Kaieteur News

‘Cops Close In’

“He kissed me goodbye …that was the last time”

Schoolboy, 15, dies after hit by policewoman’s car

A15-year-oldschoolboy was killed on Thursday morning after being struck by a car driven by a female Police Corporal along the Success Public Road, East CoastDemerara.

DeadisNavindraMahes, a student of Annandale Secondary School and resident of Lot 44 Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara.

The accident involved

motorcar #PAB 214, driven by a 35-year-old female Police Corporal. Police said during inquiries it was disclosed that the motorcar was proceeding west along the northern carriage on Success Public Road in the southerndrivinglane,where the ‘third lane’was active at thattime.

“Video footage revealed that the female driver continuedtoproceedfurther

west, while the pedestrian was standing at the median that separates the two carriageways, facing north. The student then attempted tocrosstheroadinanorthern direction, using the Pedestrian Crossing, and in doing so, the left-side front portion of the car collided with the schoolboy,” police revealed.

The impact of the collision resulted in Mahes

falling onto the roadway, where he sustained injuries about his body He was picked up by public-spirited citizens and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Accident and EmergencyUnit.

“On arrival at the hospital, the pedestrian was seen and examined by doctors on duty, suffering from head injuries and a fractured right leg He

succumbed to his injuries at 09:56 hrs while receiving medical treatment. His body is presently at the

GeorgetownPublicHospital

Mortuary, awaiting a postmortem examination,” police said The female police rank is under close arrest and is assisting with theinvestigation.

Also, in a statement the Ministry of Home Affairs expressed deep regret over theincident,confirmingthat theaccidentoccurredaround 07:30hrsandresultedinthe tragic death of the young student. The Ministry said

police ranks are at the hospitalprovidingsupportto the grieving family and assured that the matter is being handled with “the

accordance with established procedures.” T

condolences to the family, f

community of Navindra Mahes, describing his death as a “heartbreaking loss.” The investigation into the circumstances surrounding thefatalcrashisongoing.

Cops seize illegal gun in Moruca after woman reports death threat from reputed husband

The firearm and ammunition

AdomesticdisputeinMoruca,RegionOne,ledpoliceto thediscoveryofanillegalfirearmandammunitionaftera32year-oldwomanreportedthatherreputedhusbandthreatened toshoother InastatementissuedlateWednesday,theGuyana PoliceForceconfirmedthatranksfromRegionalDivision#1 havelaunchedaninvestigationfollowingtheseizureofagold and green Taurus 9mm pistol and one matching round of ammunition.

The report was made to ranks at the Acquero Police Stationataround21:45hrs,wherethefemaleallegedthather reputedhusbanddrewhisfirearmfromhiswaistandaimedit atherthreateningtoshoot.Thewomanmanagedtosecurethe magazine which contained the ammunition and reported the matter “The magazine, examined by a Detective, was confirmedtobea9mmpistolmagazinecontainingone9mm round of ammunition. Following the report, a team of ranks proceeded to Kumaka Hospital Road, Moruca, where the suspect was arrested. He later admitted ownership of the magazineandammunition,”policesaid.

On Wednesday the suspect led ranks to some vegetation nearaconstructionsiteontheKumakaHospitalRoad.Agold and green Tarus 9mm pistol was discovered wrapped in a brown cloth. “The suspect, who does not possess a firearm license, was informed of the offence and taken into custody Thefirearmandammunitionweremarked,sealed,andlodged attheAcqueroPoliceStation,”policesaid.

Theinvestigationisongoing.

Canadian firm eyes 5M ounces of gold at Toroparu mine

Aris Mining Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Neil Woodyer

Canadian-based Aris Mining Corporation has announced the results of a new Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for its 100%-ownedToroparuGold Project located along the PuruniRiverintheToroparu Backdam, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

OnTuesday,ArisMining disclosed that the PEA confirms plans for a largescale, long-life open-pit operation expected to produce an average of 235,000 ounces of gold per year over more than two decades. The PEA outlines strong project economics, including a 21.3-year mine life, an after-tax Net Present Value (NPV5%) of US$1.8 billion, and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 25.2%, based on a gold price of US$3,000 per ounce The project’s life-of-mine production is estimated at 5.0 million ounces of gold, 4.9 million ounces of silver, and 260 million pounds of copper Chief Executive Officer Neil Woodyer said the results demonstrate a major new growth opportunity for ArisMining.Henoted,“The

Toroparu PEA outlines a major new growth and diversification opportunity for Aris Mining After the GCM Mining andAris Gold mergerandthearrivalofour man

September 2022, we paused the Project’s previous con

reassess the Project on a first-principles basis, which included completing a new geological interpretation, updating the mineral resource estimate, and undertaking optimization studies.Theresultisarobust PEA that establishes a solid pathforward.”

The company said the operation will feature a conventional truck-andshovel open pit with a mill capacity of 7 million tonnes per year, supported by an initialconstructioncapitalof US$820 million Aris Mining plans to advance the project to a Prefeasibility Study (PFS) in 2026, with the goal of moving toward construction. The Toroparu Project is being developed through Aris Mining’s local subsidiary,ETKInc.

A r i s M i n i n g announcement comes

…to produce 235,000 ounces yearly for 20 years

Toroparu annual processed gold grade and total gold production

against the backdrop of a

involving local miner Wallace Daniels, who has a

Commission (GGMC) of deliberately withholding approval for his mining permit for over a decade, despite several court rulings in his favor Daniels’ property is located on the fringesofArisMining’s5.4million-ouncedeposit.

Notably, according to

company’s website, the project site was first mined by Alfro Alphonso in 1997 and explored by ETK from 1999 under a joint venture with Alphonso ETK acquired full ownership in 2020,payingUS$20million

to exercise its option, while Alphonso retained certain alluvial rights and access privileges. A 2011 mineral agreementbetweenETKand the Government of Guyana established a tiered gold royaltyof5%forpricesupto

US$1,000perounceand8% for prices above that, along witha1.5%royaltyonother minerals. ETK also secured an investment agreement with GO-Invest granting tax exemptions on projectrelatedimports.

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has ordered counseling and inclusivity training for Mon Repos,EastCoastDemerara resident, Jennifer Ally, who was recently summoned for making racially insensitive postsonsocialmedia.

In a statement on Thursday,theERCsaidAlly met with its officials on October23,2025,whereshe expressed her willingness to cooperate in addressing the serious concerns arising fromherFacebookposts.

The Commission said it

also reviewed Ally’s previous social media

activity and has since proposed several social interventions, including psychosocial counselling and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training.

These meas

s, ERC explained, are aimed at f o s t e r i n g

understanding, respect, and responsible communication in the public domain as its investigationcontinues. ERC reminded that its constitutional mandate

harmony and good relations t

, conciliation, and arbitration not prosecution “The

Commission wishes to reiterate that it does not

responsible for arrests or prosecutions,” the statement clarified.

It added that in cases requiring legal enforcement, mattersmaybereferredto Continued on page 18

KaieteurNews

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

Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456

Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams

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

EDITORIAL

Former President Ramotar on 2 percent

Several weeks ago, former president Donald Ramotar made the headlines The 2% royalty that Guyana is getting from ExxonMobil for its oil is not acceptable It is a rare momentwhenmenwhohavemadetheirmarkaspoliticians speakunambiguously,laytheircardsonthetableinamanner that leaves no room for speculation or uncertainty We commendthisformerGuyanaheadofstatefordrillingtothe heart of this reprehensible 2016 ExxonMobil-Guyana oil contract,andsharinghisthoughts Wethinkofhowinspiring itwouldbetoGuyaneseifcurrentnationalleaders,President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo (himself a former president) were to summon the courage to take a similar unequivocal stance relative to the ExxonMobil contract. If only they could discover some degree of straightforward patriotic fervor to call out that pathetic 2% royalty,makepoliticalexpediencyalessercalling,andfight for some more royalties and some taxes, how much of a difference that could deliver Instead of building toward such a mindset, Guyanese two most prominent leaders currently are both content to surrender to the sellout of “sanctityofcontract.”

FormerPresidentRamotar,riskingthewrathofhisparty friends, went in the opposite direction, when he directed his glareatthatfoul2%royalty Whenthereisaroyaltyrateas lowas2%,that2016contractcanwithjustificationbesaidnot tobetheExxonMobil-Guyanacontract,buttheExxonMobil contract Weatthispaperassertthis,becausethat2%royalty issoskimpy,astomeanalmostnothing Forsure,thereare someUSdollarsthatExxonMobildepositsinGuyana'sNew York-housedNaturalResourceFund,butitissopaltrythatit qualifies as an insult, a loud laugh in the face of citizens. Donald Ramotar has a problem with it, and before him so also former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, the government official who signed the contract. When Guyanese who reached such heights, and know so muchmoreabouttheExxonMobilcontractcouldtakesucha stand against it, then that leaves President Ali and Vice PresidentJagdeoinanembarrassingplace. Whyhavethey settheirfacesomuchagainsttouchingthiscontractthatisso disadvantageoustoGuyana?

It is the same ExxonMobil contract that at one time attractedsomuchhostilityandharshcondemnationfromthese twomen Yet,todaytheyyieldbeforewhattheymustknow, evenintheirsleep. AsMr.Ramotarsaid,2%isnotacceptable. We take a less diplomatic position and assert that the 2% royalty is a rip-off masquerading as a contract. There is no placefor2%royalty,whichhasalreadybeenaroundtoolong, anditistimethatitgoes,isreplacedbyapercentagethatgives somelevelofdignitytoGuyanese.

DonaldRamotarcameupwithanideathathasthepositive aboutit Oilcontractsshouldbedoneinaunifiedmanner,with the CARICOM umbrella functioning as the best available vehicle Wethinkthatitisasubmissionthathasmuchgoing for it When countries in the region decide to hustle on their own for what they believe is the best deal, they are setting themselvesupforfailure Whenacountryoperatesalone,it has just made itself into a sitting duck waiting to be plucked andthenstrippedtothebone Asanexample,ifGuyanawas operating as part of a standing regional contract negotiation framework,cananyoneimaginethattheresultwouldbethat 2% royalty figure being the result? Though it is an old cliché,thereisstrengthinunity,stillholdsmuchwater Realistically, we recognize the difficulties that block the way towards what Guyana's former president has recommended coming to fruition Take the matter of the ongoing Guyana-Venezuela border dispute, when some regionalleadersforgotaboutCARICOMandprioritisedtheir nationalself-interests Ifsomethingasclear-cutanddefining as that, then the probability of regional cohesion on oil and other standout natural resources is remote, at best One GuyanaGovernmentgotthiscountryintothislosingsituation, anothercangetitout Itcallsforleadershipwillthatisn'tthere

Another nail hammered into the coffin of Guyana's acclaimed democracy

DearEditor,

Chancellor`s announced earlyretirementsignifiesyet

hammered into the coffin of G

democracy by its pseudo protagonist, the People`s Progressive Party and their kitandkin.

Demos Kratos/ People`s Power (Democracy) is built

representation, responsible conduct of public affairs (

, transparency, and inclusion i

) , a n d responsiveness. Noneofthosepillarsare akin to the principles of Democratic Centralism Democratic Centralism is founded on the principle of the dictatorship of the working class (those who produce material wealth withtheirlabour),ledbythe proclaimed conscious elements of that class, the party and its hierarchical leadership (the rulers), who

are at the pinnacle of a topdown decision-making (governance) process. It is argued that as the producers of wealth, they have an entitlement to appropriate thatwealth.Thatentitlement is exercised through their rulership, which ensconce decision-makingatthetop.

The scripted system for democracy in Guyana providesfor:i.elections,and ostensibly representation, hence the legislature; ii. a majoritarian government that administers public affairs, in keeping with the policies, programmes and projects articulated and or approved by the elected representatives (the legislature);

and iii. a judiciary that superintends inter-personal relationships (natural and artificial persons), institutional relationships, and relationships between thestateanditscitizens.

These three spheres of theoperationofthestateare the power poles of the state. They are intended to be

independent,andregardedas the separation of the powers ofthestate.

All of the above should beoperationalisedwithinthe f r a m e w o r k o f t h e Constitution, which is referred to as the Social Contract of the People, which is indicative of them having ultimate power (Demos Kratos) as is envisagedofademocracy

However, the praxis of democracy, in Guyana, reflectsadichotomy Onone hand,therulingpartyspouts democracy (bottom- up involvementofthepeoplein the decision-making processes), although its constitutioncommitsittothe practice of Democratic Centralism, in effect dictatorship, which it actualises by virtue of its manipulation of the Legal System; corruption of the Institutional Arrangements; obfuscation of the administrative processes, and ultimate decisionmaking by the higher echelonsoftheparty.Hence,

the General Secretary (Leader) of the party is virtually the sole spokesperson for the party and government and addresses the nation weekly onallmattersfromtheparty headquarters. At the epitome of this m o r a s s a r e t h e legislative/representative organs. In those organs, the elected majority prevails without reference or deferencetotheminority,or inclusion.TheSpeakerofthe Legislature is on record as saying:“TheOppositionwill have its say and the Government will have its way”. This is indeed the practice This makes nonsense of representation, since the representation by the minority is ignored, thus under-minding the fundamental principle of democracy: representation, which may also be referred to as inclusion in the decision-making process This disposition is practiced andblatantlyarticulatedas (Continuedonpage6)

We are blissfully allowing our pristine eco-system to be despoiled for temporary aggrandisement and gratification

DearEditor,

No rational person can failtoobservethesolidsteps of sheer stupidity taking placeinourbelovedcountry

A country blessed with enormous natural resources, no natural disasters, our brethren in Jamaica, Cuba and else where must endure the horrors and hardships of hurricanes, flooding, and earthquakes. Guyana have never had to endure such punishmentfromnature.But perhapsbecauseofthisgood fortune, nature, or perhaps thecreatorhasnotbestowed upon us men and women with the wisdom and perspicacitytomakeGuyana and Guyanese the riches, healthiest, and therefore happiest people on this planet earth, and I ask the question,why?

