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Venezuela passes law NEWS against piracy, blockades amid U.S. oil ship seizures AIETEUR

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Wednesday Edition December 24, 2025 - Vol. 20 No. 51 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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Several GRA staff held in massive tax ‘Venezuela scam Senior Counsel Rafiq Khan sworn-in as Appellate Judge

threatens regional peace’ ...Guyana tells UN Security Council ...warns of border incursions, drug trafficking, gold smuggling and unlawful annexation

Toroparu gold mine to push Canadian company annual production to one million ounces GPHC goes digital with Rum shop brawl leaves launch of website President Irfan Ali alongside newly appointed Justice of Appeal Rafiq Turhan Khan (left)

booking of appointments, miner dead …one arrested …online registration key features

Guyanese company seeking permit for US$81 million deepwater seismic survey

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 24, 2025

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 24, 2025

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Guyanese company seeking permit for US$81M deepwater seismic survey L

atitude Energy Inc, a Guyanese company has submitted an application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct seismic surveys in three deepwater oil blocks, offshore Guyana.

The company said it responded to a request for proposals by the government of Guyana (GoG) for Lot 1 seismic surveys, relating to the specific areas.

According to the project summary seen by Kaieteur News, Latitude energy in partnership with Shearwater GeoServices plans to conduct the proposed survey in Blocks D1, D2 and D3.

The maximum 3D seismic activity area is approximately 13,512 square kilometers with an overall working area of 16,857 square kilometers but is subject to change. The water depth in the survey area will range from approximately 2,500-3,500 meters. The survey site is located in the Atlantic Ocean offshore Guyana within the Exclusive Economic Zone.

The project has a US$81 million budget which includes mobilisation and demobilisation, acquisition, p r o c e s s i n g a n d interpretation of the data as well other costs associated, such as a software license, provision of a Virtual Data room and marketing among others.

The 3D seismic acquisition is estimated to take approximately five and a half months and is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2025, following the acquisition of the necessary permits but is subject to weather conditions.

Following the data collection process, the information will be transferred to a data processing center for interpretation.

The project summary explains, “The purpose of the Project is to acquire and process, 3D marine seismic data to create a high quality geophysical and geological imaging of the subsurface.

3D marine seismic surveys are used in offshore oil and gas exploration to map out the subsurface geology and derisk drilling projects.”

It involves towing an array of cables (streamers) behind the seismic vessel.

These streamers contain receivers (hydrophones) that can pick up reflected sound

A visual representation of seismic activity (Source: EPA Project Summary) from the sub surface. The vessel tows a sound source that emits a sound wave using compressed air in the

water. This sound penetrates the subsurface, reflecting off geological features and being picked up on the

streamers. This data that undergoes processing where it can be used to create a 3dimensional map.

The EPA will now vet the application to determine whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is

required before it grants approval.

Just last week Kaieteur News reported that the regulator ruled out the need for an EIA for 3D seismic activity in shallow waters offshore Guyana.

The planned activity is expected to be conducted over a three-year period, commencing January 1, 2026 to 2028 in three sites, measuring a total of 25,604.78 square kilometers.

The GoG recently concluded its maiden bid round for 14 offshore oil blocks but only eight attracted bidders. In the absence of seismic information government said the response was favourable. It nonetheless indicated its intention to pursue seismic activity to further increase the attractiveness of the Guyana basin.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 24, 2025

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

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

EDITORIAL

Law in place-plus and minus

I

t is reassuring to have a law in place on the vital areas of public life, and sensitive developments in the lives of individual citizens. There is comfort that legal protections are in place, and should there be a violation of rights, the law is there to provide the appropriate level of restraint and relief. The E-ID card system, now in its preliminary rollout stage, a noncompulsory period, has generated considerable interest and anxiety on the part of citizens.

We believe that it is confidence-inducing to have a law in place now, and not later. Put the horse before the cart, and give Guyanese the sense that their highly personal information, some of which is known only to themselves, is secure, and that the right types of legal firewalls are in place, so they can rest comfortably.

Like many developments in this country that give off the positive at the inception, it has been a continuing source of disappointment that what looked good at the beginning, doesn't stay so when examined closely, or put to the test.

There is a Cybercrime law, and its fair application has been called into question, not as a one-off, but too often for Guyanese to rest their head on it.

There have been sharp differences on who is ignored and protected, who is charged and harshly punished, and who is allowed to operate with disdain for the law, and given a mere slap on the wrist, if that. One glaring example of a law that seems to be part of some Machiavellian scheme is the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act. The NRF captures the attention because it has things in reverse order, in what is present, and what required great cunning to leave out. There is a provision that penalises those who spill the beans on wrongdoing with Guyana's most precious natural asset. But there is a noticeable lack of inclusion of a provision in the NRF Act that empowers going after anyone who engages in the committing of an actual wrong relative to Guyana's oil funds. This deficiency could be an accidental loophole, or part of the kind of scheming and preplanning that protect those who violate the law. The claim could be made that no law was broken. If the relevant provision was not made in the law, then no violation occurred, as was claimed in the controversial disposition of two oil blocks in the early days of oil discovery offshore Guyana.

The clamor is for a robust law to stand above the E-ID system, but Guyanese had better keep watchful eyes on what is in such a law but, just as importantly, what is conveniently left out. To have a law is good, but bitter experience has taught Guyanese that when they thought that there is a law to protect them, either it is not as comprehensive as it should be, or that it can be used against them to hurt their interests, and leave them helpless.

Even more glaring is the Access to Information law that has been in place for over 14 years.

It provides a channel for interested citizens to obtain information on different and vital segments having to do with how the government runs their business.

Certain steps have been identified in the law and once followed to the letter, then the information requested should be released within the timeframes specified. The opposite has been the norm generally experienced by those petitioning the Access to Information office.

There has been silence, there has been delay, and there has also been the insulting that Guyanese have been forced to live with, but with little information released, although there is a law to provides for that access. To reduce matters to the unbelievable and ridiculous, the president washed his hands of involvement when he said that he keeps his distance, and doesn't get involved.

There is a law, and then there are these lessons from leaders that speak to their skills in tapdancing around challenging issues put before them.

We know that an E-ID law could give citizens some level of confidence. What we don't know is how the law would be constructed, so as to leave them exposed.

Merry Christmas, Dear Countrymen and Women Dear Editor, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose.

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. And folks dressed up like Eskimos…Although it's been said, many times, many ways Merry Christmas to you.” So, another year has almost passed, and Christmas is upon us once again.

It is the time of year when Christians reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ who they worship as their Lord and Savior. While Christmas is a festive season that represents peace on earth and goodwill towards all mankind, our sympathy goes out to all those who are sick and bedridden in hospitals and to those who have lost loved ones during the year. This Yuletide season should serve as a period of reflection on our lives and how we must redouble our efforts in 2026 to uplift others, live in peace and harmony and to make Guyana a prosperous nation.

If there is ever a time when politics should take a holiday, that time is at Christmas when families come together to celebrate. It would be very easy to dwell on the negative, but in this blessed and joyous season, let us choose happiness over sadness and embrace the special joy of a Guyanese Christmas. Those who can enjoy the warmth of the sunshine in Guyana and its fine dishes: pepper pot, curry, cook-up, garlic-pork, pot-roast chicken, ham, black cake and ginger beer

should think of the cold winter their fellow Guyanese have to endure in the Diaspora and are overwhelmed with nostalgia at this time of the year.

Christmas is a time of healing and goodwill to all mankind. What more appropriate time can there be for us Guyanese to forget the hurt, the animosity, the persecution, the frustration and the bitterness of the past?

We call on each one of you to renew your spirit of love towards one another, hold out the hand of friendship and forgiveness to neighbours, friends; and to those from whom we have been estranged and have done you wrong. Let us recapture the spirit of the message that brought joy to the world 2000 years ago by the Babe of Bethlehem. Let us celebrate and be happy and pledge to work together to free Guyana from the monsters of malevolence, unkindness, poverty and crime. We must spare no effort to understand the true meaning of peace, love and happiness.

In this festive season, we join our brothers and sisters to pray for Guyana as one nation, to make sure all the 83,000 square miles of our territory remain intact, the prosperity of all Guyanese and for commonsense and understanding to always prevail in their actions. We must also pray for peace, happiness and goodwill towards all, hatred and bitterness towards none and for love towards one another.

Perhaps the holidays will give our leaders of every ethnic background a genuine chance to harvest plans that will be inclusive of all in our society, embrace the new year as one of healing, comforting, atonement and cooperation. There is no shortage of sharing and goodwill in Guyana, especially at this time of year. There are stories everywhere of people giving to the less fortunate, the homeless, the elderly, and to children. There are many more acts of kindness displayed throughout the holiday season but which are not reported.

To those who have and continue to extend a kind, courteous, and helping hand to others, we thank you for a job well done. For if that display of human compassion helps to change the life of just one person for the better, it would have been worth the effort. The spirit of giving has not been made easy for many because of the high cost of living. In fact, there are many others who wanted to give but are not able to do so because they could hardly provide for their families. However, the government has shown compassion in giving toys to children in almost every community across the country. But the true meaning of Christmas continues to elude many Guyanese because of their poverty and unbearable living conditions. Too often, it is the greedy, not the needy; the rich and powerful

and not the poor and the powerless that get most of the attention at Christmas.

We commend and admire those who are helping the poor, who through no fault of their own are struggling to make ends meet. Nothing much has changed in their lives of many during the past years and from all indications, this may be a very bleak Christmas for some of them. Our fervent wish in this festive season of goodwill is that all will put their shoulders to the wheel to help develop and build Guyana so that all, not only a selected few, can share in the bounties of its prosperity. We love politics but more importantly, we love Guyana and our fellow Guyanese, especially those who are dedicated and are working tirelessly not only for their own success but for others and the nation.

We graciously ask the Almighty to continue to bless our leaders, our beautiful, beloved and picturesque Guyana and its resilient, loving, caring, peaceful and God-fearing people. We remain proud of the people of Guyana and wish them a bright, successful and happy future and sincerely hope that they live to see and enjoy many more Christmases. Merry Christmas dear countrymen and women; we hope you enjoy the festive season in peace, love and happiness.

May God bless all of you and keep you safe.

Sincerely, Dr. Asquith Rose

AI, Humanity, and the Condition of Being in the Orange Economy Age Dear Editor, The irony could not be starker.

Across leading universities, the very programs best equipped to examine the social, ethical, and political consequences of artificial intelligence are being defunded, even as those same institutions actively promote the widespread use of AI tools in classrooms, administration, and research. This is not innovation. It is institutional auto-cannibalism, someone said.

What this moment exposes is a deeper and more unsettling truth: AI is not

merely a future threat to humanity, it is already reshaping the conditions under which we think, imagine, decide, and act.

And it is doing so not as an enemy, but as a helper.

Much of the public debate still imagines AI as an external danger: a rogue intelligence, a system that escapes human control, a familiar science-fiction apocalypse. Those visions are misleading. The more serious threat today is internal. It lies in how AI integrates itself into everyday life under the language of efficiency, p r o d u c t i v i t y, a n d

optimisation, and in doing so, quietly displaces human judgment, ethical reasoning, and independent imagination.

We can see this clearly in concrete ways. In education systems worldwide, AI tools now answer student queries, automate grading, draft feedback, and manage administrative decisions. In medicine, automated systems transcribe consultations, summarise diagnoses, and assist in treatment planning. In business and government, AI increasingly informs forecasting, policy modelling, risk assessment,

and resource allocation.

