Kaieteur News

‘PublicWorks cracks down’

…new

hotlines launched to report shoddy contractors, road hazards

The Ministry of Public Workshaslaunchedtwonew hotlines aimed at empowering citizens and contractors to report concerns and improve accountability across the country

Announcing the initiative on Thursday via Facebook Live, Minister JuanEdghillsaidthemoveis designedtoboostefficiency, address dissatisfaction, and ensure constant engagement

with the public “The ministry has decided to establish two hotlines, the first hotline will deal particularlyandwewillhave a staff that will be able to receive all of these

WhatsApp messages, picturesandtherestofit,and it will be for citizens to report dissatisfaction or happenings that they have concerns about in their communities,”hesaid. The number for citizens

tocontactis(592)624-2964. Edghill elaborated that if residents see contractors doing unsatisfactory works, or persons putting up billboards, or people b u i l d i n g o u t n e w encroachments on the road, orthingsthatareoffensiveto the community, and is putting the community at risk,personscanraisedtheir concernsusingthatnumber

“This will be addressed on a daily basis by specially

designated staff that will be operating out of the minister's office. So it is not just somebody receiving messages, they will bring these things to the attention

of the minister, the responsible engineer, the

responsible program manager, will have to act immediately, and it's one way of improving citizen satisfaction, ensuring efficiencyandimplementing Government'sprogrammein

a manner that benefits the people,”hedisclosed.

The second hotline the ministry has established is (592) 624-2965, which is to improve its delivery of servicestotheircontractors.

The Public Works Minister stated that they have thousands of persons who are engaged in all 10 regions with contracts. The minister mentioned that contractors are viewed as t h e i r p a r t n e r s i n development. However, he said, “The ministry will not pay for sloppy work. The ministry will not allow contractors to make money and don't do the work based upon the design and the quantities that have been establishedbytheBillandin theircontractdocument.”

That being said, the ministernotedthattheremay be contractors who have problemswithpaymentsand others issues relating to works The hotline was established for them to use, to bring about satisfaction and resolution to these matters. “We'reestablishing a hotline for contractors to use so that the ministry will be able to track all that is happening and improve efficiency,”headded.

During his live broadcast, the minister also addressed the removal of derelict vehicles, damage to government property by motorists, encroachments and building on road shoulders and government reserves, and cautioning truck drivers of the new weight limit being implemented.

On the topic of derelict vehicles, Minister Edghill relatedthatoverthelastyear, they have been moving and taking to the derelict dumpsitevehiclesofallsizes and descriptions. This exercise he mentioned has been an unnecessary cost to the state and it is putting citizens' life at risk. “We are giving notice to everyone, derelict vehicles, vehicles without wheels, vehicles withoutdoors,vehicleswith bush growing in it that have been abandoned on road shoulders will be removed and it will be crushed into scrap at the government's derelict site, which is on the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway We have engaged a number of contractors who have beenmoving.Thisisacostly exercise, of course, and an unnecessarycosttothestate, andIrepeat,anunnecessary

Ministry

of Public Works, Juan Edghill

cost to the state, but it's not something that we could refuse to do or not do, because we're putting citizens' lives at risk. It is a safety issue, because when the shoulders are encumbered, in the case of an emergency, you don't have anywhere to pass and thenit'salsoasecurityissue, becausepeoplecouldhidein theseareas,”heexplainedon Thursday

Anotherissueheraisedis the damage to government property “Wehaveseenthat a number of accidents have occurred. Now, when those accidents occur, not only lives are lost or limbs are damaged and people have severe injuries, but there is also a phenomenon where government property is being damaged as well,” he stated.

According to the minister, the ministry is working with the Guyana Police Force, and they are giving notice that any motorist involved in an accidentandtheydamageda lamp pole, a traffic light, a guard rails, or break out the head walls for bridges and culverts, that the parties responsible will “have to pay.”

“Wealsohaveasituation where owners of excavators another heavy-duty machinery are walking on newly paved roads without putting the pads so they are digging into the asphalt, destroying road shoulders, and we're indicating this practice must stop. We've been talking to people, and we have been engaging, but the time has come when we have to enforce this and giving notice in damage government property, we will be made to pay for it. Our legal team will pursue ensuring that the cost of repairing will be borne by you,”hewarned.

On the issue of encroachments on the road shoulders, the Public Works Minister said that this phenomenonhasbeena

(Continuedonpage19)

Boys, girls, and a little amnesia

A few days ago, I witnessed one of those moments that perfectly captures the tragicomedy of Guyanese public life A certainschool,Iwon’tname it, because I’m trying to be kind this week, went out of itswaytocelebratethe50th

Anniversary of the

introduction of coeducation. There were speeches, tributes, and photo ops. The eventwaslikealoveletterto progress and equality Except for one small thing. From the way the reports in thepressandonsocialmedia coveredtheevent,youcould have easily presumed that co-education had nothing to do with Forbes Burnham. His name was hardly, if at all,mentionedinthereports

ontheevent.

Now don’t get me wrong.Attheeventhisname may have been lathered generously with praise. Just it did not surface on the social media reports I wonderwhy?

Now, I understand the temptationtoforgetthingsin Guyana Memory is a delicate thing here. It fades faster than the paint on a speed bump sign. But this was a bit much. One would think that when celebrating the half-century of an important social reform, the person who introduced that reformmightgetmorethana passing mention Not a m o n u m e n t , n o t a mural—just a polite nod, perhaps, like “By the way, this was Burnham’s idea.

We’re just here for the refreshments.”

The truth, however inconvenient, is that it was Burnham, yes, the man who gave us the “Declaration of Sophia,”theself-sufficiency movement,riggedelections, shortages, blackouts,and an inexplicable fondness for uniformed youth who introducedco-education.He diditbelatedly,andprobably because Trinidad and Tobago.Buthedidit.

At the time, both the PNC government and the then PPP opposition agreed it was a good idea. Imagine that: bipartisanship! Two archrivals actually agreeing on something. I almost tear upthinkingaboutit.

The logic of coeducation was simple: boys

DEM BOYS SEH

Don’t

tek worries

Kaieteur News – If yuh gan deh in de kitchen, yuh gat to be able to handle de heat. Nuff people like fuh give pressure but dem can’t tek pressure. Dem does buckleunderpressure.

Yuh does see some big men, big and strong.Butwhenpressurebracedem,dem doesfolduplikeababy Someahdemdoes like talk big, like dem know everything. Butsimplequestionsdoeskerfuffledem.

Bigmandoesseelockupdooranddoes startfuhcry Demdoesgetcoldsweat.So, nahjudgeabookbyitcover

Christmas suppose to a jolly good season.Butitgatitownpressures.People does stress out ova cleaning de house. Dem does stress out over baking de cake. Dem does stress out over money Dem does even stress out because dem stress

out. So tek it easy and nah worry Christmasgancomeandgoandcomeback again. But when yuh stress out and yuh gone,yuhnahcomingbackagain.

Yuhgattobecoolunderpressure.One time, dem had 11 people hanging onto a rope from wan airplane…10 ah dem was Americans and one was Guyanese. Dem all decide dat one person gat to get off becauseifnot,deropeganbreakanddem ganallfalltodemdeath.

None ah dem bin wan decide who should go, suh finally de Guyanese deliverswantouchingspeech,endingwith dewords,“I’llgetoff.”

De 10 Americans start clapping after deGuyanese’sspeechanddeproblemget solve.

Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

and girls should learn together After all, they’d eventually have to work, marry,andarguetogether— mightaswellstartearly And indeed, over the last fifty years, girls have more than held their own In fact, they’veheldeveryoneelse’s too. Girls dominate the top performers of every exam list.Butwhetherthissuccess isbecauseofco-educationor merely in spite of it is debatable Studies elsewhere have shown that co-education doesn’t

necessarily improve performance; it just ensures that everyone has an equal chance to be distracted by eachother Imean,ifyouput teenageboysandgirlsinthe same classroom, you get education, yes, but also poetry heartbreak, and a mysterious epidemic of “missinghomework.”

Burnham deserves credit.Hemaynothavebeen the fatherof democracy, but in this case, he was at least the godfather of coeducation. The policy had noble intentions, even if it wasintroducedpartlyoutof pragmatism and political showmanship. He wanted boys and girls to share not only classrooms but aspirations.And, against all

odds,itworked.

Still, for all the political grumbling that still characterizes Guyana, few people seriously question the policy anymore. The debate about single-sex schools has largely fizzled out, except for the occa

alumnus who insists that “back in my day, boys had discipline”which,ofcourse, is what everyone says right before explaining how they usedtoescapeduringclasses throughaholeinthefence.

But I guarantee the debate will return Everything in Guyana is cyclical: potholes, power outages,andpoliticalcredittaking.Oneday,somebright spark will rediscover the “bold new idea” of singlesex education and declare it a revolutionary innovation. They’ll hold a conference, print glossy booklets, and perhaps even invite a politician to endorse the idea.

But beyond the politics and the posturing lies an interesting question: after fifty years, what has coeducationreallydoneforus?

Yes, girls outperform boys. But have we truly achieved balance, or have we just reversed the hierarchy?And

if boys are increasingly left behind, should we at least consider whether the pendulum has swung too far?

Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for an experiment. Not agrandreform,justamodest test. Let’s take one all-boys school and one all-girls school and see what happens. Call it the Coeducation Reversal Pilot Project.BecauseinGuyana, if history teaches us anything, it’s that no idea evertrulydies;itjustcomes back wearing a different party colour So perhaps the real question isn’t who invented co-education, but whetherwe’reready—ona trial basis, of course — to flirt again with the idea of keeping the boys and girls apart.Youknow,justtoseeif absencereallydoesmakethe gradesgrowhigher

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

H@RD TRUTHS

We will not be intimidated

Ilike it. The more I read Guyana's Pres. Ali“Let it be known here and now we will not be intimidated, we will not bow,wewillnotbebroken”, themoreIfallinlovewithit, allofit.

“Let it be known here and now” has a sparkling ring to it, reminds of U.S. President John F Kennedy

(“letthewordgoforth…”)in his inaugural address from 64 Januarys ago. I have flashbackstoGreatBritain's wartimePrimeMinister,that old bulldog of Albion, Winston Churchill: “we shall fight on the beaches, weshallfightonthelanding ground,weshallfight…,we shall fight…” A nod of approval to the president's

speechwriters, for churning out that rolling drumbeat of defiance. Atinyexhortation, Dr President-adjustvolume andcadencessmoothly

intimidated,norbow,norbe broken, is my gentle, practicalinquiry? TheGDF willmanthefortresses. But who else, Mr President?

w

Americansarereadytodoall the fighting, it is in their DNA But, let us all rememberthatonlyinterests are permanent, not friendships,howeverspecial they may be proclaimed to be. Itiscomfortingthatfact, the one where the US has Guyana'sback,anditsflank, and its naked canopy overhead. Whathistory has

shownandreinforcedisthat when money and war calls, moneyhaswon. Lookback at the same US, and how some bought a soldier from the beginning (the War of Independence)totheWarof 1812 to the cataclysm of fraternal conflict (the Civil War). If in a countrywith a historyofwar-making,even such a culture, then where wouldGuyanesestandinthe event of spiraling conflict, andgreatpersonalsacrifices have to be made? There is nohistory,noculture,ofthat here.

Again,Iamenthralledby Pres.Ali'slanguage. Where are the foundations, the substance,thehumanpower to deliver on those heroic words, those phrases that intrigue and could inspire?

In this country, the speakers of heavy words, recruit others to fight their battles, dotheirdistastefuljobs,that leavethemwithcleanhands. If for that kind of clashes, it eludes who will stand up, step forward, and say with hand over heart: here I am. Sendme.

Whenthestock-in-trade of conflict in the domestic environmentislurkinginthe shadows, and waiting in ambush, then what guts to facethehumanhordesinMr Maduro's machine and hurl them back? For sure, the Americanswilldotheheavy work, but that Regent and King Street gas station bombing exposed the long, vulnerable underbelly of Guyana, with an eye riveted on its targets in the capital cityandenvirons.

Thetruthofthematteris that that long, soft underbelly is more exploitable than the long, porous border The latter is well-known, the former still not settled fully into the conscious of suddenly anxious Guyanese, of its potentialvulnerabilities.

F o r a l l o f t h e aforementionedreasons,itis imperative that a genuine and comprehensive start be madeontheroadtonational unity When we tear apart

one another, we are, in effect,dilutingtheveryspirit thatiscalledfornow It is irrelevant whether PPP against the PNC, WIN, and the citizenry Or the PNC and WIN against the PPPandGuyaneseinterests. It can never be, that seeing enemiesintheconscientious and outspoken in Guyana helps to nurture an environment that resembles One Guyana. It is dividing and diminishing the will of Guyanese to stand as one against the foreign interlopers and usurpers That is not philosophical or s

practical.

This homeland is under siege, and one less Guyanese,inanalreadythin population,isalossofmajor proportions, however frail he or she may be Remember that a house of any kind that is divided cannotholdup.

The U.S. could be good to Guyana for manpower, airpower,andfirepower. So long as Exxon, Chevron, Citigroup,andothersofthat iconic American brigade takeupresidencehere,there is some assurance of Washington having Guyana initssights.

