Guyana Times - Thursday, May 25, 2023.pdf

Private Sector hold discussions with visiting Ghana delegation

…discusses trade opportunities, oil & gas assistance

A nation mourns

New York-based hospital to help Mahdia fire

survivors

…as regional leaders pledge support to Guyana

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Guyana holds bilateral discussions with Qatar on sidelines of economic forum …explores ways of deepening bilateral cooperation

Former GDF rank to be sentenced for assaulting ex-girlfriend …found not guilty of rape

victim laid

rest

…as See stories on pages 2&3

Miner shot during day out with family Construction worker beaten to death at Lodge home

EU Mission lauds Govt for “full” implementation of some priority recommendations

…as team assesses Guyana’s electoral reform progress

Prison escape Manhunt continues for convicted killer "Smallie" – Police

1st deadly Mahdia fire victim laid to rest

…Pres Ali calls for responsibility, restraint in social media discussions, respect for grieving families …alternative housing found for displaced students

The first victim of the horrific Mahdia fire was on Wednesday laid to rest in a highly emotional send-off in her home village – Karisparu, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Sabrina John, who was one of the 19 victims of the Mahdia dorm fire, was buried in the presence of her family and members of Karisparu Village.

Additionally, Education Minister Priya Manickchand and Public Works Minister Juan Edghill attended the funeral service.

support and comfort to the family.

President Dr Irfaan Ali has already indicated that the families of both those who lost their lives and those who survived Sunday’s tragedy will be supported with all that they need emotionally, financially, and psychosocially. He reassured that the families’ desires and wishes will be respected and facilitated, and that commitment is being honoured.

The Head of State and Members of his Cabinet, along with Members of the Diplomatic Community, on Wednesday flew into Mahdia, where they joined residents there for a flower-laying ceremony at the site of the Mahdia Secondary School’s dormitory, where 18 females between the ages of 12 and 17, and one five-yearold boy – the son of the dorm parents – lost their lives in Sunday’s fire.

Another flower-laying ceremony was also held at the St. George’s Cathedral in Georgetown, where members of the public stopped to pay homage to the 19 victims.

Meanwhile, President Ali on Wednesday called on

Guyanese to be more responsible in how they discuss the deadly Mahdia Secondary School dormitory fire that took the lives of 19 young people on social media. The Head of State is also urging persons to exercise responsibility and restraint in their social media discussions of the incident.

“I’m urging all Guyanese to desist from self-analysis, from reviewing timeline stories of all these girls, and from analyzing the life sto-

ries of all these girls. There’s a time and place for everything. Let us focus our use of social media on motivational quotes, on prayers, on inspirational songs, on uplifting messages, and not on opportunities to theorise,” he posited.

President Ali went on to say, “Yes, we’re a very opinionated society. We all have our opinions on what is right and what is wrong, and what should be done and what should not be done.

There’s a time and place for everything. But as I’ve said before, myself and the Government, as far as possible, we are going to fulfill the wishes and desires of these children and their families. It’s the least we can do. And everything that we are doing, we’re doing in consultation with these families and the children. We are putting their wishes and desires, as far as possible, in the front seat.”

9

The two Government officials offered

Dead: Sabrina John

Mahdia fire victim Sabrina John was laid to rest in her home village of Karisparu on Wednesday. Ministers Priya Manickchand and Juan Edghill joined the community for the funeral service TURN TO PAGE

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, May 25 – 22:00h-23:30h and Friday, May 26 – 09:00h-09:45h and 23:00-00:30h.

Deadly Mahdia fire

New York-based hospital to help survivors

…as regional leaders pledge support to Guyana

Thursday, May 25 –07:10h-08:40h and Friday, May 26 – 08:00h-09:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers are expected during the day followed by late-afternoon sunshine. Light to thundery showers are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 07:47h and 20:28h reaching maximum heights of 2.30 metres and 2.13 metres.

Low Tide: 13:56h reaching a minimum height of 0.94 metre.

Support continues to pour in for Guyana and the victims of the deadly Mahdia Secondary School dormitory fire with President Dr Irfaan Ali announcing on Wednesday that assistance from the New York-based Cornell Hospital is imminent.

The Head of State revealed during a national address on Wednesday morning that the New Yorkbased hospital’s burn team will be providing assistance for the recovering survivors of Sunday night’s dreadful fire that took the lives of 19 young people.

“Today, I’m also very pleased to say that the Cornell Hospital burn team, through the support of Mount Sinai, is in contact with the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and they would be sending in specialised supplies to support those who are healing,” Ali said.

He went on to say that “I’ve committed to these children and their families that whatever it takes, to those who require medical attention now, we will do it. I’ve committed to the families that we are going to be by their side, as a government and as a people, as long as it takes. We have this collective responsibility.”

Already, the Cuban Government has offered full medical support for those who require medical assistance.

Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that some of the survivors from the fire are to be flown to Barbados to receive medical treatment.

Antigua and Barbuda’s support

According to a report from Antigua News, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne said on Tuesday that regional airline LIAT, which is currently doing limited commercial flights, has been instructed to transport the burn victims to Barbados.

He noted that his government will foot the bill for the airlifts and collaborate with the airline’s court-appointed administrator to coordinate the logistics of getting the injured children to Barbados for specialised medical treatment.

In a statement to President Ali following Sunday’s deadly fire, PM Browne said this tragedy “…surely impel us all to act to bring calm and peace to those bereaved… My Government has also learned of the injured students whom the Guyanese authorities wish to fly to Barbados in order to provide them with specialised medical treatment. A burn unit is to be put to use in Barbados to the benefit of those children…”

Apart from the offer to treat the students there, the

Mia Mottley-led Barbadian Government also deployed a team of DNA experts to Guyana on Tuesday to assist with the identification of the students who tragically perished in the fire. Their bodies were burnt beyond recognition.

Caricom leaders’ support

These efforts are in line with the overall support pledged by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders to Guyana in the aftermath of the Mahdia fire.

In a statement from the Caricom Secretariat on Wednesday, the regional Heads of Government extended “…heartfelt condolences to all who have been affected, both directly and indirectly, by this horrific event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mahdia community and all of Guyana as you mourn the deaths of beloved relatives and friends. We also pray for the recovery of those children who are now under medical care.”

The Caricom leaders further applauded the bravery of personnel from the Guyanese fire, Police and

medical teams, as well as public-spirited Guyanese, who responded and helped to save lives.

“The Conference of Heads of Government stands in solidarity with the Government and People

set by an alleged angry student who retaliated after her mobile phone was confiscated by the dorm’s mother and a teacher.

The Police statement also confirmed that on the evening of the fire, there were 57 female students in the dormitory – a oneflat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with several windows, all grilled, and five doors. Apart from the 19 children who lost their lives, six were also admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Two were intubated and are receiving ventilation support in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and one was rushed to the Operating Theatre (OT) to undergo limb-saving surgery. As of Tuesday, the count at the

of Guyana, and Member States have mobilised human and other resources to support the recovery process. We stand ready to offer additional support as needed,” the regional leaders pledged.

Thus far, the Guyana Police Force has confirmed that the fire was purposely

GPHC increased to nine.

The other three children, who were in less critical conditions, received assistance in the hospital’s Paediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU). According to the Guyana Fire Service, 14 youths died at the scene of the fire, while five died at the Mahdia District Hospital.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

New York-based Cornell Hospital

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Keeping our children safe

Arecent report, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with UNICEF, UNESCO, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children, and the End Violence Partnership, says that half of the world’s children, or approximately 1 billion children, each year are affected by physical, sexual or psychological violence, suffering injuries, disabilities and death because countries have failed to follow established strategies to protect them.

A report titled “Global Status Report on Preventing Violence Against Children”, released less than three years ago, was the first of its kind, charting progress in 155 countries against the “INSPIRE” framework, a set of seven strategies for preventing and responding to violence against children.

The report signals a clear need in all countries, including Guyana, to scale up efforts to implement these strategies. While 88% of the countries surveyed have key laws in place to protect children against violence, less than half of countries (47%) said these were being strongly enforced. It is therefore clear that having the policy framework in place is not enough, there is a serious challenge as it relates to implementation.

The data for the report was compiled through a survey administered between 2018 and 2019, with responses from over 1000 decision-makers from 155 countries. The INSPIRE strategies launched in 2016 call for the implementation and enforcement of laws; changing norms and values to make violence unacceptable; creating safe physical environments for children; providing support to parent and caregivers; strengthening income and economic security and stability; improving response and support services for victims; and providing children with education and life skills.

The report also includes the first ever global homicide estimates specifically for children under 18 years of age – previous estimates were based on data that included 18- to 19-year-olds. It finds that, in 2017, around 40,000 children were victims of homicide.

Of the INSPIRE strategies, only access to schools through enrollment showed the most progress, with 54% of countries reporting that a sufficient number of children in need were being reached in this way. Between 32% and 37% of countries considered that victims of violence could access support services, while 26% of countries provided programmes on parent and caregiver support; 21% of countries had programmes to change harmful norms; and 15% of countries had modifications to provide safe physical environments for children.

Although a majority of countries (83%) have national data on violence against children, only 21% used these to set baselines and national targets to prevent and respond to violence against children.

According to the report’s findings, about 80% of countries have national plans of action and policies, but only one-fifth have plans that are fully funded or have measurable targets. A lack of funding combined with inadequate professional capacity is a likely contributing factor and a reason why implementation has been slow.

The report also noted that stay-at-home measures, including school closures, have limited the usual sources of support for families and individuals such as friends, extended family, or professionals. This further erodes victims’ ability to successfully cope with crises and the new routines of daily life. Spikes in calls to helplines for child abuse and intimate partner violence have been observed.

And while online communities have become central to maintain many children’s learning, support and play, an increase in harmful online behaviours, including cyberbullying, risky online behaviour, and sexual exploitation, have been identified.

WHO has underlined the need for global action to ensure that the necessary financial and technical support is available to all countries. It notes also that monitoring and evaluation are crucial to determine the extent to which these prevention efforts are effectively delivered to all who need them.

Dr Howard Taylor, a representative of End Violence Partnership, puts it this way: “Ending violence against children is the right thing to do, a smart investment to make, and it’s possible…We can and must create a world where every child can thrive free from violence and become a new generation of adults to experience healthy and prosperous lives.”

Like WHO and other partners, we believe that it is time to fully fund comprehensive national action plans that will keep children safe at home, at school, online, and in their communities.

Use of a national tragedy to score political points

Dear Editor,

The reprehensible behaviour and statements of members of the People’s National Congress-led Opposition have been atrocious.

These political jesters who masquerade as leaders are regularly out of place and exhibit gross political immaturity.

The dormitory fire in Mahdia has traumatised many Guyanese. The sympathies of this letter writer go out to all those who suffered or have lost a loved one or friend. In this tragic moment in our history, we stand as One

Guyana as our country has lost. There is no winner in these tragic situations.

This day, May 22nd, ought to be dedicated as an annual day of mourning for the lives of those lost at the peak of their educational zeal and youthfulness.

Ministers of the Government flew to Mahdia to assess the situation and offer condolences and other services to the region. Mobilisation of various Government agencies and assistance from the private sector were all lauded efforts in this tragic time.

The tragedy that took

the lives of twenty young Guyanese and injured many others has saddened the nation. Guyanese have expressed their sympathies and condolences whilst unfortunately, some members of the political Opposition wasted no time in politicising this tragedy. They clearly have an embedded intent to politicise and contextualise everything along the line of race as well.

The absurdities of the statements of Oppositionaligned members have left much to be desired. I was appalled at these utterances.

This stupendous posturing is unimpressive and further exemplifies the petty and uncaring nature of the PNC-led Opposition and its politics of division. Their intent to sow discord among Guyanese, irrespective of the circumstance is as clear as day.

Those Opposition members who sought to score points; political or otherwise, have no place in our country and displayed no leadership quality or consideration for the affected and their loved ones.

Yours truly, Annalise Humphrey

Pleased with what the Government has done

Dear Editor, I am appalled at the tragedy that took place in Mahdia yesterday. The sadness that engulfed the country and the grief felt was immense. The President declared three days of national mourning for the loss of 19 young lives in a fire. The nation mourns and all of Guyana has lost.

As a parent of two girls; aged 15 and 13; I felt the pain of those parents who have lost their young children. My heartfelt sympathies go out to the parents, relatives and friends of those lost in the fire. I had lost a child before and can say words cannot express that feeling of despair and sadness at such a perma -

nent loss.

