboutwork,

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

A n u n e x p e c t e d communication may come today fr

ne connected with your career, Libra.Thisisgoodnews,butit maybesooffthewallthatyou couldwalkaroundinadazefor awhiletryingtomakesenseof itall.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Anunexpectedchancetoflyto a faraway place, perhaps at someoneelse'sexpense,could cometoyoutoday,Scorpio.A group might be involved, perhaps one connected with education.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Some bizarre and rather silly dreams might come to you tonight,Sagittarius.Theymay bethesortthatissocrazythat youactuallywakeuplaughing. Don't dismiss them. Silly or not,thesedreamsaretryingto tellyousomething.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Ifyou'resingle,youcouldfeel a very powerful attraction to someone unusual and perhaps alittlewacky Ifyou'realready inarelationship.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Have you been looking for anewjob,Aquarius?Ifso,you might hear of an opportunity from an unexpected source, perhapsatasocialgathering,if possible.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

If you're single, Pisces, love may come to you completely out of the blue today The person could be standing behind you in line at the store or sitting nearby you in the park.

Team Spirit eliminate...

Frompage35 receive$50,000. CompleteResults Game-1

MakeitHappen-0vs. Melanie-1 Game-2

FestivalCity-2vs.Wash BayBoys-3 Game-3

Family-3vs.NorthEast

LaPenitence-3

Familywon4-1on penaltykicks

Familyscorers: DevonPadmore-19th and27th

SteffonRamsay-30th

NorthEastscorers: CalvinMoore-16th

ShemarSampson-28th

AkilPlass-29th Game-4

Bent St B -3 vs Stabroek

Ballers-0

OrinMoore-18th

AntonioMacArthur28thShaneJames-30th Game-5

BackCircle-7vs. YMCA-0

MartinKing-2nd,5th, and26thSigmund Cobena-17th

SimeonMoore-20th

DarenBenjamin-24th

RavinNaughton-25th Game-6

SpartaBoss-4vs. Corinthians-2

SpartaBossscorers: NicholasMacArthur-8th and14thJobCaesar-24th and27th

Corinthiansscorer: WellingtonDosSantos4thand12thGame-7

BentStA-4vs.Gaza Squad-1Game-8 GoldisMoney-0vs. TeamSpirit-3

SolomonAustin-24th DeonAlfred-26th

CecilJackman-29th QuarterfinalsFixtures 20:00hrs:BentStBvs. Melanie

21:00hrs:BackCirclevs. Family

22:00hrs:BentStAvs.

WashBayBoys

23:00hrs:SpartaBossvs. TeamSpiri

Emily Ramdhani - President, Guyana Badminton Association

FixturesforMen’sUnder-19

WorldCup2026

HarareSportsClubtohostfinal

Tanzania will be making their debut in the competition, which will also see Japan featuring in it for the second time

ESPNcricinfo - The 16th edition of the Men’s Under-19WorldCupissetto takeplacefromJanuary15to February 6, 2026. The ICC announced the fixtures for

the tournament on Wednesday, with 16 teams participating in the event to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Tanzania will be making their debut in the competition,whichwillalso see Japan featuring in it for the second time after they lastplayedinitin2020.

The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four teams each. Group A includes India, Bangladesh, USA and New Zealand;

Group B comprises

Zimbabwe, Pakistan, England, and Scotland; Group C has defending champions Australia,

Ireland,JapanandSriLanka; and Group D has Tanzania, West Indies, Afghanistan, andSouthAfrica.

Whileeachteamplaysthe three other sides in its group during the first round of the tournament, the top three ranked teams from each group progress to the Super Six The top four teams then qualifyforthesemi-finalson February3and4,whichwill be held in Bulawayo and Harare, respectively The final will be taking place at the Harare Sports Club in Harare Apart from that venue, the four other grounds that will be hosting the tournament are the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare, the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, the

augurated Namibia Cricket Ground in

Australian had won the previous edition of the tournament in 2024. (ICC/Getty Images)

had beaten India in the final to

US tourism expected to score big with FIFA World Cup

(Reuters) - International tourismtotheU.S.couldget a much-needed boost from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a sluggish 2025, when visitors stayed away amid unease over President Donald Trump’s trade policies and concerns about tougherborderscrutiny

Foreign visitation to the U.S. was down 4% year to datethroughJuly,according to visa data from the NationalTravelandTourism Office.Traveldatacompany TourismEconomicsprojects a full-year decline of about 6.3%in2025.