Let it not elude that 300 big ones, however heavy, will always trump 11 cheap, light and sweet crude ones. Should some of those 300 bigbarrelsenterthemarkets, Guyanacouldbewondering howitisnolongerthetalkof the world, but secondhand conversation. At the end of the day, this truth should sticktoeveryGuyaneselike Crazy glue: Guyanese only havethemselvesforthebest partners, neighbors, and caretakers When that's reinforced, bowing and brokenareneverpartofany conversation.

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

Sugar industry “boom” a sham

- APNU slams PPP for ‘wasted billions, broken

promises’

Shadow Minister of Agriculture and APNU MP

Vinceroy Jordan has dismissed the government's claims that Guyana's sugar industrygrewbyover100%, calling the PPP/C's 2025

M i d - Ye a r R e p o r t “misleadingpropaganda”

The report claims sugar

production expanded 136.7%comparedtothefirst halfof2024,butJordansays the figures are misleading, based on comparisons with failed targets and ignoring

ongoing shortfalls

According to him, GUYSUCO fell short of its 2024 and 2025 targets, producingjust47,103tonnes in 2024 against a goal of 63,276 tonnes, despite over $45 billion in taxpayer subsidiessince2020

In a statement to the media on Thursday Jordan saidthePeople'sProgressive Party Civic (PPP/C) regime continues to mislead the public with its exaggerated claims the sugar industry's performance.Hestressedthat the 2025 MidYear Report is saying that sugar expanded by 1367% the facts tell a differentstory,oneofffailure, waste,andbrokenpromises

“Where the reporting is doneincomparisontosugar produced on a previously failed target, and excludes sugar produced against the currentsettargets Thefactis, GUYSUCOfailedtoreachits set target both years (20242025),”theMPhighlighted

Hewentontosaythatthe industrybythegovernment's own admission in 2024 contractedbyabout604%by midlastyearandbytheendof the year there was a 2185% of the total production in comparisonto2023

“Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has been boasting about the progress at Rose Hall and Blairmont estatesearlyinMarchofthis year, but according to the

Even with $13.3 billion in additional 2025 funding, firstcropresultscontinuethe declining trend, leaving the government's ambitious modernisation promises unfulfilled Factories remain inefficient, workers demoralised, and targets missedyet,noaccountability hasbeenenforced,theAPNU said Jordan warned, “The PPP must stop using GUYSUCO as a political tool Sugar workers and taxpayers deserve honesty, efficiency, and leadership not empty speeches and brokenpromises”

Shadow Minister of Agriculture and Member of Parliament for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Vinceroy Jordan.

2025 Mid-Year Report, GUYSUCO remains far behind its own ambitious targets After more than $45 billion in taxpayer funding since 2020, the government has little to show for its socalled“revitalisation”efforts

In 2024, GUYSUCO produced just 47,103 tonnes ofsugar,wellbelowitstarget of 63,276 tonnes,” the MP pointedout

Jordan highlighted that now in 2025 in spite of an additional $13.3 billion in subsidies, the sugar corporationfirstcropresults

were disappointing, continuing the downward trend,“…the100,000-tonne targetisalreadyslippingout ofreach.Thisisnotprogress —itisarepetitionoffailure. The PPP continues to make big promis

o n , mechanisation, and new equipment they have spent billions on, yet production continues to decline, factories remain inefficient, a n d w o r k e r s a r e demoralised,”headded.

Jordan noted that even thoughthegovernmenttalks

about harvesters and automation, it cannot hide the truth, that the sugar industry under the PPP regimeissinkingdeeperinto d e p e n d e n c y a n d

mismanagement

reminded that, “President IrfaanAlihadboldlydeclared that “heads will roll” if GUYSUCOfailedtomeetits 2025first crop targets.Well, thetargetshavebeenmissed again, and not a single head hasrolled.Instead,thesame excuses are recycled year after year while billions more are wasted. The PPP muststopusingGUYSUCO as a political tool to win sympathyandvotesinsugar

beltcommunities.” Lamenting that the citizens deserve results and not propaganda, he stated that until the government c a

i v e r r e a l

m p r o v e m e n t s i n productivity, accountability, and worker welfare, there is absolutely nothing to celebrate. In light of this, “The Opposition will continue to hold the government accountable for every cent spent and every promise broken Sugar workers and taxpayers deserve honesty, efficiency, and leadership not empty speechesandfailedtargets,” heassured.

‘Malaria-free future in sight’

…PAHO says but acknowledges hardest battles remain

On Malaria Day in the Americas,thePanAmerican

Health Organization (PAHO) is calling for renewed urgency to ensure that every person at risk of malaria, especially those in remote and indigenous communities can quickly access lifesaving diagnosis andtreatment.

“Every malaria case is preventable and treatable,” said PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa. “We have the tools. Elimination depends on getting those tools to everyone, everywhere, through strong health systems and empoweredcommunities.”

PAHO highlighted progress across the Region, noting that Suriname became the first country in the Amazon Basin to be

certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) this year, joining Paraguay (2018), Argentina (2019), El Salvador (2021), and Belize (2023). These milestones show that elimination is achievable when countries sustain c o m m i t m e n t a n d community action, even in complex contexts, PAHO said.

Other countries are also making important strides: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guiana and Mexico report thelowestnumberofmalaria cases and are close to elimination,whileHonduras andNicaraguahavereduced cases of Plasmodium falciparumby70%and52%, respectively, bringing Central America closer to

Auditor General exposes police in $15 milion contract-splitting breach

The 2024 Auditor General'sReport has uncovered that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) violated the ProcurementActof2003by illegally splitting contracts, awarding 62 contracts totaling $15 047 million without proper tender procedures.

Contract splitting, a tactic used to dodge transparency and oversight involves breaking a major project into smaller paymentsthatfallbelowthe thresholdrequiringscrutiny b y t h e N a t i o n a l Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

This practice, auditors warn, opens the door to fraud, including kickbacks

and bid-rigging, by bypassing competitive bidding and independent review The Procurement Act 2003 is unambiguous. Section14clearlystates:“A procuring entity shall not split or cause to split contractsordivideorcause

to divide its procurement into separate contracts where the sole purpose for doing so is to avoid the applicationofanyprovision ofthisAct,”thereportsaid. Nevertheless, it was observed from the sample selected during the audit thattheactwasbreachedby the GPF with the 62 contracts awarded for several projects throughout the Force. Looking at the values of these contracts, it gives the impression that the payments were deliberately subdivided to avoid adjudication by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), the reportednoted.“ThePolice Force's response stated that the head of the budget agency indicated that measuresareputinplaceto avoid any reoccurrences.

T h e a u d i t o f f i c e recommends that the head of the budget agency complies fully with the ProcurementAct2003,”the reportfurtherstated.

full elimination of this parasite.

According to PAHO, 15 countriesandoneterritoryin the Region still report areas with malaria transmission, with Brazil (30%), Colombia (24%), and Venezuela(19%)accounting for nearly three-quarters of all cases. Most infections (88%) are concentrated in the Amazon basin and the Pacific coast in Colombia, wheredispersedpopulations and limited health access contribute to continued transmission. Indigenous peoples remain the most affected group, representing over one-third of reported cases and nearly 30% of

deaths.

In 2024, the Americas registered more than 537,000malariacases,a6% increase compared to 2023 (505,000 cases) Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Haiti, and Panama saw increased transmission of malaria in 2024duetofactorsrelatedto internal migration, gold mining, climate events like El Niño, and complicated access to health services in remote or conflict-affected areas.

P A H O a l s o i s recognising the efforts of thousands of health workers a n d c o m m u n i t y collaborators for their crucial role in eliminating

malaria. “In many rural and hard-to-reach areas, malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are only possible thanks to the dedication of local residents trained and supervised by Ministries of Health,” PAHO said in the release.

These c

ity members, often living in remote villages, indigenous territories,andborderzones, serve as the first line of defense against malaria and have helped to remove barriers to care by establishing permanent malaria diagnosis and treatmentpointswithintheir owncommunities. PAHO is urging all

countries to intensify malaria elimination efforts by: expanding access to rapid diagnosis and treatment through local health services and commu

; reinforcing surveillance systemsthatgeneratetimely and reliable data and building national alliances that include governments, communities, and partners under the leadership of Ministries of Health. PAHO said its Disease Elimination Initiative supports these efforts, aiming to end malaria and more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions in the Americasby2030.

Jagdeo slams‘convenience bail’for Mohameds

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday criticisedthegrantingofbail tobusinessmenAzruddinand Nazar Mohamed and even argued that the $150,000 amount was determined basedonconvenienceforthe duo, rather than the seriousnessoftheoffense

The father-son duo was granted bail in the sum of $150,000 each following their arrest, subsequent to an extradition request from the United States of America (US) The duo appeared in person before acting Chief MagistrateJudyLatchman,in Court Seven at the Georgetown Magistrate's Courtandwasrepresentedby agroupofattorneysincluding SiandDhurjon,NigelHughes and Senior Counsel (SC) RoysdaleForde

The prosecution was represented by special prosecutors, Jamaicans Herbert McKenzie and Terrence Williams who objectedtobail.Williamsin his argument, told the court thatthegentlemenhavebeen engaged in an international criminal enterprise, which includes tentacles reaching into Venezuela's high offices, the United States of AmericaandintotheMiddle East

Healsotoldthecourtthat thebusinessmen, have been in contact with authorities in Venezuela, and with these contacts, they could flee to the neighbouring country and continue their unlawfulenterprise.

Speaking at his press conference held at Freedom House, Jagdeo said that it is something that the government is confronting as it is of a very serious nature. He explained that normally in cases like these

thereisnobailgranted.“But herenotonlybailwasset,so thebailwassetat$150,000a cash bail because you didn't need to get a draft. It was Fridayafternoonandnormal Soitwasn'ttheseriousnessof the offense that determined bail, it was a convenience to the Mohameds So, they could pay $150,000 in cash Peopledon'tgetbailforthat You can imagine the world looking on at Guyana and saying what is happening in that country, what's happening from the US and everywhere else What is happening?”helamented

Referencing an article carried by the Demerara Waves an online news agency, Jagdeo said he read in the article that one of the attorneys from the team representing the Mohamed Senior Counsel (SC) Roysdale Forde, offered the court several safeguards, in additiontobailtoensurethe accused did not flee their jurisdiction.

“They include reporting to the police several times daily, drone monitoring of their homes, bracelet monitoring, police accompanying them to hospital, and lodging of all of their property So clearly even they didn't expect bail I think they offered all of this They g a v e t h e c o u r t everything,” he stressed Jagdeo said that a lot of the people who hereferred to as the “Kool-Aid gang” who are talking have no idea about the level of seriousness. He highlighted that the extradition request was not signed by a junior man in the United States it was signed by the Secretary ofState,MarcoRubio.

The extradition request bytheUSfortheMohameds

…amid US$50M gold fraud extradition case

stemmed from an 11-count indictment which was unsealed in a US federal court in Miami, Florida The Mohameds are charged with wire and mail fraud, conspiracytocommitmoney laundering and the importationofaLamborghini luxurycar-allstemmingfrom accusations of massive tax fraud committed against Guyana

The indictment, unsealed on October 2, 2025, accuses t h e M o h a m e d s o f orchestrating an elaborate fraud and money-laundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millionsintaxesandroyalties owedtoGuyana

The case, captioned United States of America v NazarMohamed&Azruddin Mohamed,isfiledintheUS District Court for the Southern District of Florida under case number 25-CR20441 (WILLIAMS/LETT)

Amongthestatutescitedare: conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1349), wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), mail fraud (18 U.S.C.§1341),conspiracyto commit money laundering (18 USC § 1956(h)), and related forfeiture statutes (18 USC §§981,982)

At the heart of the US Government'scaselieseveral

‘Show us the oil billions...

Frompage6

s u p p l e m e n t a r y appropriation act, which itemizes all of the expenditure of the state and how much is going to be spent…”

Section 16.2 of the NRF Act states that, “All withdrawals from the Fund shall be deposited into the ConsolidatedFundandshall be used only to finance: (a) national development priorities including any initiative aimed at realizing aninclusivegreeneconomy, and (b) essential projects that are directly related to

ameliorating the effect of a majornaturaldisaster.”