Editor, the unfortunate loss of those young lives has awakened the empathy of the people of Guyana. Unfortunately, I have seen some reckless and senseless statements from many individuals that are worthy of condemnation. There can be no profit from a tragedy. Disasters can occur at any time.

It cannot be understated that in the face of this tragedy, politicians need to demonstrate some sense of responsibility and empathy and consideration for the grief of others. It cannot be okay for elected officials to make this into anything other than a national loss.

As parents and citizens alike, we ought to resist these efforts to politicise the grief of others. There is nothing that can be gained from this tragedy. I urge that political personalities display compassion and respect for the lives that were lost and the survivors. This is a moment of national sadness.

I call on my fellow Guyanese to support the parents and people of Mahdia and the surrounding communities in this unfortunate chapter of our history. I pray for a speedy recovery for the survivors, as I express my profound sympathy and prayer as we all experience profound loss and pain.

I am pleased with the

efforts of the Government, which has been active since the tragedy. They have pledged assistance to all those affected in various forms. The efforts of the private sector and other agencies must be lauded.

The many Guyanese that expressed sentiments of regret, disbelief and grief, let’s pray for our country during this period of sadness. Every effort should be made to ensure such incidents never recur. The 22nd May annually should be commemorated in memory of those young girls whose lives were lost.

Sincerely,

Attiya Baksh

is unconscionable

In this composite photo, Bishop of the Diocese of Guyana, The Rt Rev Charles Davidson watches as a woman places a stuffed animal on the steps of St George’s Cathedral as persons paid tribute to the 19 children who died in the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory fire on Sunday evening

Dear Editor,

The recent criticisms by Guyana’s Attorney General, Hon Anil Nandlall, and Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo respectively, of a Magistrate’s and a Judge’s ruling in two separate public interest cases, have re-ignited a debate on whether it is acceptable to criticise Judges’/Magistrates’ rulings, and even the trial process.

It is my considered view that Judges’/Magistrates’ rulings should be subject to scrutiny and criticism, but must be devoid of disparaging or distasteful remarks about the Judicial Officers.

Concerning whether it is right or wrong to criticize the Court’s rulings, Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, SC, recently rebuked Dr Bharrat Jagdeo for criticising the decision of Justice Sandil Kissoon, who ruled that Exxon’s affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), “is in breach of its permit, which requires “unlimited” insurance protection in the event of an oil spill.”

Noting that Mr. Ralph Ramkarran had also criticized the NCM-related ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice in September 2019, Dr Jagdeo wondered if Mr. Ramkarran has made a U-turn! Mr. Ramkarran wrote: “Its (CCJ) ‘timid and ineffectual’ decision has intensified the constitutional chaos in Guyana. High Court cases are now being brought for orders and declarations that the CCJ ought to have made.” He continued: “Criticizing judges and

courts in far sharper language than mine is quite an accepted activity in normal countries.”

Disappointed with Justice Kissoon’s ruling, Dr Jagdeo “expressed the view that the Judiciary is treading in murky waters by directing a regulatory agency on how to do its job, and setting a timeframe on when it should complete certain orders.” There appears to be some tension between the Judiciary and the Executive, and this is based partly on differing ideological approaches to analyzing issues. There is the School of Judicial Restraint (where Judges should only interpret the law, decipher legislators’ intentions, and not make laws). The other is the School of Judicial Activism, (where judges go beyond offering interpretations and tend to make laws).

Mr. Anil Nandlall was accused by the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL) of criticizing the ruling of a Magistrate in a case involving former Finance Minister Mr. Winston Jordan, who allegedly sold a Georgetown (waterfront) state property valued at US$40 million for US$100,000. Mr. Nandlall stated: “I resolutely maintain that I am entitled to express such a view, and that the same falls within the bounds of permissible criticism countenanced by law.”

He cited Lord Atkin, who in 1936 posited: “But whether the authority and position of an individual Judge or the due administration of justice

is concerned, no wrong is committed by any member of the public who exercises the ordinary right of criticizing in good faith in private or public the public act done in the seat of justice… Justice is not a cloistered virtue…”

Mr. Nandlall and Dr Jagdeo, two key Government policy-makers, exercised their free speech right in two matters of significant public interest. They know that a cardinal principle of democracy is freedom of expression/speech, subject to restrictions such as invasion of privacy, public safety, national security, obscenity, hate speech, and slander/ defamation; but they must exercise their fiduciary right to protect and defend the state’s interests. The Guyana Constitution, Article 146 (1), affords them this right. “Except with his or her own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her freedom of expression…”

Article 146 (1). Nowhere in the Guyana Constitution do Judges/Magistrates’ rulings fall into the restrictive categories.

In the bastion of democracy, the US, any citizen, scholar, or the media can criticize judicial proceedings at any stage in the process, including rulings. The power of free speech is captured in the First Amendment to the US Constitution: "Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech."

In Guyana, freedom of expression /speech relative to the Judiciary has been partly restricted by the non-con-

stitutional ‘sub judice’ rule (by which citizens or the media are not allowed to criticize the process of a trial).

Notwithstanding, Executive policy-makers have shown a willingness to exercise their free speech rights and criticize Judges’/Magistrates’ rulings.

Some of us still treat the Judiciary as a divine-like institution, to be viewed with “awe.” This is a colonial relic, and should be devoid of its “sacrosanct’ nature. Citizens, the media, and policy-makers asserting their free speech right do not, in any way, undermine the Judiciary’s work or detract from its role in the administration of justice.

Further, none of the branches of Government, including the Judiciary, should stifle citizens’ freedom of expression/speech; they should demonstrate that sovereignty indeed belongs to the people.

The evolution of the administration of justice has been impacted by the growing need for fair play, transparency and accountability, as well as new forms of social and economic relations. The rule of law must therefore be relevant, and aligned to changing social reality and national development needs. We cannot make old laws and customs the foundation for a new social development any more than the old laws and customs created the old social conditions.

Sincerely,

Dr Tara Singh

Judges’/Magistrates’ rulings are not sacrosanct Shock, sorrow, grief

Dear Editor, I write to express my deep sense of shock, sorrow and grief over the loss of lives in that terrible fire tragedy in Mahdia. Those affected by this tragedy are in my thoughts and prayers.

I am deeply saddened by the deliberately-set fire that took the lives of 19 and injured several other students, and that has disrupted lives in the entire community, if not nationally. It is incomprehensible that innocent youngsters could be victims of such a senseless arson.

I extend love and compassion to all who have suffered from this very sad and disturbing event. I join the Government and others in mourning the dead and praying for the recovery of the burn victims and those psychologically affected. I thank the Government for rendering all assistance to the victims and their families.

While feeling and expressing grief and sorrow, there is also anger within me that keys to open escape doors were not easily accessi-

ble for emergency situations like fires or flooding. Lives could have been spared had the caretakers been more responsible in their handling of this kind of emergency, and if there had been dress rehearsals or drills of what to do during such calamities.

There have recently been several fires in several parts of Guyana, and lives were lost. The country should have learned from them. Caretakers should have been better prepared for fire disasters, as well as other emergencies. A fire or a natural disaster can happen at any time and anywhere. Fire drills should be a regular occurrence at all multiple people’s dwellings, as routinely occur in developed countries. Hope much is learnt from this latest tragedy.

Government should immediately hold drills at all Government buildings, including schools and tertiary institutions, on how to escape fires and other disasters.

Yours truly, Vishnu

Bisram

Multiplying fractions and mixed numbers

To multiply a fraction and a whole number, you need to multiply the numerator by the whole number. Then place the product over the denominator.

Exercises: Multiply

By Dennis Brutus

It is the constant image of your face framed in my hands as you knelt before my chair the grave attention of your eyes surveying me amid my world of knives that stays with me, perennially accuses and convicts me of heart’s-treachery; and neither you nor I can plead excuses for you , you know, can claim no loyalty –my land takes precedence of all my loves.

Yet I beg mitigation, pleading guilty for you, my dear, accomplice of my heart made, without words, such blackmail with your beauty and proffered me such dear protectiveness that I confess without remorse or shame, my still-fresh treason to my country and I hope that she, my other, dearest love will pardon freely, not attaching blame being your mistress (or your match) in tenderness

WORD SEARCH

EU Mission lauds Govt for “full” implementation of some priority recommendations

…as team assesses Guyana’s electoral reform progress

The Guyana Government has been commended for fully implementing some of the priority recommendations that were made by the European Union Election Observer Mission (EU EOM) following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections to enhance and strengthen the local electoral system.

In total, the 2020 EU Observation Mission had made 26 recommendations in its final report on diverse aspects of the elections, including the legal framework, election administration, the campaign and campaign financing, the media and social media, and electoral dispute resolution. Of these recommendations, eight had been identified as priority, which the EU says could have the most positive impact on the elections if implemented.

Consequently, an EU Election Follow-up Mission (EU EFM) has since been deployed to assess Guyana’s progress towards electoral reform.

The team recently held a roundtable forum with Guyanese electoral stakeholders to discuss this progress. They also met with several Government and Opposition officials as well as those from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The EU EFM is encouraging legal and constitutional reforms to improve the electoral process in line with international standards for democratic elections.

At a press briefing on

Wednesday, Electoral Analyst of the Follow-up Mission, Alexander Matus, disclosed that two of the EU’s priority recommendations were implemented in full by the Guyana Government.

“Our initial findings show that two of our priority recommendations were implemented in full and this had been through the adoption of the Representation of People (Amendment) Act and the National Registration (Amendment) Act late last year,” Matus noted.

These, he explained, include recommendations for clear tabulation procedures to be implemented, which was done in the RoPA amendments. The second priority recommendation that was implemented is for increased transparency in the results process, which was also catered for in the RoPA amendments through provisions requiring the Returning Officer to publish all Statements of Poll (SoPs) on the GECOM website immediately upon receiving them.

The EU EFM also high-

lighted another suggestion which they say the Guyana Government has “partially” implemented and this has to do with increasing the continuous voters registration process as provided for in the National Registration (Amendment) Act. This legislation change paves the way for registration transactions to be facilitated by GECOM on a continuous basis.

Additionally, Matus also pointed out that they have observed progress on another recommendation for the adoption of the Data Protection Act. The draft Bill is currently out for public feedback and submissions.

However, even as the Government was lauded for these efforts, Head of the Follow-up Mission, European parliamentarian Javier Nart highlighted some of the areas where they believe urgent action is needed.

“[One of the] important ones is financing… control of financing, accountability… is very, very important… When a party has no limit on spending, it’s like [rac-

ing] with a Ferrari against someone running on their feet. So, we have to have an equal playing field and it means the spending has to have a limit. Also, very important, is who is giving this money… ” he stated.

According to Nart, businesses often expect kickbacks from their financial support to political parties – something which he says is a global phenomenon. Another such issue around the world that the Head of the EU EFM raised is the use of State assets for electoral campaigning.

“When you are in Government power, the possibility of taking over the [State] assets for the party, sometimes that happens… And so, the public media, at the end, becomes kind of Government media for the party in power,” the EU EFM Head stated.

Of 26 recommendations made by the EU EOM two

years ago, 21 of them require legal change while one requires constitutional change, that is, the composition of GECOM.

With regard to the legal changes, the Follow-up Mission went on to highlight some regional and international legal standards that have not been incorporated into the country’s electoral laws. These, according to the Follow-up Mission’s Legal Analyst, Anne Marlborough, are what many foreign observer missions such as the EU look for.

“At present, several of the instruments that are relevant to an election haven’t yet been transposed into domestic law… most particularly is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – it still hasn’t come into domestic law. So, participation rights are not in the domestic law. Similarly, the regional and international Conventions against Corruption have not been translated into domestic law and those are of ever-growing importance,” Marlborough stressed.

However, she too recognised progress being made on some of the legal recommendations made including the consolidation of Guyana’s electoral laws, which she says is fragmented.

“You have a huge plethora of legislations – elections laws, Representation of the People laws and registration

laws… So, we recommended consolidations so that people could find the laws more easily… We have learnt that there is a project right now underway by Government to consolidate the laws...,” the EU EFM Legal Analyst noted.

The Follow-up Mission will be presenting its final report on Guyana’s progress on implementing electoral reform in the coming months. This is in an effort to strengthen the local electoral system ahead of the next General and Regional Elections due in 2025.

“It is now mid-way through the electoral cycle leading to elections in 2025. Two years still remain in which electoral reform can be undertaken, particularly procedural and legislative reform… It is important that the momentum around legal and constitutional reform be maintained and built upon in the interest of improving future general elections,” the Head of the EU EFM said at the recent round-table meeting.