These systems undeniably improve output and speed. But they also relocate memory, reasoning, and decision-making away from humans and into opaque technical systems.

This is not a development we can meaningfully “resist.”. Resistance assumes an external force that can be kept at bay. That moment has passed. AI is no longer outside us. It has insinuated itself into our calculations, our projections, our expectations — and increasingly into our imagination.

(Continued on page 5)

Wednesday December 24, 2025

Kaieteur News

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A Brim or Grim Christmas Dear Editor, Our Guyanese counterparts in the Diaspora are dealing with the snow and the cold overseas while we in Guyana are experiencing the rain and the wetness. It is December

month, the season of Christmas, the occasion to express peace, joy and happiness, and a countdown time to ring out the old year and usher in a brand-new year.

On one side of the coin,

people align the times with the spectrum of holiness to commemorate the birth of Christ. Also, on the flip side of the coin, people have criminalised the times with negative activities while the business entities have

commercialised the times with attractive bargains, sales and gimmicks.

Many choose to return home, the place of their birthright, for the holidays.

Whether here or there, Guyanese want to celebrate a

Commonwealth report debunks Mohamed's election lies Dear Editor, Snippets of the Commonwealth Observers Report have now made their rounds in the news cycle.

Every single Guyanese genuinely concerned about democracy should read every election observer report in full; whether they're from the Commonwealth, the EU or from the Private Sector Commission. Heralding one report whilst sneering at the others is demonstrating transparent political bias.

Nothing more and nothing less.

The Commonwealth Report is but the third Observers report to strike down the election lies peddled by WIN Leader Azruddin Mohamed.

Initially, the indicted MP was quick to celebrate the EU Observers Report, despite said report affirming the “transparency” of the elections.

Now we have the

Commonwealth Report.

The Commonwealth election observers confirmed that “no evidence of leveraging voter roll inflation for electoral manipulation has been substantiated to date.” This decisively shreds the lies being peddled by BOTH WIN and APNU: that a bloated voters' list was used to rig the elections.

Upon being sworn in as an MP, Mohamed claimed that the 2025 Elections were rigged; that GECOM's results were fabricated. His evidence?

He claimed that GECOM's website briefly stopped working. Just recently, outside of the Magistrate's Court, in an apparent imitation of Pakistan's Imran Khan, he proclaimed to be the “real President” and once more insisted that GECOM's numbers were fake.

The Commonwealth Report described Polling

Day as “peaceful” whilst confirming that the count was “conducted in a t r a n s p a r e n t m a n n e r. ” Following the completion of the count, the Report underscored that “all party representatives and polling staff signed the tally sheet.” This confirms, once more, that WIN polling agents signed off on every single SOP. Additionally, the Group commended GECOM for “improvements to the overall counting and tabulation process, which allowed for greater transparency.”

Summarising the report on their website, the Commonwealth Group confirmed the fairness of the process, dismantling the “free-but-not-fair ” narrative peddled by members of the WIN camp in several public spaces; that somehow the electoral system was so contrived against the Opposition that

voters were manipulated into democratically reelecting President Ali with a landslide majority. That flimsy narrative has been finally put to rest.

Finally, in closing, the Commonwealth Observer Group commended Guyana and her people for upholding their “steadfast commitment to democracy” whilst also praising GECOM for their “diligence” and “transparency” for the entirety of the electoral process; from tabulation all the way to declaration.

Election lies are a cancer to the health of any democratic society; so too are those who spread them.

With his election lies being discredited by the EU, the PSC and now the Commonwealth, one would hope that he now, finally, accepts this fundamental truth.

Yours faithfully, Nikhil Sankar

AI, Humanity, and the Condition of Being...

From page 4 The real issue is not whether AI will be part of our lives, but whether we are conscious of what is happening to us as it becomes so.

This is the deeper paradox of our time: the more effective and “good” AI becomes, the more dangerous it is, not because it turns against us, but because it turns into a partner. It helps us do things better, faster, and more efficiently, while slowly eroding the very human capacities required to question, challenge, and govern it.

Scholars in AI ethics have described this process as moral deskilling and institutional dependency, a condition in which societies adopt powerful technologies faster than they develop the ethical, cultural, and democratic frameworks needed to live with them.

Human agency does not collapse dramatically; it

thins out gradually.

For Guyana, this matters profoundly.

As we pursue digital transformation and position ourselves within the global Orange Economy, where creativity, culture, and imagination are central assets, we must ask difficult questions.

Are we strengthening the spaces of independent thought and cultural imagination, or are we allowing them to be quietly colonised by metrics of efficiency and output?

This concern is not new to postcolonial thought.

Writers such as Wilson Harris warned against what might be called colonial realism, a linear, instrumental view of progress that reduces human experience to function, productivity, and control.

Harris insisted on non-linear consciousness, on interior spaces of imagination that allow societies to escape imposed realities and

reinvent themselves.

The danger in the AI age is that those interior spaces, the very spaces that made cultural liberation possible, would be lost again, not through overt domination, but through convenience.

When imagination itself becomes optimised, assisted, predicted, and automated, we are entering a new form of enclosure, one that embraces us and feels helpful rather than oppressive.

We are moving toward this condition in which humanity exists somewhere between science and fiction, between human judgment and machine mediation.

Today this integration is largely software.

Tomorrow it will be hardware: wearables, augmented reality, neural interfaces. Smart watches and glasses are only the early signals.

Deeper integrations are already being designed.

This essay is not an

argument against AI. It is an argument for awareness. We must learn to recognise AI not as something “out there” to be feared or resisted, but as something that is reshaping who we are becoming.

The task before us is not to stop this process, that is neither realistic nor desirable, but to see it c l e a r l y, t o n a m e i t s implications, and to preserve s p a c e s o f a g e n c y, imagination, ethics, and human judgment within it.

If we dismantle the institutions and disciplines that think critically about technology while celebrating the technology itself, we do not advance. We regress: quietly, efficiently, and with great enthusiasm.

That is the paradox of both our present and our future. And Guyana would do well to learn about it early, thoughtfully, and honestly.

Yours faithfully, Dr. Walter H. Persaud

homely Christmas, to experience that family comradery and the feeling of warm togetherness. This time of the year gives us a reason to again exchange gifts, buy new clothes, revamp the home, cook mouth-watering delicacies, avail quench-thirst drinks, invite friends and families, attend parties and organise social gatherings.

On the other hand, it is the season to serve humanity. Many become charitable, provide for the less fortunate and become helpful in contributing to the needs of society. While many Christians attend their churches regularly, there are a few who would ensure that their annual attendance synchronises with midnightmass. Carols and Christmas songs do rekindle fond memories.

This month of joyous adventure to prepare for the 25th, brings a moment to redeem oneself, seek to be remorse, to forgive and pardon, to forget old grievances, to make friends, to reach out and make amends, to cooperate and compromise and to go over and above the norm in keeping with the essence of tradition.

Not to undermine the bliss and delight, it is a period not to forget those not in perfect health and to remember those loved ones no longer present. Sorrow is part of life and cannot be overruled with dismay or despair. Pain and pleasure are synonymous with Christmas preparations and programs.

While nothing may be impossible for the rich, the middle class and the upcomers to serenade the holidays with the potency of jubilation and exuberance, everything may be possible for those at the lower end who are scratching their heads to keep them above the water to adopt and adapt, only if, they watch every cent spent with sense.

The jingling bells may compromise the sound of mus ic to the ears of strugglers, stragglers and sufferers who are not strangers to the stratosphere of segregation! Many are surviving through the grace of generosity and this group cannot afford to be “pound foolish” but rather, “penny wise,” with their spending power. Many are forced to be disciplined and save their dollar with discretion, not out of choice but out of alternative!

Some at the top of the ladder take it for granted that all's well with those at the bottom rings of the ladder.

Some could not be bothered with the fragility of vulnerability. Again, some at the upper end do realise that those at the lower end do need more care and attention and that all the amenities of grants, handouts, allowances, entitlements and other social benefits are inadequate to meet the cost of living which presents a real challenge in these trying times.

Over sixty thousand Guyanese are grateful that they have lived to surpass the age of sixty. Some have (Continued on page 6)

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 24, 2025

Saluting Rohan Kanhai at 90 Not Out Dear Editor, On December 26, 2025 Rohan Kanhai will celebrate his 90th birthday. While this is an important milestone for anyone, it is particularly important for our nation as a whole.

Rohan, was indeed our country's first superstar in sports. He strode the cricketing areas throughout the world like a giant. His battling was sheer genius as he played every stroke in the book and invented some of his own. He was a fantastic fielder, particularly in the slips and in his early stage

was one of the best wicket keepers of his time.

Rohan began his career in the 1950s. It was a very difficult period in our country. At that time the progressive forces in Guyana were confronting colonialism and imperialism as we fought for the independence of Guyana.

That movement was led by a villager of Rohan, the great Cheddi Jagan. The anticolonial struggle here had grasped the imagination of freedom loving people the world over but more particularly the people of

Asia and Africa. The struggles in British Guiana, Kenya and South Africa had captured International Headlines in the 1950s and 60s.

The Guyana cricketers of that period in many ways reflected the struggles of our people. But no one more than Rohan with the bat and Lance Gibbs with the ball.

While batting sometimes Rohan would explode and then no bowler could keep him down. It did not matter if it was pace or spin, he would hit them to all parts of the ground, seemingly merciless

yet with an unmatched elegance.

We saw the same with Gibbs and the ball. When he exploded, he was almost unplayable.

Rohan not only played many magnificent innings of which it is almost impossible to pick his best. They were all stupendous. Those cricket lovers who never saw the master “blasting for runs” must be considered as unfortunates.

He was also a very astute

captain of the West Indies.

When the team fell into bad times and began losing a lot, it was Rohan who put it back on its winning ways. He was succeeded by Lloyd under whose leadership the West Indies enjoyed its longest period at the top of the game.

Rohan became a successful coach after he retired. His period of coaching in Jamaica is still remembered fondly. Many Jamaicans at that time named their children after

the great man. This included Bob Marley who had a son named Rohan.

On this occasion of his 90th Birthday I wish to thank him for the pleasure and pride he provided for the cricketing world and for us in Guyana and the Caribbean.

I say Happy Birthday Great One and keep going for the century!

Regards Donald Ramotar Former President

A Brim or Grim Christmas...

From page 5 gravitated with compatible comfort and some are groaning with composed compromise! Many are enjoying the wealth of good health and many are not so lucky to endorse this enthused euphemism.

Guyana is a thriving, developing country, a motivated nation striving to propel a better way of life and to upgrade its standard of living. It has a careful government in management, unlike its careless predecessor. While the capitalist economists may not see eye to eye with the practical politicians, the socialist economists may have to endure the exigency of prioritising a need above a want.

Christmas is a critical time to make crucial decisions when dealing with

cruel circumstances. The criteria for some is to control with conservatism and for others, they can careen off while being carefree.

Guyana is the fastest growing economy in this part of the hemisphere. It is also unshaded from pockets of poverty. Some spend tens of thousands of dollars unreservedly in the market at the end of the week, while some have to spend a thousand dollars collectively and holistically.

Politicians need to pay more attention to the man in the street who have to sacrifice a lot and tighten their belts. 2026 budget should not fatten those who are already bulging at the waist line, but accelerate not sympathetically but systematically, those who are potential candidates with questionable life span.