I avoid the tedium of detailsbutmakereferenceto a small sample of the burdens this and future generation must carry One; we are blissfully allowing ourpristineeco-systemtobe despoiled, our rivers, waterways, flora, fauna and treasured wildlife, all for temporary aggrandisement andgratificationofsomeset of rulers in charge of our country

ReferringtooneprojectI quotefromaletterwrittenby Lancelot Hyman: “Progress, mass excavation, site clearing”. “These are sterile terms for the violent reality: the wholesale bulldosing of hundreds of hectares of pristinerainforest.Thisisnot “clearing”; it is the eradication of a complex, living ecosystem a biodiversity hotspot that has been millennia in the making,nowbeingflattened inamatterofmonths.

Every “km of external road”isascarthatfragments wildlife corridors and opens previously inaccessible a r e a s t o f u r t h e r exploitation ” Here exploitation is used in its progerativeterm.

I recall again my visit to Mahdia, three generations ago, touring the community with the likes of Cyril Francis, better known as “Gasso” , Eardly F Gravesande, poke-knockers, andEugeneFrancisCorreia, I stopped at a stream in Mahdia to quench my thirst, clear, clean, cool water, that streamisnowpollutedandI willnotevenwalkthroughit withbootson.

Theearlypoke-knockers had a healthy respect for

mother nature, as they pursued their fortunes from theearth.

What we see happening today under the stewardship ofthosewhoproclaimtothe world that they are champions of the earth, is unacceptable and points to a gross dereliction of duty Whenthebirds,thebees,and ouranimals,andaquaticlife have been destroyed future generationswillnotjudgeus kindly

In an effort to avoid this impending tragedy, the independent media, patriots, and our intellectuals must fearlesslyandfiercelyspeak up in the hope that we can arrest this irreparable destruction and desecration of the creator's bounty and kindness bestowed upon the citizens of the Cooperative RepublicofGuyana.

As I speak to family membersinJamaicaandasI recall the hurricanes and other disasters that our brothers and sisters in Caricom states and beyond must face, I again pose the question: why? Why in a country with oil and gas alone, forget for the time, gold, diamonds, timber and rich productive soil, there is sufficienttomakeGuyanese

the happiest people on this planet,butwhynot?

Second; there is the debate with reference to the massive US military buildup in the Caribbean and our nemesis to the west Venezuela claiming our patrimony,andtherealthreat of a large number of Venezuelans piercing our fragile borders, and likely disrupting our normal peaceful existence. I should deal with this matter later Safetosaythatifthepresent administration could only study and put in place proposals contained in the document; “Defence in depth” prepared at the instanceofForbesBurnham, we will be in a much better position to secure our 83,000sqmiles.

Alexander Pope once noted that; “hope springs eternalinthehumanbreast”, let us hope, let us pray, that wiser counsels will prevail, to secure all of this land civilisedbythesweat,blood and tears of our slave ancestors, and cared for by the indentured labours who came after 1838, and our Amerindian brothers who first walked this land we knowasElDorado.

ElderHamiltonGreen

Changing Guyana's Driving Culture—Beyond Enforcement

DearEditor,

Eachweekwereadofyet another tragic road fatality

The usual explanations follow—poor lighting, stray animals,inadequatesignage, and distracted pedestrians. These are all real hazards, but we must also confront thecentralissue:ourdriving culture.

ThetruthisthatGuyana's roads are not uniquely hazardous by design—they are hazardous because too many of us drive recklessly, with little regard for other users or for the well-known dangers that we encounter daily Studies across developing countries show that driver behaviour speeding, overtaking on blind corners, driving under the influence, and distracted driving—accounts for the majorityofcrashes.¹

To its credit, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has visibly stepped-up enforcement in recent months,andthisiswelcome.

But as every risk management and safety

professional knows, enforcement alone cannot create lasting change

Sustainable road safety is achieved when engineering, enforcement, and education work together—and when citizensthemselvesembrace safe-driving as a social norm, not merely a legal requirement.

Guyana has a chance to break the cycle Let us consider adopting one or more practical interventions already proven in other countries with similar challenges:

1 Pilot Safe-Driving Zones — Select a high-risk corridor (ECD Hwy/Rupert CraigorEBDHwy),andnot one of the newer road arteries that have sufficient data.

Combine safety enhanced crosswalks, pedestrian-controlled lights, and speed-feedback signs withactiveenforcementand communityeducation.

2 P u b l i c D a t a Transparency Publish monthly crash and violation statistics so the public can see what behaviours cause the most harm, and where improvements are being made.

3. Private-Sector Safe-

Driver Charter Invite logistics, mining, and service companies to adopt measurable standards (driver training, telematics, speed governors) and recognisethosethatcomply 4. Education and Peer Influence Encourage schools, churches, and civic groupstopromotedefensive drivinghabitsandrespectfor pedestrians. These are not new ideas—they have been discussed in these pages before but perhaps the timehascometochooseone, execute it well, measure it, andexpandit.

Our economy and population are growing fast; theconsequencesofinaction growwiththem.

I f w e c o m b i n e engineering, enforcement, education, em

community ownership, we can begin to shift from a cultureofindifferencetoone ofaccountabilityandcareon ourroads.

Yoursfaithfully, Colonel (ret'd) Brian Chin Magua Risk Consulting Inc.

E-tickets need to be verified before issuing

DearEditor, Allow me to share my experience upon receiving an E-ticket from the GPF trafficdepartment.

It is with great displeasure I decided to check the portal and saw a ticket was issued to me I proceeded to pay because obviously no one wants to have issues with their license.

However, the portal did notstatewheretheoffenseof speeding occurred so that was weird and I still paid because who has the time to gostandincourt?

Lo and behold a printout was sent via the mail upon checking the printed ticket the photographed licensed plate does not match with my vehicle nor was that vehicleoranyvehicleinmy name in that location at any given time within the last month.

While the e-tickets are agoodmove,itisclearthe linking of databases are not there between the GPF and the GRAand that there is no validation of license

Dirty water running through taps at Stevedore Housing Scheme

DearEditor,

Iamwritingagaintobring attentiontotheongoingissue of unclean water being supplied to residents of Stevedore Housing Scheme. Despite the implication in the previous reports and discussions with GWI response to my first letter that I was misrepresenting the situation, water quality hasnotimproved.

The water that comes through our taps, especially in the early morning hours, continues to be brown and visibly dirty I sent a picture ofthewatertoGWI.

Here is a picture taken yesterday, Oct 29, which clearly shows the condition ofthewater

This is not simply an inconvenience — this is a matter of health. The water

platesforvehicles!

This letter is to share an experience to let persons wait on the printed ticket before paying any fines and verifytheirnumberplates.

I hope the relevant authorities can fix this issue goingforwardbecauseitisa systemthatcanworkforthe greatergood.

WithBestWishes

TanyaNiamatali

DearEditor,

Over the year the price of crude oil has dropped 25% andthepriceofgasolinehas also followed this trend in the U S and Guyana However, the price of gasoline in Guyana is still 20%higherthanitisinother major oil producing locations.

Thishasamajorimpacton the cost of living and fuels inflation.Ourcountryshould be able to remain competitiveatthepump.

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of which the Competition and C o n s u m e r A ff a i r s Commission is a part of should investigate this matter to ensure that consumers are protected ag

Dirty water flows through the taps of a resident on Wednesday

we are receiving is not healthy or safe for cooking, drinking, washing, or other householduse.

Many residents are forcedtolettheirtapsrunfor long periods in hopes of gettingclearerwater,leading to wasted water and higher water bills that many familiescannotafford.

We are asking GWI to return to the community during the morning hours

when the problem is most visible, instead of only visitingduringthedaywhen thewaterappearsclearer

We need a real, lasting solution — not temporary appearances Residents of Stevedoredeserveclean, safe water just like every other citizenofthiscountry

Sincerely, RoshawnaPilgrim Resident, Stevedore HousingScheme

Gasoline prices are too high

increases.

Itisalsoimportantthatthe government look at ways to leverage its new position in the oil and gas sector so consumers may see the benefitsatthepump.

Othermajoroilproducing locations have been able to accomplish this without price subsidies, and Guyana

should be able to do the same.

Supplychaincostsavings, transportation cost savings and low gasoline taxes can helpinachievingthisgoal.

Bestregards, Mr JamilChanglee Chairman

T h e C o o p e r a t i v e RepublicansofGuyana

Govt. seeking private investor for new gas bottling company at Wales

The Government

of Guyana, through the

OfficeofthePrimeMinister (OPM) is currently seeking aprivateinvestortopartner with, for the bottling, transportanddistributionof cooking gas for domestic use According to a Request For Proposals (RFP) published this week, government is aiming to start the project under the 'Guyana Gas Bottling and Logistics Company' (GGBLC)

OPM explained that the proposed GGBLC, a c o m p a n y t o b e incorporated, under a public-private partnership model,willbottle,transport and distribute cooking gas tosupplythelocalmarket

The private partner will be responsible for the financing, design, engineering, construction and operation of the company

Meanwhile, GoG will establish the gas bottle company, structure and secure financing and arrange all contracts and permits

Government said

GGBLC is targeting reduced price of domestic cooking gas It explained, “Annual domestic demand

for cooking gas is equivalent to three million 20-pounds cylinders with a retail value of G$14 billion perannum ” The proposed gas

projectistobedevelopedat Wales, West Bank Demerara, east of the Gast o - E n e r g y ( G T E )

Combined Cycle Power Plant and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility. Cooking gas will be suppliedtothefacilityfrom the Guyana Power and Gas Inc (GPGI), a fully owned Government of Guyana company, at wholesale prices. Notably, companies must have experience in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) as well as operating similar facilities Companies have been invited to also share the proposed size or perimeter of the land and detailed plan showing all parts of the bottling company and supportive infrastructure.

EPC price breakdown andlocalcontentobjectives are also required to be shared with the GoG in all responses to the RFP Additionally, government has invited its potential partner to provide an EPC contract with “sufficient details and schedules, reflective of best practice and/or executed by your firm as EPC contractor” as well as an operator contract with details on expected taxation during EPC and operationalstages.

The deadline for responses to the RFP is January15,2026

Head of the G

Brassington previously explainedthatthestartupof the NGL facility will provide the country with some 4,100 barrels of byproducts daily- such as cooking gas and fuel for cigarettes-amongothers.

Guyana however utilises approximately 700 barrels per day of these products, which means the country will have to seek marketsfor3,400barrelsof byproducts each day or 1,241,000 barrels on an annualbasis

Brassington explained that Guyana will be getting some 50 million cubic feet ofgasperday(MMCFD)as assured by the contractor This will amount to 63 million barrels of liquids per annum, he said According to Brassington, “This is equivalent to about 4,100 barrels of liquids per day- so the C3, the C4, the C5plus,thepropane,butane andpentane.”

He was keen to note, “rightnowthecountryonly utilises about 700 barrels a day, so we will have quite a lottoexport

So far it is unclear whether government has secured markets for the remaining products from theproject Despitecallsfor a feasibility study on the GTE project, a thorough examination of the massive US$2B initiative was never undertaken In fact, politicians said the project wasa“no-brainer”

Another nail hammered into the coffin...

Frompage4

high up as the Presidency, who insists that 'there is no need for him to consult or confer with locally elected representatives on local matters', although the Constitution stipulates that theyareentitledtorepresent local interests and administerlocalaffairs,asis stated in the relevant laws. This is clearly democratic centralism, dictatorship, at work. Even worse, are the ethnic implications The elected officials in the Legislature and local democraticorgansreflectthe ethnic diversity of the population and more specificallytheethnicnature the various parties. Hence, their exclusion from the decision-making processes is not just quantitative. It is highlyqualitative,ethnicand discriminatory,atlastanallIndian committee in a communitymade-upofover 90% African Guyanese

This is but a microcosm of what happens in the decision-makingbodies.

T h e executive/administrative level is equally crass in its operations.Appointments to public services offices are contrived and fly in the face of Good Governance practices. In-transparency is wide-spread and more than often ethnically, bias in its

nature.Onecaneasilyrecall a previous Head of the Presidential Secretariat`s claim that there were no African Guyanese qualified fordiplomaticpostings.This was said, after the then Minister of Foreign Affairs toured the diplomatic missions overseas and dismissed scores of career African Guyanese diplomats. The unjustifiable dismissals were challenged successfully in Court A more recent court decision saw the former CEO of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, an African Guyanese, gaining judgment for wrongful dismissal by the subject Minister Notinallinstances does the legal system provide for recourse. At the level of GECOM, top officers, mostly Indians, were employed, although they did not meet the essential requirements specified by GECOM, in preference over highly qualified local and overseas Africanapplicants.