Nart further outlined that, “Electoral reform is critically important to rebuild confidence in the integrity of the administration of general elections. The EU Delegation supports continued democracy and good governance in Guyana and wishes to support stakeholders in their efforts to promote such reform.” (G8)

(L-R) Members of the EU Election Follow-up Mission: Legal Analyst Anne Marlborough, Head of Mission Javier Nart and Electoral Analyst Alexander Matus at Wednesday’s press briefing

Former GDF rank to be sentenced for assaulting ex-girlfriend

…found not guilty of rape

(3) of the Sexual Offences Act, and assault causing actual bodily harm, contrary to Section 49 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act.

Following more than two hours of deliberation on Wednesday, the jurors returned their verdicts at the Sexual Offences Court in Georgetown.

The convict, a former member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), has been further remanded to prison pending his sentencing hearing, which has been fixed for late next month.

In his defence, however, George maintained that he had had consensual intercourse with the woman.

The aftermath...

…of the Mahdia horror

Warren George, the rape accused who escaped from the High Court last Tuesday by jumping over its western corridor, has been acquitted of a charge alleging that he had raped his ex-lover. He was, however, found guilty of assaulting her so as to cause her actual bodily harm on June 12, 2020.

George had been on trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed 12-member jury for the offence of rape, contrary to Section 3

Anyone who assaults any person so as to cause him/ her actual bodily harm shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and be liable to imprisonment for five years, the Act stipulates.

This publication understands that George and the woman had been dating. However, after he had broken up with her, he still became annoyed when she received a call from a contact stored as “my love”. He then choked her, and during the ordeal, the woman alleged that he also raped her.

Meanwhile, during last Tuesday’s trial proceedings, George, 22, a bodybuilder, had requested to use the washroom. As such, a Policeman was instructed to escort him to the location.

However, as the Policeman was escorting him back to the courtroom, George sprinted from him and then jumped over the corridor rails. After landing in a small pool of water, he immediately got to his feet and ran away in the direction of Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown.

Accused persons who are on bail pending their trials are not usually secured by handcuffs and foot shackles. A reliable source had told this publication that Police ranks stationed at the court gave chase after George, but were unable to apprehend him.

The source related that, to everyone’s surprise, George showed up at court the following morning and explained to the Judge that his actions were a mistake.

However, Justice Singh, after considering the serious nature of the offence, had revoked George’s bail and remanded him to prison, pending the hearing and determination of his trial. (G1)

The nation continues to grapple with the tragedy of the Mahdia horror. And what else could it be when 19 children are killed while trapped in an inferno?? We associate “inferno” with Dante’s vision of hell – but surely, these children didn’t deserve that kind of torment, as they gasped for breath in the smoke before perishing. It’s now been revealed that the fire was set by one of the students in retaliation for being punished for an infraction. Having her phone confiscated drove her to burn the place down with her fellow students inside.

Attention’s gonna now shift to this fifteen-year-old student. Your Eyewitness agonizes on what went through her mind to commit such an act. She didn’t realize the fire would consume the entire dorm, did she? She was trying to scare the dorm mother, whom she felt had thwarted her. It had to’ve been done in a fit of anger and recklessness. But she didn’t perish…so the question is: how’d she manage to do that, when she was the one who started the conflagration??

We still haven’t gotten a full description of the internal layout of the dorms that became a death trap for some, but not for others. We’re told that the windows were grilled – so the girls would’ve known to not even attempt to exit through them. Was there any exit other than the door we saw in the picture, and which was locked?? The report that’s been filed with the DPP would have the details of the firemen’s investigation.

The question being asked of the DPP is: how would she be charged?? She’s not an adult. But last year the law was amended to allow minors to be tried if they committed a crime along with adults. Then your Eyewitness remembers that a 17-year-old was charged for murder a few years ago. What’s most likely is that the perpetrator at least is gonna be charged for manslaughter, since minors supposedly can’t have the requisite mental state to commit murder! But since she knew about the barred windows and locked door, shouldn’t a fifteen-year-old have known there was a strong possibility of a conflagration developing?? Especially whenaccording to information - she used an accelerant!!

There’s understandably been calls by the grieving parents for punishment of whoever’s responsible for the horror. But “responsibility” covers a wide span, doesn’t it?? Are those who barred the windows and doors - without providing alternative quick escape routes - also responsible?? As your Eyewitness noted earlier, he hopes that henceforth there’s gonna be enforcement of the fire codes to prevent such a recurrence.

But remember, after the floods of 2005, regulations were passed that all houses must be at least 4 feet above ground??

…and politics

Against all his hopes, your Eyewitness was flabbergasted to see that some from the Opposition have been trying to make political hay from the Mahdia horror. This is sinking lower than the underbelly of a snake. Sure, there’s the need for codes. Sure, there’s need for enforcement of those codes. But is any Government responsible when an individual deliberately takes action to break all those codes??

Is there any area of national life where codes are observed willingly?? Folks are still electrocuted when making illegal connections to transmission lines, for goodness’ sake! Georgetown still floods after every heavy rainfall - cause citizens dump their garbage into drains and canals! Who’s to blame?? Sure, Government has a role in enacting codes and enforcing them. But are local and national governments to walk around with the equivalent of “pooper scoopers”like they do in metropolitan areas to pick up their dogs’ #2 random droppings??

The bottom line, folks, is we ALL gotta get with the programme of observing codes!!

…of Wismar Massacre

When we talk about “Guyanese tragedies”, the most horrific – which WERE political – were the 1964 Wismar Massacre and the Son Chapman sinking that followed. They’ve remained as scars on the national psyche, and must be dressed and addressed.

Warren George landed in a pool of water after scaling the courthouse banister

Warren George

1st deadly Mahdia fire....

A total of 57 female students were being housed in the Mahdia dormitory – a one-flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with several windows, all grilled, and five doors – when the fire broke out.

Thus far, the Guyana Police Force has confirmed that the deadly fire was purposely set by an allegedly angry student, who retaliated after her mobile phone was confiscated by the dorm’s mother and a teacher.

According to the Guyana Fire Service, 14 youths died at the scene of the fire, while four died at Mahdia District Hospital and one succumbed while being air-dashed to Georgetown for treatment.

Apart from the 18 female

students who were killed in the fire, several others were injured – some of whom are still in a critical condition.

Six of these injured students have been admitted at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Two were intubated and are receiving ventilation support in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and one was rushed to the Operating Theatre (OT) to undergo limb saving surgery. As of Tuesday, the count at the GPHC had increased to nine.

The other three children, who were in less critical condition, received assistance in the hospital’s Paediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU). Additionally, seven other survivors have been treated and discharged from hospital. They are recovering, with Government offering continued support to en-

sure their holistic recovery. Meanwhile, Government has already secured an al-

ternative housing facility for the other female students who survived the fire with little to no physical injuries and are currently in Mahdia. This is according to Education Minister Priya Manickchand during a recent telephone interview with Guyana Times.

According to Minister Manickchand, some of these surviving children have either returned to their homes – with many coming from the villages of Karisparu, El Paso, Micobie and Chenapao – or are currently at this new location in Mahdia that the Government organised.

The children are also receiving mental health support to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy.

“There's a very strong

mental health team that went in there that is full of grief counsellors, psychiatrists [and] psychologists,” Manickchand said.

This comes after Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr. Vindhya Persaud, during a press conference on Monday, shared that efforts to mobilise a mental health support team to aid affected children and parents were underway.

According to Minister Persaud, this team was to include members of the Health Ministry’s Mental Health Unit, Georgetown Public Health Corporation (GPHC) Psychiatry/Psychology Unit, and the Human Services and Social Security Ministry’s Child Care and Protection Agency. (G8)

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana holds bilateral discussions with Qatar on sidelines of economic forum

…explores ways of deepening bilateral cooperation

Guyana’s Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud, on Tuesday met with Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, for discussions aimed at strengthening Guyana’s bilateral cooperation with that Arab country.

The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the currently ongoing Qatar Economic Forum, which brings together industry leaders from around the world. According to a statement from the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bilateral cooperation was discussed between the two countries.

This comes just days after Guyana opened a new Embassy in Doha, Qatar, with President Dr. Irfaan Ali announcing that this would mark the start of enhanced bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

President Ali also held bilateral discussions with the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and members of his Cabinet. He has also met with the Chairman of Qatar Tourism, the Group CEO

of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker. The Head of State and the airline’s CEO discussed enhancing Guyana’s reach and the country’s tourism product.

The Guyanese Head of State further held discussions with Qatari Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani. During that engagement, Guyana’s global leadership in climate change was highlighted, and the potential role Qatar can play was discussed.

Ali also held talks with

the Qatar Chamber of Commerce, discussions with whom were focused on investment opportunities in Guyana. The Chamber was represented by its First Vice Chairman, Mohamed Bin Ahmed Bin Twar Al-Kuwari.

Meetings were also held in Doha with Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Abdullah Al Thani; Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Engineer Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi; the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign

Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani; and Minister of Finance, Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari.

Qatar and Guyana established diplomatic relations in 1996. Qatar is among several Arab nations that have expressed serious interest in investing in various sectors in Guyana. Last October, Al Kaabi had led a delegation to Guyana to explore various opportunities here. During Al-Kaabi’s visit, discussions between the two countries centred on potential collaboration in the areas of energy, food, infrastructure, and

aviation.

In April 2022, President Ali and his team also met with a delegation from the Qatari Investment Mission, to advance discussions on investment opportunities in the country. The Qatari Investment Mission representatives were the Group Chairman of Power International Holding, Moutaz Al Khayyat; the Group Chief Venture Officer of Power International Holding, Ali Kazma; and the company’s Chief Business Development Officer, Mazen Alsbeti.

Also, in November 2021, President Ali had met with senior officials of the Qatar

Investment Authority (QIA) – the Sovereign Wealth Fund of the Middle Eastern State. The visiting team comprised two QIA Executives, Abdulhadi F A Al-Hajri, and Dany Farah Nakhoul. Their visit was a follow-up to talks started by President Ali and the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. And in February this year, it was announced that Guyana would be receiving help with the oil and gas sector from Qatar. Specifically, Qatar would be helping Guyana create a gas utilization and monetization plan ahead of the commissioning of the gas-to-shore project. (G3)

Man accused of Canadian, US visa frauds on $400,000 bail

Forty-six-year-old

Kwese Lewis has been slapped with four fraud-related charges in relation to promises he made to persons that he can acquire United States of America (USA) and Canadian visas for them.

The man was arraigned before acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus on Tuesday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, and he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

It is alleged that between September 22, 2022 and February 21, 2023, at Georgetown, Lewis obtained the sum of $150,000 from Evans Stoby and her grandson Jaden Williams by falsely pretending that he was in the position to acquire a Canadian visa.

It is also alleged that he defrauded Tonette Glen and her grandson Jeremiah Carter of a sum of $157,000 between August 20, 2022 and January 23, 2023, at Georgetown, by falsely pretending that he was in the position to acquire an American visa.

It is further alleged that between September 1, 2022, and October 19, 2022, at Georgetown, he defrauded Andrew Nepaul of US$2,045 by falsely pretending that he was in the position to acquire an American Visa for his brother Chris Nepaul.

Lewis is further accused of defrauding Chris Nepaul of $60,000 on August 10, 2022, at Charlotte Street, Georgetown, by falsely pretending that he was in a position to acquire a US visa for him.

The Police prosecutor had objected to Lewis being admitted to bail, but Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus granted him $400,000 bail on condition that he reports to the Officerin-Charge of the Brickdam Police Station every Friday at 09:00am pending the hearing and determination of his trial. The matters will continue

on June 23.

The US Embassy in Georgetown recently warned members of the public to be aware of visa scams in light of an increase in third-party preparers or visa service providers creating fake appointment letters and charging exorbitant fees for visa services people can otherwise do by themselves.

The embassy has also reiterated that paying someone would not improve an applicant’s chances of getting a visa. In fact, people have been advised to avoid anyone who makes such a claim.

“Visa consultants cannot improve your chances of qualifying for a visa, and they have no “inside” connection with the Embassy. Your eligibility is determined by a consular officer after a visa interview. Report anyone who claims to improve your chances of qualifying for a visa to fpugeorge@state.gov,” the Embassy’s recent “Ask the Consul” column pointed out.

Further, it has reminded that knowing someone at the Embassy will not help you get a visa, since an applicant’s qualifications – as presented in the visa application and at the interview – and US law are the only basis on which consul officers make visa decisions.

