Bedridden mother and
- Darren Woods
Theaftermathofthefirethatclaimed thelivesof75-year-oldFelisSmith and44-year-oldVentinaSmith(GPF)
Liza 2 Permit never required unlimited parent company guarantee for oil spill - EPA
The Liza Two Permit, signedbytheformerHeadof the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams, never required an unlimited parent company guarantee, accordingtotheregulator
In a statement on Thursday, the agency responded to an article published by Kaieteur News in its December 11, 2024 edition under “Guyana cannot seize and sell its own assets to pay for an oil spillDr Adams.” The EPA said that while Dr Adams claimed that the operator of the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil,hadinthepast agreedtoanunlimitedparent company guarantee that was reversed by the present
“inaccurate”.
EPA building
To this end, the agency pointed out that its records show that the former EPA Head,signedaPermitforthe “Liza Phase 2 Development Project – Stabroek Block, Offshore Guyana” on 26th April,2019.Thispermitwas effective from the date of signature until March 2043 (24years).
Further, it explained, “Nowhere in the permit signedbyDr Adamsisthere any reference to the requirementforExxonMobil to provide an unlimited
parent company guarantee. Instead, the permit states under section 12 5 as follows:
“The permit Holder must, as soon as reasonably practicable,providefromthe Parent Company orAffiliate
CompaniesofPermitHolder
(‘Affiliates”) one or more legally binding agreements to the EPA, undertaking to provide adequate financial resources for the permit holder and its Co-Venturers to pay or satisfy their respective environmental obligations regarding the StabroekBlock…”
The EPA therefore reasoned that as the former EPAboss,Dr.Adamsshould
be in a position to confirm whether or not there was an Agreement signed by him and ExxonMobil, where an unlimited parent company guaranteewasrequiredtobe provided.Infact,theAgency invited Dr Adams to do so immediately
In the meantime, the regulator said, “The EPA wishes to reiterate that Financial Assurance, as provided for in the Environmental Protection
Act Cap 20:05, requires the Agency to set an amount in any form of financial assurance required of any PermitHolder.”
“The Agency has since required that an estimate of the reasonably credible cost for responding to and cleanup of worst-case oil spill be estimated in the case of financial assurance required for oil and gas operators to informusofanamounttobe required,”itadded.
Govt. will only list emergency projects funded by oil money - Jagdeo
…saysnationaldevelopmentprioritiesarereflectedinthebudget
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeon on Thursday said that the Government of Guyana will only list emergency projects being fundedbyoilmoney Jagdeo was at the time addressing reporters at his party’s weeklypressconference.
“Anyclownwouldknow the national development priorities of the government is reflected in its annual budgetwhichisapprovedby Parliament Parliament determinesthat,nottheNRF (Natural Resource Fund) members of the Board or Terrence Campbell from the Investment Committee. It’s the Parliament, the people who are elected by the peopleofthecountry Notan Opposition representative to theInvestmentCommittee.”
Jagdeo’s statement follows a series of concerns raised earlier in the week
regarding the lack of transparencyintheuseofthe country’soilrevenue.
The iss
ned traction,followinganarticle by Kaieteur News, where it wasreportedthatJagdeosaid showing how the revenue from oil is spent would be difficult.
Section 16.2 of the NRF Act states that, “All withdrawals from the Fund shall be deposited into the ConsolidatedFundandshall be used only to finance:(a) national de
elopment priorities including any initiative aimed at realizing aninclusivegreeneconomy, and(b)essentialprojectsthat are directly related to ameliorating the effect of a majornaturaldisaster.”
Be that as it may, the government has not highlighted any national
development priority or essential project funded through this source of income.
Infact,theVPsaidathis December 5, 2024 press conference reasoned, “How do you balkanize revenue coming into the budget? (It) becomes a very difficult thingtodo.”
This explanation attractedcriticismfromboth the Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes and former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan who argued that in the absence of transparency, the NRF has become a slush fundforthegovernment.
Jagdeohoweversaidthat providing a breakdown of howtheresourcesareusedis notalegalrequirementofthe Natural Resource Fund Act of 2021. To this end, the f o r m e r P r e s i d e n t
Man shoots tyre of moving ExxonMobil SUV, believing it was his own
A54-year-oldbusinessmanwasarrested on December 2, 2024, after discharging a firearm at a moving ExxonMobil SUV, believingthedriverwasinpossessionofone ofhisstolenvehicles.
The incident took place at the corner of Durey Lane and Lamaha Street in Georgetown.
According to police reports, the businessman and the driver, identified as Kordel Assanah, are known to each other The businessman is a licensed firearm holder,possessinga9mmGlockpistol.
The businessman reportedly received a callearlierthatdayinforminghimthatoneof his stolen vehicles had been spotted on the KittyRailwayEmbankment.
“According to the businessman, two of his Toyota Prado SUVs (one bearing registration #PAB 3494) were stolen from him earlier this year The businessman said he was at his office on David Street, Kitty
maintained, “It would be very difficult to do so, but thatwehavevastlyenhanced t h e t r a n s p a r e n c y surrounding the use of oil money and the changes that we have made in the NRF, we are acting pursuant to thosechangesincompliance withthelaw.”
Jagdeo went on to regurgitatewhatwasdoneby the administration to improve transparency in the management of the Natural Resource Fund “We removedanyspendingonthe fund without Parliamentary approval so under his (Winston Jordan’s) model, you could have gone and spent money from the NRF without Parliamentary approval.”
Secondly, he highlighted that all receipts to the fund are now published in the Official Gazette and tabled in Parliament within three months of receipt The MinisterofFinancecouldbe chargedandface10yearsjail time for failing to comply withthelaw
Additionally, the Vice President boasted that government introduced a Board of Directors to manage the Fund, compared withtheCentralBankonthe direction of the Minister of Finance, under the previous administration.
whenhereceivedaphonecallfromsomeone stating that they saw one of the stolen vehicles on Kitty Railway Embankment,” Policesaidinthestatement.
The businessman then reportedly drove to the location where he later saw a Prado SUV fitting the description of one of his stolen vehicles, heading south on Lamaha Street. The businessman said he exited his vehicle and approached the Prado. As he walked towards it, he fired a shot at the vehicle’srightbacktyre,causingittostop.
“As he approached the driver, he recognised him (Assanah) and then realised that the vehicle was not the one stolen from him,”policereported.
Police confirmed that the scene was processedanda9mmspentshellwasfound atthelocation.Noonewasinjured.
The firearm was lodged, and the businessmaniscurrentlyassistingthepolice withtheirongoinginvestigation.
The Vice President was keen to note that Section 20 (1)oftheNRFActstatesthat the annual budget proposal shall include a detailed estimate of petroleum revenuesforthenextensuing fiscal year and each of the next following three fiscal years.
It also requires an estimate of withdrawal from thefundforthenextensuing fiscal year, which was complied with by the government.
This information could be found in the Budget document,whichParliament fine tunes during the Budgetaryprocess.
Meanwhile,Jagdeowent on to point out that the formula for transfers to the Treasury was also simplified, compared with thepreviousprovisionwhere the amount was determined by the Minister of Finance. He also highlighted the establishment of a Public Accountability and Oversight Board that supplies an annual report to Parliament.
Identifyingprojects fundedbyoilmoney
According to Jagdeo, government would only identify projects funded by oil money which was withdrawn for emergency purposes He explained, “Outside of this annual withdrawal which is captured by a ceiling now and formula government can draw down money for one specific additional purpose that’s in case we have a national emergency for example a major flood disasteroratsunami...inthat case there is no ceiling but you can’t go and say oh I’m forecasting.Youhavetogive the projects and the specific useofthefundifyoutrigger thatprovisionofthelaw.”
He pointed out that that provision was never triggered. “Sothat’stheonly casewhereyouhavetodetail the expenditure made from the oil revenue to have the withdrawal done,” Jagdeo said.
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo
Prado SUV
KaieteurNews
PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456
Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS
Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210
EDITORIAL
Opposition groups too vague
We at this newspaper call politics as it is. Inevitably, politicians react angrily The history is there, from PPPC GovernmenttoAPNU+AFCCoalitionGovernment,when theydothingsright,thosearerecognizedandcommented oninthispaper ThesamegoesfortheWorkingPeople’s Alliance(WPA). Ontheotherhand,whentheydowhatis wrongforcitizens,thenthecriticismsoccur Whenthereis goodgovernanceandtrustworthyleadership,theriskisof newspaperpressesidling. Unfortunately,thatisforeignto Guyana,whichkeepsusbusy Wedonote,however,that thepoliticaloppositionatdifferenttimeshavestatedtheir positiononsomeoilmatters. Itisahealthystartthatthey are saying in public where they stand, but there is much more to be said. Guyanese need to know the specifics of wherepoliticalgroupsstand.
The leading opposition PNCR has more than once promised citizens about what it would do in ‘its first 100 days in office.’ It has also promised that ‘if it were to be returned to power’ how it would represent a stronger governmentthanthePPPCbeforeExxonMobil Ifthatrings awarningbell,therearegoodgroundsforthinkingso Itwas BharratJagdeo,whenhewasintheopposition,whokicked up a storm over the 2016 ExxonMobil contract, and how much he was committed to changing it, using different words. Lookatwhereheistoday,howspirituallyweakheis, andhowheissomentallystubbornagainstanythingthatis related to changing the oil contract. Why should any GuyaneseputanyfaithinwhatthePNCRopposition,orany otheroppositiongroup,ispromisingtodayifitgetstohold the reins of national power in its hands? There is an old saying,burntonce,twiceshy,orneveragainfallingforwhat politiciansandtheirgroupspromise Tobefrank,thatisthe positionofthisnewspaper,whichshouldconveythelackof trustinwhatGuyanesepoliticalgroupsrepresent,especially whenitisAmerica’soilsupergiant,ExxonMobil,thatthey mustconfront.
A few days ago, the WPA stated its position on oil projects. Get more ‘fiscal benefits’ from them, starting withtheseventhoilproject,Hammerhead,thatExxonMobil haslinedupforapproval ButwhatexactlydoestheWPA mean by ‘more ‘fiscal benefits’? It is too general and too vague,andleadsGuyaneseintobelievingthatmuchmaybe meant,whenthatmaynotbeso Inotherwords,it’stelling Guyanesewhattheywanttohear,butwithlittlethatmakes materialdifference Wehavebeenintheforefrontofcalling foreachnewoilprojecttobedealtwithinthatmanner The projects must be used as leverage to make ExxonMobil understandthatthetimeforplayinggamesisover Wenote withinterestthatthePNCRandAFChavebothaddedtheir voicestousingthependingoilprojectstogetmorebenefits for Guyana Guyanese cannot have all this oil, and ExxonMobil increasing production by leaps and bounds, whileabout40%ofcitizens,atleast,arecryingoutabout how they can’t manage in a killing cost of living environment. All this oil wealth, yet all this national poverty, brilliant statistics notwithstanding, and more oil projects coming out of ExxonMobil’s assembly line for approval.Moreover,whentheresultsoftheRam&McRae survey were announced, we took the lead: let there be a referendum, which must be now, and not later, as in after elections. IsthereanyGuyanesewhoreallybelievesthat Jagdeo would call a referendum should he triumph at the pollsnextyear? Todate,hehasnotsaidordoneanything thatgivesGuyanesehopewiththeiroil. Wheneverthereis adevelopmentonoilthatlooksthreateningtohim,heshuts downquestionsandconversations. NowtheWPAisalso for that referendum. It must differentiate itself from the otherpoliticalpartiesbyspecifyingwhatitwouldfightfor under the umbrella of renegotiation, should a referendum pointinthatdirection. Wehavebeenleadingthewaywith oil, with opposition political groups following. It should betheotherwayaround.
NRF and Transparency
DEAREDITOR, I read with interest an article appearing in the Stabroek News online edition on December 13th, 2024 titled “Breakdown of NRFspendingonlydonefor emergencies”.
I then listened, for the first time, to a press conferenceofMr.Jagdeo. I realized based on his public utterance that, generally, we havelittletimeorinterestin eachother Inhispresser,the VPtooktimetosharedetails abouthishumbleupbringing on the East Coast of Demerara.
Supposedly, this was in contrast to my privileged urbanstatus.
Mr Jagdeo might be surprised to find out that I was born at Mahdia and
nurtured in Queenstown, Essequibo, much more distant from the urban centersthanUnity,Mahaica. I was also accused of being racist for highlighting his personal habit of flip floppingonimportantpolicy positions. If that is his considered opinion, he should make bold and file a report with the Ethnic RelationsCommission.
Thankfully, the press conferencewasnotallabout insultsandfalseaccusations. I was pleased to see that VP Jagdeo had moved, in part, fromhisearlierpositionthat the tracking of such expenditure would be “difficult”.
Apparently, such tracking will be only done for spending on national
emergencies With Mr Jagdeo any concession is a win so I am grateful for adjustment to his previous position. However, I must question the legal basis for tracking spending on national emergencies and not national priorities. I challenge the VP to provide the legal support for this distinction.
The VP attempted to confuse members of the Fourth Estate by conflating the national budget with nationalpriorities. These two items are not thesame.
The budget has numerousdiscretionaryand, often, unimportant items Consequently,Istandbymy previous position that requests for withdrawals
from the NRF must specify the national development prioritiesforwhichthefunds willbeused.
Editor, my simple request is not a case for the Boardtousurptheroleofthe legislature.Itisapleaforthe
Board, and Public
Accountability and Oversight Committee, to execute their functions in accordance with Section 16 (2)(a)oftheNRFAct.IfMr Jagdeo and the PPP governmentwishtocontinue with their extravagant spending, then they should just approach the legislature and remove the legal impediment.
TerrenceCampbell Member, Investment Committee NaturalResourceFund
Democracy and prosperity should not compromise our moral integrity!
DEAREDITOR,
The fight for democracy after the last election was epic and helped to usher in thecurrentprosperitywithin thecountry
If it were not for the strength of our democratic process the country would have been sanctioned like some of the leaders who have been relegated as a result of being held responsiblebythecivilized world, or worse, our country would have been at risk of another catastrophic economicembargo.
