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New Zealander Finn Allen hit a brutal 47-ball century to lead Kolkata Knight Riders to a dominant eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals and boost his side’s unlikely push towards the Indian Premier League play-offs.

By hitting the winning runs with a six, Allen finished exactly 100 not out as KKR completed a chase of 143 with 5.4 overs to spare.

He had 20 from 17 balls and, having been dropped on 42 by Tristan Stubbs, was on 45 from 31.

At that stage KKR were 75-2 after 10 overs but Allen, who scored 33-ball hundred in this year’s T20 World Cup semi-final, hit eight of his remaining 16 balls for six.

Fifty-five of KKR’s remaining 72 runs came off his bat, while the right-hander also scored 83 runs in an unbroken stand of 116 with Australia Cameron Green, who finished 33 not out.

Allen is only the fourth KKR player to score an IPL century, following West Indian Sunil Narine, India’s Venkatesh Iyer and fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum.

Delhi, meanwhile, were strangely meek with the bat. They were 74-1 in the eighth over but stumbled to 142-8, taking only 11 runs in five overs from the 12th to 16th despite not losing a wicket. Opener Pathum Nissanka made 50 off 29.

Delhi drop to eighth in the table on eight points and are struggling to make the play-offs with three games to go.

KKR were winless across their first six matches but have now won four in a row.

They have nine points in seventh – three fewer than Royal Challengers Benglauru, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans who are third, fourth and fifth respectively. (ESPNcricinfo)

 

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Hundreds of already processed passports are piling up at Immigration offices across the country, with officials warning that applicants are failing to return to collect their documents.

Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Stephen Telford said the backlog has reached concerning levels, despite continued applications from citizens.

“Currently we have hundreds of passports that were already printed, that persons would have applied for and those persons have not returned to uplift those passports,” Telford recently told the News Room.

He disclosed that at the Fort Wellington passport office alone— the newest in the system— more than 100 passports remain uncollected.

At the Leonora office, over 300 passports are still sitting idle, while Central Georgetown accounts for the largest share, with more than 1,500 passports waiting to be picked up.

“Persons are applying yes but they are not coming to uplift,” Telford said, adding that many only return when they urgently need identification for travel or business.

The remains for this is not specific, but Telford said persons eventually show up when the need arise for the document.

“It’s up until they realise that oh they supposed to pick up back their passport that they come or if they decide to travel or if they go to do a business and want a form of ID then they come to pick up their passport,” he said.

This, Telford said is one of the of several ongoing challenges for the passport system, alongside a growing number of applications for newborn babies.

He noted that parents are now applying for passports for infants as young as five days old following policy changes.

“…Five days in the baby life they are here applying for a passport for that baby because we are no longer allowing babies to be on their parents passport, every citizen is entitled to their own passport,” he explained.

Telford is therefore urging applicants to collect their passports promptly once processed, warning that the backlog continues to strain operations across the system.

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Renowned international lawyer Paul Reichler delivered a forceful closing argument on Friday before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Venezuela of failing to provide evidence in its long-running border dispute with Guyana and relying instead on what he described as “passionate rhetoric” and historical narrative.

The case concerns the long-disputed 160,000-square-kilometre Essequibo region, a resource-rich territory that makes up the majority of Guyana’s landmass and has been at the centre of a century-old legal and diplomatic conflict.

Opening his submission, Reichler repeatedly questioned the strength of Venezuela’s case, arguing that it had not responded to Guyana’s documentary record.

“Where is the evidence?” he asked, telling the court that Venezuela had been given multiple opportunities to respond but had instead relied on argumentation and historical interpretation rather than contemporaneous documentation.

He said the evidentiary record presented by Guyana remained “unanswered and unchallenged,” and that it directly contradicted Venezuela’s claims over sovereignty of the territory.

A significant portion of Reichler’s argument focused on what he called Venezuela’s “self-serving narrative” of history.

He rejected Venezuela’s framing of itself as a victim of colonial-era injustice, instead arguing that the documentary record showed Venezuela had, at various points, actively sought arbitration over the territory and later accepted the outcomes.

Reichler told the court that Venezuela’s interpretation of events reversed the roles of “victim and aggressor,” and that it had no evidentiary basis in the historical record.

The lawyer defended the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the boundary between then-British Guiana and Venezuela, arguing that Venezuela had presented no proof that Spain or Venezuela had ever occupied the disputed territory.

He referenced historical maps and archival records presented by Guyana, stating they demonstrated continuous occupation of the region by Dutch and later British authorities, not Spanish or Venezuelan control.

Reichler also rejected claims that subsequent agreements, including the 1966 Geneva Agreement, nullified the 1899 award.

He argued instead that the agreement preserved existing legal positions pending a final settlement, rather than replacing or invalidating the arbitral ruling.