Further, it has noted that regulations prohibit Embassy officials from providing unofficial assistance to visa applicants. (G1)

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud (left) and Guyana’s Ambassador to Qatar, Safraz Shahood, during the meeting with Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, and his delegation

Kwese Lewis

Private Sector holds discussions with visiting Ghanaian delegation

…discusses trade opportunities, oil & gas assistance

The visiting Ghanaian delegation of Private Sector representatives on Tuesday held discussions with members of the Guyana Private Sector Commission (PSC) at the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC), and opportunities for trade were among the topics discussed. There was even interest shown by the Ghanaians in tendering for the oil blocks.

The Guyana PSC delegation was headed by its Chairman Komal Singh, while the Ghanian delegation was led by Gabby Otchere-Darko, Chairman of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce in Guyana, and included President of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, Clement Osei Amoako, and Director of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce in Guyana, Loveland White, along with other Private Sector officials.

According to a statement from the PSC, the discussions centred around the extensive opportunities present in Guyana, and the potential for trade. It was also acknowledged that Ghana, which is an oil-producing country with the potential of over 170,000 barrels of oil per day, could offer valuable expertise and advice to support Guyana in the oil and gas sector.

In a subsequent interview with this publication, Singh expressed optimism at how the discussions went, the business executive being encouraged by the interest shown by Ghana in partnering with locals.

“There were companies from Ghana who showed quite a bit of interest in Guyana in terms of investment. There was one company who was actually looking to see if they could tender on the oil blocks. There was another group who dealt with waste management, waste water, construction. So, it’s a wide range, and they’re looking at the opportunities in Guyana and how they can actually benefit and create some business partners locally…So they have rooted interest in creating partnership and bringing some of the expertise and best practices in Ghana to Guyana,” Singh explained.

A few days ago, the Government of Ghana com-

missioned the first Ghanaian Chamber of Commerce in Guyana. The organization will allow the two countries to connect businesses and foster investment which would drive further economic growth locally. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had lauded the developing partnerships between the two countries.

Minister Edghill, who is also responsible for the aviation sector, revealed that the two countries signed an Air Services Agreement, and he highlighted that it is now the Private Sector’s responsibility to operationalize same.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Kobina Hammond, has highlighted the need for trade between the two countries. According to Hammond, “This is commerce, this is trade. We are talking about industrialization, we are talking about [the] development of our respective countries, but you cannot produce, you cannot industrialize, and keep all of the products that are produced in your country, there has to be some sort of trading relationships between countries.

“The goods have to be sent to other countries, that’s the essence of trading, that’s the essence of commerce, and it is important that you get an established base where the two countries, their entrepreneurs, the traders, the businessmen within the countries can concentrate some attention,” Hammond explained.

In 2019, Guyana and Ghana signed a twoyear Memorandum of Understanding for trading relations and information sharing between the two states. Back in December 2021, Ghanian Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia visited Guyana, during which several bilateral cooperation agreements were signed to further improve relations between the two countries.

During that visit, Dr Bawumia and delegation engaged in high-level bilateral discussions at both the Government and Private Sector levels, including engagements with President Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, and other Ministers of Government.

Vice President Bawumia also met with members of the Ghanaian diaspora, and paid a visit to the University of Guyana. Vice President Bawumia’s visit follows

on the heels of the threeday visit VP Jagdeo paid to Ghana in October that year, where he held talks with his Ghanian counterpart. Following those discus-

sions, he had announced that Ghanian experts would be reviewing Guyana’s draft local content legislation.

During Jagdeo’s meeting with the Ghanian Vice

President, they had also spoken about the initiatives that Ghana implemented to further its industrial agenda and develop its non-oil economy. (G3)

PSC Chairman Komal Singh as he spoke with the Ghanaian delegation

Discussions between the Ghanaian and Guyanese delegations

A nation

mourns

THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Deadly Mahdia fire

Regional vigils hosted for victims

In solidarity with the families of victims and survivors of the deadly Mahdia Secondary School dormitory fire, the community of East Canje, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) held a vigil on Wednesday evening.

The trauma the victims may have suffered and the pain being felt by their parents and siblings was one of the focuses at the vigil.

Prayers were offered for the bereaved family members and the many injured students.

The vigil, which was organised by East Canje Humanitarian Organisation, was held at the Veda Centre.

President for the Guyana Centre for Civic Engagement, Pandit Deodat Persaud said they were motivated by the sentiments of others.

“Our presence here this evening is saying that while we don’t know each other personally and we don’t know the children, we feel and mourn with you.”

He noted that this was the second most tragic post-Independence incident following the November 18, 1978 Jonestown Incident during which 914 persons lost their lives.

Focusing on the survivors, Persaud said the organisation has been praying for

them.

Several tributes were made in song and spoken word.

Persaud pointed out that the sad incident would forever be associated with Guyana’s Independence observances.

Meanwhile, in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), the Education Department held a candlelight vigil on Monday evening.

Persons converged for the vigil at the Anna Regina Car Park.

Representatives from Region Two Department of Education and Regional Democratic Council, teachers of various schools along

the Essequibo Coast, friends, and residents stood shoulder to shoulder holding candles as they marched from the

Officers said that they were saddened by the horrific deaths of the 19 children.

They also observed a minute

phlets marked “Pray for Mahdia’s Children” and candles to illuminate the journey. Vigils were held in

of silence for the children.

Representatives of the Department of Education walked as they held pam-

other Regions One (BarimaWaini) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) communities.

Anna Regina Car Park to the Department of Education in the children’s memories. Regional Education

Representatives from the Region Two Education Department at the vigil

Candlelight vigil at the Square of the Revolution in Central Lethem, Region Nine (Region Nine RDC photo)

Residents of Region Six on Wednesday evening

Rape convict to face fresh trial

Finding that he had had an unfair trial, but that the prosecution’s case against him was strong, the Court of Appeal (CoA) on Wednesday overturned Sheldon Lynch’s two convictions for child rape, and ordered that he faces a fresh trial.

The CoA handed down its ruling in an appeal brought by Lynch, 51, against his convictions: for the offences of rape of a child under the age of 16, and the two life sentences that were subsequently imposed by trial Judge Simone MorrisRamlall.

In allowing the man’s appeal, the Appellate Court agreed that he indeed had not had a fair trial, because the trial Judge had failed to properly put his defence of alibi to the jury. In fact, the court said it found “merit” in this ground of his appeal.

“[His] defence was not properly put by the trial Judge to the jury. The issue of alibi clearly arose, and it was not treated at all by the trial Judge. When the case was given to the jury for their determination…they were not specifically directed in relation to the issue of an alibi,” acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, said as she read the court’s ruling.

However, finding that the prosecution’s case against Lynch was strong, and after

considering the serious nature and prevalence of the offence, the Appellate Court remitted the matters to the High Court, and Lynch will be retried at the next session of the Essequibo Criminal Assizes.

Lynch, a father of two and resident of an East Coast Demerara (ECD) community, was in 2018 convicted at the Demerara Criminal Assizes of raping the girl on two separate occasions between December 2010 and November 2011. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms, and it was ordered that he must spend a minimum of 35 years in prison on each of the two convictions before being paroled.

Arguments

During the hearing of Lynch’s appeal earlier this year, defence lawyer Ronald Daniels had contended that

prejudicial evidence had been admitted by the trial Judge, and this, he said, had interfered with the jury’s ability to reach an impartial verdict.

For context, he had said that, prior to the jury being empanelled, the Judge had referred to other indictments of a similar nature against his client, and that, in the circumstances, was tantamount to “bad character evidence”, and was therefore prejudicial.

This ground of appeal was wholly rejected by the CoA, which held that this was in no way prejudicial, and that Lynch had benefitted from the legal principle of presumption of innocence.

The defence lawyer had also contested the life sentences, submitting that they were manifestly excessive and not in keeping with established sentencing guide-

Miner shot during day out with family

Kerol Atthon, a 27-year-old miner of Vigilance South, East Coast Demerara, is currently hospitalised with a gunshot wound which he sustained when he, his wife and their oneyear-old son went to a photo studio at Sussex Street, Albouystown, Georgetown to arrange a photo shoot for their son's birthday celebration.

Reports are that on Tuesday, May 23, at about 16:40h, Atthon and his family were at the photo studio when two men, one of whom was armed with a gun, opened fire in his direction. The 27-year-old Atthon told Police that he had parked his vehicle and proceeded on foot to purchase beverages for his family, and while walking south along Sussex Street, he was confronted by the armed men. After firing a shot which hit Atthon in his left thigh, the two suspects escaped southwards into Albouystown.

Public-spirited persons rushed to his aid, and he was transported to the Woodlands Hospital, where he received medi -

cal attention before later being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he re -

mains in stable condition. An investigation has been launched.

lines. But since the court had set aside Lynch’s convictions, there was no need for the court to deliberate on whether the jail terms were appropriate.

Apart from the Chancellor, Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud comprised the bench, while Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Mercedes

Glasford appeared for the State.

Conviction

Lynch has another appeal pending against another child rape conviction and life sentence. For that offence, which he committed on August 22, 2015 against an 11-year-old girl, he was sentenced to imprisonment for life, without parole, by

Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry in 2018.

It was reported that Lynch is known to the child, and, on August 22, 2015, he forced himself on her. Following the incident, the girl told her mother what had transpired, and the mother reported the matter to the Police. Thus, Lynch was arrested, charged, and later convicted. (G1)

Sheldon Lynch

From L-R: Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, and Justices of Appeal Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory

Construction worker beaten to death at Lodge home

yard yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, he noticed someone sleeping under the house. So, the property owner came out and called Terry's mother, informing her to come and see her son sleeping under the step. They probably thought he was drunk," the relative recounted.

The relative shared that upon inspection, they found the man motionless in a pool of blood, with his skull cracked open.

When asked if they knew whether the now-deceased

Prison escape

A47-year-old construction worker of Lot 60 Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, tragically lost his life on Tuesday morning after he was beaten to death in his own home by three men.

Dead is Terrance Washington, also known as “Terry”.

According to a relative, who spoke with Guyana Times, the incident occurred about 10:00h when most of the man's family members, including his mother, were not at home.

Reports are that the three assailants gained access to the property by scaling the fence at the back of the yard and proceeded to beat the man using a piece of wood, resulting in severe head injuries.

"We heard that two of the guys are from the area and one is from Kitty. They breached the back fence, and Terry was on the back veranda…and they started beating him from there. They used a t-shore and struck him on the head with it,” the relative said.

The relative further ex-

plained that while being assaulted on the veranda, the man allegedly fell over and sought refuge in their neighbour's yard, attempting to hide from the attackers. However, the assailants left the property and began searching for Washington until they eventually found him.

"They found him in the front yard (neighbour's yard); he was hiding under the house, and they found him and beat him. They only found his body around 3:30pm yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon," the relative said.

According to the relative, when Washington’s mother returned home along with other family members, they began searching for him but were unable to locate him, unaware of the tragic events that had unfolded. It was not until their neighbour discovered the man lying in a pool of blood with a fractured skull beneath their steps that his family received the distressing revelation.

"When the neighbour was walking through his

man had any particular issues with someone, the relative mentioned that one of the alleged suspects and Washington had recently had a dispute.

Altercation

Meanwhile, Police in their statement said that Washington had an altercation with another man which led to him being beaten.

“Enquiries disclosed that Washington was in his yard when an argument ensued between himself and

another man working on a building presently under construction, situated about fifty metres east of Washington's residence. As the argument escalated, two men entered Washington's yard by jumping an eightfoot-high fence,” a Police statement read.

Police said that a confrontation ensued between Washington and the two men and the alteration lasted for about 15 minutes, during which Washington was beaten to his head and body, causing him to receive

injuries. The suspects then made good their escape by jumping the eastern fence.

“Police were called in, and investigators processed the scene. Several persons in the area were questioned,” the report stated.

Meanwhile, the family is pleading for justice.

"We want justice. To our knowledge, no one has been arrested for the murder... Terry was a father of four and was killed on his daughter's birthday... we want justice," they cried out. (G9)

Manhunt continues for convicted killer “Smallie” – Police

The search for the notorious convicted killer and death row inmate, Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie”, continues as law enforcement officials intensify their efforts following his well-planned escape from Mazaruni Prison.

According to an update from the Guyana Police Force Corporate Communications Unit on Wednesday, the female who had visited Williams before his escape and the boat captain who allegedly facilitated his flight are both still in Police custody.

Additionally, investigators have questioned two prison officers who were responsible for Williams during the time of his escape.

