Kaieteur News

Netanyahu tells UN

Israel will continue attacks on Gaza, Lebanon

...Prime Minister says Israel will ‘continue degrading Hezbollah’ until it achieves its goals along Lebanon border

Huge wage disparity -

Chris Ram

allowing foreign companies to cheat local content provisions

Generator fire partially destroys DDL’s power plant

Lone gunman storms Chinese restaurant in Essequibo, escapes with $500,000

Alleged ‘wife beater’ nabbed after a month on the run

Woman told pregnancy terminated in th6 week now in third trimester

Trinidadian judge approves seizure of Venezuela’s gas proceeds to clear debt with US oil company

Ring-fencealltheoilprojectssowecangetallourprofitsfromeachone!

Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram

Woman told pregnancy termisnated th in 6 week now in third trimester

Ayoung woman's decision to listen to her father's advice to not perform a dilationandcurettage(D&C) procedure to remove her sixweek-old fetus has proven to beamiraculousintervention.

Regina R a w l i n s

shared what has been described by many as a 'miraculous' story on her Facebookpage.Rawlinswho isnowinherthirdtrimesteris awaiting the birth of her daughter She said that while she was six weeks

p r e g nant a doctor recommended she visits the “best” son

commonly c

d an ultrasound specialist to confirmherpregnancy

“ A few minutes into my appointment Dr [name withheld] said with much confidence to my husband

and I that “this baby is NOT ALIVE'”Rawlinssaidbefore adding that the medical professional stared at the ultrasound machine's screen for a few more minutes and reiterated that there was no signoflife.

Rawlins said after that

toperformaD&Cprocedure toremovethefetusorallowit toexpelnaturally

“I was feeling a bit sad, but I called the person that I always call in these times, MyDAD!Inacalmyetstern voicehesaid'LEAVETHAT BABY ALONE!'” Rawlins

father'sadvice.

“At8weeks,Isawblood, I figured my body was now expelling the baby as the doctor said,” she recalled.

The woman said she immediately notified her parentsandherdadagaintold herto“getanothercheckup”.

visit she returned to her doctorandwastoldthatthere wasnoheartbeatvisible.The doctor then reportedly advised Rawlins and her husband that they must decide on whether she wants

recounted.

Rawlins recalled that when she and her husband returned to their home, she toldherhusbandshebelieves thebabyisfineandheagreed and so they listened to her

Ultrasound results indicating that the fetus was dead at six-weeks

This time, Rawlins visitedanotherdoctorandhe told them that there was nothing wrong and the fetus' heartbeat was strong showingproofoflife.

“I am now in my third

trimesterpreparingforbaby's arrival! When YAHWEH chooses you to live who can dare say otherwise? There is

a purpose for this baby's life…”thewomansaidasshe happily recounted her story onsocialmedia.

A pregnant Regina Rawlins poses for a photo with her husband

AFC wants Culture Minister to resign after failing to address racial issue involving Art School Administrator

LeaderoftheAlliancefor Change(AFC)NigelHughes on Friday called for the immediate resignation of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson over his mistreatment of an incident involving Guyanese Sculptor and Administrator of the Burrowes School of Art,Mr IanIvorThom.

Kaieteur News had reported that Thom had tendered his resignation as Administrator at the Burrowes School of Art earlier this month after he was verbally abused by a member of the public who used racial slurs over a parkingissueattheschool.

The matter had reached the Minister who failed to investigatethematter

Speaking about the matteronFridayathisparty's press conference Hughes said, “The Alliance for Change unequivocally calls fortheimmediateresignation of the Minister of Culture after the utterances of those statementsaweekagoandhis failure to apologize, qualify, reject and disassociate himselfwiththem.”

The AFC Leader added thatwiththewaytheminister handled the matter “it does indicate that the Minister of Culture is clearly no longer capable of representing this country internationally or domestically on matter of culture.”

On Thursday, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo during his press conference disclosed that afterlearningwhattranspired he spoke with Ramson expressing disappointment with how he handled the matterinvolvingThom.

“This was not a government official who

made this racial slur, I spoke withtheministerandIsaidto himifamemberofthepublic complains about an issue then these matters should be dealt with at the Permanent Secretary level and I said to himitwasbadlyhandledand he accepted it, it was badly handled As far as I'm concern,thatistheendofthe matter,”theVPsaid.

Jagdeo,whocalledThom and asked him to reconsider hisresignation,madeitclear that such matters need to be reported to the police and or the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) while addingthat“onlyinthatkind of environment that people willstopthisnonsenseandit goesagainstanything.”

“ I t h i n k i t w a s unnecessary, this gentleman served the country well and continues to serve the country at a very high standard there in the BurrowesSchoolofArtsand when I saw the information that he had resigned and the reasonforwhichheresigned I thought it warranted my interventionandIcalledhim and said we'll like you to withdraw your resignation that you are held in high esteembythegovernmentof Guyana and I spoke for the GovernmentofGuyana,”the VPsaid.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the People's National CongressReform(PNCR)in a press statement also condemned the Minister of Culture's handling of the matter

“The recent conduct by Minister Charles Ramson in theIvorThomincidentisnot a one-off event. It is yet another display of the arrogance, racial bias, and incompetence of the

Minister,”thePNCRsaid. Kaieteur News had reported that Mr Thom on Mondayresumedhisdutyas Administrator at the school after government officials contacted him following his prematureresignation.

Mr. Thom's resignation from the school was highlighted in a letter published in the Kaieteur News on September 21 by studentswhoexpresseddeep concern about the unfortunate incident that led tohisdeparture.

In their letter, some studentsfromtheschoolhad expressed,“Wearewritingto express our deep concerns over an unfortunate incident that took place at the E.R. Burrowes School of Art involving the Administrator, Mr Ian Ivor Thom on the

evening of Saturday 7, September 2024 at around 4pm. The incident appearstoreflectracismand the unjust favour given to thoseinoursocietywhohave status, as a result, that incident led to Mr Thom's untimelyresignation.”

Mr Thom told Kaieteur News that on the day in question, he was in the parkinglotnearhiscarwhen he observed a red SUV reversing in a parking space nexttowherehewasthatwas reserved for staff and studentsoftheArtSchool.

Upon seeing this, Mr Thomsaidhesignalledtothe driver to get his attention. The driver came out of the vehicletospeakwithhim.

“The person came out of the vehicle and asked what the matter is. I said, that is a

no parking, you can't park there. It is a passageway and apart from that, this area is reserved for the Burrowes School of Art students and staff. He (driver) said but there is no school. I said but you are also blocking the passageway and even if it's notschool,onlyourstudents park there,” Mr Thom explained. He related that after informingthedriverhecould not park there, the man continued insisting that he couldparkthere.

“He continued insisting that he can park there. I told himifIcometoyourplaceof work or place of residence, and I park where I am not supposed to park would you be abusive the way you are trying to abuse me He (driver) said, “oh it's stupid

**[word withheld] people like you make this country whereitisandthatiswhyall kindofforeignersgottacome in because of stupid people likeyou,”Mr Thomrecalled.

Shortly after that incident, Mr Thom said he was summoned by the Minister at his office concerning what happened. ThereMr Thomsaidhetold the minister what transpired indetailandevencommitted to getting the names and numbers of the witnesses. However,theministerdidnot seeminclinedtoinvestigate.

“I even said to him that there were witnesses there whosawwhathappenedand I can get their names and numbers and give it to you and if you want the truth of the story, you can have an interview them. He said to me, your image is not a reflection of what he wants for this ministry I said well minister,youaretheminister and you will have to make a decision or I would have to make my appropriate decision and shortly after I left,”Mr Thomrecalled.

Meanwhile, on Monday after resuming his duties, he told Kaieteur News that while he hopes that similar incidents do not occur in the future, if they do, he wants themtobehandledproperly

GuyaneseSculptor, Ivor Thom LeaderoftheAFC, Nigel Hughes

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

New political entrant, old political weapon

The so-called announcement brought a sequence of curses. Thementionofapossiblepoliticalentrantintothe field for the 2025 elections, only a suggestion of it, generated sparks of energy in the PPP from its General Secretary Bharat Jagdeo to the PPPC Government, to the flockofwell-paidflunkeyswhomustjustifythetaxpayers’ dollars they collect. The kilowatt starved GPL could use someofthatenergytosupplyelectricitytoGuyanese. From all indications, the reactions from inside the PPPC Government machinery is as though somebody had declared war on it. What is now obvious is that there is a deep degree of anxiety in the breast of government and party, given the level of paranoia manifested with an announcementthatisnotquiteanannouncement.

The fear of the top people in the PPPC Government is palpable. Every Thursday, Jagdeo slaps this paper, its publisher,anditspeopleinonehystericalrantafteranother Evenafewletterwritershavecomeinfortheirshareofbile and venom from the man who has an unending supply of both, Bharat Jagdeo. Why is he getting so worked up, we would like to know? The entry or non-entry of a presidentialcandidate,oranewpoliticalgroup,isoneofthe attributes of a free and open democracy. Surely, Jagdeo would not disagree with that, so it is surprising and inexplicable that so much vehemence flushed out of him, likeanoverflowingsewagesystemwhenthefirstwhispers camefromKN’sPublisherGlennLallthathehasaneyeon the2025electionsandisonthemove. Onlyhewouldknow whether he is moving closer and closer to a public declaration about his candidacy for the highest office in Guyana,orheismovingpeoplelikeJagdeotohiswill.

Whateveritisthatisinmotion,Jagdeoisnottakingany chances,notwastinganytime. Heisinmotion,too,withhis handclearlyshown. StateadsaretheweaponthatJagdeo hasslashedandscarredtheindependentmediawithbefore, including KN. State ads are the rusted but still potent weapon that he was quick to brandish again. Somebody’s pants look suspiciously wet in the usual places, and the speculation across Guyana centers as to why there is this great nervousness. The PPPC Government cannot be that saturatedwithweakness,sovulnerableandexposeddueto itschronicskullduggeries. Butwhenthefirstreactiontoa probable 2025 elections arrival is about the possible withholding of State ads, then there is so much more than whatmeetstheeye. Apoliticianbeingaslonginthegame asJagdeoisexpectedtoknowbetter,reactmorematurely Letthismatteraboutnewpoliticalcompetitionunfoldand beassessedonitsmerits,potential(ifany)tomakeinroads in the traditional PPPbase. But Jagdeo was so wound-up thathereactedintheonlywaythatheknew Thetriedand trustedweaponofStateadswasimmediatelyhauledoutof its scabbard and waved in what has now taken on all the elementsofmacabreleadershipdance.

WesuggestthatJagdeobeaboutthepoliticalsmartsthat he has accumulated. For there is the law of unintended consequences. His threat, not veiled in the least, could be what incentivizes not one, but many new competitors into the 2025 elections ring. Guyanese across the board are disillusioned and dissatisfied with his management of the great national oil wealth. Many citizens are suspicious of histiradesthatserveascamouflagehismismanagementin other crucial areas. Still more citizens are appalled at the numerous secrets are now part and parcel of national governanceprogramsandpractices. Themanycivilizedin this country yearn for a leader that is calm and controlled. There is less and less regard for anyone that favors verbal brawling over unruffled statesmanship. So, Jagdeo could mention possible withholding of State ads for a candidate thatmaybeafigmentdisturbinghishead. Couldthepolice beweaponizedagainstanunknowncitizendaringtorunfor nationaloffice? WeaponizingStateadswas theoldJagdeo,thenewJagdeoisthesame.

We are yet to see the GTE feasibility study or any other gas study

DEAREDITOR

,

We shall be soon piping intoOctober2024,wherewe aretoldbyhighgovernment authorities that the Gas to E

gy (GtE) l

n application in at the US Exim Bank will land on the Board of Director’s (BoD) agenda, allegedly based on environmentalandtechnical

Thereafter,itwouldwendits way through Congressional and Federal Register Notification over a 35-day period and back to the BoD forfinaldecision.