It may not be seen as veilingbytheperpetrators.It may well be an undertaking undertheguiseofachieving Administrative Power, a coinageofthelatePresident Jagan, who contended that having come into office, he was bereft of administrative power He did not have his

men in all positions. He clearly pushed back against the intended neutrality and professionalism of the Public Service, in showing preferenceforhischoicesof administrative personnel in breach of the established employmentpracticesofthe Public Service and promotions and/or appointments based on merit.

Responsive objections to,andprotestationof,these actsaremetwithvilethreats, victimisation, and even armed suppression by the Police Force, at last the pelleting of unarmed and peaceful protestors The media, a major medium through which the citizens respond by expressing their views on public policy, and the conduct of public affairs are harshly criticised and threatened with sanctions, such as the withholding of state advertisements (economicsabotage).

The reality is that democracy is spouted While, the citizens are selectivelyheldtothenorms that flow from the articulation of democracy, the rulers, the democratic centralists, trample upon democracy in pursuit of absolutecontrol.

Yourstruly

DesmondTrotman

VincentAlexander

Govt. disputes accuracy of Rule of Law

Index data - says ranking based on outdated surveys from 2018 and 2022

The Ministry of Parliamentary

Affairs and Governance has taken issue with aspects of the recently published World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2025, which ranked Guyana 80th out of 143 countries a twopoint drop from its 2024 position

Inastatementissuedon Thursday, the Ministry

acknowledged the publication of the 2025 Index and reaffirmed Guyana's respect for international assessment mechanisms that review governance, anticorruption, and human rights performance However, it cautioned that the findings of the report “cannot be construed as a real reflection of Guyana's 2025 realities,” citing serious concerns about the ageandtransparencyofthe dataused

According to the Ministry, the Index's methodologyreliesheavily on household polling and expert opinion surveys conducted between 2018 and 2022 by a little-known entity called the StatMark Group The Ministry

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance,

Gail Teixeira

pointedoutthat“neitherof these face-to-face surveys wereevermadepublic,nor doesthepublicknowofthe StatMark Group,” raising questions about the reliabilityofthedataset “The report therefore cannot be construed as a real reflection of Guyana's 2025 realities, particularly givenongoinginstitutional and legislative reforms across governance and justice sectors after 2022, and certainly since 2018,” thestatementnoted The WJP report, which has been widely cited in local and international media,statedthatGuyana's overall rule of law score

declined by less than one

Regionally,Guyanaranked 18th out of 32 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Barbados topping the region The global index also claimed that Guyana, along with severalothercountries,has seen “a shrinking of civic freedoms” and “rising political interference” in thejudiciary

Thereportstatedthatin the last year, 24 out of 32 countries declined in Latin A m e r i c a

Caribbean Of those 24 countries, 19 had also declined in the previous year Among high income countries, Guyana ranks 50th out of 51 According to the report, an expansion of authoritarian trends is the primary force behind the rule of law recession, with deep declines in

GovernmentPowers,Open G

v e r n m e n

, a n d Fundamental Rights The integrity of checks and balances has also been s

d, including in Guyana, the reportnoted

A characteristic of this accelerated rule of law recession is a shrinking civic space “Freedoms crucialforpublicdiscourse a n d g o v e r n

Fundamental Rights factors saw widespread erosion ”

The report stated that Guyana is among the over 7 0 % o f c o u n t r i e s experiencingashrinkingof civicfreedoms:freedomof opinion and expression

declined in 73% of countries, including

Guyana Freedom of assembly and association

declined in 72% of

countries, including

Guyana and civic participation declined in 71% of countries, including Guyana, the reportnoted

The Index also shows that judiciaries are losing ground to executive overreach, with rising political interference across justice systems

Indicators measuring whether the judiciary limits executive power and whether civil and criminal justice are free from

improper government influence declined in 61%, 67%, and 62% of countries, respectively This includes Guyana More broadly, civil justice weakened in 68% of countries, but not in Guyana This decline reflects longer delays, less effective alternatives to court (such as mediation), and greater government interference

But the Ministry

countered that such conclusions are based on unverified perceptions from anonymous sources, stating: “It cannot be that the perceptions of a few anonymous people are considered representative of the entire population of approximately 800,000 Without more rigorous sampling parameters, it is indeed difficult to validate the robustness or representativeness of the findings ”

The Ministry further argued that while global rankings make for “attractive sound bites,” they hold limited analytical value unless accompanied by nominal scores and detailed subfactor data “The Ministry

of Parliamentary Affairs a n d G o v e r n a n c e encourages the media and public to consult official data sources and exercise critical review when interpretingorreproducing third-party publications, particularly in this case where the data being used is as old as seven years ago,”thestatementadded Despite its concerns, the Government said it r e m a i n s o p e n t

international partners and continues to undergo

established multilateral frameworks Theseinclude

Corruption (UNCAC), the

Universal Periodic Review (UPR) conducted by the UNHumanRightsCouncil earlier this year Guyana,

“values mechanisms that facilitatesuchcomparative

complement the State's

commitments” to good

transparency

PAHO sends emergency medical supplies to countries affected by Hurricane Melissa

The Pan American

H e a l t h

Organization (PAHO)deliveredmorethan 26 tons of essential medical supplies to Cuban health authorities to support the response in areas affected by Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall early this morningineasternCubaasa Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of up to 205 km/h(127mph).

Theshipment,dispatched from PAHO's Regional Strategic Stockpile in Panama and arriving in the country on October 28, includesnineemergencykits containing medicines, medicalandsurgicalsupplies sufficient to care for 5,000 people over three months, as well as chlorine tablets to treat nearly eight million liters of water, electrical equipment, medical backpacks, tents, and water storage tanks, among other priorityitems.

The cargo was mobilized under the anticipatory action

mechanism of the United Nations Central Emergency ResponseFund(CERF) The supplies will be sent to the mostaffectedareasofeastern Cuba, once ground communicationsarerestored

“Thesemedicalsupplieswill help maintain basic health care, ensure access to safe water,andreduceimmediate health risks following the impact of Hurricane Melissa,” said Dr. Mario Cruz Peñate, PAHO/WHO Representative in Cuba “Timely cooperation and

The Organization delivers more than 2.6 tons of supplies to Cuba and has 5.5 additional tons ready for Jamaica as soon as the country's airport reopens

prior preparedness are essentialtoprotectthehealth of the population in emergency situations like this,”headded. From its Emergency Operations Center in Washington DC and its office in Havana, PAHO continues coordinating with Cuba's Ministry of Public Health and Civil Defense on damage assessment, service reorganisation, and epidemiological monitoring in the affected areas. In parallel, the Organization is

managing the emergency procurement of additional electrical generators (10–16 KVA), mosquito nets, and more chlorine tablets for a potential second shipment to Cuba,aimedatstrengthening the health response and preventing outbreaks of vector-bornediseasessuchas d e n g u e a n d o t h e r arboviruses, as well as waterborne diseases, which carry a higher risk after major weather events PAHO has also activated its Emergency Operations

Center in Barbados to coordinate the regional response to Hurricane Melissa. From this center, the damage to the health infrastructure in affected countries is being assessed, with the goal of supporting the restoration of essential health services and ensuring continuity of care for the mostimpactedcommunities.

In addition, PAHO's Regional Strategic Stockpile inPanamaisreadytodispatch 5 5 additional tons of humanitarian aid supplies as

soonastheairportinJamaica reopens The shipment includes an interagency emergency health kit, containing life-saving medicines and medical supplies, and a noncommunicable diseases kit, each sufficient for 10,000 people for three months, a trauma and emergency surgerykitfor50patients,50 medical backpacks, a hurricane response kit, field care tents, water storage tanks, 300 treated mosquito nets,andpersonalprotective equipment (PPE) including surgicalgowns,gloves,N95 masks,andfaceshields. PAHO will continue monitoring the situation in Cuba, Jamaica and the Caribbean in close collaboration with national governments,UnitedNations agencies, and humanitarian partnerstoensureaneffective response focused on the recoveryofthehealthsystem andtheprotectionoflifeand health of affected populations

The case of the Leader of the Opposition

Oneofthemorepuzzling habits that we, as a nation, seem unable to outgrow is our tendency to complicate the simple. In Guyana, we often turn the obvious into t h e o b s c u r e , t h e straightforward into the contentious.

It is as if our political culture feeds on confusion, even where clarity already exists in law and logic. Few issues better illustrate this national quirk than the debate that has recently flared over the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition.

The framers of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, to their credit, left

little room for ambiguity on thismatter Article184ofthe Constitution clearly sets out when a Leader of the Opposition ceases to hold office and, by implication, when a new one must be chosen.

Yet,despitetheplainness ofthetext,werepeatedlysee attempts to twist and tangle it into a complex constitutionalconundrum.It isasthoughtheframershad hidden some mystical code withinitsclauses.

Letusstripawaythefog. and deal with what the Constitutionactuallysays— andmeans.

Article 184(1) provides that the Leader of the Opposition shall be elected

by a majority of the nongovernmental members of theNationalAssembly That is to say, the opposition members those not aligned with the governing party—choosefromamong themselveswhotheywishto lead them. Once that person is elected, he or she is formally recognised by the President as the Leader of theOpposition.

Theprocess,therefore,is democratic,straightforward, and internal to the opposition side of the House. The government has no part in it, and the Constitutionleavesnoroom for external manipulation or delay

Thencomesthequestion

Man arrested at Itaballi checkpoint with 792 grams of cannabis

A 33-year-old man was taken into custody on Wednesday after police at the Itaballi Checkpoint discoverednearly800grams ofcannabisconcealedinhis belongings.

Accordingtoastatement from the police at around 12:00hrs on Wednesday ranks of Regional Division #7 conducted a police

operation at Itaballi Checkpoint, where a blue motor car with registration number PAG 7678, belonging to a 33-year-old man of Bartica, Essequibo River, was stopped and searched while on its way from Itaballi Landing to

This discovered narcotics.

Puruni Landing with three passengers. In the course of the search, a black haversack andapairoflongbootswere discovered in the car Upon conducting a search of a container found in the haversack a large package containingleaves,seedsand stems suspected to be

narcotics was discovered.A similar package was also discoveredinthelongboots.

A passenger in the car claimed ownership of the suspectednarcotics,andwas subsequently informed of theoffenceandarrested.The suspected narcotics, when weighed, amounted to 792 grams.

DEM BOYS SEH

Ifitain’tloud,Itain’tmusic!

Listening to music in Guyana thesedaysisnotforthefaintof heartorthesensitiveofear The ageofsoothingmelodiesandgentletunes is long gone. These days, if the bass ain’t shaking your ribcage and the treble ain’t threatening to rearrange your brain cells, youain’treallylisteningtomusic.

We’ve entered the decibel generation where music is no longer about melody, mood,ormeaning.

Nahman,it’saboutmaximumvolume! Ifyoureardrumsain’tpleadingformercy, you ain’t doing it right. The new national motto might as well be: “Louder means vibes!”

Gonearethedayswhenmusicsoothed the soul. In Guyana, music is now an extremesport.Demboomboomboxesdeh run the place.At home, in the car, on the corner,orattheparty—it’sonecontinuous audio assault. Even deh ones playing gospel want the whole neighbourhood to know they walking with the Lord—LOUDLY!

of when that individual ceasestobetheLeaderofthe Opposition. Here again, the Constitution is crystal clear Article 184(2) stipulates fourcircumstancesinwhich theofficebecomesvacant.

First, the Leader ceases to hold office if he or she stopsbeingamemberofthe National Assembly for any reason other than the dissolutionofParliament.In other words, if the person resigns, dies, or is expelled from the Assembly, the position becomes vacant immediately

Second, even if Parliament is dissolved, for instance,inpreparationfora general election, the Leader of the Opposition does not automatically lose the title.

The Constitution provides that he or she continues to hold office during the dissolutionperiod.

The logic behind this is both practical and

e opposition,asaninstitution, stillexistsduringtheinterim between parliaments, and it must have a recognised head Thus, the former Leader continues in a caretaker capacity until the new National Assembly convenes.

The Leader of the Opposition finally ceases to hold office after elections, whenthenewAssemblyfirst meets, if he or she is no longer a member of that Assembly If, for example, the person was not selected for or elected to the Assembly But if re-elected, they remain eligible to continue as Leader unless, of course, the new opposition members decide toelectsomeoneelse.

The third ground for cessation arises where the

Leader is suspended from performing parliamentary functions under Article 156(2)or(3)—whichdeals with circumstances such as mental infirmity, death, conviction or has written to the Speaker indicating no support for the List from which his or her name was extracted. And finally, the other circumstance is political rather than procedural: if a majority of all non-governmental members of the Assembly votetoremovetheLeaderof the Opposition at a meeting convened by the Speaker

confidence, the office becomesvacant.

That is, it. No maze of interpretations, no legal labyrinth, no need for judicial activism or partisan p o s t u r i n g T h e constitutional language is plain,theintentobvious.

So why do we have personswhopretendthatthe determination of Leader of the Opposition is complicated? The answer lies less in law and more in ourpoliticalculture.