Fortunately, many private citizens, ABCE g o v e r n m e n t representatives and NGOs playedakeyroleinhelping the country overcome
those unscrupulous moments that disgraced our country during the past elections
However, it is unfortunate that nothing has come of the charges and the subsequent legal cases
It is a testament to the weakness of our legal system
Several charges were also previously brought against one of the presidential candidates, but these have since disappeared
The legal strength of the country’s judicial s y s t e m h a s b e e n completely undermined, and the support received by the ABCE countries
in the upholding of democracy should also
be present in the strengthening of our
judicial system
No person is above the law and no government in thecivilizedworldshouldbe turning a blind eye towards the criminality and corruption within our country so as to obtain financialbenefits.
It was and is expected that action will be taken to ensure that our country remainsbothdemocraticand free of corruption and criminality
The building of a twelve story police headquarters while the assistant commissioner is under investigation and facing hundreds of charges is q u e s t i o n a b l e a n d irresponsible.
To have such an investment within the realm of the Ministry of Home AffairswherethePermanent Secretary has been sanctionedandplacedunder investigation is also q u e s t i o n a b l e a n d irresponsible.
Even worst is the disappearanceofthecharges brought by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) in 2019 against the then Presidential candidate Mr Ali.
This unit is also
within the realm of responsibility of the Ministry of Home
Affairs The current
claims of corruption
being raised against
P r e s i d e n t A l i ’ s administration echoes of the charges originally raised by SOCU during his candidacy for the position
ItistimefortheABCE countries to aid our country in the removal of c r i m i n a l i t y a n d corruption from our nation
Where is the CIA?
Where is Scotland Yard?
There may be no open threat of communism that drew their attention to Guyana during our fight for independence, but there is a serious threat of criminal activity as seen in the recent drug trafficking busts at the airports, airstrips and on the high seas.CRGcallsfor an external and independent investigationtooccur
As mentioned, too many key officials have been compromised and placed underinvestigation.
We the Guyanese people must continue to fight for democratic values that are rooted in good governance and a strongjudicialsystem
A judicial system
where criminals and those involved in corruption, independent of their influence, position or high office, are brought before the courts to answer for their crimes
Democracy and prosperity should not deplete the decency and moral integrity of our society
Bestregards, Mr JamilChanglee Chairman
T h e C o o p e r a t i v e RepublicansofGuyana
Sites of horrendous tragedies should be left undisturbed
DEAREDITOR
Muchisbeingsaidsince itwasannouncedtoopenup Jonestown as a tourist destinationsite.
There are similarities between the Jonestown tragedy and the Titanic tragedy, though their scales aredifferent.
Since the finding of the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic, several years ago, there has been several expeditions to the site, though not as a tourist destination.
The last expedition, endedtragically. Itisargued
the Titanic resting at the bottom of theAtlantic, now being disintegrated rapidly, should be left undisturbed for the souls lost in the tragedy Buttherecontinues to be expeditions being plannedandinthemakingto thesite.
Thedebatewillcontinue whether sites of horrendous tragedies should be opened upforpublicdisplay
For me, Jonestown like the Titanic should be left alone, undisturbed, in memory of those who lost theirlivessotragically.
ShamshunMohamed
Man sentenced to two years in prison for stealing woman’s phone
…co-accused remanded
Two men were on Friday jointly charged with the offence of Larceny from a Person, when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’Court.
Theaccusedare22-yearold Leon Harris, an unemployed resident of Meadow Bank Squatting Area, and 25-year-old Alkleyon McCollin, a labourer from Lot 71 Rahaman Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
The duo is accused of stealing a Samsung Galaxy S24, valued at $200,000, from Bibi Hussain, and an iPhone 6S, valued at $70,000, from Amanda Williams.
The incidents occurred on December 11, 2024, on Water Street, Stabroek, Georgetown, and Longden Street,Georgetown.
Bothmenwerearraigned before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, who read the charges to them.
McCollin pleaded not guiltytobothcharges,while Harris pleaded guilty to stealingWilliams’phonebut nottostealingHussain’s.
During the cou
t proceedings, Harris appeared confused and struggled to understand the legalterms.
Before making his plea, Harris asked the magistrate if the larceny charge was bailable. He then explained thathesawHussain’sphone fall to the ground, and he pickeditup.
“Iplannedtogoandgive itbacktoher,butIranaway with the phone to feed my daughter,” Harris admitted.
He also claimed that Williams’ phone had fallen aswell.“IpickeditupandI runaway,”hestated.
After a back-and-forth
exchange with the magistrate, Harris admitted to stealing Williams’ phone butdeniedtakingHussain’s.
He also mentioned that he had been struggling with personal issues, explaining, “IgetlilproblemsandIdoes
go to the ward to collect tablets, I wasn’t thinking straight.” McCollin, on the o t h e r h a n d , w a s represented by attorney Jermaine Jarvis Jarvis argued that his client had no involvement in the theft He explained that after Harris took the phone, Harris had asked McCollin if he was going to Durban Park and requestedaride
Jarvis contended that McCollin had only given Harris a lift and was unaware of the theft. He requested that McCollin be granted reasonable bail. Meanwhile, one of the victims, Williams, testified in court The woman told the court that shewasholdingherphone at the Route 44 bus park when she felt it slip from herhand
“I felt the phone come outmyhandandIsawhim run away with the phone,” shesaid
The prosecution objected to bail, citing the
seriousnessandprevalence ofthecrime
T h e p r o s e c u t o r
explained that Harris had snatched Hussain’s phone and fled in the direction of Demico House He then continued his escape to the Route 44 bus park, where he tookWilliams’phone
The prosecution also
reveal
d
hat CCTV footage captured the incident
After hearing both s i d e s , M a g i s t r a t e
McCollin be remanded to prison He scheduled to return to court on January 10, 2024 On the other hand, Harris, who had pleaded guilty to stealing Williams’ phone, was sentenced to two years in prison.
Criteria must be developed to choose presidential candidate for coalition-Norton
Criteria must be established to choose the rightpersontobeselectedas presidential candidate for a coalition of opposition parties, Leader of the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) said on Friday Nortontoldreportersthat the intellect of the person who will lead the coalition must be examined thoroughly, if that person is to compete as head of the combined opposition at the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
“This cannot be some arbitrary thing, in which somebodyfliesfromthesky and decide that they will be president. One of the things forme,aleaderofapolitical party has to be able to do, is to withstand pressure… not
resign as soon as some pressure come to you, and while I wouldn’t attack anyone, when it comes to dealing with a presidential candidate, we will have to identity the criteria and see whofitsthecriteria,andIam prepared to be involved in thatprocess,”Nortonsaid.
The PNCR leader explained that he is guided by the PNCR and that party has made it clear that he should be the presidential candidate. However, if there is a chance that another person is being considered, thenaspartyleaderhewould be the one to make the decision.
“Iwouldsaythistoyou,I would do everything to ensure that we get rid of the PPP And that guarantee I givetoyou.Wemustweaken
thisgovernment.Wemustdo everything [and] if it demandscoalitiontochange this government, we will do that,becausetheworsething for the people of Guyana, at this stage, is the Irfaan Ali Government,” Norton told reporters. On December 12, thispublicationreportedthat the PNCR and the WPA
agreed to work towards forming a coalition to contest next year’s general and regional elections, the parties said in a joint statementonWednesday.
The parties met on Wednesday in the first of a series of planned meetings. According to the statement, inafrankdiscussion,thetwo parties exchanged views on the current political situation,includingtheneed to ensure that the coming elections are conducted in a manner that enjoys the confidence of all parties. Towards this end, it was agreed that the work started by the Joint Opposition Parties (PNCR and WPA) should be expanded and intensified.
Accordingtotherelease, thepartiesalso engagedin a
discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the APNU+AFC Coalition both in and out of office and committed themselves to correcting the flaws identified Some of the issues discussed include the role of small parties in coalition decision-making, the need for a joint, integrated platform, mechanisms to mitigate conflictswithinthecoalition and for the constituent parties to act in unison even
possibility of the WPA returning to the APNU was also discussed. In the end, it was agreed that despite mistakes, coalition politics remainsabestoptionforthe country
Meanwhile,theAFCmet
withtheEqualityandJustice Party as part of its ongoing “Listening and Groundings” sessionswithrepresentatives of political parties and key stakeholders.
The AFC Leader Nigel Hughes met with Leader of the Equality and Justice Party Jaipaul Sharma and discussed matters of mutual interest including economic issues and shared concerns on the heavy burden the currenthighcostoflivingis placing on the citizens of Guyana Other social challenges facing the nation werealsoraisedandofdeep concern.
Chairman of the AFC
David Patterson, General Secretary Raphael Trotman and executive member Ms. Dianna Rajkumar also attendedthemeeting.
Alkleyon McCollin
Leon Harris sentenced to two years in prison
McCollin was allegedly waitingforHarrisatthebus park, and the two then fled thescenetogether
Leader of the PNCR, Aubrey Norton.
Govt. not likely to host second oil auction before 2025 elections – Dr. Jagdeo says
Gturbulence during the upcoming elections season, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo hassaiditisunlikelythatthe government will return to auction for oil blocks before the2025electionsareheld.
“In some of these markets,theyjumpupalong timenowasthoughelections are next two months. It’s going to be towards the end of next year But…I doubt whether we go to another auctionbeforetheelections,” he told reporters at a press conference at Freedom HouseonThursday
Dr Jagdeo recognised that the first time Guyana went to a public auction, certain systems were not in place that would have optimisedtheresults.
This includes a new Product Sharing Agreement (PSA), a new Petroleum Activities Act and seismic studies.
“You would recall when wewenttoauction,wemade a commitment that…before we finalise the auction, we will make those available to
the companies that were going to participate in the auction. It took us a long time,giventheircomplexity, tofinalisethosetwoseminal pieces of policy which resulted in us having to postpone or extend the completion of the auction severaltimes,”theGSsaid.
Now, the model PSA imposes a minimum signature bonus requirement ofUS$10millionforshallow waterandUS$20millionfor deepwater blocks. It also includesa10percentroyalty rate and 65 per cent cost recoveryceiling.
In the next round of auction, Dr Jagdeo assured thatthesedocumentswillbe immediately available to
participatingcompanies.
“We had gone to the auction with a very limited amount of seismic data. We have received bids from several companies that have madeproposalstodoseismic studiesandthenatnocostto the government, ” he reminded. Seismic data is important in oil and gas exploration as it creates a three-dimensional image of whatliesbeneaththeEarth’s surface.This makes it easier to pinpoint potential locations of oil and gas reserves.
He said that with these three measures in place, the government anticipates that future auctions will yield betterresults.
Last year’s auction concludedwith14oilblocks onofferwithinthecountry’s shallow and deep-water areas.
During the bidding round, eight blocks were shortlisted based on the bidders’ ability to meet the criteriaoftheexpectedwork programme and the required financialcommitments.
Six companies were awarded oil blocks, among them a woman-owned Guyanese company, Sispro Inc , which secured two blocks.
Other blocks were awardedtoTotalEnergies,in collaboration with Qatar Energy International and Petronas, International Group Investment Inc. and Montego Energy, Liberty Petroleum Corporation, Cybele Energy Limited, Stabroek Block partners: ExxonMobil Guyana Limited,HessNewVentures Exploration Limited, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, as well as Delcorp Inc Guyana, which comprisesWatadEnergyand Communications Limited and Arabian Drilling Company of Saudi Arabia. (DPI)
Opposition parties criticise 10% salary increase for public servants
The main opposition parties,thePeoplesNational Congress Reform (PNCR) and theAlliance for Change (AFC) have criticised the g o v e r n m e n t ’ s announcement of a 10% increase in salary for public servants.
Bothpartiessaidthatthe s a l a r y i n c r e a s e announcement made by President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday is aimed at filling thepocketsoftherichwhile thepoorcontinuetostruggle.
Former Head of the Environmental Protection
A
gency (EPA) and Executive Member of the AFC, Dr Vincent Adams told reporters on Friday during the party’s weekly press conference that allocating salary increases acrosstheboardcontinuesto enhance the country’s economicdisparity
Dr Adamssaidwhilethe party welcomes any form of assistance provided by the government, it is important thattheassistanceisfair.
AdamssaidthattheVice President on Thursday admitted that “it is not just the percentage, but how
Leader of the PNCR, Aubrey Norton.
muchistheactualmoney,the people get. Meaning that all 10% are not the same. To translate the VP’s own words, this means that one 10% means $8,000 to the poor worker who made $86,000permonth.”
The AFC executive explained that when compared to the President’s salary, the average public servant is receiving next to nothing.
“So, if you compare it to his $2.9 million, where we translatethetaxablesalaryof around $4 million a month, which means 10%...that is
Former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and executive member Alliance or Change (AFC) Dr Vincent Adams.
$400,000,” Dr Adams told reporters.
Meanwhile, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)inastatementtothe media on Wednesday said that, President Irfaan Ali by announcing the across-theboard increase of salary for public servants continues to putlargesumsofmoneyinto the hands of the rich and pittancetothepoor Leader of the party Aubrey Norton accused PresidentAli of “privileging himself, Ministers and other super salaried PPP family, friends, and favourites over
lower income public servantswhoneeditmore.”
ThePNCRremindedthat the president has a salary of $2 9M and his tax-free monthly increase will be $290,000whichequatestoa retroactive of $3,480, 000. This added to his monthly salary he will receive a pay package of $6,380,000 Therefore, he will receive in one month more than twice the amount most public servants receive as their salaryforanentireyear. While government ministerswithabasicsalary
(Continued on page 12)
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo
How the government fuels inequity one duty-free at a time
If the People’s P r o g r e s s i v e Party/Civic (PPPC) government had a motto since2020,itwouldbethis: “If theAPNU+AFC built it, we’ll bulldoze it ” It’s governance by oppositional spite.
The latest example of this reverse - Midas touch?
The restoration of the PPPC’s remigrant tax concession scheme a program so thoroughly abused in the past that even the perpetrators of pyramid schemes must be taking notes. Under the guise of “encouraging Guyanese to returnhome,”thisgrandold scheme gives returning Guyanese the ability to benefit, from importing luxury vehicles, with massive tax concessions
Yes, while the average man saves for years to buy a humbleToyota 212 and still ends up eating boiled plantains for a decade to makethemonthlypayments, our bourgeois remigrant friends are out here landing
Range Rovers, Escalades, and—becauseexcessknows no bounds customized Teslas with ostrich leather seats.
