Kaieteur News

Oko West Gold Project

Dead: Raj Mohan

Canadian mining company to construct wharf, staging area for Oko West Gold Project

C

anadian mining

company, G Mining Ventures (GMIN) has announcedplanstoestablish anewportofentrywharfand staging area near Itabali on the Cuyuni River to support operations for its Oko West Gold Project located in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

This development,

d e t a i l e d i n t h e Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA)published on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website, is part of the company’s infrastructure strategyfortheproject.

Thefacilitywillincludea wharf, laydown area, and accommodations for workers,witha40-bedcamp planned for the site. Materials and fuel required for the pre-operation and operation phases will be deliveredtothislanding.

Originally, Pine Tree Wharf was identified as the preferred location for the barge loading terminal

However, GMIN was informed earlier this year that the area was already

leased. After evaluating nearby alternatives, the companyselectedanewsite approximately 500 meters from Pine Tree Wharf. This location was chosen for its proximity to existing road networks and reduced need forextensiveearthworks.

P r e - p r o d u c t i o n activities, including the development of the wharf and terminal, are slated to begininSeptember2025and

A section of the Oko West Gold Mine

conclude by December 2026. The infrastructure upgrades will play a critical role in supporting GMIN’s operations and enhancing logistics for the Oko West GoldProject.

Thispublicationrecently reported that the company statedthatanairstripwillbe constructed in the project area. It was explained that whileanumberofalternative locationswereconsidered,in

the end it was decided that theairstripwillbelocatedto the south of the mine infrastructure and close to thepit/processingplant.

“The airstrip will be designed to accommodate airplanes up to the size of a Twin-Otter or Caravan and will be approximately 850 meterslong.Theairstripwill be used for the export of gold, personnel transport, and health and safety

emergencies during all phasesoftheProject,”itwas stated.

Whenoperational,itwas stated that the flights will occur during daylight hours, as the airstrip will not be lit.

“Theairstripwillbeunpaved and constructed from laterite. The airstrip will be oriented northeastsouthwest, as required by prevailing winds,” the documentstates.

Moreover, GMIN is aiming to produce approximately 5 million ouncesofgoldover14to16 years. In July 2024, GMIN bought Reunion Gold, another Canadian company f o r s o m e U S $ 6 3 8 million–through this transaction GMIN acquired Reunion’s flagship Oko WestMine.

The Oko West Project is currently considered an “advanced-stageexploration project ” The Mineral ResourceEstimation(MRE) dated26thFebruary,2024is 4.27 million ounces of gold in indicated resources and 1.60 million ounces of gold in inferred resources. The OkoWestprojectisexpected to produce 353,000 ounces of gold annually from both open pit and underground mining. According to the EIA,“plannedproductionof approximately five million ouncesofgoldover14to16 yearsfromtheprocessingof anestimated65to70million tons of ore, creating 280 to 350 million tons of waste rock and 65 to 70 million tonsoftailings.”

Oil money Board and Committees toothless, useless

- Former Finance Minister

…says Coalition Govt. had

commenced

talks with Commonwealth to establish regulations to identify use of NRF

FormerFinanceMinister

Winston Jordan has described the Board of Directors as well as the two Committees provided for by the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act of 2021 as toothlessanduseless.

During an online broadcast,'TheCountdown', on Sunday, Jordan delved into the ongoing debate surrounding the lack of transparency in the use of revenue garnered from the oilandgasindustry

He shared the view that the NRFAct, passed by this administration, makes provision for a Board of Directors to aid in transparency of the Fund. However,thisbodyhasonly managedtoproduceareport annually, with regurgitated newspaper articles on the activitiesofthefundsuchas howmuchwasdeposited.

Jordanexplainedthatthe legislation provides for the appointmentofaBoardwith no less than three and no more than five members, to be appointed by the President. He observed that this feature amounts to no lessthanapoliticalBoard.

Moving on to the functions of this body, he explained that the Board is tasked with the overall management of the Fund; reviewingandapprovingthe policiesofthefund;ensuring compliance with the approved policies of the Fund; exercising general oversightofallaspectsofthe Fund's operations and ensuring that the Fund is managedincompliancewith the Act and all other applicablelaws.

Jordan expressed for listeners and viewers of the programme, his thoughts on the performance of the Board, relative to its legally requiredfunctions.

According to him, “The Board cannot tell the government when to withdraw and how much to withdraw Indeed,howmuch towithdrawisalreadyinthe Act so essentially, the Board is managing a thin slice of the Fund. They are notmanagingtheFund,they aremanagingathinslice,no morethanmaybe10%ofthe fundsthatgointotheFund.”

Withregardtoreviewing andapprovingpoliciesofthe NRF, the former Finance Minister questioned the

existence of such. “What policies of the fund? Like how many times they are goingtomeet?Whatarethey going to discuss? They are only going to discuss this thin slice. There is nothing else to discuss, ” he contended. On the other hand, he questioned the compliance feature of the Board.Hequestioned,“Who theyensuringcomplianceby and where are these policies anyhow? Are they made public? Are they in the Gazette? Are they in a manual?”

Finally, he said, “What oversight is this Board exercising over the massive sums of money the government has withdrawn from the Fund and has been withdrawing from the Fund sofar?”

Rubberstampsvs transparency Jordan argued that the governmentpulledover70% of the provisions from the previous NRF Act, knocking-outkeysafeguards instituted for transparency purposes.Hesaidsince2022 he warned that the Board as well as the two committees are rubberstamps Jordan argued, “They are toothless and useless where the management of this Fund is concerned and I've been provencorrect.”

The former Minister admitted that the while the previouslegislationmadeno provision for a Board of Directors, it required the establishment of a Public Accountability Oversight Committee, which was tasked with monitoring and evaluatingthecomplianceof the government and other relevant persons with the Act; monitoring and evaluatingwhethertheFund has been managed in accordance with the principles of transparency, good governance and international best practices including the Santiago Principles; providing independent assessment of themanagementoftheFund; utilization of withdrawals from the Fund and facilitating public consultations on the managementofthefund.

Jordan was keen to note that this body comprised of 22 stakeholders, including civil society, the Bar Association of Guyana, the

Guyana Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative, Transparency Institute, the Guyana Press Association, Trade Unions, Chartered Accountant, Private Sector Commission and University of Guyana, amongothers.

He said while former President David Granger was adamant to set up a specific fund to save the wealth generated from the sector, this government was moreinterestedinhavingthe resources pooled into the Consolidated Fund to comingle with other revenue streams.

Hepointedoutthatwhile the government failed at removingtheNRFlaw,ithas emasculated it in a manner that leaves little or nothing for generational savings and tobuffertheeconomyinthe eventofloweroilprices.

Discussionswith Commonwealthfor NRFRegulations

Further, Jordan noted that the previous Act also provided for national development priorities to be funded through oil resources; however, Guyana was encouraged by the Commonwealth to develop regulations to clearly define details, such as how the money would be accounted for in the Budget This includes a special line to identify the projects being financed thr

h oil revenue. This would also mean that these ventures would be subjected to a special audit. To this end, Jordan said, “All of this should have been in regulation and we had just started discussions with the Commonwealth about assistancefordevelopingthe regulationsoftheFund.”

He added, “It is unfortunate that national development priorities are, today, being blamed…but thegeneralideawasthatthat would have been the granular details, national development priorities would have been put in regulations.”

The former Minister and Member of Parliament highlighted that the Law currently provides for the Minister of Finance to develop regulations for the Fund. Be that as it may, he pointed out that there are presently no regulations

governingtherevenuesfrom oilandgas.Jordanalsomade it clear that he is confident therewillnotbeashifttothis direction. In the meantime, he explained that the former governmentintendedtohave revenuesfromoilbeusedto f i n a n c e s e l e c t i v e programmes and projects, which would be clearly itemized in the Budget. For instance, he listed the new Demerara River Crossing as a key example of a national development priority that would have been financed throughthisstreamaswellas the Georgetown to Lethem roadway, hospitals and modern schools among others,likeacashtransfer “We had our ideas. Not

for any and everything to be financed by the Natural Resource Fund ” Jordan's comments stem from the recent statements made by Vice President and Chief Policymaker for the Oil and Gas Sector, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, who told reporters during his press conference on December 5, 2024, that showing how oil money is being used would be difficult He explained, “How do you balkanize revenue coming into the Budget?(It)becomesavery difficult thing to do. So, where the transparency is done, transparency is that every cent spent from oil money,fromnon-oilrevenue andfromborrowinghastobe

Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

appropriatedbytheNational Ass

h a Budgetary Appropriation Process, whether it is the original Budget or through Supplementary Budgets, w

appropriation act or a s

appropriation act, which i

of the expenditure of the state and how much is going to be spent…”

KaieteurNews

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456

Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams

Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Jagdeoonoilmoney transparency

To balkanize is to divide or split up in identifiable subsets. Guyana’sVicePresidentBharratJagdeo,saidthis recently during a recent press engagement: “How do you balkanize revenue coming into the budget? (It) becomes a verydifficultthingtodo;so,wherethetransparencyisdone, transparency is that every cent spent from oil money, from non-oilrevenueandfromborrowing,hastobeappropriated by the National Assembly through a Budgetary AppropriationProcess,whetheritistheoriginalBudgetor through Supplementary Budgets which then form an appropriation act or a supplementary appropriation act, which itemizes all of the expenditure of the state and how muchisgoingtobespent…”.

We strenuously disagree with Jagdeo. It is not “very difficult”todeliverthekindoftransparencyGuyaneseneed withwithdrawalsfromtheirNaturalResourceFund(NRF). In typical fashion, what Jagdeo doesn’t want to reveal, he wrapsinmud. Hegivesthislong,drawnoutspeech,sothat oil withdrawal transparency is clouded in a hail of words. Jagdeocameupwith89wordsthatfilledapageabouthow “very difficult” it is to deliver transparency, but still left nothing but blankness. The question is why is the muchneededtransparencyonwithdrawalsfromtheNRFcausing heandhisPPPCGovernmentsomanyfits? Whatisthereto hide, why does he have to go to these lengths of disingenuousness?

It is early December, and to this point, GY$239.176B has been withdrawn from the NRF We invite the PPPC Government and Vice President Jagdeo to share with Guyanesehowthatmoneywasspent. Itshouldnotbethat “very difficult” (to use Jagdeo’s words) to present the tranchesintowhichthatclosetoaquarterofatrillionGuyana dollars went We will also use Jagdeo’s word (“balkanize”) andaskhimtobeseriousenoughandstraightenoughtodo what he resists, i.e., disclose to the owners of the NRF the projects in which those billions were put. A leader of Jagdeo’sversatilityshouldbeabletodowhatissimple,but whichhehasmadeithisdutytoinsistis“verydifficult.”

Thefactthatthemaninchargeofthisnation’soilsector is publicly confessing about his own and the PPPC Government’s weaknesses and limits with oil money withdrawal transparency is troubling. Is he telling Guyanese that there is ignorance at the highest levels relativetoaccountingforoilmoneywithdrawals? Or,isthe truthofthematterthatthegovernmentispretendingatsuch, becauseofwhatitmayhaveprobablydonewiththoseNRF withdrawals? That is, poured some of its billions down a blackholethathascorruptionstampedalloverit? Itboggles the mind that something that both Jagdeo and the PPPC Governmentshouldseeasapriority,aswhatismostbasicto proper oil management, has degraded to this unpersuasive publicposture.

Itisaposture(“balkanize”and“verydifficult”)thatflies in the face of good sense. To be frank, it invites interpretations about what is asinine. A government that takes the care to handle the people’s oil money in the most principledmannerwouldbeenthusiastictopresenttothem how their money was used. Yet, there is this appalling attemptatdodgingwhatmustbeafundamentalobjectiveof oil money management. Accounting to the people in a reasonableandtransparentmanner TheNRFActcameto lifeinahazeofdodgesandunderthecoverofnight. This latest effort at dissembling is a mere continuation of what startedoutwiththesuspiciousandnowhasallthatissinister about it. The missing provisions in the NRF that would penalize those who steal, or collude with others playing games with oil money withdrawals, now manifest their political utility There is the nation’s premier oil strategist and manager, Jagdeo, having the gall to inform Guyanese how “very difficult” it is to be specific, to be transparent, withoilmonies. Ifthatisnexttoimpossible,thenwhatdo thestewardssittingontopoftheoilproceedshavetopresent toGuyaneseinaccountingforwithdrawalsfromtheNRF?