Our fallen ancestors to whom we are tremendously obligated to for their hard work and dedication to lay the foundation for the country and people to now experience, were unable to enjoy the real richness of this soil and to reap the benefits of their blood, sweat and tears. Guyana now has the golden opportunity to make amends and properly provide for the silver hair generation with c o m p r e h e n s i v e compensation if not repairs for reparation.

This oil rich nation must emphasise with empathy its emancipation with accelerated social infrastructure, aggressively and appropriately, before it's too late. Happy Christmas Guyana.

Yours respectfully, Jai Lall

Wednesday December 24, 2025

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 24, 2025

Senior Counsel Rafiq Khan sworn-in as appellate judge Justice Rafiq Khan, SC was on Tuesday sworn-in as a Justice of Appeal by President Irfaan Ali at a simple ceremony held at State House.

Justice Khan was admitted to local bar in 1984 after graduating from the University of the West Indies with a law degree and obtaining his Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law

School in Jamaica.

On May 21, 2025, five of the seven persons recommended for appointment to the Court of Appeal took their oaths of office before President Ali. Those sworn in at that time were Justices Jo-Ann Barlow, Navindra Singh, Nareshwar Harnanan, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, and Mrs. Joycelin Kyte-Thomas.

Justices Damone Younge

and Rafiq Khan, SC, were scheduled to be sworn in at a later date. On Tuesday, Khan was formally sworn in.

Following the administration of the oath, President Ali, in his remarks, emphasised the importance of the Court of Appeal, stating, “This Court of Appeal is a pivotal institution within our nation's judicial architecture. The Court of

Appeal occupies a central and an indispensable position in our judiciary hierarchy. It serves as a critical step between the courts of first instance and our apex court, the Caribbean Court of Justice.”

He explained that the Court's constitutional role, noting, “Its primary function, the review of decisions from the High Court, is a profound

President Irfaan Ali alongside newly appointed Justice of Appeal Rafiq Turhan Khan constitutional safeguard. It provides a structured mechanism for the correction of errors, uniform development of jurisprudence, and a consistent application of law across all jurisdictions.

The system is deliberately designed to avoid the tyranny of arbitrary decisions where a single judicial officer's ruling will be absolute and unchallengeable.”

President Ali underscored the importance of preserving appellate rights, stating, “It is precisely to guard against the corrosive danger that the right of appeal exists, and this is why the right of appeal must remain and be preserved as a fundamental pillar of due process.”

Commending Justice Khan's elevation to the bench, the President said the appointment recognises his “considerable judicial experience, profound legal knowledge, and respected i n t e g r i t y. ” H e a d d e d , “Justice Khan's presence will undoubtedly strengthen the court's deliberate power.

Furthermore, by augmenting our judicial resources, his appointment facilitates the more efficient management of the appellate caseload, allowing for the expedition of hearings and the timely delivery of reasoned judgments.”

The President assured that citizens can continue to

seek and receive fair hearings before the judiciary and urged the new Justice of Appeal to uphold the Constitution, administer justice without fear or favour, and contribute to the wise and efficient functioning of the Court.

President Ali also commended the acting Chancellor of the Judiciary and the Chief Justice for their efforts in maintaining judicial standards, stating, “In this period of rapid transformation and development, the Chancellor and the Chief Justice has demonstrated their equal commitment and speed to transforming the work of the judiciary and the system that supports the work of the judiciary to meet the future needs of our country and to full proof our judicial system. The DPP is here also an important part of the justice system and the DPP too has been working aggressively in transforming her office in a systemic way.

And that is important to me.”

Also present at the swearing-in ceremony were Prime Minister Mark Phillips; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall; Chancellor of the Judiciary Roxanne George-Wiltshire; Chief Justice, Justice Navendra Singh; Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar AliHack; and other members of the Judicial Service Commission.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 24, 2025

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Our empty parliament and the world’s silence Christmas is at our doorstep. In Guyana, this is often a time for peace in our parliament. Opposing politicians usually take a moment to wish each other well. It is a brief truce in a political fight.

But this year, there will be no Christmas greetings in our National Assembly.

Because our parliament is not meeting. It has not done real work since July.

Think about that. For nearly half a year, our elected representatives have not sat together. They have not debated laws. They have not questioned ministers. They have not scrutinised how our tax money is spent. Our government continues to spend billions. Yet no one in parliament is officially checking how.

This is not normal. This is not democracy in action. It is a freeze. A dangerous stall.

In a healthy democracy, parliament is the engine room. It is where the people’s voice is heard through their MPs. When that engine stops, the whole country drifts. Spending goes unchecked. The government operates without regular, public questioning. This is how mistakes are hidden. This is how accountability dies.

The strange thing is the loud silence from abroad.

Especially from powerful friends who often speak about democracy.

I mean the ABCE countries. America, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. These nations are always talking about the importance of strong institutions. They give speeches on good governance. They say parliaments must hold governments to account.

But here in Guyana, our parliament is closed for business. And from these powerful friends, we hear nothing. Not a word of concern. Not a simple question. This silence is bewildering.

We know America is distracted. It has its own deep political divisions. Its diplomats might be careful about commenting on other countries’ politics right now.

But what about Britain?

What about Canada? What about the European Union?

They are not having a democratic crisis. They have teams of diplomats here.

They see what is happening.

Or do they?

They must know that a soon-to-be six-month parliamentary standstill is a major problem. It is a red flag for democracy. By now, they should know the source of the blockage. They should be asking pointed questions.

They should be urging all sides to let parliament work.

Their silence sends a terrible message. It suggests that this situation is okay. It implies that a frozen

parliament is not a threat to democracy. That is a false and dangerous idea.

It makes ordinary Guyanese wonder. Why are they so quiet? Do they not care about our democracy?

Or is there something else going on?

There is only one other explanation. Perhaps one of these powerful countries is part of the problem. One of them may be the source of the deadlock. If that is true, their silence makes sense.

They would not want to draw attention to a crisis they helped create.

But this is just speculation. We do not know. And that is the point.

Their silence creates space for these dark suspicions to grow. It fuels conspiracy theories. It damages their own credibility as champions of good governance.

Guyana is at a crucial moment. We have great wealth coming from our oil and gas resources. History shows that resource-rich countries often suffer from corruption and poor governance. That is why a strong, active parliament is more important than ever. It is our best defence against the misuse of our national wealth.

The world’s democratic nations should be cheering for our parliament. They should be the first to sound the alarm when it stops

DEM BOYS SEH

Dem ole people did know betta!

L

ook at dis place nuh! Is one day to Christmas and de atmosphere is fast becoming one of frayed nerves and last-minute madness. People running up and down like fowl wid dey head cut off, wrestling fuh get in de last-minute shopping.

Dem Boys Seh, dis generation wid all dem smartphone, online shopping, and “same-day delivery” cyan even enjoy de Season. Is a masterclass in stress! But leh we tell yuh someting: de ole people, wid far less, did understand de sweet science of ease.

Dem didn’t have Amazon. Dem had “amazon”-ing sense. Since back in January, Auntie Doris had she black cake fruits soaking. By now she done cook and getting stale because stale pepper pot gat de right taste.

Uncle Joe had he sorrel bush trimmed and de ginger beer bottling since last week.

Presents? Was a handkerchief, a shiny new exercise book, or a Granny grape—bought early and wrap up neat. Dem boys seh de only “last-minute” thing dem old heads worried ‘bout was who going drink de last tot of brandy.

Dem move wid a cool, deliberate joy. By

de time Christmas Eve come, dem work was done. Dem could actual sit on de veranda, watch we scurry like ants, and sip dey mauby wid a serene smile. Dem understood de fundamental secret: de Season is for enjoying, not just enduring. De music, de breeze, de story-telling—dat was de main event. De preparation was just a quiet, early backstage work.

So, if yuh reading dis and yuh heart abeat like a Soca drum because yuh tree still naked and yuh ham still in de bank, stop.

Take a page from dem ole-time book. Leh de unfinished tasks stay so.

Dem Boys Seh, it too late now for panic.

Abandon de battlefield.! Let dem crowded pavements be for strolling, not sprinting.

Go home. Put on yuh Christmas fairy lights, strike up de music on You Tube, kick up yuh foot, and just be. Don’t overcook. Half de food on Christmas Day does gat to hot back for Boxing Day anyway.

De greatest gift yuh can give yuhself dis year is not another stress headache, but de ole-fashioned, hard-to-find peace of mind.

Dem ole heads did know. Is we, in all we rush, fuhget. Merry Christmas, and try ease up nuh!

Talk half. Leff half.

working. Instead, we get quiet.

This is not just Guyana’s problem. When democracy is weakened in one country, it is weakened everywhere. It sets a bad example. It tells strongman leaders elsewhere that they can shut down parliaments without consequence.

To the ABCE countries, I ask this: Do you believe in your own principles? If you do, your silence is a mistake.

It is a betrayal of the values

you claim to promote.

Speak up. Issue a simple, shared statement. Call for the immediate resumption of parliamentary sittings. Urge all political leaders to put the country’s governance first.

This is not about taking sides. It is about supporting the institution that is the heart of democracy.

Your continued silence is deafening. And it tells us everything we need to know about how much you truly value our democracy.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

BY

S

UTH

D TR

HAR

ALL

KL

GH

Wednesday December 2025 Monday May 02,24, 2022

H@RD TRUTHS

BY GHK LALL

Post-Thanksgiving and pre-Xmas for Ex Ali and VP Jagdeo A

ny Guyanese, or anyone else, who believes that I am against the PPP, PNC, AFC, WIN or FGM is in urgent need of a psychiatrist's couch.

Whoever is in charge has to deliver, with Guyanese getting the best out of them.

When any of the political parties just named is for what

is most beneficial to all Guyanese, then I am for them. No one can come between me and them, nor influence me to stand against them.

For when they are about the best in honest leadership, about what is consistently trustworthy, then clean governance is a foregone conclusion. In

the bag, done and delivered.

I single out Excellency Ali and Vice Pres. Jagdeo for special mention, and what I consider a timely postThanksgiving, pre-Xmas, and early New Year's gift. It is wrapped this way.

Do not look Drs. President and VP at the small cohort of Guyanese conscientious objectors,

free speech apostles, independent thinkers, genuine civil society hands, and patriotic nationalists, and dismiss them as an army of deviationists and undesirables.

They are as Guyanese as any, more than most, and are united in a single thought: what is needed from leaders and

government, so that there is a better Guyana, the best that can be? Hence, there is no basis to see them as outlaws; they are more lawabiding than the greatest majority in the PPP, Messrs.

Ali and Jagdeo. I throw down a gauntlet. There are some citizens of this Republic, who are more lawabiding than the most senior presences in this country.

Those who are outspoken should not qualify for despised outlaw status. For emphasis, Friars Ali and Jagdeo: It shouldn't follow reflexively that those who are not for, are against.

Life is neither that binary, nor Manichean.

Personally, I like being a Christian capitalist nationalist.

All should breathe easier. On the other hand, whoever has a problem with that, just condemned themselves to a lifetime of self-torture, and mental disconnections from the better things in life. Hold this close: there are those who are for one thing, and one vision, only, -a better Guyana. where even the penniless widow and the fatherless wastrel are held as special citizens.

And a conscientious one seen as an extraordinary one, who will not be cowed; and who doesn't need to be coddles.

In taking another tack, I present a little history lesson. The more that democracy and leadership rule draw closer and closer to tyranny, the more there are some citizens, who stand up and speak searingly that what is going on is oppressive and repressive.

Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn did so in the USSR; King did it in the US; Rodney did it in Guyana.

Earnest men do not start out thinking that they will end up heroes.