Justinthelastweekmore GtEfinancialissues,withits procedural and legal noncompliance inter alia, have

been brought to the fore in themedia. It makes one stop to ponderthepossibleinimical effectofthemuchtoutedand haloed sanctity of contract viz a viz Petroleum Sharing Agreement (PSA) 2016 on this loan process It is a requirement under section 12 of the PSA 2016 that a feasibility study for associatedgasbeconducted. Todateneitherthisstudynor anyothergasstudyhavenot been sighted in the public forum.

Requestsforthesameat all the contractual parties havebeenmetwiththesilent mosaicstonewalltreatment. Others more and highly

qualified to speak on this issue have had the same treatmentmeteredoutaswas reportedinthemediaearlier inthisGtEprocess. Or perhaps the sanctity of contract only applies to the renegotiation aspect of thePSA2016.

Guyana is currently setting many firsts worldwide maybe this may be our contractual jurisprudential contribution tofirsts!

Since December 2023, whentheheadlinesread“US EXIMBANK poised to approveUS$600millionfor gastoshoreproject-Jagdeo” totheSeptemberheadlineof “Guyana closer to getting

approval for US$646M EXIM Bank loan- says VP J a g d e o ” w i t h t h e intermittent updates in between, the carrot keeps moving all the while still staying within budget, according to the consultant HeadoftheGtETaskForce. Now we are informed that there is no timeline for the actual reduction of the 50% in electricity rate after the proposed GtE start up in 2025!

Time alone will tell. As some of our CARICOM siblings would say “end of Octobersooncome”!

Yourssincerely, Elizabeth DeaneHughes

Gonsalves says he is a friend of Guyana though he is yet to publicly recognize that the Essequibo is a part of Guyana

DEAREDITOR

, Gregory Quinn, former British High Commissioner to Guyana, who was here at thetimePresidentGranger’s government was attempting toreturntoofficeatthe2020 General and Regional Electionsbymeansoffraud, in an article written in a series of booklets published by John Mair titled Oil Dorado and republished in the Stabroek News last Tuesday (24th September, 2024), under the headline “Why Guyana should not appease Venezuela and Maduro”, traced the history of Maduro’s most recent attempt to an

Essequibo and expresses his

n CARICOMareadvocatesto appeasing Maduro, most particularly, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves.

I worked closely with Greg Quinn, former US Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch, former Canadian High Commissioner, Lilian Chatterjee and the former E u r o p e a n U n i o n Ambassador, Fernando Ponz-Canto, along with Captain Gerry Gouveia and othermembersofthePrivate Sector Commission to expose and oppose the APNU/AFC’sdetermination torigtheresultsofthevotein Region4.

Referring to the Declaration of Argyle, resulting from the meeting between President Ali and Nicolas Maduro, hosted by Gonsalves, promoted by

encouraged by other

CARICOM leaders, Quinn writes,whileheunderstands that “some think it was a good thing, but appeasing dictators never worked out well and, I must admit, I don’t see what has been the benefit of this particular declarationforGuyana”.

IdonotagreewithQuinn in this regard. There is no doubt in my mind that The Declaration of Peace and Dialogue of Argyle on 14thDecember, 2023, agreeing “that any controversybetweenthetwo States will be resolved in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h international law, including the Geneva Agreement of 1966” , definitively postponed the possibility of an imminent invasion of the EssequibobyVenezuela.

Letmeunderlinethefact, however, that President Ali did not go to St. Vincent to negotiate with Maduro on the border Controversy and Argyle is not a product of any such negotiations nor doesitcommitinanywayto doingso.

What is of significant note is that shortly after Argyle, the Inter-American Institute for Democracy, on 4thJanuary,2024,published anarticlewrittenbyDr Luis Fleischman, urging that “if Maduro rejects diplomacy and invades Guyana, the United States should mobilize its armed forces and send a message to the Venezuelan military that it intends to intervene, and for their safety, officers, and

soldiers must surrender before it is too late. Military action should follow if they do not, particularly from the air In both scenarios, the resultshouldbetheremoval of the Maduro regime and t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f constitutionalgovernmentin Venezuela”.

GregQuinnis,ofcourse, correct in warning that appeasement of any kind simply doesn’t work with dictators like Maduro, though I don’t agree with him entirely that the Argyle Declaration has been of no benefitforGuyana.Itdid,in my opinion serve to successfully postpone the probability of a Venezuelan invasionatthetime.

The Stabroek News, in a comprehensive and informative Editorial today (27thSeptember, 2024) explained the connection between the Geneva Agreement and the Argyle Declaration in deferring an invasion and the importance of Argyle having been promoted by President Lula Da Silva of Brazil. As the Stabroek News Editorial pointsout,“ifMr Gonsalves and company delivered President Ali to the tableandthetruthofthematteris hehadlittlechoicebuttogo given the diplomatic pressure he was under - it wasBrazilwhichbroughtthe Venezuelan Head of State there”.

A great disappointment formewastheroleplayedby Ralph Gonsalves and which he continues to pursue withoutapology

Gonsalves says he is a friendofGuyanaandthathe is a friend of our President. Perhaps he is, though he is yettopubliclyrecognizethat the Essequibo is a part of Guyana. I considered Ralph a friend of mine. He was a guest at my 91st birthday party, in the company of President Ali, but, his embracing Maduro, congratulating him on assuming power, claiming thattheVenezuelanelections “were free and fair, reflecting the result” when the rest of the democratic world knows differently is unacceptable.

Gonsalves has chosen to ignore, for instance, the report of a UN panel of ElectoralExperts,invitedby the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) to report on the elections process to the United Nations Secretary General, thatthe“processoftheCNE fell short of the basic transparency and integrity measuresthatareessentialto holding credible elections… in the experience of the Panel, the announcement of anelectionoutcomewithout the publication of its details or the release of tabulated results to candidates has no precedent in contemporary democraticelections“.

Gonsalvesknowsthathe is lying. Friend or no friend, he should hang his head in shame.

The St Vincent Prime Minister came to Guyana as a longstanding friend of SonnyRamphaltopayhis (Continuedonpage06)

Guyana’s economic trajectory is on the upswing

DEAREDITOR

, Mr Eric Phillips in a letter published on 9/8/‘24 edition of S/N headlined ‘The next election will be critical if we are to forge ahead as a multiracial and multi-ethnic nation’ was long on pontificating and pessimism clothed with a strangepoliticalmotive.

Mr Phillips it appears wouldlikeGuyanesetowipe the historical slate clean, make a fresh start and begin exploring the best form of d e m o c r a c y a n d inclusiveness for them as if they are complete strangers to these key pillars of good governance.

Based on his letter, Mr Phillips suggests that Guyanese have never experienced a true taste of democracy save and except during the periods of the Burnham, Hoyte and Granger administrations Interestingly, I do not recall Mr Phillips openly championing constitutional reform nor shared governance while the PNC/APNU+AFC were in office.

With the PPP/C in government, Mr Phillips now posits that our only salvation as a nation resides in constitutional reform According to Mr Phillips; ‘What Guyana needs at the n e x t e l e c t i o n s i s

Parliamentary shared governanceasthisistheonly path to ensure shared governance is enshrined in ournextconstitution.’

He then amplifies; ‘The beginning of this process of good governance begins with three strong political

parties at the next elections so that neither of them receives more than 49% of theelectorate.’

Phillips’justification for sharedgovernanceis;

‘ T h e r e i s a n inconvenient truth about Guyana that is known throughouttheworld.

This inconvenient truth is that Guyana is a deeply divided racial society.’ He wenton;

‘Racism has plagued Guyana because of an incorrecthistoricalnarrative that has been promoted and maintained by racial entrepreneurs’. He further argues;Guyananeedsanew constitutional arrangement that will heal Guyana’s racial rift and encourage, facilitate and ensure nation building ’ But while speaking to a ‘Politics 101 podcast (26.9.’24) Phillips madeanabruptU-turninhis prognosis about Guyana’s futurestating;“it’snotabout sharing power it’s about partition as an option to be discussed.”

To a c h i e v e h i s objectives, Mr Philips has advocated that opposition partiesshouldnotcontestthe next election separately, but should do so as a united block; that they should commit to a single goal; to win the majority of seats in the next parliament and aim foraminoritygovernment.

Anddonningthegarbof a prophet of doom, Phillips makes a quantum leap suggesting and at the same time asking; ‘Without an inclusive form of governance, Guyana is destined for conflict and

failure’. Once a country has oil, geopolitics will always trump local politics. Will Guyana become an existentialformofGaza?’

To address his rather outlandish concerns Phillips then pontificates; ‘At the next elections, I hope there are three strong parties so thatnopartyobtains49%of the vote. This would be the greatest gift to Guyana and its People. Guyana cannot affordanythingelse.’.

How the opposition parties will accomplish this feat is anybody’s guess; but Phillipshascarvedoutwhat he considers a strategic pathway for opposition partiestofollowinorderfor them to achieve the goal he has plotted for them to follow

Phillips’ narrative appears to have gained tractioninoppositioncircles sincethePNChasidentified Aubrey Norton as it’s presidential candidate followed by the WPA with DavidHindsasitscandidate but Mr Hinds should acquaint himself with the constitutionalrequirements.

It is now left to be seen whethertheAFCwillfollow suit. Now that the WPAand AFC has exited the APNU and with the PNC left like a hanging shard in the alliance, what will be the position of the remnants in theAPNUisyettobeseen.

Mr Phillips fails to situate his hubristic line march in the context of Guyaneserealpolitik.

The democracy we live in is basically liberal democratic in nature Political parties and trade

unionsaswellasNGO’sare free to proliferate and citizens enjoy freedom of association and the right to belong to an organization of theirchoice.

And just in case he did not know, humans are not only social beings they are alsopoliticalones.

From playgrounds to corridors of power, they are constantly forming, modifying, ending and generally complicating alliancesofvarioushuesand shades.

What Mr Phillips is seekingtoachievecannotbe accomplished through his ‘electoral pathway’ since politics does not exist in a universe ruled by determinism and order. Neither is it akin to a perfectly designed machine or pathway as envisaged by Phillips. In other words, the outcome of a political move can be completely different fromtheactioninitiated.

That should be the starting point for any scientificanalystsofwhatis and what can be for a future Guyana.

Everything else including, politics, the judiciary and the legislature are secondary since, as integral parts of the superstructure they all stand atop the economic base on which society is built Guyana’s economic trajectory is on the upswing leadingtothedismantlingof old beliefs and prejudices based on corroded discourses not rooted in verifiablereality

Yoursfaithfully, ClementJ.Rohee

Rights of the Child Commission needs to do more advocacy against drugs and cultural imperialism

DEAREDITOR:

I noticed the news item wheretheRightsoftheChild Commission (RCC) presented a report for 20192020. The question arises whyweren’ttheypresenting the 2023 report. Why are they so far behind? Is this anotheruselessCommission as the ERC who really gets very little accomplished in realterms?

Now they say they are concerned about the rise of drug and alcohol addiction among students Today’s news reported a sixteenyear-old Angelina Charles, studentatAuroraSecondary School, found dead in her parents’ home in Mashabo Village, Region Two. It was revealedsheandagrouphad been drinking in the school dormitory IsRCC’sfunctionjustto register “concerns” or were they supposed to be doing thingstohelp?Howarethey helping children in schools? Do they know how to help schools? I don’t recall RCC speaking out against the PNC Member of Parliament who is advocating that there aretonsofmoneytobemade if we legalize drugs and make big profits off of it. Drugs are rampant all over the country and in our villages. Does RCC have

programs to help schools address that? What do they do with all the money they get? Why are they silent when folks are sending the wrong messages to our children? What is that MP telling our children about drugs?

Does RCC understand they have to ensure public policydoesnotworkagainst the goals of the RCC? Did RCC speak out that we are sending the wrong message whentheParliamentmakeit seems OK to possess 30 grams? A recent headline just said, “AG warns police against locking up people found with less than 30 grams of ganja,” (Sept. 26, 2024, KN).As a county, are we sending mixed messages aboutdrugs?