That could reverse next year, when the world’s biggest sporting event is expected to draw over a millionvisitorsasitkicksoff across16hostcitiesinNorth America, 11 of which are in theU.S.

The World Cup, which willtakeplacefromJune11 toJuly19,couldaccountfor roughly one in three additionalforeignvisitorsto the U.S. in 2026, Tourism Economicsestimates.

FLIGHTS,LODGING FORTOURNAMENTIN

DEMAND

Searches for flights and lodging around the tournament dates are up nearly 70% from the same periodin2025,saidJaroslaw

Grabczak, head of commercial product at Poland-based online travel agencyeSky

He also estimates that prices for stays could rise 30% in the early days of the

event,andasmuchas60%in the final few days of matches.

Projectionsfromvarious sources put the number of foreign visitors anywhere between 1 million and 6 million. A joint report by FIFA and the World Trade Organization is also expecting international travelers to stay for an average 12 days, buy two

ticketsperpersonandspend about$416daily Airbnb (ABNB O), opensnewtabexpectsabout 232,000 guests to use its platform to book stays in U.S. host cities, with each spending around $142 per n i g h t , a s u r v e y commissioned by the vacation rental company shows.

As the U.S., Canada and

Mexicopreparetoco-hostin 2026, the U S ’s 1994 turnout of roughly 3 59 million fans remains the benchmark for what could become the most attended WorldCupyet.

As the U.S., Canada and Mexicopreparetoco-hostin 2026, the U.S.’s 1994 turnout of roughly 3.59 million fans remains the benchmark for what could become the most attended WorldCupyet.

But not every city will scoreequally

The official draw on December 5 will set the match schedule and venues for key games, which will shape demand patterns across host cities, especially assomeofthe48teamshave far larger followings than others.

ENGLAND,FRANCE, BRAZILHAVEBIGFAN BASES

Accounting for fan base sizeandhistoricvisitationto events among other factors, matches involving England, France, Brazil, Argentina andPortugalareexpectedto generate above-average

travel demand in host cities,

Tourism Economics economist Laura Baxter said. forasoccertournament in the name of hope, dreams, and the love of the sport

“If your city hosts one of these teams, expect heavy demand,” said Sébastien Long, president of the Texas Short-Term RentalAssociationandCEO of vacation rental firm Lodgeur

“Fans travel even without tickets because theywanttobewheretheir team is and watch the m a t c h w i t h o t h e r supporters, whetherinafan zoneorabar,”headded. Notably,nationalsof22 participating teamsi n c l u d i n g B r a z i l , Argentina and Mexico - do not qualify for the U S VisaWaiverProgram,which could deter travel among theirfans.

However, President DonaldTrumphassaidthat the U S would expedite visas for foreign visitors withticketstomatches

Windhoek, and the HPOval also inWindhoek.All teams are due to arrive on January

8, before playing warm-up matches from January 9-14 ahead of the tournament

properstartingadaylater In 2024, Australia

win the previous edition of the Men’s Under-19 World Cup.

Curacao become smallest nation to qualify for World Cup

Curacao fans celebrate in Jamaica. (Getty Images)

BBC Sport - The tiny CaribbeanIslandofCuracao has become the smallest nationtoeverqualifyforthe World Cup after drawing with Steve McClaren’s Jamaica.

The record was held by Iceland, who reached the 2018finals,buttheircountry is far bigger than Curacao, which has a population of justover150,000(similarto CambridgeorHuddersfield) andalandareaof171square miles,smallerthantheIsleof Man.

Former England boss McClaren resigned as Jamaica boss after his side, who needed a win in Kingston to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998, wereheldtoagoallessdraw, including having an injurytime penalty overruled by VAR.

Curacao boss Dick Advocaat,whowasnotatthe game for personal reasons, willbecometheoldestcoach at a World Cup, aged 78, beating Otto Rehhagel’s record when he was in charge of Greece aged 71 in 2010.

Curacao,37milesoffthe Venezuela coast, only

becameacountrywithinthe KingdomoftheNetherlands in 2010, following the dissolu

NetherlandsAntilles.

Ten years ago they were 150th in Fifa’s world rankings Now they are 82nd.