Or dead. But they will stand and fight for what they believe is right. It's universal, not racial. It is the unconquerable human, not purchasable partisan passion.

The sooner that Drs. Ali and Jagdeo can get a grip on that, the sooner that they should be able to discern that they will not succeed in driving an entire nation into a quivering

wreck.

People have genuine concerns about the integrity of leadership, the quality of the government that they live with, and these are convictions that ought not to be stuffed into the prism of politics, but where they rightly belong.

That is, in the call of civics, the call of country, and the duties that are attached. It's instinctive for a few.

There are those who resist living like worms under the boot of oppressors. Those who refuse to live like dogs forced to behave themselves and wait for a loose bone.

Chew on this. There are those who are deeply ensconced in the AliJagdeo camp, but because there is so much that is not being done right, certain developments trickle to the street.

What to make of them?

Deviants from the house line?

Traitors to the cause, regardless of how ill-conceived, illenforced, and ill-fated?

Nobody did jump ship.

But, after a time, they cannot live with their consciences, or face their children, or kneel before their god anymore. A few, only a mere handful, begin to hate who they have become, despise the life they live.

A cabal that is held together by conspiracy and crimes can only last so long.

Even the most locked down, the most secret of societies, like the Vatican, the Theocracy in Te h e r a n , a n d t h e Freemasons, have had their adherents who fell out, and walked off. How many are going to be blocked to stop the flow? Whether Robert Calvi, or Adnan Khashoggi, or Navalny.

I s a y i t s o f t l y.

Guyanese see through the s m o k e s c r e e n s , d i s t o r t i o n s , exaggerations.

Some speak up. Learn to live with them, Dr. Pres, Dr. VP. It's the only way.

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

Wednesday December 18, 2025

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Caribbean strengthens frontline defences through Genomics and regional collaboration

E

arlier this month, the University of the West Indies (UWI) hosted a virtual regional meeting to strengthen regional collaboration in infectious disease diagnostics, genomic surveillance and scientific research for over 40 veterinary and public health officers, laboratory professionals and academic researchers from some 10 Caribbean countries and territories.

Held in collaboration the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the session titled “Strengthening Partnerships and Cooperation for the Advancement of Infectious Disease Diagnostics and Research in the Caribbean” was organised

by Professor Christine Carrington, Professor of Molecular Genetics and Virology and Dr. Arianne Brown-Jordan, Laboratory Coordinator and Research Scientist at The UWI/PAHO/WHO Reference Sequencing Laboratory, Faculty of Medical Sciences, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

A key outcome of the meeting was a shared commitment to enhancing regional coordination and minimising duplication of effort as genomic surveillance expands across the Caribbean. Participants identified next steps, including specialised training in genomics and bioinformatics, the formulation of national genomic surveillance strategies and greater advocacy for integrating genomics into public health policy and preparedness frameworks.

Reflecting on the event, Professor Carrington noted, “We all gained valuable

insights into the needs and concerns of other stakeholders, the capacity available to help Caribbean countries access and apply cutting-edge genomic tools and most importantly how we can support each other.”

Overall, the meeting reinforced the critical role of partnerships among academic institutions, regional health agencies and international organisations in building resilient, data-driven systems to strengthen health security and safeguard public health throughout the Caribbean.

P r o f es s o r C h r is tin e Carrington emphasised the role of academic institutions in supporting regional infectious disease surveillance and highlighted The UWI's infectious disease genomics activities in this sphere. Professor Carrington also introduced plans for a UWI Centre of Excellence for One Health molecular epidemiology and genomics, envisioned as a key resource for research, training and regional collaboration.

The meeting highlighted the need to expand sequencing capacity, strengthen hospitallaboratory data capture systems and better align genomic data with existing epidemiological and surveillance frameworks.

Participants addressed practical challenges of implementing genomic surveillance within public health systems, including workforce development, sustainable financing, policy integration and equitable access to funding, tools and data.

Dr. Jairo Méndez-Rico, PAHO Regional Advisor for Viral Diseases, delivered the opening remarks and presented on “Strengthening Laboratory Systems and

Gun, ammo found during Vryheid’s Lust operation Police are investigating the recovery of a suspected illegal firearm and ammunition following an intelligence-led operation conducted on Monday December 23, 2025 between 12:00hrs and 13:00hrs at Vryheid's Lust, East Coast Demerara.

During the operation, police ranks observed a 33year-old businessman of Vryheid's Lust behaving in a suspicious manner. Police ranks approached the man, who discarded an object

into a nearby trench.

A search was conducted in the said trench, during which ranks recovered one suspected 9mm pistol along with a magazine containing six (6) live rounds of ammunition. The suspect was arrested and escorted to the Sparendaam Police Station along with the suspected firearm and ammunition, which were lodged pending investigation. The suspect remains in Police custody as investigations continue.

Networks for Health Security.”

He outlined PAHO's ongoing initiatives across Latin America and the Caribbean and emphasized the integration of laboratory platforms with broader disease surveillance systems.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sue Min Nathaniel, Manager of Laboratory Services and Networks at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), discussed advancing infectious disease surveillance in the Caribbean.

Dr Nathaniel highlighted the

region's unique vulnerabilities, the importance of timely, accurate data for rapid detection and coordinated response and CARPHA's approach to strengthen health security across its 26 member states.

F e a t u r e p r e s e n t e r, Professor Nuno Faria, Professor of Virus Genomic Epidemiology at the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, explained how infectious disease

genomics can provide actionable public health intelligence. Drawing on examples from epidemics of mosquito-borne arboviruses such as dengue, chikungunya and zika virus, he discussed the role of viral sequencing, outbreak sampling strategies and how genomic data informs public health interventions.

He also emphasised the need for genomics to be fully embedded within surveillance networks and highlighted the role of

metagenomics for detecting pathogens not picked up by routine diagnostic testing.

Valuable information on available tools and databases for genomic epidemiology was also shared. Following this, Dr. Brown-Jordan presented on integrating genomic data into national public health surveillance and the importance of countries developing national strategies and directives for integrating genomics into national infectious disease surveillance frameworks.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 24, 2025

Toroparu gold mine to push Canadian company's annual production to million ounces

T

he 5.4-millionounce Toroparu Gold Project in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) is expected to play a key role in lifting Canadian miner Aris Mining Corporation's annual gold production to one million ounces.

Aris Mining operates two producing gold mines in Colombia (Segovia & Marmato). The company is also developing the Toroparu mine in Guyana

and the Soto Norte project.

Aris Mining Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Neil Woodyer outlined the company's growth trajectory during an interview with BNN Bloomberg, noting that Aris is already on track to reach 500,000 ounces annually from its Colombian operations, with Toroparu and another Colombian project providing the pathway to doubling that output.

“Okay, we started four

years ago. We've acquired two mines and we're now this year producing about 250,000 ounces,” Woodyer said. “We're expanding both mines.

We've expanded our Segovia mine which produces 200,000 the production facility and over the next year we'll ramp it up to 300,000.”

He explained that the company is also expanding another operation. He said, “We're also expanding…by

building an industrial mine below the small mine that we have and that will take us to just over 200,000. We expect to have the first gold pour towards the end of next year.”

According to Woodyer, once those expansions are completed, Aris Mining expects to reach its initial production target. “So, in total in nearest time we'll be at 500,000 ounces and we have two additional projects, one in Guyana and one in

Colombia, which if we're able to put that into production over the next few years, in fact, gives us a very clear road to a million ounces from our own resources,” he said.

When asked how long it could take to reach one million ounces per year, Woodyer responded, “I think by the time we have Soto Norte permitted, two and a half years, two and a half years to build, five years order of magnitude.”

The Guyana project referenced by the CEO is the Toroparu Gold Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in the country.

Aris Mining, through its local subsidiary ETK Inc., has been seeking to advance the project by converting existing small- and mediumscale permits into a largescale mining licence.

As previously reported

by Kaieteur News, Toroparu is expected to produce an average of about 235,000 ounces of gold per year over a mine life of more than 20 years, yielding approximately five million ounces of gold, along with significant silver and copper by-products.

Aris has already applied to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Minister of Natural Resources to convert its small-scale claim licenses, mining permits, and prospecting permits into large-scale mining licenses to advance the project.

Notably, Aris Mining also disclosed in the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) that the

Aris Mining Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Neil Woodyer environmental permit for the Toroparu project has been renewed, allowing operations to continue until September 2029. The permit, which took effect in October 2024, will remain valid for five years. Aris Mining stated that it must apply to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by March 31, 2029, for renewal.

Guyana is set to reap an estimated US$3.4 billion in taxes and royalties from the Toroparu Gold Project, which is expected to generate US$14.7 billion in gold sales based on a base gold price of US$3,000 per ounce over its 21-year mine life.

Under the Mineral Agreement with the Government of Guyana, the project will pay an 8% royalty on gold sales, 1.5% on silver, and 1.5% on copper. It was stated that the royalties are deductible from tax able inco me u n d er Guyana's 30% corporate tax rate. Notably, a 2011 mineral agreement between ETK and the Government of Guyana established a tiered gold royalty of 5% for prices up to US$1,000 per ounce and 8% for prices above that.

Rum shop brawl leaves miner dead - one arrested

A

S u n d a y brawl at a liquor shop in the Cuyuni ended in terror after a 42-year-old gold miner was stabbed to death.

The victim has been identified as Michael John Benn called “Mikey”, a gold miner of Charity, Essequibo Coast.

T h e i n c i d e n t o c c u r r e d a t approximately 02:00 hrs at Aranguy Landing, Cuyuni River.

A statement from the G u y a n a P o lice Force (GPF) stated that at the time of the incident, Benn

was at a liquor shop where he became involved in an altercation with two males, during which he sustained stab wounds to his chest.

One suspect is c u r r e n t l y i n p o lice custody assisting with investigation. The other suspect remains on the run.

“The body is presently stored at the Aranka Police Station awaiting transportation to the Bartica Regional Hospital where a postmortem examination is to be conducted,” police said.

Investigations are continuing.

Wednesday December 24, 2025

Kaieteur News

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'Venezuela threatens regional peace’ Guyana tells UN Security Council Warns of border incursions, drug trafficking, gold smuggling and unlawful annexation Guyana on Tuesday warned that Venezuela is a threat to regional peace and reminded the United Nations Security Council of the Bolivarian Republic's illegal actions against this country over the years.

During a meeting of the Council, Guyana's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Trishala Persaud, told members of ongoing threats to Guyana's sovereignty posed by Venezuela. Her presentation highlighted growing regional security concerns and called for urgent international attention.

Addressing UN Secretary-General António Guterres and members of the Council, Persaud reminded the body of its “solemn responsibility of the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with the United Nations Charter.” She stressed that the situation facing Guyana warranted immediate concern, stating that it was not an exaggeration to say that peace and security in the region are “gravely threatened, meriting the Council's urgent attention.”

She added, “Guyana is among those states most affected by these threats. In defiance of international law, including the express orders of the International Court of Justice, Venezuela has, by presidential decree and legislative enactment, purported to unlawfully annex more than two-thirds of Guyana's sovereign territory.”

Persaud further highlighted recent incidents in which military forces operating adjacent to Guyana's borders entered its territory and issued threats.

She also drew attention to illegal activities facilitated across the border, stating, “Disregarding the universally recognised international boundary between our two states, it has allowed and facilitates the transport of illicit drugs into Guyana while illegally mining Guyana's gold and smuggling it out of our country.”

Speaking forcefully on the impact of drug trafficking and gold smuggling originating from Venezuela, Persaud warned of the broader consequences f o r t h e r e g i o n . “ M r.