Now we see the group “Guyana Together” formed to promote LGBQT acceptance in Guyana, calling for constitutional change to enforce that agenda on Guyana’s children.

Can we expect the RCC to speak up about such culturalimperialism? RCC must do more for the money taxpayers give them, not just register “concerns.”

Sincerely,

M.Singh

Netanyahu tells UN Israel will continue attacks on Gaza, Lebanon

Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu has pledged Israel will fight until “total victory” in its continuing waronGazaandpromisedto continue attacks on the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, as hopes faded for a ceasefire that could head off an all-out regional war Several delegations walked out as Netanyahu approached the lectern to speakwhilesupportersinthe gallerycheered.

“I didn’t intendto come herethisyear Mycountryis at war fighting for its life,” NetanyahusaidonFriday “ButafterIheardthelies and slanders levelled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium, I decidedtocomehereandset the record straight.” Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed

more than 41,500

Palestinians and wounded more than 96,000 others since October 7, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

More than half of those killed were women and children, including about 1,300childrenundertheage oftwo.

Israel launched the assault on Gaza in response to a Hamas-led attack on southernIsrael,whichkilled atleast1,139people,mostly civilians, according to anAl Jazeera tally based on official Israeli figures, with about 250 others seized as captives.

Israeli leader told the 193-member assembly that the Palestinian group Hamas, which governs Gaza,shouldhavenorolein the reconstruction of the

Prime Minister says Israel will ‘continue degrading Hezbollah’ until it achieves its goals along Lebanon border.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]

territory “If Hamas stays in power,itwillregroup and attackIsraelagainandagain and again So Hamas has gottogo,”hetoldtheUnited Nations General Assembly onFriday

TheUnitedStates,along with Egypt and Qatar, has

escalated his threats against the peoples of the region, while … expanding his circle of crimes to include our people in Lebanon”, a statement from the Palestiniangroupsaid.

Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan

Palestinians under attack in Gaza.

been trying unsuccessfully to reach a ceasefire that would end the war and secure the release of the captives.

“Thiswarcancometoan end now All that has to happen is for Hamas to surrender,laydownitsarms andreleaseallthehostages,” Netanyahusaid.“Butifthey don’t–iftheydon’t–wewill fight until we achieve total victory Total victory There isnosubstituteforit.“

He said Israeli forces havedestroyed“90percent” of Hamas’s rockets and killed or captured half of its forces Hamas accused Netanyahuoftelling“blatant lies”inhisspeech.

Netanyahu “continued his series of blatant lies and

Bishara said the US government gave Israel the greenlight to use selfdefence as a rationale for its war on Gaza by drawing a parallel between Hamas’s October 7 attack and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It then went on to shieldit,toarmit,tofinance it and to defend it at the United Nations and that’s why we need to remember that Netanyahu has the arrogancetocometotheUN and lecture the world, because the US supports him,awarcriminal,”hesaid.

‘Enoughisenough’

The prime minister also told world leaders that his nation will “continue degrading” the Lebanese armedgroupHezbollahuntil itachievesitsgoalsalongthe Israel-Lebanonborder

Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire almost every day since October 8, when the Iranaligned group fired rockets at Israel in what it says was an act of solidarity with

Mostofthoseexchanges have been contained to the region around the IsraelLebanonborder ButIsrael’s military dramatically escalated its attacks on Hezbollah in recent days, killingmorethan600people inLebanonsinceMondayin awaveofairraids,according to Lebanon’s Ministry of PublicHealth.

“Israelhaseveryrightto removethisthreatandreturn our citizens to their home safely And that’s exactly what we’re doing we’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met, ” Netanyahusaid.

“Justimagineifterrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns How long would the American government tolerate that?” he said, shakinghisfistinemphasis.

“Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for almost a year Well, I’ve come here today tosay:Enoughisenough.”

Israel and the Lebanese group have driven tens of thousands of people from theirhomesonbothsidesof the border.Late Wednesday, theUS,Franceandother

(Continuedonpage18)

Gonsalves says he is a friend of Guyana...

Frompage04 respects and honoured him withamagnificentspeechat his funeral, but he does no honour to Ramphal, who gave much of his life to fighting for freedom and democracy around the world, by recognizing Maduro as legitimately elected.

Ralph Gonsalves makes matters worse while speakingtothemediaherein G u y a n a w h e n h e recommends that Maduro is a better choice for Guyana than the opposition in Venezuela.Heseemstohave forgotten that Maria Corina Machado had declared her party’s support for having the matter addressed at the ICJ. Gonsalves went on to say that “we have anArgyle Declaration and any time, if Venezuela attempts to do anything militarily, you’ll hear that I speak against it”. That’sniceandIamsurethat he means it, but his words willringhollowifitwereto happen. In fact, Maduro has alreadyviolatedmanyofthe commitments of Argyle. As

Greg Quinn asks, “why should anyone believe a word Maduro says or promise he makes” and as Quinn goes on to offer his advice to President Ali “Guyananeedstostandfirm and ensure those who support it are clear in that support. It should give no sustenance to Venezuela by continuing fruitless discussions over things whicharenon-negotiable…. time for trying to appease Venezuelahaslongpast”. And, so said, so done. PresidentAlimadenobones aboutitwhenhespokeatthe United Nations General Assembly He reminded the worldleadersgatheredthere inNewYorkthat“Guyanais a small state that has had to contend with aggression from the Bolivarian RepublicofVenezuelaforall 58 years of our nationhood” andemphasizedthefactthat “international law and its strict application have been ourarmourandourshieldin our determination to protect ourselves from this aggression”. He reaffirmed

“Guyana’s unwavering commitment to a peaceful resolution of this longstanding controversy in full conformity with international law and the principles set forth in the United Nations Charter” and further reminded them that “thiscontroversy,initiatedby Venezuela,wassubmittedby Guyana to the International Court of Justice in accordancewiththedecision of the United Nations Secretary General and consistent with our position to settle this matter by legal and peaceful means” We canonlyhopethatourfriend and Caribbean colleague, Ralph Gonsalves, who has ledthepeopleofSt.Vincent and the Grenadines with some distinction over many years, comes to his senses where Maduro and his ugly threat to Guyana and, indeed,peaceinourregionis concerned. He would not thenfindaneedtoassureus of his friendship. We would takeitforgranted. Yourssincerely, KitNascimento

Huge wage disparity allowing foreign companies to cheat Local Content provisions-ChrisRam

TheLocalContentActof 2021 was passed to increase the benefits of Guyanese

from the burgeoning petroleum sector, but with foreignersbeingpaidsalaries significantly greater than those being paid to locals,

A t t o r n e y - a t - L a w, ChristopherRampointedout that companies may be cheatingtheprovisions.

Ramwasapanelistonthe Oil and Gas Governance Network's (OGGN's) 'Oil Talk' programme, aired on

Kaieteur Radio (99.1/ 99.5 FM) on Thursday evening. The show, hosted by OGGN member, Charles Sugrim, also featured Local Content Specialist from Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Anthony Paul. Inexplainingthepurpose of Local Content, Ram explained,“It'sreally(about) howmuchoftheexpenditure out of oil revenue or how much of the oil revenue accrues to Guyanese, human and material resources. In

other words, do we really shareinthepie?”

The Lawyer pointed out that Guyana's legislation made provision for local contentsince1986.Bethatas i t m a y, R a m s a i d governments, past and present, seem ignorant of this He argued that the politicians, in addition to a bad contract also allowed foreigners to penetrate the localcontentprovisions.

Ram said, “If we really had local content would we

havehadthestrainonforeign exchange? Petroleum is all an exchange earner and yet our country, we struggle so I think in a practical way, we have a challenge We've never implemented local content ” The Chartered Accountant observed that Guyana has not been paying attention to statistics regarding local content. He however pointed out that the wages earned by Guyanese shouldbecomparedtowages earnedbyforeigners. Ram suggested that the disparityinwagescouldonly beaddressedbychangingthe 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA). He said, “We can only stop it if we renegotiate the contract in terms of local content (and) we deal not only with head count and quantity but we deal with (the) sum of money.”

He continued, “So you don't just say well oh you must employ 90% locals but if the 90% only get 10% of the revenue, it means the 10% expats get 90% of the revenue.That'swhatwehave gottofix.”

Meanwhile, Paul pointed to the importance of an 'Equal Opportunity' legislation.Heexplainedthis would ensure that if two people are creating the same value, they would be compensatedequally

The Local Content Strategist noted, “The expatriates get not only higher salaries, but they get housing, they get schooling for their children, they get paid vacations, all of which we pay for from cost recovery so we pay them more and we fret when they want to pay our own people more and there's this thing they put around that if they pay the locals more, it will distortthelocaleconomy.”

HesaidthatTrinidadand Tobagoisknownforitslong history of oil production but thefactisthatonly3%ofthe labourforceiscitizensofthe country ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of the Stabroek Block in its 2023 Annual Reportstatedthatover6,200 Guyanese are employed in the industry to support its operations.

Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources Local ContentSecretariatinAugust revealed that local companies earned a total of US$314 million from the oil andgassectorwithinthefirst sixmonthsof2024.

Martin Pertab, Director of the Secretariat noted, “As ofJune30,2024expenditure among the related sector is somewhere around US$314 million of 54% of the 2024 projected estimate, when compared to mid-year of 2023, we are seeing growth in some areas such as engineering machine services by 238%, we have s e e n g r o w t h i n accommodation services by 39%,wehaveseengrowthin equipment rental by 48.5% andcateringby18.8%.”

Environmentalism with a dollar sign

President Irfaan Ali’s announcement of plans to convene a Global BiodiversityAlliancestrikes as both opportunistic and vulgar While the

preservation of the environmentisanoblegoal, Ali’s plan appears to be a continuation of Guyana’s crude, crass, and cynical strategy to cash in on its natural resources under the pretextofconservation.

The president’s proposal isn’t just a rhetorical flourish; it is a full-throated embrace of the market’s favorite solution to the world’s environmental crises: monetize the problem, package it up for sale, and collect the proceeds This is environmentalismatitsmost crass.

Atfirstblush,itseemsas though Guyana’s intentions might be in line with global efforts to stem the loss of biodiversity,which,bysome accounts, is dwindling at an alarming rate. By President Ali’s own admission, some 50% of the world’s biodiversityisbeinglost.

However, instead of confronting this crisis with the gravity it deserves,Ali’s administration has proposed c r e a t i n g n e w markets markets for biodiversity credits, scaling debt swaps and accelerating biodiversity bonds. What’s absent in this ambitious

financial

meaningful discourse about arresting biodiversity loss out of a moral obligation.

Guyana, it is not about preventing species extinction or ensuring environmentalsustainability for its own sake. It is, in essence,aboutthecash.

Guyana’s original Low Carbon Development S t r a t e g y ( L C D S ) , introduced under President Bharrat Jagdeo, had a sing

s: the monetization of the nation’s vastforests.Undertheveilof environmental protection, it was a play to leverage the country’s forests for carbon credits, positioning Guyana asarecipientofinternational funds while claiming to combatclimatechange.

Jagdeo’s LCDS lacked a strongfocusonbiodiversity. The expansion of this framework to include biodiversitycamelater,only afterDavidGranger’sGreen State Development Strategy soughttocenterbiodiversity protection,coastalzone,and water management as i n t e g r a l p a r t s o f environmental stewardship. Now, Ali’s administration has co-opted this expanded scope, not as a matter of principle, but seemingly as another avenue for financial gain.

What is most vulgar about this new push is the fact that Guyana is already receiving substantial payments for preserving its forests through carbon

credits. To suggest that the country can now also profit from its biodiversity within those very same forests is akintodouble-dipping.