Williams, commonly known as “Smallie”, made a daring escape from the maximum-security Mazaruni Prison on May 19, with the assistance of heavily armed

individuals. The escape occurred in broad daylight and involved the use of a speedboat.

During the escape, the

escort party accompanying Williams was attacked with AK-47 rifles by the individuals on the boat, which was in the Mazaruni

River. Following the escape, a reward of $10 million was announced by the Guyana Police Force for any information leading to Williams's arrest.

Williams is a convicted mass murderer, having been found guilty of the Bartica Massacre in 2008. During that incident, he and his accomplices ambushed and killed 12 individuals, including three Policemen.

Further, Williams was sentenced to death in September of the previous year for the murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) member Corporal Ivor Williams, on January 23, 2008.

It is worth noting that Williams had previously escaped from the Camp Street Prison on July 9, 2017, but was eventually recaptured on October 10, 2017, on the Weldaad Public Road, West Coast Berbice. (G9)

Escapee: Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie”

Dead: Terrance Washington

53 complete training to better address GBV

Some 53 Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) members of government agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other entities recently completed a training programme focused on strengthening prevention approaches to address Gender-Based violence.

This Foundations Trainer of Trainers programme is led by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, in collaboration with United Nations Women, through the Spotlight Initiative.

“This programme targets 13- to 25-year-olds from across the country, where they understand the nuances of gender-based violence [and] are aware of the support mechanisms, the legislation and how to resolve conflict without resolving to violence,” said Human Services Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud during the programme, which was hosted at the Little Rock Hotel.

The minister added that this training sets the precedent for other regions to follow.

“This training will lead into a number of very important areas for the Ministry, so Region Six, you have started something that every region will be able to follow and have

more inclusivity in the kind of training we are offering,” Persaud said.

“It is opening [programmes] like these that persons are equipped with the skills and information and knowledge to deal with issues of violence, and it means that this information will be disseminated widely,” she added.

Detective Sergeant Dean Smith, who is the officer in charge of crime at the number two sub-division expressed, his gratitude for being a part of the training session, finding it particularly useful given his line of work.

“As a law enforcement

officer, we encounter reports of these particular nature, of these gender roles, gender equality, sexual violence and so on, and this training now will help the several officers among the batch to impart knowledge to a person who is coming at the station to report these crimes and also we will be able to go into the communities and impart the knowledge to those affected by violence and abuse,” Dean-Smith said. He added that the training was also well put-together and simple enough for the layman to understand the concepts and execute them.

Robbery suspect nabbed with loot

Likewise, Chair of the Gender Affairs Committee in Region Six, Shinelle Maxine-Jaffarally found this training programme informative and timely.

“Some of the issues raised and dealt with in this training we see very prevalent in our society as we address gender issues, sexual harassment, and so forth. I think all the information that was dispensed, it was very good and there are so many things we can do to help women and young people. I will now go back to my office and develop programmes to help in different areas, especially in the depressed communities,” Maxine-Jaffarally said.

Meanwhile, cricket administrator Ameer Rahaman remarked that this workshop would prove beneficial as he continued his work.

“It has helped me so much that I can go back now and teach my kids, both boys and girls, I would be able to handle certain situations, listen to them and be able to advise them,” Rahaman said.

“This workshop is something I wish we can have more of it, especially towards the sports end and this has helped me to the point that I know on a dayby-day basis I will be able to help my kids in most of the situations they are going through,” he said.

2 busted with over 4kg ganja at Annandale

Law enforcement officers from Regional Division 4C (East Coast Demerara) apprehended two individuals at a residence on Rabindra Street, Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD) after they were found with a large quantity of marijuana.

Acting on information received on Sunday, Police Officers swooped down on the residence where a 43-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were residing.

A search of the premises,

including the house and the surrounding yard, was conducted by the team of law enforcement officers.

During the search, the ranks found a brown bag in

which was concealed four large parcels. The parcels contained leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis, commonly known as marijuana.

Both suspects were presented with the four parcels, and they were informed about the nature of the offence committed. Following a cautionary statement, the suspects were taken into custody. The weight of the four parcels was 4.763 kilograms.

The duo was taken into custody as investigation continues. (G9)

An unemployed man was arrested by the Police on Wednesday in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) shortly after he allegedly broke into a house in Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) and stole a number of valuable items.

Police Headquarters reported that the breakin and theft took place between 21:00h on Tuesday and 06:00h on Wednesday. According to the Police, the 28-year-old suspect, a resident of

Parika Facade, EBE, broke into the lower flat of a woman's house, which was being used for storage. He stole clothing worth $25,000, electric tools and an outboard engine valued at $150,000.

The victim informed the Police that she had secured the lower flat of her home around 21:00h on Tuesday before going to bed. She resides in the upper flat of the house. She said when she conducted a check the following morning, she discovered that the items were missing. Upon further

inspection, it was found that a window on the lower flat had been left open.

The Police were alerted, and they located the suspect at Bushy Park, Parika, EBE. He was found in possession of a white bag, which was searched and found to contain the stolen items. The suspect was then taken to the Parika Police Station, where the recovered items were logged.

The suspect reportedly confessed to committing the offence and he was placed into custody pending charges. (G9)

Human Services Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud and participants of the Trainer of Trainers programme

The stolen items that were found in the man’s possession

The ganja that was found in Annandale, ECD

Angry protesters pile pressure on Jamaican Govt over huge salary increases

Protests against the huge salary increases granted to members of the political directorate continued Wednesday with scores of placard-bearing demonstrators demanding a rollback of the pay hikes outside the Finance Ministry in Kingston.

The protesters – arguably the largest grouping of demonstrators against the salary increases, so far – shouted in unison messages such as “Roll it back!”, and “Broken promises! Broken country”.

One man, bearing a placard showing J$1.7 billion in red, the cost the salary increases to parliamentarians will cost over three years, expressed anger over the massive hikes.

“I am angry,” he told Observer Online, saying it was his first-ever protest.

“The reason why I am out here is because I am angry at this government for bullying the teachers… for how they deal with the firefighters, how they deal

with the Police and then turning around to award yourself a 200 per cent increase,” he said.

Another protester described the massive salary increases as “anti-development”.

“What they are doing is just adding cost to the country without any production… just because they can, they have gone into our pockets and decide to take out over 200 per cent increase, that can’t be right,” she said.

Brazil's Lower House approves new fiscal rules bill, sends it to Senate

Brazil's Lower House on Wednesday approved a new fiscal framework bill, a major victory for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Administration as it tries to balance public accounts while taming explosive debt growth.

Lawmakers in the chamber voted 372-108 to pass the main text of the bill on late Tuesday that is set to replace Brazil's current spending cap, which has been breached several times in recent years to allow higher government spending.

Federal lawmakers rejected all amendments that could alter the bill's main text, and now the proposal

The huge salary increases – in some cases, by more than 200 per cent – for politicians have been met with widespread backlash since they were announced in Parliament by Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke last week.

Following public outcry, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced Monday that he was giving up his massive salary increase.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Trinidad: Beetham Attorney, brothers sue State for assault and battery

will be sent and voted on at the Senate.

Markets welcomed the overwhelming approval, with the Brazilian real strengthening roughly 0.7 per cent against the dollar and interest rate futures trading down on Wednesday.

"The actual rule is tougher than previous versions of the bill suggested," Banco Original's Chief Economist Marco Caruso said. "The 372 votes were also positive as markets might now start to think it will be easier to pass a tax reform".

Under the new fiscal rules, Government expenditures will not be allowed to rise by more than 70 per cent of any increase in rev-

enue, with spending growth also limited to between 0.6 per cent and 2.5 per cent per year above inflation.

If the goals are not met, expenditure growth will be restricted to 50 per cent of revenue increases as a penalty.

"It was an important victory for the country," Institutional Relations Minister Alexandre Padilha said after the vote, in which Lula's leftist Administration managed to garner support from right-leaning parties to pass the bill.

"This measure will allow for sustainable growth combining social and fiscal responsibility," he added.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Roles were reversed for young Beetham

Attorney Kareem Marcelle on Wednesday when he appeared in a courtroom not as an advocate, but as an alleged victim of Police overreach.

Marcelle and his brothers Kern and Kevin have sued the State for malicious procurement of a search warrant, wrongful arrest, assault and battery, wrongful arrest, trespass and breaches of their constitutional rights.

The case arises from an incident at their home on

June 27, 2018.

Their claim is being heard by Justice Avason Quinlan-Williams at the Waterfront Judicial Centre, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.

Testifying on Wednesday were two of the Marcelles’ neighbours and a Police Officer, who denied they were on a "fishing expedition" that morning.

Marcelle and his brothers are represented by Attorneys Larry Lalla, SC, and Vashisht Seepersad.

In their claim, the

Marcelle brothers say they were at home when, at about 05:30h, a contingent of 12 officers and soldiers surrounded the house, ordering them to open up. Kevin responded, but five seconds later, the Police broke down the metal back door with a sledgehammer.

The Marcelles said the Police rushed through the house, kicking bedroom doors, before arresting them with large guns pointed at their faces, while using obscene language. (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Mexican President ramps

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's increasing attacks on adversaries and interventions in the economy are part of a calculated drive to cement his legacy and consolidate support for his successor in an election next year.

The veteran leftist on Friday spooked investors when he ordered the temporary occupation of a section of privately-held railway line he views as crucial for one of his signature public works aimed at boosting development in Mexico's poorer south.

On Wednesday, it emerged the firm whose rail unit controlled the section – Grupo Mexico – was no longer in the running to buy the Mexico unit of US bank Citigroup, which said it would instead pursue an initial public offering. Some people familiar with talks blamed the railway spat for the collapse of the deal.

It follows attacks by

up

rhetoric, economic intervention as election nears

Lopez Obrador on the Mexican Supreme Court, which has struck down Government orders to prioritise his flagship public works, and resisted a nationalist energy drive that has fed conflict with the US and other trade allies.

While he has fought regularly with companies that obstruct his economic policies, he has sought to encourage investment more broadly and capitalise on growing interest in relo-

cating business to Mexico from Asia due to US-China trade tensions. His vilification of the court and other checks on his power has drawn accusations from the Opposition that he is recklessly concentrating power ahead of the June 2024 presidential vote, which his party is tipped to win even though Lopez Obrador cannot run because Mexican Presidents are limited to one term.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Lasso seeks “national agreement” in August elections

Ecuador's

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso on Wednesday described coming early elections as an opportunity to unite the country as it grapples with gang violence and political instability after Lasso dissolved the legislature earlier in May.

The embattled leader is governing by decree after invoking a constitutional mechanism on May 17 that dissolved the National Assembly and cut his presidency short, with Lasso citing a political crisis and internal turmoil as justification.

Voters will pick both his

successor and a new legislature in an election on August 20, with a presidential runoff on October 15 if needed.

"This time also offers us a new opportunity to move towards a national agreement," Lasso told supporters as he delivered an annual report of his presidency in an auditorium south of the capital Quito.

After taking office in 2021, Lasso, a former banker, faced consistent pressure from the Oppositioncontrolled unicameral legislature, which was holding an impeachment trial on corruption allegations when

he dissolved the body. Lasso on Wednesday asked Ecuadoreans to vote for the best candidates in the August election, claiming that a majority of citizens supported his decision to dissolve the 137-member National Assembly.

"Never again will a President of the republic be at the mercy of an assembly that devotes its time to conspiring and preventing a government from advancing in the country's development agenda," Lasso said, without saying whether he would run in the elections.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

Beetham brothers Kevin, Kern and Kareem Marcelle speak to their Attorney Larry Lalla, SC, at the Waterfront Judicial Centre, Port of Spain, on Wednesday

Around The World OIL NEWS

“Queen of rock 'n' roll” Tina Turner dies at 83

Oil prices gain 2% on falling US stockpiles, Saudi warning

Oil prices rose two per cent on Wednesday, after a large unexpected drawdown in US crude inventories and a warning from the Saudi Energy Minister that raised the prospect of further Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) production cuts.

Brent crude futures rose US$1.52, or two per cent to settle at US$78.36 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained US$1.43, or two per cent as well, to end US$74.34.

US crude inventories posted a massive surprise weekly drawdown of 12.5 million barrels to 455.2 million barrels, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said, as imports declined. Analysts had expected an 800,000-barrel rise.

US gasoline stocks dropped by 2.1 million barrels in the week to 216.3 million barrels, the EIA said, while distillate stockpiles fell by 600,000 barrels to 105.7 million barrels.