Suggesting an ANUG reset

DEAREDITOR,

As one of the founding members of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), I congratulate its new chairpersonDr MarkFrance and its new executive committee.Markhasbeenin the party from almost the inceptionandIassessedhim tobeaprincipled,feistyand ambitious individual. These are admirable qualities for one wishing to contribute to the development and democratisation of Guyana. But as we are seeing daily, these qualities will not flourish if the process of institutional and other forms of accountability is nonexistentorveryweak. If the past statements of ANUG are of any worth, it came into the race for government with an admirable understanding of its context and what was required to modernise and p r o p e l G u y a n a ’ s s o c

o e c o n o m i c development But I will argue in this and the following article that from their recent utterings, it appears to me that Mark France and company are in danger of being suffocated by the party’s existing political direction, which focusesonwhatisrelatively unimportantandthusneedsa

major reset based upon the understandingthatANUGis now a group with its own historyandbaggage.

I will use this article to give the public some indication of how ANUG vieweditselfinrelationtoits context before the 2020 elections, and the next to argueforageneralresetthat should contain required shifts in policy and process, if the party is to make a serious contribution to the developmentofGuyana.

Thepoliticalcompetition inGuyanaisnotthesameas it is in the largely homogeneous countries of the Caribbean Community Suriname is the exception and a classical multi-ethnic society,andtherethewinnertakes-allpoliticalsystemhas been constitutionally prohibited. InGuyana,even before independence, identity politics based on ethnic differences had coalesced into a political cleavage between Africans andIndiansthathasallowed onetoeasilypredictelectoral outcomes that leave one ethnic group at the mercy of the other While this is clearly an undemocratic arrangement, there are three commonplace political approaches:effortstoprotect ethnic governmental power

by maintaining the status q u o , d e m a n d s f o r inclusiveness and constitutional reforms and a utopian reactionary multiethnicity aimed at ethnicpoliticalassimilation.

ANUG chose the second approach and having noted the negative role ethnicallybased political divisions and parties have played in Guyanese history, and that t h e t h e n e x i s t i n g APNU+AFC coalition governmenthadnotfulfilled its mandate to reform the system, it argued that such political behaviour has ‘us all wanting to believe that political promises mean nothing’. It rejected that kind of behaviour and to demonstrate its seriousness promisedthefollowing:

Ourpartyundertakesthat itwillneverenteracoalition withanyotherpoliticalparty oranyofitsmembersforthe purposeofsecuringarolein government.

From the first day of taking constitutional office, or being able to otherwise influence governmental policy, we will persistently work to establish shared executive government and within one month of being able to do so we will set about the constitutional reform process to make the

necessary changes in the Constitution.

We hereby make these two main commitments legally enforceable. By this, we mean that any citizen or groupofcitizenswillbeable to go to the court for the appropriate declarations that we have violated either or both commitments. If the court rules against us, we makealegalcommitmentto resign from Parliament. If these issues are not justiciable, our first order of business, after we win the elections, will be to make themso’(‘ANewandUnited Guyana: Unity is our cry; Unityisourgoal’2020).

In another 2020 publication,‘VoteforANUG on March 2 to secure a UnitedGuyaneseNation’the partypromiseditwould:

1.Throughconstitutional reform establish a system of shared governance that provides security, stability andequalityforGuyaneseof allethnicgroups.

2 As in the USA, establish a governance system based upon a strong separation of powers between the legislature, the executiveandthejudiciary

3. Implement a radically devolved system of regional governancewhereincentral

(Continued on page 6)

CPCE brings hope to the prison system

DEAREDITOR,

Ichallengeourreadersto do some investigation into ‘prisonreform.’Itisrifewith ongoing research and I am surethatitwillputintosome perspectivetherecentlaunch of the Prison Service-CPCE ‘trade instructor training programme.’

Thisisaboldmoveinthe right direction, and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government (PPP/C), and by extension, the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), must be applauded for “This initiative,thefirstofitskind in Guyana, (and) that was inaugurated recently in the conference room of the CPCE.”

Before much ado, and as I repeat my call for all to do some ‘readingup,’I point to the fact that it is well established that some of the most successful types of ‘prison-reform’programmes are ‘psychological, occupational-based, and education-focused’onesthat focus on the issues of the prisoner, in order to help them improve themselves andbecomereadytore-enter

society, and become productive citizens. Much research has been done and the evidence is convincing and overwhelming that “Getting any education while incarcerated reduces the rate of recidivism by as much as 30 per cent.” Finer details show that “It’s more than double that for inmates who get a post-secondary education.”Overall,itisthat acquiring at least some education beyond the high school level is key to a successful reintegration into society So, this CPCE venture is bound to generate awholelotofpositives.

C o n c e r n i n g t h e programme,Ireadthat“The inaugural cohort comprises 30 prison officers tasked withequippinginmateswith vocational and technical skills to aid their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.”

And concurring with the literature of the day, “DirectorofCPCE,Dr Julie Jailall, commended the c o l l a b o r a t i o n a n d e m p h a s i z e d t h e transformative power of education, explaining that

“This programme reflects our commitment to advancing professional development and improving thecapacityofinstructorsto deliver technical and vocationaleducationthatnot only meets accredited standardsbutalsoservesasa vehicle for the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.”

Programme Coordinator, Ryan Samaroo, also made some telling remarks at the launch, when he “ highlighted the broader societal impact of the training (emphasizing that) (This venture) is not merelyatraininginitiative;it isaninvestmentinthefuture ofoursociety Theskillsyou (the participants) will gain will uplift your professional practiceandcontributetothe larger goal of transforming thelivesofthoseunderyour instruction.”

Editor,Ineednotgointo more details, as I want to really emphasize how salubriousthiskindofmindset is among those who are involved in the prison system.Intoday’sworld“… prison service’s focus on

correctional reform” and training that equips personnel with “… the tools necessary for internal prisoner training, while providing opportunities for professional development.” The goal overall, as was pointed out is that “Through this programme, current needs will be met and there will be improved public confidence in the prison system.”

Afterall, time spent in prisonshoulddeteroffenders from future crime or rehabilitate offenders by providing vocational training or wellness programs.

Guyana must not allow for incarceration to lead to r e c i d i v i s m a n d unemploymentduetohuman capital depreciation, exposure to hardened criminals, or societal and workplace stigma Let’s remember that prisoners are people, and prisoners’rights are human rights So, protecting these rights is fundamentaltoourdignityas asociety

Yourstruly, HargeshB.Singh

Frenemy Freddie has answered himself many times

DEAREDITOR,

The antimetabole: “Fair isfoulandfoulisfair”helps toanswerthequestion“Who is Guyana’s biggest sycophant?” This was posited by Freddie Kissoon on November 28, 2024, in his ‘only resort’, that is, the Guyana Chronicle. But a little preamble is in order before I address our ‘frenemy’s’ question, one which makes for a good ‘twist-around’ of his interminable ‘hypophora’ and one which will have its own‘twist-around.’

Firstly,Editor,Idospare some precious thoughts for you,asmanytimes,because of my brutal onslaught, you either ‘edited-out’ painful parts, or simply did not publish my pieces. I take no offence in this parsing, as it goes with the territory and I remain grateful that I was given space on so many occasions.

Let me now give the answerthatpredatesFreddie Kissoon’s question, making his ‘taking umbrage’ an exercise in imbecility In fact,therearemanypiecesin the Kaieteur News I could have used, as he has indeed answered his question in manyofthem.

Editor, in “Democracy inside three memoranda- Jul 26, 2008” in the ‘said’ Kaieteur News that he is now attacking, and against the said boss he was supposedly servile to, Freddie Kissoon writes about the Chronicle newspaperthat“Idonotread theChronicle.”WHY?

Because “I (Freddie Kissoon) eschew the Chronicle because its publicationofGovernmental itemsisalsocontainedinthe Kaieteur News and the Stabroek News ” It, the Chronicle, flaunts “The new schools, fancy bridges and

The beauty of cultural architecture

DEAREDITOR,

The building and development that is occurring in theAmerindian communities around the

country is a great opportunity to showcase the

culture and classic architecture of the indigenous communities of each area. The feel of the community will be retained and embraced by future

generations, and the architecture will serve as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of our first peoples. Agreatopportunityistheuse of the architecture of the Benab for new schools. It will also encourage the students to learn of their architectural history and its

significance Other development projects can also embody the shared values and strong sense of communitythatiseasilyfelt when amongst the Amerindian people The building process itself is rootedinthevaluesofshared experiences and shared community

Theuseoftraditionaland classical architecture in othercommunitiesthathave historically been associated with one of our Six Peoples will help to continue to tell the history of our country

Places such as Buxton, PortugueseQuarter,Calcutta andothersarewheresuchan architectural initiative could be easily undertaken during

all that jazz that GINA puts outintheChronicle,readers find in the two independent dailies and the Mirror.” He waxes really lyrical that in the Chronicle that “(Then) President Jagdeo’s speeches are also carried in the two establisheddailies.Whyread the Chronicle then? (as) I have a particular dislike for the Chronicle for two reasons.”Let’srehash.

“One (reason for Freddie) is that there have been people put in charge of itChronicle)since1992who lack any conceivable talent injournalism.Youcouldrun a p

newspaper but you could also m

respectable…the Chronicle, since 1992, but particularly the past seven years (pre2008),hasbeenanatrocious m

hat is completely devoid of any journalistic decency.” Like ‘wow’and I will explainmy interjectionshortly Freddie is relentlessly anti-Chronicle, saying that secondly, “The Chronicle had more credibility, image and dignity when the PNC

our nation’s transformation, showcasing the beauty of each of our Peoples in the context of our national culture.

The importance of architecture in culture and culturaldevelopmentcannot be understated. Guyana has been blessed with diversity andprosperity Wenowhave an opportunity to enjoy sharing even more that which is unique and that which holds us together within our diverse cultural heritage.

Bestregards, Mr.JamilChanglee

was in office.” Now his comparison between the PNCandPPPfindsthePNC has come out better Read it foryourselvesandsee.

So, I will not continue Freddie Kissoon’s inimical posture against the PPP/C, their supporters and their media outlet and personnel.

Overall, he was as enamouredbythePNCashe wasenragedagainstthePPP, asforhim,“Ithastodowith competence in political leadership, ingenuity in management and brilliance inpoliticalstyle…Allthese people(thePPP)couldresort to are vulgar and crude tactics.” “This is how they, the PPP again, run the Chronicle.”

So that is the answer for FreddieKissoonforhispiece in the Chronicle (November 28,2024),inwhichhewants to know “Who is Guyana’s biggest sycophant?” Here, helamentsthat“Igotanother interesting one (email) two days ago, informing me that Mr GlennLall’spartnerthat writes under the penname, Peeping Tom wrote a nasty piece criticizing people who

write and support the government and ridiculing them as the world’s worst sycophants.”

So being piqued with embarrassment and riddled with guilt, and being in an untenableposition,heretorts that“…twodaysagoafterI was sent the Peeping Tom column in which the writer was very nasty with peoplewhosupportthePPP, deeming them as those who are fawning, groveling, and in rhetorical contortions performed by these political footstools (and) defy the standardsofhumandignity.”

Freddie says that “Those words apply in the most pulsating way to the man who writes under Peeing Tom the past 30 years. This gentlemanisvirtuallyaslave to Lall. I simply cannot believeanyoneinlifecanbe sosycophantic.Andthisman has the temerity to call decent people who work for the government as sycophantic.”Well.Welland wellagain.

I mean here is a recreant and a ‘palhole’ cussing out Peeping Tom At least

Peeping Tom stands by his conviction and shows loyalty But look at Freddie Kissoon?Heischurningout ‘idolatrous patronage’to the samepeople,thePPP,whom he used to incessantly ‘cuss out.’

In summation, here are my questions: Which Government is in charge? Who runs the Chronicle? Who has moved from gyrating to hip-wriggling? We now have a lawyer dancingandsinging.

The ultimate in sycophancy has to be Freddie Kissoon. He has added a deeper meaning to the word, and he provides himself as the example-the ‘Real McKoy’ and perfect paragon. Just for a joke: he attacks Glen Lall, using cheap personal insults and I am still to hear him, Freddie Kissoon, pronounce ‘deportment’ properly or even produce a perfect alphabetic‘r.’

Anybody can ‘market cuss’ but Freddie takes the cake.

Yourstruly, PrescottMann

Frompage4 government will only perform such functions that the regions cannot perform effectively

Suggesting an ANUG reset Consultation begins on draft Protection from Harassment Bill

4. Encourage industrial diversification by way of lateral and vertical integration and paying greater attention to tourism, information and other such incipientservices.

5 Legislate that all regionsincollaborationwith central government and other stakeholders develop and implement their own developmentplanto,among other things, encourage investment for new and the expansion of existing industries.