President, trafficking of illicit drugs, in particular, has for too long been a scourge on our region, driving crime and violence, and undermining the rule of law by weakening state institutions, fueling corruption, financing conflict and terrorism, and threatening national and regional security,” she said.

She added that despite efforts by regional leaders, progress has been limited.

“There has been a consistent but thus far unsuccessful effort by leaders in our region to disrupt the criminal networks, some of them state sanctions, that fuel this cycle of destruction.

Meanwhile, the threat to our security has grown more urgent and more acute. We cannot put off any longer the decisive action that is required to address it, but none of us can hope to accomplish this acting alone.”

Persaud emphasised the urgent need to strengthen cooperation with international partners, particularly those in South, Central, and North America and the Caribbean. “We must act collectively in a manner that preserves the stability of our region. We long recognise the pursuit of peace, which enhances the safety and security of our peoples,” she said.

She concluded by noting that Guyana's aspiration for healthy, safe, and prosperous lives for its people can only be achieved in an environment of sustained peace and stability. Such conditions, she said, require cooperation and collective action among states committed to these goals.

Persaud affirmed that Guyana remains fully committed to such partnerships and pledged its utmost support toward achieving lasting regional peace and security.

Depriving Venezuela Meanwhile, the United

States told the United Nations on Tuesday it will impose and enforce sanctions "to the maximum extent" to deprive Ve n e z u e l a n P r e s i d e n t Nicolas Maduro of resources as Russia warned other Latin American countries could be next.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has for months waged a campaign of against suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast and the Pacific coast of Latin America. He has threatened strikes on Venezuelan land. "The single most serious threat to this hemisphere, our very own neighbourhood and the United States, is from transnational terrorist and criminal groups," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz told the U.N. Security Council.

The U.S. has ramped up its military presence in the region and Trump announced a blockade of all vessels subject to U.S. sanctions. So far this month, the U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted two tankers in the Caribbean Sea, both fully loaded with Venezuelan crude. The Coast Guard is also pursuing a third empty vessel that was approaching the OPEC country's shore. "The reality of the situation is that sanctioned oil tankers operate as the primary economic lifeline for Maduro and his illegitimate regime. The sanctioned tankers also fund the narcoterrorist group Cartel de Los Soles," Waltz said.

Washington designated Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, as a foreign terrorist organisation late last month for the group's alleged role in importing illegal drugs into the U.S. It accuses Maduro of leading Cartel de los Soles.

Venezuela's government rejected what it called a "ridiculous" move to designate the "non-existent" group. "This intervention which is unfolding can become a template for future acts of force against Latin American states," Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily

Nebenzia told the Security Council, citing a recent strategy document from Trump that said the U.S. will reassert its dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

Wa l t z s p o k e a f t e r Nebenzia and did not directly respond to his remark.

China urged the United States to “immediately halt relevant actions and avoid further escalation of tensions,” China's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Sun Lei told the council. Venezuela, backed by Russia and China,

Guyana's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Trishala Persaud, requested Tuesday's meeting, the second held on the escalating tensions. The Security Council first met in October, when the United States justified its actions as consistent with Article 51 of the founding U.N. Charter, which requires the Security Council to be immediately informed of any action states take in self-defense against armed attack. "Let it be clear once and for all that there is

no war in the Caribbean, there is no international armed conflict, nor is there a non-international one, which is why it is absurd for the U.S. government to seek to justify its actions by applying the rules of war," Ve n e z u e l a ' s U . N .

Ambassador Samuel Moncada told the council.

"The threat is not Venezuela the threat is the U.S. government," he said.

PAGE 14

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 24, 2025

Guns found during Karasabai investigation

Gerald Issacs

P

olice in Regional Division # 9 are investigating the discovery of two illegal firearms during enquiries into a report of Simple Larceny at Karasabai Village, South Pakaraimas.

On Sunday December 21, 2025 about 14:20hrs ranks from the Karasabai Police Station responded to a report in relation to an alleged Simple Larceny which reportedly occurred on Friday December 19, 2025 about 20:30hrs at the said location.

As part of the investigation, police ranks proceeded to a residence at Jawarie Village, South Pakaraimas, where investigations conducted resulted in a search of the premises.

During the search, one .36-gauge shotgun and one 20-gauge shotgun were discovered in a bedroom area.

A 42-year-old male farmer of the said village was arrested and escorted along with the firearms to the Lethem Police Station. The suspect was placed into custody and the firearms were lodged as investigations continued.

Subsequent to the investigation, Gerald Isaacs, a 42-year-old Farmer of Jawarie Village, South

The shot guns seized by police Pakaraimas was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm without a license, contrary to Section 16(2)(a) of the Firearms Act, Chapter 16:05. On Monday December 22, 2025 about 11:00hrs, the defendant appeared at the Lethem Magistrate's Court before His Worship Magistrate Omadatt Chandan, where the charges were read and he pleaded guilty to both counts.

He was fined $50,000 and sentenced to two years' imprisonment on the first count and fined $50,000 and sentenced to two years' imprisonment on the second count.

Wednesday December 24, 2025

Cops intervene after Agricola boys found with toy guns

The toy guns that were found by police Police ranks acting on information conducted an operation on Tuesday at about 14:10hrs at Romulus and Brutus Streets, Agricola.

During the operation, police ranks conducted checks on a group of juveniles who were seated at a nearby stand. During the checks, several toy items resembling firearms were observed on a table at the location.

The juveniles were cautioned and advised against portraying or using toy items in a manner that could be interpreted as criminal or threatening.

The Blood Bank is always in need of ‘O’ positive blood type. NBTS never stop taking ‘O’ positive type.

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 24, 2025

GPHC goes digital with launch of website …online booking of appointments, registration key features T h e G e o rg e t o w n P u b l i c Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the country’s main referral hospital, officially launched its website on Monday.

According to a statement shared on the hospital’s Facebook page, the launch represents “a significant milestone in the institution’s ongoing digital transformation journey.”

The website was developed in collaboration with Fiscal Frontier, a local, women-owned Guyanese business. GPHC noted that the company’s technical expertise and partnership were instrumental in delivering a platform tailored to the hospital’s operational needs and long-term vision.

The website, which can be accessed at https://gphc.gov.gy/, the website offers patients, staff, students, partners, and members of the public a, “seamless and userfriendly digital experience,” according to the hospital. The website serves as a central hub for health advisories, hospital updates, educational resources, career opportunities, and essential contact information, strengthening communication and public engagement.

Through the platform, patients can also access the online booking

CEO of the GPHC, Robbie Rambarran system at the Festival City Polyclinic to schedule appointments, connect to the MyHealth platform, and learn more about the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system scheduled for introduction. GPHC emphasised that these features are intended to support a more connected, efficient, and patient-centred healthcare experience.

Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive Officer Robbie Rambarran offered remarks stating, “In the age of technology, patients, families, and communities increasingly seek timely and accurate information, and this platform helps us meet that need,”

he said. He added that as healthcare continues to evolve, institutions must adopt digital tools to support emerging systems and services.

Rambarran further noted that the website complements several communication initiatives already implemented at GPHC, including structured information-sharing systems and identifiable support points within the hospital.

The hospital explained that the launch of the website aligns with its broader vision for digital healthcare transformation, which includes the phased introduction of e-health services across its branches to enhance access, efficiency, and overall patient experience.

Communications Manager Stacy Peters in providing an overview of the platform, noted that for years patients, students, and members of the public had difficulty accessing reliable information about the institution.

“This website bridges that gap by providing a centralised, reliable source of information for the people we serve,” she said.

GPHC reaffirmed its commitment to continuous improvement, noting that the website will continue to evolve with additional features and content to be introduced over time.

GPHC’s website

Wednesday December 24, 2025

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 24, 2025

Several GRA staff held in massive tax scam Several employees of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) were arrested in relation to a suspected vehicle tax evasion scheme. This was confirmed by GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia on Tuesday.

Kaieteur News understands that several officers from the Customs and Licensing Departments were detained after investigators from the Criminal

Investigation Department (CID) visited the GRA headquarters on Camp Street, Georgetown.

It is alleged that the officers were detained in relation to the alleged underdeclaration of imported vehicles, including false declarations of engine size, year of manufacture and vehicle value, resulting in significant tax losses in relation to a popular auto dealer.

Wednesday December 24, 2025

Kaieteur News

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Beckles: PM behaving like a dictator ( N e w s d a y ) OPPOSITION Leader Pennelope Beckles says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's shifting narrative on TT's support for the ongoing US military deployment in the Southern Caribbean and the establishment of a US military radar in Tobago, suggest Persad-Bissessar is increasingly behaving like a dictator rather than a leader who will subject herself to proper accountability and scrutiny by the people who elected her to office on April 28.

Beckles, who is also PNM political leader, made this comment in response to Persad-Bissessar's disclosure for the first time that US Marines have established a support office at the ANR Robinson International Airport next to the G/ATOR radar system which they established there in November.

Developed by American aerospace and defence technology company Northrop Grumman, the G / AT O R i s a t h r e e dimensional, medium/longrange multi-role radar designed to detect unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, air-breathing

targets, rockets, artillery, and mortars.

The company “primarily serves US. defense needs and its allies, solving tough problems in national security.”

Northrop Grumman's areas of focus include developing military aircraft such as stealth bombers, defence systems (military radars) and autonomous systems (such as unmanned aerial drones).

In response to questions posed on December 21 about support vehicles and tents established around the radar at the airport, PersadBissessar said, “The picture is self-explanatory. There is a radar with the support office to operate it.”

In one media report, Persad-Bissessar appeared to become irritated with continuing questions about the radar. “Please stop wasting my time with this nonsense.

Feel free to send any questions on sensible issues in the future. Have a wonderful evening.”

In a Facebook post on December 22, Beckles said Persad-Bissessar comments reflect a shifting narrative about the radar which continues to leave the

Pennelope Beckles. The Arima MP's office helped a bullied schoolgirl resume learning at a new school. - File photo by Angelo Marcelle country with more questions than answers.

“Citizens should not have to go on a hunt for information that rightfully belongs to them, especially when the issue touches national security and sovereignty. Leadership requires openness, not dismissiveness.”

Beckles observed Persad-Bissessar repeated allegations about alleged drug ties to the PNM and the PNM having an obsession with the radar, in response to questions about the radar.

“When pressed to explain what appears to be a military base, the Prime

Minister chose instead to attack the PNM. That response was reckless and irresponsible” Beckles has dismissed PersadBissessar's drug tie claims She said, “Even more disturbing was her suggestion that genuine questions from the public are a waste of her time and mere nonsense. That attitude reflects contempt for the very people she is meant to serve.”

Beckles added PersadBissessar is wrong to claim that anyone is obsessed about the radar and the reasons for its establishment.

“No Trinbagonian is

obsessed but rather concerned. We are asking for clarity on a matter of national importance.” Beckles repeated,”What deepens the unease is the constantly shifting narrative. One day the story changes, the next day the tone changes.”

She said, “This inconsistency erodes trust and fuels uncertainty.”

Tobagonians, Beckles continued, should be very concerned about Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine lack of clarity about the radar.

“It is also deeply troubling that the Chief S e c r e t a r y, w h o w a s promised Tobago autonomy, appears to have been left in the dark on matters that should be shared as a matter of respect and protocol.”

Augustine has publicly said he was never consulted about the radar and should be a member of the National Security Council (NSC) which is now chaired by Persad-Bissessar.