Guyana, under the auspices of environmental conservation, wants to draw from two financial wells simultaneously: one for its carbon reserves and another foritsbiodiversity Yet,both sets of payments revolve a r o u n d t h e s a m e resource—theforests.While the carbon credits aim to compensate for not cutting down trees and maintaining the forest as a carbon sink, the biodiversity credits will supposedly reward the country for preserving the species and ecosystems within those same forests. T h i s s l e i g h t o f hand dressing up an existing scheme with new t e r m i n o l o g y i s environmentalism with dollarsigns,notconscience. At the heart of this issue liesacrudecommodification of nature that ought to trouble anyone who still believesintheintrinsicvalue of the environment. Ali’s p r o p o s e d G l o b a l BiodiversityAllianceisnota newidea.Infact,itisapoor replicaoftheexistingGlobal BiodiversityCreditAlliance, which already seeks to use market mechanisms to help protect the world’s biodiversity Butmarketsare fickle, and the idea that biodiversity can be saved t h r o

DEM BOYS SEH

Everybody got a a plan in Guyana

Dem politicians got a plan fuh fix de country

Dem businessmen got a plan fuh mek more money

De vendors got a plan fuh sell more bad apples on de street.Evendecoconutman at de corner seh he got a plan to expand he lil business.Butguesswah?Is always de same story Nuff talk, no action. Is like dem boys seh, all mouth and no trousers. Look, dem politicians love fuh come with dem fancy plans. “We gon build dis,”“Wegonfixdat,”“We gotagrandvision.”Butask anybody pun de road People tired. Dem plans does never wuk, or if dem wuk,ishalf-bakewuk.Dem full of big speeches, but

w h e n i t c o m e t o implementation,islikedem doesforgetalldempromise And de next election, de same old plan come back Just dressed up in new words But is not just de politicians Even de young boys got plans You ever hear dem when dem meet a girl? “Girl, I got big plans fuhwe”Sheaskhim,“You write yuh CXC yet?” And Voop! All dem plans disappear like smoke Just like dem politicians, big ideasbutnofollow-through Isdesametingallover Everybody got a plan but nobodyknowhowtomekit happen. Dem does seh de roadtohellpavewithgood intentions. Well, if plans coulda pave roads, Guyana

instruments such as bonds and swaps is an illusion. Environmental preservation requires more than just capital investments and corporate endorsements. It requires a fundamental shift in human behavior, an acknowledgment of the delicate interdependencies thatexistwithinecosystems, and a moral commitment to protectspeciesfortheirown sake,notbecausetheycanbe monetized.

But let’s not be naļve. Guyana’s entry into the biodiversity market is not driven by an epiphany that the planet’s species are worth protecting. It is, in fact, a calculated effort to chase the next big environmental payday This approach is particularly cynical given that Guyana has already positioned itself as a “climate leader” by commodifying its forests. Now, by attempting to monetize its biodiversity, Guyana is shamelessly trying to position itself as a leaderinconservation,when in reality, it is leading the chargeinturningnatureinto atransactionalgood.

PresidentAli’s speech at theUnitedNationsmayhave been well-received by those eagertohearsolutionstothe world’s ecological crises, but there was no mention of w h a t m e a n i n g f u l biodiversity conservation actuallyentails—farfromit.

Instead, what is being proposed is essentially the hawking of biodiversity credits.

The unspoken truth is thatmarketsarenotdesigned to save the environment. They are designed to generate profits. This is a basictenetofcapitalism,and any attempt to dress it up as environmentalism is deceitful. The global loss of biodiversity is not a market failure; it is a failure of human responsibility We should be protecting biodiversity not because it can be sold or traded, but because it is essential to life onthisplanet.Andyet,inthe rush to financialize nature, we are erasing the ethical foundation of conservation. Whatshouldbepreservedas a global common good is instead being carved up and packagedforsale.

President Ali needs to unde

s a d m

n

a t i o n ’ s environmentalpolicycannot be a mere extension of Jagdeo’s flawed approach.

Jagdeo’s LCDS was controversial because it was primarilyafinancialscheme dressedupasclimateaction. Ali risks making the same mistake, but with even broader implications If Guyana’s environmental policy is reduced to a series of transactions, it will be devoid of the moral weight necessary to address the p

challengesofourtime. Rather than doubling down on this crass strategy to commodify biodiversity, Guyana needs to rethink its environmental platform Conservation cannot simply be about cashing in on the world’s crises. It requires a profoundcommitmenttothe future of the planet, a commitment that transcends thepursuitofprofit.

If PresidentAli wants to carveoutameaningfulplace for Guyana in the global environmental movement, he needs to abandon the

embrace a more holistic a p p r o a c h t o conservation one that recognizes the value of nature beyond its market price. Otherwise, his Global BiodiversityAlliancewillbe remembered not as a bold step toward environmental preservation,butasavulgar display of opportunism in thefaceofplanetaryperil.

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

wouldabefullofhighways by now But instead, we s t u c k i n potholes potholes of promises,potholesoffailed plans. Is like de man who mekanewyear’sresolution for2024wastoaccomplish the goals he set in 2023 which he should have done in 2022 because he promised to do so in 2021 andplannedthemin2020. So next time yuh hear somebody seh dem got a plan, just laugh. Cuz in dis country,planmeannothing if yuh ain’t ready to follow through. Dem boys seh, “Keep yuh plan to yuhself till yuh ready fuh action.” Until den, is just another wasteoftime. Talkhalf.Leffhalf

H@RD TRUTHS

Rights and responsibilities, imbalance and virulence

Theonlystandardplaced on me with these writings is that I keep them simple. To that I add humility and honesty Andtothose,there mustbetheresponsibilityto courtesy, regard for the rights of others. Without venturing into any profound references to the wisdom of the great philosophers and thinkers, inspiring records from antiquity or more recently, I revisit yet again, the rights of one Guyanese versus those of another, all others. Where does what is due the former stops, those ofothersstart? Whendomy rights supersede those of fellow citizens? What happens, what to do, when theycollide,oftenjarringly?

The Guyana Human RightsAssociation(GHRA), a name not held high by some in this polity, recently spoke of paid ads and platforms being used to scorchandpierce. Asmuch astheprimeobjectivesareto denounce and suppress, there are rights due to those responsible, whether public authors or private backers.

Their freedoms are no less sacred that mine, or any other Guyanese. The key is whateithertheyorIdowith the cherished freedoms given to us or embraced by us. If it is to disembowel those found disagreeable, or castrate the unyielding, or force-feed a self-serving stateofmindonthoseheldas enemies, then cherished freedoms have just been profaned. The expansive reduced to the narrow, the absoluteminimum.

As Guyanese, there are enough attackers and despoilers arrayed against us. The ones here to wrest the national inheritance in exchange for pittances, protections. How is it that many of the bright men and women of Guyana look the other way? Why do they generate the rage to scalp their fellow citizens, when the real stealth operators are thosewhoonceenslavedour forebears under one banner (spiritual instrument) and nowsubjugateuswithanew one (legitimized weapon)? This is how patrimony is

dissipated. This is how nationalwealthiscovetedby adeclaredenemy,aneighbor of all people. Nemeses inside the gates and across the river They crave what Guyanahas,andthebestthat we are capable of, committed to, consumed by, is to maim each other endlessly

Seeing the other group's maladministration should notbeusedasascreentobe silentontheequivalentfrom our own. What progress is possible then? How could anyindividual,anyclan,any country get anywhere when one right exercised dilutes anotherright. Theonetobe honest with ourselves, responsible before contemporaries. Tables and narratives proliferate; I suggest that the first graphs and charts be about our own passage and trajectory. What does that arc reveal? Spend money, spill ink by the barrel, to bare the m a l f e a s a n c e s o f competitors, but not as cleverness to distract from an obscure the same (or

worse) by our own. I can livewithmistakes. Thereis immeasurable contempt for those who willfully cheat, thendeliberatelyfalsify,and last seek to intimidate into oppressivesilence.

There is difficulty in d e c i p h e r i n g h o w wrongdoing of the past justifies the wrongdoings of thepresent.

Ifthereisadifferenceof distinctivestrain,asclaimed, then the corruptions of the past cannot be repeated, or employed as a rationale. If then, why is so wrong now? If now, then what about that from before? I hope that fellows can appreciate that thisisneitheraplatformnor theidealfornationbuilding, for the construction of a radically different national character

I now switch to those leading. They must be the pacesetters, the standard bearers of a new Guyana. Not as they say, or claim to beabout,butastheylive.

When a leader revels on eachoccasionthathespeaks intheintensityofabarroom brawler,hisfollowersrushto do their best imitation of their role model. Respect and courtesy disappear, mayhem takes hold. Rights are routinely violated When another leader is the

most siniste

sometimes hours every Thursday, a foaming-at-themouth conjurer and fabricator unequalled in this society, then those beholden to him have just received their marching orders Insteadofwhen,Ishouldsay in what form, but then there istherecordthatspeaks. So, t h e r e w e r e t h o s e developments over which the GHRA was so pained, rightlyso. Ithasabsorbedits shareofblowsforitsefforts. Whenanotherleaderfrowns and fiddles, Rome is restlessly heaving, slowly burning. What hope, what prospects, for the luckiest (most graced is my preference) people in the w o r l d ? T h e m e n commanding the rigs have rigged us well. Guyanese explode at Guyanese, are overjoyedtodoso. Andfor what and whose benefit? Theycalledmeasubversive when I said that we must think like how those, whose highestpriorityistoseparate us from our endowments, and then seize them. When we get into the heads of exploiters and potential invaders, then we will never be readier, never stronger But that neutralizes the

incomparable malice that consumes and controls and leads to nothing, but condemnation preceded by vilification. Men from the north, and those from the west, have daggers pressed against Guyanese necks, yet therearethepsychicdelights from our own in the battleaxes that they use to bludgeon those exercising their right to write, right to speak,righttothink.

Last, some routine constitutional reforms will come, but minimal only One of the rights sure to be enshrined is to savage each other at will. Freedom is a poisoned chalice. I have only rights, there is no responsibility And that, fellow citizens, is the beginning and continuing Guyana story One where there is rejoicing in making enemies of each other, trampling upon others' rights.

(Theviewsexpressedin this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

A voice that cannot be silenced!

Kaieteur News, for the past 30 years has been the voice of the people; standing up for what is right and championing calls for good governance in every sector.

The journey of the newspaper has evolved over the years, with efforts now redoubled on exposing injustices in the oil sector.

For its advocacy, Kaieteur News has become a thorn in the side of the PPP , a government which seems to have much to hide.

This newspaper will continue to use its pages to educate Guyana and expose the wrong doings and corrupt actions involving government and the oil companies. We will not be silenced and will not be deterred by threats from the Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo of pulling state ads.

First Lady gets Global Female Impact Leadership Award

First Lady Arya Ali was conferred with the Global Female Impact Leadership Award from the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development during the Global Power Women Conference in New York on Thursday

In a statement via her Facebook page on Thursday theFirstLadysaidthatsheis “Honoured and humbled” to beconferredwiththeGlobal Female Impact Leadership Award from the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development during the Global Power Women ConferenceinNewYork.

“It is a recognition that I will cherish, not only as an individual accomplishment, but as a tribute to the countless women in Guyana who have worked tirelessly forequality,recognition,and

justice,”shesaid.

The First Lady said that the award is also a tribute to women whose voices have been at times silenced but they have remained courageous.Mrs.Alisaidtoo that the award is for women who have shattered glass ceilings, and the ones who are working daily to keep theirfamiliestogether,make small but significant strides towards gender equality and t o s u p p o r t t h e i r communities.

“This award is a symbol ofwhatwehaveachievedso far, but it also serves as a reminder of the work that stillliesahead.Wasalsovery pleased to have been able to present the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative at the conference to a global audienceofchangemakers,” Mrs.Alisaid.

Trio granted bail for assaulting man at CPL match

Former policeman, Sereste Brittlebank and two other men 29-year-old Keron Williams and 31-year-old Trevon Williams, both from Annadale, East CoastDemerara(ECD)wereonFriday chargedwithassault,policesaid.