6.Introducemodernlaws and enforcement systems to reduce corruption and protect Guyana’s financial andotherresources.

7. Ensure that present and future agreements with our partners in the natural resources oil industry adequately reflect the interests of the Guyanese people.

8 Adequately address the possible negative consequences of an economy dominated by oil production.

9.Protecttheintegrityof the natural resources fund and ensure its use in productive and creative ways for the benefit of all Guyanese.

10 Modernise the agricultural, industrial and services sectors by introducing modern tax and other methods to increase p r o d u c t i o n a n d productivity

11. Introduce a massive programme of generational and generic infrastructure development to facilitate rounded economic and social development for present and future generations.

12. Our commitment to shared governance will allow us to combat climate changebydevelopingatruly Guyanese plan to deal with thepresentexistentialthreat.

13. In keeping with the climate change emergency, developasustainableclean, cheap energy system consisting of hydro, solar, wind and other such systems

14. Increase funding for education, paying special attention to the pre-primary level, ensuring that all children leave school with marketable skills and that eventually world class higher education becomes freetoGuyanese.

15.Withaneyeonhealth tourism, establish a world classmedicalsystem,paying particular attention to health manag

education, primary care, mental health and the threatening communicable and noncommunicable diseases.

16 Extend

ial services by providing a system of basic care, including meals, home and institutionalcare.

17. Ensure that a basic incomeisavailablefirstlyto

thoseinneed,buteventually toallGuyanese.

18 Encourage young people to develop and i

r own development plans and programmes.

1 9 D e v i s e a n d implement a comprehensive programme to put an end to d

violence, child abuse and traffickinginpersons.

20 Reduce crime by totally restructuring the security system, providing additional training and equipment and restoring trust between the police and thecommunity

21. Secure directforeign investmenttorestructurethe sugar industry into a sugarcane industry that will t

advantageofalltheavailable

resources. A means-tested income will be made available to all sugar workers.

Sincerely,

Dr.HenryJeffrey

The Ministry of Human ServicesandSocialSecurity hosted a consultation on Friday with representatives from various sectors to discuss the draft Protection fromHarassmentBill.

Speaking at the event, held at the Arthur Chung ConferenceCentre(ACCC), Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vi n d h y a P e r s a u d emphasised that the proposed legislation is designed to be robust, hold individualsaccountable,and remaingender-neutral.

Dr Persaud highlighted the importance of the consultation process in

p e r s p e c t i v e s a n d recommendations of all Guyanese groups and organisations.

“Your presence here is important and your voice is equally important. We are here to listen to what you havetosayandtakeonboard your recommendations and considerthemverycarefully before we get to the final draft of the legislation,” the m i n i s t e r t o l d t h e participants.

To formulate the draft Protection from Harassment Bill,similarlegislationfrom countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa was carefully examined.

MinisterPersaudassured that the draft was not randomly compiled but thoughtfully tailored to addressthespecificneedsof Guyana.

“We are quite aware that Guyana has its peculiarities, and while we would have heavily leaned on different pieces of legislation from different parts of the world, we understand that the need of this piece of legislation must reflect the needs of Guyana,” the human service ministerexplained.

The proposed legislation also benefited from contributions by Professor VilmaNewtonandhisteam, who worked from a CARICOM perspective to develop a model law for the Caribbean, with a specific focusonsexualharassment.

Minister Persaud emphasised that input from various contributors is essential for constructive criticism before the bill is presented to the National Assembly, ensuring a

thorough and deliberate process rather than a rushed one.

The Ministry aims to have the legislation passed sometimenextyear

The draft defines harassment using the terms ‘ u n w e l c o m e ’ a n d ‘unwanted’ to make it clear to perpetrators that their actionsarenotdesiredbythe victim.

D e p u t y C h i e f ParliamentaryCounselatthe Ministry of Legal Affairs, Joann Bond highlighted that the draft bill provides for both compensation and protection to be determined by the courts when harassmentiscommitted.

“The draft copy of the bill deals with harassment andthenitdealswithsexual harassment which will be dealtwithdifferently Oneis a criminal offence and the other can be classified as a civiloffence,”sheexplained. Under the proposed legislation, perpetrators of harassmentcouldfaceafine of $1 million and up to six monthsofimprisonment.

Attorney-at-Law Darshan Ramdhanie, who served as a consultant in draftingthebill,stressed the importanceofunderstanding the social contexts in which the law would apply “We should be concerned about thesocialspacesinwhichwe are attempting to regulate andhowfarshouldwegoin placing an umbrella of protection on various social spaces,” the attorney stated. He further emphasised the need for careful deliberation on the obligations to be i m p o s e d o n t h o s e responsible for managing these spaces, such as workplaces, colleges, and otherinstitutions.

Minister of Human Service and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud

20 families now homeowners under Lethem Housing Support Programme

Twenty individuals from Lethemreceivedtheirhomes at Culvert City and Tract CHPA (Poke Bridge)

Housing Schemes in Region Nine, as part of the Lethem H o u s i n g S u p p o r t Programme Five houses were handed over at Culvert and15atTractCHPA.

Each house spans about 550 square feet and consists of two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a sanitaryfacility

Several beneficiaries conveyed their relief and appreciation towards the government for fulfilling their life-long dreams of owningahome.

JoyAtkinson has always longed for a house for her family, and now her dreams ofowningahomehavecome true.

“I am renting and that is expensive so I am happy to finallygetahome.Ihaveone son. This is for him,” she happilyexpressed.

For Milton Griffith, this housingprojecthasprovided a spacious and secure home forhisfamilyofthree.

Griffithadded,“Thisisa start for my family This is good for somebody who is always trying hard. I am happy for this house. We rented many houses We usedtomovealot.”

Mother of one, Julissa Philips was overjoyed and speechless when she receivedthecalltoobtainher keysforhernewhome.

She noted, “I can’t explain it. It is so wonderful to call a place like this-a

home. This [house] brings morestabilitytome.Iamso happy Everybody is happy forme.”

Vernie Alfred stated, “I am grateful for this. I am happy to be given the opportunity to obtain this loanthroughthegovernment and to have my house as earlyaspossible.”

During the handing-over ceremony on Friday, Minister of Housing and

Water Collin Croal highlighted that six persons werecontractedtobuild100 ofthesehomesintheregion, underthisproject.

Forty-nine of these houses have been handed over so far, through this project.

Moreover, 39 out of the 51 houses are scheduled to be completed by this month, with the remaining set scheduled for completion nextyear.

“We are pleased about the progress. And, upon completion of the 100 houses, we will re-engage those contractors who will become available, for another round, ” he highlighted.

As part of this programme, the government is providing 600 individuals with $1 million each to help with the construction cost while the remaining $2 million is financed by commercialbanks.

This housing initiative representsyetanotherbythe government of ensuring all Guyanese citizens have accesstoasustainablehome.

Minister Croal hands over keys to recipient, Milton Griffith

Does Guyana really want a trade war with Trinidad and Tobago?

There has been a longstanding controversy over TrinidadandTobago’suseof sanitary and phytosanitary measuresastradebarriersto restrict the entry of Guyanese exports, such as peppers, pineapples, poultry meat, and honey, into its markets. This practice has been criticized by Guyanese business groups, which argue it violates the principles of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, meant to ensure free movement of goods within CARICOM.

Speaking at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services

Association (GMSA)

Presentation Awards

Ceremony 2024, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo suggested that Guyana may need to adopt reciprocal measures against Trinidad if these trade barriers persist. He emphasized the need for fairness, warning, “If you don’t take our stuff, we’re not going to allow free accesstoyourproducts.”

Jagdeo also highlighted Trinidad’s frequent appeals to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for treaty

interpretations and

encouraged Guyana’s businesscommunitytoadopt

a similar approach. Additionally, he urged the GMSA to bring these concerns into the public arena to apply pressure for resolution, stressing that such barriers undermine CARICOM’s food security objectives.

Reciprocity,assuggested by Vice President Bharrat

Jagdeo, is not a viable solution to address Trinidad and Tobago’s non-tariff barriers against Guyanese exports.

While the frustration over these trade restrictions isvalid,retaliatorymeasures would amount to Guyana itself violating the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which mandates free trade a m o n g C A R I C O M members.

Such violations could expose Guyana to legal challenges before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and the imposition of significant penalties Beyond legal ramifications, these actions would undermine Guyana’s reputation as an advocate of regional integration and fair trade, which could have long-term economic and diplomaticconsequences.

The economic stakes are too high for reckless retaliation Trinidad and Tobago is one of Guyana’s largest trading partners, constituting the secondhighest source of imports, surpassed only by Singapore. Should Trinidad escalate its actions in response to Guyana’s proposed reciprocity, the effects on Guyana’s economy could be catastrophic. Does Guyana really want a trade war with TrinidadandTobago?

Many of the imports from Trinidad are critical to local businesses and consumers, ranging from construction materials to consumer goods Any

Dem Boys Seh...

disruption in this trade relationship could cripple supply chains, raise costs, anddestabilizekeysectorsof the economy Additionally, the significant presence of Trinidadian companies in Guyana, operating in areas like energy, manufacturing, and retail, means that an economic tit-for-tat could also harm local employment andinvestment.

Jagdeo’s suggestion of reciprocitynotonlyrevealsa lack of understanding of the complexities of Guyana’s economy but also risks

escalating tensions unnecessarily Instead of r e s o r t i n g t o counterproductivemeasures, the focus should be on leveraging legal and diplomatic avenues to press Trinidad to relax its nontariffbarriers.

In any event, Bharrat Jagdeoisthelastpersonwho should be advocating reciprocity against Trinidad. Guyanahasatrackrecordas one of the most egregious violators of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC).TheCaribbeanCourt of Justice (CCJ) has ruled against Guyana for breaching regional trade rules, including its illegal imposition of tariffs on regional cement and the environmental tax, both of whichviolatedtheRTC.

These measures not only undermined CARICOM’s tradeprinciplesbutalsocost Guyana millions in repayments.Jagdeo’scallfor reciprocity is thus hypocritical and risks

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exposing Guyana to further scrutiny and retaliation, compounding its already tarnished record in adhering to the very rules it now claimstodefend.

While the Local Content Acthasfacilitatedbillionsof dollars in business for local companies in Guyana’s oil and gas sector, its alignment with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) has beencontentious.

This column has long argued,withagreementfrom s o m e Tr i n i d a d i a n stakeholders, that the l e g i s l a t i o n l i k e l y contravenes RTC provisions on non-discrimination withinCARICOM.

ShouldTrinidadretaliate against Guyana’s proposed reciprocal measures by formally challenging the Local Content Act at the CCJ,theconsequencescould

be severe. Such a challenge might lead to a ruling that undermines the Act, disrupting the economic benefitsitcurrentlyprovides to Guyanese companies

Has Vice President Jagdeo fully considered the farreaching implications of his rhetoric, particularly the potentialforexposingoneof Guyana’s most pivotal economic policies to legal jeopardy?

T h i s i s w h y organizations like the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) must exercise greater caution in selecting speakers for their feature addresses.

Reckless outbursts can cause more harm than good to the interests of the manufacturing and services sectors.

Vice President Bharrat

’s

remarksattherecentGMSA Presentation of Awards Ceremony exemplify this risk. His call for reciprocal measures against Trinidad reflects a troubling misunderstanding of the critical economic and trade issuesatstake.

Jagdeo must put a lid on hisinflammatoryrhetoric,as such statements jeopardize Guyana’seconomicstability andregionalstanding.

The GMSA and similar bodies should ensure that their platforms advance, rather than endanger, their members’interests.

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

bawling pickney and a TV stuck pon childrencartoons.

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Still, dem boys seh not all roses. Who yuh gon blame if de AI mek mistake? Yuh can’tcussoutanapporthreatenfuhchange yuhdoctor AndAInahgonpatyuhponyuh back and seh, “Don’t worry, yuh gon be fine.” It cold like de AC in dem big-shot office.

Dem boys seh docs better learn to live widAI.Ifnot,demgonhaffistartcompeting. Maybe throw in a free lollipop or a foot massage wid every visit! But one ting sure, deAIeracoming.Whetheryuhlikeitornot, demdocsbettabrace,causetechnologynah play

Defuturebright,butsomedocsgonfeel itdark.AsGrannyusedtoseh,“Tekinfront beforeinfronttekyuh.” Talkhalf.Leffhalf

H@RD TRUTHS

Pearl Harbor

Last Saturday was December7th. Eighty-three years ago, Admiral Isoroku

Yamamoto unleashed Japan's divine wind on America while it slept on a Sundaymorning. Theplace of attack was Pearl Harbor, what President Franklin Roosevelt called a "Date which will live in Infamy." Most Guyanese may ask what does that have to do with Guyana, with them. The question has its merits, given that today America is thiscountry'srighthandand rightventricle. Everythingit seems, and not much of it rightforGuyanese.