In Guyana, we have cultivatedanationalhabitof over-complicating governance — perhaps as a legacy of mistrust, or perhaps because political a m b i g u i t y o f f e r s convenience to those who benefit from delay and dispute.Theappointmentof theLeaderoftheOpposition is one such case. Instead of allowing the process to unfold as the Constitution intends, with the opposition members meeting, electing their leader, we sometimes see grand debates about constitutional interpretation and presidential discretion,

as though the Constitution wereanunsolvedriddle.

Thistendencydoesusno credit. It weakens public confidenceintheruleoflaw by implying that even the simplest constitutional mechanismsrequirepartisan wrangling.

It distracts from substance and feeds the narrative that every process in Guyana must be politicised and prolonged. Worse, it erodes the very clarity that the framers built into the supreme law — a clarity designed to ensure continuity of leadership even through electoral transitions.

What Guyana needs, more than anything else, is not another “interpretation” of the Constitution but a culture of respect for it.The Leader of the Opposition is notanabstractsymbolbuta vital constitutional office meant to balance executive authority

Theframersensuredthat therewouldbenovacuumin oppositionleadershipduring a parliamentary dissolution, andthatanewleaderwould emerge naturally once the Assembly reconvenes. The process is simple, sensible, and self-contained To complicate it is to manufacture confusion wherenoneexists.

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

When the beats drop, conversation drop too. Who need small talk when nobody can hear a blasted thing? These days, socialising means nodding, smiling, and pretending you hear what the other personshouting.Thelouderthenoise,the better the vibes, or so people convince themselveswhiletheirearsslowlyfilefor earlyretirement.

And if you plan to catch a minibus?

Pack earplugs or a prayer One ride and you’llbebaptisedinbass.Thespeakersso big and bad, you does come out the bus feeling like you just survive a sound hurricane.

Music used to be art Now it’s endurance.Abattleofwhocouldout-blast who.Acompetitiontoseewhosespeakers can turn peace and quiet into endangered species.

But hey, who needs peace and quiet when you can have eardrum-shattering bliss? Welcome to the loud life, where silenceissuspiciousandvolumeisvirtue. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

H@RD TRUTHS

National unity, national security, national obscenity

In characteristic fashion, in the aftermath of the gas station bomb blast that took the life of six-year-old Saroya Bourne and injured seven others, Guyanese had their say in fulsome, cautioning, reassuring words. Imarvelathoweasy saying all the right things publicly has become domestically National unity National security Those are at the apex of concerns. They are also a thick slice of the national obscenity that saturates this country Talk is cheap, and Guyana has political and commercial people who are amongthebestatsayingthe rightthingsattherighttime. The will, the type of leadership character, that is needed is just not there to give an honest boost to the words and postures that

come so freely, almost as secondnature.

It takes a Venezuelan suspectedofsomelinkageto thatSundaynightbombblast tounleashaCategory-5level of handwringing here. The call for national unity, some heartfelt, runs into a brick wall. Ahardkick-in-the-gut reality where one is not one No matter how loudly and constantly hollered, it is a farce and a fraud worked upon Guyanese How can it notbe,whenthatverycalland claim to oneness is blasted apart by the very actions of those leading the call for it?

Throughwhoissqueezedout, who is left out, who is made into a traitor or adversary, when the biggest betrayers are the ones that speak so prettily,sanctimoniously. Do thepeopleofthiscountry,and thepoliticianswhoholdgreat

swayoverGuyanese,needa Venezuelan suspected of beinginvolvedinthekilling of a young citizen to talk about national unity? Yes, theydo. Thenwhattheydo afterwards, when this harrowing interlude fades away, is return right back to who they were and do what they always did. Being racist and demagogic dividers for the retention of power, or ambitions for grabbingholdofit.

In quieter times, when thefewsober-headedcallfor a probing of the soul of the Guyana, to get its bottom, through authentic searching forthetruthsthatcouldlead to national reconciliation, there is scant interest, mere lip service. But when a foreignnationalisfingeredas the prime suspect in that lethal bomb blast, all and

sundry jump up and are for national unity and national security Thereisweakening of Guyanese by Guyanese, and there is this obscenity about being about national unity There are enemies withinthegates,andtheyare foreign, but national leaders are more obsessed, more occupied, with those Guyanesethattheydeclareto be domestic enemies, and treat them as such If any Guyanese is in need of a specimen, they can talk to me.

Do Guyanese need nationalunity? Theyneedit morethantheyneedoxygen and food Guyana has America (up to a point), but apparently Guyanese politicians have no use for those citizens who point at them, and say that their nakedness is showing. That their perverseness is on exhibition Andthatthemore thattheyareaboutdistortions and deflections, and distancing from reality, the moretheydrivetheGuyanese peopleintoastateofdisunity

In Guyana, very senior politicalconniverswieldthe sword that divides like a wildfire Then, they turnaroundandstatewithout a trace of shame, or a speck of honesty, that they are about oneness and togetherness. Guyanese are scapegoated and nothing is thought about it, and how much that wrenches this society apart But, when thereisaVenezuelannational thatsurfacesintheaftermath of a bomb blast, then the handkerchiefs come out, and the words spill out, about national unity and national security There are a small handfulofgenuinepatriotsin that crowd who mean what theysay. Theoverwhelming majority in the political and commercial arenas are a bunch of odious hypocrites. Thefactthattheyhavetoiled sodevotedlytodividingand devastatingthiscountry,and the minds of Guyanese, converts them into first-rate traitors, in my line of thinking For when an existential national crisis

constantly hangs over the head of this nation, then a suspected Venezuelan is not needed as the crutch on whichtoleanandclamorfor national unity and national security Doing so then soars to the level of the rankestnationalobscenity

National unity has to be morethanpreached. Itmust belivedbyleadertothelast citizen. Nationalsecurityis not an overnight sensation, it'saneverydayduty Cheat the people. Deceive the people. Divideanddiminish thepeople. Thenstillcallfor national unity is then more than a fool's errand. It is a national vulgarity. Whether touted under the banner of one, or dispersed into the bitterness that now transcendsallelse.

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

High Court extends hold on

gas station bombing suspects - Crime Chief

TheGuyanaPoliceForce (GPF) has secured a High Court order to further detain eight of the nine suspects currently in custody as investigators intensify their probe into Sunday’s deadly explosion at the Regent Street Service Station in Georgetown.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed on Thursday that detectives made an application to the High Court to extend the detention period for eight suspects linked to the horrificblast,whichclaimed the life of 6-year-old Soraya Bourne and left several othersinjured.

“The application was made to the High Court and granted by the Honourable Chief Justice,” Navindra Singh, Blanhum told KaieteurNews.

The decision allows investigatorsadditionaltime to pursue critical leads and analyse evidence, including surveillance footage and forensic materials recovered from the scene Sources close to the investigation

said the detention time for the nine suspects has not expired. Police have already confirmedthattheincidentis being treated as a criminal act, and that the blast was deliberatelysetoff.

Kaieteur News reported on Thursday that two Venez

accused of bombing the gas station on Sunday allegedly usedaKFCfoodrunascover to scout the site before carrying out the deadly attack.Accordingtoasenior police officer, investigation sofarrevealedthatsometime between11a.m.and12noon on Sunday, the prime

suspect, identified as Daniel

Venezuelan accomplice travelledtoGeorgetownina motor car along with a female accomplice and a hired taxi driver. “They parkedthecarinthevicinity ofthegasstation.Thefemale accomplice then exited the vehicleandwenttotheKFC outlet at the said location, where she purchased food for the two Venezuelans,” the senior officer disclosed. “It was during that time that the Venezuelans took the opportunity to conduct surveillance of the fuel

station before executing their act to bomb the station,” the officer added. After completing their reconnaissance,thesuspects reportedly returned to Region Three, the officer said.

Police investigations have also confirmed that the suspects entered Guyana illegallythroughabacktrack routeinthePomeroonRiver, before being dropped off at Parika, East Bank Essequibo. From there, they made their way to Georgetown, where the deadly attack was later carriedout.Asofpresstime,

theGuyanaPoliceForcewas h

Peodomo, who was caught on surveillance camera setting the device that triggeredtheexplosionatthe Regent Street Service Station.

press conference held at the MinistryofHomeAffairson Tuesday that Peodomo and his accomplice have some affiliation with a “gang in Venezuela known as ‘R’” which is linked to the Sindicato

ng The Sindicato gang has been linked to several violent cross-border crimes The C r i m e C h

e f s a i d investigatorslearnedthatthe explosive device was activated moments after the mainsuspectexitedacarand walked into the Mobil Gas Station at Regent and King Streets, Georgetown The powerfulblastkilledBourne and injured four others, including children and adults.Investigatorsarenow working to determine the

motivebehindtheattackand whether it was linked to organised transnational criminalactivity

C l o s e d - C i r c u i t

Television (CCTV) showed the suspect, clad in a blue jersey, what appeared to be black trousers and a khaki hat, entering the gas station and first attempting to place a bulky black bag in a bin locatedatapumpstation.An attendant, who was seated there, forbade him from placing the bag in the bin. Themanthenventuredtothe areaofthefuelstationwhere itisreportedthatcookinggas wasstored.Shortlyafter,the car in which little Soraya Bourne and her family traveled in was seen slowly reversing before the bomb explodedcausingthegirland her relatives to be pitched intotheair.

Further, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said it has been pursuing all leads through collaboration with its local, regional and international counterparts, includingINTERPOL.A

Continued on page 16

Global Observance of

for Bogota toda World Cities Day 2025

Wo

rld Cities Day, representatives from cities around the world are expectedtogatherinBogota, the capital of Colombia today, to attend the Global Observance of World Cities Day2025.

They are expected to jointly witness the presentation of the 3rd G l o b a l Aw a r d f o r Sustainable Development in Cities(ShanghaiAward)and shared the achievements of urban sustainable development showcased in the English versions of the Shanghai Manual 2025 Annual Report and the Shanghai Adapted Index ApplicationReport.

From Concept to Practice

From proposing the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, concept of “Better City, BetterLife”topromotingthe establishment of World Cities Day – the first international day themed on cities, Shanghai has always integrated the practical experience of building a “people-centered city” into its reflections on and contributions to the sustainable development of globalcities.

Overthepastdecadeand more, this international day has become a crucial platform for forging global consensus on urban sustainabledevelopmentand a d v a n c i n g t h e implementation of the United Nations’ 2030

Agenda for Sustainable Development From its initial proposal in Shanghai

toitsexpansiontonumerous cities across five continents today, World Cities Day has witnessed a profound transformation of global cities from conceptual awareness to concrete action.

Standing at the starting point of a new decade, the hosting of the Global Observance of World Cities Day 2025 in Bogota, Colombia,notonlyservesas a review of achievements overthepastdecadebutalso represents a vision for and a newstartonthepathofurban developmentinthefuture.

From Initiative to System

To inherit the World Expo concept and its successful practices, upon theconclusionofExpo2010 Shanghai China, the Expo Organizing Committee and representatives of all participating parties jointly

released the Shanghai Declaration The declaration prop

d designatingOctober31–the closing day of Expo 2010

Shanghai – as World Cities Day, and clearly defined “Better City, Better Life” as theoverarchingthemeofthis day In2013,the68thsession of the United Nations GeneralAssemblyadopteda resolutiontoestablishWorld Cities Day This marked the first international day initiatedbytheChinese Continued on page 16

Caribbean MegaBounce Car postponed to Nov 7-10

No

…organisercitesHurricaneMelissa,ticketsremainvalidfornewdates

Caribbean MegaBounce, the region’s most electrifying

experience, has been postponed to November 7-10, 2025, due to Hurricane Melissa’s impact on Jamaica,organizershavesaidina pressrelease.

The specialised technical team responsible for setting up the massive inflatable structures is currently unable to travel to Guyana as they work to ensure thesafetyoftheiroperationsand personnel during the severe weatherevent.“Thesafetyofour team, attendees, and communities is always our top priority,” said Jonathan Beepat, Founder of Wildfire

Entertainment “While we’re disappointed by this necessary delay, we’re committed to delivering the same world-class experience our Caribbean MegaBouncefamilyhascometo expect. We’re grateful for the understanding and patience of everyone who has already purchasedtickets.”

All tickets purchased for the

originalOctober31-November3 dates remain fully valid for the newNovember7-10dates.Ticket holders do not need to exchange or repurchase their tickets. The eventwillnowkickoffonFriday, November 7th from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM The excitement

marathon sessions on Saturday, November 8th and Sunday, November 9th, featuring extended 11-hour days from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, giving familiesunprecedentedaccessto Continued on page 16

“Under the Sun” RisingSocaStarKyraReleases as2026MonarchEntry

Twenty-year-old Kyra is staking her claim as one of Guyana's most promising soca talents with the release of her latest single "Under the Sun," dropped today as her official entry for the 2026 Soca Monarch competition.

The Nabaclis-born artist, who currently reigns as the 2025 Junior Soca Monarch champion, is determinedtodefendhercrown with this high-energy power soca track that showcases her evolutionasaperformer

"Theinspirationforthisnew song came from last year's competition," Kyra explained. "MyteamandIdecidedthatwe wanted another power soca to go into the competition with again next year We were playing around with concepts and 'Under the Sun' came to mind."