Be that as it may, the government has not highlighted any national development priority or essential project funded through this source of income In fact, major development priorities and essential projects such as roads,hospitals,andthenew Demerara River Crossing are being funded through l o a n a g r e e m e n t s Government had also appliedforaloantosupport theGas-to-Energyproject. Campbellhadfiledlegal

coreallegations,amongthem gold export fraud and customs seal reuse The indictment seen by this newspaper charges that Mohamed's Enterprise, the Guyana-based gold wholesaling and export company controlled 90% by Nazarand10%byAzruddin, isallegedtohavesoldgoldto buyers in Miami and Dubai, while circumventing Guyana's revenue and regulatorysystem

The indictment claims that the defendants would reuse official Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Guyana Gold Board (GGB) customs seals and export declarations, originally applied legally on one shipment on subsequent shipmentsforwhichtheyhad not paid taxes or royalties

This,prosecutorssay,created the false impression that proper payments had been made

Additionally, the duo is also accused of bribing state officials to facilitate their alleged corrupt acts. The indictment sets forth that the Mohameds paid bribes to Guyanese government officials, including customs agents to allow the acceptance of duplicate paperwork and reused seals

Throughthismechanism,the schemeallegedlyenabledthe evasion of duties and royalties that should have gonetoGuyana'scoffers

According to the court papers from 2017 through June11,2024,theindictment allegesthedefendantscaused exports of at least 10,000 kilograms of gold to pass through Miami without paymentoftheproperduesto Guyana, amounting to a loss of approximately US$50 million to the Guyanese government

The indictment further charges the Mohameds with conspiring to transport, transmit, and transfer funds derived from their criminal scheme, including through international wire transfers, withtheintenttopromotethe underlying illegal activity

The scheme is said to have used U S and foreign financialinstitutionstomove illicitproceeds

According to the court papers, the purpose of the conspiracy was for the defendants to unlawfully enrich themselves and defraud the government of Guyana in connection with taxes and royalties owed on thesaleandexportofgoldby fraudulently reusing Guyana customs declarations and

seals on gold shipments sent through Miami to make it appear that Mohamed's Enterprisehadpaidtaxesand royalties when it had not actuallypaidthem

According to the court documents, the manner and means by which the defendants and their coconspirators sought to accomplishthepurposeofthe conspiracy included, among other things, the following: NAZAR MOHAMED and AZRUDDIN MOHAMED entered into agreements on behalf of Mohamed's Enterprise to sell thousands ofkilogramsofgoldperyear from Guyana to buyers in MiamiandDubai

The court documents did not identify by name the companies,butnotedthatthe pair coordinated with Company 1, via electronic communications between Guyana and Miami, to transport gold sold by Mohamed'sEnterprisefrom Guyana to Miami and Dubai (through Miami) In connection with those shipments, NAZAR M O H A M E D a n d AZRUDDIN MOHAMED caused payments to Company 1 from bank accounts in Guyana to the SouthernDistrictofFlorida

proceedingsearlierthisyear to challenge transparency and accountability of withdrawals from the NRF He was appointed to the Investment Committee on July 8, 2024, and demonstrated through official government records that these withdrawals are beingusedtofinanceregular governmentoperations. The application highlightsseriousviolations of the Santiago Principles, which are explicitly incorporated into Guyanese lawthroughSection4ofthe NaturalResourceFundAct.

Pres.Ali: COP 30 must be turning point for climate action

PresidentDr Irfaan Ali charged the United Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChange(UNFCCC) ConferenceofParties(COP) 30 to shun extremism, promote collaboration, and use bureaucracy to accelerateinnovation,which would make the meeting in Belém,Brazilaturningpoint forprogress.

Deliveringhisaddressto the conference this morning in the Brazilian city, PresidentAli acknowledged

that many view COP's process as a rubber stamp because climate change continues to devastate lives and economies But he stressed that COP remains the only viable forum for global cooperation, and that the machinery must be tweaked for greater effectiveness, not abandoned. He pointed to the destruction caused by HurricaneMelissaacrossthe Caribbeanasevidenceofthe urgency, reminding leaders

that COP remains the only forumwhereallnationssitas equals to shape the planet's response “We are at a hopeful moment, if we choose to grasp the opportunities before us People everywhere, and in particular the people of the developing world, are offering practical, experience-based solutions. If we commit ourselves to shun extremism and instead promotecollaboration,ifwe make our bureaucracies accelerate innovation, not

trap it, if we unleash the financing options that are affordable and available, then, more than 30 years after Rio, Belém will be the turningpointwhentheworld moves from promises to progress.”

The President outlined three priority areas to recommittheglobalprocess to solving problems: accelerating the energy transition while expanding energy security, making forests a permanent priority, and advancing adaptation

finance. On accelerating the energy transition, President Alistressedtheneedtomove on two tracks: massive investment to scale renewables, hydrogen, storage, and modern grid systems to decarbonise growth and meet rising demand; and science-based policy to ensure a just transition by powering the remainder of the fossil fuel era with the lowest-carbon, most efficient, least-cost fuels. He said this requires recommittingtoglobalrules, not relying on slogans, and encouraging competition based on carbon science rather than legacy advantage. He added that responsible producers must beincludedinthesearchfor solutions.

On forests, the President was clear: “Forests must be mainstreamandpartofevery single COP We must not fightforforeststobeonany agenda. If we are serious about climate change, forests must find a permanent place on the agendaofclimatechange.”

He congratulated Brazilian President, His ExcellencyLuizInácioLula da Silva for advancing the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), which complementstheworkofthe Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership (FCLP), cochaired by Guyana and the United Kingdom. Together, they have developed the Forest Finance Roadmap, a shared plan to halt and reverseforestlossby2030.

“Theworldmustnowact on all the financing options in the roadmap: expanding jurisdictional REDD+, scaling up the TFFF, strengthening concessional finance, and unlocking privatecapital.”

President Ali also reiterated Guyana's support for the Bridgetown Initiative, reminded that Guyana is expanding its

protected areas to meet the 30×30 target, and highlightedthelaunchofthe Global Biodiversity Alliance He challenged countries and institutions to move beyond rhetoric and join initiatives that value natureinitsentirety,notjust the carbon it stores. On adaptation, the President stressed that even if mitigation targets are met, millionsalreadylivewiththe consequences of climate change “For them, adaptation is survival Investing in resilience protectslives,foodsystems, and economies It strengthens stability and peace.”

President Ali also pointed to Guyana's own record as proof that fair and effectivesolutionscanwork. Herecalledthelaunchofthe Low Carbon Development Strategy in 2009, which many doubted a small country could achieve. Yet Guyana became the first nation to issueARTTREES jurisdictionalcarboncredits, the first to engage with the CORSIA compliance market, and the first to complete large-scale carbon sales agreements Today, Guyanaremainsanetcarbon sink, with forests storing 19.5 gigatons of carbon. Revenues from carbon credits flow directly to Indigenous peoples and local communities, renewable energy, job creation, and the largest adaptationinvestmentinthe country'shistory PresidentAli also called forunityandpragmatism:to shun extremism, promote collaboration, and make bureaucracies enablers of innovation.Heurgedleaders to unlock affordable financing and seize the moment to make Belem the turningpointwhentheworld finallymovesfrompromises to progress. (Office of the President)

Kaieteur Entertainment Kaieteur

Entertainment

Turning bedroom recording into Int'l opportunities:

SounDown Festival

ReturnstoGeorgetownwithInternationalHeadliners

The Marriott beachfront isabouttotransformintothe Caribbean's hottest electronicmusicdestination.

On December 6th, SounDown Festival returns for its sophomore year, promising an 11-hour sonic journey that will take revelers from sunset to sunrise, or more precisely, from3PMto2AM.

If you missed last year's sold-outdebut,considerthis your second chance. The festival is pulling out all the stops for year two, bringing in heavy-hitters from the international electronic

significance."

Sharing details on the international lineup, Dakhil revealedthatDannic,known f

Hardwell and releases like "Clobber" and "Feel Your L

Recordings, will be making hisGuyanadebut.

“It's the kind of booking that would typically require a flight to Amsterdam or Miami, except this time, it's happening right here in Georgetown. Then there's Walshy Fire, the sonic architect behind Major

music scene, including DutchDJDannicandMajor Lazer'sWalshyFire.

Local representation comes courtesy of Tariq Dakhilwhoisattheforefront of Guyana's emerging electronic music movement and Kimber, an NYC born withGuyaneseroots.

" T h i s f e s t i v a l demonstrates Guyana's readiness to compete on international creative platforms," said Dakhil, founderofBPMGuyana,the organization behind SounDown "Following Storm25's success and our inaugural year's reception, we're building something w

Lazer's genre-bending sound. His pioneering work fusing Caribbean rhythms with electronic production has influenced everything from dancehall to afrobeat, making him a fitting headliner for a festival that celebrates the region's growing electronic music scene,”hesaid.

The international lineup d

e Netherlands-basedLePrince brings his "Reggatronic" sound, a reggae-electronic fusionhe'sperfectedthrough collaborations with names like Timmy Trumpet and Ran-D. New York's Helang promises emotionally charged sets that balance

melodicmomentswithhighenergy intensity, while Suriname's Oefmeister represents neighbouring (Continuedonpage22)

Top of the Class!

…Guyanese students dominate CSEC & CAPE regional rankings

The Ministry of

E d u c a t i o n h a s

applauded Guyana's 2025 CSEC® and CAPE® highachievers, praising the exceptional performance of students who continue to rank among the Caribbean's best and shine across anexpandingrangeofsubjects.

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag, hailed the results as a powerful reflection of dedication, resilience and national pride “These achievements speak to the hard work of our students, the commitment of their teachers, and the unwavering support of parents,”MinisterParagsaid.

“YouhaverepresentedGuyana with distinction — and we will continue to invest to ensure every child can realize their full potential.”

At the CSEC level, Guyana's students have once again proven themselves among the best in the Caribbean Their exceptional results are a testament to their discipline, intellect, and the unwavering support of their teachers.

Amongtheregional topperformersare:

Ÿ Siddiqah NizamuDeen –Queen'sCollege

Ÿ 2nd place regionally in IntegratedScience(General)

Ÿ SydneyWaveneyMorgan–Chase'sAcademicFoundation

Ÿ 4th place regionally in IntegratedScience(General)

Ÿ Clarice Klee La Fargue –TheBishops'HighSchool

Ÿ 6th place regionally in IntegratedScience(General)

Ÿ The ministry also recognisesthestellarachievements of students across subjects such as Agricultural Science, Economics,

Chemistry, English A, and Mathematics Guyana has dominatedasthetopperformerfor Portugueseafterhavingintroduced it to the curriculum in 2015 Similarly, students performed excellentlyinReligiousEducation. Guyana's CAPE scholars continue to shine brilliantly, displaying excellence in fields ranging from the sciences and technology to the artsandhumanities.

Ÿ Among

outstandingachieversare:

Ÿ AbigailPrarthnaStephanas

–Queen'sCollege

Ÿ Top in Biology Unit 2, Physics Unit 2, Pure Mathematics Unit2,andIntegratedMathematics

Ÿ Elijah Anthony Gomes –Queen'sCollege

Ÿ TopinChemistryUnit2and PureMathematicsUnit2

Ÿ Sara Khan – Queen's College

Ÿ TopinArtandDesignUnit 1,DigitalMediaUnit2,Animation andGameDesignUnit2,andPure MathematicsUnit2

Ÿ Naila Aseelah Rahaman –Queen'sCollege

Ÿ Top in Animation and Game

Miss Universe contestants

walk out after organiser or berates Miss Mexico

(BBC NEWS) Several contestants have walked out of a Miss Universe event after an officialfromhostnationThailand publiclyberatedMissMexicoina tenseconfrontation.

At a pre-pageant ceremony, Miss Universe Thailand director NawatItsaragrisiltoldoffFatima Bosch in front of dozens of contestants for failing to post promotional content. When she objected, Mr Nawat called security and threatened to disqualify those supporting her Ms Bosch then left the room and

solidarity.Video of the incident, which was live streamed, has been shared online. The Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) has condemned Mr Nawat's "malicious"behaviour,forwhich hehassinceapologised.TheMiss Universecontestants,whoarethe winners of national pageants in their home countries, attended Tuesday's event in their sashes and gowns. Some can be heard shoutingbackatMrNawatinthe video, after he raises his voice to reprimand Ms Bosch and repeatedly tells her to stop (Continuedonpage22)

Technology Unit 2 and Computer ScienceUnit2

Ÿ Toreka Persaud – Queen's College

Ÿ T o p i n A p p l i e d MathematicsUnit1

Ÿ Semmeerah Lavanya Tularam–MarianAcademy

Ÿ To

EnvironmentalScienceUnit2

Ÿ Kayla Jahnavi Persaud –MarianAcademy

Ÿ Top in Physics Unit 2 and BiologyUnit2

Ÿ Micah Williams – The Bishops'HighSchool

Design Unit 2 and Information TechnologyUnit2

Ÿ Michael Elijah Henry –Queen'sCollege

Ÿ Top in Law Unit 2 and EntrepreneurshipUnit2

Ÿ AkeelahPersaud–Queen's College

Ÿ Top in Economics Unit 2 andLawUnit2

Ÿ Rihanna Taylor – Queen's College

Ÿ Top in Information

Ÿ Top in Green Engineering Unit2

Ÿ Aaliyah Henry – The Bishops'HighSchool

Ÿ TopinSociologyUnit2

Ÿ Shawdisha Avionne D'Andrade – Mackenzie High School

Ÿ TopinPerformingArtsUnit 2(CinematicArts)

Ÿ NaneKi Mikala Ulani Griffith–MackenzieHighSchool

Ÿ TopinAgriculturalScience Unit1

Ÿ Shelena Alice Semple –BerbiceHighSchool TopinPerformingArtsUnit1

Accordingtotheministry,these achievements, and the achievements of many more students who will be honoured in the coming days, reflect Guyana's unwavering pursuit of excellence ineducation.