According to Reichler, Venezuela’s interpretation of the agreement was inconsistent with its text and with prior legal understandings acknowledged by the court.

In a broader critique, Reichler dismissed Venezuela’s portrayal of itself as a leading anti-colonial voice in the region as “inconsistent with the historical record.”

He argued that Venezuela’s actions over the decades were driven by strategic interest in the resource-rich territory rather than principles of decolonisation.

The hearing formed part of a week-long session at the ICJ in The Hague, where both Guyana and Venezuela are presenting final arguments in a case that could determine the legal status of the disputed Essequibo region.

Guyana has asked the court to confirm the validity of the 1899 boundary settlement, while Venezuela continues to challenge the court’s jurisdiction and insists the matter should be resolved through negotiations.

A final ruling from the ICJ is expected in the coming months.

 

 

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Local physiotherapists are considering the creation of a Guyana Strength and Conditioning Association following their recent participation in the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association’s Accredited Strength and Conditioning Trainer programme.

Physiotherapist Jana Edghill said the proposed association aims to bring together professionals and individuals interested in improving athletic performance through modern Strength and Conditioning practices.

“The idea is to unify individuals in enhancing evidence-based Strength and Conditioning practices across the country,” Edghill told News Room.

Key goals of the association will include aligning athletes with international best practices in sports performance, supporting professional development and training opportunities, building local capacity in strength and conditioning and creating a unified network of practitioners committed to athlete development.

“We just want to provide some sort of structure when it comes to this aspect of sports. We want to enhance professional development, create a space where there is access to certification and educational opportunities for capacity building.”

“It’s about bringing standards, regulations and guidelines as it relates to Strength and Conditioning to ensure safe and effective training processes.”

Acknowledging the evolving nature of sport and the scientific approach, Edghill said it is important local athletes are equipped with the knowledge and resources to adapt to the ever-changing sporting landscape.

“We can provide some sort of systems that would improve training to better contribute to their performance and reduce their injury rate, working closely with our national sport bodies and educational institutions,” Edghill added.

People interested in joining the initiative can contact Edghill on +592-712-3255 by the end of May for more information.

In February this year, the National Sports Commission (NSC) held a specialised Physiotherapist workshop as part of its continued efforts to strengthen athlete care and medical support across the country’s expanding sports sector.

The initiative was formalised following a collaborative meeting between the NSC and the Ministry of Health’s Disability and Rehabilitation Services Department, headed by Dr. Ariane Mangar.

The forum brough together physiotherapists, sport administrators, coaches, and medical personnel from multiple disciplines, creating a platform for knowledge exchange and practical learning.

The workshop, which had 90 registrants, moved beyond basic first aid, tackling complex physiological issues, such as Injury Mechanics, Acute Management, Physical Prep and Elite Standards.

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The penultimate night of action in the inaugural Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/East Bank Inter-Village Football Tournament continued to serve up absorbing play with Kuru Kururu and Grove turning back the challenges of their opponents to contest the final on Saturday night (May 9) at the Eccles EE Ground.

Both semi-finals were gruelling encounters; Kuru Kururu storming back from a goal down to beat Herstelling 3-1 via kicks from the penalty mark, while Grove needled Agricola in the opening game, which was affected by a power outage 15 minutes into the first half and lasted for about 40 minutes.

This delay resulted in both captains Domini Garnett (Grove) and Solomon Austin agreeing to reduce the game to 70 minutes. It was soon after the resumption that Grove defender, Trevor Jones found the space and range to slot one past Agricola’s custodian, Andel Mohanlall, and as it turned out, it was the golden goal in the 17th minute.

The exchanges between the two villages were end to end as Grove sought to defend their advantage and Agricola constantly went after the equalising goal. Agricola were able to smother the efforts of the tournament’s leading goal scorer, Domini Garnett (six goals) in their defensive third, but it did not matter for Garnett.

The night’s main attraction produced a humdinger of a clash as the lads from the Soesdyke Linden Highway, like Grove, maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament with a come from behind win.

Herstelling took the lead in the 24th minute through a Jesus Perez goal and defended that lead up until the 65th minute when Kevin Scott scored his third goal of the tournament to restore parity to the game.

At the end of full-time the scores was locked at 1-1 and it remained the same after extra time was exhausted. Kicks from the penalty mark did not go well for Herstelling as they missed three of four opportunities onteh other hand, Kuru Kururu converted three of their five shots to book a date with Grove on Saturday night in the championship match.

At stake will be G$1M for the winner with the losing finalist receiving G$500,000. The winner of the third-place clash between Agricola and Herstelling, will earn G$250,000 and fourth place, G$150,000.

The MVP of the tournament will cash in on G$100,000 with G$80,000 each set aside for the Highest Goal Scorer and Best Goalkeeper.