The US Memorial Day holiday on May 29 marks the beginning of the peak summer travel season and higher fuel demand.

"Refiners are absolutely going max out with refinery runs right now, trying to keep up with demand," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group.

"Oil prices have been so focused on the debt ceiling and interest rates, but really they haven't focused on the supply and demand side which has tightened in the last couple of weeks."

Federal Reserve officials "generally agreed" last month that the need for further interest rate increases "had become less certain", with several saying that the quarterpercentage-point hike they approved might be the last, according to minutes of the May 2-3 meeting released on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister said shortsellers betting oil prices would fall should "watch out" for pain, comments some investors took as a signal that OPEC+ could consider further output cuts at a meeting on June 4.

"Oil prices are trading higher ... buoyed by the latest short-seller warning from Saudi Arabia," said OANDA senior market analyst Craig Erlam.

"(But) if past experience is anything to go by, traders may be tempted to call his bluff."

Weighing on broader markets, there were no signs of progress in US debt ceiling talks as the deadline ticked closer to raise the Federal Government's borrowing limit or risk default.

Negotiators for Democratic President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy reconvened at the White House to try to close a deal.

Oil price gains were limited by news that Britain's stubbornly high inflation rate fell by less than expected last month, according to official data that raised the chances of more interest rate hikes. (Reuters)

Tina Turner, the American-born singer who left a hardscrabble farming community and abusive relationship to become one of the top recording artists of all time, died on Wednesday at the age of 83.

She died peacefully after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, her representative said.

Turner began her career in the 1950s during the early years of rock 'n' roll and evolved into an MTV phenomenon.

In the video for her chart-topping song "What's Love Got to Do with It", in which she called love a "second-hand emotion", Turner epitomised 1980s style as she strutted through New York City streets with her spiky blond hair, wearing

a cropped jean jacket, mini skirt and stiletto heels.

With her taste for mu-

sical experimentation and bluntly worded ballads, Turner gelled perfectly

with a 1980s pop landscape in which music fans valued electronically produced sounds and scorned hippie-era idealism.

Sometimes nicknamed the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", Turner won six of her eight Grammy Awards in the 1980s. In that decade she landed a dozen songs in the Top 40, including "Typical Male", "The Best", "Private Dancer" and "Better Be Good to Me". Her 1988 show in Rio de Janeiro drew 180,000 people, which remains one of the largest concert audiences for any single performer.

"Tina's story is not one of victimhood but one of incredible triumph," singer Janet Jackson wrote about Turner, in a Rolling Stone issue that placed Turner at number 63 on a list of the top 100 artists of all time.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Belgorod: Russian paramilitary group vows more incursions

The head of the Russian paramilitary group that said it was behind a cross-border raid into Russia from Ukraine has vowed more such incursions.

"I think you will see us again on that side," said Denis Kapustin, who leads the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK).

Russia said it had repelled the raid, killing more than 70 saboteurs. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu promised a "harsh response" to any future incursions.

Ukraine denies involvement in the raid.

The RDK, along with the Liberty of Russia Legion (LSR), claimed Monday's raid into Belgorod region.

Speaking on Wednesday to reporters on the Ukrainian side of the border, Kapustin, whose nom de guerre is White Rex, said: "We're satisfied with the result [of the raid]."

He said his group had managed to seize "some

weapons", including an armoured personnel carrier, and take prisoners during the operation – before leaving Russian territory after 24 hours.

He said two RBK fighters were injured, denying claims by the Russian military about heavy casualties inflicted on the saboteurs.

Separately, the LSR said two of its fighters had been killed and 10 injured.

The casualty claims by the warring sides have not been independently verified.

At the news briefing, Kapustin denied reports that his fighters were using weapons provided by Western allies to Ukraine to help defend itself against Russia's full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.

Russia describes the RDK and LSR as Ukrainian militants – but Kyiv says they come from two anti-Kremlin paramilitaries.

Both groups say they want to dismantle Russian President Vladimir Putin's

95-year-old woman Tasered by Police in Australia dies

A95-year-old woman who was Tasered by Police at an Australian care home, sparking a public outcry, has died.

Clare Nowland was critically injured after police responded to reports she was wandering around the home with a steak knife at about 04:00 last Wednesday.

New South Wales Police (NSW) said she died "surrounded by family and loved ones". The officer who Tasered Nowland has been charged with assault.

The 33-year-old senior

Nowland

constable will face court in early July on charges of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault. He remains suspended from duty with pay while investigations continue.

Nowland lived in a care home in the town of Cooma about 114 kilometres (71 miles) south of Canberra, Australia's capital city.

NSW Police said their thoughts and condolences "remain with those who were lucky enough to know, love, and be loved by Mrs Nowland during a life she led hallmarked by family, kindness and community."

Last week, Police said she was "armed" with a steak knife. On Friday, they confirmed that she required a walking frame to move and the officer discharged his Taser after she began ap-

Ron DeSantis jumps into White House race but Twitter launch marred by glitches

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday he would seek the 2024 Republican nomination for president, but an audio interview on Twitter meant to showcase his entry into the race instead drew attention for technical snafus.

The Florida Governor's entrance in the Republican contest set up a showdown with his one-time ally, former President Donald Trump, that will shake up the race for the White House.

proaching "at a slow pace".

Nowland is believed to have suffered a fractured skull and a serious brain bleed after falling and hitting her head during the incident.

It has prompted calls for a state parliamentary inquiry and the release of Police bodycam vision of the confrontation.

In a statement, Nowland's family said she was a "well respected, much loved and a giving member of her local community" and the "loving and gentle-natured matriarch of the Nowland family."

(Excerpt from BBC News)

DeSantis made his announcement in a video ahead of joining Twitter Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk on the platform. The broadcast of the interview, which had been intended to be the formal launch for the DeSantis campaign, at times lost sound and some users were either unable to join or were dropped. It was an inauspicious start for a campaign predicated on the Governor's executive competence.

"We need the courage to lead and the strength to win," DeSantis said in the video posted on Twitter. "I'm Ron DeSantis, and I'm running for President to lead our great American comeback."

With a rising national profile and what are expected to be deep financial resources, DeSantis, 44, immediately becomes Trump's biggest rival for the Republican nomination.

But polls show Trump with more than a 2-to-1 edge over the Florida Governor, who has long been considered a Republican rising star and the herald of a new generation of leaders in the party. Trump, who announced in November, has also had a head start in organising his campaign in key early voting states.

"We must end the culture of losing that has infected the Republican Party in recent years," DeSantis said in the event with Musk once it resumed following a lengthy interruption. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Tina Turner performs at the O2 Arena in London March 3, 2009 (Reuters/Stefan Wermuth)

Denis Kapustin (centre) flanked by Russian Volunteer Corps fighters talk to reporters in Ukraine, May 24, 2023 (EPA-EFE/REX/ Shutterstock) regime, and have in the past been described as part of an international legion in-

volved in Ukraine's territorial defence. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Clare

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Keep your plans reasonable. Protect against injury and illness. Straightforward techniques and a lifestyle you can afford will ease stress and move you in a positive direction.

(March 21-April 19)

Handle domestic matters carefully. You’ll face opposition and emotional backlash from someone eager to rearrange your plans. Do your best to get along and prepare to move forward alone if necessary.

(April 20-May 20)

PEANUTS

(May 21-June 20)

Take the initiative and put your energy where it will help the most. Share your thoughts and concerns with people affected by the decisions you make. Research will help you eliminate unnecessary steps.

Handle your money with care. Don’t make promises you can’t keep or help someone who wants to take advantage of you. Rethink your responses to others and the best way to make things better.

(June 21-July 22)

Someone will try to exploit your generosity. It’s OK to say no and to spend time on something that benefits you. It’s up to you to build personal strength and confidence.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN

AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

By being open to suggestions, you will find a new way to use your skills and knowledge. A talk with someone you want to spend more time with will lead to an exciting partnership.

Take the road less traveled. A unique offering will encourage you to learn more and try something new. Put your en

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Keep a low profile and work quietly on what inspires and motivates you most. Refuse to let your emotions disrupt your plans. Use your imagination. Romance is in the stars.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Listen to the truth and walk away from disruptive situations and controlling people. Direct your energies toward learning and setting yourself up for more significant opportunities.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Take pride in your life and accomplishments. Make changes at home that are conducive to productivity, entertainment and peace of mind. Do what you can to lower your overhead. Romance is favored.

Slow down and take a closer look at your situation and how others respond to the decisions you make. Proceed with caution, honesty and the desire to make changes that are beneficial for all.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Dig in and hone your skills. Take what you enjoy doing to the next level. Be imaginative and consider what will give you a competitive edge. Don’t let fear limit your chance to succeed.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Central American & Caribbean Games 2023…

Guyana selects 16-member men’s hockey team

The Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) has selected a 16 member men’s team to represent this country at the Central American & Caribbean Games, scheduled from June 26th to July 6th, 2023.

Although El Salvador is the main host of the Games, the hockey aspect of the multisport event is being staged in the Dominican Republic, which has just constructed a new water-based artificial turf to host the next CAC Games in 2026.

The Guyana team will be looking to better their 4th place finish at the last CAC Games in 2018, where they narrowly lost 0-1 to eventual gold medalists Cuba in the semifinals. The team will be relying heavily on the experience of the only five surviving players from that 2018 team: Robert France, Jamarj Assanah, Andrew Stewart, Kareem McKenzie and Meshach Sargeant, but will be bolstered by five outstanding youngsters fresh from representing Guyana

at the Junior Pan American Championships in April this year. Shaquon Favorite, Shakeem Fausette, Simeon Moore, Oshazay Savory and Tahrea Garnett will add a youthful spark of energy and pace to balance the experience and composure of the seniors.

Team Guyana’s first match will be against the Group B top seed Trinidad & Tobago on June 28th, followed by the Dominican Republic on June 30th, before facing defending gold medalists Cuba on July 2nd. They will have to finish in the top two to progress

Tata IPL 2023: Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants…

Mumbai in Qualifier 2

-after Madhwal knocks out LSG with incredible 5 for 5 returns

Look out, Ahmedabad, Mumbai Indians are coming! The five-time champions put on a clinical performance to rout Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday night and march into Qualifier 2; and are now two games away from lifting a trophy they might soon trademark.

Akash Madhwal was the star of the show, picking up the joint-best figures by an Indian in IPL history - 5 for 5 in 3.3 overs. He might have taken more, but Super Giants kept running themselves out in ridiculous ways. One was the result of a collision which ended their best batter's stay at the crease, Marcus Stoinis gone for 40 off 27. Another had both players at the same end.

Super Giants eventually fell from 74 for 3 to 101 all out in a chase of 183.

Mumbai's boundary bash Mumbai do the little things right. They saw the opposition opening the bowling with spin, and they exploited the fact that only two men are allowed outside the 30yard circle. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan hit four fours in the first three overs - all just placed into gaps behind point and past fine leg, because they knew that would be enough.

These were the conditions that were supposed to stop the biggest hitters in the IPL, but they didn't. And Mumbai cruised to 98 for 2, the third-highest 10-over score in Chennai this year, during which they hit 15 boundaries in this period.

Cameron Green and

Suryakumar Yadav were not just clearing the boundary, they were spraying the second tier. This season, a few teams have experimented with three openers in their line-up. They come into play when there's an early wicket. They stay in the hut when there isn't. Mumbai are one of these teams, and it helped them keep a very healthy tempo. They were on course to clear 200.

That's when Naveen-ulHaq came on, and did the simple thing right. At Chepauk, everybody needs to take pace off, including the fast bowlers. After getting bashed for a first-ball six in the 11th over, he slipped in a legcutter to Suryakumar and had him caught on the straight boundary. And two balls later, an offcutter gripped in the pitch and bowled Green through the gate.

Naveen, the Afghanistan quick, celebrated each of his four wickets by putting his fingers in his ears, perhaps a response to the hate he's received on social media for his part in the blow-up with Virat Kohli earlier in the tournament.

Impact of the Impact Sub

Mumbai had gone in a batter light in their bat-first XI. The logic was that if they needed the guy, they would sub him in for someone who was already dismissed. And that is exactly what happened. Nehal Wadhera walked in as Suryakumar's substitute to face the last 21 balls of the innings.

If they hadn't needed him,

they might have brought in an extra spinner to help defend whatever total they got.

Mumbai kept both options open. It's a fun way to use the Impact Sub. It's not formulaic.

Wadhera played a massive role. He came in at a time when Mumbai had managed only 30 runs in the previous 4.2 overs. And he smashed 23 off 12, including two fours and a six in the final over.