The expanded 2026 World Cup format, which features48nationsinsteadof 32, along with the fact hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States all qualify automatically, has given Curacao a much-improved chance as they become the fourth debutant at next summer’s tournamentjoining Cape Verde, UzbekistanandJordan.

“It’s crazy and would be oneofthebiggestthingsthat will happen to Curacao,” said midfielder Juninho B a c u n a , a f o r m e r Huddersfield, Rangers and Birmingham player before thematch.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he added: “It’s incredible and amazing Even a few years ago you would not even think about it.

“Tobepersonallypartof it and to make that dream

incredible.”

I

ying matches, they have won seven and finished their campaignunbeaten.

Their fairytale looked shatteredinthefourthofthe fiveminutesaddedonatthe end of the game when Curacao substitute Jeremy Antonisse appeared to have brought down Isaac Hayden and the El Salvador referee Ivan Barton immediately pointedtothespot.

But the referee was quickly encouraged by the VAR officials to check the

reversedhisowndecisionto the consternation of the crowd.

Theywillbejoinedatthe World Cup by Haiti and Panama from the Conacaf qualifying, with Jamaica having to go into the Intercontinentalplay-offs.

The Caribbean Island of Haiti sealed their place at a first World Cup since 1974 after defeating Nicaragua 20.

Advocaat makes World Cuphistory

Since January 2024,

Curacao have qualified for their first World Cup after drawing with Jamaica. (Getty Images)

DutchmanAdvocaat,78,has been in charge of his eighth national side after three spells with the Netherlands, as well as coaching the UnitedArabEmirates,South Korea, Belgium, Russia, SerbiaandIraq.

H e h e l p e d t h e Netherlands reach the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup and his South Koreanteamwentoutinthe groupphasein2006.

Hislistofclubsmanaged includes PSV Eindhoven, R a n g e r s , Z e n i t S t Petersburg, Sunderland and Feyenoord.

Advocaat only became Curacao boss after a paymentdisputebetweenthe players and the country’s football association was r e s o l v e d , a n d h e immediatelysethissightson qualifying for the 2026 WorldCup.

“Everyone knows Dick Advocaatisabigname,heis a big coach and everyone respectshiminhisdecisions and the way he works,”

added Bacuna “His presence is really important for us as a team and also for the country, and his impact hasbeenreallybig.

“We started working with him in qualifying for the Nations League and we saw a growth in the team in the way we worked and the waywefoughtingames.”

Dutch talent and some British-bornplayers

As well as having a Dutchmanager,themajority of players in the Curacao squad were born in the Netherlands but had family links that enabled them to playforAdvocaat’sside.

Their squad includes Livingston defender Joshua Brenet, Rotherham midfielder Ar’jany Martha, Middlesbrough forward SontjeHansenandSheffield United midfielder Tahith Chong, who was born in Curacao and previously played in the Premier League with Manchester United.

For Bacuna, playing for Curacaowasalsoachanceto play international football with his older brother Leandro, the national side’s captain, and that was a key part of his motivation after he had represented the Netherlands at under-21 level.

“I started to play for

Curacaoin2019anditwasa big decision for me,” said Juninho Bacuna “At that timeIwasonly21andhada lotofyearsinfrontofmeto seemychancesfortheDutch nationalteam.

“But I made a choice early to play for Curacao. OneofthereasonswasIcan playinthesameteamasmy brotherandforthefamilyto seeusplaytogether

“Theotherreasonwasat the time my chances of playing for the Dutch national team, realistically, was not there. I saw a lot of playersfrommyagealready play for the Dutch national team but I didn’t have a chancetobecalledup,sothe choicewasquicktomaketo playforCuracao.”

But Bacuna felt the country’s recent footballing progresswouldinspiremore Dutch-born players to representtheteamknownas TheBlueFamily

“We’re seeing more players that are still young and able to play for Holland and they come to play for Curacao-andmaketheteam even stronger,” added Bacuna.

Club bans micro pads after ‘unbearable’ injury to forward

BBC Sport - Non-league Ilfracombe Town have banned ‘micro’ shin pads after forward

Riley Martin suffered an “unbearable”double-legbreakina South West Peninsula League matchattheweekend.