And they are doing so through the complements of tax concessions under the remigration scheme. Some of these individuals are
driving vehicles in Guyana that they could not afford to own in America or Canada.
The scheme was thoroughly
abused When the APNU+AFC government tried to fix the scheme, they admittedly overdid it, rendering the program so unappealing that even the most patriotic Guyanese overseas said, “Nah, keep it ” But in its infinite wisdom, the PPPC has now swungthependulumbackto its original position: wide open.
Let’s be honest here This is not about bringing homethesonsanddaughters of the soil; this is about makingitrainonthePPPC’s base of bourgeois supporters. It’s Robin Hood in reverse: take from the tax base and give to those who already have generators for theirbackupgenerators.
One case saw a remigrant waltz in with a luxury SUV that had $40 million in taxes waived Forty million! To put that into context, $40 million could build a few streets in Sophiaorbuy3,000bicycles for schoolchildren in poor hinterland areas. Instead, it was forgone to ensure that someone’s driveway was graced with the dulcet hum of a high-end German engine. The inequity here is mind-boggling. While the
working class scrapes together every dollar to affordaneconomycarthat’s one pothole away from being a lawn ornament, the tax breaks rain down like blessingsonthosewhoneed them the least. And yet, the government persists. Why? Because the bourgeois
class that pampered constituency happens to alsobeakeysupporterofthe PPPC. Never mind that the scheme flies in the face of logic, equity, and basic governance principles
What’s a few billion in lost tax revenue when your donor base can attend cocktailpartiesinstyle?
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), for its part, has expressed “concerns”abouttheabuses ofthescheme.Butconcerns are not laws and do not vest legalauthority
Here’s a radical idea for thePPPC:insteadofthistitfor-tat reversal game with the APNU+AFC, why not abolish the remigrant concession entirely? Yes, shut it down. Kill it dead. Wrap it in red tape and bury it in Le Repentir Cemetery Andthen—braceyourselves for this revolutionary thought—reduce the overall taxratesforeveryone.
Imagine a world where the GRA doesn’t have to play customs detective,
DEM BOYS SEH
Some people want to tell yuh how to spend yuh own money!
Deh gat some people who does mind yuh business more than dem own. Deh working side by side with yuh, earning de same pay, but instead of focusing on deh own pockets, dem watching yourslikehawk.
When payday come, demalwaysseemfuhhave a sad story ready, like dem practicing it whole month. It’s like a soap opera episode full drama, no intermission!
Andheardis,demdoes behavelikeyuhpocketisa community fund Deh figureyuhobligatedtolend dem money, even if yuh own wallet crying fuh mercy. And don’t even thinkaboutaskingbackfuh yuh own money. Dem gon vex more than yuh! You’d swear you offend dem fuh
life by reminding dem dat loan wasn’t a gift. You asking back yuh money, anddemlookingatyoulike y o u t i e f i n g d e m inheritance.
But leh we talk about dem critics. Nuff ah dem want not only borrow yuh moneybuttellyuhhowfuh spend it too! Imagine dat! Dem watching how yuh living and judging every dollaryuhspend.Yuhbuya lil treat fuh yuhself? Dem gonsay,“Whyyuhwasting money like dat?” Yuh decidefuhtakeavacation?
“Man, yuh coulda use dat money fuh something better” De temerity ah dem—dem acting like yuh personal finance manager withoutdequalifications.
And den de real jokers dem who want spend yuh money fuh yuh! Payday come, and dem
trying to ascertain whether someone’s “hard-earned” remittance dollars were really earned from honest labor or mysteriously appearedafteraluckystreak at a casino. If taxes on vehicles were simply lower, period, there’d be no need forthisconvolutedscheme.
However, logic and politics rarely attend the same dinner party The PPPC seems committed to its philosophy of undoing everything theAPNU+AFC evertouched,evenwhenthe former government had a point.
Insteadoftakingasober look at the scheme and addressing its inherent inequities,thePPPCdecided to fling open the floodgates to abuse, as though to prove apoliticalpoint.
Meanwhile,therestofus are left holding the (now heavilytaxed)bag. Thisissueisn’tjustabout cars. This is about what it says about us as a society The remigrant concession is symptomatic of a deeper malaise: our obsession with status symbols, our willingnesstobendrulesfor the connected, and our inability to prioritize equity over excess. Do we want to be a nation where the tax code is essentially a velvet rope at an exclusive nightclub,lettinginonlythe privileged while the rest of us stand outside in the rain? Or do we want a system that’s fair, transparent, and designed to uplift everyone, notjustthosewhocanafford to sip imported champagne intheirtax-freeMercedes?
ThePPPChasachoiceto make. It can continue down thispettypathofoverturning everything its predecessors did,evenatthecostofgood governance. Or it can rise above the pettiness, recognize that sometimes evenastoppedclockisright twice a day, and do what’s bestforthecountry Abolish the remigrant tax concessions Lower taxes across the board. And for once, govern with an eye toward equity, not just electoralexpediency
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionofthisnewspaper.)
liningupbyyuhdesklikeif yuh ATM machine. “Yuh could spare a raise?” Or, “Man, just lend me lil something; I gon pay yuh back soon.” Soon? Dem soon does mean next century Andifyuhtelldem no, oh lawd! Dem gon scandalise yuh name so bad, people gon start calling yuh “Scrooge McDuck.”
Butlehwegetonething straight:isyuhmoney!Yuh work hard fuh it. If yuh decidefuhsaveit,spendit, or even waste it, dat is yuh business. Nobody ain’t got no right fuh dictate how yuhusewhatyuhearn.And let’sbereal—someofdem critics could do well fuh mind deh own spending habits instead ah minding yours.
Talkhalfandkeepaway fromdebums!
H@RD TRUTHS
Warzone
Missed last month’s edition of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Battlezone? Don’t tek wurreez, relief is right here. Longing for a dose of New Bloodline, Old Bloodline, and CM Punk, don’t press that remote just yet. In Guyana, there is a seamless blend of the Russian Nightmare and the Iron Sheik and it is S mackdow n Time Welcome to one of Bharrat Jagdeo’s weekly press conferences that doubles as an entertainment bonanza. There are many Guyanese villains, and one superhero. Well, the secret is out of the bag: it is Vice President BharratJagdeo.
Like any superior performer and entertainer in front of the cameras and microphones of the WWE, Bharrat “the Brawler” Jagdeo does his best imitation of the unhinged and out of control. It is former president Jagdeo’s version of former US president Richard “Tricky Dick” Nixon pretense at the
madman syndrome In additiontothatattributesthat Jagdeo could summon at will, he is evasive, he is ambivalent and, boy, is he slipperierthanabananapeel whencorneredandputintoa headlock. All of this and morearepartofthepolitical smackdown that is now part and parcel of his Thursday afternoonwar-gamesthathe plays in his specially designated warzone at FreedomHouse.
Like any high-strung, high-octane wrestling bruiser in the WWE (or the old WWF), Jagdeo walks with sidekicks to guard his always exposed flanks Some are paid out of taxpayer’s dollars, while a few are beneficiaries of private sector generosity Theyarepartofamarvelous PPP Government media scam that shimmies around and flounces up and down every week in the face of unbelieving Guyanese Barry “Mr Afternoon Soap Opera”Jagdeoisthestarand he has his band of stooges who stoop to anything for
their 15 minutes of fame underGuyana’sbroilingsun. And a paycheck on the side. When he snarls, they snarl. When he laffs, they chortle with glee over things about whichtheyareclueless. Itis all part of the fun that has a political rating of ‘X.” In plain English, that is what Dr Jagdeo’s press conference have distilled to: political pornography Citizens under 25 and those withanygastricconditionor borderline psychiatric situation are advised not to watchorlisten.
When the Big Man is asked a question on oil, his eyes flare with fury, his lips thin into a grim line: somebody is out to get him, expose his dirty underwear In politics, that is better known as spilling sacred secrets The man who appointed himself Guyana’s oil master is allergic to oil. His throat clogs up, like an o v e r u s e d a n d undermaintained bathroom plumbing line, when he is pressed to speak about it. His body breaks out into
oodlesofsweat,whichgives off an odor that is easily recognized by dogs and highlyattunedhumannoses. Itisfear Kneeknocking,gut churning, fear that has the distinctiveyellowofbile.
To cover his pallor and maskhisodor,asbothrelate topalpablefear,Jagdeocalls on an old wrestling friend that has proven to be a faithful helper His name is Blusterand he is a co-starat the vice president’s weekly press matches. Jagdeo’s media soulmate has what Guyanesecalla‘falsename.’ It is super prevaricator If there were any doubts about the substance of the General Secretary’sweeklydayatthe dogfights (he still sticks to press conferences), then those should have all vanished by now Super prevaricator says it all, doesn’t it? A man is his country’s national oil champion, and he picks fights with female reporters and anemic political opponents.
It is how Bharrat “Dr Brass Knuckles” Jagdeo
smartlyusesupthe clock, while evading for another weeksayinganything of note about the Guyanese people oil. It must be admitted that Guyana’s oil czar is a character straight out of Unites States wrestling lore.
I mean in Jagdeo, Guyanese have a made for TV spectacularanditisallonthe house. There are no cable TV charges, but I hear that he is about to test the waters by converting his Thursday’s Entertainment Today productions into a pay-perview event. I neither listen norwatchpeoplelikeJagdeo andAliandtheothersacross the aisle going through the motions of oil leadership. Most of my attention is paid to my fellowAmerican, Mr Alistair Routledge, to ascertain what kind of cat comesjumpingoutofhisoil pipe. He is the real McCoy and he has not gone around slashingatorslanderingany Guyaneseinanefforttoshut them up from beating up on
histreasuredExxon. When I left America, I thought that I had left wrestling behind for good, and that there was life in being the Guyanese Mark Russell. Oh well…. Like JoeFrazier,Iknowwhatthe canvas feels like. Unlike him,Igetupstronger Asfor Jagdeo,wheneverheisbody slammed, he can’t take it on the nose, stand tall like a man. He has to run and get some sleazy sidekick to fire away from the shadows There is a WWE group that suits them just fine: Bloodline. Theyareusually at ringside at his Thursday press shindigs Oil in Guyana is now showbiz, the darksideofit.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT
Transparency in oil revenue spending
VicePresidentBharratJagdeo hassaididentifyingprojects andprogrammesfunded throughthenation’soil revenuewouldbe“difficult”.
Itwouldsomehownotbe difficultforhimtoshowhow theresourcesarespentinthe eventofanaturaldisaster.
CouldtheVPexplainthis nonsensical,spurofthemoment thoughthesplurtedonThursday?
Thisnationknowsasloppy responsewhenitgetsone. Furthermore,ifitissohardto managethepittancebeing receivedfromourwealth, itisobviousthatthePPP shouldnotbeincontrol!
Frompage8
of currently at $1,070,000 will get $107,000 a month, retroactive to January 1, 2024,whichisanastounding $1,284,000, while a level one public servant will receive a tiny increase of $10,000 per month, or $120,000 retroactive to January 1, 2024, Norton stressed.
As a result, the PNCR called on the government to
“end this absurd and selfish practice of giving large increases to themselves while giving pittance to workers.DuringtheAPNU’s term in office, larger increasesweregiventothose atthelowerlevelsofincome, whoneedthefundsthemost.
ThePPP’sapproachisaclear indication that oil resources arenotmeetingthepeopleof Guyana,”hesaid. Similarly,ANew United
Guyana (ANUG) believes that the government of Guyana could have given public servants a higher increase.However,theparty noted that since there was stakeholder involvement with the government on the increase in public servants’ salaries, the outcome should berespectedbyall. “ANUG therefore believes that this December 10, 2024 agreed upon
increaseshouldberespected by all citizens whose representatives were involvedinthenegotiations. ANUG, as a party, believes that more could have been givenoverthe2-yearperiod, namely at least a 25% increase rather than the announced 18% over the time period,” the statement said.
The government and the Guyana Public Service
Union (GPSU) on Tuesday, signedatwo-yearagreement that will see public servants receiving a 10% across-theboard salary increase retroactively in 2024, with an additional 8% increase to take effect from January 1, 2025.
The announcement was madebyPresidentIrfaanAli during his address at the Guyana Police Force’s annual Christmas breakfast.
A joint statement issued subsequently by the Government and Union revealed that the 10% increasein2024willresultin a 35% cumulative salary increase for public servants over the four-year period from 2021 to 2024. The additional 8% increase in 2025 will raise the cumulativesalaryincreaseto 46% over five years, from 2021to2025.
electrocuted
Woman at Diamond workplace
A 40-year-old woman w a s o n T h u r s d a y electrocuted while operating a machine at her Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) workplace.
Dead is Sherly Winter, a mother of one. Winter was reportedly employed at FlexotechInc.
Winter’s sister-in-law told Kaieteur News that the incident occurred around 11:00h. She said that the woman was operating the machine at the time of the incident.
Dead: Sherly Winter
Winter was rushed to the Diamond Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
M e a n w h i l e , Occupational Safety and Health Officer (OSH) Gwen King disclosed that the Ministry of Labour has launched an investigation intothefatalincident.
Car dealer on 68 fraud charges granted reduced bail
Omeca Primo
Omeca Primo, the 35-year-old woman accused of operatingafakecardealership,hadherbailreducedonFriday whensheappearedattheGeorgetownMagistrates’Court.
Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty lowered Primo’s bailfrom$20.4millionto$5.1million,on68fraudcharges.
ThechargesstemfromanallegedschemeinwhichPrimo deceived customers into paying for vehicles that were never delivered.
During the hearing, Primo’s attorney, Everton SinghLammy, argued for a reduction in the bail amount. SinghLammyrequestedthatbailbesetat$50,000percharge,stating that the original bail amount was excessive and effectively treatedPrimoasthoughshehadalreadybeenfoundguilty He emphasized the need for fairness and argued that bail conditionsshouldnotbepunitive.
After considering the defense’s arguments, Magistrate McGustyreducedthebailto$75,000percharge,bringingthe total to $5.1 million. The reporting conditions previously imposed remain in effect, requiring Primo to report to the CriminalInvestigationsDepartmentonthesecondandfourth Mondaysofeverymonth.