The track was crafted in collaboration with fellow soca artistVintayge,whocontributed 95% of the lyrics and melody "Vintayge came up with the conceptthatsuitedmeperfectly, and then the whole magic was made,"shesaid.

Kyra's journey into soca music isanunlikelyone.Growingupina musicalhouseholdwhereherfather sang, she developed an early love for R&B music. "Soca was never my thing," she admitted. "I would

preferdancehallorR&B."

However, her path changed when she entered the music industry through the Soca and Calypso Monarch competitions, leading her to embrace the genre that has now become her signaturesound.

Shebeganpursuingmusic seriously at age 14, made it officialat17,andsignedwith Selector Andre Ent. at 19. Since then, her competitive track record speaks for itself; first place at the 2023 Junior Calypso competition, second place at both the 2024 Junior Calypso and Junior Soca competitions, and first place at the 2025 Junior Soca Monarch, a title she now preparestodefend.

Fans can expect more music from the young artist, as she confirmed that additionalsinglesfor2026are in the works But Kyra's vision extends far beyond competitionstages.

"Mymusicalgoalistobeoneof the biggest musicians coming out from Guyana and to make it a business," she stated with confidence.

With "Under the Sun" now available and her sights set firmly on the 2026 Soca Monarch crown,

isprovingthatsometimesthe best career paths are the ones we don't initially plan, but fully commit to once we find them.The single is now available on all streaming platforms. Follow her journey @KyraOfficial on all socialmediaplatforms.

Works on spring water catchment

system at Micobie completed – GWI CEO

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Inc.(GWI),ShaikBakshhas confirmed that works on the spring water catchment system for Micobie Village, Region Eight have been completed. The CEO when contactedbythispublication on Thursday related that, “Theworksatthespringare completed and the water is reachingtheschool,wehave evidence of that, the school isbenefitting.” He added that once the water is reaching the schools, the residents would be benefitting. Toshao Julie Singh when contacted also confirmed the same that the water supply has been restored.

waterinthevillage.

Kaieteur News reported in September that the nurseryandprimaryschools in Micobie Village were closed due to the lack of

ToshaoSinghatthattime detailed that the entire village was without water, but noted that GWI is addressingtheproblem.The water situation at Micobie Village was brought to the fore by leader of the We InvestinNationhood(WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed on Monday via his Team MohamedsFacebookpage.

Notwithstanding the

Min. Croal clamps down on land “double-dipping”

Governmentcontinuestoconfrontissues ofirregularsettlementsandsquattingacross Region Ten, even as it works to clear the backlogofhousingapplicationsandprovide newhomeownershipopportunities.

AccordingtoMinisterofHousing,Collin Croal,oneirregularityfacedbytheMinistry of Housing is 'double dipping' by squatters whohavealreadybeenallocatedland.

“You have persons who may have been allocated,andtheyarealsosquatting…aswe wouldsay,double-dipping...Theywillnotbe recognisedtwice,”MinisterCroalexplained during a visit to the Fitz Hope Housing SchemeinLindenonWednesday

He explained that while squatting remains illegal, the government has taken a compassionate approach by addressing the realitiesfoundonthegroundandworkingto regularisecertainareas.

The minister highlighted that there are

also persons occupying house lots that are already issued. “We're committed to having everylotwherewehaveachallenge,oreven boundaries where we have squatting, be addressed.”

He said that eligible applicants can accesslandorhousingthroughtheapproved system. Over 2,000 applications are still pendingintheregion,andtheministerurged residents to be patient as the housing drive continues. Infrastructure works at Wismar PhaseOnearenearingcompletion,allowing allallotteestoaccesstheirlandsbytheendof November

PhaseTwo works have also commenced and are expected to be completed in the comingmonths.Tostrengthenenforcement, the ministry has appointed new rangers and will soon add enforcement officers to monitor and curb new squatting activities.

(DPI)

Soesdyke man pleads guilty to killing ‘DJ Viper’

Dwayne Thomas, 22 of Laluni Village on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway haspleadedguiltytokilling 28-year-old Brian Pitam, knownas“DJViper”

Thomas who was initiallyindictedformurder pleaded guilty to the lesser countofmanslaughterwhen he appeared before Chief Justice (ag) Navindra SinghattheHighCourt

As a result of the guilty plea the accused that is represented by attorney

Madan Kissoon is scheduled for November 1 9 , 2 0 2 5 T h e circumstances of the indictmentwerepresented by prosecutors in the case are State Counsel Simran Gajraj, State Counsel Christopher Belfield, and State Counsel Geneva Wills According to the facts the incident which led to Pitman's death, a former employeeofKaieteurRadio,

Brian Pitam, known as “DJ Viper.”

attendedabirthdaypartyata family member's home in Laluni, along the SoesdykeLinden Highway, when he waschoppedtodeath

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) reported that Pitam of Lot 441 Goed Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was at the time attending a birthday party along with his father-in-law, a 51year-oldtruckdriver AccordingtothePolice, Pitam was killed by three men while trying to defend hisfather-in-lawduringan

challenges, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) intervened and had sent in barrelsofwaterforstaffand children to use. It was at the same time that GWI announced that it was establishing a spring water catchment system in the community

“We wish to clarify the facts of the situation and update the public on the interventions currently underway to ensure a sustainable solution for the community,” the agency noted.

GWI explained that Micobie is currently served by an existing well situated

inthevillage.

“This well has been supplying water on a continuous basis to the residents but is high in iron and may appear discoloured attimesduetothevolume It is important to note that residents including the schools in the area were not

challengesposedbythewell water quality, GWI has already commenced the establishment of a spring water catchment system,”

GWIstated.

The agency noted that the construction of this spring catchment is being

done through collaboration among GWI and the Village Council

operational, the spring

complement the availability of potable water to the Micobie Primary and Nursery Schools as well as householdsinthearea. “ G W I

i n s committed to ensuring that all Guyanese, including our hinterlandcommunities,have access to safe water We understand the critical importance of water to schools, not only for sanitation but also for programmes such as school feeding,”theagencynoted.

attackaround21:00hours

It was stated that Pitam was drinking at a shop when the three suspects confronted his father-inlaw, and dealt him a lash to his face. As such, Pitam intervenedandhewasdealt several chops about his bodybeforethetriorodeoff onmotorcycles.Itisunclear in which direction they escaped.

Pitam's left thumb, index finger and middle fingers along with his wrist werereportedlysevered.He also sustained a deep chop wound to the back of the neck.

Pitam was picked up by public spirited citizens and rushed to the Georgetown P u b l i c H o s p i t a l Corporation(GPHC)where hewaspronounceddeadon arrival The police later arrested one of the suspects in connection with Pitam's murder

WANTED

Job opening: Truck Driver, AC Technicians, Excavator and Skid Steer Operator. To apply send application via WhatsApp: 689-1111/ 6082114.

One Hauler Driver. Contact 611-7088.

Urgently wanted able bodied Security, attractive benefits and salary. Apply@ 21 Seaforth Street, Campbellville. Call: 6215140.

Wanted: Professional chef to work in a private home. Contact: 623-0133.

Sales Clerk wanted to work in store. Attractive salary offered. Call: 661-1000.

Wanted one Maid.Call: 6801282.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

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

EDUCATION

CAPE pure Mathematics online lessons.

M.I.Karimullah (Guyana Scholar), BSc, MSc. Email: capegy592@gmail.com / WhatsApp: 724-9552.

FOR SALE

T RUCK TIRES 295/ 75R22.5 $40K EACH. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL/WHATSAPP: +592-688-3201.

Caribbean MegaBounce postponed to Nov 7-1...

From page 12 world-class inflatable entertainment. The four-day spectacular concludes on Monday, November 10th from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

The Caribbean’s largest inflatable theme park will still transform the YMCA Grounds in Thomas Lands into an inflatable wonderland, featuring the same spectacular attractions. The event will feature several inflatable structures, including a 15,000 square foot main bounce house and a four-lane obstacle course that spans more than 600 feet in length. Additional attractions include a towering mega slide and various themed inflatable installations. A DJ booth will provide music throughout operating hours, ensuring nonstop entertainment for all at-

One clerk for TSI Eccles office English 1, Maths 2. For more information Call: 6159132 or email application to techserigy@yahoo.com

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

One (1) female cleaner for Eccles office. Call: 645-8443.

Western Union CSRS, Cashiers, Shelf Restockers, Floor Supervisors, Porters & Bond Attendants wanted @ Survival Supermarket. Call/ WhatsApp: 609-2995, Email: survivalhumanresources2 @gmail.com

Royalty Salon & Spa is now hiring, Barbers, Pedicarists, Masseuses, Nail Technicians, Hairstylists & Lash Technicians. Call: 627-3838 / 626-9171.

Hick's Ville Hotel is now hiring Receptionist, Hotel Attendant, Washer, Presser. Call: 227-7714 / 223-3448 / 6400673. Email: info@vegeworld.net

Vacancy for Merchandiser and Factory Worker. Email info@ vegeworld.net.

tendees.

Admission has been set at $4,000 for children aged 2 to 11 years and $5,000 for adults. A family package priced at $16,000 covers two adults and two children. All tickets grant unlimited access to all attractions with sameday re-entry privileges, meaning attendees can leave the venue and return later on the same day. All attendees must wear socks on the inflatables. No socks, no bouncing. Tickets remain available at multiple convenient locations throughout Georgetown, including Beepats on Regent

Street, Giftland OfficeMax Department Store at Giftland Mall in Turkeyen, Mattai’s The Food Mart at Water and Hope Streets, YMCA Grounds in Thomas Lands, and all Bad Monkey Merch Store locations at Amazonia Mall, Giftland Mall, Movietown Mall, and Leonora Mall.

Beepats proudly serves as the Title Sponsor of Caribbean MegaBounce, with their exciting giveaway program, featuring Santal juices, Goya cookies and much more. Silver co-sponsors are Coca Cola and Sterling Products.

The kids will receive ice cream treats, compliments of Sterling Products. Guysons and Cevon’s Waste Management are also supporting companies.

Together, these trusted names bring the excitement, energy, and community spirit that make Caribbean MegaBounce a one-of-a-kind family experience.

“We appreciate the support of the Guyanese community and look forward to bringing Caribbean MegaBounce to Georgetown on November 7th,” added Beepat. “This postponement allows our

technical team to arrive safely and ensures we deliver the premium, professionally managed experience that families deserve.”

With an impressive track record after successful events in Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua that attracted thousands of delighted attendees, Caribbean MegaBounce is bringing its proven formula for fun to Georgetown.

The production team’s over 30 years of combined experience in entertainment and family events guarantees an unforgettable experience.

Global Observance of World Cities Day 2025...

From page 12

government and approved by the UN General Assembly, as well as the first UN international day themed on cities. Through the joint efforts of China and international organizations such as UN-Habitat, the World Cities Day platform has gradually evolved. It has launched a series of public goods including the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award), developed and released the Shanghai Manual: A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development in the 21st Century, and established the Urban Monitoring Framework – Shanghai Adapted Index. The number of participating countries and cities has been on the rise, the influence of its brand has

continued to grow, and the network of partners for World Cities Day has been expanding steadily.

In this process, Shanghai has gradually evolved from an initiator of concepts into a builder of the public goods system for global urban governance, contributing Chinese solutions to urban sustainable development that combine both theoretical depth and practical insights.

From Shanghai to the World

The Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) is an international award jointly initiated and established by UNHabitat and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government.

It also serves as a key

vehicle for Shanghai to actively participate in global governance and promote the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.

Last year, the 2nd Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) was presented overseas for the first time.

The winning cities included Agadir (Morocco), Trivandrum (India), Doha (Qatar), Iztapalapa (Mexico), and Melbourne (Australia).

This year, the Shanghai Award is going abroad once again, which will further expand the global influence of China’s experience in urban sustainable development and demonstrate the continuous cooperation and leading role of China and the United Na-

tions in the field of urban sustainable development. On November 1, Shanghai will also co-host a thematic event for the Shanghai Award with UN-Habitat.

Officials and representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, UN-Habitat, and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government will attend the event and deliver speeches. During the event, representatives from cities worldwide, academic institutions, and enterprises will share their experiences and practices focusing on areas related to the Shanghai Award and other sustainable development topics.

(Source:Shanghai Coordination Center of World Cities Day)

‘Cops close in’: High Court extends hold on gas station...

From page 11

Special Investigative Task Force was established comprising members of the Major Crimes Investigation Unit, Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters, Regional Divisions 3, 4A, and 4B and other key stakeholders, supported by intelligence and forensic experts. The investigation was also coordinated with continuous oversight by the Commissioner of Police and senior officers.

Assault on peace and se-

curity

Meanwhile, in a statement on Thursday the Private Sector Commission (PSC) congratulated the joint services for their “exceptional professionalism, vigilance, and dedication in swiftly bringing to justice those responsible for the recent terrorist attack at the gas station in Georgetown.” “The PSC strongly condemns this cowardly act of violence, which resulted in the tragic loss of a young life and injuries to in-

615-9132.

nocent citizens. This attack, reportedly orchestrated by a foreign national with local collaborators, represents a grave assault on the peace and security that all Guyanese hold dear,” the business umbrella body said.