“The Ministry of Education extends sincere congratulations to allstudents,educators,andparents who have contributed to this success. Each achievement tells a storyofdetermination,mentorship, and the power of education to transformlives.”

US military chief lands in Guyana

U…talks to centre on security cooperation, regional stability

N6/N7), operations officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, J-3, Joint Operations Directorate, European Command, deputy director PERS43/HeadAirCombat Placement Officer, Navy Personnel Command, force operations officer, N3 at Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, executive assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. Asaflagofficer,heservedas

Military Command Center, Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 2020, he was handpicked to serveasdirector,TaskForce One Navy, analysing and evaluating issues in society and the military that detract from Navy readiness. From 2021 to 2022, he served as deputy Chief of Naval Personnel / Commander, Navy Personnel Command, and most recently, served as M i l i t

y D e p u t y Commander, United States Southern Command. On 7

November 2024, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral and assumed command of United States SouthernCommand.

His military decorations i n c l u d e t h e N a v y Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit(fiveawards),Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy and M a r i n e C o r p s Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various unit, campaign andserviceawards.

nited States Admiral Alvin H o l s e y , Commander of U S

Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), is in Guyana for high-level talks that sharpen America's military focus on this countryinatimeofregional tension.

The top U.S. military officialwillmeetwithPrime Minister Brigadier (Ret'd) Mark Phillips currently performing the functions of PresidentaswellasChiefof Defence Staff Brigadier OmarKhan.

The discussions will focus on accelerating

security cooperation, ensuring regional stability, and reaffirming the United States' steadfast support for Guyana'sterritorialintegrity

The US Embassy in a press release said the defense partnership between the UnitedStatesandGuyanais

long-standing and encompasses joint efforts to

counter transnational threats, build capacity, and engage in bilateral training

p r o g r a m m e s a n d professional development engagements.

U.S.SouthernCommand works closely with U S Government agencies and multinational partners to advance security and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean --

partnerships that are essential to hemispheric security, prosperity and the collective ability to address c o m p l e x s e c u r i t y challenges.

HolseyisanativeofFort

Valley, Georgia and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program at Morehouse College in 1988, where he received a degree in Computer Science He earnedaMasterofSciencein Management from Troy StateUniversityin1995and attended the Joint Forces StaffCollegein2010.

Atsea,hedeployedwith USS Jesse L. Brown (FF 1089), USS Nicholson (DD 982), USS Vreeland (FF 1068), USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), USS Gettysburg (CG 64),andUSSSimpson(FFG 56) flying both the SH-2F Seasprite and SH-60B Seahawk helicopters He commanded Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron LightThreeSeven(HSL-37) and the Navy's first hybrid electric propulsion warship, USSMakinIsland(LHD8).

As a flag officer, he served as commander Carrier Strike Group One embarked aboard USS Carl Vinson,(CVN70),andasthe inaugural commander of the International Maritime

Security Construc

/ Coalition Task Force Sentinelrapidlysettingupan expeditionary headquarters to ensure freedom of navigation, international law, free flow of commerce and stability of maritime commons throughout the MiddleEast. His staff assignments have included flag aide to CommanderNavalAirForce and the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Warfare Requirements and Programs

US-sanctionedColombiandrugsuspectnabbedinGuyana

The Guyana Police Force confirmed that on Tuesday a Lethem-bound minibus was stopped at the Kurupukari Police Checkpointduringroutinesecurity screening,leadingtoamajorarrest.

Apassenger, later identified as 33-year-old Colombian national Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo, was found in possession of a passport stamped “RLL” (Refused Leave to Land). Further checks revealed that Sanchez Vallejo is sanctionedbytheUnitedStatesfor involvement in drug trafficking activities. He was immediately taken into custody and is currently assisting police with ongoing investigations,policesaidinapress release.

Back in June this year, Vallejo wasamongseveralothersincluding Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh who landed on the United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list for trafficking drugs to the United StatesthroughGuyana.

The other sanctioned men are: businessmanPaulDabyJr.,40,also known as “Daby Ramsuchit”, “Paul”,“Rondell”and“Randell”of Georgetown; Mark Cromwell, 43, known as “Demon” and “Diamond” of Lot 40 Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, and Lot 10 Buxton, ECD; and 50-year-old Randolph Duncan for drug t

y,

as “Manguera”and“Orejon”

OFAC had stated in the release announcing the sanctions that for decades, Guyana has been a transhipment point for the movement of drugs from South America to the United States and Europe. “Drug traffickers exploit the rivers and jungles of South America by transiting large quantities of cocaine, from Colombia and Venezuela, through the waters of Guyana and Suriname,” it was stated. OFAC outlinedthatGuyana'sproximityto the Caribbean, as well as reported corruption along its ports and borders, allows maritime vessels, alsoknownasnarco-submarines,to transit through its waters undetected.

It was stated that traffickers utilise these vessels to smuggle cocaine from the ports of Guyana and Suriname, across the Atlantic, to the United States, Europe, and theCaribbean.OFACsaid,too,that traffickers also coordinate the importation of cocaine loads from Colombia and Venezuela to Guyanaviasmallaircraft,utilising illegal airstrips in Guyana as landing spots. “Cocaine has been discovered buried in underground bunkers located on airstrips and in jungle territory, with Guyana's Barima-Waini region as a prominentlocation.Cocaineisthen flown, via aircraft, to the United States,Europe,andtheCaribbean,” itwasstated.

‘Migration policy coming’

...but voting rights off the table, Jagdeo say

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday

announced that the government is actively considering the creation of a migration policy to regulate the growing number of non-nationals living and working in Guyana.

Speaking at his weekly press conference at Freedom House, Jagdeo said the initiative stems from national security concerns and the need to bettermanagecross-border movement.

“We've been discussing over several years, the need for a migration policy,” the vicepresidentstated.

Jagdeo reminded of the implementation of the S i n g l e E l e c t r o n i c Identification System, which will see every Guyanese receiving an electronic identification card (E-ID), will enhance border control and aid in addressingthemigrantissue.

On March 10, 2023, the government signed a US$35 million agreement with the German-based company Veridos Identity SolutionstodeveloptheEIDsysteminGuyana

He explained that the electronic system will capture the data of every citizen and non-nationals residinginGuyanathrough abiometric

“Every person in Guyana will have a card with biometrics, their facial recognition,everythingthere onit.

If you don't have that card, it will be hard to survive in this country, you can'tbeworking,becausethe employers, people who employ you, will face serious penalties,” Jagdeo noted.

The vice president said theE-IDcardswillgivethe g o v e r n m e n t a n

understanding of everyone who is in Guyana, whether it be Guyana or nonGuyanese

“We'll have all of their details And with the camerasthatweareputting in, as we said, we are planning for about another 4000 of those cameras that can recognise people. So onceweputinthebiometrics there, they can identify anyone, anywhere in the countryatanytimesowecan keep our country safe,” he added.

Further, he said government will have to implement legislation to determine what rights migrants will have He noted too that the law should define the extent of rights afforded to migrants, including whether they can obtain residency status but not participate in the electoralprocess.

“We want people to come and work, because we need that, like on construction sites where wehaveshortages,butthey can't change the nature of our society, and we've made it clear that we would have to think about people who come here, and maybe they can have residency, but notvotingrights,”hesaid.

According to Jagdeo, these discussions will likely be addressed through constitutional reform and national consultations

He pointed out that similar models exist in countrieslikeQatarandthe United Arab Emirates, where non-nationals contribute to economic development but do not possessfullrightsasalocal

“How much rights we are prepared to accord to people who come here, given that we want to preserve our country for our people too So that is a crucialissue,”headded

Cop walks free in Quindon Bacchus killing

Former Police Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega has been freed of the murder charge brought against him over the fatal shooting of Quindon Bacchus.

Thedecisionwashanded down on Thursday by High CourtJudge,GinoPersaudat the Demerara High Court, who upheld a no-case submission presented by De Nobrega's attorney, George Thomas.

Police Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega is now a free man against Quindon Bacchus killing

Speaking with Kaieteur News, Thomas stated that the no-case submission was filed on the primary ground thattheprosecutionfailedto establish a prima facie case of murder “They failed to disprove that he (De Nobrega) acted in selfdefence. As a result, Justice Persaudinstructedthejuryto return a not-guilty verdict, formallyfreeingDeNobrega ofthecharge.

submission document seen by this publication, the defence elaborated that the motion was grounded on several key arguments Firstly, it was “respectfully

prosecution has failed to establish a prima facie case

of murder against the accused,sufficientenoughto have this Honourable Court callupontheaccusedtolead a defence.” Secondly, the document stated that “the prosecution has failed to establish that the acts of the accusedwouldamounttoan unlawfulkilling,whichisan essential element of the offenceofmurder.”

Thirdly, the defence contendedthat“theevidence adduced by the prosecution proves that the accused, being armed with a service weapon and being part of a sting operation, after being shot at, gave chase behind the fleeing deceased, who continued to shoot at the advancing officers, includingtheaccused.”

F i n a l l y, i n t h e submission Thomas posed the question of whether the accused had “reasonably

EnerMech anchors major Americas' expansion in Guyana

EnerMech has launched a longterm investment strategy that puts Guyana at the heart of its Americas growth plan, reinforcing confidence in the country's booming offshore oil and gas sector and its fastevolvinglocalworkforce.

The programme, spanning facilities, talent, and advanced equipment cements EnerMech's role in enabling Guyana's rapid industrial transformation while building regional r e s i l i e n c e a c r o s s CARICOM, the Gulf of Mexico, and LNG growth markets.

In a press release EnerMech said key focus of this investment in CARICOM is Guyana, whereitholdsaproventrack record following successful pre-commissioning work on its first four FPSOs - Liza Destiny, Unity, Prosperity and ONE Guyana – as well as securing the subsea precommissioning on the fifth project,Uaru.

remote flooding consoles and subsea test pumps for major developments, along with GD-600 pumps, gas boosters, air compressors and N2 generation units to support future precommissioning scopes and long-term maintenance operations.

According to the

company, the new Georgetown site will also serve as a launchpad for future growth into Suriname, where project development is expected to follow a similar trajectory, and into the new frontier of deepwater projects offshore Trinidad.

Complementing its efforts in Guyana and Suriname, EnerMech's Americas strategy is closely aligned with the region's LNG boom, where export capacity is projected to doubleby2028.

mechanical services, a phased expansion is also included in Houston and Sulphur, two of North America's most active indus

d

rs Strengthening its leadership team, EnerMech recently appointed Nosa Egharevba as SVP, Integrated Supply Chain&AssetManagement.

Commenting on the roadmap, Nosa said: “This isn't about short-term wins. It's about building enduring capacity, empowering local

EnerMech remains the trusted partner of choice across the Americas Leveraging our expertise in

maintenance,wehelpclients

L N G infrastructure at pace, while

integrityandsafety.”

apprehendedimmediatefear and threat to his life so as to cause him to respond to the threatbyreturningfire.”

The defence argued that if the court found that De Nobrega acted in such circumstances, then the prosecution has failed to provethatitwasanunlawful actonthepartoftheaccused and has therefore failed to establish a prima facie case ofmurder

Citing the principle of self-defence, the defence submission further stated, “If a person is attacked by individuals armed with a knife and gun, he is entitled to defend himself with deadly force, for such an attack is an act in the course of the commission of a forcible and atrocious felony If, in such an attack, heiswoundedandprovoked to lose self-control, it may not be unreasonable to retaliatewithdeadlyforce.”

Following the verdict, attorney Thomas expressed relief at the outcome. He stated, “Mr De Nobrega is now a free man. We are happy for the results and grateful for everything that has transpired so far It is unfortunate that he had to stand trial for such an offence,butithasnowcome

to an end.” De Nobrega, however, declined to commenttothemedia.

De Nobrega, a 25-yearold former member of the Guyana Police Force's SpecialBranch,wascharged in July 2022 and remanded to prison for the murder of 23-year-old Bacchus, a resident of Haslington, East Coast Demerara. Bacchus was shot dead on June 10, 2022, during a police operation in the area. The accusedwaslatercommitted to stand trial by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate's Court.

Inhisinitialstatementto investigators, De Nobrega alleged that Bacchus had fired at him first during a sting operation, prompting him to return fire. However, thepoliceprosecutortoldthe court that ballistic tests later revealed Bacchus's weapon was “not in working order,” suggesting it was possible that Bacchus never fired a shot The post-mortem examination revealed that Bacchushadbeenshotseven times, not six as previously reported.