Primo had initially been granted $300,000 bail on each charge,amountingtoatotalof$20.4million.
The prosecution disclosed 20 case jackets during the hearing,detailingevidencelinkedtothefraudallegations.The case has been adjourned to February 21, 2025, for further proceedings. Primo was initially slapped with 68 charges on November 11, 2024, totalling $51,573,000 in alleged fraudulentactivities.Initially,shewasaccusedofdefrauding customersoutof$11.3million.
Investigators revealed that Primo attempted to evade detection by changing her phone number, business location, and even rebranding her company Some victims have also reportedincidentsofintimidationatthelastproceedings.
Jordan flags lack of measures by Govt. to cushion economy from low oil prices expected next year
Former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordanhasflagged the lack of measures by government to cushion the economyfromthedropinoil prices predicted for next year
During a recent programme, Jordan argued that the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) or the nation’s oil account is being drained with little resources left for savings in the event of unexpectedcircumstances.
T h i s y e a r , t h e government passed an amendmenttotheNRFLaw to increase the withdrawals that can be made from the Fund.
Guyana does not have adequate savings to help cushiontheeconomyfroma drastic drop in the price for the commodity. The Government of Guyana (GoG)haswithdrawnhalfof the country’s total earnings to date from oil and gas production.
fortheyear2023.
This year, the National Assembly has approved US$1,586,150,331 to be deducted from the Fund to support the country’s national
to overstate; these numbers have only been exceeded twiceinhistory,in1998and 2020.Asaresult,abarrelof oil could cost less than US$60 within the next six years.
According to Oilprice, t h
The new formula stipulates 100% withdrawal of the first US$1 billion receivedin2023,95%ofthe secondUS$1billion,90%of the third US$1 billion, 85% of the fourth US$1 billion, 50% of the fifth US$1 billion,and10%ofamounts overUS$5billion.
For his part, Jordan reasoned, “In developing countries there are many rainy days. You will need that fund…and I am afraid because the outlook for next year is for oil prices to go down and when you think about (President of the United States, Donald) Trump coming back in-
Trump is close to (Russia’s Head of State, Vladimir) Putin. (If) the war in Russia ends next year, let us say, Russia’s oil is now back on themarketandyousolvethe issues with Iran. Iran’s oil is back on the market in full, rather than having to go aroundindarkcornersandso on. What is the implication for prices and then what happenstoGuyana?”
He pointed out that
According to the 2024 third quarter report for the Natural Resource Fund (NRF), published by the Bank of Guyana (BoG), the countryhassofarreceiveda total of US$5.4B. Guyana began producing oil in December2019andreceived its first oil payment on March11,2020.
Followingthepassageof the NRF Act in 2021, the GoG in 2022 plugged US$607 6 million in oil money into the National Budget for first time. This was followed by another US$1Binbudgetarysupport
priorities.Thismeansthatby the end of this year, total withdrawals from the NRF will amount to close to US$3.2B.
Loweroilprices
In November, the World Bank in a report highlighted thatanoilglutmayleadtoa substantial drop in global prices.
“Nextyear,theglobaloil supplyisexpectedtoexceed demandbyanaverageof1.2 million barrels per day,” the WorldBankstated.
Itwasnotedthatthescale ofthisoversupplyisdifficult
Outlook, warns that global oil supply is expected to surpass demand by an average of 1 2 million barrels per day by 2025, driven by factors including flatlinedeconomicgrowthin China,risingelectricvehicle sales, projected production bumps from non-OPEC+ nations, and persistent ov
m OPEC+membersaswelland increased natural gaspoweredtransportation.
Probe launched into death of woman at NA Hospital following stillbirth
An investigation has beenlaunchedintothedeath of 24-year-old Toshana WilsonfromEdinburg,New Amsterdam, Berbice, who died after delivering a stillborn at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital onMondaymorning.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry of Health Shabana Shaw confirmed the start of an investigation but was not in a position to provide any otherdetail.
Therehasbeennopublic statement from the hospital, regional authorities or the ministry of health on the matter
Wilson’s family have alleged malpractice citing negligenceforthelossofthe youngwoman’slifeandthat of her seven-month- old foetus.
The first-time mother who was a diabetic was admitted to the hospital for observation due to low blood sugar levels Her mother, MelenaWilson told Kaieteur News that she was extremely concerned about her daughter’s state at the public hospital and noted that the young woman’s healthdeterioratedquickly She allegedly that her d a u g h t e r w a s i n excruciating pain due to the spike in her blood sugar levels.
Despite medical efforts
to manage her condition, Melena claimed that the nurses administered insufficient insulin and the foetus died due to complicationsrelatingtothe dramatic rise in blood sugar levels.
Following the death of her child, Toshana was reportedly administered abortion pills to expel the foetus Despite initial assurances regarding her daughter’s condition, To s h a n a ’s h e a l t h deteriorated further, leading toherdeath.
Melena is pleading with the authorities for a c o m p r e h e n s i v e investigationtobedoneinto herdaughter’sdeath.
The Medical Certificate ofCauseofDeathattributed Toshana’s demise to pulmonary edema, kidney failure,highbloodpressure, andmyocardialinfarction.
Former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan
Dead: Toshana Wilson
Bedriddenmotheranddaughterdieinhousefire
The aftermath of the fire that claimed the lives of 75-year-old Felis Smith and 44-year-old Ventina Smith (GPF)
A75-year-oldmotherandher44-year-olddaughterdiedin a fire at Lot 3834 Plantation West Minster, West Bank Demerara(WBD)onFriday.
DeadisFelisSmithandherdaughterVentinaSmith.
According to Police, the fire occurred at about 05:00h whilebothFelisandVentinawereasleep.
Felis’21-year-olddaughterChandineSookrajtoldpolice thatshealsolivedwithhermother,sister,34-year-oldbrother Vidnauth Sookraj and her four-year-old daughter Veleta Sookraj.
Sookraj told investigators that her mother who was bedridden and her sister occupied the last bedroom in the north-eastern corner of the house while her brother usually sleepsinthelivingroom.Sheandheryoungdaughterwould occupytheremainingbedroom.
“Atabout21:30hrslastnight,Chandinesaidsheretiredto bedwithherdaughter,leavingeverythingintact,”Policesaid in a press release. The 21-year-old woman reported that she was awaken by heat coming from the bedroom occupied by hermotherandsister Uponinvestigation,shesawthatpartof thebedroomwasengulfedinflames.
The young mother said she got hold of her daughter and ran to the yard through the southern main door where she alerted neighbours who went to her assistance and also contactedtheGuyanaFireService(GFS).
FirefightersfromtheLaGrangeFireStation#114aswell astheEcclesFireService#18respondedtothefireunderthe commandofleadingfiremanCameron.Despitetheeffortsof theFireServicethestructurewascompletelydestroyed.
Representatives of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and GFS processed the scene where it was observed that two bodieswhichwereburntbeyondrecognitionandsuspectedto bethatofthemotheranddaughterwereseenlyingmotionless, facingupwards,inthenorth-easterncornerofthehouse.
Thescenewasdocumentedandthecharredremainsofthe two persons were taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospitalwheretheywerepronounceddeadbyadoctor
The bodies are at the Ezekiel Funeral Home, awaiting a post-mortemexamination.
Minibus driver, conductor who assaulted man arrested
Screenshot showing the two suspects assaulting the driver on the Success Public Road, ECD. (Screen grabs from Guyana Uncut’s Facebook page)
Twomen,whowerecaughtoncameraassaultingadriver in his vehicle on the Success Public Road, East Coast Demerara(ECD)wereonThursdayarrested.
The video posted on Guyana Uncut’s Facebook page involvedaminibusdriver,hisconductorandthevictim,who wasinanothervehicle.Thefootageshowedtheminibusdriver driving his vehicle into the lane of the victim’s car, blocking himfromdriving.
Thetwomen,wereseenatthedrivers’seathittingtheman. Several of the passengers who were in the minibus exited as theywitnessedtheassault.
“TrafficChiefMahendraSinghsaidbothmen(theDriver and Conductor) were arrested shortly after that incident and placed in custody at BV (Beterverwagting) police station. Theywerelaterreleasedon$50,000bail,each,”policesaidon Friday
GPL blames road, drainage works for collapse of utility poles
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips (2nd right) assessing the situation alongside GPL Head, Kesh Nandlall (right) and their staff
TheGuyanaPowerLightInc.(GPL)has blamedongoingroadanddrainageworksfor thecollapseofitsconcretelightpoleswhich caused a 24-hour power outage in South Ruimveldt,Georgetown.
According to GPL, some 2000 households were without electricity as its employees worked to restore power Power was eventually restored sometime around 19:40hrs.onFriday
Powerwasdisruptedaround19:00hrs.on Thursday Shortly thereafter, videos and photographsofconcreteutilitypoleshanging dangerouslyoverAubreyBarkerRoad,inthe vicinityofSpurwingDrive,SouthRuimveldt began circulating. The viral circulation of photographs on social media resulted in widespread concern for safety as the GPL workers rushed to remedy the situation. Residentsblamedtheroadcontractorsforthe disasterthatnotonlyleftthemindarknessbut withoutaccesstotheroadway
GPLinapressreleasestatedthatitsteam was on the ground after receiving a report around20:07hrs.aboutthefallenpoles
“Atapproximately20:07hrsthisevening, theGuyanaPowerandLightreceivedareport of fallen poles on Aubrey Barker Road, between Congress Drive and Kaikan Street.
Upon inspection, it was determined that ongoing road and drainage works had compromised the foundation of GPL’s network infrastructure, leading to the collapse,”GPLstated.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillipsandhisteamhadalsovisitedthesite on Thursday, assuring residents that emergency works will be carried out to restore power soonest. In a statement on his Facebook Page, he said that the fallen poles were going to be removed and replaced during the daylight hours and estimated that power would have been restored by 14:00 hrs.onFriday Worksdidbeginimmediately and GPL worked toward the 14:00 hrs deadline but more poles reportedly fell on Friday
“Early this morning, the situation worsened as additional poles collapsed,” GPLsaidinanupdateonFriday
Reports were that seven more poles had fallen The Power Company provided frequentupdatesonthesituation.
At 18: 22hrs. on Friday, the 2000 households were still without power as GPL assuredthatitsworkersarestillcarryingout works. At approximately 19:40 hrs. GPL announcedthatpowerwasrestored.
…causing 24hr-blackout affecting 2000 South Ruimveldt residents
GPL employees hard at work
More Poles fell on Friday Morning
Photo taken of the collapsed pole around 20:00hrs. on Thursday
Over 5000 police awarded $173M for crime fighting
…BestCopwalksawaywithmorethan$750k
TheGuyanaPoliceForce (GPF)onThursdayawarded some 5,018 police ranks on Thursday at its annual Christmas Awa
ds Ceremony
DeputyCommissionerof P
dat Budhramsaidthatnumberof
awa
dees h
e been significantly increased from lastyear
“Lastyearweawarded4, 336personsandthatispolice only,” Budhram revealed whilestressingthatmembers of the Community Policing Groups (CPG) were excluded.
“This year we are awarding, 5,018 ranks,” he pointedoutnotingthatCPGs
werecateredforthisyear Theincreaseinawardees is because of an increase in incentivesfortheForce.Last
year, the Force received an incentiveof$150millionbut according to Budhram this yearithasincreasedto$173 million.
Among some of the new additions to list of awards included this year are sports awards such as GPF’s Sportsman and Woman awards.
Copping those awards were Woman Police Constable Lovell for her excellence in Athletics and Assistant Superintendent, Beaton for his excellence in martialarts.
Civil employees were also among the employees who received awards, including those who work with the Force’s command centers.
Sportsmen who are not part of the Force but represent the Police Force’s sports teams received awards. Guyana’s National Cricketer, Kemol Savory, who is a member of the Police Force First Division Cricket team received an award.
TheBestPrizeoftheday, however, went the Force’s Best Cop of the year, Cadet Officer Prince. He walked away with over $750,000 in cash. Apart from a cash awardandatrophyfromthe GPF, Cadet Officer Prince received cash awards from Queensway Security and Secure Innovations and Concepts.
The Cadet Officer was trained by the Guyana DefenceForce(GDF)andis reportedly second-incommandattheForce’s (Continued on page 23)
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum (left) handing over incentives to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for their outstanding work.
Copping the Best cop Award, Cadet Officer, Prince.
SOCU, Assistant Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh (right), “Reasonable size” envelope with incentives for his department.
National Cricketer, Kemol Savory recognized for his contributions to Police Force's First Division Cricket
The Runner-up Best Cop award was won by Detective Inspector, Seitaram (right)
WANTED VACANCY
Drivers (25-45 Year old) to deliver Groceries & Porter to work on the canter & warehouse. Attractive salary. Tel673-7373.
Live-in Babysitter / Cook age 45-55 years old. Experience would be an asset. Contact : 681-4662.
Part-time Driver, 5 years experience aged 30-45 years old, preferably from E.B.D. Tele: 665-0677.
Male sales-rep 18-28 years old, Knowledge about vehicle models would be an asset. Call : 619-1237.
Drivers / Porter. Contact : 223-5273 / 621-5907.
Wanted Electrical Apprentice, No marijuana smokers. Call: 724-0125.
General domestic to work 2 days per week- Campbellville G/TOWN.Tel: 624-7436 / 621-5140.
FOR SALE
For Sale 6 used American made Dental chairs excellent condition contact Mr Vino on 661-3030 or 626-8918
One Nissan Double cab pickup, fully off road setup ; -5 Million Negotiable. Call: 626-8919 / 661-3030.
For sale 1 320D Caterpillar Excavator with 3066 Engine. Contact :701-4000
SERVICES
Porter Vacancy at Vegetarian Gardens. 68 Robb & Cummings G/Town. Tel:2277714 Cell:640-0673
Receptionist Vacancy at Hick’s Ville Hotel. 79 West Ruimveldt Estate G/Town. Tel :231-0951/640-0673
Email:info@vegeworld.net
Maid to clean for east bank area. Call: 615-9132.
Female cleaner. Call : 6159132 / 645-8443.
One (1) painter & Male cleaner 615-9132 or 645-8443.