While there are currently no planstobantheuseofthepads,the FootballAssociationsaystheuseof ‘mini’shinpadshasthepotentialto “increasetheriskofinjury”.

Ilfracombe Town’s fixture at

abandoned after Martin broke his fibula and tibia during a 50-50 c

goalkeeper

“The initial sound of it was unbearable. It was like a shotgun going off,” Ilfracombe Town chairman Nick Jupp told BBC Radio5Live.

“There is no blame on Riley at allforwearingmicroshinpadsbut Ithinkifhehadmorecoverageon

theshinareawithbiggershinpads, theinjurycouldhavebeenlessthan itwas.”

While shin guards are mandatory under the laws of the game, the rules around them are vague.

They currently state that pads mustbecoveredentirelybysocks, madeofasuitablematerial(rubber, plastic or similar) and provide a reasonabledegreeofprotection.

Further FA guidance, external

says: “The amount of shin physically covered is an important consideration, as any part of the shin that is not covered is not as wellprotected.

“‘Micro’ or ‘mini’ shin pads may therefore increase the risk of injuryduetothesmalleramountof shin covered compared to larger sizedshinpads.

“We advise that when considering the protection offered byshinpads,safetyisprioritisedby

ensuring a good proportion of the shin area is covered and therefore protected.”

The International Football

Association Board (Ifab), football’s lawmaker, has been contactedforcomment.

Ifab has previously said it has no plans to change the rules and stressedthatplayers-ortheparents or guardians of youth playersmust take responsibility for their ownsafetyonthepitch.

RegionalSuper50CupRound1…GHEvs.JS Anderson (85), Perez (61), Nandu (54)

lead Guyana in rain-affected opening round

Rain ruined what was shaping up to be an exciting battle between the Guyana Harpy Eagles and the Jamaica Scorpions yesterday, as mother nature hadthefinalsaywhenaction bowled off across Trinidad andTobago.

Batting first, the Eagles got busy with the bat after their top order flexed their musclestohelppost287-6in 47 overs before rain intervened.

RaymondPerez(61)and Captain Matthew Nandu (54) set the tone before Test

player Kevlon Anderson blasted83off60deliveries.

Wicket-keeper Kemol Savory (25), Mavindra Dindyal(26)andall-rounder

RonaldoAlimohamed (25*) kepttherunsflowingforthe Eagles.

Scorpions fast-bowler Marquino Mindley (2-54)

Federertobeinducted

(Reuters) - Roger Federerwillbeinductedinto theInternationalTennisHall of Fame (ITHF) in an induction celebration set for August 2026 in Newport, RhodeIsland,theITHFsaid onWednesday

Federer won 20 Grand Slams, the first male player toreachthebenchmark,and clinched 103 career titles before retiring in 2022. He held the world number one ranking for a record 237 weeksstraightbetween2004 and2008.

“It’satremendoushonor to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fameandtostandalongside so many of the game’s great champions to be recognizedinthiswaybythe sport and by my peers is deeply humbling,” Federer saidinastatementsharedby theITHF

and spinner Brad Barnes (245) tried to contain the rampant Guyanese, with Abhijai Mansingh (1-45) pullinginascalp.

After the Harpy Eagles opening pair added 107, Perez found himself short runningbetweenthewickets andwassentpacking.

Anderson showed his class by providing an alternateapproachtogetting his runs with an ultraaggressivebattingapproach.

The Berbician favored the on-side region for the majority of his runs, finishingwith10foursand3 maximums before falling to Mindley

Apart from Perez who punched 6 fours and a six, only Anderson provided the

boost in the boundary department.

Dindyal, Alimohamed and Savory had a total of 7 boundaries a

ng themselveswithKeemoPaul (0) the only batsman to not get off the mark, as the Jamaicansdidadecentjobin conta

y dangerouslower-order

Meanwhile, over at the Sir Frank Worrell Ground theBarbadosPrideendedon 48-0afterjustfiveovers. Round 2 continues on Friday with the Eagles facing the Windward Volcanoes.(CliftonRoss)

Mitchell replaces Rohit as No. 1 ranked ODI batter

ESPNcricinfo - Daryl Mitchell has dethroned RohitSharmatobecomethe new No. 1 batter in the ICC ODI rankings. This marked just the second time that a New Zealand batter has occupied the top spot, following Glenn Turner’s reignin1979.