“To meet accelerating regional demand, the company is establishing a new facility in Georgetown and investing in career development initiatives to support its existing workforce while increasing headcount This will be complimented by a phased equipment acquisition strategy,” the release added. Key equipment includes

In response, the company is scaling up equipment capabilities and investing in local talent to seize opportunities across the LNG value chain. This includes growing its LNG technical hub in Houston with the addition of new planners,projectsmanagers, engineersandsubjectmatter experts, alongside new assets such as vehicles, compressors, dryers and trailers.

growing.” …judgeupheldno-casesubmission

To support rising demand for OPEX-related m a i n t e n a n c e a n d

EnerMech CEO Charles 'Chuck' Davison Jnr added: “This significant phased investment signals our confidence in the Americas and our determination to grow sustainably with our clients and partners. We are deepening our operational footprint, investing in our people, and building the infrastructure needed to serve energy and industrial marketsfordecadestocome. Our focus is on long-term valuecreation,localcontent, and readiness to serve

According to police reports, Bacchus was attempting to sell an illegal firearm. De Nobrega, who was undercover at the time, reportedlyengagedBacchus in a transaction when the shooting occurred. CCTV foo

moment shots were fired. Bacchus's death sparked outrage and widespread protestsalongtheEastCoast ofDemerara,withhisfamily and supporters demanding justice and a thorough investigation The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) subsequently launched an inquiry into the matter Reports that De Nobrega had been released from custody at one stage fuelled further public concern that justice would notbeserved. With Thursday's court ruling, De Nobrega is now officially cleared of all charges related to the shooting.

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Miss Universe contestants walk out after organiser...

From page 16 talking. As many of them stand to show support, Mr Nawat says: “If anyone wants to continue the contest, sit down. If you step out, the rest of the girls continue.”

Despite this, the majority of the women in the video appear standing, with several heading towards the door. After leaving the event on Tuesday, Ms Bosch told the press the 60-year-old executive was “not respectful” and said he had called her “dumb”.

Mr Nawat has disputed this, claiming his words had been misunderstood. He is widely reported to have called the 25-year-old a “dumbhead”. But at a press conference he later claimed he was saying she had caused “damage”.

His conduct prompted a stern rebuke from the MUO, which has sent a delegation of international executives to take over running the competition. In a video statement, MUO President Raul Rocha said Mr Nawat had “forgotten the true meaning of what it means to be a genuine host”.

He said the Thai official had “humiliated, insulted and showed a lack of respect” to

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Ms Bosch, and committed the “serious abuse of having called security to intimidate a defenceless woman”.

Mr Nawat’s participation in the pageant would be limited “as much as possible” or eliminated entirely, he said, adding the MUO would be taking “legal actions” against him.

“I wish to reiterate that Miss Universe is an empowerment platform for women so that their voices can be heard in the world,” Mr Rocha said.

Among those to walk out on Tuesday was reigning Miss Universe Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark. “This is about women’s rights,” she said as she left the event. “This is not how things should be handled.

To trash another girl is beyond disrespectful... That’s why I’m taking my coat and I’m walking out.”

Ms Bosch later said in an interview: “I just want to let my country know, I’m not afraid to make my voice heard.

It’s here stronger than ever. I have a purpose. I have things to say. “We’re in the 21st century. I’m not a doll to be made up, styled and have my clothes changed,” she added. “I came here to be a voice for all the women and all the girls who fight for causes and to tell my country that I’m completely committed to that.”

Video of Mr Nawat has outraged fans of the pageant, with many heavily criticising his actions and praising Ms

Bosch’s response. In a social media video statement, Mr Nawat said: “If anyone feels bad, uncomfortable, or affected, I apologise to everyone. I especially apologised to the girls who were present, around 75 of them.” The Miss Universe competition has pressed on despite this controversy, with contestants taking part in a welcome event in Bangkok on Wednesday. The winner will be crowned the new Miss Universe on 21 November.

SounDown Festival Returns to Georgetown...

From page 15

South American talent with his technically precise, rhythm-driven approach.

Dakhil said the inaugural edition was sold out with 800 attendees at the Marriott’s terrace venue, proving there’s an appetite for large-scale music events in Guyana. This year’s festival builds on that momentum with what organizers describe as “substantial enhancements” across the board.

“Expect sophisticated lighting arrays and pyrotechnic displays that rival major international festivals. The production upgrades repre-

sent a significant investment in bringing world-class festival experiences to local audiences,” Dakhil revealed, explaining further that the festival grounds will feature installations by regional visual artists, an expanded food village showcasing both Guyanese classics and international cuisine, live art creation throughout the day, interactive sponsor activations, and even designated wellness spaces for when you need a break from the dancefloor.

In a move that sets it apart from typical music festivals, SounDown has partnered

with Fureva Hope Alive Animal Rescue, with a percentage of ticket sales supporting their animal welfare and community rescue operations. It’s a reminder that a good time can also do good. The festival has secured backing from Coke Studio as principal entertainment partner, along with support from Enet, Impressions Design, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, and Jewelz Hotel.

With BPM Guyana already establishing itself through last year’s SounDown and August’s Storm25 event featuring Darude, the organization is

positioning the December festival as the country’s flagship recurring music event, the one date electronic music fans will mark on their calendars every year.

Tickets are available through Potsalt Events, TicketGateway, and EventBrite. For updates, follow @bpmguyana on Instagram.

GWI to spend $175M for new water well at Central Ruimveldt

TheGuyanaWaterInc (GWI)ispreparingto spend approximately $175 million for the drilling of a new water well at Central Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

According to the bids whichopenedonTuesdayat

the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board(NPTAB)office,four contractors have bid for the project.

Two companies bid above the engineer’s estimatewhiletheothertwo bidbelow

Belowarethecompaniesandthebids:

GuyanaWaterInc.

DrillingofB-SandWaterWellatCentral Ruimveldt,Georgetown,RegionFour

MinistryofLocalGovernment andRegionalDevelopment ConsultancyfortheDesignandSupervisionofMulti StoriedModernMarketFacilityatBourdaGreen.

GuyanaNationalBureauofStandards ProcurementofCanterTruckwithCrane.

ProvisionofSecurityServicesfrom January2026toDecember2026.

For Gaza’s fishermen, the sea is their last lifeline after Israel’s war

( A L J A Z E E R A ) -

Surrounded by three walls on a land of ruins, as Israeli bombscontinuetoraindown from the skies, for many in Gaza, the sea remains the only open horizon, a shimmering promise of elusivefreedom.

Its waters, and the fish within them, have long nourished Palestinians cut off from the world, partially easing the pain of Israel’s bombardment, punishing siegeandstarvationpolicies. Targeting a meal for his family, Salem Abu Amira –known to locals as “The Beast” – dives deep beneath the waves Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Alkhalili reports fromGazaCity

“People here call me ‘The Beast’ because I managed to catch a fish that wasmorethanametreanda half[5ft]long.Itisrare–but thetruthisI’vecaughtmany bigfish,”AbuAmiratellsAl Jazeera. Free diving runs in Salem Abu Amira’s blood. Helearnedthecraftfromhis fatheratayoungage–askill passed down through generationsandalifelinefor hisfamily

Before Israel’s war, Gaza’s fishermen sailed far out to sea, where the waters teemed with fish. In 2020, the World Bank estimated that about 18,000 people in Gaza directly depended on fishing for their livelihoods, with an extended effect on more than 110,000 family members.

But Israel’s genocidal wardecimatedthatandtheir lives.

“We can no longer reach the places we used to. Now wecanonlyfishclosetothe shore – where there are no bigfish,”AbuAmirasays.

“Restrictions have been imposed on us since the beginning of the war and continue to this day But I havenosourceoflivelihood. I can’t just sit at home waiting for someone to supportme,”headds.Before the war, Gaza’s fishermen hauled in more than 4,600 tonnes of fish each year, despite the constant risk of being arrested, injured, or killedbyIsraeliforces.

Since the war began, more than two years ago, mostoftheirboatshavebeen destroyed. The Ministry of Agriculture told the United Nationsinareportthatasof December 11, 2024, the Israeli military had killed 200 fishers and their a s s o c i a t e s o u t o f approxi

in the

Gaza’s fishermen prepare their boats before going out to sea [Al Jazeera]

fishingprofession.

Those still trying to cast their nets just metres (some feet) from the shore have come under Israeli fire. In January, Israel declared Gaza’s waters a “no-go zone”, banning fishing, swimming,andanyaccessto the sea. The result has been devastating:Gazahaslost94 percent of its catch, cutting off one of its last remaining sources of food. Fishing, once a vital source of both income and nourishment, hasbeenbroughttoitsknees. “Fishermen are the most exposedtodanger Often,the

occupation forbids them from going to the sea, and free divers cannot get their diving gear – which affects their ability to work in the comingdays,”ZakariaBakr, head of the Fishermen’s CommitteesinGaza,toldAl Jazeera.

After months of displacement, Abu Amira hasreturnedhome–restless, hungry for a catch, and preparing his small boat to venturebackintothewaters.

“TheBeast”willdiveagain, searchingforfishhecansell atthemarket.Forfishermen like him, the sea isn’t just a

workplace, it’s a lifeline. “I amdeterminedtopassonmy professiontomychildren.It is a pleasure and a hobby Fishing relieves stress and provides a source of income,”hesays.

After hours in the water, Salem surfaces with a lucky catch: Several fish and an octopus to feed his family and sell in the market. For Gaza’s fishermen, the struggle is no longer just about survival. It’s about preserving a centuries-old bond with the sea, and holdingontothelastsenseof freedomtheyhaveleft.

Israel ramps up Lebanon strikes as Hezbollah vows to defend itself

(Al Jazeera Staff) The Israeli military says it has launched a wave of air strikestargetingwhatitsays are Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon as Israelescalatesdailyattacks on its northern neighbour in flagrant violation of a oneyear-oldceasefire.

ThebarrageonThursday came soon after a separate Israeliraidtargetedsouthern Lebanon’sTyre district.The Israeli army claimed it hit members of Hezbollah’s construction unit and that it would “continue to operate inordertoremoveanythreat totheterritoryofthestateof Israel”.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency confirmed Israeli raids near the towns of Toura and AabbasiyyehintheTyrearea, and in the southern area of Taybehbutdidnotreportany casualties Inalsoreportedan Israeli warplane flying at a low altitude over Beirut’s southernsuburbs Theattacks come as Hezbollah issued a firmrejectionofanypolitical negotiations with Israel, sayingsuchtalkswould“not serve the national interest”.

The statement followed mounting pressure from the United States and Egypt for Lebanon to begin direct dialoguewithIsrael,theAFP news agency reported Al

Jazeera could not independently verify those claims

“We reaffirm our legitimate right to defend ourselves against an enemy that imposes war on our country and does not cease its attacks,” Hezbollah said, referring to ongoing Israeli air raids despite a ceasefire agreedtoinNovember2024. Lebanon and Israel remain technically at war, withcommunicationlimited to a United Nations-backed monitoring mechanism involving France and the US. The two sides meet separately under UN auspicesbutdonotengagein direct talks Despite reaffirming its commitment to the ceasefire, Hezbollah accused Israel of exploiting Lebanon’sinternaldivisions and continuing its attacks under the pretext of security operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted by the

InternationalCriminalCourt (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, warned last week that Israel could intensify operations in Lebanon DefenceMinisterIsraelKatz echoed the threat, saying, “Maximum enforcement will continue and even intensify–wewillnotallow anythreattotheresidentsof

thenorth.”

Lebanese President JosephAounhascondemned Israel for ramping up its attacks after he signalled willingness to discuss deescalation The Lebanese government, under heavy USpressure,hasorderedthe armytodraftaplantodisarm Hezbollah – a move the groupcondemnedas“hasty”

and dangerous. Get instant alerts and updates based on yourinterests.Bethefirstto know when big stories happen.

Last week, Aoun instructedthearmedforcesto confront any further Israeli incursion in the country’s south after Israeli forces crossed their shared border andkilledamunicipalworker

duringanovernightraid The Lebanese forces, unlike the armedgroupHezbollah,have generally stayed on the sidelines of the conflict with Israel But Aoun, a former commander of the Lebanese army, appeared to have finally lost his patience with the Israeli-enforced status quo

Sincetheceasefire,Israel hasmaintainedtroopsinfive areas in southern Lebanon andcarriedoutregularstrikes it claims target Hezbollah positions The situation remainsvolatilenearlyayear after Israel assassinated Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024, decimating much of the group’s senior leadership Under the ceasefire terms, Lebanon’s army is tasked with disarming Hezbollah in the south by the end of the year beforeexpandingoperations nationwide Hezbollah insists Israel is exploiting thisprocesstotightenitsgrip on Lebanese territory and refuses to disarm as long as Israel continues its attacks and occupation of Lebanese territory.

Nancy Pelosi announces she will not seek reelection to Congress after nearly 40 years in Washington

(CNN) - Nancy Pelosi, the first and only female speaker of the US House of Representatives and one of themostpowerfulfiguresin Democratic politics for decades, has announced she willnotseekreelection.

“I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress,andIhavealways honored the song of St. Francis, ‘Lord make an instrumentofthypeace,’the anthemofourcity

That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, tobethefirsttoknow Iwill not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Pelosi, 85, said Thursday in a sweeping video that stood as a love letter to the city she has represented for nearly 40 yearsinWashington.

“With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final yearofserviceasyourproud representative. As we go forward, my message to the

city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power We have made history We have made progress. We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our Democracy and fighting for the American idealsweholddear.”

The announcement ends heightened speculation in recentdaysthatthelongtime Democrat would soon announce her intention to draw her congressional career to a close after 38 years.