The Commission also commended what it described as the outstanding work of the Guyana Police Force and all supporting national security agencies and recognises that their timely intelligence, coordination, and operational

excellence resulted in the apprehension of the perpetrator and prevented the probability of further intended sabotage.

“The Private Sector anticipates and looks forward to the Minister of Home Affairs keeping the nation further and fully informed as investigations continue into this threat to our country’s security, safety and stability emanating from Venezuela and urges all of our citizens to remain fully alert to this threat and to take the necessary precautions within their control to guard against it. We reaffirm our commitment as the private sector to continue supporting national security, stability, and unity. Guyana’s progress depends on our collective resilience against acts of terror, violence, and division. The Commission offers our deepest condolences to the family of the young victim and to all who were affected by this senseless tragedy.

The PSC remains confident that together, as one people, we will overcome these challenges and continue building a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Guyana,” the statement concluded.

Guyanese Poets now have a space again to showcase their craft every month

“Poetry Slam” , a collaborative event between Nightlife592 and GT Gimmickshasnowcreateda spaceforGuyanesePoetsto showcase and express themselves while earning fromtheirwork.

After a sold-out debut

last month that left audiences moved to tears and cheering for more, the team of creatives has decidedtohostthiseventthe last Sunday in every month at SeaRock Sky Lounge on the corner of Lamaha and AlbertStreets.

There have only been two editions of Poetry Slam

thus far and it's already changing the landscape for performance poetry in Guyana. Each night, more thanadozenpoetsgettotake over the stage and mic and move the audience; and the audience gets to participate inafunvotingelementofthe night.

The event represents more than just a night of entertainment, it's a revival of a cultural tradition that had been missing from Guyana'screativescene.

"People are starved for entertainment that makes them feel something," says Mark Kazim, actor,

entertainer, and one of the creative minds behind the initiative."It'snotaparty,it's emotional, it's thoughtful, it's real. You go through every emotion with the poets."

What sets Poetry Slam apart, Kazim said, is its commitment to treating poets as professional artists. Every featured performer is compensated for their craft, regardless of whether they wintheaudiencevote.

“If we feature twelve poets,alltwelvegetpaidand receive a small gift," he emphasized.

Each month, attendees

vote for a Poet of the Night, with winners eventually competing in a Grand Slam showcase. Poet of the Night for the first edition in September went to Latiefa Agard whose stage name is “Cherry” and this month went to Nashava Thompson “Your Favourite Red Oman”.

But it's not just about poetry, the event also features original musicians whowriteandperformtheir own work, and also visual artistswhobringtheirpieces on showcase, making each PoetrySlamacelebrationof homegrowncreativity

For the organizers, Poetry Slam is about building a supportive community "Too often, Guyanese performers don't support each other," Kazim noted. "We want to change that. This event is about mentorship, collaboration, and respect We're not creating competition; we're creatingcommunity."

Theresponsehasalready attractedsponsorsmovedby the show's impact, with some attendees coming

forward to support future events.

Kazimsaidthelongterm vision is to make poetry exciting again and help talented poets become marketable, and create consistent opportunities for Guyanese artists. Follow Poetry Slam Guyana on Facebook to keep updated withfutureeventsorcontact (592) 711-6516 or (592) 638-6734 for more information or to reserve tickets.

Nandlall, Persaud lead high-level Symposium on state responses to domestic violence in the Caribbean

The Government of Guyana was represented by Mohabir Anil Nandlall SC, Attorney General & Minister of Legal Affairs and Dr Vindya Persaud, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, at a High-Level Symposium aimed at enhancing State Responses to Domestic Violence in the Caribbean held in Bridgetown, Barbados on October27th–28th.

TheeventwashostedbytheInter-American Development Bank (IDB), in collaboration with the Government of Barbados and the CaribbeanDevelopmentBank(CDB).

The event convened Attorneys General, Commissioners of Police, Heads of Gender Bureausandotherseniortechnicalofficersfrom eighteen (18) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members and associate member states to examine existing legislative tools and policy responses to domestic violence, with a focusoncoordinatedactiontoaddressthemost salientlegislativegaps.

In the letter of invitation to the Hon. AttorneyGeneral,IDBCountryRepresentative Lorena Solórzano-Salazar hailed Guyana’s efforts at combating domestic violence as follows: “Guyana has demonstrated true thoughtleadershipfortheregionintheareasof domestic and sexual violence legislation and policy Itwouldthereforebeanhonourtohave yourpresenceatthisSymposiumtoparticipate in a panel of your peers on Reflections –LegislativeGapsandOpportunities.”

Participants of the symposium

Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba pick up the pieces after Melissa’s destruction

S A N T I A G O D E

CUBA, Cuba (AP) — The rumble of large machinery, whine of chain saws and chopping of machetes

e c h o e d t h r o u g h communities across the northern Caribbean on Thursday as they dug out from the destruction of Hurricane Melissa and surveyed the damage left behind.

I n J a m a i c a , government workers and residents began clearing roads in a push to reach dozens of isolated communities in the island’s southeast that sustained a direct hit from one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanesonrecord.

Stunned residents wandered about, some staring at their roofless homes and waterlogged belongings strewn around them.

“I don’t have a house now,” said Sylvester Guthrie, a resident of Lacovia in the southern parish of St Elizabeth, as he held onto his bicycle, the onlypossessionofvalueleft afterthestorm.

Emergency relief flights began landing at

J a m a i c a ’ s m a i n international airport, which reopened late

Wednesday, as crews distributed water, medicine and other basic supplies. Helicopters dropped food as they thrummed above communities where the storm flattened homes, wiped out roads and destroyed bridges, cutting themofffromassistance.

“The entire Jamaica is really broken because of what has happened,”

Education Minister Dana MorrisDixonsaid

Police said at least 14 peoplehavediedinJamaica, and they expected the death toll to keep rising. In one isolated community, residents pleaded with officials to remove the body of one victim tangled in a tree.

Morethan13,000people remained crowded into shelters, with 72% of the island without power and only 35% of mobile phone sites in operation, officials said.Peopleclutchedcashas theyformedlonglinesatthe few gas stations and supermarkets open in affectedareas.

“We understand the frustration, we understand your anxiety, but we ask for

Haitians in the capital Port-au-Prince, already facing the challenges of displacement, were burdened further Wednesday after Hurricane Melissa brought heavy rains which flooded makeshift tents and homes. (AP video shot by: Pierre Luxama)

your patience,” said Daryl V a z , J a m a i c a ’ s telecommunications and energyminister

Water trucks have been mobilized to serve many of Jamaica’sruralcommunities thatarenotconnectedtothe government’sutilitysystem, Water Minister Matthew Samudasaid.

SlowrecoveryinCuba In Cuba, heavy equipment began to clear

blocked roads and highways and the military helped rescue people

trapped in isolated communities and at risk fromlandslides

No deaths were reported after the Civil Defense evacuated more

than 735,000 p

ple across eastern Cuba ahead of the storm Residents were slowly starting to returnhomeThursday

The town of El Cobre in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba was one ofthehardesthit

Home to some 7,000 people,itisalsothesiteof the Basilica of Our Lady ofCharity,thepatronsaint of Cuba who is deeply venerated by Catholics and practitioners of Santería, an Afro-Cubanreligion.

Haitians in the capital Port-au-Prince, already facin

r

Hurricane Melissa brought heavy rains which flooded makeshift tents andhomes (APvideoshot by:PierreLuxama)

“We went through this very badly So much wind, somuchwind.

Zincroofsweretornoff. Some houses completely collapsed.Itwasadisaster,” said Odalys Ojeda, a 61year-old retiree, as she lookedupattheskyfromher living room where the roof and other parts of the house weretornaway

Even the basilica wasn’tspared.

“Here at the sanctuary, the carpentry, stained glass and even the masonry sufferedextensivedamage,” Father Rogelio Dean Puerta said.

A televised Civil Defense meetingchairedby

President Miguel DíazCanel did not provide an official estimate of the damage.

However, officials from the affected provinces — Santiago, Granma, Holguín, Guantánamo,andLasTunas — reported losses of roofs, power lines and fiber optic telecommunications cables, as well as roads cut off, isolating communities, and heavy losses in banana, cassava and coffee plantations.

Many communities were still without electricity, internet and telephoneservicebecauseof downed transformers and powerlines.

I n a n u n u s u a l statement Thursday, the U.S. State Department said theUnitedStateswas“ready to assist the Cuban people.”

A press release said the U S “is prepared to provide immediate humanitarian assistance directly and through local partners who can deliver it more effectively to those in need.”

The statement did not s p e c i f y h o w t h e cooperation would be coordinated or whether contacthadbeenmadewith the Cuban government, with which it maintains a bitter conflict that includes six decades of economic and financial sanctions.

Death and flooding in Haiti

Melissa also unleashed catastrophic flooding in Haiti, where at least 30 people were reported killed and20othersweremissing, mostly in the country’s southern region Some 15,000 people also remainedinshelters

“It is a sad moment for the country,” said Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of Haiti’s transitional presidentialcouncil.

He said officials expect the death toll to rise and noted that the government was mobilizing resources to search for people and provideemergencyrelief.

Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said Hurricane Melissa killed at least 20 people, including 10 children, in Petit-Goâve, wheremorethan160homes weredamagedand80others destroyed.

Steven Guadard said Melissa killed his entire family in Petit-Goâve, including four children ranginginagefrom1-month to8-years-old.

Michelet Dégange, who has lived in Petit-Goâve for threeyears,saidMelissaleft himhomeless.

Hurricanes are powerful

storms that can produce strongwinds,rainandstorm surges.

T h e y ’ r e c a l l e d hurricanes in the Atlantic, buttyphoonsinthePacificor cyclones in other ocean basinsaroundtheworld.(AP Video:BrittanyPetersonand Eva Malek Production: MaryConlon)

“There is no place to rest the body; we are hungry,”hesaid

“The authorities don’t think about us. I haven’t closed my eyes since the badweatherbegan.”

When Melissa came ashore in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with topwindsof185mph(295 kph) on Tuesday, it tied strength records for Atlan

icanes making landfall, both in wind speed and barometric pressure.

M e l i s s a w a s a Category 2 storm with top sustained winds near 105 mph (165 kph) Thursday afternoon and was moving northeast at 31 mph (50 kph), according to the U S National Hurricane CenterinMiami

The hurricane was centered about 325 miles (520 kilometers) westsouthwestofBermuda Melissa brushed past the southeast Bahamas on Wednesday, forcing officials to evacuate 1,400 peopleaheadofthestorm

Melissawasforecastto pass near or to the west of Bermuda late Thursday and may strengthen further before weakening Friday

B e r m u d a ’ s international airport was to close Thursday evening andreopenFridayatnoon, while all schools on the wealthy British territory wereorderedclosed

ERC sends Jennifer Ally ‘back to school’...

Frompage3 the Guyana Police Force underArticle212D(j)ofthe Constitution, but only after due review and in accordance with the law

“Wewillcontinuetoclosely monitorthemattertoensure thatMs.Allydemonstratesa sustained commitment to respectful and responsible public engagement,” the commissionstated.

ERC reiterated its commitment to promoting harmony among Guyana’s

diverse ethnic groups and reminded citizens that public discourse must be conducted responsibly and with respect for the country’sdiversity

A few months ago, Ally appeared before the commission for a series of hateful and insensitive comments directed at 11year-old Adriana Younge, who died in April, and her grieving family A video later circulated showing Ally apologising for her remarks.

However, just months later,Allyhasagainsparked outrageoveraseriesofposts speaking ill of AfroGuyanese.

OnTuesday,October21, a fire destroyed a house at Block9‘C’MonRepos,East CoastDemerara,whereAlly lived with her family The Guyana Fire Service confirmed that the structure and all its contents were completely destroyed, though no injuries were reported.

Following this, Ally madeaFacebookpostabout the fire, and then shared a series of subsequent posts referring to Afro-Guyanese ashaving“zerobraincells,” and claiming “y’all (word redacted) burn my house down…”amongotherposts that are too insensitive to repeat. This led to several social media users expressing dissatisfaction with the ERC, urging the commissiontointervene.

Colombia and Guyana strengthen Caribbean ties through theatre and cultural exchange

th Presentation of “Awee Culture…Awee Life”: Wednesday 29 of October, 2025

Athree-day

c u l t u r a l

e x c h a n g e between Colombia and Guyana concluded on Thursday with a public performance at the National Cultural Centre The initiative, organized by the Embassy of Colombia in Guyana, celebrated shared Caribbean heritage through theatre, memory, and collectivecreation.

The closing event featured performances by local students from schools such as St Roses and Bishops' High. Highlights

included “Awee Culture, Awee Life”, a collaborative play developed during a dynamic four-hour

w o r k s h o p , a n d

“ComBack… ComBack” ,a monologue by Colombian playwright Marilyn Leonor BiscainoMiller,centeredon the voices of Raizal women fromSanAndrés.

TheColombianEmbassy in a statement said that the exchangeofficiallybeganon October27withaninaugural gatheringattheWorldTrade Center in Georgetown, markingthefirstartisticand theatrical collaboration

between the two countries. Throughout the week, artists, students, and educators from both nations engaged in workshops and conversations, paving the way for future joint productions.