Former national security minister Gary Griffith has said only cabinet ministers qualify to be NSC members and even within cabinet, only a select few are allowed to sit on the NSC.

Griffith added the heads of the protective services, such as the police commissioner and TT Defence Force chief of staff, are not NSC members.

Beckles repeated her condemnation of PersadBissessar's criticism of anyone questioning the radar and TT's ongoing support for US actions in the southern Caribbean at a UNC Christmas Supper at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's on December 18.

“I have always maintained, as every prime minister before has done, that TT must respect international law and maintain proper relations with all countries, including the US.” Beckles also repeated her condemnation of Persad-Bissessar's continuing simultaneous defence of the US and criticism of Caricom for questioning US actions in the region.

She said every prime minister from Dr Eric Williams to Stuart Young “before April 2025 has also accepted the duty of upholding and enhancing the value and importance of Caricom solidarity and contributing to our regional integration movement.”

Colombia declares economic emergency in a criticised effort to raise more taxes (AP) — Colombia 's government has declared an economic state of emergency that enables President Gustavo Petro's administration to issue taxes by decree, as the nation struggles to finance hospitals and the military while paying off record debts.

Petro issued the decree late Monday.

His leftist government recently failed to get congressional approval for a tax bill that would have boosted the government's budget by $4 billion in 2026, a year featuring presidential

and congressional elections.

Public spending under Petro, elected in 2022, has ballooned to levels that exceed spending during the pandemic. Colombia's national government has a budget of approximately $134 billion in 2025.

The decree says the government needs more funds to pay fuel subsidies, cover health insurance payments and invest around $700 million in infrastructure that will enable the military to counter drone attacks from

rebel groups.

The government has yet to publish a law that spells out the taxes it wants to impose under the emergency.

Leaked documents reported by local media last week show that the government plans to impose new wealth taxes on businesses and individuals and place a steep sales tax on alcohol, including rum and wine.

Business associations have been highly critical of the decree, which they have described as authoritarian

and designed to circumvent congressional oversight.

Bruce Mac Master, president of Colombia's National Association of Industrialists, asserted on social media that the decree was a “flagrant abuse of the rule of law.”

Many analysts expect the Constitutional Court to overturn the decree.

Under Colombian law, a state of economic emergency can be declared only when there is a grave, imminent and unexpected threat to the nation's economic order.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks at a ceremony marking the ninth anniversary of the signing of a peace deal between the state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, November 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

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Freed students of St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Papiri community pose for photographs upon their arrival at the government house, in Minna, Nigeria, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) (AP) — Nigerians on Africa’s most populous coun- Nigeria’s conflict-battered during the attack.

Monday got their first look try. Officials did not say whether north.

Maj. Gen. Adamu Garba Most of those seized in Laka, national coordinator at at 130 children and teachers a ransom — common in such released after being seized in abductions — had been paid. the attack were aged be- Nigeria’s Center for Counter one of the largest mass ab- No group has claimed respon- tween 10 and 17, the school Terrorism, told Monday’s ductions in the country’s his- sibility, but residents blamed said. One of the children re- event that Nigeria will work armed gangs that target leased earlier told The As- with community leaders to tory.

Some of the children ap- schools and travelers in sociated Press that gunmen boost safety in high-risk arpeared to be malnourished or kidnappings for ransom across threatened to shoot them eas. in shock as they arrived at a government ceremony. Police said they were freed Sunday, a month after gunmen stormed their Catholic school in Niger state’s Papiri community in a predawn attack.

Authorities said plans were underway to reunite the children with their families before Christmas.

Authorities earlier said 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were seized and 50 of them escaped in the hours that followed.

But on Monday, Niger state Gov. Mohammed Bago indicated that 230 had been taken and all had now been released.

School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in

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Wednesday December 24, 2025

Venezuela passes law against piracy, blockades amid US oil ship seizures (Reuters) - Venezuela’s ruling-party controlled National Assembly unanimously approved a law on Tuesday that allows prison sentences of up to 20 years for anyone who promotes or finances what it describes as piracy or blockades.

The law, which includes “other international crimes”, comes after recent U.S. actions against Venezuelan oil shipments.

The U.S. Coast Guard seized a sanctioned supertanker carrying Venezuelan crude earlier this month and attempted to intercept two other vessels linked to Venezuela over the weekend, U.S. officials said.

The interceptions mark Washington’s toughest blow to state oil company PDVSA since its Treasury Department sanctioned the o i l c o m p a n y ’s f o r m e r trading partners, two subsidiaries of Russia’s Rosneft, in 2020, forcing it to cut production and exports.

Lawmakers attend an extraordinary session to discuss a bill opposing measures by U.S. President Donald Trump that restrict sanctioned oil tankers from entering and leaving Venezuela, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 22, 2025. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria

PDVSA was already under sanctions since 2019.

The draft “Law to Guarantee Freedom of Navigation and Commerce Against Piracy, Blockades,

and Other International Illicit Acts” was introduced on Monday by progovernment lawmaker Giuseppe Alessandrello.

National Assembly

President Jorge Rodriguez said at the end of the session the bill will be sent to the executive for approval and w i l l t a k e e ff e c t o n c e published in the Official

Gazette.

Wa s h i n g t o n h a s increased pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro in recent months, including stepping

up a military build-up in the Caribbean and killing dozens of people in strikes on boats it says, without providing evidence, are trafficking drugs off its coasts.

U.S. authorities say the operations are part of efforts to combat sanctions evasion and drug trafficking.

Maduro says the United States is seeking to undermine Venezuela’s economy and remove him from power.

Rodriguez also blasted Ve n e z u e l a ’s p o l i t i c a l opposition, whose leader has been in hiding for months but traveled to Oslo earlier December to collect her Nobel Peace Prize.

He accused the opposition of promoting sanctions and said they “stole, plundered, bowed down to U.S. imperialism,” adding that “they are happy with the aggressive actions currently taking place in the Caribbean Sea.”:

Gaza patients facing death as Israel continues to block medical supplies (AL-JAZEERA) Gaza’s health system is on the brink of an unprecedented collapse, with thousands of patients facing death or disability amid a harsh Israeli siege on the enclave, a top health official has warned. Munir al-Barsh, director-general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that the situation inside the territory’s hospitals was “tragic and horrific”, as Israeli authorities continued to block the flow of muchneeded medical supplies, directly impacting the ability of doctors to respond to critical cases.

Doctors in war-ravaged Gaza have long warned that their efforts to save lives are being badly hampered by Israel’s refusal to allow the most essential medical supplies in. Despite a United States-backed ceasefire that took effect in October, Israel continues to violate its

agreement with Hamas by failing to allow in agreed quantities of medical aid trucks, deepening what the Health Ministry has described as a critical and ongoing health emergency.

Al-Barsh said the health system was suffering from widespread shortages of medicines and medical supplies, particularly surgical consumables needed to perform operations.

He said nearly threequarters of the supplies needed were unavailable, with severe shortages of solutions, anaesthetics, gauze and dialysis supplies, while power outages and a significant shortage of generators were also hampering their work.

The situation was the most dangerous seen since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority more than 30 years ago, he said.

During Israel’s genocidal war, which has spanned more

Injured Palestinian children are brought to al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza following Israeli army attacks last month [File: Moiz Salhi/Anadolu] than two years, nearly all of G a z a ’s h o s p i t a l s a n d healthcare facilities have been attacked, with at least 125 health facilities damaged, including 34 hospitals. Israel killed more than 1,700 health workers during its brutal war.

Israel continues to hold 95

Palestinian doctors and medical workers, including 80 from Gaza. Thousands await treatment abroad Al-Barsh said it was not only those wounded by Israeli aggression who were impacted as a result of the situation.

Some 4,000 glaucoma patients were facing the risk of permanent blindness due to a lack of treatment options, while nearly 40,000 displaced pregnant women were living in substandard shelters, jeopardising their health and that of their unborn children.

Meanwhile, he warned, an estimated 320,000 children below five years were at risk of malnutrition, amid a worsening humanitarian situation caused by Israeli curbs on aid desperately needed in the enclave.

While a system was in place for transporting patients outside Gaza for treatment, waiting lists were long, and patients were dying while awaiting medical attention.

Al-Barsh said at least 1,156 patients had died while waiting for permission to travel for treatment, a “lengthy and complex” mechanism that saw

referrals from doctors in Gaza assessed by the World Health Organization (WHO) before being referred to Israeli authorities for security approval.

He said nearly 20,000 patients in Gaza were on waiting lists for travel, with some 18,500 having been approved by the WHO, and about 3,700 were in critical condition. About 4,300 children were among those awaiting transfers out of the territory, he said. He demanded that Israel open border crossings immediately to allow the flow of much-needed humanitarian supplies and permit the transport of thousands of critical patients for treatment, warning any further delays could cost lives. About 71,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 171,000 wounded in attacks in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 2023.

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More bilateral youth tournaments needed, following fruitful Guyana/Barbados U-13 40-Over series Guyana and Barbados recently pulled off hosting a successful Under-13 40Over series, with a number of strong personal performances coming off the heels of some of the Caribbean’s brightest young prospects; further opening the door for similar tournaments to be played among the other West Indies territories.

In recent times the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) have pushed to keep grassroots development at the forefront of the local cricket scene, following up a successful Trinidad & Tobago youth series a few months later with the recently concluded bilateral series hosted across a few venues. The recent commitment by both the

GCB and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), has opened the door to endless possibilities, as it relates solely to the two nations working side-byside in order to help create a newer, more competitive atmosphere for the Under-13 lads from across the region.

Guyana losing the upperhand after dropping the series 3-2 following a 2-0

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start, was a credit to Barbados’ all-round talent and belief in themselves to battle their way back into a position of control.

With the concept of such bilateral tournaments being based on promoting young talent from across the Caribbean in a highlycompetitive series, has managed to shine a spotlight on a number of future prospects from both Guyana and Barbados; who will no doubt become ambassadors for their respective countries and possibly the West Indies.

Although the recent series was likely the first of many between the two cricket-rich nations, one huge excerpt is the hint dropped by the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) president Calvin Hope following the end of the series at the Everest Ground.

Hope during his postfinal speech said that the initiative was a brilliant way to help nurture and develop the respective young cricketers, who all have one end goal, which is to one day represent the respective country they may have come from; at the highest levels of West Indies cricket.

As part of his speech, Hope said that he was hopeful that should a return series happen, it could very well take place on Bajan soil.

An away rematch series between the two sides could be interesting; given how crucial the situation became for Barbados who were forced to quickly adjust in time to clinch the series.

Playing over at the Bajans’ turf could be ideal for the development of the young Guyanese players; who seemed primed for big things going forward.

Much could be extracted from the series, but one huge takeaway is the number of extras recorded by both teams.

Between the two sides, a total of 263 extra runs were recorded following the end of the 5 matches played, with the leading bowler Kjanni Inniss claiming just 7 victims to bag the Most Wickets award.

Second and third places r e s p e c t i v e l y, w e n t t o Guyanese spinners Jaden Ganpat and all-rounder /captain Sahid Gajnabi with 5 wickets apiece; further telling the tale of how

matched in terms of talent and performance, both units should they meet again, will likely put on a more competitive series as a number of positives were taken by both Guyana and Barbados. Also, should another bilateral meeting take place between these two teams, the possibility of Guyana winging out to seek revenge would further promote more interCaribbean/region youth competitions and series; which could help forge a newer chapter in the regional book of cricket, for the foreseeable future.