The trio was reportedly seen in a viral video beating a man unconscious at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) during a CPL match on Wednesday

Police in statement said, “The defendants appeared at the Diamond Magistrate Court before Magistrate DylonBessandpleaded'NotGuilty'to theassaultcharges”.

“Keron Williams and Sereste Brittlebank were released on $20,000 and 80,000 bail, respectively, while Trevon Williams was released on $60,000bail,”policestated.

The three men are expected to return to court on October 3, 2024 for trial Meanwhile, the Force promised that there will be stringent security measures and beefed-up police presence in uniform and plain clothes attheGuyanaNationalStadiumforthe remainder of the CPL matches in Guyana.

Former cop Sereste Brittlebank

Trevon Williams Keron Williams

First Lady Mrs Arya Ali receives the Global Impact Leadership Award on Thursday.

Thief with two convictions gets one year in jail

A 35-year-old man was sentenced to one year in prison on Friday after he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court where he pleaded guilty to charges of simplelarcenyanddamageto property

The defendant Rakesh Arjune, who has no fixed address, was accused of stealingawaterpumpvalued at $19,000 and damaging a CCTVcameraworth$15,000 fromMerundoiIncorporated, a non-governmental organization (NGO) located at Lot 109 E Barrack Street, Georgetown, on September 3, 2024 This was not Arjune'sfirstoffense;hehad previously stolen from the same organization twice, receivingcommunityservice for his first offense in 2023 and spending three weeks in prison for another count in February2024.

Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty read the charges to Arjune, who admitted his guilt, stating, “I stealit,yeah…”

According to police statements presented in court, a representative from the organization, Felicity Jackson,anaccountantclerk, made several reports against Arjune, who had taken up residence in an abandoned housenextdoor

On September 3, around

02:30 hrs, Arjune allegedly entered the compound by jumping the side fence, then hecutthewireontheCCTV camera, and stole the water pump.Aftertheincidentwas reported, police arrested Arjune, who claimed that whiletheitemwasretrieved, it had already been sold for $5,000.

During the proceedings, Jackson expressed her fears regarding Arjune's repeated offenses, saying, “We (staff and myself) have been traumatized by him. He jumped the fence, came into our yard, and stole three water pumps and two solar lights We have him on camera w

cannot continuewiththis.”

Prosecutor Seon

Williams reminded the court ofArjune'spreviousoffenses at the same location. Despite Ajune's plead for a lesser penalty, stating, “I want community service, ma'am,”

Magistrate McGusty responded, “You are a poor, misguided gentleman that doesnotknowbetter.”

Arjune was sentenced to sixmonthsinprisonforeach charge The magistrate warned him that if he continued to commit the crimes upon his release, he would face further sentencing upon returning to hercourt.

Trinidadian judge approves seizure of Venezuela’s gas proceeds to clear debt with US oil company

United States oil company, ConocoPhillips on Friday got a Trinidad court to approve the seizing of payments from the Caribbean country to Venezuela's state oil company for a proposed offshoregasprojectbetween the two neighbors – Reuters reported.

ConocoPhillips has for years been seeking to recover money from Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) for expropriating its assets. PDVSA had paid Conoco about US$700 millionthroughasettlement agreement but ceased paymentsinlate2019.

Conoco has since attempted to enforce arbitration rulings against Venezuela and PDVSA, including a US$1.33 billion claim against PDVSA in Trinidad'shighcourt.

It was reported that Judge Frank Seepersad said his decision to appoint a receiverwasmadeasthereis ariskthatPDVSAwillmove assets from Trinidad's

jurisdiction to avoid paying ConocoPhillips,andpointed to PDVSA's previous relocation of its European headquarterstoMoscow

Conoco's lawyers told thecourttheyhadidentified the specific PDVSA assets they were targeting. Judge Seepersadsaidtheorderwas madeagainstPDVSAandits companies and not the state ofVenezuela which was not t h e s u b j e c t o f ConocoPhillips'legalmove.

ConocoPhillips declined to comment. PDVSA could not immediately be reached for comment and Trinidad's state-owned National Gas Company, which is a member of the TrinidadVenezuela gas project, was

not immediately available forcomment.

AccordingtotheReuters report, the court-approved receiver will control any compensation payable to PDVSA for relinquishing a righttothejointDragonGas Field project, and any infrastructure it owns, court documentsshowed.

PDVSA has seven days after being served with the Trinidad court's latest decisiontotryandhaveitset aside.

ConocoPhillips secured a similar judgment in Guyana According to reports, following Venezuela's nationalisation of the company's assets, ConocoPhillips secured an

arbitral award against the Venezuelangovernment.

ConocoPhillips sought to enforce it in various countries, including Guyana, Trinidad, and Jamaica, where PDVSA holdsassets.

Last month, the Government of Guyana (GoG) moved to set aside a ruling by High Court Judge Gino Persaud, which permitted the enforcement of the arbitral award in ConocoPhillips' favour to claim funds owed to VenezuelaandPDVSA.

T h e G u y a n a Government's escrow account, holding about US$32.01 million under the PetroCaribe agreement for Venezuela, was targeted by ConocoPhillips However, Attorney General Anil Nandlall,S.C.,hasappealed Justice Persaud's ruling, requesting the Full Court to overturn the decision entirely Nandlall is also seeking costs for both the Full Court and the lower courtproceedings.

Rakesh Arjune

Alleged ‘wife beater’ nabbed after a month on the run

Aman accused of

b r u t a l l y assaulting his wife was on Friday caught bypolicewhilehidinginthe Albion Berbice, Region Six backlands.

Police said that the suspect, Edwin Jowheir has beeneludingthemforovera month.

Ranks finally nabbed him in the backlands of Guysuco's Albion Estate, some 30 miles off the main road.

According to Police Jowheir allegedly damaged

his wife's property (an electric scooter and cell phone) and physically assaultedheronAugust26at RoseHallTown,Berbice.

“…She was riding her electric scooter, when her husband Edwin Jowheir rode his motorcycle (A HondaXR)andcrashedinto her which caused her to fall off her scooter,” Police stated noting that her husbandthenallegedlycame offhisbikeandcuffedherin thefaceandabdomen.

The woman claimed too thatJowheir'peltedherwith

abrick'causinghertosustain injuriestoherfaceandbody

After reporting the mattertotheRoseHallTown PoliceStationthatday,ranks wentinsearchofthemanbut wereunabletolocatehim.

His motorcycle was confiscatedandlodgedatthe Albion Police Station with thehopethathewouldtryto retrieveit.

Police attempted to arrest him three times since but he always managed to slipoutoftheirhands.

ongoing.

Lone gunman storms Chinese restaurant at Essequibo, escapes with $500,000

A lone, masked gunman stormed into Chinese Restaurant at Lima, Essequibo Coast, Region Two on Thursdaynightandrobbedtheowners andcustomers.

Theheinouscrimewasrecordedon securitycamerasinsidethebuilding.It showed the gunman storming into the buildingrecklesslypointingahandgun

as customers scattered. Those who could not escape fast enough were robbed.

One customer had his chain snatched and his pockets searched while one of the proprietors of the business, a Chinese woman, ducked behindthecounterwithherhandsup.

The gunman then made his way

behindthecounterandheldthewoman at gunpoint. He was seen forcefully shoving her into a room. About a minutelaterhewasseenrunningoutof therestaurant.

KaieteurNewsunderstandsthatthe bandit escaped with $500,000 along withvaluablesfromcustomers.

Investigationsareongoing.

Vagrant found dead on Alexander Street

An unidentified vagrant was

found dead on Alexander Street, Georgetown on Friday

Police said the man's body was foundaround06:10hrsandheappears tobeofEastIndiandescent.

Investigations revealed that the vagrant was consuming alcohol and thereafter was seen vomiting as he walkedonthestreet.

Theman'sbodywasfoundlyingon thepavement.Hewaspronounceddead byadoctor

Nomarksofviolencewereevident onhisbody

The man's body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation(GPHC)mortuarywhereit awaitsapost-mortemexamination.

Investigationsareongoing.

‘Regional collaboration is vital for tackling hunger and malnutrition’ – Agri. Minister

MAgriculture, Z u l f i k a r

Mustapha on Thursday emphasised that regional collaboration is essential to addressing hunger and malnutrition within the country

The Agriculture minister was at the time speaking during the High-Level Dialogue on, 'Reflections on the fight against hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean ' During the webinar, Minister Mustapha said that while the 2024 State of Food Security and Nutrition report reflects progress, it also reminds the persistent challenges the governmentfaces.

“For Guyana, the fight against hunger is not just a policy goal but a moral imperative,” the Minister said. He added, “…That is why we are here today (Friday) to share our experiences learn from each otherandrenewourcollective commitment to eradicate hunger and malnutrition has outlined in the sustainable developmentgoal.”

With that aside, the Agriculture Minister also highlighted the government's public-private partnership initiatives and the regional leadership that Guyana is providing to the Caribbean Community(CARICOM).

“We(theGovernment)are proud of our role within Caribbean's effort to advance food security Guyana leads the regional agriculture

agenda and through public private partnership, we are fostering regional integration in agriculture,” he said. As such this includes addressing non-tariff barriers, expanding marketaccess,andpromoting agribusinessdevelopment.

Inrelationtothecountry's collaboration with internationalagencies,suchas the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), InterAmericanDevelopmentBank (IDB), among others Guyana has received support in the areas of sustainable agriculture,capacitybuilding, researchanddevelopment.

“Together we are driving innovation in agriculture, not just for Guyana but the broader Caribbean region.As wegathertodayherewiththis seminar it is clear that the regional collaboration is key to overcoming of hunger and malnutrition,”theAgriculture Ministerunderscored.

Captured: Edwin Jowheir

MinisterofAgriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha

WANTED VACANCY

Drivers to drive Canter, and Porters to work in warehouse. Call: 673-7373. Experience is an asset.

Experienced Sales girls & Porter boys wanted. Attractive pay and great working hours. Apply now! Call: 6941170.

Jet men, Marack men, Sailors and Excavator Operators to work interior- Puruni Area. Call: 223-5273 / 647-5470.

Managers to work at Gaulin Supermarket in Charity Essequibo. Accommodation is provided. Call: 223-5273 / 647-5470.

Waitress & Managers to work at Xenon Hotel in Charity Essequibo. Accommodation is provided. Call:2235273 /647-5470.

Domestic needed. Contact: 223-5273 /647-5470.

Experienced canter Driver / Salesman to drive water delivery canter. Must be living between Vreen-en-Hoop, Parika. Call: 662-9341.

Experienced Land dredge workers, Experienced Excavator Operator for dredge & Cook for interior. Call : 2272385.

Female Care giver for elderly couple in Georgetown. Call: 650-5496.

Experienced Welder / Fabricator & Mechanic wanted for mining operation. Call: 688-6575.

Experienced Male cooks wanted for Mining operation. Call: 688-6575.

Experienced operators (ADT , Bulldozer, excavator) wanted for mining operation. Call: 688-6575.

Wanted! Workers for packaging pasta and chowmein. $4100-$4900 per day. Workers paid weekly. Call: 6117839 (GTT)/ 637-0983 (digi).

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Surbryanville, La-penitence, Queenstown & Durban street. For more information Contact: Ray Realty 6279685.

Household items for sale by person leaving the country. Call: 669-0957.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

One Clerk for TSI Eccles office. English & Mathematics, grade 1 or 2. Email: techserigy@ yahoo.com or Call: 615-9132.

Maid to clean for East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.

One (1) painter Call 615-9132 or 645-8443.

Male cleaner for Eccles. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

Experienced canter driver / salesman to drive water delivery canter. Must be living between Vreen-en-Hoop, Parika. Call: 662-9341.

One Handyman needed. Call: 612-2125.

General Domestic, must know to cook, clean , press ect. 3 days, $6000, 8-4 at Keyfood, Mcdoom village next to the post office.