In his remarks, Ambassador Graybern Livingston highlighted the power of the arts in international relations: “culture is diplomacy at its mosthuman” Inthecomingmonth,the cultural exchange between Colombia and Guyana will continue this time

through music Local Guyanese artists will have the opportunity to engage in collaborative sessions, performances, and conversations with visiting Colombian musicians, sharing experiences, styles, and traditions from both sides of the Caribbean

Presentation of Marilyn Biscaino: “Comeback…Comback” : th Wednesday 29 of October, 2025

“He kissed me goodbye…that was the last time”

T-WifeofWestBerbicemankilledinaccidentsays

ragedy struck on T h u r s d a y morning when 36-year-old Azim Khan, called “Ameer,” of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, died after losing control of his motorcycle and crashing into a concrete fence.

Police said the accident occurred around 05:46 hrs along the Number Two Village Public Road, West Coast Berbice. Khan was reportedlyproceedingeastat a fast rate when he failed to negotiate a left turn and slammed into a fence on the northernsideoftheroad.

Public-spirited citizens rushedtheinjuredmantothe Bath Regional Hospital, where doctors pronounced himdeadonarrival.Khan,a long-time employee of the Blairmont Sugar Estate, leavestomournhiswife,31year-oldDusshalaSookwah, andtheiryoungchild.

Through tears, Sookwah recounted to Kaieteur News her final moments with her husband.Shesaidthattothe best of her knowledge, Khan, also called Ameer, was a moderate-pace rider

She recounted her last encounter with him. “Last nighthecamehomeandsaid hehadtogoBlairmontearly morning to work, he got to leavefor5:30. He leave house this morning and it was a good (long) time.” The grieving spouse shared that she had packed his meal, and he kissed the children farewell and prepared to head to the Blairmont Sugar Estate, where he was employed for some12years.

Khan fathered one child withher “Hecomedownstairs;as usual he does kiss me. That was it. I ain't hear back

nothingfromhe…Ijusthear that he get accident,” she toldthispublication.Shegot thatcallfromhermother-inlaw, who related to her that Azimhadmetinanaccident at Number Two Village Public Road. Calls to his phonewereunanswered.

Sookwah then hurried out to the scene after dropping the children off by their grandmother “When I got there, I just see police was on the road and the motorbike was on the road, butIdidn'tseemyhusband.” She opted to return home, butthedriverwithwhomshe travelled inquired from a passerby what happened, to which the passerby confirmed that an accident had taken place, and with a motorcyclist.

Probed further on the condition of the accident victim,thewitnessconveyed that he passed away Khan was at the time riding a motorcycle (CR 3710) at about 05:46 hrs when the incidentoccurred,thepolice stated. His body is at the hospital'smortuaryawaiting a post-mortem examination. Investigationsareongoing.

TheColombianEmbassy thanked the Ministry of Culture,YouthandSportsof Guyana, Ministry of Education,theUniversityof Guyana, Theater Guild, National Culture Center, artist, students, and for their invaluable support and partnership in making the initiative a success Their commitment to cultural exchange and regional cooperation made it possibletobringartistsand communities together around a shared Caribbean identity

“This successful exchange reaffirmed the

essential role of cultural

collective memory, and strengthening regional ties across language and history, theembassysaid.

Man flees police, tosses shotgun and ammo into trench at Nabaclis

Police on Thursday recovered a 12-gauge shotgun and six matching cartridges after a male suspect fled and tossed a bag containing the items into a trench at Nabaclis Village, East Coast Demerara.

Inastatementthepolice said that ranks conducting routine patrol duties in the vicinityofNabaclisVillage, East Coast Demerara, discovered a firearm and several rounds of ammunition after a male suspect fled the scene upon seeingthepolice.

Accordingtoreportsthe suspect escaped through an open lot, and subsequently ranksretrievedthebagfrom the trench which it was thrown into. It contained a 12-guage single barrel shotgun its serial number missing and sis live 12guagecartridges.

The shotgun and ammunition discovered.

“The items were taken totheCoveandJohnPolice Station where they were processed and lodged as exhibits.Despiteimmediate efforts to locate the suspect he remains at large; police are making every effort to a

ongoing,”policesaid.

India stun Australia in record chase to reach final

BBC Sport - Jemimah Rodrigues hit a remarkable unbeaten century as India completed a record chase to claimastunningfive-wicket winoverAustraliaandreach the Women’s World Cup final.

Set 339 to win after a wonderful hundred from Australia opener Phoebe Litchfield, India held their nerveinamammothpursuit, with Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur leading the way with a 167-run

stand.Harmanpreet fell for 89 with 113 still needed but Rodrigues remained, reaching her hundred from 115 balls, and she was there at the end as the highest successfulchaseinwomen’s one-day international history was achieved with nineballstospare. Rodrigueswasintearsas the India players streamed ontothefieldafterAmanjot Kaurhitthewinningrunsin front of a delirious home crowd to set up a final

against South Africa on Sunday

This game in Navi Mumbai will go down as an instant classic and with the defending champions dumped out, there will be a newnameonthetrophythis weekend.

It could all have been so differenthadAustraliataken their chances but a missed stumpinggaveHarmanpreet a life on 10, while the simplest of catches was put down to reprieve Rodrigues

on82.

Australia captain and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy was the guilty party both times with Alana King the unfortunatebowler

But both batters were ruthless in making the most oftheirgoodfortuneasthey timed the chase to perfection, with Rodrigues showing intent from the off and Harmanpreet gradually building into her innings after the openers fell in the powerplay

After Harmanpreet’s

Friday October 31, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Social events could put you intotouchwithintriguingnew people who share your interests. This should be a gratifying experience. Your mind is quick and agile and yourcuriosityhigh.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Today you might want to spend some time gardening. In fact, you might have a number of tasks to perform around the house and yard, butyoumayalsohavefriends waiting.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Exploring your intellectual interests might get your curiosity going, although whateverknowledgeyougain may bring up more questions thananswers!You'llalsowant to get together with close friends.

CANCER(June21–July22)

A number of young visitors couldcometoyourhomewith news to pass on and information to share. You'll probably spend most of your dayworkingaroundthehouse oryard.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Your phone may not stop ringing today Friends and family may have good news andinterestinginformationto share,soyou'llwanttospend alotoftimetalkingwiththem.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Thisisagreatdaytoplannew projects. Your mind may be especially quick and full of ideas These could prove valuable. Write down ideas that you can't put to immediate use so you won't forgetthem.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Yourmindcouldbeespecially active today Perhaps you'll discover a new talent you didn't know you had, such as writing, drawing or speaking. Ideasforstories,sketches.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Your intuition has been especially high for a while now Today you could decide to put it to practical use. You might consider a class or workshop that increases your abilitytocommunicate.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Your mind should be especially quick and agile today, and your curiosity will be piqued. Your pursuit of intellectualinterestscouldlead to group activities where you meet others interested in the samesubjects.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Youmighthaveafewprojects in mind that you'll want to work on today. Your mind is especiallyquickandagile,and you have a lot of great ideas thatcanmakeyoureffortsturn outthewayyouwant.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20–Feb 18)Yourmindmayturntoward intellectual pursuits that you have been too busy to investigate. Today your mind is so quick and your curiosity so high that you won't resist evenifotherthingsinterfere.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar 20)

Legalpapersregardingmoney might need to be executed today Your mind is especially quick and agile, so you can take care of it efficiently, freeing you up for more enjoyableactivities.

dismissal, Rodrigues benefited from another dropped catch with Tahlia McGrathlettingtheballslip through her fingers from w h a t s e e m e d a straightforward chance at mid-off.

ForallthatAustraliacan pointtocostlyerrors,itisthe brilliance of Rodrigues and her all-time World Cup inningsthatwilllivelongin thememory

Australia fail to capitaliseonLitchfieldton

Few would have predictedtheoutcomeatthe halfway stage as Australia racked up a seemingly commandingtotalonagood battingsurface.

Buteventhen,therewas a feeling the seven-time winners had left plenty of runs out there having stuttered slightly after the fantastic platform built by Litchfield.

Theleft-handerhashada quiet tournament by her standards, passing fifty only once prior to the semi-final, butshewasinfinenickfrom theoffhere.

While Healy, back after missing Australia’s last two groupgamesthroughinjury, struggled to get going, Litchfield took the attack to theIndiabowlers.

The 22-year-old made little secret of the fact she wastargetingtheoffsidebut her timing and placement wassuchthatIndiacouldnot stop her racing to a 77-ball ton.

Lofted drive after lofted driveclearedthein-fieldand raced away with 15 of Litchfield’s17fours,andall threeofhersixes,comingon theoffside.

In total 85% of her runs were scored on that side of the wicket and even without her runs on the leg side, she wouldhavescored101.

Butultimatelyherefforts were in vain as Australia suffered two mini-collapses

after she departed, going from 220-2 to 265-6, before losingtheirlastfourwickets foronlysevenruns.

Three needless run outs did not help and where the 375 they were on course for might have been a winning total, the 338 all out they

endedupwithmostcertainly wasnot.

Scores: India 341 for 5 ( R o d r i g u e s 1 2 7 * , Harmanpreet 89, Garth 246) beat Australia 338 (Litchfield 119, Perry 77, Gardner 63, Charani 2-49, Deepti2-73)byfivewickets.

2nd One Guyana Inter-Region Ten\10 Softball Cricket gets support from

Plans are moving apace for the staging of the 2nd One Guyana Inter-Region Ten10 Softball Cricket Cup across Guyana from 2nd to 30th November, with matches across various venues,asMike’sPharmacy and Mohamed’s Excavating throw their support towards what is considered to be the country’s biggest open softballcrickettournament.

At a simple ceremony at the well-established Mike’s Pharmacy, Mr Kai James, representative of the company, said that they are very pleased to support the tournament, which involves local open softball teams nationwide. He went on to

say that the company, under itsfounder,Mr MikeSingh, who was a strong supporter of the sport, has been supporting the growth and developmentofthegamefor decades.

Mr. James further added that in the past, the business had its own branded Mike’s Well Woman softball team, andtheentityisverypleased toseethatfemalesarebeing included in this year’s tournament, which gives it an added attraction for spectators. Hewishesallthe teamstheverybest.

On the other hand, Mr Faizul Mohamed, Director of Mohamed’s Excavating, echoed the same sentiments andsaidthatheisveryhappy

Mr. Fizul Mohamed, Director of Mohamed’s Excavating handing over sponsorship to Ms. Akaze Thompson of RS Sports.

thathiscompanywascalled upon to support local grassroots softball cricket, especially knowing that any age group can be part of the sameteam.

He further said that softballcricket,beingplayed i n t h e v i l l a g e o r communities,isalocalsport that brings our people together and allows our young players to showcase their talents and move further up in the game. He wentontowishalltheteams the very best in the tournament.

RS Sports Ms. Akaze Thompson, thanked both business

ties for supporting the tournament, and assured that the game will be played at the highest standard,andit’sbiggerand betterthisyear

According to the coordinators, the winner of thisyear’stournamentinthe male category will walk away with 1 million dollars and a trophy, the runner-up $250,000 and a trophy Prizeswillbeawardedtothe MVP, best bowler, best batsman, and man of the final.

In the female category, thewinningteamwillpocket $300,000 and a trophy, the runner-up $150,000 and a trophy, while prizes will be awarded to the MVP, best bowler, best batter, and playerofthefinal.

The tournament is being coordinated by RS Sports.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e coordinators, all regional winning teams will be awardedcashincentivesand trophies,whileprizeswillbe given to the runners-up, regional MVPs, Best bowlers, Best Batter, Player of the finals, and Player of thematches.

The winner of each regionwillthenbattleinthe nationalplayoffsonthe29th and 30th of November at a venuetobenamed.

Last year’s inaugural tournament, which was played in the male open categoryandsawHydePark ofParikainRegion3gotthe better of their opponents RegalofRegion4inthefinal at the Bath Community Centre Ground on the West Coast Berbice, as they walked away with the inaugural title, the MVP, best bowler, best batsman andmanofthefinalprizes.

The organisers said that softball cricket is the grassroots of all forms of cricket, and it nurtures our youthstomoveoninplaying all forms of the game at the veryhighestlevel,anditalso brings families, friends, and communitiestogether

It’s the true belief of the organizers that the tournament once again will bring our people together a c r o s s v a r i o u s villages/communities/regio ns in unity through sports and strengthen the game of softballcricketlocally

Ms. Akaze Thompson of RS Sports collecting the sponsorship from Mr. Kai James, representative of Mike’s Pharmacy while staff members look on.

The tournament will continue to use supreme balls, and it’s a one-game knockout competition that will use round-arm bowling withextrasinplace.

Supporting this second edition of the One Guyana Inter-Region Tournament areKhan’sConstructionand Transportation Services, Mike’s Pharmacy, N

Contracting Service and Electrical Supplies, Basheir andSons’ConstructionInc., GMIN Ventures Guyana Inc , C R

Mike’s Pharmacy and Mohamed’s Excavating Women’sDivisionOneLeague...