What December 7, 1941 was toAmerica at the hands of the Japanese is what 75 years later happened to Guyana at the hands of a treacherous and dangerous Exxon. OnOctober7,2016, two months shy of 75 years

since the first Pearl Harbor, Exxon Pearl Harbored Guyana with its devastating Production Sharing Agreement (contract) Though the APNU+AFC Government executed that contract, the mother of all that is repulsive, by that one strokeofthepen,manyparts of Guyana died on that October day that will live in infamy

The spirit of Guyanese died. Evenapassingglance startles at how the government and opposition grovel before Exxon, as thoughitistheAmericanwar machine. LookatGuyanese leaders: their togas fall off, sensitive parts of their anatomy peek out, their intellect and self-respect all but destroyed, so low they have tumbled. One set of Guyanese shelter behind the fig leaf of sanctity of

contract; the same instrument that emasculates them,theyrevere. Itistheir storyforconsumptionbythe naïveandgullible. Government and leaders no longer connect to what puts the interests of Guyanese first, what makes Guyanese tick During World War Two, the Americans imprisoned 120,000Japanesebecauseof suspicions about their loyalty Under the sovereignty of the 2016 Exxon contract, 750,000 Guyanese (minus a few) are imprisoned because local leaders have no convictions, are so lacking in passion. About oil. About anything. Study the leaders-the bristling and the boisterous, the braindead and the belligerent-and they are all walking on eggshells when around Exxon? Which one

ofthemisn't?

Post Pearl Harbor, the Japanese had Supreme Commander Douglas MacArthur as their American Shogun. Post Guyana's Pearl Harbor (October7,2016),Guyanese quickly came to know their own Oil Shogun, another vainglorious American, Alistair Routledge He conquers without a shot being fired. His atomic bomb is made of paper and ink. Itistheexplosive2016 Exxon contract. Dare to touch it and be ready to lose aneyeandahand. Probably some guts and all that is belowthegroin,iftherewas anyofthoseleft.

Instead of Guyanese political, commercial, and civil leaders step forward and negotiate, they search for new ways to abdicate. Their patriotic duty Their duty to the people. Their duty to the Motherland. In December 1941 America took a blow to head, quivered to its knees, and then rose with the rage of a sleeping giant disturbed. In October 2016, Guyana's leadershipabsorbedakickto the belly, fell on their faces, then decided that the most profitable course of action wastoburytheirnosesinthe mud,andpretendtobedead. There is no pretense involved; they are dead Deadened by their fear of Exxon. As good as dead by

their ambitions andlustsforpower

Two national leaders wage war against their own brothers. Theirpreferenceis forthesafeway Thatis,use the might of the state to suppress, so that Exxon can take Guyanese oil and oppressthem.

Thisishowfartheygoto provetothewhiteenslavers, the new American colonizers, that they know their place. They drag on theirbehindsbeforeExxon's Woods and Routledge to prove the inferiority of the Guyaneserace.

From Tora! Tora! Tora! overPearlHarborin1941,it has been thunder and lightning over Guyana since 2016. And this is what Guyaneseapplaud.

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

A m e r i c a n leaders were singleminded in their determination to conquer the forces responsible for Pearl Harbor Recall the savagery of the fight to the death across the islands and archipelagoes of the vast Pacific. From Manila to Tarawa to Okinawa, there was that death struggle that culminated in the two atom bombs For a quick departure, there was more than a hint of racism in the all-out war waged by AmericaagainstHidekiTojo andhiskamikazes. America dug deep and marshaled its might to reverse the ignominy of a second-rate power dealing it a crippling blow Americans made sacrifices, sons and daughters giving of their bloodtoberidofascourge. What has been the response of Guyanese, be they leaders, friends and countrymen? Be they neighborly or adversary? With Guyana's Pearl Harbor smashing in the face? Instead of rising up and standing tall and fighting back against this contract pornography, Guyanese have backed away and buckled under The leaders ofonepowerfulgroupareso shameless, so cowardly that they garland sanctity of contractaroundwhatinjures andenslavesGuyana. Amid the cowardly leadership ranks,thereisthefoxy:how tomaintainorattainpower Insteadofsacrifice,there is surrender Instead of Guyanese men and women impassioned by an inextinguishable ferocity in their blood, their blood has turnedtomud,theirsinewto straw

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

ExxonMobilandtrust

Any Guyanese that places an iota of trust in what ExxonMobil does here needs to obtain some professional attention.

We make room for the PPPC and the PNC and the AFC- they are just as crooked.

Any national government, or political party populated by patriotic leaders, that thinks of ExxonMobil as a trusted partner, really ought to be nowhere near the corridors of power.

We say it as bluntly as we can: ExxonMobil is not to be trusted, ExxonMobil has done little to garner credibility with Guyanese on their oil, has been as untrustworthy as they come when certain deplorable aspects of its presence here are weighed.

The company has been found wanting, and by a large margin.

US EXIM Bank loan for Wales Gas-to-Energy project still awaiting final approval - Winston Jordan

…says entire sum cannot be used retroactively

The US$660M loan

applied for by the Government of Guyana to support the Wales Gas-toEnergy(GTE)projectisstill pending final approval, former Finance Minister, WinstonJordanhasclarified.

While Vice President

Bharrat Jagdeo had announced, at his press conference two weeks ago, thattheUnitedStatesExport Import(USEXIM)Bankhad

approved Guyana’s application for the loan, ChairmanoftheAllianceFor Change (AFC), David

Patterson disputed this claim.

Infact,Pattersontoldthe media that a reliable source atthelendinginstitutionhad informed him that no such approval has been granted. While both Jagdeo and Patterson maintained their positions this past week at their respective press conf

Minister Jordan sought to add clarity to the situation during a live programme on Sunday

An artist’s impression of the Gas-to-Energy facilities to be constructed at Wales, with financing from the US EXIM Bank.

During an interview on ‘The Countdown’ show, hosted by Andrew Weekes and Onix Duncan, Jordan

explained the various stages associated with the loan approval. He was keen to note that Jagdeo, a former Minister of Finance, former governor and Guyana’s current representative at various lending institutions should be familiar with the process. As such, he said it was strange that such an announcement was made by theleader

According Jordan, the penultimatestageistheloan approvalcommittee.Hesaid inGuyana’scasewiththeUS EXIM Bank, the financial institution may have a similar committee which informed the state that it would only approve a portion of the funds requested.

Jagdeo did indicate that the loan would be approved tothetuneofaroundUS$500 million.

To this end, he said that Guyana’s loan application may have been approved to move on to the next stage. Thisnextstage,accordingto him, appears to be notification to Congress, which will then determine the final decision- approval or rejection of the application. This decision will then be forwarded for consideration at the Board level.

“If Congress approves it then I believe it might be rubber stamp at the board level for approval,” the former Minister stated Consequently, Jordan pointed out, “Until the full boardmeetsandapprovethe loan to Guyana the loan has notbeenapproved.”

He was keen to note that itisusualforthegovernment to announce a loan approval by an international financial institution.

Innormalcircumstances, he said, the Board would approve the application and an official statement would ensue. “It is on the basis of that release that the

borrowing country would inform their press and their Cabinetsoit’sratherunusual for Jagdeo to be saying that EXIM Bank has approved this when EXIM Bank itself never made any such announcement,” Jordan reasoned.

On the other hand, he said that while Jagdeo has repeatedly indicated that the loan would provide retroactive financing for the Walesproject,theVPhasnot explained the limitations of this.Assuch,hepointedout, “AssumingthatEXIMBank does indeed (provide) retroactive financing, there a r e c l e a r i s s u e s involved…oneisthatforyou to get retroactive financing you have to follow the identical rules of the EXIM Bank.Youcan’tfollowyour rules,youhavetofollowthe procurement rules of the EXIMBank.”

Additionally, he explained that all the expenditure must comply w i t h t h e B a n k ’ s requirements for eligibility “You have to keep a proper recordofallthestepsandso onandeachstageoftheway, youhavetohaveapprovalby t h e E X I M B a n k ProcurementCommitteethat it is consistent with their rules and so on,” Jordan noted.

Moreover,hepointedout that there is a limit to the retroactive financing that will be provided by the institution.

The former Finance Minister explained, “The whole loan can’t go to retroactive financing, there is a limit to what retroactive financing you can get, so all ofthesethingshavenotbeen made clear to the public but you get the impression that oncetheygetthisloanitcan be applied retroactively to moniesthatwehavealready spent.”

Jagdeo refusing the opposition a seat on procurement boards is a defence for corruption to continue - Mahipaul

Executive Member of the People’s N a t i o n a l Congress Reform (PNCR) and Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul told reportersonFridaythatVice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s stating that the opposition will not have a seat on the procurement boards is his wayofmakingadefencefor corruption to continue in Guyana’s procurement system.

At a recent press conference, Vice President Jagdeo told reporters that oppositionrepresentationon the procurement board is something the government wouldneverconsider,unless theychangedtheirdisruptive culture.

Mahipaul in response said, “Jagdeo has to find a defence Why he must continue to allow corruption to grow in his organization? Hehastofindadefenceasto why he has to protect his friends, families, and favorites.”

The MP accused the VP of finding a defence so as to allow “the course of corruption” as he believes that Jagdeo is fully aware that 2025 may very well be the last of him in political power

“So, he has to find a defence and that is the defence he has found. We continue to maintain that in order for us to build a better

Executive Member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul

Guyana, in order for us to buildastrongerGuyana,and in order for there to be a Guyana where this generation, and through sustainable development the futuregenerationcanenjoya comfortable life here, it requires checks and balances,”Mahipaulsaid. Mahipaul is of the view that in order for the country tomoveforward,thereneeds to be real democracy and

e a n d accountability

However he highlighted

that his party has “established over a long periodoftimeandagainhere today that there is no good

Motorcyclist hospitalised after Barr Street, Kitty accident

A motorcyclist is now receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after he was involved in a collision with a motorcar whose driver wasundertheinfluenceofalcohol.

According to information provided by the Police, the incident occurred on Saturday evening near the SmartAid 24HourPharmacyonBarrStreet,Kitty.

It involved motor cycle # CM 6623 ridden by Leon Giddings, and motorcar # PAJ 21 driven by Voshaun Manbodh,amemberoftheGuyanaFireService.

Enquiries revealed that Manbodh was headed east on Bar Street while Giddings was headed west. As they proceeded to pass each other, the front of Giddings’s cycle collidedwiththerightsideofthemotorcar

This resulted in Giddings falling to the ground and sustaining injuries. He was taken to the GPHC where he remainshospitalised.Boththecarandbikeweredamagedin thecollision.

Police conducted a Breathalyzer test on Manbodh, whichshowedthathehad0.27microgramsofalcoholonhis breath. Currently, CCTV footage from the scene is being reviewedastheinvestigationsareongoing.

and the Bharrat Jagdeo who wantstobelievethatheisthe GodfatherofGuyana.”

Speaking further on the issue,Advisortothepartyon Oil and Gas and Economist, ElsonLowsaidthat,“Itisnot for Vice President Jagdeo to determine when, and which, and how institutions of this country, especially those enshrined by law should function. If that is the law, thatisthewaytheinstitution shouldfunction.”

boards, saying that their culture of obstruction needs tochangefirst.

At a recent news conference, Jagdeo was asked whether government would consider amending thelegislationtoprovidefor Opposition, and probably civilsocietyparticipationon the boards, so as to remove suspicion of corruption withinthesystem.

negative and disruptive and try to slow things down rather than be supportive in anyofhisagenda?”

He stressed that it is something that the government will never contemplate until there is a change of culture in the political opposition, as they haveahistoryoffocusingon disruption.

transparency under the IrfaanAli-ledadministration

On December 3 last, Kaieteur News reported that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has blanked the possibilityoftheOpposition having representation on the national and regional procurement and tender

Jagdeo,inresponse,said, “You know we live in a democracy; you think President Trump will put anyone in charge of his executive function…that he hastoanswertothepeopleof the country? That he’d put someone there who has a track record of being

“ I f t h e y ’ r e i n government, they stay in powerthroughtryingtosteal elections, not through the respect of the right of individual voters.And when they’re out of government, they try to disrupt everything A seemingly normalthingwouldnowtake forever,”Jagdeosaid.