Males needed to work in the Interior, ages 18 years and older. Call: 674-9999.

Females needed to work in supermarket in the Interior, ages 18 years and older. Call: 686-2201.

Live-in Domestic needed. Attractive salary offered. Call: 660-9093.

Vacancy for the night Handyman and a Domestic/ Maid. For more information Call: 638-6816.

Vacancy exists for one nanny, age 40 years or older. Please call : 612-0149.

Vacancy exist for one general domestic 40 years or older. Call : 612-0149.

FOR RENT

Spacious 900 sqft 1 bed/1 bath. Safe and quiet neighborhood, Subryanville. Call: 624-2619.

Two unfurnished, 2 bedrooms for rental in Stanleytown West Bank Demerara. Call: 0011-973-6517160 / 627-5497 via WhatsApp.

One bottom place to rent 29 Public Road, Ruimzeight, West Bank Demerara. Contact : 684-9752.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, crash, low mileage PUTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.

1 Toyota Allion, Pioneer DVD, CD & USB deck, reverse camera, alarm, low milage. Call: 649-0956.

LAND FOR SALE

LFS at Soesdyke. Call: 7000797.

North East La-penitence, close to Mandela Ave. Better hope E.C.D & Friendship E.B.D. Contact: Ray Realty 627-9685.

SERVICES

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. For more information Call: 619-0007, 629-5526.

Visa Application:U.S.A, Canada & UK:Graphics design, advertisements, wedding arch rentals.Tel:6267040.

LEGAL NOTICE

2024-IC-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 (TALJPAUL) Applicant/Petitioner -andDAYARAM (HARDAI) Respondent TO: HARDAI DAYARAM UNKNOWN.

TAKE NOTICE that on the 23rd day of August, 2024 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by TAIJPAUL DAYARAM, the Petitioner in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER

TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 5th day of September, 2024, the Petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Guyana Kaieteur Newspaper and Toronto Star Newspaper

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

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 certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.

AND FURTHER TAKI

NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to 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 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice.TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Wednesday the 13th day of November, 2024 at 10:30 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif in person. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence 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 between8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 7663086865?

pwd=sd06ttovqztX

D7NMo5OZHbJb94

2024-HC-EM-CIV-FD-602

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE

FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION

FAMILY DIVISION

PETITION NO. FD-602

BETWEEN: (PERSAUD) INDRAJIT Petitioner/Applicant -VS- (PERSAUD)

ROSEMARY nee PAGAN

LEGAL NOTICE

9vnW.1&omn=85733601080

Meeting ID: 766 308 6865

Passcode: 123456

pwd=sd06ttovqz

tXD7NMo5OZHbJb9

49vnW.1&omn=85733601080

RespondentTO: ROSEMARY PERSAUD nee PAGAN 149-31120th Street, Apt 1, Wakefield, New York, 11420, United States of America.TAKE NOTICE that on the 24th day of April, 2024 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by INDRAJIT PERSAUD 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 15th day of August, 2024, the Petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of his Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) Consecutive Saturdays issues of the Kaieteur News online edition. 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 certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to 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 50 (fifty) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the Directions Hearing do stand adjourned to Thursday the 5th day of December, 2024 at 11:30 am

am before the Honourable Madam Chief Justice Roxane George via Zoom. For further guidance and/or assistance, please contact the Chief Justice Chambers either by email at victorialawcourts@gmail.com or by telephone at 592-2256823 or 226-7947 [Extension 223/306] between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence 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 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 26th day of August, 2024.

LEGAL NOTICE

2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-1082 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION BETWEEN: Petition No. FD-1082 (FRANK) PAULINE SHAHARAZAD MOHAMED nee YESOOF -and- Petitioner/Applicant (FRANK) INDERDEO Respondent TO: INDERDEO FRANK Formely of Lot 19 East Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, Guyana. TAKE NOTICE that on the 2nd day of August, 2024 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by PAULINE SHAHARAZAD MOHAMED FRANK nee YESOOF, the Petitioner/ Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.

LEGAL NOTICE

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 4th day of September, 2024, the Petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Guyana Kaieteur Newspaper, a daily Newspaper printed, published and circulated in Guyana of General circulation in Guyana and on the Worldwide 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 certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledge ment of Service, Notice of Intention to 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 Wednesday the 13th day of November, 2024 at 9:45 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif in person.

IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence 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 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such

FAO leads new initiative, reinforces commitment to gender equality in agrifood systems

Correcting the gender gap in agrifood systems would dramatically reduce the worldwide hunger rate, raise the incomes of hundreds of millions of people and add US$1 trillion to global gross domestic product, offering one of the most effective pathways towards the common objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a press release, FAO said some 75 percent of agricultural and rural development policy documents from 68 developing countries recognise women’s roles and challenges, indicating awareness of the issue. Yet only 19 percent of these have actual policy goals related to gender, underscoring the need for more focus and commitment. With the aim of promoting greater alignment of policy and outcomes on gender, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched Commit to Grow Equality (CGE), a mechanism to accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems through financing, investments and partnerships by enabling a diverse range of actors to report against a strategic set of commitments.

”We have the evidence to show us how to overcome gender gaps – evidence that

calls upon all of us to act, collectively and urgently,” FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said at “Commit to Grow Equality: Invest in the Future of Women and Girls”, a highlevel action event pitching CGE during the UN General Assembly.

”Closing these gaps and empowering women and girls in agrifood systems would greatly improve economic growth, food security, access to healthy diets and resilience for women, their households and their communities, particularly in rural areas,” he said. High-level speakers at the CGE event included ministers from Ireland, Norway and Türkiye among others, some of whom announced new resource commitments to the initiative. Others included representatives from Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Zambia and other Members, as well as major UN agencies, multilateral institutions, non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

The CGE initiative, formally begun earlier this year, has attracted partners across sectors and could benefit up to 54 million women worldwide, more than one of every 10 women working in agrifood systems. To support this, an estimated $1 billion of

investments will initially be aligned to CGE.

How it works Central to the Commit to Grow Equality initiative is a Commitments Matrix, which enables stakeholders to consider and articulate the concrete commitments that can be brought to make a tangible difference in the lives of women and girls. One of the overarching objectives is to increase the number and value of projects that are gender transformative from the design through implementation stages. Others include increasing linkages and synergies between financial commitments being made on climate change, resilience and other areas, and bolstering and expanding partnerships between the array of actors pursuing policies and investments to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems.

For donors and project sponsors as well as for Members, businesses, producer organizations and local authorities, the matrix puts particular emphasis on efforts to close the gender wage and productivity gaps, as well as ways to increase data, research and evidence.

Exemplary objectives include increasing commitments to direct procurement from women

entrepreneurs, increasing gender parity in corporate leadership positions, provision of training for upskilling of women working in agrifood supply chains, policies and programmes to increase access to child care, credit and technology, and intensified efforts to collect sex and age-disaggregated data for farm plot sizes, ownership, revenues and the like. How FAO is showing commitment

Director-General Qu, highlighted three high-salience and specific objectives FAO will pursue in the coming years. First, FAO commits to track gender-transformative actions in all of its projects and assure they feature in 10 percent of them by 2030. Gender-transformative approaches show promise in changing discriminatory social norms, are cost-effective and have high returns, improving food security, nutrition and livelihood outcomes for women, households and communities. Second, FAO commits to promoting the dissemination and uptake in 10 countries by 2026 of the Committee on World Food Security’s Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment, a critical tool for improving policy frameworks.

Third, FAO is committed to launching a gender domain in its statistical database, FAOSTAT, by 2026, which will make it possible for the public to access all available data on key dimensions of gender equality such as women’s work, training and asset ownership in agrifood systems as well as data on women’s food security and nutrition. Such data, and easy open access to it, will generate greater visibility of the important gaps that remain in measuring and achieving progress on gender equality in the sector.

An indication of the road ahead was offered by FAO’s 2023 report on The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems, which offers a series of findings such as a 24 percent productivity gap between female- and male-managed farms of the same size, that women in wage employment in agriculture earn on average 82 cents for every dollar that men earn, and that women on average work an extra hour a day to cope with climate change. The Director-General also noted that the UN has announced that 2026 will be the International Year of the Woman Farmer and FAO looks forward to coordinating with partners to implementing related activities.

GEA to procure 130 solar street lamps

The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) is in the process of acquiring 130 stand-alone solar street lamps for various communities across the country.

This is according to the opening of tenders on Thursday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office, where it was revealed that 11

LEGAL NOTICE

other days as the Registry is closed.

Dated the day 9th of September, 2024.

companies applied to supply and deliver the solar street lamps.

In its tender document,

the GEA had stated that the required period for the supply and delivery is 90 from the signing of the contract.

Below are the companies and their bids:

Guyana Energy Agency

Supply and Delivery of 130 Stand-Alone Solar Street Lamps for the GEA

Guyana Power Inc. (GPL) Engineering Designs, including BOQ and Cost Estimate for L1/L3 Transmissions Lines.

Ministry of Education

Supply and delivery of studio equipment.

Bureau of Statistics

Supply and delivery of heavy-duty multifunctional printer and plotter.

Procurement of microsoft 365 Business Standard Suite Licences.

Israeli airstrikes rock Beirut, target Hezbollah command

BEIRUT/JERUSALE

M, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The Israelimilitarytoldresidents in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate late on Friday, after strikes that it said had targeted Hezbollah’s central headquarters and with no word hours later from the group on the fate of their head Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

The order to evacuate, made by Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee via X, told residents to get at least 500 meters (550 yards) away from three specific buildingsinthearea Itwasthe first announcement of its kind for the densely populated neighbourhoods south of Beirut A source close to Hezbollah told Reuters Nasrallah was alive Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reportedhewassafe Asenior Iranian security official told Reuters Tehran was checking his status Hezbollah’s media office said that there was no truth to any statements surrounding the Israeli strikes, but did not say anythingaboutthefateofthe

group’sleader In New York, a senior Israeli official told reporters that senior Hezbollah commanders were the target of Israel’s strike on the central headquarters on Fridaybutitwastooearlyto say whether the attack took out Nasrallah. Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters at the United Nations that the attack targeted a “meeting of bad people” planning more attacksonIsrael.

“When I said this was a meeting of bad actors, Nasrallahisabadactor He’s a terrorist. He has the blood on his hands for many Americans, thousands of Israelis, so I think he should bepunishedforthat.Icannot confirmnowwhetherhewas at that meeting or not, but when I speak about bad actors, he’s one of them,” Danonsaid.

Lebanon’s health ministrysaidthereweretwo dead and 76 wounded from theIsraelistrikes,describing itasapreliminarytoll.

Iran-backed Hezbollah’s al-Manartelevisionreported

four buildings were destroyed and there were many casualties in the multiple strikes, which markedamajorescalationof Israel’s conflict with the heavilyarmedHezbollah.

Al-Manar’s live feed showed search and rescue teams scrambling over concrete and protruding metal, with a correspondent fortheTVstationsayingthe attack had left several large craters and damaged many surroundingbuildings.

The Israeli military said it had carried out a “precise strike” on Hezbollah’s headquarters, which it said were “embedded under residential buildings in the heart of the Dahiyeh in Beirut”.Israelhasstruckthe Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahiyeh, four times over the last week, killing at least three senior Hezbollah military commanders.Friday’sattack wasfarmorepowerful,with multiple blasts shaking windows across the city, recalling Israeli airstrikes duringawarwithHezbollah

in 2006 In a televised statement, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the central command centre was embedded deep withincivilianareas.

The strikes hit Beirut shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu vowed to continue Israel’s attacks on Iranian-backed fighters in LebanoninaU.N.speech,as hopesfadedforaceasefireto headoffall-outregionalwar

LebanesePrimeMinister Najib Mikati said the attack showed Israel did not care about global calls for a Lebanonceasefire.