A n u m b e r o f contemporary greats like Martin Crowe, Kane Williamson and RossTaylor have spent time in the topfive of the ODI batting rankingsbuthaveneverbeen No. 1. Mitchell made the move up after scoring his seventhODIcentury,against West Indies on Sunday He injured himself during that inningsthoughandwasruled out for the rest of the threematchseries.

Temba Bavuma also enjoyed a significant rise, breaking into the top five of

the Test batting rankings for the first time The South Africa captain scored the onlyhalf-centuryinextreme conditions in Kolkata and helped his team end a 15year period without a Test win in India. Shubman Gill, currently injured, is just outside the top 10 with 737 rating points Joe Root, preparing to play the Ashes on Friday, leads the Test batting pack followed by England team-mate Harry Brook.

MarcoJansen,alsoakey contributor to the events at Eden Gardens, waits just outsidethetop10amongthe Test bowlers rankings and has broken into the top five in the allrounders rankings.

Jasprit Bumrah remains at No. 1 after picking up six wickets in the match, followedbyMattHenryand NomanAli.

Pakistan’s3-0ODIseries win over Sri Lanka resulted in upward movement for their legspinner Abrar Ahmed, who has moved up 11 spots to No 9 on the bowlers’list.

Rashid Khan remains at theheadofthepackfollowed by JofraArcher and Keshav Maharaj.

Jacob Duffy was the highest wicket-taker in the fiveT20IsthatNewZealand playedagainstWestIndiesin November and it reflects in his rise to No. 2 on the bowling rankings. Varun Chakravarthy is ahead of him and Rashid is just behind.Three Indians - Gill (No. 4), Virat Kohli (No. 5) and Shreyas Iyer (No. 8)alongside Rohit (No 2) make up the top 10 in the ODI batting rankings Afghanistan’s Ibrahim ZadranisatNo.3.

The Swiss held the top spot in theATPrankings for 310weeksduringhiscareer, and had long rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the two others in the “big three” of men’s tennisatthetime.

example set by those who came before me I look forward to visiting

“Throughout my career, I’ve always valued thehistoryoftennisandthe

Newport next August to celebrate this special moment with the tennis community,” the 44-yearoldadded.

Daryl Mitchell made his seventh ODI century this week. (Getty Images)

Former tennis player Roger Federer in action with actor Donnie Yen during the celebrity doubles exhibition match against former tennis player Zheng Jie and actor Wu Lei. (REUTERS/Go Nakamura)

Matthew Nandu

Kevlon Anderson

Raymond Perez

Joy Adams urges greater investment in local women’s basketball

ByRawleToney

Fresh off a second-place finish at the FIBAWomen’s Caribbean Championship, Guyana’scaptainJoyAdams is calling on the Guyana Basketball Federation

(GBF) to deepen its investment in locally-based players as the national team prepares for next year’s F I B A W o m e n ’ s CentroBasket Guyana’s runner-up finish marks the country’s best performance at the tournament since lifting the title in 1996 in TrinidadandTobago.

The achievement also helpedinGuyana’sreturnto the CentroBasket stage, one of the most competitive tournamentsintheregion.

Despite the success, Adams believes there is significant work ahead if Guyana is to build on its momentum.

“We have to keep the basketball programme alive right now, developing the local girls, because we need themtobeabletocompeteat the highest level,” Adams said. Astandout during her collegiate career at Iona University, Adams led from the front throughout the championship, but believes that the future must include more opportunities and d e v e l o p m e n t f o r homegrowntalent.

Of the team’s 12-player roster guided by head coach KennyAvent,sixwerebased inGuyana.However,thegap in experience and exposure was evident, with the local contingent seeing limited court time due to the intensity and quality of competition at the regional level. Only two locally-

…GBF

presidentseesimportance indevelopmentinitiatives

based players, Rehaicia Romain (3 points) and Keisha Copperfield (1 point), contributed to Guyana’s 345 total points acrossfourgames. To Adams, this signals

the need for a long-term plan. She stressed that the GBFmust“continuetowork with them [locally-based players], develop them, so that when they get on that stage, they will be able to

Holders Italy ease past Austria to reach Davis Cup semi-finals

BOLOGNA, Italy, (Reuters) - Hosts Italy stayedoncourseforaDavis Cup ‘three-peat’ with a convincing victory over Austria in Bologna on WednesdaytosetupasemifinalclashagainstBelgium. Evenwithouttopplayers Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, the Italians were way too strong in front of a partisan crowd with singles wins for Matteo Berrettini andFlavioCobolli.