As such, should the other territories become involved with the current model, Guyana seems to be perfecting in hosting such tournaments, it is possible that more and more interCaribbean youth competitions could be hosted; as countries seek to unearth future stars from an early age who will one day represent their country and by extension; the West Indies. (Clifton Ross)

bowlers regardless of style, class or team, struggled to make an impact with the ball. Given the immense talent both teams possess with the ball, it is likely that the young bowlers will iron out their kinks as they continue to develop their skills. On the other hand, the batters had a decent series, as a few players got starts despite no player making a hundred; the intent was clear as the majority of the youngsters looked positive in their approach; a great sign for both teams after seemingly struggling with the ball.

Barbados again led the charts with the bat as Natarie Lavine missed out on clipping the 200-run mark as he finished with 170 runs from the 5 games played.

Only Guyanese opener Lomar Seecharran, with 161 runs and two fifties managed to cross the 100-run milestone with Bajan allrounder Kymani Inniss (103 runs) the only other player to register a 100 or more runs from the series.

With the scales basically

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Wednesday December 24, 2025

Lookman earns Nigeria nervy 2-1 victory over Tanzania in Fes (Reuters) - Ademola Lookman scored a superb second-half winner as Nigeria earned a 2-1 Africa Cup of Nations Group C victory over Tanzania in the pouring rain in Fes on Tuesday, a positive start for the silver medallists from two years ago, but one that was not without moments of alarm.

Nigeria were more dominant than the scoreline suggests in terms of possession and chances, but they failed to finish off the contest and were almost made to pay for their wastefulness in front of goal by their east African opponents.

Semi Ajayi headed Nigeria in front in the first half before Charles M’Mombwa equalised five minutes after halftime. The Tanzanians’

joy lasted only two m i n u t e s , h o w e v e r, a s Lookman fired in what proved to be the winner from outside the box.

Tunisia and Uganda play their opening Group C game later on Tuesday in Rabat.

Ta n z a n i a a r e n o w winless in 10 Cup of Nations fixtures, with three draws and seven defeats in that time, and while they never quite looked as though they would break that run in this game, they will feel they should have earned a draw with some late chances.

Nigeria set up camp in the Tanzania half early on and had several chances, including Victor Osimhen rounding goalkeeper Zuberi Foba only to see his effort cleared off the line.

The west African side did not have to wait long

for the opener after that, however. Alex Iwobi sent in a cross on 36 minutes that was met by Ajayi on the edge of the six-yard box, and he guided his header home with precision.

The east African side then had a rare spell of possession that led to an equaliser when M’Mombwa beat the offside trap from Novatus M i r o s h i ’s h i g h a n d hanging cross and finished on the volley five minutes into the second half.

The Tanzanians’ joy lasted just two minutes though as Nigeria soon went back in front when Lookman twisted his marker around before unleashing a shot from 25 yards that arrowed into the far corner of the net.

Tanzania rallied late in

Semi Ajayi (right) opened the scoring for Nigeria in a rainy Fes. (Getty Images)

the contest in search of an equaliser and a stretching Kelvin John was inches a w

ay from a touch that would h ave sent the ball into an e mpty net, before Ibrahim

Hamad fired wildly over the bar from close range.

England to probe reports of excessive drinking during Ashes break (Reuters) - England team director Rob Key said they would look into reports that players drank excessively during a break between the second and third Ashes tests this month.

Australia wrapped up an 82-run win on day five of the third test in Adelaide on Sunday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series and retain the urn.

Following eight-wicket defeats in Perth and Brisbane, the England camp took a break in Noosa, with reports in British and Australian media saying the players were drinking throughout their time in the holiday hotspot.

“Headlines can be misleading at times, saying it’s a stag do and stuff like that. Stories of players drinking six days solid that’s unacceptable,” Key told the BBC in an interview published on Tuesday.

“We’ll be looking into seeing what the facts are as opposed to the things that have been embellished or elaborated on ... When you see a picture of five or six guys sitting down for lunch,

England managing director Rob Key during training.

(Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers) a couple of them having drinks, you need to see what’s going on with that.

“If it’s true that it became a stag do and people are out drinking all the time excessively, that’s not acceptable. I don’t agree with a drinking culture. I don’t like a drinking culture.”

Prior to the Ashes series, Key had urged England’s squad to not “get caught doing stupid things”.

The fourth test of the series begins on Friday in Melbourne. Australia coach

Andrew McDonald said he expected his team to be firing on all cylinders after celebrating their victory on Sunday.

“There’s no instructions from me, around that, they’re all adults,” McDonald told reporters on Tuesday. “They know how they need to get ready for a test match, and they’ll be ready to go come Boxing Day morning. I don’t think there’ll be any hangover.

Maybe yesterday there was a hangover, and maybe today, I’m not sure.”

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NFL roundup: Steelers make big plays, escape Lions

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes for a two-point conversion against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of the game at M&T Bank Stadium. (James Lang-Imagn Images) Reuters - Jaylen Warren rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns, Kenneth Gainwell caught a highlightreel touchdown pass, and the Pittsburgh Steelers escaped with a 29-24 win over the host Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers completed 27 of 41 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown for Pittsburgh (96), which won its third game in a row. The Steelers guaranteed that they will not have a losing record in the regular season, extending a streak that started in 2004.

Jared Goff completed 34 of 54 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns for Detroit (8-7). Isaac TeSlaa, Kalif Raymond and Jahmyr Gibbs caught one touchdown apiece.

The game ended with a bizarre sequence as Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown was called for offensive pass interference, which negated what would have been a winning touchdown as time expired.

Referees huddled for several minutes before announcing the final call.

Gainwell’s play allowed the Steelers to even the score at 10-all with 2 seconds to go in the first half. Gainwell caught a high-arcing pass while falling down inside the Lions’ 15-yard line, and he popped to his feet and sprinted to the end zone

before the defense could react for a 45-yard score.

Jaguars 34, Broncos 20 Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as visiting Jacksonville beat Denver, ending the Broncos’ 11game winning streak.

Lawrence finished 23-for36 passing for 279 yards for Jacksonville (11-4), which has won six straight. Parker Washington had a career-high 145 yards receiving, including a score, and Brenton Strong and Travis Etienne Jr. also caught TD passes for the Jaguars. Bo Nix was 28-for-47 passing for a career-high 352 yards and a score, RJ Harvey rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown, and Courtland Sutton had 86 yards receiving with a TD catch for the Broncos (12-3), who lost for the first time since Sept. 21.

Panthers 23, Buccaneers 20 Ryan Fitzgerald’s 48-yard field goal with 2:20 remaining broke a tie and Carolina’s Lathan Ransom intercepted a pass on Tampa Bay’s next possession as the Panthers won a critical NFC South showdown in Charlotte, N.C. Bryce Young threw for two touchdowns and 191 yards for Carolina.

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for a touchdown and 145 yards, but Tampa Bay lost for the sixth time in its last seven games.

The outcome gives the Panthers (8-7) a one-game

lead on the Bucs (7-8) atop the division with two games remaining. The teams will meet in two weeks to end the regular season. Before then, Carolina could clinch the division if it beats Seattle at home next week and if Tampa Bay loses to Miami.

Patriots 28, Ravens 24 Drake Maye completed 31 of 44 passes for 380 yards and two touchdowns as New England improved its road record to 7-0 by coming back to beat Baltimore.

New England (12-3) trailed 24-21 until Rhamondre Stevenson scored on a 21-yard run and Andy Borregales kicked the extra point with 2:07 to play.

The Patriots recovered a Baltimore fumble on the second play of the ensuing drive and ran out the clock.

Derrick Henry rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries for the Ravens (7-8), who played most of the night without quarterback Lamar Jackson, who left the game because of a back injury with 1:16 remaining in the first half and did not return.

Chargers 34, Cowboys 17 Justin Herbert passed for 300 yards and two touchdowns and added a scoring run as Los Angeles won for the seventh time in the past eight games with a victory over Dallas at Arlington, Texas.

Quentin Johnston had

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. (Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images) four catches for 104 yards and a touchdown for the C h a rg e r s ( 11 - 4 ) . L a d d McConkey had a scoring reception, Omarion Hampton rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and Herbert completed 23 of 29 passes.

Dak Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns for the Cowboys (6-8-1), who were eliminated from the playoff chase Saturday when the Philadelphia Eagles knocked o f f t h e Wa s h i n g t o n Commanders.

In other results: Bills 23, Browns 20 Texans 23, Raiders 21 Bengals 45, Dolphins 21 Titans 26, Chiefs 9 Saints 29, Jets 6 Falcons 26, Cardinals 19 Vikings 16, Giants 13 (Field Level Media)

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Wednesday December 24, 2025

Stephen Curry, Warriors blow out Magic to avenge earlier loss Reuters - Stephen Curry went for a game-high 26 points, Quinten Post contributed three hoops to a 19-2 flurry bridging the third and fourth quarters, and the Golden State Warriors ran away from the Orlando Magic for a 120-97 victory Monday night in San Francisco.

Jimmy Butler III chipped in with 21 points and Moses Moody 20 for the Warriors, whose 23-point margin of victory was their secondlargest in a home game this season.

Paolo Banchero had 21 points, Desmond Bane added 20 and Anthony Black 19 for the Magic, who fell to

1-2 on a Western swing that wraps up in Portland on Tuesday night.

Down by as many as seven points earlier in the game and still trailing 8180 after a Jase Richardson layup with 3:59 remaining in the third quarter, the Wa r r i o r s f i n i s h e d t h e period on a 9-2 run, getting a dunk from Post and a 3pointer from Butler among their four hoops.

The short break between periods didn’t stall the Golden State momentum, as Post added two more basket, Moody sank a 3-pointer and Brandin Podziemski had a three-point play in a 10-0 flurry that blew the game

open at 99-83 with 9:11 to go.

The Magic were never closer than 14 the rest of the way en route to their smallest point total of the season.

Butler made seven of his nine shots and Moody eight of his 11 for the Warriors, who wound up at 51.7% for the game. The Magic finished at 41.4%.

Golden State also took advantage of 18 Orlando turnovers, which the Warriors converted into 21 points. Curry, De’Anthony Melton and Gui Santos had two steals apiece.

Post finished with eight points to go with a gamehigh-tying 12 rebounds,

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) and guard Desmond Bane (3) in the third quarter at Chase Center. (Eakin Howard-Imagn Images) while Curry found time for a team-high six assists.

Banchero completed a double-double with a gamehigh-tying 12 rebounds and added a game-high seven assists.

Richardson scored 11 points and Tyus Jones amassed four steals for Orlando, which defeated Golden State 121-113 in Florida on Nov. 18.

(Field Level Media)

Lookman earns Nigeria nervy 2-1 victory over Tanzania in Fes (Reuters) - Ademola Lookman scored a superb second-half winner as Nigeria earned a 2-1 Africa Cup of Nations Group C victory over Tanzania in the pouring rain in Fes on Tuesday, a positive start for the silver medallists from two years ago, but one that was not without moments of alarm.

Nigeria were more dominant than the scoreline suggests in terms of possession and chances, but they failed to finish off the contest and were almost made to pay for their wastefulness in front of goal by their east African opponents. Semi Ajayi headed Nigeria in front in the first half before Charles M’Mombwa equalised five minutes after halftime. The Tanzanians’ joy lasted only two minutes, however, as Lookman fired in what proved to be the winner from outside the box. Tunisia and Uganda play their opening Group C game later on Tuesday in Rabat. Tanzania are now winless in 10 Cup of Nations fixtures, with three draws and seven defeats in that time, and while they never quite looked as though they would break that run in this game, they will feel they should have earned a

draw with some late chances.