Iran’s embassy in Lebanon said on X that the strike represented a dangerous game-changing escalation that would “bring itsperpetratoranappropriate punishment.”

SHARPESCALATION INCONFLICTRAISES CONCERNATUN

The escalation raised concern at the United Nations, where the annual General Assembly has been meeting this week. Among those voicing concern was France, which earlier in the week proposed a 21-day ceasefiretoreducetensions.

“The large-scale strikes whichtookplacetodayinthe south suburb of Beirut, brought devastation and claimed many casualties This must be brought to an end immediately,” French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere told a Security Councilmeeting.

At a New York press conference,SecretaryofState Antony Blinken said: “We believe the way forward is through diplomacy, not conflict The path to diplomacymayseemdifficult toseeatthismoment,butitis there,andinourjudgment,it is necessary, and we will c o n t i n u e t o w o r k intentionally with all parties to urge them to choose that course.” It was by far the most powerful Israeli attack on Beirut during nearly a year of conflict with Hezbollah. Security sources in Lebanon said the attack targeted an area where top Hezbollah officials are usually based. This week, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 700 people in Lebanon, an escalation that has raised fears of an even moredestructiveconflict

Initsfirststatementsince the Israeli strike, Hezbollah

saidithadfiredrocketsatthe cityofSafedinIsrael

Israeli emergency services said they were treatingawomanwithminor injuries from the rocket in Safed Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu said: “As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to removethisthreatandreturn our citizens to their homes safely.” Several delegations walked out as Netanyahu approachedthelecternwhile supporters in the gallery cheered. Netanyahu’s office said he would cut short his trip to New York and return toIsraelonFriday

TheUnitedStatesdidnot have advance warning of the Beirut strike and U S Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart as the operation was ongoing, a Pentagon spokespersonsaid.

Israel says its campaign aimstosecurethesafereturn of thousands of people forced to evacuate in northern Israel because of Hezbollah rocket attacks in solidaritywithitsPalestinian ally Hamas, which is fightingIsraelinGaza.

Netanyahu tells UN Israel will continue attacks...

Frompage06 allies jointly called for an “immediate” 21day ceasefire to allow for negotiations as fears grow that the violent escalation in recentdays–following11monthsofcrossborderexchangeoffire–couldescalateinto an all-out war.The United Nations has said that more than 90,000 people have been displacedsinceMondayinLebanon. The two speakers who preceded

Netanyahu on Friday each made a point of criticising Israel’s war on Gaza “Mr Netanyahu, stop this war now,” Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said as he closedhisremarks,poundingthepodium.

PakistaniPrimeMinisterShehbazSharif also denounced the Israeli assault on Gaza. “Thisisnotjustaconflict.

This is systematic slaughter of innocent peopleofPalestine,”hesaid.

Smoke rises, after what Hezbollah’s Al-Manar tv says was an Israeli strike, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon September 27, 2024. REUTERS/Emilie Madi

Generatorfirepartially destroysDDL’spowerplant

Generator fire partially destroys DDL'spowerplant

The Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) power plant located at Diamond,EastBankDemerara(EBD) was partially destroyed by fire on Friday

Thefirereportedlystartedbetween 16:30hand16:40h.

Atthescene,firefightersbattledthe fire which they eventually got under controlattheDiamond,EBDcomplex.

No injuries were reported and the company'sstaffwasseeninthevicinity ofthecomplexlookingon.

TheGuyanaFireService(GFS)ina pressreleaselateFridayafternoonsaid thatthefirefighterswereabletocontain

the fire “It was reported that a generatorwasonfire,anduponarrival, firefighters discovered that chemical and fuel bonds, along with gas cylinders,wereatrisk,”GFSstatedina tersestatement.

Additionally, DDL in a statement said that none of its “other facilities or installationsareunderthreat.”

Two men were on Friday sentenced to a total of seven yearssixmonthsinprisonfor t

kilograms of cannabis and fined$4.2Meach.

Themen,AnthonySugrim and Steven Seeraj, appeared

before Magistrate Tuanna Hardy at the Springlands Magistrates'Court. Sugrim was sentenced to four years and six months in prison while Seeraj was sentencedtothreeyears.

The men were arrested in August2023.

The aftermath of the fire at the building

Anthony Sugrim Steven Seeraj

Julien Alfred honoured with special award and cash prize on ‘Julien Alfred Day’ in St. Lucia

SportsMax - Julien

Alfred’s whirlwind year of

a

was celebrated in grand style on Friday,designatedas‘Julien Alfred Day’ in her home country of St. Lucia. The Olympic gold and silver medalist,who hasenjoyeda stellar first year as a

, receivedaspecialawardand

acashprizeinrecognitionof h e r h i s t o r i c accomplishments.

The 22-year-old sprint starhashadanunforgettable year.After winning the 60m title at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March, she cemented her place in history with a gold medal in the 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,

becomingthefirstSt.Lucian to win an Olympic medal.

She followed t

performance with a silver in the200m,furthersolidifying herstatusasanationalhero.

A

remarkable season by winning the prestigious 100m Diamond League title in Brussels earlier this month.

Yesterday morning, the celebrations continued with aspecialawardpresentedby George Pagoulatos, the Greek Ambassador to the Organisation of Eastern CaribbeanStates.

The presentation held extrasignificance,asGreece is the birthplace of the OlympicGames,makingthe moment a symbolic recognitionofAlfred’splace among the world’s elite athletes.

Saturday September 28, 2024

ARIES(Mar 21–Apr 19)

A challenging day is in store foryou,Aries.Ifyou'repartof a group or team or simply among friends, you may feel somewhatillatease.Couldit be that you instill jealousy in others? There's only one way tofindout.

TAURUS(Apr 20–May20)

Sometimes dreams seem like just that - dreams. Travel, a project, or a new home could be a few of the things you've beentryingto accomplishfor sometimenow

GEMINI(May21–June20)

You'll go one of two ways today, Gemini. Either you'll turn inward and meditate in a corner or you'll find a good friend and confide your dissatisfaction.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Today is going to be an excellent day for meeting interesting people, Cancer And there will be nothing superficial about these encounters. On the contrary, the people you are going to meet will touch you profoundly

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

You can expect today to be kind of intense, Leo. Even if you've made a conscious decision not to let anything get you down, you may still harbor some negative emotions from the last few days.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

The little fighter that you are makesitverydifficultforyou to join us in the great communal river that we're all tryingtonavigate,Virgo.You prefertotravelsolo.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Be disciplined about all areas ofyourbody,Libra.Takeextra care to eat healthful, balanced meals. Make sure you get enough sleep And even thoughyougripeabouthaving no time, get out there and exercise.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

If you've been feeling deep anger,todayisn'tthedaytolet it out but rather the day to consider its source. Any large gatheringsoffamilyorfriends shouldbeavoidedatallcosts.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

If by chance you still harbor some resentment toward someone, Sagittarius, it will probably come out today.You might be uncompromising or evenvengeful.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

You don't suffer fools gladly, and superficial fools even less so. You have a mind to teach those around you a lesson. You'reuncompromisingtoday, and you can't understand why others don't have your same highstandards.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Hereisadayofchallenges, Aquarius You're a pro at questioning yourself, as you'll prove today when you take a h a r d l o o k a t y o u r accomplishments What have youcreatedofapersonalnature inthelasttenyears.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Ifyougivetheimpressionthat you're in a reserved and introspective mood (even if you aren't), you'll succeed in avoiding confrontation Today there is no such thing as a simpleexchangewithsomeone

cash prize of EC$75,000, a tokenofappreciationforher historic feats on the global stage. The financial award wasagestureofgratitudefor the pride and joy she has broughttoSt.Lucia.

These latest tributes cameontheheelsofaprivate dinnerheldinherhonouron Wednesday night, hosted by theBodyHolidayResortand First National Bank, where family and friends gathered

F o l l o w i n g t h e ambassador’s presentation, Alfredwasthenhonouredby the St Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC) with a

achievements.

The day of celebrations will be capped off with a special concert on Friday

night, where fans, dignitaries, and fellow athletes came together to h o n o u r A l f r e d ’ s achievements in music and entertainment. It was an emotional moment for Alfred, who expressed her gratitudetothepeopleofSt. Lucia for their unwavering support throughout her journey

The sprint sensation has made history for her small island nation, and with her star continuing to rise,

‘Julien Alfred Day’ will no doubt be remembered as a significant moment in St. Lucia’ssportinghistory

Dwayne Bravo leaves Chennai Super Kings...

Frompage24 the CPL, Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket (MLC), and AbuDhabiKnightRidersin theInternationalLeagueT20 (ILT20).

“DJ Bravo joining us is an exciting development,” said KKR CEO Venky Mysore in a statement. “His relentlessdrivetowin,along withhisvastexperienceand deepknowledge,willgreatly benefit our franchise and players.”

Bravo’s departure from CSK brings an end to a decorated chapter with the franchise he joined in 2011. After retiring from IPL cricket following the 2022 season,hetransitionedtothe roleofCSK’sbowlingcoach andhelpedguidetheteamto the 2023 IPL title. Bravo’s 2023 success as a coach added to his three IPL titles as a player, solidifying his legacyatCSK.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest T20 bowlers in the game’s history, Bravo is the third-highest wickettaker in IPL history and the firstplayertowintwopurple caps,awardedtotheleading wicket-takerinaseason.His mastery as a death bowler, combinedwithhisinfectious energy and leadership qualities, made him an invaluable figure both on andoffthefield.

Bravo confirmed his excitement for the new challenge in a statement. “I’ve been part of the Trinbago Knight Riders for thelast10yearsintheCPL. Having played for and against the Knight Riders in various leagues, I have a lot of respect for how they

operate The owners’ passion, the professionalism of the management, and the family-like environment makeitaspecialplace.This istheperfectplatformforme as I transition from playing to mentoring and coaching the next generation of players.”

Bravo’s new role comes as part of a larger restructuring at KKR following Gambhir’s

departure to become India’s head coach after the 2024 IPL season. The franchise also lost key figures Abhishek Nayar and Ryan tenDoeschate,bothofwhom have taken up roles with India’s support staff At KKR, Bravo will work alongside head coach Chandrakant Pandit and bowling coach BharatArun, f o r m i n g a s t r o n g managementteam.

Yolander Persaud elected as FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Chair

Guyanese Attorney-atLaw and Director of the Guyana Chess Federation, Yolander Persaud, was

elected as the Chairwoman of the FIDE (International Chess Federation) Ethics a n d D i s c i p l i n a r y

Commission (EDC) after a fierce battle against 3 other candidates, ultimately leadingtoanunexpectedwin

Members of the previous EDC Commission share photo-op during the election in Budapest, Hungary

for Yolander over Daniel FloreafromRomania.

With this win, she has etched herself in FIDE’s history, as the first woman to Chair the EDC The election was held at the FIDE General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary on September 21st, 2024, with almost 180 delegatespresentfromNational ChessFederationsworldwide

Beforethebeginningofthe proceedings, Johan Sigeman (Sweden) withdrew, after facing criticism for the EDC’s first-instance decision against the Russian Federation- to comply with international sportslawandFIDEstatutesto cease all chess activists in military-occupied parts of Ukraine, the failure of which resultedinRussiabeingbanned bytheEDCfirstinstancePanel (which Yolander was also a member) The election consisted of three rounds of voting; the first round was set aside due to electronic errors, after which the General Assembly proceeded to vote manually via ballot papers. The entire sagalastedcloseto9hours.

In the first round of manual voting, none of the three remaining candidates securedanabsolutemajority of 50.1% (Babur Tolbaev, Daniel Florea, andYolander Persaud). Persaud led the first round with 77 votes

againstFlorea’s59votesand Tolbaevwith26votes.Inthe second round of voting, Yolander emerged as the clearwinnerwith86-75over Florea.