Caribbean Airlines starts new service to Guadeloupe

Caribbean Airlines

on Saturday announced the start of its new service to the FrenchislandofGuadeloupe, marking a significant milestone in the airline's commitment to enhancing regionalconnectivity

Thisnewroute,operating four times per week via St. Lucia and Dominica, opens new opportunities for seamless travel and collaboration across the Caribbean.

The introduction of flights to Guadeloupe brings a fitting conclusion to an ambitious year of expansion for Caribbean Airlines. In 2024, the airline's network grew with the addition of Puerto Rico, Martinique and now Guadeloupe.These new d e s t i n a t i o n s a r e complemented by key regional developments, including flights between Ogle,Guyana,andSuriname, expanded regional and international schedules, and theupcomingrelaunchofthe Fort Lauderdale to Kingston route.

Garvin Medera, CEO of Caribbean Airlines, expressed his enthusiasm for the airline's latest milestone, stating: “At Caribbean Airlines, our theme of 'Welcome Home' reflects our vision of uniting the Caribbean and beyond. This new service to Guadeloupe strengthens our commitment to building bridges across the region for the betterment of our people, culture, trade, and education Whether you're connecting for business, leisure, or to visit loved ones, our network is designed to make every journey as seamless and welcomingaspossible.”

Medera added, “As we reflect on a year of dynamic growth, we are proud to be at the forefront of regional connectivity The start of service to Guadeloupe is not just an expansion of our network; it's a reaffirmation of our commitment to fostering unity, opportunity, and the vibrant exchange of Caribbeanculture.”

Guadeloupe,renowned (Continued on page 16)

Airlines' official welcome to Guadeloupe by President of the Guadeloupe Tourism Board, Valerie Cesar Samuel, President of the Board of Directors / CEO of Guadeloupe Maryse Conde Airport, Alain Bievre, Managing Director of Tourism Board, Rodrigue Solitude, Tourism Director at Guadeloupe Regional Council, Agathe Vincenot.

61 Bartica small contractors ink contracts

$100M

DPI - Bartica's Road network is set for a majorupgradeas61smallcontractorssigned agreements totalling $122 million under the Ministry of Public Works' Urban Road RehabilitationProgramme.

The initiative, described as historic, was launched on Friday by Minister of Public Works,JuanEdghill.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, MinisterEdghillhighlightedthesignificance of the project, noting it is the first of its kind forBartica.

“ForthefirsttimeinthehistoryofBartica, wearedoingwhatwearedoingnow,”hesaid.

The contracts, valued between $1 8 million and $2 5 million each, were specificallyawardedtosmallcontractorsthat resideintheregion.

Minister Edghill explained that the programmeisdesignedtoempowerordinary citizens by bypassing the traditional public bidding process, which often favours larger, well-equippedcompanies.

“If you go out to public bid, none of you wouldbeinthisroomtoday Themenwhogot money, the men who got machines, the men whogoteverythingwouldwinthework.Then you would get called on to do day work and getaday'spay Wehavebeenabletochange thatwithclearpolicydirectiontoensurethat weempowerordinarypeople,”hesaid.

Moreover, contractors were urged to completetheirprojectsbeforeDecember31.

Minister Edghill pointed out that 50 per centofthecontractsumwillbedisbursedby

(Continued on page 16)

French Ambassador to Trinidad & Tobago, His Excellency Didier Chabert and CEO, Garvin Medera alongside Caribbean Airlines BW 288 crew, Captain Rene Seow and Captain Richard Jacelon at the launch of service to Guadeloupe from Piarco International Airport.

Caribbean

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

ExxonMobilandtrust

Any Guyanese that places an iota of trust in what ExxonMobil does here needs to obtain some professional attention.

We make room for the PPPC and the PNC and the AFC- they are just as crooked.

Any national government, or political party populated by patriotic leaders, that thinks of ExxonMobil as a trusted partner, really ought to be nowhere near the corridors of power.

We say it as bluntly as we can: ExxonMobil is not to be trusted, ExxonMobil has done little to garner credibility with Guyanese on their oil, has been as untrustworthy as they come when certain deplorable aspects of its presence here are weighed.

The company has been found wanting, and by a large margin.

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The61roadprojectswere designed to allow simultaneous execution to ensure contractors meet the deadline.

Theprojectisexpectedto provideemploymentopportunities to over 300 Barticians, significantly boosting the town's economy It also forms part of the government's broader infrastructure development strategy to improve accessibility andenhancecommutersafety nationwide.

MinisterEdghillreiterated the government's commitment to inclusivity under the 'OneGuyana'initiativewhich ensures every Guyanese is a directbeneficiaryofdevelopmentinitiatives.

“Your entitlement to the benefits that exist in Guyana must not be based on your politics. It must be based on

the fact that you are Guyanese,” the minister affirmed.

The Mayor of Bartica, Anthony Murray, and the RegionalChairman,Kenneth Williams, have both commended the infrastructural project, describing it as a significant economic boost for the region.

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Syrian rebels topple Assad who flees to Russia in Mideast shakeup

DAMASCUS

(Reuters)

- Syrian rebels seized the

c a p i t a l D a m a s c u s unopposedonSundayaftera lightning advance that sent President Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Russia after a 13year civil war and six decades of his family’s autocraticrule.

In one of the biggest turningpointsfortheMiddle East in generations, the fall of Assad’s government wiped out a bastion from which Iran and Russia exercised influence across the Arab world. Moscow gaveasylumtoAssadandhis family, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, said on his Telegramchannel.

Hissuddenoverthrow,at the hands of a revolt partly backed by Turkey and with rootsinjihadistSunniIslam, limitsIran’sabilitytospread weapons to its allies and could cost Russia its Mediterraneannavalbase.It could allow millions of refugees scattered for more than a decade in camps across Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to finally return home.

For Syrians, it brought a sudden unexpected end to a warindeepfreezeforyears, with hundreds of thousands dead, cities pounded to dust andaneconomyhollowedby globalsanctions.

“Howmanypeoplewere displaced across the world? How many people lived in tents?Howmanydrownedin the seas?” the top rebel c o m m a n d e r , A b u Mohammedal-Golani,tolda huge crowd at the medieval Umayyad Mosque in central Damascus, referring to refugees who died trying to reachEurope.

“A new history, my brothers, is being written in the entire region after this great victory,” he said, adding that with hard work Syriawouldbe“abeaconfor theIslamicnation.”

The Assad police stateknownsincehisfatherseized powerinthe1960sasoneof the harshest in the Middle East with hundreds of thousands of political prisoners, melted away overnight.

Bewildered and elated inmates poured out of jails after rebels blasted open

theircells.Reunitedfamilies wept in joy Newly freed prisoners were filmed at dawn running through the Damascusstreetsholdingup the fingers of both hands to show how many years they hadbeeninprison.

“We toppled the regime!” a voice shouted as one prisoner yelled and skippedwithdelight.

The White Helmets rescue organization said it had dispatched five emergency teams to the notorious Sedhaya prison to search for hidden underground cells believed toholddetainees.

As the sun set in DamascuswithoutAssadfor the first time, roads leading into the city were mostly empty, apart from motorcycles carrying armed menandrebelvehiclescaked withmudascamouflage.

Somemencouldbeseen lootingashoppingcentreon the road between the capital andtheLebaneseborder The myriad checkpoints lining the road to Damascus were empty PostersofAssadwere torn at his eyes. A burning Syrian military truck was parked diagonally on the roadoutofthecity

A thick column of black smoke billowed from the Mazzeh neighbourhood, where Israeli strikes earlier had targeted Syrian state securitybranches,according totwosecuritysources.

Intermittent gunfire rang outinapparentcelebration.

Shops and restaurants closed early in line with a

raised concerns about more instabilityontopoftheGaza war

U.S.PresidentJoeBiden, in a televised address, cheered Assad’s fall but acknowledged that it was also a moment of risk and uncertainty

“As we all turn to the questionofwhatcomesnext, the United States will work with our partners and the stakeholdersinSyriatohelp themseizeanopportunityto managetherisk,”Bidensaid.

The U.S. Central Command said its forces

conducted dozens of airstrikes targeting known Islamic State camps and operativesincentralSyriaon Sunday

curfew imposed by the rebels. Just before it came into effect, people could be seen briskly walking home withstacksofbread.

Earlier, the rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments. Thousands of people in cars and on foot congregatedatamainsquare in Damascus waving and chanting“Freedom.”

People were seen walkinginsidetheAl-Rawda Presidential Palace, with some leaving carrying furniture. A motorcycle was parkedontheintricately-laid parquetfloorofagildedhall.

The Syrian rebel coalitionsaiditwasworking to complete the transfer of power to a transitional governing body with executivepowers.

“The great Syrian revolution has moved from the stage of struggle to overthrow theAssad regime to the struggle to build a Syria together that befits the sacrifices of its people,” it addedinastatement.

Mohammad Ghazi alJalali, prime minister under Assad, called for free elections and said he had been in contact with Golani to discuss the transitional period.

Golani,whosegroupwas once Syria’s branch of al Qaeda but has softened its image to reassure members ofminoritysectsandforeign countries, said there was no roomforturningback.

The pace of events stunned Arab capitals and

embassiesaroundtheworld, lowering red, white and black Assad-era flags and replacing them with the green, white and black flag flownbyhisopponents.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Assad’s fall was thanks to blowsIsraelhaddealttoIran and its Lebanese ally

Hezbollah, once the lynchpin ofAssad’s security forces.

“The barbaric state has fallen,” French President EmmanuelMacronsaid.

times and caused a political reckoning in Europe when a million people arrived in 2015.

In recent years Turkey had backed some rebels in a small redoubt in the northwest and along its border The United States, which still has 900 soldiers on the ground, backed a Kurdish-led alliance that foughtIslamicStatejihadists from2014-2017.

LaterinthedaySecretary ofDefenseLloydAustinsaid he spoke with Turkish MinisterofNationalDefense Yasar Guler, emphasizing that the United States is watchingclosely Jubilantsupportersofthe revolt crowded Syrian

When the celebrations fade, Syria’s new leaders face the daunting task of tryingtodeliverstabilitytoa diverse country that will need billions of dollars in aid.

During the civil war, which erupted in 2011 as an uprising against Assad, his forces and their Russian allies bombed cities to rubble. The refugee crisis across the Middle East was oneofthebiggestofmodern

The biggest strategic losers were Russia and Iran, which intervened in the war’s early years to rescue Assad, helping him recapture most territory and all major cities. The front lines were frozen four years ago under a deal Russia and IranreachedwithTurkey

But Moscow’s focus on its war in Ukraine and the blows to Iran’s allies following the war in Gazaparticularly the decimation of Hezbollah by Israel over the past two months - left Assadwithscantsupport.

President Bashar al-Assad

Israeli attacks on central Gaza kill 16

Al Jazeera NewsIsraeliairattacksintheGaza Strip have killed at least 16 Palestinians in separate attacks in the central part of theenclave.

Five members of one family, including children, were killed in an attack on a campfordisplacedpeoplein Deir el-Balah in the early hours of Sunday as they slept.

“We woke up to a loud explosion in the middle of the night,” said Mahmoud Fayad, an eyewitness. “We ran to the loud screams and found many civilians killed; and entire family, man, wife andtheirchildren.”

Dozens of others were injured in the attack, according to Al Jazeera’s HaniMahmoud.

“Many people in the vicinity of the tent site were reported with various injuries,” said Mahmoud, reporting from Deir elBalah.“Theovernightattack highlights the vulnerability of displaced civilians inside thesetents.”

Then,lateronSunday,at least11peoplewerekilledin an Israeli air attack on a residentialhouseinal-Bureij camp.

Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from

The Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on October 31, 2024 [File: AFP]

Deir el-Balah, said that the strikehadhittheeasternpart of the camp, and that there hadbeennopriorwarningto theresidentsofthebuilding, whichwasflattened. AbuAzzoumsaidthathe “personally saw bodies shredded to pieces” as they arrivedatDeirel-Balah’salAqsa Hospital, adding that they had been gathered in bags used for flour because ofalackofcoffins.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that more than 44,708 Palestinians havebeenkilledand106,050 injured in Israel’s war on Gaza since October of last year

Several people were injured overnight in “drone attacks on residential areas” to the east of Gaza City, Mahmoudreported.

Meanwhile, Israel’s siege of Kamal Adwan

Hospital in Beit Lahiya in northernGazaiscontinuing, with Palestinian health officialsreportingonSunday thatIsraeliforceshadshelled the hospital, damaging electricity and oxygen pumpsanddisruptingurgent surgeries.

Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital, which is one of only three barely operational in the northoftheenclave,saidthe

facility was hit by around 100 tank shells and bombs, wounding several of the medicalstaffandpatients.