Madhwal stands tall

Madhwal went to Mumbai for INR 20 lakh. Money extremely well spent. He wasn't part of Plan A. An entire month had gone by before he played his first game, and there he went for 37 runs in three overs. Two of them were at the death.

Madhwal has bowled 129 balls this season. Fifty-one of them have been in overs 17 to 20. A rookie has been bowling 40% of his deliveries in the hardest phase of a T20 game while maintaining an economy

to the semifinal against either the winner or runner up from group A, which includes Mexico, Barbados, Jamaica and El Salvador.

Speaking on his expectations of the team, Head Coach Robert Fernandes said, “It will be a tough task to get

out of the group. Although we placed above both Barbados and Jamaica at the last CAC Games, we are now ranked below them because of our inactivity on the international stage since 2018. So that’s how we were placed in Group B with two of the top three

finishers from the last CAC Games.

“I think the boys are up for the challenge though. Although we’re missing some key players through injury, I think this group has the ability to better our 2018 performance if we play to our potential.”

The team will be managed by former national captain Marisha Fernandes, with Robert Fernandes and John Abrahams fulfilling coaching duties, and former national Rugby captain Theodore Henry functioning as physical trainer/physio.

This Guyana Team reads: Paul D’Andrade, Andrew Stewart, Dominic Alleyne, Edmond Chinian, Jael Gaskin, Jamarj Assanah, Kareem McKenzie, Meshach Sargeant, Orland Semple, Oshazay Savory, Robert France, Shakeem Fausette, Shaquon Favorite, Simeon Moore, Tahrea Garnett and Troy Hodge.

Standby Players are David Williams, Jason-Ray Khalil, Shomere Garnett and Vladimir Woodroffe.

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai Indians (20 ovs maximum)

BATTING R B Ishan Kishan † c †Pooran

b Yash Thakur 15 12

Rohit Sharma (c) c Badoni b Naveen-ul-Haq 11 10

Cameron Green b

Naveen-ul-Haq 41 23

Suryakumar Yadav c

Gowtham b Naveen-ul-Haq 33 20

Tilak Varma c Hooda b

Naveen-ul-Haq 26 22

Tim David c Hooda b

Yash Thakur 13 13

Nehal Wadhera c

rate of 7.5. Only one fast bowler has done better (minus 18 deliveries) and he belonged to the opposition - Mohsin Khan.

Madhwal's biggest impact in this game, though, came in the middle overs, when he picked up two wickets in two balls, including an absolute peach from around the wicket, angling into the left-handed Nicholas Pooran and nipping away off the pitch to have him caught behind.

Seventeen dots in 21 balls and five wickets for five runs. Nobody had done this much damage in the entire history of IPL playoff matches. Most teams wouldn't be able to recover from losing bowlers of the class of Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer. Mumbai aren't most teams. (ESPNCricinfo)

Ravi Bishnoi b Yash Thakur 23 12

Chris Jordan c Hooda

b Mohsin Khan 4 7

Hrithik Shokeen not out 0 1

Extras (b 8, lb 2, w 6) 16

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 9.10)182/8

Did not bat: Piyush Chawla, Jason

Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal

Fall of wickets: 1-30

(Rohit Sharma, 3.2 ov), 2-38

(Ishan Kishan, 4.2 ov), 3-104

(Suryakumar Yadav, 10.4 ov), 4-105

(Cameron Green, 10.6 ov), 5-148

(Tim David, 16.3 ov), 6-159

(Tilak Varma, 17.3 ov), 7-168

(Chris Jordan, 18.5 ov), 8-182

(Nehal Wadhera, 19.6 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Krunal Pandya 4-0-38-0

Krishnappa Gowtham 1-0-8-0

Naveen-ul-Haq 4-0-38-4

Yash Thakur 4-0-34-3

Mohsin Khan 3-0-24-1

Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-30-0

Lucknow Super Giants (T: 183 runs from 20 ovs)

BATTING R B Kyle Mayers c Green b Jordan 18 13

Prerak Mankad c Shokeen b Madhwal 3 6 Krunal Pandya (c) c David b Chawla 8 11 Marcus Stoinis run out (David/†Ishan Kishan) 40

Flashback! A look at the 2018 CAC Games team which placed 4th

Stoinis got the LSG chase on the road

Cameron Green scored a 23-ball 41

Akash Madhwal is the toast of the Mumbai team after returning 5 for 5

Amateur bouts set in stone for ‘Return of the Scorpio’ card

local boxing event.

Five exciting professional bouts will be headlined and co-headlined by Elton Dharry and Dexter 'De Kid' Marques respectively, and an amateur section of equal measure is confirmed for the evening.

Dharry will make his return to the squared circle against Ronald in an eightround Bantamweight fixture, while Marques will engage Carrillo in an eightround Super Bantamweight encounter.

A Caribbean rivalry will also recommence as local

star Terrence Adams will battle Ricardo Blackman of Barbados, while Anthony Augustin will face off against Barbadian Emmanuel Anderson. The card will also feature a six-round Super Flyweight bout between females Natalya Delgado and Darianis Garcia.

In the amateur segment, Jamaica’s Britney MacFarlane is the confirmed opponent for local star Alesha Jackman in the marquee encounter, while Trinidad and Tobago champion Lee Ann Boodram will enter the squared circle

against Abiola Jackman, the sibling of Alesha.

The sisters are the first-ever Guyanese female pugilists to attain a world ranking from the International Boxing Association (IBA), after their participation at the Women's World Championships in New Delhi, India.

Abiola Jackman is now ranked 27th in the world in the Elite Women 81 and over Kg, or heavyweight division, while Alesha is seeded 58th in the Elite Women 60-63 Kg or junior welterweight division.

WI “A” tour to Bangladesh 2023…

Aheadof its June 3

competition date, the amateur section of the impending and highly anticipated ‘Return of the Scorpio’ pro/am boxing extravaganza has been set in stone. The pro/am card’s amateur segment will witness both male and female persuasions in action at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue in Georgetown.

The confirmed amateur bouts read: Akeelah Vancooten vs Tafina Barker [51-54kg]; Isaiah Joyce (PPBG) vs Jamal Jones (VBG) [57-60kg]; Dexter Ray (Police) vs Shaquain James (FYF) [60-67kg]; Alesha Jackman (Guyana) vs Britney MacFarlane (Jamaica) [63-69kg]; and Abiola Jackman (Guyana) vs Lee Ann Boodram (Trinidad and Tobago) [81+kg].

Meanwhile, the respective Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago contingents are expected to arrive on June 1st, ahead of the June 2nd weight-in and pre-match press conference.

“The amateur section has been officially confirmed, and promises several exciting salvos, especially those of the international flavour. This fight card provides a synergistic approach to development, as amateur fighters, several of whom will be experiencing such a novel atmosphere, and professional pugilists can share the same ecosystem despite the obvious differences in their career paths. That is the immediate tangible benefit of such a fight card,” Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle shared about the bouts.

He added, “While any form of deferment can be deemed as an unfortunate episode, the additional wait has only added to the anticipation and excitement of the fight card. It has provided an avenue for increased marketing and publicity, an element of importance that should not be understated or underestimated. More importantly, it has also provided an opportunity for an in-

creased training window for our combatants, which only adds to and aids in their performance on the night.”

The ‘fight night’ was rescheduled from its initial date of May 21st due to Colombian pugilists Ronald Ramos and Luis Carillo failing to attain the requisite documentation to travel to Guyana. This was confirmed by the organizers, Briso Promotions.

All tickets purchased remain valid for the rescheduled date, and the fight is at the same venue. Tickets can still be purchased at the sole location of Hot & Spicy Creole Corner. The prices are: VVIP $10,000, VIP $6000, Ringside $3000, and Stands $1000.

The ‘Return of the Scorpio’ pro/am card is regarded by many experts as the largest fight card in more than a decade, and is expected to surpass the overall quality of the critically praised Patrick Forde Memorial Championships, which is the yardstick for a

GAPLF Intermediates/Masters Championships… Fitness Express continues longstanding support to GAPLF

Jordan’s five-wicket haul, half-centuries from McKenzie, Carty propel West Indies ‘A’

West Indies ‘A’ took charge of the second unofficial Test against Bangladesh ‘A’ at the Syhlet International Stadium on Wednesday, thanks to Akeem Jordan’s impressive five-wicket haul and strong batting performances from Kirk McKenzie and Keacy Carty.

Bangladesh ‘A’ resumed their innings from the rain-shortened opening day at 175-5, and were eventually bowled out for 237 in 65.3 overs. Shahadat Hossain, not out overnight on 28, fought hard to make 73, but Hasan could add only five runs to his overnight score of 12.

Akeem Jordan, Anderson Phillip and Jair McAllister combined brilliantly to claim the last five Bangladeshi wickets for just 62 runs.

Jordan finished with exceptional figures of 5-45, and was supported by Phillip with 2-67, and by McAllister with 1-58. Kevin Sinclair also made an impact with 2-44.

91 came to an end after a brief partnership with Alick Athanaze, who took the score to 139-3 before falling lbw for 45. Brandon King’s poor form continued, as he was dismissed for a duck, marking his second consecutive failure in the series.

Athanaze and Keacy Carty then steadied the innings with a 79-run partnership, taking the team past the 200-run mark and within 19 runs of Bangladesh ‘A’s score. Athanaze’s dismissal for 45 to Saif Hasan, who had earlier dismissed King, interrupted their progress.

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Powerlifters

who made their mark at the Novices competition earlier this year will be aiming to take their careers closer to the senior level when they step on the platform for this year’s edition of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation’s (GAPLF’s) Intermediates and Masters Championships.

This year’s competition will, for the first time, take place at the Chase’s Academy Auditorium on Parade Street, Kingston just opposite the Theater Guild.

Yesterday, longtime GAPLF supporter Jamie McDonald, Owner and Manager of Fitness Express at John and Sheriff Streets, Campbellville, made a monetary contribution towards this Sunday’s event.

In handing over the contribution to GAPLF President Franklin Wilson, McDonald said he was very pleased to be maintaining a proud tradition of supporting sports development.

“I am really happy to be once again throwing Fitness Express’ support behind this sport. I’ve known you for a very long time, and am happy to see you now taking up the challenge to lead this sport. You can be assured of our unflinching support for our athletes and the strengthening

of the sport. We wish every athlete and your Federation every success on Sunday,” he declared.

In responding to McDonald, Wilson noted that he was happy to take up the mantle, and recalled that ever since Fitness Express opened its doors for business in Guyana, over a decade ago, it has been backing powerlifting every year.

“This current executive, which I am proud to lead, would like to applaud you for your committed partnership over the years. I recall covering so many presentations you’ve made to the various presidents, and now I am at the helm of a sport which I’ve been associated with since its rebirth under

Peter Green, over two decades ago.

“On behalf of the executive and members of the Federation, I would like to express sincere thanks for your continued generosity, which will go a long way in making this event a success.”

Wilson has also informed that he and McDonald are in talks to pursue other avenues wherein athletes can benefit even more from Fitness Express. Details of the initiative will be forthcoming in the not-too-distant future.

The GAPLF would also, on Sunday, be hosting a fundraising bar-b-que at the competition with a view to raising much-needed funds.

In response, West Indies ‘A’ started strongly, despite losing opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul early. Kirk McKenzie, continuing his good form from the first Test, played an enterprising knock of 91, and Raymon Reifer contributed 37. The two built a crucial partnership of 116 for the second wicket.

However, a sudden collapse saw the tourists lose three wickets for just seven runs in the following two overs.

McKenzie’s innings of

Carty and Captain Joshua da Silva continued the recovery, guiding West Indies ‘A’ to 266 before Carty was unfortunately run out for a well-played 68. At stumps, da Silva remained unbeaten on nine, accompanied by Kevin Sinclair on one. West Indies closed the day on 268-6, holding a 31run lead heading into the third day.