Pump Attendant (6am-2pm & 2pm-10pm).Mobil Providence E.B.D, Call: 265-7306. Email:Mobilramsburg@gmai.com
Receptionist, Supervisor , Laundry attendant 23-50 years old. 233 South Road Lacytown. 225-0198.
One day Guard to work around Ogle area. Call: 2275222 or 617-4662.
Vacancy for experience and non-experience sewing machine operator at Lall's Garment Enterprise Lot 6 Friendship E.B.D.
Subby’s Sandwich Shop is hiring Restaurant Manager, Supervisors, Cooks, Kitchen Assistants, Counter Attendants Email: subbysguyana @gmail.com / WhatsApp: 657-0772.
Security Guard, Skilled & Semi-skilled carpenter Contact: Jason: 643-9861 / Saoud: 614-7147 Location: G-Town and Happy Acres, ECD.
VEHICLES FOR SALE
2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-906
IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE
FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No.FD-906
BETWEEN (BARNES)
ALISHA YULANDA nee
DORIS Petitioner/Applicant -and- (BARNES) OVIL
EDGAR Respondent
TO: OVIL EDGAR BARNES
appropriate, including granting the divorce.
The registry of the family division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts (Georgetown, Demerara). The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursday and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on the public holidays and on such other days as the registry is closed.
TAKE NOTICE that on the 23rd day of August, 2024 a petition for Divorce was filed against you by TAIJPAUL DAYARAM , the petitioner/Applicant in the family division of the High court in Georgetown, Demerara.
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Formerly of 339 Yarrowkabra Linden Soesdyke Highway Guyana TAKE NOTICE that on Friday the 28th day of June, 2024 a petition for Divorce was filed against you by ALISHA YULANDA BARNES nee DORIS, the petitioner/Applicant in the family division of the High court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an order made on the 20th day of August, 2024, The petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of her petition on you by publication of the notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a newspaper printed, published and circulated in Guyana and on the World wide web(Online). AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney -at-Law at the registry of Family Division of the high court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certificate copy of the petition together with related documents.AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to defend this Divorce, Then upon receipt if the certified copy of the petition and application, you m ust file an Acknowledgement of services, Notice of intention of Defend (Forms are available at the registry), Answer and/or Cross petition in the registry of the family Division of the High court at Georgetown, Demerara within 30 (thirty) days from the date of the final publication of this notice.TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for directions Hearing on Wednesday the 15th day of January, 2024 at 1:45 pm before the Honourable Madam Fidela Corbin –Lincoln Meeting ID: 882 1097 6231 and password : Court12.IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowle dgement of servic es. Notice of intentions to defend, answer and/or Cross petition the court may proceed in your absent and may make any Order it considers
Dated the 28th day of November , 2024.
LEGAL NOTICE
2023-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-1282
IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No.FD-1282 BETWEEN (HAYWOOD) ELEEN MARY nee SINGH Petitioner/Applicant -and- (HAYWOOD) KEITH ROCKLIFFE Respondent TO: KEITH ROCKLIFFE HAYWOOD Formerly of 275 Bleecker Street Apartment 2003 Toronto, Ontario M4X 1M1 Canada TAKE NOTICE that on the 18th day of August, 2023 a petition for Divorce was filed against you by ELEEN MARY HAYWOOD nee SINGH, the petitioner/Applicant in the family division of the High court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an order made on the 30th day of October, 2024, The petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of her petition on you by publication of the notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a newspaper printed, published and circulated in Guyana and on the World wide web(Online). AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney -at-Law at the registry of Family Division of the high court at Georgetown, Demerara
where you will be issued with a certificate copy of the petition together with related documents.AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to defend this Divorce, Then upon receipt if the certified copy of the petition and application, you m ust file an Ackno wledgement of services, Notice of intention of Defend (Forms are available at the registry), Answer and/ or Cross petition in the registry of the family Division of the High court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirty-five) days from the date of the final publication of this notice. TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for directions Hearing on Tuesday the 14th day of January, 2025 at 9:30 am before the Honourable Madam Fidela Corbin –Lincoln Meeting ID: 882 1097 6231 and password : Court12. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowled gement of services. Notice of intentions to defend, answer and/or Cross petition the court may proceed in your absent and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the divorce. The registry of the family division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts (Georgetown, Demerara). The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursday and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on the public holidays and on such other days as the registry is closed. Dated the 14th day of November , 2024.
LEGAL NOTICE
2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-1172
IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No.FD-1172 BETWEEN DAYARAM (TAIJPAUL) Petitioner/Applicant -andDAYARAM (HARDAI) Respondent TO: HARDAI DAYARAM UNKNOWN.
AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an order made on the 13th day of November, 2024, The petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of her petition on you by publication of the notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Toronto Sun Newspaper.AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney -at-Law at the registry of Family Division of the high court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certificate copy of the petition together with related documents.AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to defend this Divorce, Then upon receipt if the certified copy of the petition and application, you must file an Acknowl edgement of services, Notice of intention of Defend (Forms are available at the registry), Answer and/or Cross petition in the registry of the family Division of the High court at Georgetown, Demerara within 30 (thirty) days from the date of the final publication of this notice. TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for directions Hearing on Friday the 31st day of January, 2025 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif in person. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of services. Notice of intentions to defend, answer and/ or Cross petition the court may proceed in your absent and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the divorce. The registry of the family division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts (Georgetown, Demerara). The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursday and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on the public holidays and on such other days as the registry is closed. Dated the 29th day of November , 2024.
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LEGAL NOTICE
IN 2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD1171 THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE
FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION
Petition No.FD-1171
BETWEEN ELIZABETH SEEPAUL nee DANPAUL Petitioner/Applicant
-and- SEEPAUL also known as SEEPAUL DANRAM Respondent TO: SEEPAUL also known as SEEPAUL DANRAM Formerly of Lot 336 First Street, Cummin gsLodge Greater Georgetown Guyana TAKE NOTICE that on the 23rd day of August, 2024 a petition for Divorce was filed against you by ELIZABETH SEEPAUL nee DANPAUL, the petitioner/ Applicant in the family division of the High court in Georgetown, Demerara.
AND FURTHER TAKE
NOTICE that as part of an order made on the 21st day of October, 2024, The petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of her petition on you by publication of the notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News , a daily newspaper printed and circulated in and around Guyana. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney -at-Law at the registry of Family Division of the high court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certificate copy of the petition together with related documents.
AND FURTHER TAKE
NOTICE that if you desire to defend this Divorce, Then upon receipt if the certified copy of the petition and application, you must file an Acknowledgement of services, Notice of intention of Defend (Forms are available at the registry), Answer and/or Cross petition in the registry of the family Division of the High court at Georgetown, Demerara within 30 (thirty) days from the date of the final publication of this notice.TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for directions Hearing on Monday the 13th day of January, 2025 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif in person. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of services. Notice of intentions to defend, answer and/or Cross petition the court may proceed in your absent and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the divorce.
Macron’s new PM Bayrou faces budget battle with fractious French parliament
PARIS, Dec 13 (Reuters)New French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on Friday he faced a “Himalaya” of a challenge to tackle France’s deficit, with opponents’ lukewarm reactions to his appointment underlining the difficulty of the job he faces.
President Emmanuel Macron earlier named Bayrou as his fourth prime minister of 2024, tasking his centrist ally with steering France out of its second political crisis in six months. He replaces Michel Barnier, who was ousted by lawmakers last week for trying to pass a cost-cutting 2025 budget.
Bayrou, a three-time presidential candidate who has long warned of French fiscal profligacy, inherits the same rowdy parliament that felled Barnier. His proximity to the deeply unpopular Macron may also hurt him.
In a speech alongside Barnier on Friday, Bayrou acknowledged the challenge.
“Nobody knows the difficulty of the situation better than I do... I am not unaware of the Himalaya that stands before us,” he said. “I believe that this issue, the deficit and debt, is an issue that poses a moral problem, not just a financial one.”
Efforts to rein in the deficit, expected to close the year at over 6% of gross domestic product, lie at the heart of France’s political malaise.
The festering crisis has raised doubts about whether Macron will complete his sec-
LEGAL NOTICE
The registry of the family division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts (Georgetown, Demerara). The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursday and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on the public holidays and on such other days as the registry is closed.
Dated the 24th day of October , 2024.
ond presidential term until 2027, lifted French borrowing costs and left a power vacuum in the heart of Europe, just as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House.
Bayrou’s immediate priority will be passing a special law to roll over the 2024 budget, with a nastier battle over the 2025 legislation looming early next year.
Bayrou told reporters he wanted to move quickly, but France’s stark political divisions mean even the basic task of naming his cabinet could drag on.
The Socialists, irked that the president ignored their demands for a leftist prime minister in favour of a “Macronista”, said they would not join Bayrou’s coalition, and could even seek to topple him if he tries to ram through the budget.
The pro-Barnier centreright said it would wait to see Bayrou’s proposals before deciding whether to join him, Laurent Wauquiez, the head of the Republican Right grouping in the National Assembly, wrote on X.
Far-left France Unbowed party leaders said they would
2024. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/Pool
be immediately seeking to remove Bayrou, while far-right National Rally (RN) party chiefs said they were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
IMPOSSIBLE JOB?
Bayrou, the founder of the Democratic Movement (MoDem) party which has been a part of Macron’s ruling alliance since 2017, has been the longtime mayor of the southwestern town of Pau. His rustic roots are a key component of his political character.
The mixed reactions to Bayrou’s appointment suggest he will likely be living day-to-day, at the mercy of Macron’s opponents, for the foreseeable future.
Barnier’s three-month premiership was the shortest in modern French history.
Macron will hope Bayrou can stave off no-confidence votes until at least July, when France will be able to hold a new parliamentary election. But getting there won’t be easy. An early test will come with the 2025 budget bill ne-
gotiations, expected to start in January.
Barnier’s bill, which aimed for 60 billion euros ($63 billion) in savings to assuage investors increasingly concerned by France’s deficit, was deemed too miserly by the far-right and left.
The government’s failure to find a way out of the gridlock has seen French borrowing costs push higher.
XTB Research Director Kathleen Brooks said Bayrou’s appointment was unlikely to have a major impact on French bonds.
However, she said the CAC 40 French stock index (.FCHI), opens new tab is underperforming German stocks by a three-decade margin.
“With France still mired in political turmoil, narrowing this gap is an uphill struggle, even with a new PM,” she wrote.
Macron named Bayrou as justice minister in 2017 but he resigned only weeks later amid an investigation into his party’s alleged fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants. He was acquitted of fraud charges this year.
($1 = 0.9537 euros)
Over 5000 police awarded $173M for crime fighting...
From page 18 narcotics branch. The ‘runner-up best cop of the year’ award went to Detective Inspector Seitaram from Region Eight, who has been serving the Force for 18 years. He too walked away with a cash prize.
Other notable awardees included, six ranks from the Georgetown Policing Division who reportedly cracked the Toucan Distributors multimillion-dollar robbery. The awardees are Assistant Superintendent Bacon, Sergeant Miller, Corporal Jai Singh, Corporal Higgins, Corporal
Pyle, Constable Lynch and Constable Persaud.
On July 3, 2024 bandits disguised as police officers snatched $18 million from the company’s manager while he was about to deposit the cash in the vault of a city bank. Ranks were able to crack
the case, recover some of the cash, arrest a suspect and charge him. The suspect is presently before the courts.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as per norm received some thick envelopes of cash awards for cracking major cases.
The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) led by Assistant Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh was also rewarded $650, 000 cash for outstanding investigations into money laundering, extortion and larceny by public servants.
Newly appointed Prime Minister Francois Bayrou speaks, on the day of the handover ceremony at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, France, December 13,
Palestinians decry ‘barbaric’ Israeli strike on Gaza’s
Nuseirat
Aljazeera - Palestinian authorities have said that at least36peoplewerekilledin an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, as Israel continues to conduct devastating attacks across thestrip.
The Government Media Office in Gaza called the Thursday attack a “barbaric and heinous massacre”, noting that most of those killed hailed from the alSheikhAlifamily
“The[Israeli]occupation army knew that this is a residential block with many apartmentbuildingshousing dozensofcivilians,children, women and displaced people,”theofficesaid.
Medics told the news agency Reuters that Israeli fire struck a postal office in Nus
families, as well as nearby houses.
Photographs from the scene show young children coatedwithdustandbloodin the rubble of a collapsed building.
In Gaza, it is not uncommonforaerialattacks
refugee camp
- At least 36 people, many members of same family, were killed in the Israeli strike on a Palestinian shelter
tokillnumerousmembersof the same family, as Israel’s war continues into a second year
As of October 2024, the one-year anniversary of the war, Israeli strikes had completelywipedoutatleast 902 entire families in the Strip, according to the GovernmentMediaOfficein Gaza.
Throughout the war, facilities and buildings
shelteringdisplacedfamilies havebeenattackedbyIsraeli forces,whooftenclaim,with little evidence, that they are being used as operation centres for the Palestinian armed group Hamas. Israeli authorities have yet to comment on Thursday’s strikeinNuseirat.
humanitarian workers have
persistently targeted by Israeli forces since the fighting began in October 2023,whenHamaslaunched a deadly attack on southern Israelthatkilledabout1,100 people, most of them civilians.
In the time since, Israeli attackshavekilledmorethan 44,800PalestiniansinGaza, more than half of them womenandchildren.
On Thursday, the
watchdog group Airwars, whichassessescivilianharm from air strikes, released a report stating that Israel’s campaign in Gaza was “by far the most intense, destructive, and fatal conflict for civilians” that it hadeverrecorded.
The report found that, duringthefirstmonthofthe war, the number of civilians killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza was nearly four times greaterthanthedeathtollof “any conflict Airwars has documented since it was established in 2014”, over a comparabletimeperiod.
Experts and rights groupsalsosaythattheGaza death toll is likely a vast undercount, with thousands more buried beneath mountains of rubble and the strip’s health services struggling to maintain operations.
Thursday’s attack on Nuseirat struck a largely residential area in one of Gaza’seighthistoricrefugee camps, established in 1948 aftertheforcedexpulsionof Palestinians from nearby areas,oftencalledtheNakba or“catastrophe”.
It was one of several strikes in Gaza throughout theday
Inanotherrefugeecamp, Jabalia, Israeli forces fired upon Saeed Jouda, a top doctor who worked at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, as he made his way to treat patients.Hediedasaresult.