She was widely expected to leave Congress after this term, her first in decades as a rank-and-file member

Reflecting on her many roles on Capitol Hill, Pelosi said Thursday: “I say to my colleagues in the House all of the time, no matter what titletheyhadbestowedupon

me–speaker,leader,whip–there has been no greater honour for me than to stand on the House floor and say, ‘I speak for the people of SanFrancisco.’”

Pelosi was first elected to Congress in 1987, and madehistoryastheHouse’s first-ever female speaker in 2007. She remains the only woman to have wielded the gavel, which she earned after the 2006 and 2018 elections.

Even now, decades after her ascent to the top of the House Democratic caucus, sheremainsoneofthemost influential voices in the party

The congresswoman made public her decision to retire two days after one of her biggest political victories in recent years: a resounding win for a ballot measure in California that redraws the state’s congressional map to favor

Democrats ahead of the 2026midtermelections.She personally raised tens of millions of dollars for the push, according to a person familiar with her fundraisingefforts.

While Pelosi herself wasn’t on the ballot Tuesday, it was a fitting closing coda to a storied politicalcareer

T h e l o n g - t i m e Democratic leader has devoted her recent years in Congress—bothasspeaker and as a rank-and-file member to fighting President Donald Trump and his remake of the Republican Party In recent months, she worked furiously behind the scenes with her longtime friend, Gov Gavin Newsom, to pass “Proposition 50,” whichwonwithawhopping 63%ofthevote.

Raised in Baltimore’s Little Italy neighbourhood,

Pelosi grew up walking the halls of the Capitol, where her father served as a US congressman from Maryland.

The daughter of one former city mayor and the sister of another, her colleagues have often attributedthatupbringingto hersharpnegotiatingtactics andfiercenessinpolitics.

She held an iron grip overDemocratsinCongress — almost never losing a vote on the floor, which has been a regular occurrence undertheHouseGOP—and used old-school tactics to keep that power, including exacting revenge on her rivals by blocking them from powerful committees. She never once faced a serious challenger in her timeasspeaker

(Behind the scenes, she encouraged endangered Democratstorunagainsther publiclyiftheyneededtodo

so to win favor at home, tellingthem:“Justwin.”)

Two years after Pelosi stepped back from House Democratic leadership under pressure to let the younger generation in the party lead, the longtime congresswoman is still widely regarded as one of the most powerful speakers inmodernhistory

Inhersecondtermwith the gavel, Pelosi presided over historic clashes with Tr u m p , i n c l u d i n g congressional oversight battles that twice escalated to the level of a rare House impeachment against a US president.

In one of her most infamous moments of Trump’s first term, Pelosi tore up a copy of the president’s State of the Union speech to Congress while sitting behind him during the nationally televisedaddress.

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

Oil wealth, empty pockets

Guyana is pumping record oil— 246 million barrels expected this year, yet the majority of citizens remain trapped in grinding struggle.

Every headline about booming production and billions in projected earnings only sharpens the contrast with the bitter reality on the ground: oil wealth for the few, anxiety for the many.

A nation producing a quarter-billion barrels annually at high prices should see its citizens thrive. Instead, a tiny ruling-connected elite soars to super-wealth while ordinary Guyanese stretch every dollar to keep food on the table and electricity on. It is a cruel paradox: the richer the wells get the poorer daily life feels.

Falling oil prices now threaten even the limited relief promised — pensions, social support, better services. If this is how life looks in the boom, what happens in the downturn?

Guyana has the resources to change every life for the better. What it lacks is the political courage to ensure oil lifts the nation — not just the privileged one percent.

UKmountsbigsecurityoperationbefore

VillaplayIsrael’sMaccabi

R

e

u t e r sBIRMINGHAM, England, (Reuters) - British police were mounting a large operation with 700 officers topreventtroubleinthecity ofBirminghamonThursday where Aston Villa were to play Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuropaLeague.

WithIsraelisportsteams a focus for pro-Palestinian protests during the Gaza conflict and Villa initially saying away fans would be barred on police advice, Maccabi reluctantly opted not to accept tickets for visitingsupporters.

Despite that, proPalestinian groups were

planning to stage protests while there have been some calls on social media for counter-demonstrations.

West Midlands police said there would be a big policepresenceinthecentre ofBirmingham,whichhasa large Muslim population, andaroundthestadium.

“We know protests by

Friday November 07, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Youshouldenjoytheintense energy of today, Aries. The mud is finally beginning to clearaway Exposethetruthin every issue and get ready for the gremlins that may be unearthed.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Todaymarksthebeginningof a new cycle for you, Taurus. Collect and consolidate your recent ideas and focus them outwardly The time is right foryoutoact.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Take a cold shower to jumpstart yourself today, Gemini. It'sfineifyoulazearoundabit in the morning, but by evening, you should be working at full capacity. You will be called into action whetheryouwanttobeornot.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Today may start out sluggish foryou,Cancer,butbytheend of the day the energy will move fast and furious. Your thoughts will be buzzing around your head like bees aroundahive.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Enjoythecalmmorning,Leo, because things are going to getcrazierandmoreenergetic as the day goes on. Emotions willrunhigh,andpeoplewill be more opinionated than usual.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

You will experience an intense amount of energy today,Virgo.Yourdreamstate willbemoreactivethanusual, and you will find that people aredrawntoyoulikemothsto light.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

It's time to get up and get moving, Libra You have tremendous ideas and vision forthefuture.Youhaveallthe informationyouneed.Nowall youhavetodoisact.Stepupto the plate and hit one over the fence.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Theearlypartofthedaymight find you sluggish and indecisive, Scorpio, but later youshouldbepsychedupand ready to go. Today marks the beginning of a new period in which you should set your ideasinmotion.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Today's energies will get progressively more intense as the day goes on In the morning, you may be in an easygoing, dreamy state, Sagittarius.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

For the past several weeks you've felt like you've been dragging your heels, Capricorn Decisions may have been hard to make and people may have seemed wishy-washy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) The morning might find you sitting like a stick in the mud, Aquarius. People might begettingdownonyoufornot contributing, but tell them to bepatient.Youwillberaringto gobynightfall.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar 20)

Things are moving your way, Pisces.As the day progresses, you will find that the energy intensifies.Conflictsmayarise nearsundown,butdon'tworry aboutittoomuch.

different groups will take place on the day, and we have plans in place which balance the right to protest with our duty to protect all

c o m m u n i t i e s i n

Birmingham, ” Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce said.

“Peoplenotattendingthe event should expect significant disruption to the roads in the area on the evening, and we’d urge people to avoid the area wherepossible.”

PASTVIOLENCE

Last November, more than60peoplewerearrested in Amsterdam after clashes around a match between MaccabiandAjax.

Police said anti-Israeli gangs on scooters chased and beat Maccabi fans Fivepeopleweretreatedin hospital

Video verified by Reuters showed Maccabi fans in the days before the game chanting anti-Arab slogans Police said Maccabisupportersburned a Palestinian flag, pulled down another and vandalisedataxi.Themayor latersaidshewouldnothost Maccabiagain.

Britain has witnessed a sharp rise in antisemitism

in recent years and two Jewish worshippers died during an attack on a synagoguelastmonth

The initial decision to bar Maccabi fans from the

to keep its

away given the “toxic atmosphere ”

Petra launches 2025 MVP Sports

Girls’ Under-11

The Petra Organisation, in collaboration with MVP Sports, has officially launchedthe2025editionof theGirls’Under-11Schools’ Football Tournament, a vibrantplatformdesignedto empower young female footballers and strengthen grassroots development acrossGuyana.

T h e s i m p l e b u t significant sponsorship presentation was held yesterday, Thursday at the MVPSportsstoreinGiftland Mall, where Petra CoDirectorTroyMendoncaand MVP Sports CEO Ian Ramdeo unveiled details of theupcomingcompetition.

The tournament is set to kickoffonNovember15and will run untilDecember7 at the Ministry of Education Ground, featuring sixteen

primary school teams. Over the four-week period, these talented young athletes will compete for a place in the ultimate Girls’ Under-11

$100,000 to $75,000 worth of equipment for the top teams, as well as individual awards for Best Goalkeeper andHighestGoalScorer

Speaking at the launch, TroyMendoncaemphasized thetournament’svitalrolein providing consistent opportunitiesforyounggirls to participate in organised football.

“We’ve se

he directionfemalefootballhas been heading, both at the CONCACAF level down to the GFA level,” Mendonca said. “Over the years, girls’ football hasn’t attracted the

Football Tournament

kindofsupportittrulyneeds. With MVP Sports’ backing, we’ve been able to host a steadily growing Under-11 tournament but there’s still so much potential to be realized.We’recommittedto ensuringtheseyoungplayers have a safe and supportive environment to showcase theirtalent.”

DallasCowboys’ Kneelanddiesaged24

BBC Sport - Dallas Cowboysdefensivelineman Marshawn Kneeland has diedaged24.

Kneelandwasdraftedby the Cowboys in the second roundin2024andplayed18 timesfortheteam,including fourstarts.

F r i s c o P o l i c e Department in Texas said Kneeland appeared to have taken his own life after a vehicle pursuit and multia g e n c y s e a r c h o n Wednesdaynight.

A police statement said he had crashed his car and thenfledonfoot.

Officers were informed Kneeland had “expressed suicidal intentions” before he was found dead at 01:31 localtimeonThursday

Acause of death will be confirmed by the Collin CountyMedicalExaminer’s Office.

The Dallas Cowboys said: “Marshawn was a beloved teammate and

Marshawn Kneeland was the 56th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. (Getty Images)

memberofourorganisation.

“Our thoughts and prayersregardingMarshawn are with his girlfriend Catalinaandhisfamily.”

Kneeland’s agent, Jonathan Perzley, said his “heartaches”forthedeathof a player who “poured his heart”intoeverymoment.

“I watched him fight his way from a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream to being a respected

Mendonca also noted that Petra recently completed child-protection training for coaches, ensuring that participants benefit from a secure and developmental atmosphere throughoutthetournament.

E c h o i n g t h i s commitment, MVP Sports CEOIanRamdeoreaffirmed

his company’s passion for a d v a n c i n g f e m a l e participationinsports.

“This is our third or fourth year sponsoring this tournament, and we’ve seen firsthandhowmuchitmeans to these young athletes,” Ramdeo said. “Guyana has incredibletalentbutwhatwe need more of, are opportunities for these players. Local tournaments like this one are stepping stones toward regional and even international competition.Theyhelpbuild better athletes, stronger teams, and more confident individuals.”

professional for the Dallas Cowboys,”Perzleysaid.

Kneelandscoredhisfirst touchdown in Tuesday’s defeat by the Arizona

Cardinals when he recoveredablockedpunt.

He was selected by Dallas with the 56th overall pick of the 2024 draft after playing college football for WesternMichigan.

The NFL said it is “deeplysaddened”.

RamdeoaddedthatMVP Sportsremainscommittedto supporting the Petra Organisation’s broader initiatives, emphasizing that tournamentslikethisarekey to fostering teamwork, communication, and personal growth among youngplayers. Meanwhile, with the successful conclusion of the Boys’ edition last weekend, thespotlightnowturnstothe girls The tournament continues to see remarkable growth, nearly doubling in participation since its inception, a testament to the expanding enthusiasm for femalefootballinGuyana.

Asthecountdownbegins to November 15, both Petra and MVP Sports are optimistic that this year’s eventwillnotonlyhighlight theskillandspiritofthenext generation of female footballersbutalsocontinue to strengthen the foundation for women’s sports developmentnationwide.

A win, a new home and tears:

Novak Djokovic marks Greece’s tennis comeback with victory

ATHENS, Greece (AP)

— Novak Djokovic battled through a tough opening set before pulling away to defeat Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 7-6 (3), 6-1 at the Hellenic Championship on Tuesday, the first top-tier tournamentheldinGreecein morethan30years.

Both players held their serve under pressure in the firstsetuntilDjokovicedged out the tiebreaker The momentum shifted in the second set, where the top seed brokeTabilo twice and completed the match in just over90minutes.

Djokovic’s win secured him a spot in the quarterfinals at theATP250 event, as elite-level tennis returned to Greece for the first time since 1994. The Telekom Center crowd in Athens offered constant support for the 38-year-old Serb, who moved with his family toAthens earlier this year

“Itfeelsreallylikehome playing in Athens, ”

Djokovicsaidinanon-court interview “More than recognition for my tennis achievements, I felt that

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a shot against Alejandro Tabilo of Chile during the ATP tournament round of 16 tennis match, in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.

(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

people here approached me in a friendly and humane way, and that touched my heart.”

Djokovic had lost his pasttwoencounterswiththe 28-year-old Tabilo and told the crowd: “I’m thrilled to getthroughtonight.Iplayed againstTabiloandI’venever won against him, so I was more under tension before the match than I would be beforesomeothers.”

Djokovicwasbroughtto

tears while watching a tribute video for Croatian tennis great Nikola Pilic, who died earlier this year

Djokovic had trained at Pilic’s academy as a teenager

“Hewasmorethanjusta mentor and a coach to me,”

Djokovic told the crowd.

“He was part of my family — to me and my brothers. He helped so much I definitely wouldn’t be here withouthim.”