TheEDCisoneofthemost importantcommissionswithin FIDE and thrives on fairness and transparency This Commissionservesasaquasijudicial arm of FIDE (International Chess Federation), where elected members preside over cases thatinfringeontheFIDEEthics &DisciplinaryCode.Thecases rangefromthoseofapolitical nature to cheating, sexual assault and harassment, fraud, etc Yolander possesses the experience and expertise to hold the Chair after serving six years on the EDC. She wastheDeputyChairperson for the period leading up to the elections, and the only woman who sat on the EDC forthepast5years.

In her statement, Yolandersaid,“Ireceivedthe greatest recognition of my work in the FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission- the confidence of the General Assembly to elect me as the Chairwoman of the EDC; the beliefoftheGeneralAssembly in my integrity and independence.” “It is an absolutehonourtobethefirst woman ever elected to Chair this prestigious commission

FIDE celebrates 100 years and with my election, it celebrated inclusion, integrity, and equality I thank my mentor Francois Strydom, who encouraged me to contend for thisposition,andpreparedme for the succession, my colleagues in the EDC Commission 2018-2024, in particular Johan Sigeman; the support of my family; all the delegates who bravely supported my candidacy, lobbied for me, stayed by my side through the voting and tallying,”Sheconcluded.

Meanwhile, Yolander Persaud was admitted to the Bar in Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago in 2014 She specializes in Oil and Gas Law,uponattainingherLLM inOilandGasLawfromthe University of Aberdeen through a Chevening Scholarship, holds an LEC fromtheHughWoodingLaw School,andanLLBfromthe UniversityofGuyana.

Anand Raghunauth, President of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), praised Yolander’s election He attributed her success to her skills, qualifications, and thepositivereputationofher organization Raghunauth said that the GCF remains committed to supporting women’s participation and success in all aspects of chess.

Olympic Kremlin set to race at Mouttet Mile in Jamaica

- Slingerz Stables owner excited

Olympic Kremlin, a standout from the renowned Slingerz Stable, is set to make history as the first horse from Guyana to compete in the prestigious Mouttet Mile in Jamaica, scheduledforDecember7.

The seven-year-old chestnut horse, who has already secured major victories by winning both the Guyana Cup and the President’sCup,willberidden bytheskilledBrazilianjockey Acedenir Gulart. Bred in Brazil,OlympicKremlincomes from an impressive bloodline Sired by the Japanese stallion Agnes Gold and out of Sweet Lemonade,amaresiredbythe celebratedLemonDropKid,the horse boasts a lineage synonymous with speed,

endurance, and competitive spirit

These qualities have helped Olympic Kremlin amass close to US$90,000 in earnings, having claimed five winsinhishomecountryprior tojoiningSlingerzStables

The horse’s owner, Javed Ali, confirmed Olympic Kremlin’s participation in the Mouttet Mile, which is regarded as one of the Caribbean’s premier horse racing events Ali, an ambitious figure in regional horse racing, expressed his excitementandhighlightedhis visionofelevatinghisstableto oneofthetopintheCaribbean

Hehasseamlesslyintegratedhis operation into the broader Slingerz family, which has become a brand of excellence not just in sports, but also in

entertainment

Ali’sinvolvementinhorse racingisonlyonefacetofthe broaderSlingerzsuccessstory

The Slingerz family brand is also synonymous with Slingerz Football Club, the one-time Elite League champion in Guyana, and Slingerz Family Sound System,whichhasestablished itself as a powerhouse in Caribbean entertainment Additionally, the Slingerz Record label has worked with several top-tier artistes acrosstheregion,solidifying the Slingerz’ imprint on the Caribbeanmusicscene.This blend of sport, music, and business exemplifies the diverse portfolio Ali is building,underscoredbyhis passionforexcellenceacross

multiple fields Ali sees

participation in the Mouttet Mile as not just a personal achievement, but also a victory for horse racing in Guyana. According to him

international attention to Guyana’sgrowingpresencein thesportandmayinspirelocal horseownerstobroadentheir

Fans celebrating Olympic Kremlin’s win in the recently held President’s Cup.

ambitions. Alisaidhehopes todemonstratethatGuyanais hometohorsesofexceptional quality, capable of competing at the highest levels on the regionalstage.

In preparation for the MouttetMile,OlympicKremlin will be trained by the experiencedJamaicantrainerAl BrownwhileinJamaica

However,Ali’s horse also

benefits from a robust and diverse training team, which includes Florida-based Jamaican trainer Zarie Ricketts and Trinidadian trainerJonO’Brien Ali pointed out, that the MouttetMilecouldmarkthe beginning of a new era for thesportinthecountry,with Slingerz Stables leading the charge.

2024 Caribbean Premier League…GAW vs. SLK Warriors, Kings set for epic showdown at Providence tonight

The Guyana Amazon Warriors will face the numberonerankedSt.Lucia Kingsinahighstakesbattle, as one of the more highlyanticipated clashes set to lightuptheGuyanaNational Stadium, Providence tonight.

With 14 points to the table-leaders Kings’ 16, Guyana will want to secure an outright win this evening as they prepare for a long, crucial weekend of action at home.

Kings opening batsman Johnson Charles is St Lucia’s leading run-scorer with 354 overall, occupying thesecondplacespot.

Warriors in-form batsman Shimron Hetmyer, whohasbeenonarun-spree at home, will enter this match as Guyana’s top rungetterwith286;landinghim

in 4th spot on the overall tournament’srunchart.

Middle-order batsman Shai Hope found form last game with a half-century, a welcomed sight for Guyana withatoughphaseahead.

However for the bowlers,itwillbeatusslefor the top spot in the tournament and for their respective franchises, between spinners Gudakesh MotieandNoorAhmad.

A h m a d i s t h e tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps, but is trailed closely by the WestIndiesleft-armspinner who could surpass him by addingtohis14victims.

With Imran Tahir (12) and pacer Dwaine Pretorius (11) consistently picking up wicketsalongsideMotie,the Warriorswilldefinitelywant the current form of Keemo

Paul, Shamar Joseph and Romario Shepherd to continue; while hoping for the best from any other optiontheychoosetofieldin tonight’sXI.

After mauling TKR by 80 runs thanks to Charles and captain Faf du Plessis’ torture at the top, Guyana will need to be wary of the top heavy batting order options available for the Kings, who can do damage alongside their two premier batsmen.

Ahmad will need the services of Roston Chase, pacerAlzarriJoseph,veteran David Wiese primarily, should they hope to contain the Warriors stars in powerhitting all-rounders like Paul, Pretorius, Rutherford andcompany Opener Rahmaullah Gurbaz will need to regain

his CPL form after a shaky return while Azam Khan’s skepticism with the bat remains a worry for Guyana despite some glimmer of hopeinthepastfewgames.

England all-rounder Mooen Ali is the X-Factor for the champs, having proved his worth in both departmentswhileproviding additional leadership support which helps to ease the duties of fellow veteran inskipperTahir

Wi t h a h i g h l yanticipated TKR battle set for Sunday at Providence, theWarriorswillneedtoget past the number one ranked Kings should they build enoughmentalwilltotackle their old foes ahead of the final stages of the tournament.

Action gets underway tonightfrom19:00h.(C.R)

Dwayne Bravo leaves Chennai Super Kings to join Kolkata Knight Riders as mentor – report

Former West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo

SportsMax - Former West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo has brought an end to his long and illustrious association with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with whom he won four IPL titles, as he transitionstoanewrolewith Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). BravowilljoinKKRasa mentor starting from the 2025 season, marking a significant shift in his postplayingcareer

A c c o r d i n g t o ESPNcricinfo, Bravo, who turns 41 in October, will replace Gautam Gambhir, who stepped down from his role as KKR’s mentor after guiding the team to their third IPL title in 2024 Bravo’s new position will notbelimitedtoKKRalone; he will also oversee all Knight Riders-owned franchises in T20 leagues around the world, including TrinbagoKnightRidersin (Continuedonpage21)

Excitement builds as Round 2 of Courts Optical

Pee

Wee U-11 Football kicks off

- 14 exciting clashes set for today’s action

The second round of the Courts

Optical Pee Wee Under-11 Schools Football Tournament, organised by thePetraOrganisation,isset to kick off today at the Ministry of Education groundonCarifestaAvenue.

F o l l o w i n g l a s t Saturday’s thrilling opening

matches, which saw standoutperformancesfrom teams like St John the Baptist Primary, Rosignol

Primary, Enterprise Primary, Den Amstel Primary, and defending championsSt.PiusPrimary, the stage is set for another exhilarating day of football. Several high-scoring games overtheweekendhaveonly added to the excitement of what is being hailed as the premier U-11 football competitioninthecountry

Among the standout players were Kriston Chandler and Kareme Welcome of St. John the Baptist Primary, both

registering hat-tricks in a dominant 10-0 victory over Genesis Primary Jeremiah McDonald of Rosignol Primaryalsoimpressedwith threegoalsinhisteam’s7-0 win over Smith Memorial, whileJovaineWright’sfourgoal performance led St.

Pius Primary to a commanding 12-1 win over St Mary Primary Enterprise Primary also enjoyed a strong start, defeating F.E. Pollard 10-0, with Dontay Kowlessar and Shine Arthur serving up eight goals between themselves. Today’sfixturespromise more exciting action, with Tapakuma Lake Primary facingAnn’sGrovePrimary at 11:00 am, while Batavia Primary takes on West Ruimveldt in another thrilling encounter Later in the day, Georgetown International Academy (GIA) will battle School of the Nation at 2:00 pm Defending champions St.

Pius Primary will face Winfer Gardens in their second match of the tournament, and Potaro Primaryissettogohead-tohead with Stella Marris Primary

Other schools in action today include St. Gabriel’s, St John the Baptist, Belladrum, Redeemer, Enterprise, Rosignol, Tucville, St. Mary, Genesis, Timehri, Den Amstel, Golden Grove, Calaco, Marian Academy, Smith Memorial, FE Pollard, Santa Rosa, and North GeorgetownPrimary The tournament, coordinated by the Petra Organisation, is sponsored by Unicomer Guyana Inc. through Courts Optical brand. It has also received significant support from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, MVP Sports, Sterling Products Limited, andStenaDrilling.

Man City to play holders Barca, Arsenal and Chelsea handed tough draws in UWCL group stage

SportsMax-Manchester City will face Champions LeagueholdersBarcelonain their first group-stage

appearance in the competition after the draw wasmadeyesterday City, who were knocked out in first-round qualifying in the 2022-23 season by Real Madrid, will also face SKNStPoltenofAustriaand SwedishsideHammarby Women’s Super League champions Chelsea, who finishedasrunners-upinthe 2020-21 edition, have been handedatoughdrawtoreach theknockoutstages.

Sonia Bompastor’s side will face Celtic, who have reached this stage of the competitionforthefirsttime in their history, along with RealMadridandFCTwente.

Meanwhile, Arsenal, who sealed their spot in the group stage with an emphatic 4-1 aggregate win overHacken,havealsobeen

dealtadifficultgroup. The Gunners will compete against German champions Bayern Munich, Italian giants Juventus and NorwegiansideValerengain GroupC. Lyon,whohavewonthe competition a record eight times, have been placed in Group A alongside Wolfsburg, Roma and Galatasaray

Manchester City will face Champions League holders Barcelona in their first group-stage appearance.

GroupA

Lyon, Wolfsburg, Roma andGalatasaray

GroupB

Chelsea, Real Madrid, TwenteandCeltic.

GroupC

BayernMunich,Arsenal, JuventusandValerenga.

GroupD

Barcelona, Manchester City, SKN St. Polten and Hammarby

Asnippet of last Saturday’s action between GIAand Marian Academy

Much will be asked of Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope again following their match winning knocks a few nights ago.

Warriors, Kings set for epic showdown at Providence tonight

The Faf/Charles combination has taken the Kings to the number one spot in this year’s competition.

Sports

Olympic Kremlin set to race at Mouttet Mile

Brazilian jockeyAcedenir Gulart saddles Olympic Kremlin to victory in the President’s Cup.