An estimated 1,057 healthcare workers have been killed since the start of thewar
The Government Media Office in Gaza also highlightedthestrainsonthe enclave’s medical system in Thursday’sremarks.
“This latest crime coincides with the Israeli occupation’s plan to topple thehealthsystemintheGaza Strip, exerting massive pressure on medical teams,” themediaofficesaid.
“It is coupled with continued attacks on hospitals and medical centers, putting them out of service.
M o r e o v e r , t h e occupation prevents the entry of medicines and medical supplies and equipment as part of the crimeofgenocide.”
UN human rights office resumes activities in Venezuela despite Maduro clash
Aljazeera - The United
N a t i o n s H i g h Commissioner for Human Rights has announced that his office is starting to resume its activities in Venezuela, despite past clasheswiththegovernment of President Nicolas Maduro.
High Commissioner Volker Turk made the announcement on Friday at a meeting with the UN Human Rights Council, where he reiterated his concernsaboutconditionsin Venezuela,particularlyafter its most recent presidential race. “My office has begun to resume its operations in thecountryinrecentweeks. My hope is that we will be able to restore our full presence,” Turk said in his opening remarks, pitching his organisation as a “bridge-builder”.
The UN human rights office had previously establishedapresenceinthe
country in 2019. But that changed in February, when Maduro’s administration accused the office of plotting with opposition members to undermine the government—anallegation madewithoutproof. Its local office was
y,
members were told to leave thecountrywithin72hours.
Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores lift an arm in saluteatapublicevent President Nicolas MaduroandFirstLadyCilia Flores wave to supporters during an event in Caracas, Venezuela,onDecember10 [ArianaCubillos/APPhoto]
In a statement at the time, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil Pinto accused the UN human rights office of becoming a “colonialist” and “improper” presence in the country, stirring up unrest.“Farfromshowingit
CommissionerVolkerTurkreiteratedheis‘deeplyconcerned’ abouttheviolencefollowingVenezuela’scontestedelection
as an impartial entity”, Gil Pinto said the office’s actions have “led it to becometheprivatelawfirm ofcoupplottersandterrorist groups that permanently conspire against the country”.
T h e M a d u r o government, however, has long faced condemnation for its human rights record, which includes allegations of arbitrary arrests, torture andextrajudicialkillings.
Shortly before the human rights office in Venezuelawasorderedtobe closed, UN officials had expressedconcernaboutthe sudden detention of human rights lawyer Rocio San Miguel.
In a social media post about her arrest, the human rightsofficewrotethat“due process guarantees, including right to defence, mustberespected”.
The shuttering of the local office also coincided
with intensifying scrutiny o
Ve
presidential election Maduro, at the time, was seeking a third term in office, but public opinion polls in the months leading up to the race heavily favouredtheopposition.
The government disqualified several popular opposition candidates from running, including opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and her subsequent replacement, Professor Corina Yoris Ultimately, Edmundo Gonzalez, a former diplomat,waspickedtolead theoppositionticket.
Theelectionwasheldon July 28. But in the early hours of July 29, shortly afterpollingstationsclosed, Venezuela’s electoral authority announced that Maduro had won — though it did not release the paper voting tallies that
traditionally accompany the results. Critics immediately slammed the announcement as fraudulent and called for transparency in the voting results.
The contested election led to protests in the streets of the capital Caracas and other cities, as the opposition published voting documentsonlinethatitsaid provedMaduro’sdefeat.
An estimated 2,000 people were arrested in the government crackdown that followed,withdozenskilled andhundredsinjured.
In his statement at the UN council on Friday, Turk underscored the human toll of the violence. “Looking back over recent months, I remaindeeplyconcernedby the disproportionate use of force and violence during post-electoral protests in July and August, including by armed individuals s u p p o r t i n g t h e government,”Turksaid.
“I urge a prompt and effective investigation into at least 28 killings that reportedly included demonstrators, bystanders and members of the armed forces.”
Still, in a gesture to the country’s authorities, Turk applauded recent waves of prisoner releases that freed protesters and opposition members detained during thepost-electionprotests.
Anestimated225political prisonerswerereleasedunder “precautionary measures” including mandatory court appearances onNovember 26, and another 103 were set freeonThursday
“This is an important step,” Turk said. But he nevertheless urged Venezuelan officials to reviewallthecasesofthose stilldetained.
“I urge the release of all those arbitrarily detained, both before and after the presidentialelection.
Palestinians mourn the victims of an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir el-Balah, in Gaza, on December 12 [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo]
ExxonMobil wants to participate in the sale of Hess
Guyana’s asset, extract value
American oil
g i a n t , ExxonMobil
Corporation wants to “participate” in Hess Corporation’s sale of its Guyanaoilasset,andextract value from the work it has put into developing the country’s offshore fields –Reutersreported.
In October 2023, it was announcedthatAmericanoil giant Chevron will be acquiring Hess Corporation (the third-partner in the Stabroek Block) for some US$53billion.Thetakeover would give Chevron access to Hess’most valuable asset inGuyana.However,Exxon, theoperatoroftheblockand CNOOC,filedforarbitration attheInternationalChamber of Commerce in Paris, arguingthattheyhavearight of first refusal over Hess’ stake.
ExxonMobil Guyana is theoperatoroftheblockand holds a 45% interest, while Hess Guyana holds 30% interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited with25%interest.
Exxon’s CEO Darren Woods on Wednesday told Wall Street analysts in his most significant comments on the arbitration case to date, “We developed the value of that asset. We have the right to consider the value of that asset in this transaction, and then the righttotakeanoptiononit.”
Exxon CEO Darren Woods. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File photo)
Woods added, “We have an opportunity, as does CNOOC, the other partner, to participate in that opportunitytohavetheright offirstrefusal.”
Reuters reported that a three-person panel in May 2025 is to decide whether Hess’s deal to sell itself to Chevroncangoaheadonits original terms Notably, representatives for Hess and Chevron declined to commentwhencontactedfor a comment. Analysts have putthevalueofHessGuyana between 60% and 80% of Chevron’s proposed US$53 billionpurchaseofHess.
The Stabroek Block which covers an area of 6.6 million acres is estimated to hold 11.6 billion barrels of oil To date, Exxon has obtained approval from the
Government of Guyana for six development projects in the Stabroek Block – Liza PhaseOne,LizaPhaseTwo, Payara,Yellowtail,Uaruand Whiptail The first three projects are already producing oil at a daily estimated rate of 640,000 barrels per day (bpd). With theadditionofHammerhead andLongtail,Exxonsaidthis willexpandgrossproduction in Guyana to approximately 1.3 million barrels per day, with total production capacity expected to reach 1.7millionbarrelsperdayon aninvestmentbasis.
Chevron and Hess have previously rejected the claim, arguing the deal is structured as a merger and Hess’s Guyana holdings remain intact. Hess has said if the Chevron deal is not concluded it would not separately sell its Guyana properties to Exxon or anyoneelse.
Woods brushed off Hess’s view of a loss at arbitration souring a sale, saying “that’s their construct, not ours.” Exxon wants the three-person arbitration panel to consider thevalueofHessGuyanaas part of the deliberations “We’ll look at the value and seeifthatvalueisinthebest interest of the company, the corporation and the shareholders,” added Exxon Vice Chairman Neil Chapman.
Charrandass provides support... FA defends decision to back Saudi World Cup bid
(BBC Sport) - The Football Association’s decision to back Saudi Arabia’sbidtohostthe2034 World Cup was “not difficult” after organisers g a v e “ a l o t o f commitments”, its chair DebbieHewittsays.
Saudi A
was confirmed as host of the men’s tournament on
Wednesday by football’s worldgoverningbodyFifa. Organisers have insisted everyone will be welcome, but the country has been criticised for its human rights violations, women’s rights abuses and the c
of homosexuality
However, Hewitt told BBC Radio 5 Live that
England’sFAasked“alotof q
supportingthebid.
“It wasn’t a difficult decision - I think it was a very thorough process,” addedHewitt.
“We spent a lot of time
r approachtothetournament.
“We asked a lot of
questions,theygaveusalot oftimeandtheygaveusalot of commitments and I think the important thing is that wewillnowworkwiththem over the next 10 years leadinguptothetournament to make sure that those commitmentsaredeliveredfrombothsides.”
The FA met with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) last month to discuss the bid in more detail. It said it was assured the SAFF is committed to providing a safeenvironmentforallfans - including LGBTQ+ supporters.
Saturday December 14, 2024
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Difficult predicaments could arise today if you try to exert your will over others without having the most honorable intentions, Aries. It could be that you're using someone else's fear of you to control himorher
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
The fire within you is raging today,Taurus,andyoushould becarefulhowyouwieldthis power Be proud and triumphant. Walk with your shouldersbackandheadhigh. Freedomisimportant.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
There may be a great deal of fuss over something that seems quite insignificant to you, Gemini. Try to see the beauty and importance of everythingaroundyou.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Thingsarecomingtoacritical point for you today, Cancer, and you may find that other people openly object to your actions. It's OK to be a bit selfish if the situation is appropriate.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Feelfreetospeakmoreloudly today, Leo. You'll find that things fall into place more easily if you speak your thoughts outwardly and directly in the presence of others. Bring your internal powerunderyourcontrol.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Youshouldbaskinaglorious splendortoday,Virgo.There's a great deal of power at your disposal.You'll find your ego ishealthy,charged,andready forthebattlefield.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Add more sunshine to your day, Libra. It may be time to stir up your inner passion and let it speak with greater confidencethanyouhavebeen lately Make sure you heal yourself by letting the people aroundyouhearyourtruth.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
You'llfindthatyoursparkcan easily turn potential energy into kinetic energy, Scorpio. Don'tunderestimatethepower of your words. Realize the profound impact they have on othersandtakeresponsibility
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Don't dwell on your fluctuating moods today, Sagittarius. Look at the larger trends and how positive elements are coming together inyourfavor
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Thisisyourdaytoshineinall your glory, Capricorn. There's noneedtoholdanythingback. You'll find that you have a great deal of love to share. Your heart is likely to go to extremes today in order to proveitslove.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Trynottolosesightofyour own projects or desires, Aquarius. There's a great deal of power and manipulative energy in the air today that could throw you off course if youaren'tcareful.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Recharge today by getting outside and stretching your arms to the sky, Pisces. Be proud and courageous. You have the power to turn an unhealthy situation into a positiveone,
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“We were reassured by the answers that we got and think this is about a partnership,” said Hewitt, who added the FA would give organisers “the right groupstoconsultwith”.
“Atournamentisnotjust aboutthehost.
A tournament is about thosewhogoalongandplay theirpartinitandthat’swhat wewanttodo.”
The 2034 World Cup willbethesecondtobeheld in the Middle East - it was stagedinQatarin2022.
S a u d i A r a b i a ’s international standing was severely damaged by the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based Saudi journalist who was a prominent critic of the government.
Lanka T10 team owner arrested...
Frompage33 allegationsofmatch-fixing. In 2019, Sri Lanka became thefirstnationinSouthAsia tocriminalisematch-fixing, with offences related to corruption in sports carryingvariousfinesanda prison term of up to ten years.
The Lanka T10 is Sri Lanka’s first foray into hosting a T10 franchise league,withtheeventrights forthetournamentmanaged and operated by a consortium consisting of the Innovative Production Group, T Ten Sports Management and T Ten Global Sports, which also operates several other T10 franchiseleaguesacrossthe world.
NBA roundup: Celtics down Pistons for 12th straight time time
(Reuters) - Payton Pritchardcameoffthebench to score a game-high 27 pointsanddeliver10assists, leadingtheBostonCelticsto a 123-99 win over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Thursday
Pritchard shot 10 of 20 fromthefield,including7of 15from3-pointrange.
The Celtics received 23 points from Derrick White and 19 from Kristaps Porzingis while beating the Pistons for the 12th consecutivemeeting.
Rookie Ronald Holland II scored a career-high 26 points for the Pistons, who shot 7 of 37 (18.9 percent) from 3-point territory Detroit’s Cade Cunningham
finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Kings111,Pelicans109
Domantas Sabonis had 32 points and 20 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 16 of his 29 points in the third quarter and visiting Sacramento beat New Orleans.
DeAaron Fox and
Keegan Murray scored 18 each for the Kings, who outscoredthePelicans38-28 inthethirdquarter
CJ McCollum scored a game-high 36 points, Trey Murphy III had 21 and Dejounte Murray added 20 toleadNewOrleans.
Heat114,Raptors104 BamAdebayoscored21
points and grabbed a gamehigh 16 rebounds, leading hostMiamioverToronto.
Miami, which won its season-best fourth straight game, also got a game-high23pointsfrom Tyler Herro The Heat also received important bench contributions from Nikola Jovic (14 points) and Dru Smith (11 points).
Raptors star RJ
Barrett made just 5 of 18 shots, but he had a tripledouble with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists Gradey Dick led Toronto with 22 points, including 12 in the first quarter Jakob Poeltl added 16 points
Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)
Olympic Kremlin ready for the Metro Mile - Ritorna Vincentori set for E Class showdown
The Port Mourant
T u r f C l u b (PMTC) will be theplacetobethisweekend when Guyana Cup and President’s Cup Champion Olympic Kremlin faces the fieldfortheMetroMile.
The back-to-back feature race winner, owned by the dominant Slingerz Racing stable will be a part of the feature event at the PMTC’s Showdown of Championswhentheblocks flythisSunday Slingerz Stable owner
Javed Ali told this publication yesterday that plans to continue the dominance in the sport of kingsarewellunderwayand thisweekend’smeetwiththe return of the 2024 Guyana Cup and President’s Cup Championisonestep.
“Things are coming along nicely.The horses are happy and healthy and working well in their paces anditlookslikeitsgoingto beagoodruncomeSunday The BrazilianTrainer Lenio Veria and the Jockey [Acedenir] Gulart are here andareonthegroundandwe look forward to a good weekend.
Javid will be aiming for two wins on the day, as
Ritorna Vincentori will also entertheEClassevent.
“We are not taking it for granted that its going to be an easy day Each race we take seriously like it’s the firstraceandwedoourbest and go out; we never try to betoooverconfidentandwe expect good competition. Wordaroundthetrackisthat allthehorsesaredoingwell and we expect a good run fromthefield.”