Enduring Greatness: Guyana’s Finest

Reflect on Yet Another Brava Open Crown

The 2025 Brava Guyana Open came to a memorable close as two of Guyana’s golfing icons, Avinash Persaud and Christine Sukhram, reflected on their continued dominance and the deeper meaning behind their latest triumphs at the nation’s most prestigious golftournament.

Both champions, who have become synonymous with excellence at the Lusignan Golf Club, spoke passionately about faith, perseverance,andthelasting impacttheyhopetoleaveon the sport and its future players. “It’s incredible. It’s justamazing,”saidChristine Sukhram, smiling as she spoketoreporters.“Istarted offnotsowellyesterday,but I just kept going. I had faith and hope that better days were ahead. To win here at my home club, in my country, I’m so proud of myself and grateful for the supportaroundme.Theclub

has supported me tremendously, and I’m happytobeherecelebrating thisvictory.”

Sukhram, who began playinggolfatagesixunder the guidance of her late father, reflected on the emotional significance of

the moment. “He was my mentorandcoach.Iknowhe would have been proud. My mom keeps me motivated, shealwaystellsmetogoout, have fun, and play my normal game. This tournament means a lot because it’s our national

championship,andIhopeto be a role model to young girls who can one day stand here as I am and achieve evengreaterthings.”

Avinash Persaud, who also continued his recordsetting form, shared gratitude for his sponsors

and reflected on the challenges of the tournament “I’d like to thank my sponsor, Crown Builders and Logistics, for believing in me and their continued support,” Persaud said. “After coming off a strong performance in

Suriname two weeks ago, I really wanted to bring my best to this event The competition was intense — players from Suriname and Canada pushed hard, but I wasdeterminedtofightback afterbeingfiveshotsbehind onthefirstday.”

Persaud also took the opportunity to call for greater investment in local golf. “Golf is an individual sport, and while team sports oftenreceivemoreattention, we need corporate support for events like this. The talent is here; we just need the resources to help it grow.”

Their victories, marked not just by skill but by enduringpassion,onceagain underscored the strength of Guyana’sgolflegacy Asthe sun set over the Lusignan GolfClub,bothPersaudand Sukhram stood as living symbols of excellence, resilience, and national pride.

Sabalenka beats Gauff to reach WTA Finals last four

BBC Sport - Aryna

Sabalenka roared past Coco Gauff to avenge her French Openfinaldefeatandsecure her place in the WTAFinals last four alongside Jessica Pegula.

Sabalenka, Gauff and PegulawentintoThursday’s matches in Riyadh knowing only two of them would progress from the Stefanie GrafGroup.

AmericanPegulawon62 6-3 against alreadyeliminated Jasmine Paolini, meaning a straight-set win for defending champion Gauff would have knocked world number one Sabalenkaout.

Gauff also had the statisticaledge,havingcome out on top in their previous meetingatRolandGarrosin June - with Sabalenka puttinginaperformanceshe laterdescribedasthe“worst finalIeverplayed”.

Sabalenka was wayward atthestartbutralliedtobeat the American 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 and top the group with a 100%record.

She will play Amanda Anisimova on Friday in a repeat of September’s US

Open final, which Belarusian Sabalenka won,

while Pegula takes on Elena Rybakina.

“We always have great battles It’s enjoyable playingagainstherbecauseI knowit’sgoingtobeagreat fight,” Sabalenka, 27, told SkySports.

“Whenever I focus on myselfandwhatIhavetodo, without getting overemotionalandjuststayingin the zone - that’s the key for me.”

Gauff’s exit means there is guaranteed to be a firsttime WTA Finals champion on Saturday Sabalenka maintains perfect record French Open champion

Gauff did not do too much wrongintheopeningsetbut Sabalenka excels in tiebreaks,havingwon22ofthe 24 breakers she has played this year Gauff’s serve, which has been problematic in recent times, held up extremelywellinthefirstset -with72%offirstservesin, 62% of first-serve points won and 70% of points won behindhersecondserve. However, she failed to serveouttheopenerat5-4up before her first double fault ofthematchgiftedfour-time major singles champion Sabalenka two set points in the tie-break. On the other

side of the net, Sabalenka demonstrated the full range of emotions as she twice battled back from a break down; frustration after several points lost, despair after sending a backhand volley wide during the tiebreakandthencelebrationas she thrashed a powerful forehandwinnertoclinchit.

Sabalenka quickly moved 4-0 up in the second and, despite briefly giving backoneofhertwobreaksof serve,sheservedoutvictory to stay on course for a first WTAFinalstitle.

Sabalenka is into the semi-finals for a fourth

successiveyearbuthasonly reachedthefinalonce,losing toCarolineGarciain2022.

‘Not many negative notes’forPegula

An unwell Paolini, who has not had a rest day in Riyadh because of her participation in the doubles tournamentwithSaraErrani, battled hard against Pegula but the 2024 US Open finalist was ultimately too strong.Pegulabroketwicein both sets as she wrapped up victoryinjust63minutes.

Paolini could not make any inroads in her returning games, with 2023 WTA Finals runner-up Pegula winning 33 of 41 points on her own serve and facing

onlyonebreakpoint.

“I served really well, played solid and was aggressivewhenIneededto be,” the 31-year-old said. “There weren’t many negativenotes.” In the doubles, Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani securedtheirsemi-finalspot with a 2-6 7-5 10-5 victory a

Routliffe.

Katerina Siniakova and TaylorTownsend,whowere already guaranteed to progress from the Liezel Huber Group, later beat Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider6-26-4.

India beat Australia by 48 runs for 2-1 lead in T20 series

Al Jazeera - India’s spinnersledthewaywiththe ballasthevisitorstooka2-1 lead in their Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket series againstAustralia with a 48-run demolition of the home side on Queensland’s GoldCoast.

After losing the toss and being sent in to bat on Thursday, India reached 167-8thankstoawell-made 46 from Shubman Gill and useful contributions from Abhishek Sharma (28) and ShivamDube(22).

The world champions’ spin bowlers then took centre stage, bundling Australia out for 119, with off-spinner Washington Sundar taking 3-3 in just eight balls to finish off the match.

“There was a little bit of dew, but they adapted really quickly

“I think the combination [of our bowlers] suits us really well and bowling a side out is what we want fromthem,”hesaid.

India had looked like reaching an imposing score when openersAbhishek and Gill took on the Australian attackintheearlyovers.

88-2. Ellis claimed his secondwhenhebowledGill, withIndia121-3.

Any chance of a really big score disappeared four runs later when Yadav was caught on the boundary for 20,andtherestofthebatting fellaway Australianopeners Marsh (30) and Matthew Short (25) made a bright start,butIndianbowlerskept chipping away, snaring wickets at key moments to takecontrol.

“I thought 167 was par on that wicket,” Australian captainMitchellMarshsaid.

“But batting was pretty hard – we had a few partnerships, but we just couldn’t get the big one that would give us momentum going into the back end of the innings.” India would

Quinton

de

have gone into the innings break hoping for a bigger score than 167, but the total proved too much for the Australians, who started brightly but fell away alarmingly after reaching 67-1 in the ninth over The

Kock’s

comeback century helps South Africa level series

ESPNcricinfo - Quinton de Kock scored the first hundred since his international comeback, and 22ndoverall,asSouthAfrica drew level in the ODI series against Pakistan. Tony de Zorzi and de Kock shared a 153-run second-wicket stand, which followed de Kock and Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ 81-run opening partnership. They only lost two wickets, as de Kock completed the chase of 270 with 59 balls to spare, in Matthew Breetzke’s company SouthAfrica batted with fluency and flair, both of which were absent from the Pakistan line-up after they chose to bat first. Though half-centuries from Saim

Ayub and Salman Agha set Pakistanupwell,theirstrike rates of 80.30 and 65.09 meant the going was slow going throughout their innings Mohammad Nawaz’s career-best run-aball59eventuallytookthem over250-to269. Nawaz’s individual achievement was one of three in the first half of the match. South Africa’s leftarm seamer Nandre Burger and legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter, who both sat out the first game, bagged careerbestfiguresof4for46and3 for 55 respectively They were well supported by disciplined efforts from Corbin Bosch, Donovan Ferreira and Bjorn Fortuin, who all conceded at under

six runs an over While Pakistan made batting look tough, South Africa found the flow with their lefthanded opening pair of Pretorius and de Kock Pretorius enjoyed the bulk of thestrikeinthefirstfourovers, andhitthreefoursoffNaseem Shahinthesecond,beforede Kockhithisfirstshotofintent

He punched a short, wide Afridiballthroughthecovers forfour Pretoriusshouldhave been out in the next over, but Naseenspilledareturnchance and Pretorius made Pakistan pay

Scores:SouthAfrica270 for 2 (de Kock 123*, de Zorzi76,Ashreef1-40)beat Pakistan269for9(Agha69, Nawaz 59, Burger 4-46) by eightwickets.

visitors will now head to Brisbane on Sunday, hoping to clinch the five-match seriesaftertheopeninggame inCanberrawaswashedout.

“I think the bowlers did really well,” India’s captain SuryakumarYadavsaid.

Thepairputon56offjust 6.4 overs with little trouble before Abhishek, who had smashed a huge six off legspinner Adam Zampa two balls earlier, tried a second time only to be caught by Tim David on the long-on boundary Dube joined Gill andcontinuedtoscorefreely againstZampa,buthefound the pace bowling harder to handle and was bowled by Nathan Ellis to leave India

India won the thirdT20I by five wickets, and Australiawonthesecondby four wickets, while the opening match of the series wasabandonedduetorain.

Scores: India 167 for 8 (Gill 46, Ellis 3-21, Zampa 3-45) beat Australia 119 (Marsh 30, Washington 3-3, Axar2-20,Dube2-20)by48 runs.

Pakistan fast bowlerRauf banned for2 matches forviolating ICC code of conduct inAsia Cup

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The ICC onTuesdaybannedPakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf for twomatchesforviolatingits code of conduct during Twenty20 games against IndiaintheAsiaCup.

ThebanmeansRaufwill be eligible only for the third game of the ODI series against South Africa at FaisalabadonSaturday

Rauf accumulated four demerit points from two separate offenses during Pakistan’s games against archrival India on Sept. 14 andSept.28.

The ICC said in a statementthatRaufbreached the article that concerns bringing the game into disrepute.

Rauf didn’t accept the charge on both occasions andafterformalhearingsthe sanctionswerehandedout.If a player accumulates four demerit points within a 24month period, a two-match suspension automatically comesintoeffect.

Subsequently, Rauf missed out the opening ODI ofthree-matchseriesagainst South Africa on Tuesday, which Pakistan narrowly wonbytwowickets.

The strained political relations between the two South Asian neighboring countriessawIndianplayers refusingtoshakehandswith

Pakistan’s Haris Rauf

Pakistan players during all the three Asia Cup games, that included a no handshakesatthetoss.

In the other sanctions, Pakistan opening batter Sahibzada Farhan received anofficialwarningandalsoa demerit point for an offense during Asia Cup game againstIndiaonSept.14.

IndianfastbowlerJasprit Bumrah was also handed a similar punishment for his breach of ICC code of conduct during the final againstIndia.

I n d i a n c a p t a i n Suryakumar Yadav, who made a political comment after India beat Pakistan on Sept. 14, was fined 30% of his match fee and received

twodemeritpoints. Pakistan captain Salman AliAghahadsaidthatIndian players’ gesture of no handshake was not in the spiritofthegame,butYadav had defended his team’s decision,sayingsomethings were “bigger than sportsman’sspirit.” Pakistan had blamed match refereeAndy Pycroft ofZimbabweforbarringthe playersfromshakinghands. That led Pakistan nearly p

eventually went ahead with its group game against the United Arab Emirates after more than an hour’s delay whenitclaimedPycrofthad apologized

TwomorematchesconcludeatDillonHeyliger -sponsoredCricketAcademyinEssequibo

Twomorematches concluded on Sunday at the Dillon Heyliger-sponsored Cricket Academy at Suddie ground, Essequibo Coast, Region 2 (PomeroonSupenaam) under the tutelage of veteran Coach ForbesDaniels.

On Saturday, Royden Morris (Reds) emerged victorious over Daniel Dass (Blues) by seven wickets while the next day, rain forced the abandonment when that fixture was at the half-waystage.

The young cricketers, mainly of Under-13, 15 and 19 ages, had an opportunity toshowcasetheirtalentwith four games from two weekendsaswell.

Blues took first strike at the invitation of Reds and only managed 133-8 from the reduced 30-overs, while Reds surpassed the target in the27thover

The reduction of the overswasduetorain.

Justin Dowlin led the chase successfully with an unbeaten 59, an innings characterized with six fours and a six, while Shazim Basheercontributedahandy 46.

Earlier, Essequibo Under-13skipperDeMarcus Thomas top-scored with 32 andapatient26fromZaheer Ramkissoon, a current Essequibo Inter-County Under-15Captain.

Dennis Crossman claimed two wickets for 15

runs from five off-break overs on a pitch with preparationsmoisture.

Thenextday,Redspiled upacompetitive147-9from the reduced 22-overs and Blues were comfortably placed at 87-3 in the 13th over when rain intervened and ultimately halted proceedings.