The Reuters Daily Briefingnewsletterprovides allthenewsyouneedtostart yourday Signuphere.

Former Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini was first up in the Supertennis

Arena against Jurij Rodionov and after running intotroubleinthesecondset, hewon6-37-6(4).

An inspired Cobolli, Italy’s number one for the week, then thrashed Filip Misolic 6-1 6-3 to complete thejob.Berrettiniwonallsix ofhisDavisCupmatchesfor Italy in 2024 as they defended their title and captain Filippo Volandri keptfaithwiththebigserver onWednesday

It was comfortable enough for Berrettini in the firstsetwhichhesealedwith

an ace.A fault with the lighting inside the arena caused a stoppage in the second set and when play resumed it was Rodionov whoclickedintogearfirstto breakserveforthefirsttime.

The 177th-ranked Rodionov served for the second set at 5-3 but some untidy errors allowed Berrettinitobreakback. Berrettinithenwent0-40

downinthenextgamebuthe servedhiswayoutoftrouble togetbackonlevelterms.

A double-fault by Rodionov handed Berrettini the initiative in the tiebreak and the Italian brought up a match point with a reflex volley before a big serve finishedit.

While the first match was a contest, the second was a procession as Cobolli

competewithanyone.”

Her remarks align with broader concerns echoed within the local basketball c o m m u n

o u t strengthening the women’s programme, en

ring sustainability, and reducing the heavy reliance on overseas-based athletes for internationalcompetitions.

GBF President Michael S

ngh acknowledged Adams’ sentiments and outlined the Federation’s commitment to building a strongerdomesticpipeline.

needed just over an hour to send Italy into the semifinalsonFriday Belgium, seeking to win the competition for the first time, booked their place in the semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over France on TuesdayThe Final Eight continues on Thursday with Spain up against the Czech Republic and Argentina facingGermany

He pointed out that failing to capitalize on the momentum created by the women’s national team would be a disservice to the sport. Singh noted that the GBF will be rolling out several initiatives specifically tailored to the growth of women’s basketball. These include a national club championship designed to increase competition levels and create more meaningful opportunities for local players to showcase and sharpentheirtalent.

“It would be an indictment on the GBF, following the success of the women’s national team, to not continue the momentum and create a pathway that giveslocally-basedplayersa chance not only to be selected,buttocompetewith thebestintheregion,”Singh stated He added that the Federation will also work closely with coaches across thecountrytoidentifyapool of players who will undergo continuous training as Guyanagearsupforthe2026 F I B A W o m e n ’ s CentroBasket.

JamesbreaksNBArecord withfirstgameofseason

Last season James became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points across regular season and play-off games. (Getty

BBC Sport - LeBron Jamesbecamethefirstplayer totakepartin23consecutive NBA seasons when he steppedontothecourtforthe Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday

“He’s going to keep getting his rhythm, and help usalot ” Doncic had a game high 37 points and four steals in the win against the Jazz as he also contributed 10 assists and five rebounds Austin Reaves scored 26 points for the Lakers, while Keyonte G e o rg e a n d L a u r i Markkanenscored34and31 points respectively for Utah The win puts the Lakers fourth in the Western Conference, with theJazzin10thplace

The 40-year-old, who missed his side’s opening 14 games of the season because of sciatica, contributed 11 points, 12 assists and three rebounds in 30 minutes of a 140-126 home win over the Utah Jazz James - the NBA’s record scorerovertook Vince Carter’s mark of having played in 22 successive NBAseasons, while his two three-pointers also moved him above Reggie Miller into sixth place in the NBA’s all-time list of most three-pointers made. “It’s been a long time since he played basketball, so I think for the first game back, he looked amazing,” said Lakers team-mate Luka Doncic.

Breann Ritchie (left) and Junelly Paddy during Guyana’s clash with the Bahamas at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Images)

Italy’s Flavio Cobolli celebrates winning his match against Austria’s Filip Misolic with Italy’s captain Filippo Volandri. (REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo)

Conway and Santner outdo Hope’s

109 to seal it for

Thehoststookanunbeatable2-0leadagainst WestIndiesinthethree-matchODIseries

ESPNcricinfo - Another New Zealand-West Indies game, another last-over finish, another heartbreak forWestIndies.