Stationary, Caribbean Construction Consultancy and International Supplies Inc., and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports underitsOneGuyanabrand. Interested teams across the country can register by contacting Brian (Region 2) 651-0358, Sedik (Region 3) 698-6406, Darmin (Region 4) 668-2783 & Fazal 6708114, Mahesh (Region 5) 668-9993, RS Sports (Region 6) 726-1386, Apache (Region 9) 6712001, Rastaff (Region 10) 658-7354, Ms. Akaze 7175577 and WhatsApp 7261386.

Contrasting wins

f o r Monedderlust Football Club and Santos FC were on the cards on Wednesdaynightwhenthe Women’s Division One League continued at the

G u y a n a F o o t b a l l

Federation’s (GFF) National Training Center (NTC)atProvidence.

MonedderlustFCwere the first to snatch three points on the night, downingDenAmstelFC31. Den Amstel broke the ice,throughDeliaChowin the4thminute.

H o w e v e r , t h e excitement of their lead

allowed a lapse in defense

r e s u l t i n g i n Monedderlust’s Delicia Fraser finding the equalizer in the 12th minute.

The 1- all score would hold until the second half Just when it seemed like a drawn result was on the way, Liliana Greenidge’s shot found the back of the net in the 56th to give the Berbice outfit the lead Fraser returned in the 60th, capitalizing off of a build up to net her team’sthirdgoal

Blucher and Karen Jupiter stoodout.

However, in the final minutesofthegame,itwas GabrielRivera’sshotinthe 57th from outside the penalty area that sailed overtheFrutaConquerors’ keeper’sreachandintothe

On the other hand, SantosFChadtofightoffa r e l e n t l e s s F r u t a Conquerors FC for their 3 points. There were shots galore over the first 50 minutes of the encounter but it was a battle of the bestdefencesasthelikesof Santos’Shantel Green and Christina

netsforthe1-0win.

As a result of the win, SantosFCwillmoveupto the third position in the League,however,itcanbe temporary since Fruta Conquerors will have the opportunity to surpass themagain,tonight. TheWomen’sDivision One League will continue this evening, Friday, October 31 at the same venue.

DenAmstelFCwillbe in action again, taking on Western Tigers from 18;00hrswhileat19:30hrs, FrutaConquerorswillseek redemption against MainstayGoldstarFC.

Businessman and cricket fan Shabeer Baksh of Big B Restaurant donates cricket uniforms to Tuber Park CC

Mr Shabeer Baksh, ownerofBigB’sRestaurant and Baksh Travel Service and the MSB business

Complex, business enterprises across both East and West Berbice, has donated a set of uniforms to the Tucber Park Cricket Club.

Baksh, who is also the President of the Blairmont BlazersCricketClub,which is part of the Blairmont Community Centre, still plays First Division and differentlevelsofcricketfor hisclub.

The donation was made recently at one of his business complexes in

Berbice According to Baksh – the Tucber Park Cricket Club since coming on the scene has been very impressive.Their record, he saysspeaksforitself.

The club has produced a number of top players at all levels some of whom have goneontorepresentGuyana and the West Indies. He spoke of the good relationshipbetweenthetwo clubs.

According to Baksh, he has been a cricketer, a fan andacricketenthusiastover the years, so he decided to lend his support and assist whereverhecan.

TheTucberParkCricket,

whichhasrisentobeamong thetopclubsinBerbice,was thankful Baksh’s generosity inthedonationoftheplaying uniforms.

According to the club, Baksh has always been and continues to be very supportive of the Tucber ParkCricket.

“His generosity continues to inspire and motivate us as we work together to develop Tucber ParkandBerbicecricket.”

“Thank you once again for your thoughtful and selflessness and for being such a valued partner of Tucber Park.” (Samuel Whyte)

NBA roundup: Austin Reaves, Lakers sink Wolves at buzzer

Reuters-AustinReaves made a driving jump shot at the buzzer to lift the Los AngelesLakerstoa116-115 win over the Minnesota

T i m b e r w o l v e s o n

Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

Reaves finished with 28 points and 16 assists to lead Los Angeles, which wondespiteplayingwithout injured stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic Jake LaRavia finished with 27 points on 10-for-11 shooting, including 5-for-6 success from beyond the 3pointarc.

J u l i u s R a n d l e

amassed 33 points, five rebounds and six assists to lead Minnesota Jaden

McDaniels added 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting, going 3-for-4

fromdeep Th

Timberwolves led by one point as the Lakers lined up for an inbounds pass from just inside of halfcourt with 6 6 seconds to go LaRavia fed the pass to Reaves, who weaved between McDaniels and Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert to drive toward the paint before lifting for a jump shot from inside the free-throw line

M avericks 107, Pacers 105

Brandon Williams’ 20 points led a 64-point night from Dallas reserves and rookie Cooper Flagg recorded a double-double as the Mavericks sent visiting Indiana to its fourthconsecutiveloss.

Advertisement Scroll tocontinue

Dwight Powell (18 points) and D’Angelo Russell (14 points) also had big games off the Mavericks’bench

Cooper Flagg bounced back from a two-point game on Monday to finish with 15 points and 10 rebounds, but Anthony Davis exited in the first quarter due to a left leg injury

Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 27 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for the Pacers On a scramble after an intentionally missed free throw in the final seconds, Aaron Nesmith had an open look at a potential gamewinning 3-pointer, but his shotwasnogood.

Grizzlies 114, Suns

113

JaMorantcapped a28point effort by sinking the decisive basket with 7 6 seconds remaining as Memphis won at Phoenix, extending the Suns’losing streaktofourgames

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 18 points while Cedric Coward and Santi Aldamahad14pointsapiece off the bench for the

Grizzlies, who have alternatedwinsandlossesin their first five games this season.

Devin Booker put up 29 of his 32 points in the second half, and Mark Williams had 20 points and

11 rebounds in his first start for the Suns. Booker missed acontestedtreyatthebuzzer Trail Blazers 136,Jazz 134

Jrue Holiday scored27 points and hit four key free throws in the final seconds, liftingPortlandtoawinover UtahinSaltLakeCity Deni Avdija added 19 points, nine rebounds and fiveassists,ShaedonSharpe

and Jerami Grant each scored 18 and Toumani Camara netted 17 as Portlandheldontowinafter blowing most of a 22-point fourth-quarterlead.

Lauri Markkanen

Rockets 139, Raptors 121

Pistons 135, Magic 116

Celtics 125, Cavaliers 105

Bulls 126, Kings113

recorded 32 points and Keyonte George poured in 29 points for the Jazz, who squanderedanearly13-point lead Walker Kessler contributed18pointsand12 rebounds. In other results: Nuggets 122, Pelicans 88

Hawks 117, Nets112 (Field Level Media)

Georgetown’s Ravens and Eagles to clash in semifinal tomorrow after solid wins in Brusches

Cricket action to continue in Berbice over the weekend with first and second division matches

ThetwosemifinalsoftheBerbice Cricket Board (BCB) two days firstdivisioncricketcompetition willbeplayedonSaturday1standSunday 2ndofNovember Thewinnerswillclashin thefinalatadatetobedecided.

The matches will see Group ‘A’ winners, Young Warriors CC, playing Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports

Club (RHTYSC) at the Young Warriors Ground or an alternative venue The other game will involve Group B winner, Albion Community Centre, against Group ‘A’ runner-up Tucber Park CC at the Albion Community Centre Ground or an

alternative venue

Atotal of ten teams which were divide into two groups started the competition. The teams in the two groups played each other in a round robin format in their respectivegroupswiththetoptwoteamsin each group emerging to play in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, the Lalsa Second Division 40 overs cricket competition is continuing withanumberofmatchesacrossBerbice. While training sessions are continuing for female cricketers at the Port Mourant Cricket Ground from 15:00 hrs. Females whoarealsointerestedinplayingthegame areencouragedtoattend.(SamuelWhyte)

KeevinAllicockandJoelWilliamson...

Frompage27

PresidentSteveNinvalle,the Islamic Solidarity Games will provide both pugilists with another opportunity to test themselves against elite oppositiononagrandstage.

Followingsolidwins,the two remaining Georgetown clubs Ravens and Eagles will face each other in semifinal action tomorrow night (Saturday) after their respective wins on Wednesday night in the Brusches Basketball Classic Championship, at the Retrieve Hard Court in the miningtownofLinden.

Playinginthefirstgame, Ravens were pitted against Kwakwani and were up by sevenpointswhenthebreak athalftimecame,37-30.

A good third quarter performance, where Ravens opened a 25-14 points gap, allowedtheleadingCityside to be in the driver’s seat 62-

Basketball Classic

44.Thiscushionwasenough toseethemwinningwithout afuss,80-61.

The player who pushed theminthesecondperiodno doubt was Emani Charles, who netted all of his 16 points in the second half, while Alroy Nurse contributed 24 points, with Akil Hodges and Nikkolai Smith each registered 11 pointsforthewinners.

Kwakwani’smainscorer was Martin Thomas who netted21points.

Intheothermatchofthe evening, Eagles staved off the challenge of Pacesetters with a comfortable, 68-49 victory

Pacesettershadtakenthe

lead when the first quarter came to a close 21-18, but they were unable to take control as Eagles responded to nudge ahead at half time 34-32 and were up 42-41 after three quarters had elapsed.

That is when Eagles tightened things to soar past Pacesetterstorushhome6849 behindTravis Belgrave’s 23 game high points as ShetanGillisgot14andZian Grain12.

The other teams playing in the semifinals are Linden sides Victory Valley Royals and Amelia’s Ward Jets, which will be the second game set for the Retrieve HardCourttomorrownight.

World Athletics uncovers 1.5 million euros corporate theft by staff

(Reuters) - Two World Athletics employees and a contracted consultant systematically stole more than1.5millioneuros($1.75 million) from the organisation over several years in a theft uncovered during an audit, the sport’s governing body said on Thursday

World Athletics said it discovered the theft during its first annual audit under new financial leadership, prompting an internal investigation that led to contract terminations and criminalreferrals.

“Keevin and Joel have been working tirelessly during this preparation phase, and the Games will give them valuable rounds against world-class talent,” Ninvallestated.

ofthelocalboxingteam.

The GBA president saluted Guyana Olympic Association president Godfrey Monroe and his executiveforgoingtheextra mile to ensure participation

The Islamic Solidarity Games is a multinational, multi-sport event jointly o rg a n i z e d b y t h e Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Islamic Solidarity S

(ISSA).

Whileoneemployeehad already left the organisation before their involvement was discovered, World

Athletics terminated contracts for the remaining employee and consultant followingtheinvestigation.

“Detailed cases have been prepared and handed over to the relevant judicial and legal authorities for criminal investigation,” World Athletics said in a statement.

“World Athletics instructed an independent forensic accounting review of the period to supplement i t s o w n i n t e r n a l investigation and no other fraudulent activity was found.

“A set of enhanced internal financial controls are being introduced across theorganisation.”

World Athletics’ annual

report published last month showed its year-over-year revenue was $59.8 million, up 10.5% on the previous year World Athletics

PresidentSebastianCoesaid the body was determined to recover whatever it could using the “full force of the law

“Toomanyorganisations brush incidents like this underthecarpet,terminating employment with limited information which allows

perpetratorstocontinuetheir scamsandtheftswithinnew organisations. We are not that type of organisation,” Coesaid.

“We have built a strong reputation for good governance, transparency and for defending what is right,evenifitissometimes a little uncomfortable. This is uncomfortable but it is important that we do the rightthing.”

($1=0.8575euros)

Guysuco wins Agri-Sector Games Circle Tennis competition

the

Guysuco won the 2025 AgriSector Games Circle Tennis competition playedattheGuyanaSchool of Agriculture (GSA) ground. They defeated GSA and

AMixedTeamofstaffdrawn fromvariousdepartments. In the opening game GSA batted first and scored

Keevin Allicock and Joel Williamson off to Riyadh for Islamic Solidarity Games

Guyana’s boxing pride, Olympian Keevin Allicock

and standout Joel Williamson, will depart the country today, Friday for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to represent the nation at the IslamicSolidarityGames.

The prestigious multisport event gathers athletes fromacrosstheMiddleEast, Africa, and Europe, and this year marks the second time the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee has hosted the Games, following its inauguraleditioninMeccain 2005.

Both Allicock and Williamson are seasoned

campaigners on the international circuit, and their inclusion underscores Guyana’s growing presence inglobalboxing.

Allicock, who recently transitioned to the professional ranks, remains

eligible for amateur competition under IBA regulations.

The 26-year-old southpaw, known for his sharp jab and

ng intelligence, represented Guyana at the Tokyo 2020

Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, and multiple Pan American Championships.

His speed, balance, and tactical precision make him one of the Caribbean’s most technicallysoundfighters.

Williamson, meanwhile, brings grit and power to the

42-6,off25deliveries.With LeviNedd18.

Guysucoinrepliedmade 49–1,LeviNeddjr scoring 18.

GSA batted first and scored 60-4, Stephen Daniels 16, Nehum Rigby 17. TheMixedTeamreplied

with 66-2, Jousha Douglas 23, Jermaine Samuels 18, VeronDuncan12.

In the final, The Mixed Teambattedfirstandscored 77- 6, off 30 deliveries with Kim Chan 19,Amani Tinny 15,VernonDuncan15.

Guysuco’s turn in the circle they reach the target

Sports Indiastun Australia inrecord chase toreachfinal