Shazim Basheer and Shahab Teekram scored 24 and 21 respectively after their team won the toss and optedtotakefirstknock.

JoushaPetersgrabbed215 (04) to be the most outstanding bowler for the Bluescombination.

When Blues batted, former Guyana Under-15 player Zandon Rose hit a

stroke-filled,unbeaten44.

Meanwhile, Daniels expressed satisfaction with the four matches despite adverseweatheraffectedthe lasttwogames.

According to the former Essequibo Senior InterCounty player and Coach, the youths played competitive cricket coupled with their eagerness and passion.

Daniels acknowledged the support of Heyliger, a Canada-based Guyanese for his support, sponsoring the four encounters for the young,aspiringcricketers.

The 36-y

far represented Canada at the International level already

attiring in the country’s colours for 23 one-days and 56T20s.

Additionally, the versatile all-rounder Heyliger played for Essequibo at various levels and Guyana youth team beforehismigrationtoNorth America.

Reflected on what had transpired during these four games, Daniels was pleased with the youngsters who performed well in both departmentsofthegame.

“I [am] generally satisfied with the players’ over all performances; they competed well and played hard cricket, and I must expressmysincerethanksto Heyliger to come on Board

Georgetown Turf Club to host a grand One-Day Gymkhana Horse Racing event on November 16

The Georgetown Turf Club (GTC) will come alive once again on Sunday, November 16, 2025, when the Mocha Arcadia track hosts a Grand One-Day Gymkhana Horse Racing Event.

The event is set to get underwayfrom1:00PM,all eyes will be on the starting gatesasanexcitinglineupof horses and jockeys prepare to thrill crowds with topclassaction.

The day’s card promises aspiritedmixoffreshhorses and seasoned jockeys competing across several categories, including the J&K Open, L-Open, Guyana-Bred 2-Year-Old Maiden, and Unclassified events.

Amongthoseexpectedto take to the track are crowd favourites Top Ranking, GloryQueen,Nitro,Damage Control, World Boss, Kiss, andmanyothers. Fans are encouraged to

comeoutintheirnumbersto “ExperiencetheThrillatthe GeorgetownTurfClub!”

Admission is set at $1,000 for adults and $500 for children, with attractive prizesupforgrabsacrossall categories.

Registrations remain open at the GTC until Saturday,November15

Compton Sancho, a member of the organising

t e a m , s h a r e d h i s excitement for the upcoming event: “We’re

bringingtheenergybackto the Turf Club, it’s going to be a day full of speed,

e x c i t e m e n t , a n d communityspirit

Whether you’re a racing enthusiastorjustlookingfor great entertainment, this is theplacetobe.”

So,saddleupforadayof fast-paced fun and family

entertainment as the Georgetown Turf Club once again proves why it remains the heart of local horse racing.

bringing great smiles to theseyoungplayers,”the64year-oldDanielsmentioned.

The same set of players are being coached by Daniels on a regular basis, fourtimesper-a-week.

Daniels stated that the guys will continue to attend his Cricket Academy and learnthefundamentalsatthe samefacility

Over the years, Daniels has been hosting coaching clinics with players coming from Pomeroon and Wakenaamalongwithmany fromtheRegion.

Importantly, the players are showing improvements in every facet of their game. Daniels said the attendance might not be that great but this bunch of young cricketerswhoaredreaming toplayatthehighestlevelis certainly buoyant and willing to enhance the

qualityoftheirgame. He commented that he will work with them very hard and assiduously to see them play for Essequibo, G u y a n a a n d m o r e prestigiouslyWestIndies.

Theyhavebeenanalyzed whileplayingatclubcricket too.

He is calling on the businesssectortosupportor emulateHeyliger On Sunday, Junior Minister of Sports Steven Jacobs witnessed the final practice-match session during a visit at the ground and was impressed with the way things were planned and executedbyDaniels.

During these cricket matches, Daniels was assisted by popular Level umpires Daniel Dass and R o y d e n M o r r i s (RavendraMadholall)

Chapman stars as New Zealand...

Frompage34 made 39 runs from four previous T20I innings duringthishomeseason.

Chapman finally miscuedstraightintheairin the17thoverbeforeSantner again showed off his bighitting at the death as he finished off the innings in stylewithasix. Forde backs up, Hosein heldback

There was intrigue over how Forde would pull up fromgameonehavingmade asuccessfulcomebackfrom ashoulderinjury Heonceagainperformed

exceptionally well with the new ball to prove he’s well and truly fit and firing having not played competitive cricket before thistoursinceJuly.

Forde bowled three overs on the trot in the first game before being hammered in his final over by Santner at the death. Captain Shai Hope decided to bowl Forde out and the gamble worked when he once again knocked over Conway with an almost identical delivery from the first game that seamed in wickedly

Chelsea say players racially abused in academy game

BBC Sport - Chelsea have condemned alleged racistabusefromatleastone Qarabag supporter in an academy match in Azerbaijan.

Striker Sol Gordon, 17, opened the scoring in the 57th minute at the Azersun Stadium in Baku and celebrated the goal in proximity to a section of fans, who ran down to confront the players in the sparselyattendedmatch.

Eyewitnesses told BBC Sport that they saw and heardmonkeygestures.

The match was stopped for a few minutes as players complained to Ukrainian referee Dmytro Kubriak, with coaching staff, includingheadcoachCalum McFarlane, involved in the discussions.

Mheuka and Frankie Runhamsealedvictory In a statement, Chelsea said: “We are aware of an incidentduringtoday’sUefa Youth League match in Azerbaijan in which, after scoring, a number of our players were subjected to racist abuse from an individualinthecrowd.

“Racismandallformsof discriminatory behaviour arecompletelyunacceptable andhavenoplaceinfootball or indeed in society We strongly condemn the actions of the individual

It appeared as if Chelsea might stop playing the match, but they continued after the stoppage and won 5-0. Winger Jesse Derry, who was booked for celebrating in front of the home supporters in a provocative manner, scored twice, as substitutes Shim

responsible “Our players have the full support of everyoneattheclub,andwe have raised the incident immediately with the Uefa match delegate and home club: We expect this matter to be investigated fully under Uefa’s disciplinary procedures. “We are proud of the way our players and staff responded to the incidentonthepitch,swiftly reporting it to the referee, and commend those for dealing with the matter professionally and appropriately in line with Uefaprotocols.

AQarabagspokesperson quickly moved to say “sorry”, expressing their surprise at the incident, saying it “doesn’t represent the values of the club”, promising to investigate it “thoroughly”induecourse.

Uefa’s disciplinary body will respond to the referee’s report before making any decisions.

Chelsea are now top of theYouth League table with fourwinsfromfourmatches.

can be seen behind the goal.

Chapman stars as New Zealand survive West Indies scare to level series

ESPNcricinfo - Mark Chapman bludgeoned 78 off 28 balls before New Zealand survived a late onslaught to record their first T20I victory of the home season in a bounce back againstWest Indies at EdenPark.

West Indies were down andoutinthe208-runchase at93for6inthe13thover They needed 18 an over from there but the required rate suddenly nosedived as Rovman Powell launched stunning hitting at the death.

Needing16runsoffthe finalover,WestIndieswere suddenly in the box seat after a couple of Matthew Forde boundaries meant they required eight off four balls.

ButPowellholedoutto quickKyleJamiesononthe fourth ball in a gamechangerbeforeFordecould only score a single off the finaldeliveryasWestIndies fellthreerunsshort.

Jamiesonheldhisnerve withasuperbslowerballin a major relief for New Zealand, who were under pressure after a seven-run defeat in the series-opener at the same ground just 24 hoursearlier

After New Zealand were sent in to bat, Chapmanignitedhissidein favourable batting conditions and completely dominatedthemiddle-latter overs with a slew of belligerentblows.

While chasing, West Indies succumbed to

spinnersIshSodhi,theonly change from either team from game one, and M i t c h e l l S a n t n e r combiningforsixwickets.

There was a late twist but the result snapped the West Indies’ five-game T20Iwinningstreak.

DRS was used in this matchaftertechnicalissues meantthetechnologycould not be in place for the opener Chapman ignites New Zealand

There was pressure on New Zealand’s batting order after a meek effort in the series-opener, where only incredible late hitting from Santner got them close.

D e v o n C o n w a y struggled to get going but didhelplayaplatformwith a 55-run opening partnership with Tim R o b i n s o n , w h o s e premeditated ramps knocked the seamers off theirlengths.

But New Zealand were onlymodestlyplacedat59 for2intheninthoverafter Robinson’s dismissal Chapman had a sighter before launching in the 13rd over, whacking Romario Shepherd for a trioofsixes.

He was on a roll, finding gaps with a mixture of timing and powertorecorda19-aball half-century-thefastestin his T20I career It was a welcomereturntoformfor Chapman,whohadonly

(Continued on page 33)

Lovell hits four for Saints, as Munroe lead

Nat’ O-40 to easy win win

DFort goalkeeper

ay two of the B o u n t y Supermarket National Indoor Hockey Championship delivered another round of excitement on Wednesday, as GCC Spare Parts, National Over40,GCCVintage,andSaints each recorded key victories to strengthen their positions ahead of the knockout stages.

Parts.

Despitetakinga2–1lead just before halftime through field goals from Michael

After an action-packed opening day, the Hikers continued to struggle in the Men’s Division II category, falling 3–2 to GCC Spare

Payne and Deheron Wilkinson, the Hikers were unabletoholdon.

A determined GCC side stormed back with goals

UFC meets with FBI over ‘weird betting’ on fight

BBC Sport - UFC

president Dana White says hehasmetwiththeFBIover allegedly suspicious betting activity on a fight at UFC Vegas110.

Featherweight Isaac Dulgarian was expected to beat underdog Yadier del ValleatSaturday’seventbut lostinthefirstround.

That came after betting integrity company IC360 had alerted the UFC to a number of large bets being placedonthefight.

“Literally, the first thing we did was call the FBI,” WhitetoldTMZ,external.

White said he met with thelawenforcementagency twice on Tuesday over the matter BBC Sport has contacted Dulgarian for comment. His coach has denied any involvement in anygamblingallegations.

“We called the fighter and his lawyer and said, what’s going on? There’s some weird betting action going on in your fight,” Whitesaid.

“Are you injured? Do you owe anybody money? Has anybody approached

Dulgarian lost to Del Valle in the first round to a rear-naked choke submission. (Getty Images)

you? The kid said, ‘No, absolutely not. I’m going to kill this guy’. So we said OK.

“The fight plays outand first-round finish by rear-naked choke. Literally, the first thing we did was calltheFBI.”

Betting company Caesars Sportsbook announced it would refund betsonthefightshortlyafter itended.

Earlier this week, the UFC issued a statement saying it was “conducting a thoroughreviewofthefacts surrounding the Dulgarian vs del Valle bout on Saturday”.

“We take these allegations very seriously

and along with the health and safety of our fighters, nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport,”thestatementadded.

Dulgarian’s coach Marc Montoya has denied any knowledge of foul play aroundthefight.

“We have nothing to do with any of the allegations being brought upon us,” he told the The Ariel Helwani Show

“I’veactuallynevereven placed a sports bet in my entire life - I couldn’t tell youhowtodoit.

“Thisismylife’swork.I wouldnever,foranyamount of money, sell my integrity ormyword-becauseinlife, that’sallyouhave.”

fromMedroyScotland(14th minute) and Jayson-Ray Khalil (24th minute) to snatch a dramatic comeback win The Hikers remain winless as the competition headsintodaythree.

In theWomen’s Over-40 division, the National Women’s Over-40 team deliveredacommanding9–0 victory over the Hikers Women.

Maria Munroe led the onslaught with a hat-trick, scoring in the 7th, 15th, and 38thminutes.

Captain Kerensa FernandesandVanessaPires each added two goals, while ShebekiBaptisteandTiffany

Solomon also got on the scoresheet to complete the rout.

The Mixed Over-40 category saw GCC Vintage produceadominant5–2win over Old Fort Kevin SpencergaveGCCtheearly advantage with goals in the 5thand10thminutes.

OrinSempleandMarcus Fiedtkou added late strikes inthe29thand30thminutes to seal the comfortable victory, despite Old Fort managing two consolation goals.

In Group ‘B’ First Division action, Saints maintained their winning momentum with a

comprehensive 6–0 shutout over GCC Outlaws. Jabril Lovell was the star of the match, netting four goals (13th, 20th, 28th, and 31st minutes), while Shomere Garnett (17th) and Oshazay Savory (40th) rounded off the scoring. Meanwhile, in theWomen’sOpendivision, OldFortandSaintsbattledto a hard-fought scoreless draw

TheBountySupermarket National Indoor Hockey Championship is organised by the Guyana Hockey Board and continues to deliver top-class action as teamsfightforaplaceinthe knockoutrounds

Co-Director of Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca receiving sponsorship from Nikaevia Burke JuniorAdministrationAssistant at MVPSports. CEO Ian Ramdeo and Troy Peters werealso present at the launch.

Petra launches 2025 MVP Sports Girls’ Under-11 Football Tournament

Mark Chapman smashed a 19-ball fifty. (AFP/Getty Images)

Chapman stars as New Zealand survive West Indies scare to level series