“The situation is extremely dangerous We havepatientsintheintensive careunitandothersawaiting surgeries Access to the operating rooms is only possible after restoring electricity and oxygen supply,”Abu Safia said in a statement.

The hospital is treating 112 wounded people, includingsixintheintensive careunit,hesaid.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military about Abu Safia’s account.

“Israeli forces are about 500metres[1,650feet]away from the gate of the hospital and set up a sniper position that keeps targeting people and any moving objects inside the hospital,” Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud reported, adding that there was a heavy presence of drones and quadcopters in theskiesabovethefacility

On Friday, Israeli forces killed about 30 people when they stormed the Kamal AdwanHospitalundercover ofheavyartilleryfireandair attacks, according to Eid Sabbah, the hospital’s directorofnursing.

To justify its actions, IsraelclaimsHamasfighters are using civilian buildings, including hospitals and schools, for operational cover throughout the 14monthGazawar Hamas, the Palestinian group that runs the Gaza Strip, has denied this and a c c u s e s I s r a e l o f indiscriminate bombings andassaults.

Ukrainian war dead reaches 43,000, Zelensky says in rare update

Reuters - Some 43,000 Ukrainiansoldiershavebeenkilled since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Volodymyr Zelensky has said in a rare admission of the extentofthenation’scasualties.

In a post on social media, the Ukrainian president said 370,000 injuries had been reported, though this figure included soldiers who had been hurt more than once and someoftheinjuriesweresaidtobe minor

He also claimed that 198,000 Russian soldiers had been killed andafurther550,000wounded.

The BBC has not been able to verifyeitherside’sfigures.

While both Kyiv and Moscow have regularly published estimates oftheotherside’slosses,theyhave beenreluctanttodetailtheirown.

Russia’s ‘meat-grinder’ tactics bring battlefield success - but at horrendouscost

Ukraine’s exhausted troops in Russiatoldtoclingonandwaitfor Trump.

WhatTrump’swinmeansfor Ukraine,MiddleEastandChina

The new figure marks a significant increase in Ukrainian deathssincethestartoftheyear

ThelasttimeZelenskygavean updateonUkraine’scasualtieswas in February, when he put deaths at

31,000.

The Ukrainian president is thought to have been compelled to maketheadmissionafterincoming US President-elect Donald Trump wroteonsocialmediathatUkraine had “ridiculously lost” 400,000 soldiers, while close to 600,000 Russians had been killed or wounded. Trump did not state wherethesefigureswerefrom.

The incoming president, who has long made clear he wants to bring an end to the war, said too many lives had been “needlessly wasted”.

Zelensky’sestimatesofRussian

lossesaresimilartothoseprovided by senior Western officials, who estimate Russia has suffered around 800,000 casualties, both killedandinjured.

TheUK’sdefenceministrysays Russiasuffered45,680casualtiesin Novemberalone-morethanduring any month since its full-scale invasionbeganinFebruary2022.

According to the latest UK Defence Intelligence estimates, an average of 1,523 Russian soldiers arebeingkilledandwoundedevery day

On 28 November, it says, Russialostmorethan2,000menin

a single day, the first time this has happened. Moscow disputes those figures.Inastatement,theKremlin claimedthatUkrainianlosseswere “many times higher” than Russian ones Outside of Russia, the consensus is that Russian casualty figures are far higher than Ukraine’s due to their “meat grinder”tactics.

Recentdevelopmentsinthewar have only added to the number of dead.

Russian forces continue to make incremental advances along theeasternfrontline,capturingand retaking about 2,350 sq km of territory (907 sq miles) in eastern Ukraine and in Russia’s western Kursk region since the start of the year

Ukrainian forces maintain control over a small amount of Russian territory which was capturedduringasurpriseoffensive intoRussiainAugust.

The Russian defence ministry says more than 38,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or woundedinKurskalone-anumber thatcannotbeverified.

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsulain2014.Eightyearslater, it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has occupied territory inthecountry’ssouthandeast.

Zelensky mentioned Ukraine’s wardeadinabroaderpostaboutthe prospectsforaneventualendtothe war

It follows talks in Paris on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump, who has sought to capitalise on views held by around a quarter of AmericansthattheUSisproviding toomuchsupporttoUkraine.

During the campaign, Trump repeatedly said he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine “in a day” - but has yet to specify howheintendstodoso.

In his post, Zelensky stressed thatanypeacedealhadtobebacked by effective international guarantees for his country’s security

He said he told Macron and Trump that Kyiv needs an “enduring peace” which Moscow wouldnot“destroyinafewyears”.

RespondingtoTrump’scallfor an immediate ceasefire, the Kremlin said it was open to negotiations,buttheconditionsfor a cessation of hostilities had been set by Russian President Vladimir PutininJune.

His demands included Ukraine giving up more of its territory and abandoningambitionstojoinNato, whichKyivhasrejected.

$3B in contracts awarded to rehabilitate Grove to Good Success public road

The rehabilitation of the Grove to Good Success public road on the East Bank ofDemerara(EBD),aproject being undertaken by the government through the Ministry of Public Works,

will be executed for

a p p r o x i m a t e l y $3,003,886,549.

Six contracts were recently awarded by the National Procurement and TenderAdministrationBoard (NPTAB)fortheproject.

The ministry sought bids for the project that is to be doneinsixlots.

Eleven construction companies initially applied for the project and out of the list, NPTAB revealed on its website that Lot 1 - SSS Professional Engineering

S e r v i c e s I n c f o r

$564,241,260, Lot 2Shereaz Bacchus General Contractorfor$570,218,638, Lot 3 - Khemraj Nauth Inc. for $565,524,810, Lot 4Sawa Investments Inc. for $543,731,210,Lot5-Japarts

Construction Inc. for $633,307,796, and Lot 6Ivor Allen for $126,862,835 wereawardedthecontracts.

It was reported that the Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank (IDB) is financing the upgrade of the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) roadway from Good Success to Timehri while the Government of Guyana will be funding the rehabilitation oftheGrovetoGoodSuccess publicroadproject.

The Public Works Ministryinapublicstatement in September stated that at Grove,thatsegmentofroadis scheduled for reconstruction under financing from the government The upgrade planned for this section includes the “Excavation of unsuitable existing material (approx 1m), Backfilling with white sand, use of geosynthetic fabric, Loam

sub-base, Crusher run base, andAsphaltconcretewearing course(works).”

Already, the ministry statedthatconcretedrainsand utilities works have been completed. In addition, a bypass road from Diamond to Good Success has been completed and is operational for light vehicles and will be used when works begin on thisproject.

Notingthesignificanceof upgrading the East Bank corridor, the ministry said in its statement that the East Bank thoroughfare has endured significant stress resulting from both the volumeofvehiculartraffic,as well as the weight of trucks, andbotharticulatedandnonarticulatedvehicles.

“This has resulted in, at different times, and different locations,thedevelopmentof bulgesanddepressionsalong the roadway The complete rehabilitationofthisroadisa major challenge because of themassivetrafficflowthatit facilitatesbothdayandnight. Therefore, the Ministry of Public Works has done periodicmaintenanceworkto various sections of the carriageway, to keep the traffic flowing,” the ministry explained.

The Guyana Government signed a US$75 million contractwithChinaRoadand Bridge Corporation earlier this year to upgrade the road between Good Success and Timehri.

That project will be divided into three sections, with Section A covering the stretch from Good Success, beginning at the Ganga Temple, to Supply, while Section B extends from Supply to the Soesdyke

Junction Section C continues from the Soesdyke Junction to the Timehri Junction, near the Timehri PoliceStation.

Antonio has surgery on lower limb fracture after crash

(BBC Sport) - West HamstrikerMichailAntonio has undergone surgery on a lower limb fracture following his car crash on Saturday, the club has announced.

Hewillbe“monitoredin hospital over the coming days”,theHammerssaidina statement and extended a “heartfelt thank you” to the emergencyservicesandfirst responders who tended to him.

The 34-year-old Jamaica

international had to be released from his car after beinginvolvedinanaccident inEppingandwastakentoa centralLondonhospital.

West Ham said on Saturdayeveningthathewas inastableconditionandwas “ c o n s c i o u s a n d communicating”.

Antonio is the club’s alltime leading scorer in the Premier League, with 68 goals in 268 league appearances.

“Everyone at the club

wishes Michail a speedy recovery and wishes to express sincere gratitude to the football family at large for the overwhelming support shown since yesterday’s news,” the West Hamstatementcontinued.

“The club will provide further updates when appropriate.”

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said it had attended the scene of the accident on Saturday after receivingcallsat13:02GMT

West Ham United’s Michail Antonio (Reuters)

Monday December 09, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

It could be hard to complete tasks today A disagreement

with other household members might give you the idea that everyone is against you.Thisisn'tso,Aries.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

It could be hard to complete tasks today A disagreement

with other household members might give you the idea that everyone is against you.Thisisn'tso,Aries.Tryto be objective and consider otherpointsofview,anddon't turnthisintoapowerstruggle.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Your practicality and good sense prove invaluable today, Gemini. Those close to you might be restless and upset, and you might have to steer themintherightdirection.

CANCER(June21–July22)

A problem with your houseplumbing,electricity,phonesmight necessitate calling in professionals, Cancer This might prove mildly irritating, asstrangerscouldbegoingin andoutallday

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You have a good heart, Leo, andtodayitexpandstobestow loveonallmankind.Youcan't help but feel connected in a deep, spiritual way with all who have come before you andallwhofollow

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A sudden, irritating interruption in your routine could come your way today, Virgo. A friend may need some advice, and you could feel obliged to give it, which would put your own projects onholdforawhile.

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Today your progress might slow a bit. Problems with computers, telephones, cell phones, or other forms of technology might interrupt your day, Libra.This might be frustratingandirritating.

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and had released a man trappedinhiscarby13:45.

The extent of Antonio’s injuries were not revealed at thattime.

Essex Police later said officers were investigating a serious crash involving a Ferrari and asked for witnesses to come forward, as well as those with dashcam footage of the incident.

Messages of support for

statementonX.,external F o r m e r c l u b s Southampton, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Colchester also wished Antonio a speedy recovery onsocialmedia,asdidBBC presenter Gary Lineker on Saturday’s edition of Match oftheDay Jamaica manager Steve McClaren also sent a message on behalf of Antonio’s international team-mates: “On behalf of the entire group of players, support staff and technical staff, I would like to wish Michail a speedy recovery Ourthoughtsandprayersare withhimatthistime.”

Antoniohavefloodedinwith the Premier League and leading clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all responding to a Hammers’

Antonio has appeared in all 14 of West Ham’s matches in the Premier League this season, scoring hisonlygoalintheir4-1win overIpswichon5October Itisunclearhowlonghis recovery will take as the Hammers prepare to host WolvesonMonday.

Norris wins to seal constructors’ title for McLaren

(BBC Sport) - Lando Norris secured McLaren’s firstFormula1constructors’ championship for 26 years with victory in the seasonending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Norris led from start to finish and his fourth win of the season was enough to sealthechampionshipby14 points, despite Ferrari finishing second and third with Carlos Sainz and CharlesLeclerc.

Leclerc’s brilliant drive afterstarting19thonthegrid kept the tension high - had anythinghappenedtoNorris’ car, Ferrari would have clinchedthetitle.

Lewis Hamilton took fourth place in his final race for Mercedes, passing teammate George Russell around theoutsideofTurnNinewith sixcornersoftheracetogo.

Hamilton did doughnuts on the pit straight after crossing the line and then tookafewmomentswithhis car, collecting his thoughts, beforecongratulatingNorris and McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown and consoling Sainz andLeclerc.

TheanxietyforMcLaren started at the first corner when Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri, who had qualified second to the Briton, was tapped into a spin by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen The world champion was given a 10second penalty for causing theincident.

That put Piastri to the back of the field and left McLaren’shopeshangingon Norris.

Leclerc increased McLaren’s nerves with a stunning first lap, in which he gained a remarkable 11 places, including passing five cars in one go approaching the chicane at

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri facing the wrong way after colliding at the first corner. (Getty Images)

Leclerc’s cl

continued, as he passed the

Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, and then after his pit stop on lap 20PierreGasly’sAlpine.He took third when the Mercedes of Russell and Hamilton and Verstappen pittedoutofhisway Sitting in third behind Norris and Sainz in the final 15 laps, Leclerc asked if “like this we lose the constructors’” and was told, yes, but the race was not over But Norris and McLaren had everything undercontrolandhecrossed thelinesixsecondsaheadof Sainz to end a long and painfulperiodwithoutatitle.