Gratitude is being extended to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Housing, National Sports Commission, Bounty Farm Ltd., Fitness Express, Star Rentals, Trophy Stall, NAMILCO and Republic Bank for their partnership which has made this tournament possible.

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See below the full statement from the Ministry of Education: 

The Ministry of Education has launched an immediate investigation into an incident which occurred earlier today at the Tuschen Secondary School, leaving two students injured.

The injured boys were promptly transported to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where they were treated by medical staff and subsequently discharged.

The student perpetrator is facing expulsion from the school and was taken into police custody, while a teacher allegedly involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a thorough police investigation.

Sonia Parag, Minister of Education, visited the injured boys and their families at the hospital earlier today.

Also present, to ensure a coordinated response, were the Regional Health Officer, the Regional Education Officer, and the school’s headteacher.

In addition to the police and education investigations, the Childcare and Protection Agency of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has been informed to ensure the welfare of all parties is addressed.

The Ministry of Education remains firmly committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students and teachers, and continues to follow established standard operating procedures to maintain a secure and conducive learning environment for everyone.

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A female police officer was among four individuals who testified on Thursday during the commencement of the trial into the murders of Joel Henry and Isaiah Henry.

Anil Sancharra, known as “Dan Pole” and “Rasta,” of D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, and Vinod Gopaul, nicknamed “Magga,” of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, are facing charges in connection with the murders.

Before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall in the Berbice High Court, Sancharra and Gopaul pleaded not guilty to charges that, between September 5 and 6, 2020, they murdered Joel and Isaiah in Berbice. Their pleas cleared the way for the case to proceed to trial before a 12-member jury.

During her testimony, Lyris Fullerton, a cousin of the victims, confirmed that she was informed Joel and Isaiah were missing. Along with Isaiah’s mother, she searched several areas, including Number 2 and Number 3 Villages, West Coast Berbice.

Fullerton described finding the bodies the following day in a backdam on a tractor. Isaiah’s hands were above his head, with his jersey pulled over his face, while Joel was lying nearby.

Under cross-examination by Attorney Dr. Dexter Todd, Fullerton clarified that she never saw Joel and Isaiah together in the backdam, noting that Isaiah frequently went into the area.

Winston Henry, another cousin of Joel and Isaiah, told the court that he identified Isaiah’s body at the Memorial Garden Funeral Parlor. He said he was present at the parlor on the day the post-mortem examination was conducted but did not witness the procedure since only one person was allowed to do so.

Indeejeet Singh, a cash crop farmer, testified that on September 5, between 18:00 and 18:30 hrs, he left his Number 3 Village home with three others to traverse the backdam, located about two miles from his residence.

Singh said he saw Isaiah and another male with a bicycle near the train line but observed no visible injuries on either of them. He added that the area contained mango and coconut trees.

He said he did not see Joel and Isaiah the following day and was later questioned by police before being released.

Woman Police Sergeant Nelson White, attached to the Central Police Station CID, testified that on September 6, 2020, she and other officers searched the Cotton Tree Backdam after receiving information about the discovery of the bodies. She said the area contained coconut trees and rice fields.

White detailed how she found Joel’s body face down in bushes, clad in a green jersey with white stripes and black long pants. She observed a wound to his neck, injuries to his chin and left hand, and swelling to his face. Photographs were taken, and mangoes were found nearby.

She then discovered Isaiah’s body about 30 feet away, surrounded by bushes and coconut trees. He was clad in brown three-quarter pants, with his face covered by a jersey, lying with his feet facing south and his head north. Injuries were observed to the right side of his face and neck, and photographs were also taken.

The bodies were removed using a makeshift stretcher, and about 500 yards from the scene, a bag containing white gloves was recovered from a coconut walk.

On September 7, 2020, White and other officers revisited the scene to collect blood samples. Approximately 22 photographs of the victims and the locations were shown during the trial.

The court adjourned after White’s testimony. The trial is scheduled to resume on Friday.

A total of 41 witnesses, including 15 police officers and Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, are expected to testify as the case continues.

The prosecution is being led by Attorney Marisa Edwards. Attorney-at-law Chandra Sohan is representing Gopaul, while Dr. Dexter Todd and Associates is representing Sancharra.

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Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phliips on Thursday night reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to strengthening ties with the European Union, describing international cooperation as essential in an increasingly uncertain and multipolar world.

Delivering remarks at a Europe Day reception hosted by the EU delegation at Herdmanston Lodge, Phillips said Guyana is seeking deeper engagement with European nations through partnerships focused on sustainability, trade, climate action and infrastructure development.

The event marked the 76th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, widely regarded as the foundation for the modern European Union.