We are going out well prepared and ready to run. ComeSundayitsgoingtobe a tough race but we expect thebest.”
The Metro Mile
Sponsored by Metro Office
Supplies will headline the eight-racecard.
The1600Meventwillgo foraGYD4MPrizewiththe winning horse pocketing $2M and is open to all horses.
Theco-featureeventwill be the Guyana Star E Class Dash for non-winners in Guyana and F-Class & Lower with a combined purse of $2M in the 1300M race That race is also sponsored by Jumbo Jet, Rohan Auto Spares and ArmoConstruction
The Shi-Oil Juvenile Stakes Two-Year-Old
Guyana and West Indiesbred horses over 1200M is sure to attract the attention of horse racing fans along with the J’s Supermarket Three-Year-Old Classic over1700M.
TheOBLstakesG-Class horses will go over 1200M while the Guy America Stakes H-Class NonWinners of 2024 open to GuyanaBredhorseswillrun for 1300M and is also sponsored by AJM, KP J a g d e o G e n e r a l Constractors and Permaul Trading.
There is another 1600M RacesetforallK-Classand L-Class horses as well as a 1300MsprintcardedforJ,K and L class Maidens sponsoredbyLakaRamrich Rice Farm, Shook Shivmangal and friend of USA,BigGSawmill.
The event is sponsored by J’s Supermarket, Jumbo Jet, Shi-Oil, AJM,
I C A Construction, Rohan Auto SparesandArmco,OBL,KP Jagdeo General Contractor, Permaul Trading, Laka RambrichRiceFarm,BigG Sawmill & Lumber Yard, Shook Shivmangal & friendsofUSA. Racesbeginatnoon.
Hendricks’ maiden T20I ton hands SA first series win since August 2022
(Cricinfo) - Reeza Hendricks scored his first T20I century, in his tenth y e a r o f b e i n g a n international cricketer, as South Africa won their first bilateral T20I series win sinceAugust2022.
Theyregisteredthethirdhighest successful chase at SuperSport Park to break a T20Itrophydroughtthathas extended for eight series, sincetheybeatIrelandmore thantwoyearsago.Itisalso Rob Walter’s first T20I series win since taking over the white-ball coaching job inMarch2023.
Afterbeingaskedtofield first, SouthAfrica conceded thefifth-highestfirst-innings total at SuperSport Park and chased it down with three ballstospare.Hendricksand Rassie van der Dussen, batting at No.4, shared a third wicket partnership of 157 off 83 balls to form the spine of the chase. Van der Dussen scored his seventh T20I fifty and hit the winning runs with stand-in captain Heinrich Klaasen at theotherend.
Pakistan were guilty of an over-reliance on the slower ball, which they sent down liberally, but that may not be where they lost the game.
Although they crossed 200, they could have had manymore.
Theywere103for1after 11 overs and 136 for 4 after 16.In that five over period, South Africa took 3 for 33, thanks to debutant Dayyaan Galiem and left-arm spinner GeorgeLinde.Despitethose strikes, Pakistan’s innings was built on two big partnerships: Babar Azam andSaimAyubputon87off 45 balls for the second wicketbeforeAyubandIrfan Khan posted 73 of 32 balls forthefifthwickettopropel theirscoreover200.
Itwasnotenoughthanks to Hendricks and van der Dussen, two older hands, who took South Africa home.
Dayyaan’s dream (and nightmare)debut
Galiem was planning to be at this match, but not playing in it He had hospitality suite tickets and wasduetobesittingwithhis domestic team-mates enjoying the start of the December holidays with some drinks but on his way
home from the gym this week, he got a call he never expected.Anrich Nortje had broken his left big toe and Galiem was called up to the nationalsquad.Hewasgiven a debut on his home ground and then handed the new ball.
His first over cost just three runs. Exactly why he didn’t bowl another in the powerplay is for Klaasen to answer but in that period he dropped Ayub on 3, which provedcostly
He was brought back on intheseventhover,anderred once in length with a short, wideballbuttakenoffagain. Inhisthirdspell,Galiemgot his first international wicket when Usman Khan topedged him to Kwena Maphaka at deep third but hismomentcameinhisfinal over Itwasonlythesecond, hebowledinsuccessionand Tayyab Tahir popped a leading edge back up to him and Galiem took a sharp catch.
It would not have made up for his earlier miss but it gave him good figures of 2 for21infourovers,with12 dot balls, in his first internationalouting.Butthat wasn’ttheendofGaliem.He was at long-on when Ayub hit Donovan Ferreira just aboutstraighttohim.Galiem gothimselfintoanawkward position and the ball burst outofhishands.
Sensational Saim but he would have wanted two more
Pakistan separated RizBar as they continue to experiment with their opening combination and Ayub has made the case to continue in the role. He scoredthreerunsoffthefirst eight balls he faced before swatting a Ferreira delivery to debutant Galiem at point, whocouldnotholdontothe chance.
ThenextballAyubfaced, he muscled over deep midwicketforsixatthestart ofaspectaculartakedownof Maphaka.Thenexttwoballs
brought back-to-back boundaries before three dot balls ended the most expensive over of the Powerplay The slog sweep proved a favourite shot of Ayub’s as he perfectly complementedBabar Ayub’s career-best, and also his first half-century in the format came off 33 balls inthe11thover,sohehadthe time and opportunity to double up. After Babar was dismissed,Ayubbroughtout more classical strokes like thesquaredrive. He continued to take on Maphaka, and hit him for threesixesinhisfinaloverto standontheedgeof90,with three overs left. In a cruel twist, Ayub only faced six balls in the last three overs, andnoneinthelastover,and
wasleftunbeatenon98. Jahandad’sdoublestrike Brought into the side in place of wristspinner Sufiyan Muqeem, Jahandad Khan almost immediately
showedwhathecando.
His second delivery moved away from the lefthandedRyanRickelton,who could not help but play at it with minimal foot
movement and edged to Rizwan to end the opening partnership on 6. In his next over, Jahandad played with his lengths and speeds, delivered a slower ball and then and ended with a short ball which Matthew
Breetzke attempted to pull butcouldonlyskytomid-on.
Shaheen Shah Afridi took a simple catch to leave South Africa 28 for 2 after four overs.
AhundredforHendricks
A day after being droppedfromtheODIsideto playPakistannextweekand withquestionsswirlingover his continued presence in national squads, Hendricks silenced his critics by showing he still has what it takes at this level He operated at a run-a-ball 14 offthefirst14ballshefaced and then tucked into a short Haris Rauf delivery to topedgehimoverfinelegforsix before putting a slower ball into the stands over deep square for six more. A third six saw South Africa finish the powerplay on 52 for 2, seven runs ahead and a wicket more than Pakistan’s 45for1atthesamestage.
Dayyaan Galiem got Usman Khan for 3 (Getty Images)
CNOOC Petroleum Guyana/GTTA/MoE National Nationwide Schools Championships provides catalyst for Resurgence of Sport in Region 10
Played at the Mc
Kenzie High
S c h o o l auditorium on Thursday 12th December 2024 and coordinated under the stewardship of ITTF level one coach and ITTF umpire Candacy Mc Kenzie and ITTF level one Coach and formernationaljuniorplayer Marlon Washington, the CNOOC Petroleum Guyana GTTAMinistryofEducation
Nationwide National Schools Table Tennis Championships provided a catalystfortheresurgenceof thesportinRegion10,when the competition got underway in the mining town.
Inthekeycompetitionto determine the regional winners, National Junior player and Caribbean medalistEboMcNeilofMc KenzieHighSchoolreigned supremeintheboys19years and under category when he defeated Oiden France. On the distaff side Ebo’s compatriotSharqeEnnisMc
Kenzie High School emerged as the champion in theGirls19Yearsandunder category
The competition was
supportedbythedepartment of education region 10
Cheryl Matthews Dawn Barker and sponsored by CNOOC and has now generated great Interest amongstmanystudent’sand school’s teams registering fortrainingcampstobeheld. The CNOOC sponsored championships forms the catalyst for integrating the sport into the fabric of regional organization and coordination with a view of building capacity and developing talent, also sets
as it objective being an
development of the sport regionally and nationally, beingpartoftheMinistryof Education priority programme, offering the athletes the opportunity to become regional national champions while learning a lifelong learned skilled amongotherbenefits
CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited GL has beenactivelydrivinghuman and social development projects in Guyana through
Coordinators ITTF Coach Marlon Washington along with Coach Candacy Mc Kenzie with some of the players at the McKenzie High School auditorium.
Responsibility programs
The company strongly believes that education is a critical component for the realization of sustained human development; while sports can be an avenue for improved financial wellbeing when persons become professional athle
inculcatesthedisciplinethat is needed for persons to succeed and contribute to national development In thisregard,CPGLiselatedto
bring Education and Sports together in this National Schools’ Table Tennis Championship.
ResultsandWinners
Girls19Yearsandunder
SharqeEnnisChampion
LarshilAugust2ndPlace
KieonaJordan3rdPlace
Boys19YearsandUnder EBO Mc Neil Emerge champion
OidenFrance2ndPlace
Karsten Amsterdam
DemitryDash 3rdPlace
Boys19YearsandUnder FinalsResults
Oiden France def Zion carter11-8,11-9
Karsten Amsterdam def StaffordWashington Ebo Mc Neil def Kelvin David11-4,11-7
Demitry Dash def AkwainAdams11-4,11-3
Boys19YearsandUnder Semifinals EboMcNeildef D.Dash11-4,11-6
Oiden France def KarstenAmsterdam11-8,19Boys 19 Years and Under Finals
Ebo Mc Neil def Oiden France11-6,11-7
Charrandass provides support for Cricket Gear for Young and Promising Cricketers project
Former Member of Parliament, Charrandass Persaud, has donated five cricketbatsandtwelveredballstothisjoint initiative between Anil Beharry of Guyana andKishanDasoftheUSA.
Persaud is an attorney at law by profession, a Berbician by birth and a Canadian citizen as well. We are very thankful for this timely contribution as we aimtokeepyoungpeopleoffthestreetsand get them actively involved in sports, cricket inparticular
Total cricket related items received/purchasedsofar:$460,000incash, thirteen colored cricket uniforms, one set of stumpsandbails,twotrophies,twentyseven pairs of cricket shoes, thirty three pairs of batting pads, thirty five cricket bats, one floppyhat,thirtytwopairsofbattinggloves, twentyfivethighpads,threepairsofwicket keepingpads,sixarmguards,twochestpads, two boxes, twelve cricket bags, six bat rubbers, six helmets, one fiber glass bat, thirteen boxes of white cricket balls, three boxesofredballsandtwentyeightfootballs. In addition to the above, gear worth more than $600,000 was donated by Sheik M o h a m e d , f o r m e r N a t i o n a l wicketkeeper/batsman.All cash collected is being used to purchase gear requested and
notavailableatthetime.
Cricket related items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients Talent spottingisbeingdoneacrossthecountryand club leaders also assist to identify same. Progressive and well managed cricket clubs withayouthprogram,willalsobenefit.
Thesuccessofthisinitiativewouldnever havebeenpossiblewithoutthesupportofthe following: Javed and Imran of West Indian Sports Complex, Option Group of USA, Hilbert Foster, Bish Panday of P and P Insurance Brokers, Sean Devers, Trevis Simon,ÅrïêlJ.Tïlkú,AaronBeharry,Leanna Bachan and Imran Saccoor, Devon Ramnauth, Teddy Singh, Romash Munna, RaviEtwarooofCricketZone,USA,Kelvin Brijlall, Ravin Harkishun, Surendra Harkishun, Allan Mangru and Dennis Mangru, Vishal Mahabir, Sherman Austin, HuburnEvans,RajendraSadeoandRamesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Sheik Mohamed of Star Sports Awards and Trophies, Ajay Gainda of Cricket Equipment Guyana, Gajanand Singh, Peter Ramkissoon, RabindranathSaywack,RoshanGaffoor,
(Continuedonpage29)
Hickerson finishes in round-of-16 at Little Mo International Tennis Tournament
Zion Hickerson won his first match 6-1, 6-2 against Brazilian,BenicioAssis,but losthissecondmatch2-6,16 to American, Max Sullivan. His run ended in theRound-of-16.
The level of tennis was
higher at Little Mo compared to what he has
experienced in the Caribbean and local tournamentsinNewYork.
According to his father, “This was Zion’s first clay court tournament and the second time he played on clay He enjoyed it and the results were positive. Work needs to be done on generatingmorepaceonhis first serve despite his physical make-up. He will continue to work with his coaches at Sheltez Tennis Club and National Tennis Academy “
tournament,Zionattendeda training session at Rick Macci Tennis Academy; a former tennis coach of the stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Hickersonwillsoonstart preparation for his Atletico Madrid Football Training for2025.
Among the sponsors to assist Hickerson’s venture were Tri-Stone Auto Sales, MVPSports, BK SuperMix Inc., ENet, Slingerz Family Entertainment, GTEats, Bumper to Bumper Services, Jai Signs & Auto Design, DeSinco Limited Food, D Singh Trading, Nabi Construction Inc., GuyanaOilandGasSupport Services,GTSportsLeague, SandraMariaAB(Sweden), GoFundMe Supporters and TotalAirCargo
(Cricinfo) - Prem Thakkur, the team owner of Galle Marvels in Lanka T10, has been arrested on match-fixing charges. Thakkur was arrested on Thursday, a day after the tournament began, and was produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s CourtonFriday;hehassincebeenremanded tillDecember16.
Sri Lanka Police told ESPNcricinfo that Thakkur, an Indian national, had been arrestedbytheSriLankaSportsPoliceUnit under the 2019 Prevention of Offences Relating to SportsAct. He was arrested at a hotel in Kandy, where the Lanka T10 tournamentisunderway Itisunderstoodthat a foreign player had flagged a fixing
FIA changes criticised as they are voted through
( B B C S p o r t )Controversialchangestothe statutes of Formula 1’s governingbodyapprovedon Friday constitute a “worrisomeconcentrationof power”, according to the head of one of its member clubs.
Changes to the statutes concerning the ethics and audit committees each passed with about 75% approval at the FIA general assembly in Rwanda on Friday
Opponents say the changes will reduce accountabilityattheFIA.