The first Test between

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh A 1st Innings

Zakir Hasan c Da Silva b Jordan 18

Shadman Islam b Jordan 15

Saif Hasan lbw b Sinclair 31

Mohammad Naim b Sinclair 5

Shahadat Hossain Dipu

c Athanaze b McAllister 73

Afif Hossain lbw b Jordan 37

Irfan Sukkur c Jordan b Phillip 21

Nayeem Hasan c King b Phillip 17

Tanzim Hasan Sakib b Jordan 0

Tanvir Islam b Jordan 4

Khaled Ahmed not out 0

Total (10 wickets, 65.3) (16 extras) 237

FOW: 22/1 (4.4) Zakir Hasan 66/2 (19.6) Mohammad Naim

73/3 (23.4) Saif Hasan 110/4

(35.3) Afif Hossain 146/5 (44.2)

Irfan Sukkur 173/6 (52.2)

Nayeem Hasan 184/7 (55.6)

Shadman Islam 186/8 (57.6)

Tanzim Hasan Sakib 220/9 (64.6) Shahadat Hossain Dipu 224/10 (65.3) Tanvir Islam

Bowling

Akeem Jordan (18.3-4-45-5)

Anderson Phillip (15-0-67-2)

Jair McAllister (13-0-58-1)

Raymon Reifer (7-2-15-0)

Kevin Sinclair (12-3-44-2)

West Indies A 1st Inn

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

lbw b Khaled Ahmed 4

Kirk McKenzie c Mohammad

Naim b Saif Hassan 91

Raymon Reifer c Afif Hossain

b Tanvir Islam 37

Alick Athanaze lbw b Naeem Hasan 45

Brandon King c & b Saif Hassan 0

Keacy Carty runout (sub Rishad Hossain ) 68

Joshua Da Silva Not out 9

Kevin Sinclair not out 1

Extras 13 (B: 6, LB: 4, NB: 3, W: 0)

TOTAL (73 Ov, RR: 3.67) 268/6

FOW: Tagenarine Chanderpaul

1-16 Raymon Reifer 2-132 Kirk

McKenzie 3-139 Brandon King

4-139 Alick Athanaze 5-218

Keacy Carty runout 6-266

Bowling Khaled Ahmed (15-1-46-1)

Tanzim Hasan Sakib (12-1-41-0)

Naeem Hasan (17-0-80-1)

Saif Hassan (7-0-37-2)

Tanvir Islam (19-7-45-1)

Afif Hossain (3-0-9-0)

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Jamie McDonald of Fitness Express making a presentation to GAPLF President Franklin Wilson

A glimpse of what to expect from the amateur segment of the ‘Return of the Scorpio’

Akeem Jordan had five wickets

the two teams ended in a draw due to rain interruptions. (Sportsmax)

Regional Women's T20 Blaze 2023 tournament… Guyana dedicates win over Leewards to people of Mahdia

by Ashmini Munisar, who had 1-16 in four overs.

Divya Saxena top-scored for Leewards with 31 from 43 balls, which had three fours. Amanda Edwards (13) and Kimberly Anthony (12) added to the tall for Leewards.

In reply, Guyana ended on 94-5 in 17.4 overs. Grimmond top-scored with 26 from 29 balls, while Shemaine Campbelle made an unbeaten 23 from 24

CWI announces squad changes for Windies “A” Team, ODI Series

balls to help Guyana cross the line.

After three matches thus far in the T20 Blaze, Guyana have recorded two wins and suffered one defeat. They are second on the points stable, behind Barbados with eight points, and they are equipped with a positive run-rate.

Guyana will play Jamaica on May 25, and Trinidad and Tobago on May 27. (Brandon Corlette)

SCOREBOARD

Leewards women InnIngs

Athree-wicket haul from “player of the match” Plaffianna Millington, and composed innings from Sheneta Grimmond helped Guyana to a five-wicket win against Leeward Islands in the third round of the Regional Women's T20 Blaze tourney in St Kitts & Nevis.

And after the game, Guyana captain Shemaine Campbelle dedicated the win to the people of Mahdia, after 19 children lost their lives in a destructive fire there.

"It is a great feeling to win. We came out with a plan, knowing that we want

to win this game and dedicate it to those back home in Guyana, and the girls that lost their lives. It was a big game for us and the fans back home. It is hard for the families, but on behalf of the Guyana female team, we are mourning with you guys," Campbelle said.

Playing at the Warner Park on Tuesday evening, Guyana restricted Leewards to 93-6 in 20 overs. Millington continued her consistency with the ball this season, claiming 3-21 in four overs. She was supported by Shabika Gajnabi, who had 1-13, and

meLIcIa cLarke run out mandy mangru / † shemaIne campbeLLe 7 kImberLey anthony Lbw b pLaffIanna mILLIngton 12 dIvya saxena c cherry ann fraser b pLaffIanna mILLIngton 31 amanda edwards st †shemaIne campbeLLe b ashmInI munIsar 13 Jahzara cLaxton not out 11 saneLdo wILLett (c)c shabIka ga JnabI b pLaffIanna mILLIngton 0 rozeL LIburd st †shemaIne campbeLLe b shabIka ga JnabI 10 extras (wd 5, Lb 4) 9 totaL (6 wkts, 20.0 ov) 93 (crr: 4.65)

dId not bat : terez parker (wk), tynetta mckoy, JenIsen rIchards, davanna cLaxton faLL of wIckets: 17-1 (kImberLey anthony, 3.3 ov), 36-2 (meLIcIa cLarke, 8.4 ov), 70-3 (dIvya saxena, 15.2 ov), 72-4 (amanda edwards, 16.2 ov), 73-5 (saneLdo wILLett, 17.3 ov), 93-6 (rozeL LIburd, 20 ov)

bowLers o-m-r-w shabIka ga JnabI 4-1-13-1 pLaffIanna mILLIngton 4-0-21-3 ashmInI munIsar 4-1-16-1 sheneta grImmond

kaycIa schuLtz 3-0-17-0 nyIa Latchman 1-0-10-0 guyana women InnIngs sheneta grImmond b JenIsen rIchards 26 katana mentore run out Jahzara cLaxton / † terez parker 7 shabIka ga JnabI b amanda edwards 8 shemaIne campbeLLe (c & wk) not out 23 mandy mangru c amanda edwards b Jahzara cLaxton 12 cherry ann fraser run out amanda edwards / † terez parker 0 kaycIa schuLtz not out 5 extras (wd 10, Lb 2, b 1) 13

totaL (5 wkts, 17.4 ov) 94 (crr: 5.32) dId not bat : ashmInI munIsar, pLaffIanna mILLIngton, nyIa Latchman, anaLesIa daguIar faLL of wIckets: 34-1 (katana mentore, 6 ov), 47-2 (sheneta grImmond, 8.3 ov), 55-3 (shabIka ga JnabI, 10 ov), 82-4 (mandy mangru, 14.5 ov), 84-5 (cherry ann fraser, 15.4 ov)

bowLers o-m-r-w

meLIcIa cLarke 4-0-15-0

kImberLey anthony 2-0-15-0

rozeL LIburd 3-0-16-0

JenIsen rIchards 4-0-15-1

amanda edwards 2.4-0-20-1

Jahzara cLaxton 2-0-10-1

Golden Jags for training in Jamaica, USA ahead of Gold Cup

Guyana’s senior men’s national team, the Golden Jaguars, will take part in two training camps in Jamaica and the United States ahead of CONCACAF Gold Cup Prelims in June.

Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz and the local squad are set to depart Guyana on Friday, May 26, for Jamaica, where they will join the overseas-based players for an intensive training camp until June 5. The team will then leave the Caribbean nation for a second camp in Miami, which concludes on June 15.

The Golden Jaguars will play their first match against Grenada on Saturday, June 17, at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 2023 Gold Cup Prelims are being held between June 16 and 20, and this is Guyana’s second appearance in the regional competition.

In an interview at a recent KFC Elite League match, Head Coach Shabazz acknowledged that Grenada is a formidable team, but quickly added that he is making adjustments in order to strengthen his side for the much-anticipated match.

“We are very aware that

Grenada is a different challenge. This is a tier one team that was playing the big dogs recently. They have a lot of players coming out of England. We’re trying to bring in one or two players to strengthen the squad, yet keep the chemistry and the camaraderie and the discipline that we had in the last quarter; so, yes, we’re constantly looking to tweet things to improve.”

The locally-based players will be chosen from 10 clubs presently participating in the KFC Elite League, which kicked off in early May.

The tournament gives the national players a unique training opportunity, and the coaching team a chance to see them in a competitive setting before the CONCACAF Gold Cup Prelims matches.

“This is a unique prepa-

ration. We did not want to take the players away from the club, because this Elite League edition has promotion and relegation, so we opted to view the players train with the clubs full-time. They play in the league and we scout from them playing and training with the clubs, and then we select a final squad,” Shabazz shared.

He further explained that a 23-member team of experienced and young players will represent Guyana at the tournament.

“The good thing is that players playing for their clubs will get a chance to have some games under their belt…which will be better than just training, training, training. We still have to decide on one or two players. There're still some minor details to work out in terms of selection… we're going to call together twenty-six players, and then out of that twenty-six we’ll choose the final twenty-three.”

Guyana’s senior men’s national team qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup Prelims following a second-place finish in Group C of League B in the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel on Wednesday announced changes to the West Indies “A” Team squad currently in Bangladesh and the West Indies ODI squad to play the UAE in Sharjah.

For the ongoing “A” Team Series in Bangladesh, leftarm spinner Veerasammy Permaul will travel to Sylhet as cover for fellow left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the three-match series with a lower back injury.

Motie will travel to Dubai ahead of the West Indies’ three-match One-Day International (ODI) Series against the United Arab Emirates at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He will not play, but will receive treatment from the medical staff with the aim of being available for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, which start on 18 June.

Off-spinner Kevin Sinclair, who is presently in Bangladesh with the “A” Team, will replace Motie in the 15-member ODI squad for the series in Sharjah.

Experienced batter Johnson Charles has also been called into the ODI squad as a replacement for Devon Thomas.

Thomas has been provisionally suspended from playing cricket due to charges brought by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit under the Anti-Corruption codes.

Lead Selector The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “We were forced to make some changes to the squads, and this has presented opportunities for players to come in. Sinclair has been in good form all year, and has taken that to the ‘A Team’ series in Bangladesh. Permaul and Charles are experienced players, and they will be able to quickly adapt to the conditions and fit into the environment in Sylhet and Sharjah.”

Haynes added: “Motie is a key part of our plans for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, so we are hopeful he will make

a full recovery for that tournament. The decision was taken to have him remain with the squad in Sharjah so he will be closely monitored and receive the best treatment available.”

UPDATED SQUADS

West Indies “A” Squad vs Bangladesh “A”

Joshua DaSilva (Captain)

Alick Athanaze

Yannic Cariah

Keacy Carty

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

Tevin Imlach

Akeem Jordan

Brandon King

Jair McAllister

Zachary McCaskie

Kirk McKenzie

Anderson Phillip

Raymon Reifer

Kevin Sinclair

Veersammy Permaul (cover for Gudakesh Motie)

West Indies ODI Squad vs

United Arab Emirates

Shai Hope (captain)

Brandon King (vice-captain)

Alick Athanaze

Shamarh Brooks

Yannic Cariah

Keacy Carty

Johnson Charles Roston Chase

Dominic Drakes

Kavem Hodge

Akeem Jordan

Keemo Paul

Raymon Reifer

Kevin Sinclair

Odean Smith

MATCH SCHEDULE

West Indies “A” Team vs Bangladesh “A” Team

16-19 May: 1st “Test” at Sylhet International Stadium – Match drawn

23-26 May: 2nd “Test” at Sylhet International Stadium 2 – ongoing

30 May to 2 June: 3rd “Test” at Sylhet International Stadium

ODIs vs United Arab Emirates

4 June: 1st ODI at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

6 June: 2nd ODI at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

9 June: 3rd ODI at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

Plaffianna Millington

Several changes have been made to the West Indies’ Men’s teams for their upcoming assignments

Johnson Charles will replace Devon Thomas who has been suspended

Golden Jaguars Head Coach, Jamaal Shabazz

Developments in local cricket…

Guyana’s Ronsford Beaton cleared to resume bowling

Guyanese fast bowler Ronsford Beaton has been cleared to resume bowling in international and regional cricket, a Cricket West Indies (CWI) missive revealed on Wednesday.

This development comes following an as sessment of a remodeled bowling action.

Beaton’s bowling action was assessed by officials at Loughborough University in England, where it was found to be within ac ceptable limits.

The assessment was required after Beaton’s action was reported back in March by match officials during the West Indies Championship fourth-round match be tween Guyana Harpy Eagles and Jamaica Scorpions at the Guyana National Stadium.

Following this development, an as sessment was conducted, by officials at Loughborough University, and Beaton’s bowling action was found to be illegal.

In line with CWI’s approved process for dealing with illegal bowling actions, Beaton underwent remedial work to remod el his action, and video footage was sent to Loughborough University for analysis using an Opinion Report which was conducted ear lier this month. The fast bowler has subse quently been cleared to resume bowling.