Thewinalsoensuredthat Norrisfinishedsecondinthe drivers’ championship, 18 points ahead of Leclerc and 63behindVerstappen.

McLaren last won the drivers’ championship in 2008 with Hamilton, but their team’s title drought went all the way back to 1998.

They have been through a tough period in the past decade. But their fortunes

have been revived by years of restructuring that started whenBrownjoinedtheteam as executive director in 2016, before being made chief executive officer of McLaren Racing in 2018, and gathered pace when Andrea Stella was made team principal at the end of 2022, when their forward momentumhadstalled.

Stella’s leadership has turned McLaren into the fastest team in F1, and they willgointo2025aspotential favourites.

Norris whooped with delightovertheteamradioas hewastoldthetitlewaswon, andsaid:“Nextyear’sgoing tobemyyear,too.”

Apositiveendingfor Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton celebratedhisclimbthrough the field from 16th to fourth in his final race for Mercedes.

Hamilton’s last race for Mercedes was a strong one from his 16th place on the grid,whereheendedupafter misfortuneinqualifying.

Hewastheonlydriverto start on the hard tyres and used an inverted strategy to gain places throughout a longfirststint.

Rejoining from his pit stop on lap 34 of 57, Hamilton repassed Hulkenberg and Gasly, and with Verstappen already behind because of the Dutchman’s penalty, the seven-timechampionwasup

tofifthbehindRussell. On fresher tyres, Hamilton closed on Russell and started the final lap on histail.

Hamiltonclosedindown the two long straights and then used his better tyres to

passRussellaroundthelong fast Turn Nine after the youngermandefendedtothe inside.

That gave Hamilton a fourthplaceashebowedout from12yearsatMercedesto end the most successful team-driver combination in F1history.

Over the team radio, Mercedes and Hamilton congratulated and expressed their admiration for each other Hamilton said: “What started as a leap of faith turnedintoajourneyintothe historybooks.”

Verstappen took sixth, ahead of Gasly, Hulkenberg and Alonso, while Piastri recovered from his first-lap collision with Verstappen and a 10-second penalty for hitting the back of Franco Colapinto’sWilliamstotake thefinalpointforMcLaren.

WIgo1-0upasHopeandRutherford...

Frompage27

Keacy Carty to consolidate. They added 67 runs in the following 13.3 overs for the third wicket, with Carty scoring a cautious 21 off 37 balls.RishadHossain’sshort ball had him caught at short m i d w i c k e t i n a disappointing dismissal for the in-form West Indies batter

The home side slowed down significantly during t h i s t h i r d - w i c k e t partnership,andtherequired rate reached eight an over with 21 overs remaining in thechase.That’swhenHope slammed his opposite number Mehidy Hasan Miraz down the ground for six. It broke a spell of 28 ballswithoutaboundary

That hit opened the floodgates as Rutherford struckMehidyforafourand asixinthe32ndover,before driving Taskin for a boundary in the 33rd. Hope hammered Rishad down the ground for sixes in consecutive overs, and Rutherford, bothered by the short ball until this point, pulled Rana for a six in between. He reached his fiftyinthe36thover

Mehidy then gave Bangladesh a lifeline when he had Hope caught at deep midwicket, but the 99-run fourth wicket stand had already given West Indies much-needed impetus Greaves then hit three fours in as many overs, and ensured he kept the momentumgoing. Rutherford then upped

the ante when he pulled Tanzim for his third six, following it up with his fourth in the following over off Mehidy Rutherford reached his highest ODI score in the 43rd over, with twin sixes offTaskin.When Greaves carved Tanzim through the covers in the followingover,WestIndies’ requiredratecamedowntoa run a ball, with just 37 needed.

Bangladesh’s innings had also revolved around t h r e e s i g n i f i c a n t partnerships.Theygotoffto a quick start before Soumya Sarkar fell in the fifth over

Soumya, fresh from becoming the GSL’s Player of the Tournament, struck

Alzarri Joseph for consecutive fours before fallingcaughtbehindlaterin the same over Litton Das followed him shortly afterwards, getting caught behind to Romario Shepherd.

Tanzid Hasan, however hadalreadystruckastraight sixandthreefours.Headded 79 runs for the third wicket captain Mehidy, who survived two chances, with Cartydroppinghimon1and 31. Mehidy rode his luck, top scoring with 74. Tanzid looked by far the more confident of the two, hitting twomoresixesoverlong-off and finding boundaries all aroundthewicket.

Tanzid, however, fell againsttherunofplayinthe 24th over when Alzarri Joseph had him caught at point. He made a run-a-ball

60,walkingoffdisappointed at missing out on a bigger score. Mehidy meanwhile continuedtorotatethestrike with the returning Afif Hossain. The fourth-wicket pair added 54 before ShepherdgotAfifcaughton theleg-sideboundary Mehidyeventuallymade 74 off 101 balls, hitting six fours and a superb whipped six over fine-leg off Jayden Seales.

He fell to the same bowler in the 38th over, skying to extra cover where Rutherfordtookthecatch. Mehidy had laid the perfect foundation for Jaker Ali and Mahmudullah, who added 96 runs for the sixth wicket,84ofwhichcamein the last ten overs Mahmudullah smashed three sixes on the leg side, and as many fours, in his unbeaten50off44balls.

Jaker also struck three sixes,oneofthemoffJoseph landing outside the stadium’spremises. Hemade48off40balls, falling off the penultimate ball of the innings to Shepherd,whofinishedwith three wickets Jaker and Mahmudullah struck all their six sixes in the last 6.3 overs of Bangladesh’s innings.

Match details: West I n d i e s 2 9 5 f o r 5 (Rutherford 113, Hope 86, G r e a v e s 4 1 * ) b e a t Bangladesh 294 for 6 (Mehidy 74, Tanzid 60, M a h m a d u l l a h 5 0 * , Shepherd 3-51) by five wickets

TurnsSixandSeven.

Australia to play three Tests during 2025 tour of West Indies

(ESPN Cricinfo)Australia will play three Tests on their tour of West Indiesnextyearafterthetwo boardsagreedtoaddanextra match to the original schedule.

Itwillbethefirsttimethe two sides have faced each otherforthreeTestsormore since2015andthefirsttime in the Caribbean since 2012 whenAustraliawon2-0.The series will be the first in the next cycle of the World Test Championship for both teams, which brings a minimum requirement of twoTests.

The previous series between the teams played in Australia earlier this year finished 1-1 after Shamar Joseph inspired West Indies to a seven-run win at the Gabba. It was West Indies’ firstvictoryoverAustraliain

21years.

InitiallyreportedbyNine newspapers,theextensionof theTestserieswasconfirmed by Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley on Saturday

“I am really glad that is going to manifest,” he told SEN radio “We’re still waiting for an official announcement from the West Indies Cricket Board around precise dates and precise locations but it will be a three-Test series which isobviouslybig.

“It’s another great opportunity The World Test Championship prescribed thatweneededtoplaytwo,at least two. But really, for the fansandfortheplayers,you don’twanttobestuckinthe position when it’s one-one and everyone is feeling unsatisfied.”

Hockley, who will step down in March and be replacedbyToddGreenberg, has previously stated a preferenceforaminimumof threeTestsinaseries.“We’ll keep advoc

ng and championing that Really advocating for three-Test series as an absolute minimum,” he said earlier thisyear

E S P N c r i c i n f o understands that Barbados, Grenada and Jamaica are possible locations for the three matches which are expected to take place from late June. On the current Future Tours Programme, the schedule also includes threeODIsandthreeT20Is.

Australia are in the race for a place in this year’s WTC final which will take placeatLord’sfromJune1115.

Kevin Sinclair celebrates his first Test wicket with a somersault, Australia vs West Indies, 2nd Test, Brisbane, 2nd day, January 26, 2024 (AFP/Getty Images)

Premier League: Palmer’s Panenka seals Chelsea comeback win at Spurs

(BBC Sport) - Cole

Palmer’s ice-cool ‘Panenka’ penalty sealed Chelsea’s stunning comeback as they camefromtwogoalsbehind towinatTottenham.

Strikes from Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernandez and two spot-kicks from Palmer sank Spurs, who madeafaststartbutthenfell apart and suffered a defeat thataddstotherecentagony forunder-firemanagerAnge Postecoglou.

Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski had put Tottenham 2-0 up in 11 minutes,butbythetimeSon Heung-min added their third in stoppage time the game had slipped away fromthem

Chelsea’s win moves them to just four points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, whose gameatEvertononSaturday was postponed because of StormDarragh.

Spurs dominated the early proceedings in a breathless start at the TottenhamHotspurStadium, and Solanke poked the opener inside five minutes after Brennan Johnson capitalised on a slip from MarcCucurella.

Cucurella slipped again six minutes later to allow Kulusevski to drive at Chelsea’sdefenceandfinish insideRobertSanchez’snear post.

That was the cue for Cucurella to change his boots, having struggled to stay on his feet at great cost tohisteam.

Momentum gradually began to shift, and Chelsea wingerSanchodribbledpast Pedro Porro and Radu

Dragusin before curling a terrific low shot in off the rightpost.

Thecomebackwasunder way, but Chelsea had an escape when Pape Matar Sarr headed against the bar fromacorner

Chelsea’s second-half surge came amid a spate of injuries for Tottenham They lost key defenders CristianRomeroandMicky van de Ven - who both returned for this important

game but could not last the distance - and winger Johnson

Palmer profited as the Spurs defence hopelessly losttheirfocus.

The England forward converted his first penalty just after the hour as Yves Bissouma brought down Moises Caicedo with a wild lunge, and the second was won by Palmer when Sarr needlesslyshovedhimover Palmer’s cheeky finish

from that second spot-kick rubbed salt into Spurs wounds.

Between the two penalties,Fernandezcracked in a thumping third Chelsea goal after Palmer’s effort wasblocked.Itallmeantthat Son’slategoalfromacorner routine was trifling consolation.

Inevitably, the question will be asked about whether Postecoglouwasrighttorisk VandeVenandRomero,and withthisdefeatfollowingon from the midweek loss at Bournemouth there will be growing focus on the Australianboss.

Spurs sit 11th, while Chelseamarchonintoatitle race,Palmerleadingtheway Onadaywhenhewaspelted with objects thrown at him from the home end, Palmer madesureheandthevisitors hadthelastlaugh.

Gunnersheldafterlate Sakawinnerdisallowed Arsenal had a late goal disallowed as they missed thechancetoclosethegapon Premier League leaders Liverpooltofourpointswith a draw against Fulham at CravenCottage.

Bukayo Saka thought he had given the Gunners all

threepointswhenheheaded in Gabriel Martinelli’s cross two minutes from time, but thegoalwasdisallowedafter theBrazilianwasfoundtobe offsideduringthebuild-up.

Raul Jimenez, with his sixth goal of the season, put Fulham in front against the run of play when he latched ontoKennyTete’sballdown the line to fire past David Rayafromatightangle.

Arsenal, looking to c a p i t a l i s e o n t h e postponementofLiverpool’s Merseyside derby against Everton on Saturday, struggled to carve out opportunitiesfromopenplay inthefirsthalfandmanaged just one shot on target from Saka.

But Mikel Arteta’s side werelevelwithinsixminutes of the second half after a well-worked corner kick routine saw William Saliba convert Kai Havertz’s knockdown.

It was one-way traffic after that as Arsenal pushed to find a winner but they struggled to break down a resoluteFulhamside.

The draw meansArsenal aresixpointsbehindleaders Liverpool, having played a gamemore.

Arsenal moved to within six points of leaders Liverpool after the draw at Fulham (Getty Images)

NBA roundup: Wizards end skid despite Nikola Jokic’s 56 points

(Reuters)-JordanPoole scored 39 points to help the host Washington Wizards overcome Nikola Jokic’s career-high 56 points and beat the Denver Nuggets 122-113 on Saturday to end their16-gamelosingstreak.

Poole hit a career-high nine 3-pointers and was one of five Wizards to score in double figures. Justin Champagnie had 23 points, and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and fiveblockedshots.

With Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Aaron Gordon (calf) out, the Nuggets leaned on Jokic. The three-time NBA MVP went 22-for-38 from the floorandwas3-for-5from3point range. He added 16 reboundsandeightassists.

Jokic recorded the second-most points in a single game in franchise history, trailing only David Thompson’s 73-point performancein1978.

The Wizards, who shot 48.4 percent from the floor, earned their first win since Oct. 30 despite not having

No.2overallpickAlexandre Sarr, who missed the game withasoreback.

Pistons120,Knicks111 Cade Cunningham finished with 29 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds to lead Detroit to its first win over host New York in 17 tries.