Speaking before diplomats, government officials and other dignitaries, the prime minister praised Europe’s “journey of unity, resilience and prosperity” while extending congratulations to for her leadership of the European Commission.

“Cooperation is not optional, it is essential,” Phillips stated, while referencing the enduring relevance of the Schuman Declaration and the importance of multilateralism and shared global responsibility.

He said Guyana remains firmly committed to a rules-based international order that upholds international law and ensures smaller states have a meaningful voice in global affairs.

Phillips also highlighted Guyana’s growing collaboration with the European Union on climate and environmental initiatives, noting that the country sees itself as an active contributor to global climate solutions.

“These are not abstract ideas,” he said while referring to biodiversity protection, environmental stewardship and sustainable development. “They are shared responsibilities that demand coordinated global leadership and action.”

The prime minister noted that cooperation between Guyana and the EU has expanded into key sectors including governance, renewable energy, healthcare, digital infrastructure and trade.

He referenced Guyana’s recent pharmaceutical mission involving European partners, which supports the country’s ambition to become a regional hub for pharmaceutical production.

Phillips also pointed to investment discussions in port infrastructure, agro-processing and logistics, as well as emerging partnerships in digital innovation involving European companies.

In the health sector, he said collaboration has been strengthened through agreements involving France-based institutions and biotechnology initiatives valued at approximately €8.9 million.

The prime minister further underscored the importance of easing travel and strengthening people-to-people connections between Guyana and Europe.

According to Phillips, advancing visa waiver arrangements with European partners could significantly improve mobility for citizens, businesses and institutions while deepening trade and investment opportunities.

“Guyana remains committed to expanding market access, strengthening resilient supply chains and deepening trade and business-to-business linkages,” he said.

The prime minister also used the occasion to reflect on Guyana’s development trajectory ahead of the country’s 68th Independence Anniversary celebrations, saying the nation’s growth strategy remains anchored in sustainability and a low-carbon development pathway.

He stressed that Guyana’s progress must remain “people-centred,” balancing economic growth with environmental protection and social inclusion.

Phillips concluded by describing the Guyana-European Union relationship as one built on shared values and common goals.

“The partnership between Guyana and the European Union is strong because it is essential,” he declared. “Together, we can shape a future that delivers opportunity, stability and prosperity for the peoples of the Caribbean and Europe.”

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The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), overturning a 2023 High Court judgment delivered by Justice Sandil Kissoon concerning financial assurance requirements under ExxonMobil’s offshore petroleum environmental permit.

In the earlier decision, the High Court ruling had found that ExxonMobil was in breach of its environmental permit obligations by failing to provide what the court described as adequate financial assurance for potential environmental damage.

Justice Kissoon had also ruled that the EPA failed in its statutory duty by allowing what he determined to be insufficient compliance. He concluded that ExxonMobil’s liability for environmental harm was unlimited and uncapped, and therefore the financial guarantee required under the permit should also be unlimited.

He further held that the company was in breach for seeking to provide a US$2 billion guarantee instead of an unlimited one, and ordered the EPA to issue an enforcement notice. The ruling also indicated that ExxonMobil’s permit could be suspended if an unlimited guarantee was not provided within 30 days.

Both ExxonMobil and the EPA appealed the decision, and the Court of Appeal stayed the High Court’s orders pending the outcome of the appeal. The matter was heard in February 2026.

In its unanimous decision, the Court of Appeal reversed the High Court ruling. The appellate court affirmed that while ExxonMobil remains fully liable for any environmental damage arising from its offshore petroleum operations in Guyana, liability and financial assurance are legally distinct concepts. The Court found that Justice Kissoon erred in conflating unlimited liability with the requirement for financial security under the permit.

The Court further held that the Environmental Protection Agency, under the Environmental Protection Act and the terms of the permit, retains discretion to accept a financial guarantee in a specified amount. It concluded that the High Court judge had improperly substituted his own judgment for that of the regulator, which is the statutory authority empowered by Parliament to make such determinations.

The Court also found no evidence to support the High Court’s conclusion that the insurance structure provided by ExxonMobil and accepted by the EPA was not consistent with practices in the international petroleum industry. It ruled that the EPA and ExxonMobil did not act improperly in negotiating a US$2 billion guarantee.

As a result, the Court of Appeal set aside all orders made by Justice Kissoon in 2023.

ExxonMobil Guyana was represented by Senior Counsel Andrew Pollard, Edward Luckhoo, and Eleanor Luckhoo. The EPA was represented by Sanjeev Datadin and Mohanie Anganoo. The applicants, Frederick Collins and Godfrey Whyte, were represented by Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam, Saevion David-Longe, Melinda Janki, and Abiola Wong-Inniss. The Attorney General’s chambers was represented by Arud Gossai and Shoshanna Lall.

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