For the longest time, the stars seemed to be aligning for West Indies. After Shai Hope’sunbeaten69-ball109 tookthemto247for9inthe rain-reduced 34-overs-aside contest, the visitors would have fancied their chances. And they were in this, particularly when New Zealandfoundthemselvesat 194for5,needinganother54 runsoff29balls.Butthen,as

it has so often happened in thewhite-balllegofthistour, Mitchell Santner came clutch and took New Zealandtoafive-wicketwin, givingthemanunbeatable20 lead in the three-match series.

With the equation coming down to 40 off 18 deliveries, Santner took on Matthew Forde, who, by then, had gone at only four runs an over Santner carted Forde for 4, 6, 4 to take 18 runs off the 32nd over Santner then smashed Shamar Springer for four

and six in the second-last over, leaving New Zealand eightrunstowinoffthe34th. It could still have been anyone’s game, but Jayden Seales bowled a chest-high no-ball, which Tom Latham calmly glided over the wicketkeeper Then Santner fittingly sealed the chase with a crash through extra cover as New Zealand prevailed with three balls to spare.Sealeswasdistraught, flinging his cap to the floor, sinking to it himself, and needinghelpfromseveralof his team-mates to come off

New Zealand

thefield.Ashasbeenthecase all through the series, the second ODI ebbed and flowed all the way through.

Chasing 248, Devon

Conway and Rachin Ravindra found the going tough on a treacherous Napiersurface.Butoncethe duo settled down, the runs started to flow They added 106 runs off 99 balls, New Zealand’s first century opening-wicket stand in ODIs in 74 innings since February2020.

Theywerequitescratchy early on, though, against some tight West Indies bowling. Forde got the ball to move both ways as Conwayplayedoutamaiden first up. Conway took the attacking route when he thrashed Seales through point, while Ravindra deposited him over deep midwicketforthefirstsixof New Zealand’s innings Romario Shepherd was introduced into the attack rightafterthepowerplay,but wasunabletostemtheflowof runs.However,Ravindrafell soon after, when, in a bid to upthescoringrate,hesliced Greaves to backward point, whereChasetimedhisjump to perfection. Will Young, shortofruns,cameinatNo. 3, and failed to inject any momentum into the chase. He was beaten multiple times, and fell 14 balls into hisinnings,slogsweepingto deepsquareleg.

Mark Chapman came and went as the hosts lost three wickets in a hurry Conway, meanwhile, stood firm and continued to rack up boundaries regularly He reachedhisfiftyoff54balls,

acceleratorwiththerequired rate climbing. Just when it seemed Conway would break his century-drought, hefellfor90,thrashingacut offSpringerstraighttopoint. With the required rate nowpasttenanover,Latham and Santner joined forces. Theytooktheirtimetosettle in,targetingtheshortsquare boundaries on both sides. It wasn’t until the 31st over, with the required rate in excess of 13, when Santner flipped the switch, and, along with Latham, took New Zealand over the line, helping them register their 11th straight bilateral ODI serieswinathome.

Earlier, West Indies captainHopeshowedhisclass as he single-handedly propelled his team from 130 for6in24oversto247for9in 34,onthewaynotchinguphis 19thODIcentury.

After multiple wafts and across-the-line attempts, Ackeem Auguste pumped Matt Henry straight over his head in what was the first commandingshotofthedayin thefifthover ButWestIndies soon lost John Campbell, whose difficult innings was ended by Jamieson He got a lengthballtomoveawayfrom off stump, and Campbell, lookingtoflayhimacrossthe line, only managed a thick leading edge that nestled into deepthird’shands

Scores: New Zealand 248 for 5 (Conway 90, Ravindra 56, Latham 39*, Santner 34*, Greaves 1-35) beat West Indies 247 for 9 (Hope 109*, Smith 4-42, Jamieson 3-44) by five wickets.