Cunninghamshot9of17 from the field and went 5for-8 from 3-point range.

Malik Beasley added 23 pointsoffthebench,making 7of10attemptsfrombeyond the arc. The Pistons ended a three-gameskidoverall.

TheKnickswerewithout their leading scorer, KarlAnthonyTowns,whomissed the game because of a knee injury JalenBrunsonhad31 points and 10 assists and Mikal Bridges added 20 points for New York, which had its four-game winning streakend.

Cavaliers116, Hornets102 EvanMobleyhadahuge first quarter on his way to a career-high 41 points as visiting Cleveland held off Charlotte.

Darius Garland and

Donovan Mitchell each posted 18 points and Jarrett Allentallied11pointsand10 rebounds as the Cavaliers won their fourth game in a row

Brandon Miller racked up 25 points, DaQuan Jeffries added 17 points off the bench and Josh Green had 16 points for the injuryriddledHornets,who’velost eight consecutive games. Charlottecouldn’tovercome its 11-for-39 performance from3-pointrange.

Thunder119,Pelicans109

S h a i G i l g e o u sAlexander scored 31 points and visiting Oklahoma City nevertrailedwhiledefeating NewOrleans.

JalenWilliamsscored27 points, Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso had 14 apiece andIsaiahHartensteinadded 12 points and 12 rebounds for theWestern Conferenceleading Thunder, who won for the seventh time in their pasteightgames.

Dejounte Murray scored 26points,HerbertJoneshad 24 and Trey Murphy III had 16forthePelicans,wholost forthe10thtimeintheirpast

Mbappe says he is still committed to France despite recent absences

(Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe said he remained committed to the French national team despite not being called up for recent games,andthatherespected thedecisionsmadebycoach DidierDeschamps.

“The French team has alwaysbeenthehighestrank in football, it’s the national team. I’ve always said there’s nothing more important. My love for the French team hasn’t changed,”Mbappesaidinan interview with Canal+ on Sunday

“I’ve always given my all,” added the France captain,whohasnotfeatured for the Les Bleus since two Nations League games in earlySeptember

“You serve your country and that’s it... I always held the French national team to the highest level I did everything possible to represent it as best as possible.”

The 25-year-old striker

hasbeenhailedasoneofthe world’s best players and moved to Spanish giants RealMadridinJuly

Hehas86capsforFrance but was not included in the squads for their more recent Nations League fixtures in OctoberandNovember

“I can’t talk about November because it was a decision from the coach (Deschamps) and I’ll get behind what he said. I fully respect his decision because heistheboss.Iwantedtogo butIcan’tsaywhy,”hesaid.

Real have struggled at the start of the season and face the threat of elimination from the Champions League group stage,sitting24thandlastin theplay-offspots

“It’s not the best start to the season, either collectively or individually We’re preparing for the moments that will count. It hasn’t met expectations but at Real you’re expected to performinthesecondhalfof

11 games. Forward Brandon Ingram, the team’s leading scorer who was playing in hissecondgameafterafivegame absence due to a calf injury, scored five points before leaving the contest in thethirdquarterafterhurting hisleftankle.

Mavericks125, Raptors118

Luka Doncic had 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and visiting Dallas defeated Toronto for its seventhstraightwin.

Kyrie Irving added 29 points for the Mavericks, who have won 11 of their past 12 games Klay Thompson scored 20 points, P.J. Washington added 13 and Spencer Dinwiddie finishedwith11.

theseason,”Mbappesaid.

Thefootballcalendarhas become a major concern for elite players, with the increasing number of fixtures potentially contributing to injuries, a concernsharedbyMbappe.

“In the NBA (National Basketball Association), theygetfourmonthsoff.We get two weeks. And in the second week, we’re already back to running. It’s not a vacation,”hesaid.

The impact of such a demanding schedule has clearly weighed on him, especially after Euro 2024, much of which he played with a face mask after breaking his nose and where he asked to go off during extra time in France’s quarter-final because of fatigue. France went out in thelastfour

“I was tired. I wanted to stay because you give everything for the French team but it was exhausting,” Mbappesaid.

Gradey Dick scored 27 points for the Raptors, who havelosttwogamesinarow Scottie Barnes added 19 points and 14 assists, Jakob

Poeltl had 20 points and seven rebounds and RJ Barrett scored 18 points.

Kelly Olynyk made his seasondebutandwentfor13 points.

Grizzlies127,Celtics121

JaMoranthad32points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help visiting Memphistoawin,itsfirstin Boston since 2013 The Grizzlieshadlost16oftheir past 17 games against the Celtics, with nine of those setbacks coming in Boston.

Jaren Jackson Jr added 27 points, nine rebounds and threestealsforMemphis.

Jayson Tatum had 17 points,13reboundsandnine assists for Boston. Marcus Smart, who spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Celtics before he was traded to Memphis in a three-team deal that brought Kristaps PorzingistoBoston,was1of 11 from the field and scored threepoints.

Heat121,Suns111 BamAdebayo had game highs of 25 points, 12 reboundsandeightassistsas Miami defeated visiting Phoenix.

Adebayo had 12 of his points in the third quarter, when Miami surged ahead for a lead it never relinquished. Jimmy Butler had24points,includingnine straight Heat points in the final five minutes of the game. Miami also got 19 points from Duncan Robinson and 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assistsfromTylerHerro. Royce O’Neale led the Suns with a season-high 23 points.DevinBookerscored 21 points on 6-for-16 shooting Phoenix was without starters Kevin Durant (sprained left ankle) andJusufNurkic(rightthigh contusion).

…only two amendments were on the agenda

We were quite flummoxed to read the verbose response from Cricket West Indies (CWI) on the subject of governance changesbeingpromotedbyCWI.

The two (2) propose amendments that were to be tabled by CWI at the aborted meeting of December 06, 2024,were:1.toincreasethe term in office of the President and the Vice President from two (2) years tothree(3)yearswithafurther amendment that they can serve forthree(3)consecutiveterms.

notice in writing by the nominee himself/herself.

2. Introduction of a new article within the CWI constitution that a nomination cannot be withdrawn save by a

We maintain our stated position that the proposed amendments are self-serving and cannot and will not change the manyissuesaffectingWest

administratively and on thefieldofplay

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) drives to the basket as Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) defends in the third quarter at Capital One Arena (Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

BangladeshTouroftheWestIndies2024…

WI go 1-0 up as Hope and Rutherford boss 295 chase

(ESPN Cricinfo)Sherfane Rutherford’s maiden ODI century helped West Indies break their 11match losing streak against Bangladesh with a fivewicket win in St Kitts. The home side hunted down a target of 295 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series,withRutherford’s80ball 113 comprehensively overturning a slow start to the chase. West Indies, who had at one point needed 161 off 114 balls, reached their target with 14 balls remaining.

Rutherford, who was struck twice on his helmet during his innings, reached

h i s c e n t u r y w h e n Bangladesh conceded six runs via overthrows in the 47th over He celebrated the milestone with consecutive sixes off Soumya Sarkar, over long-off and

midwicket. Then he squeezed one to short third man where Nahid Rana completed a catch, but by thenWestIndiesonlyneeded sevenmore.

Rutherford struck seven fours and eight sixes as he went from 19 off 29 balls in the 32nd over to score a

further 94 runs in 51 balls. Henowhasfiveconsecutive 50-plus scores in ODIs, becoming the third West Indian after Gordon Greenidge and Chris Gayle, who have six in a row each, toachievethisfeat. Rutherfordadded99runs for the fourth wicket with captain Shai Hope who contributed an 88-ball 86 after coming in at 27 for 2.

Then Rutherford and Justin Greaves blasted 95 runs off just 57 balls for the fifth wicket. Greaves scored the winningrunsandfinishedon an unbeaten 41 off 31 balls

withfivefours.

West Indies were in trouble for much of the first halfoftheirchase.Theylost bothBrendanKingandEvin Lewis in the first powerplay and couldn’t get going against Bangladesh’s fastbowlingtrio.

Tanzim Hasan trapped King lbw for 9 off 17 when he tried to pull one that wasn’t short enough, and Nahid Rana struck Lewis’ back pad in front of the stumps with a 148.9 kph delivery in the next over It wasthenuptoHopeand Continued on page 24

Terrence Ali National Open C/Ship commences December 13

ThisFriday,December13th,theAndrew “Six Head” Lewis Gym in Albouystown comes alive with the annual Terrence Ali NationalOpenChampionshipfrom17:00hrs. The event will also mark the end of the Guyana Boxing Association’s (GBA) 2024 season.

GBAPresidentSteveNinvallesaid,“The TerrenceAliNationalOpenChampionshipis the most prominent local event on our calendarofactivitiesandfittinglybringstoa conclusionaverysuccessfulandfruitfulyear for the discipline Traditionally the championship has served as that bridge or conduit between the realms of amateur and professional, and while the advancement of the amateur game, both on the local and international circuit, has evolved in every facet, the importance of the event has duly followedsuit.”

He added, “This tournament is an exhibition of Guyana’s best and offers a glimpse into our present and immediate future in the amateur segment or possible professional ranks. Household names are established at this juncture, but more importantfromadevelopmentalperspective, it is an exhibition in the association’s structural and refinement process of the pugilists respective skills given the pathway theywouldhaveundertakenfromthenursery, novices, and intermediate stages. This is a pathway that has been established and built

Dottin, Knight, Rana among big attractions at WPL 2025 auction

(Cricinfo) - Atotal of 120 players have puttheirhatsintheauctionaheadofthe2025 edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL)tofillthe19slotsvacatedbythefive teams in the latest round of releases/retentionslastmonth.

The line-up includes 91 Indiansincluding nine capped players - and 29 from overseas, who will be in the fray to fill a maximumoffivevacancies.

The big names who have listed their reserve price at the highest slab of INR 50 lakh (US$60,000 approx ) are Deandra Dottin, Heather Knight (released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru - RCB) and Lizelle Lee. Of the Indians, Sneh Rana (released by Gujarat Giants - GG), Poonam Yadav (released by Delhi Capitals - DC), Shubha Satheesh (released by RCB), Tejal Hasabnis andMansiJoshiaretheprominentnames.

But there are some other big overseas cricketers around to pick from too. Lauren Bell, who was released by UP Warriorz (UPW), will be going under the hammer, as willherEnglandmatesMaiaBoucher,Sarah Glenn and Sophia Dunkley, apart from Knight.

A total of eight cricketers from England aregoingtobepartoftheauction,thesecondhighest representation - outside of Indiabehind Australia’s 12 Amanda-Jade Wellington, Alana King, Kim Garth, Laura Harris (released by DC) and Darcie Brown arethemajorAustralianswhowillbehoping tofindteams.

Of the overseas players up for grabs, Garth and South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk havebeenpartoftheWPLinthepast.

UAE’s Samaira Dharnidharka and

upon given its importance in the overall development of the pugilists, and we aim to strengthen this procedure to ensure that all fighters are properly equipped with the necessary tools so that they are prepared for theinternationalrigoursofanamateurcareer ortheprofessionalrealm.

The event, which ends at the same location on December 15th, will have its weigh-inandmedicalevaluationexerciseon Thursday, December 12th, under the supervisionofqualifiedexperts.

A number of prominent gyms have confirmed their participation, including the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force,theForgottenYouthFoundation,Pace andPower,NewAmsterdamAcademy,Rose Hall,Vergenoegen,andRepublicans.

Theertha Satish and Scotland’s Sarah Bryce aregoingtobepartoftheauctionfromamong Associateteams.KathrynBryceofScotland, who was released by GG, has not registered fortheauction.

The WPL 2025 auction is scheduled to takeplaceonDecember15inBengaluru. RCB, led by Smriti Mandhana, are the defending champions, having beaten DC in theWPL2024final,playedinDelhi.

Below is a look at the five teams and their vacancies: Delhi Capitals: Four vacancies, including one overseas, Gujarat Giants: Four vacancies, including two overseas, Mumbai Indians: Four vacancies, including one overseas, Royal Challengers Bengaluru:Fourvacancies,nooverseas,UP Warriorz: Three vacancies, including one overseas

Deandra Dottin (Getty Images)

GBA President Steve Ninvalle

Romario Shepherd had Litton Das nicking off. (Athelstan Bellamy)

Terrence Ali National Open Championship

Shai Hope’s half-century kept West Indies’chase alive. (Athelstan Bellamy)

Sherfane Rutherford celebrates his maiden hundred (Athelstan Bellamy)

Shamar Joseph celebrates the win with his team-mates (Getty Images)

The TerrenceAli National Open faced postponements due to issues with two of the top gyms. (Sean Devers Photo)