Before the vote, Thierry Willemarck, the head of the Royal Touring Club of Belgium, expressed to FIA membershisconcernsabout the process through which thechangeshadbeenmade.
HetoldBBCSport:“Itis aconcentrationofpowerthat we have to be worrisome about.”
He said the “correct interpretation” of the changes was that they essentially put the president of the FIAand the president of the FIA senate, who are allies and on the same leadership team, in control of the ethics and audit committees.
They have been proposedattheendofayear inwhichtheethicsandaudit c o m m i t t e e s h a v e investigated a number of allegations about the conductofBenSulayem.
M o t o r s p o r t U K chairman David Richards
also expressed his oppositionbeforethevoteat the FIAgeneral assembly in Rwanda.
Richards told BBC
Sport:“I’vegotreservations about a number of issues within the changes but it’s the process that I’m challenging and want to see more transparent in the future.
“This is not an issue about what the changes might or might not be to the rules on the senate or the ethics committee This is a fundamental debate about how governance should work within the FIA and the opportunity for proper, open debate on thesematters.”
Willemarck added: “I don’t say anyone plans to abuse this, but with good governance normally you
would have an audit committee that in our case would report to the senate and the denomination of the audit committee should be approved by the generalassembly
“Andyoushouldprove the possibility for general assembly members to make reference to the audit committee if they have doubt on some practices so there can be an inquiry running independently of anyone who is leading the federation.
“It is just a matter of good practice and governancethatyouseein most organisations around
the world.” Both Richards and Willemark said the FIA’s statute review commission had been bypassed in the process of drawing up and approving the changes, which had been put to an e-vote of world council members with no discussion before thegeneralassembly
Willemark emphasised t h a t i t w a s “ n o t mandatory”forchangesto p a s s t h r o u g h t h e commission so “nothing illegalhashappenedinthe process”
But he added that he w o u l d s e e k t o “benchmark” the new FIA statutes on ethics and audit with those of other bodies H e w o u l d “communicate the main differences we observe and then see what happens”
Heads of Belgian, British and Austrian members of the FIA have nowallpubliclyexpressed their opposition to the process of introducing the changes, and there is said to be a groundswell of opposition among Europeanmemberclubs
The votes passed with 24.51% opposition on the ethics changes and 23.83% ontheauditcommittee.
approachmadebyThakkur LikeintheLPL earlier this year, a representative of the ICC anti-corruption unit is also in Sri Lanka to oversee the tournament at the request of Sri LankaCricket.
WhileSLCisyettospeakonthematter, Lanka T10 tournament director Samantha Dodanwela confirmed that the tournament “willgoaheadasscheduled”.
This is the second franchise tournament inSriLankathisyearinwhichateamowner has been arrested under the country’s sports anti-corruption ordinance after LPL franchise Dambulla Thunders’ co-owner TamimRahmanwasarrestedinMayon
(Continuedonpage29)
Mohammed Ben Sulayem was appointed as FIA president in 2021
Zion Hickerson
‘It’s great to see the progression’
…Hope views sweep of Bangladesh as step forward in pursuit of consistency
(SportsMax)-WestIndiesODI captain Shai Hope exuded pride andoptimismfollowinghisteam’s commanding 3-0 series victory overBangladeshatWarnerParkin St.Kitts.
Thecleansweep,achievedwith wins by five wickets, seven wickets,andfourwickets,notonly marked another feather in the team’s cap but also reinforced the strides they have made in recent months.
“Anytime you win a series, it’s alwaysgood.Beforetheseries,you couldseeagroupofguysraringand ready to play cricket, so you can’t ask for a better result than 3-0. We’ve been planning well, and we’ve been playing good cricket, so it’s just great to see that we can getoverthelineandactuallysweep the series,” Hope told reporters afterThursday’sfinalgame.
One of the standout features of the series was the collective effort from the entire squad, as Sherfane Rutherford (113), Hope (86), and Justin Greaves (41 not out) stood outwithbatinthefirstgame,while Romario Shepherd (3-51) did damagewiththeball.
The second contest saw positive knocks from Brandon King (82), Evin Lewis (49) and Keacy Carty (45), while Jayden Seales(4-22)shonewiththeball.
Meanwhile, debutant Amir Jangoowithanunbeaten104,Carty (95),GudakeshMotie(44notout),
andAlzarriJoseph
stoodout onThursday
Hope highlighted the significance of various players stepping up at crucial moments rather than relying on a single individualtocarrytheload.
“It was pleasing for me as a leadertoseeeveryoneputtingtheir handsupindifferentsituations,”he declared.
“There’snotoneparticularguy doing the bulk of the work every single time. Sherfane [Rutherford] hasbeenconsistentforthelastthree series, and it’s great to see guys contributingwhentheteamneedsit most,soI’mveryhappywithwhere theteamisatthispoint,”headded.
Jangoo’s century on debut was
a crowning moment in the final match, as the 27-year-old joined DesmondHaynesastheonlyWest Indians to achieve this milestone. His unbeaten 83-ball knock, alongsideCarty’shalf-century,was instrumental in chasing down a challengingtarget.
“It’sgreat.Ialwaysspeakabout the accolades and milestones coming after the fact, but the way he played throughout the innings wasimpressive.
It’s great to see him get a centurywhilewinningthegamefor theteam.I’mveryhappytoseehim getrunsondebut,”Hopenoted.
Whilethebattingunitgarnered much praise, the bowlers also played their part in containing
Bangladesh to totals of 294, 227, and321acrosstheseries.
Hopeaddressedtheconsistency of the bowling attack, particularly in the challenging conditions of WarnerPark,affectionatelyknown as“thebullring.”
“Inthisdayandage,300isapar score, so I think the bowlers did very well, especially here in St. Kitts,”heexplained.
“To restrict a team to less than 290 without bowling them out is a greatsign.Inthesecondgame,the waywecamebackaftertheirstrong start was fantastic Today’s (Thursday’s) pitch was the best of the three, and even though we didn’t start well, we had it under control.Butagain,asastrongteam, pulling ourselves out of different situations shows that we’re buildingsomething,”Hopestated.
That said, Hope acknowledged the strides the team has made in maintaining intensity throughout a series as the back-to-back series victories—2-1againstEnglandand n o w 3 - 0 a g a i n s t Bangladesh reflect a growing consistencyintheirperformances.
“The progression is showing. It’s clear we’re improving because before, we would take one step forwardandtwostepsback.
Wewouldstartaserieswellbut play mediocre cricket in the back end,butwereallykeepingthefoot down now, especially when we’re up.”
“This time, I challenged the boys to keep the foot down, especiallyafterthatEnglandseries. When we have teams in strong positions, especially at our home, we’vegottofinishstrong.
We got to make sure we can finishtheseasonandtrytowinalot more three-nil if we can,” Hope stressed.
With the Darren Sammycoached team, currently ranked 10th,targetingamoveuptheODI rankingsand,byextension,aspot at the 2027 50-over World Cup, Hope is encouraged by the emergenceofbatsmensteppingup inrecentseries.
In fact, he emphasized the importance of providing opportunitiestonewplayerswhile i d e n t i f y i n g a r e a s f o r improvement,suchasintheirspin options
“There’s good competition among the players, and it’s giving us a better understanding of what the guys are capable of at this level,”theBarbadiansaid
“The more opportunities they get, the better for us, especially now when we’re doing well, so I’m just happy to see the guys getting opportunities and grab themwithbothhands I think we need to find more spin options, especially wrist spinners, and we’ll get there one step at a time, but it’s great to see theprogression,”Hopeended.
Jangoo joins Haynes as Windies batsmen to achieve milestone on ODI debut
(SportsMax) - Amir
Jangoosteppedontothefield at Warner Park on Thursday
f o r h i s O n e - D a y International (ODI) debut with dreams of making his mark.
Bytheendoftheday,he had etched his name into West Indies cricket history, becoming only the second Caribbean batsman to score acenturyonODIdebutafter the legendary Desmond Haynes achieved the feat in 1978 when he scored 148 fromjust136deliveries.
Jangoo’s unbeaten 83ball104,lacedwithsixfours and four sixes, not only piloted the West Indies to a thrilling four-wicket win over Bangladesh but also sealedadominant3-0series sweep. For the Trinidadian, itwasamomentthatblended personal triumph with team success, as his innings
showcased his grit, determination,andtalent.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Jangoo told journalists after the match, stillsavouringthehighofhis debutmilestone.
“Scoring a century on debut is something that people only dream of
Growing up, all I wanted to do was play for the West Indies,andnowthatIscored acentury,andondebut—it’s just an amazing feeling,” he added.
The 27-year-old’s heroics came at a critical juncturefortheWestIndies, who were in a bit of trouble
at86-4chasingachallenging 322.
Thoughhewalkedintoa high-pressure situation and even survived a shaky start, Jangoo showed great composureandforgedavital 132-run partnership with Keacy Carty, who contributedastellar95off88 balls.Together,theysteadied the innings and turned the tide in favour of the home side. “I just didn’t want to score a duck on debut, so getting off the mark in international cricket was an amazing feeling, and everything else flowed after that,”Jangoostated.
“To be fair, it was a pretty good wicket. So no matter the situation of the game, I knew it was a good wicket The head coach [DarrenSammy]cametome inthedressingroomandtold me how to break down my
innings.All I had to do was retain the strike, score between five to six runs an over, and put away the boundaries when we got them. That’s what we did,” heshared.
Jangoo, whose innings was a masterclass in calculated aggression and confidence,alsocreditedthe partnership with Gudakesh Motie, who was also unbeaten on 44. The pair added 91 runs, ensuring therewerenolatestumbles.
“Tobehonest,Iwasvery confident batting today (Thursday). Once I got past 50, I was pretty confident.
Thewicketwasabelter…it’s a really good wicket, so kudos to the groundsmen.
Unfortunately, Keacy didn’t get his hundred, but he’s such a class player and he reallyhelpeduswintodayas well,” the modest left-
handedbatsmannoted.
Becoming the second West Indian to score a century on debut was a milestone Jangoo had not anticipated “It’s crazy I didn’t know that stat at all, tobehonest,”hesaidwitha laugh “But it’s amazing It just goes to show dream bigandworkhard,andthat’s what I do. Luck was on my side, too, but I’m really happy I could convert my first international innings intoahundred,”hestated.
S
culmination of a strong domestic season in the
competition and Super50 Cup, where he showcased consistency and form Those experiences he said prepared him for this moment
(2-43)
Amir Jangoo struck and unbeaten century on debut
West Indies captain, Shai Hope
KashifandShanghai/OneGuyanainauguralNationalFutsalC/ship AlbouystownBallers,ParadiseInvaders,VictoriaEaglesadvancetoRound-of-32
Twenty-six teams havenowsecured qualification into the Kashif and Shanghai
N a t i o n a l F u t s a l Championship round of 32, following Thursday night’s encounters, which saw Albouystown Ballers, Team Touches, Paradise Invaders, Victoria Eagles, and Team Cruel chalking up wins on Day Five at the National Gymnasium.
The tournament, which initially kicked off with a pool of 64 teams, is set to narrow down to 32 teams on Monday with the final six games of the opening leg Thisstraightknockout
championship will determine the final cut of teams advancing closer to the championship’s purse, totalingtwomillionincash.
O n T h u r s d a y ,
Albouystown Ballers dispatched Game Changer 5-1 in the opening match
of Day Five Nicholas Jarvis broke the deadlock in the 12th minute to give Albouystownthelead TroyKennedyofGame Changer quickly leveled the score four minutes later, but Deandre Linton restored Albouystown’s advantage From there, it was all Albouystown as Jequan Cole, Andrew Carto, and Homey Harris netted individual goals to sealvictoryfortheirside.
T e a m T o u c h e s mirrored Albouystown’s performance by defeating DJ7 5-1 in the second match
Brace performances from Jamal Fyffe and Jonathan Andries, along with a lone goal from Jaheem Grant, rounded out the commanding victory
Paradise Invaders treated the crowd to a seven-goalsplendor Deon
Martin (1’ & 5’), Qumey Aulder (20’ & 26’), Nini Bobb(19’&24’),andNial Reynolds (30’) went on a goal-scoring rampage, thrashing Sophia ‘A’ 7-2 to command their spot in theroundof32
In another exciting encounter, Pouderoyen Brothers went down 3-1 to Victoria Eagles despite initially leading 1-0 Pouderoyen’s D’Angelo
Peters opened the scoring, but Kerwin Maxwell quickly equalized for the Eagles. Insford Charles then took the reins for Victoria Eagles, completing a brace with goals in the 26th and 29th minutes to secure their progressiontothenextstage. Team Cruel gained an effortless qualification after Team Two Friend failed to show up, winning viathewalkoverroute
The tournament will continue on Monday,
December 16, at the same venue Back Circle ‘B’ willfaceStevedoreat7:30 pm, followed by a clash between Ballers United andGladiators
Additionally, Linden YMCA, North Ruimveldt, California Square, Ithaica Ballers, Slingerz Kings, Agricola Ballers, Foot Steppers, and Road Warriors will battle for spotsintheroundof32
The tournament has receivedstrongsupportfrom the Government of Guyana through its One Guyana brand, alongside sponsors such as ANSA McAL Distribution (Lucozade, Heineken, and Magnum brands), Forrester’s Concrete, Jai Signs and Designs, Hits and Jams TV, Maggie’s Snackette, Star Party Rental, Tiger Rentals, Bakewell,SuperBet,Dinar’s Trading Limited, Trophy Stall,andColoursBoutique.
Kashif and Shanghai National Futsal Championship continues this Monday
Back-to-Back Guyana Cup and President’s Cup winner Olympic Kremlin is ready for action
West Indies captain, Shai Hope
‘It’s great to see the progression’
…Hope views sweep of Bangladesh as step forward in pursuit of consistency
ready
Olympic Kremlin for the Metro Mile Mile
- Ritorna Vincentori set for E Class showdown
CNOOC Petroleum Guyana/GTTA/ MoE National Nationwide Schools Championships provides catalyst for Resurgence of Sport in Region 10 Charrandass provides support for Cricket Gear for Young and Promising Cricketers project
Hickerson finishes in round-of-16 at Little Mo International Tennis Tournament