Nathan Smith made an impact with the ball. (Getty Images)

Team Spirit eliminate defending champions Gold is Money in Bent Street/VP Futsal C/ship

- Bent St A, Sparta Boss, Melanie advance to quarterfinals

Anew champion will be crowned

in the Bent Street/VP ‘Champion of Champions’ Futsal Cup as debutant Team Spirit eliminated holders Gold is Money 3-0 at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

Team Spirit was led by the trio of SolomonAustin, Deon Alfred, and Cecil Jackman, who scored in the 24th, 26th, and 29th minutes,respectively

Sparta Boss will also move forward in the tournament, overcoming Corinthians 4-2 Nicholas MacArthur provided an excellent start, smashing a double in the eighth and 14th minutes, while Job Caesarsealedvictorywitha brace in the 24th and 27th ForCorinthians,Wellington Dos Santos recorded a doubleinalosingeffort

Stiff competition between North East and Family end in 3-all stalemate, Family prevailed to 4-1 win after penalty kicks.

On the other side of the court,BentSt‘A”dismantled the Gaza Squad by a 4-1 score-line Back Circle later mauledYMCAof Linden 70 Martin King set the court on fire with a brilliant hattrick;cominginthesecond, fifth, and 26th minutes,

while Sigmund Cobena, Simeon Moore, Daren Benjamin, and Ravin Naughtonscoredindividual goals the 17th, 20th, 24th, and 25th minutes, respectively Similarly, Bent St ‘B’

Youngster Bryan Wharton (with ball) making way for Bent St ‘B’during their Wednesday night’s clash against Stabroek Ballers.

crushedStabroekBallers30withOrinMoore,Antonio MacArthur and Shane James scoring in the 18th, 28th,and30thminutes

Also, Team Family edged North East La Penitence 4-1 on penalty

kicks after regulation time ended 3-3 Earlier in the match, Devon Padmore bagged a double for Family in the 19th and 27th minutes, while Steffon Ramsay scored in the 30th For North East,

Calvin Moore, Shemar Sampson, and Akil Plass nettedonegoalapiece Meanwhile in other results, Melanie edged Make it Happen 1-0 to advance to quarterfinals, while Wash Bay Boys toppled Festival City 3-2

Thewinneroftheeventwill receive $1,000,000 and the championshiptrophy,while the second, third, and fourth-place finishers will pocket$500,000,$300,000, and $200,000, respectively, along with corresponding accolade

The event will also featureawomen’sandyouth segment which will commence at the semifinal round of the main draw $150,000willbegiventothe winner of the women’s section,while$100,000will be awarded to the victors of the youth division Both second-placefinisherswill (Continuedonpage29)

GBF president applauds revamped National Sports Awards

GBF Vice presidents, Jermaine Slater and Rawle Toney receives the Association of the Year Award.

G(GBF) president, Michael Singh, has hailed the transformation of the National Sports Awards, praising its new black-tie format and the elevated prestige surrounding the ceremony.

Theevent,hostedforthe first time as a formal gala since its inception in 1956, showcased a renewed commitmentbytheMinistry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission (NSC) to honouring Guyanese sportingexcellence.

The GBF captured the coveted Association of the Year award, a recognition Singh says the federation deeplyappreciates.

However, he noted that the most impressive aspect of the occasion was the enhanced organisation and present

of the ceremony,heldatthisyearat thePegasusCorporateSuits.

Singh said the National SportsAwardshavereached a new standard, stating that the NSC and the Ministry have “most certainly lifted the profile of the National SportsAwards.”

He further highlighted theintroductionofmonetary incentives as a significant step in motivating athletes and associations.According to Singh, this addition not only boosts the prestige of theawardsbutalsoprovides an important morale lift for thosestrivingtoelevatetheir respectivedisciplines.

“The introduction of monetary incentives certainlyaddstotheprestige of the SportsAwards, and it gives our athletes and associations the moral booster needed to keep pushing the limits in sport,” Singhremarked.

The GBF is the latest organisation to commend the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, led by Minister Charles Ramson Jr, and the NSC under Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, for the improved p r o d u c t i o n a n d professionalismoftheevent.

Singh said the blacktie ceremony reflects the country’s growing appreciation for its athletes and sporting bodies

With the revamped National Sports Awards now setting a new benchmark, Singh believes it will inspire federations and athletes acrossGuyanatocontinue strivingforexcellence

Michael Singh

Joy Adams urges greater investment in local women’s basketball

Devon Conway slices the ball away. (AFP/Getty Images)

Shai Hope went on the charge. (AFP/Getty Images)