Nigeria set up camp in the Tanzania half early on and had several chances, including Victor Osimhen rounding goalkeeper Zuberi Foba only to see his effort cleared off the line.

The west African side did not have to wait long for the opener after that, however.

Alex Iwobi sent in a cross on 36 minutes that was met by Ajayi on the edge of the sixyard box, and he guided his header home with precision.

The east African side then had a rare spell of possession that led to an equaliser when M’Mombwa beat the offside trap from Novatus Miroshi’s high and hanging cross and finished on the volley five minutes into the second half.

The Tanzanians’ joy lasted just two minutes though as Nigeria soon went back in front when Lookman twisted his marker around before unleashing a shot from 25 yards that arrowed into the far corner of the net.

Tanzania rallied late in the contest in search of an equaliser and a stretching Kelvin John was inches away from a touch that would have sent the ball into an empty net, before Ibrahim Hamad fired wildly over the bar from close range.

Saturday December 24, 2025

Kaieteur News

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Lusignan Golf Club thanks corporate Guyana, calls for expanded business partnership The Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) has extended sincere thanks to Corporate Guyana for its invaluable support throughout 2025, reaffirming that strong private-sector partnerships remain essential to the club’s viability, growth, and community impact.

Support from businesses enabled the club to host a full calendar of notable tournaments this year, underlining how corporate involvement strengthens sport, community engagement, and national pride.

Among the highlights were the inaugural GBTI Mastercard Golf Classic, sponsored by the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI); the STP Investments Inc. Golf To u r n a m e n t , m a r k i n g continued investment from STP; the AmCham Guyana Golf Classic, which attracted record participation and collective corporate engagement; the Trophy Stall Golf Tournament, backed by

long-standing supporter Trophy Stall; and the Banks Beer Cup, a celebrated event supported by Banks DIH Limited.

Additionally, the club hosted the Brava Guyana Open Golf Tournament, with Brava Solutions serving as title sponsor for the fourth consecutive year, drawing regional competitors and elevating the profile of golf in Guyana.

Public Relations Officer of the Lusignan Golf Club, Dr. Joann Deo, reflected on the year’s achievements: “The Lusignan Golf Club is profoundly grateful to Corporate Guyana for standing with us in 2025.

Through partnerships with organisations such as GBTI, STP Investments Inc., AmCham Guyana, Trophy Stall, Banks DIH, and Brava Solutions, we delivered a competitive and vibrant tournament season that benefited our members, visiting golfers, and sponsors alike. Each sponsor has demonstrated corporate social responsibility in

action, supporting sport, networking, and community engagement while contributing to national development.”

Dr. Deo emphasised that involvement from Corporate Guyana yields mutual benefits: companies gain networking and visibility opportunities among influential audiences, while the club secures essential resources for course maintenance, event hosting, and future development.

As Guyana’s economy continues to expand, the Lusignan Golf Club invites additional corporate entities to join its supporter base.

Expanded partnerships will help the club enhance facilities, broaden youth and community programmes, a n d s t r e n g t h e n g o l f ’s sustainability nationwide.

The club remains dedicated to stewardship, a c c o u n t a b i l i t y, a n d partnership, and looks forward to deepening existing relationships while welcoming new corporate allies in the coming year.

The Lusignan Golf Club has extended thanks to Corporate Guyana for their support throughout 2025.

Indonesia bowler enters Jackson claims double as record books with five-wicket Senegal brush aside Botswana over in T20 International (Reuters) - Indonesia’s Gede Priandana became the first bowler to claim five wickets in an over in a Twenty20 International, in a game against Cambodia in Bali on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old seamer singlehandedly derailed Cambodia’s chase in a seven-ball over that included a wide, completing his hat-trick and securing his team’s victory by 60 runs in the series opener.

Cambodia were 106-5 needing 168 for victory when Priandana was called on to bowl the 16th over.

The right-armer dismissed Shah Abrar Hussain, Nirmaljit Singh and Chanthoeun Rathanak in successive deliveries to complete his hat-trick and followed up with a dot ball.

Priandana then removed Mongdara Sok and Pel Vennak with the last two legitimate deliveries of his over, separated by a wide, to bundle out Cambodia for

Nicolas Jackson has scored five goals on loan at Bayern Munich this season. (Backpage Pix)

Gede Priandana opened the batting for Indonesia, making six in a total of 167-5.

(Persatuan Cricket Indonesia)

107.

B a n g l a d e s h ’s A l Amin Hossain and Indian Abhimanyu Mithun had claimed five wickets in an over in domestic T20 matches.

T h e r e a r e 1 4

instances of bowlers claiming four wickets in an over in international matches, including Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga’s four in four balls against New Zealand in a T20 in 2019./

BBC Sport Africa - Two goals from Nicolas Jackson helped Senegal ease to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Botswana in their opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

Much of the Group D encounter in Tangier was played in torrential rain, with Botswana struggling to cope as the 2021 champions launched wave after wave of attacks.

Zebras goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko made an

early bid for player of the match in the opening half hour, keeping out efforts from the likes of Sadio Mane and Iliman Ndiaye.

But five minutes before the break, Jackson swept home a pinpoint left-wing cross from full-back Ismail Jakobs after being left unmarked in the area.

The Chelsea striker, currently on loan at Bayern Munich, grabbed his second with a neat finish in the 58th minute, before substitute

Cherif Ndiaye wrapped things up in the final minute of normal time.

Botswana, who have never won a match at Afcon, never threatened their opponents and will need to improve against Benin in Rabat on Saturday (12:30 GMT) if they want to change that unwanted statistic.

Senegal moved top of the Group D on goal difference above DR Congo, who they face back in Tangier on the same day (15:00 GMT).

Kaieteur News

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Saturday December 24, 2025

Hoard of sponsors, over 65 entries on board for Kennard Memorial Boxing Day meet The Annual Kennard M e m o r i a l Tu r f C l u b (KMTC) Boxing Day Horse Race meet is once again turning out to be the signature event for the Christmas Holiday season.

Slated for Friday 26th December at the Club’s venue at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice and with less than a week away from race day, anticipation is high with all systems already in place for the big day.

The much talked about event has attracted a number of sponsors and entries as turfites race to be associated with the event which is expected to be scintillating It is customary that events held at the famous KMTC are always well executed and another cracking day of racing is anticipated.

Seven races are listed for the day with over $10M in cash trophies and other incentives available for the

Mrs. Chand Kennard winners and outstanding performers.

Some 65 horses have already taken entry for the day’s proceedings and the KMTC will be the place for its Boxing Day meet.

Among the sponsors already on board are: Trophy Stall, P and P Insurance Brokers, Colin Elcock Delmur Company Limited, Kharag Family of USA, Nand Persaud and Company Limited, Patsan Trading Establishment, Horse Shoe Racing Services, KSM Investment Limited, Mike’s Pharmacy, N and S Matai the

Food Market, Js Supermarket, Poonai Pharmacy, Rohan Auto Sales, Rajesh Ramlakhan, Khanai’s Guyana Electrical Agency, Dalip Trading Limited, Amco Construction, T. Balkarran of USA, Big G Lumber Yard, Majeed Family of The USA, Ramesh Persaud “Rus” and Black Boy of the USA. The feature event, the Sunny Kharag Memorial Stakes will be sponsored by the Kharag family of the USA. They have pledged close to $4M. The race, which is billed for all horses in Guyana, will see the animals battling over one mile, with the winner set to race away with $2M and a trophy.

The sprint classic event, going over five furlongs, will fetch for the winner’s a take of $700,000 and trophy.

Animals entered in the G and lower event have a first prize of $500,000 and a

The KMTC is in immaculate condition and the track in excellent shape.

trophy to aim for.

Other events on the day are for Guyana-Bred 2-yearold maiden animals; One for “I” and lower horses; an event for L and K class horses and the final gallop which will feature L and lower animals.

Winners in those events

will all take home $350,000 and a trophy.

According to Matriarch and Honorary President, Mrs. Chan Kennard, she inspected the facilities over the weekend and everything is in excellent condition. She stated that the track is in top shape.

Incentives will be presented to the outstanding jockeys, trainers and stable compliments of Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall.

The event will be conducted using the rules of The Kennard Memorial Turf Club. Bugle time is 12:30hrs.

(Samuel Whyte)

Saturday December 24, 2025

Kaieteur News

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Bishops High crowned Region Three Jamboree champions Scenes from earlier round in the D-Up Basketball Jamboree.

T

h e D - U p Basketball A c a d e m y brought the curtains down on another successful staging of the Region Three Basketball Jamboree on December 14 at the Leonora Secondary School hardcourt, with The Bishops’ High School emerging unbeaten champions after a commanding 50–35 victory over Tutorial High in the final. Bishops capped an impressive campaign with a composed performance in the championship game, pulling away in the second half to secure the 2025 title.

The final was closely contested early on, with both teams trading baskets, but Bishops maintained a narrow edge heading into the Bishops’ Kemol Pickering receiving his MVP award.

third quarter.

That advantage was stretched through the efforts of Kemol Pickering, who proved decisive on both ends of the court. Pickering poured in a game-high 13 points, repeatedly slicing through Tutorial’s defence, while also contributing four turnaround plays and three crucial blocks to keep Bishops firmly in control.

His all-round performance helped the Georgetownbased side close out the contest with a convincing 15-point margin.

Tutorial High showed resilience despite the defeat, led by Julian Charles, who finished as his team’s top scorer with 15 points in a spirited display.

The tournament featured 10 schools: Tutorial High,

Covent Garden Secondary, St Stanislaus College, West D e m e r a r a S e c o n d a r y, L e o n o r a S e c o n d a r y, U i t v l u g t S e c o n d a r y, Tu s c h e n S e c o n d a r y, Vergenoegen Secondary, Quiam Academy and eventual champions Bishops’ High. Tutorial also enjoyed a strong overall showing, finishing the tournament with eight wins and one loss, while 2024 champions Vergenoegen Secondary settled for third place.

Several representatives of the D-Up Basketball Academy were on hand for the event, including Kamala Rameshwar, Ellie Daniels, chairman Anthony Kandar and other members of the academy. The Ministry of Education was also

represented by Miss Williams.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Kandar praised both finalists, noting that composure made the difference on the day.

He said Bishops were able to “hold their nerve down the stretch,” adding that the match was a fitting finale to the tournament.

In reflecting on the overall success of the jamboree, Kandar described the 2025 edition as a highlight of the academy’s busy calendar. He noted that D-Up successfully hosted four tournaments this year and was pleased to end the year with a high-quality final. Kandar also expressed gratitude to the players, parents and supporters who

turned out in large numbers.

He highlighted the positive atmosphere throughout the competition, pointing out that the jamboree was competitive, incident-free and well supported. Looking ahead, he said the academy is hopeful of attracting more schools and increased sponsorship in future editions.

As the D-Up Basketball Academy closes out another packed year of activity, the continued growth of school basketball appears promising.

According to Kandar, the academy remains committed to youth development and empowerment, using sport as a platform to help shape productive members of society.

More bilateral youth tournaments needed, following fruitful Guyana/ Barbados U-13 40-Over series Bishops High crowned Region Three Jamboree champions rts o p S

More bilateral tournaments such as the recently concluded U13 series, could help to fast-track the development of more young cricketers from across the Caribbean.

Reg. 3 Jamboree champions! Bishops High crushed Tutorial High 50-35 to win the 2025 Region Three Basketball Jamboree.

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