Guyana Times - Monday, February 27, 2023

There are the doers versus the talkers – Ali on APNU/AFC criticisms of funds to Amerindians

…lambastes Opposition for “hypocrisy”, poor track record in hinterland investments

Agricola youths to get training, job opportunities in construction sector – Pres Ali …drainage, infrastructure among other issues raised during visit Guyana procuring aircraft, patrol vessels to boost maritime security

Co-gen system at Skeldon derailed after APNU/AFC closure of sugar estate – report

…assessment determines co-gen plants at Albion, Uitvlugt feasible

“You are already world leaders” – visiting English Lord on Guyana’s conservation model

…says Guyana has much to teach the world

Porter dies after being pinned by lorry

Bandits rob Double Day Hotel receptionists Wanted Guyanese man shot dead in Suriname

3 arrested after Police find ammo, cow tied alongside boat Local firm partners with international satellite company Man serving 33 years for killing hotelier moves to CoA

Guyana procuring aircraft, patrol vessels to boost maritime security

The Guyana Government is currently in talks with the Government of India to procure patrolling vessels and a Dornier aircraft with the aim of exercising greater sovereignty over the country’s maritime boundaries.

This was revealed during a recent visit by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo to India last week.

In an interview with New Delhi-based Indian multinational news channel, WION, VP Jagdeo explained that Guyana is looking at a number of ways to enhance the country’s defence capabilities. He pointed out that this move is “mainly for peaceful purposes… we're not looking to fight a war.”

According to the Vice President, the Guyana Government wants to strengthen its capacity and is turning to India’s vast defence capabilities for assistance in this regard.

“We're looking to buy some of that capability to assist us with the task of exercising greater sovereignty over maritime boundaries or exclusive economic zones. We have major leakages there from illegal fishing, and now that our oil and gas industry is braced primarily offshore. We have to protect those assets. Similarly, air capability would allow us to better serve people who live in the vast hinterland of the country where there are small communities so that's why we want to work in that sector, too,” Jagdeo stated.

He noted that discussions with the key stakeholders on advancing this deal have already commenced, adding

that Guyana is hoping to wrap up some arrangements very soon.

Purchases

The idea of Guyana acquiring aircraft from India was first raised back in January 2023 when President Dr Irfaan Ali visited the Asian nation, where he toured Indian stateowned aerospace and defence company – Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), in Kanpur and inspected their CG-767 Indian Coast Guard 18-seater Dornier aircraft. The Guyanese leader was also given a presentation on the company’s capacity and capabilities.

According to reports coming out of that visit, President Ali indicated interest in purchasing two of the India-manufactured Dornier 228 aircraft for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), which

has an aged fleet.

The Times of India had reported that the country’s Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Rakesh Sachan, had stated that the Guyanese Head of State had agreed to purchase two of the aircraft.

“The President has liked the 18-seater aircraft more… He has made a draft to process its purchase within a week,” the Indian Minister had said after January 13 visit.

In fact, during an interview with reporters in New Delhi last week, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa indicated that these discussions are progressing.

“Discussions are underway on [the purchase of Dornier aircraft from HAL] as we speak. At the same time, technical teams are working on them. And we

are working on the interest by the Guyanese side to purchase fast patrol vessels for their Coast Guards… with various companies,” Dr Srinivasa noted.

Dubbed as Guyana’s first major defence deal with India, this move to procure defence assets from the Asian Government comes on the heels of the Irfaan Ali-led Administration taking significant steps to modernise the GDF with the acquisition of new equipment and supplies as well as capacity building.

India and Guyana have already established strong defence cooperation with several GDF members undergoing various levels of training with the Indian military.

Training, building human capacity

As a matter of fact,

Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Godfrey Bess attended the Aero India Defence Exhibition and seminar hosted by the Indian Government in Bengaluru earlier this month.

While there, Brigadier Bess also had an interview with WION during which he said that over the last two years, there has been a lot of training, building human capacity, and collaborating with the militaries of both countries.

“We plan to increase that collaboration so that we can continue to prepare our Defence Force for greater things, particularly since Guyana has been known to be the fastest-growing economy. We have ensured there is a conducive environment for investors and the people of Guyana. We do recognise we need to build capacity and capabilities regarding defence and security and we do see India as a very strategic partner in this regard,” the GDF Head stated.

He further told the Indian news channel that a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) is in the works to be signed between Guyana and India which will foster their defence cooperation.

“Presently, we are looking at the proposal, as it relates to air assets and naval assets for our country and for sure, as we continue to collaborate, having gone around the exhibition over the last two days, there are a lot of other assets and capabilities that Guyana will be interested [in acquiring from India],” he noted.

However, Brigadier Bess disclosed that at the initial stage, Guyana’s focus will be on building its air asset capacity in order to move its troops across the country as well as to assist with disaster-related activities. He contended that the Dornier aircraft is “actually suiting the capability we would like to have”.

According to reports, the Dornier 228 planes are being used by India’s Coast Guard to support maritime patrols but they can also be used for marine pollution contingency, search and rescue and medical evacuation. (G8)

The Indian-made Dornier 228 aircraft

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during his recent trip to India

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, Feb 26 – 03:00h to Monday, Feb 27 – 03:00h and Tuesday, Feb 28 – No retraction.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, Feb 27 – 08:40h – 10:10h and Tuesday, Feb 28 – 10:05h – 11:35h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine and thundery showers during the day. Expect thundery showers at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 09:18h and 21:57h reaching maximum heights of 2.28 metres and 2.09 metres.

Low Tide: 15:26h reaching a minimum height of 0.98 metre.

Carbon credit payments There are the doers versus the

– Ali on APNU/AFC

of funds to Amerindians

poor track record in hinterland investments

included legacy credits. That is credit that was available for the period of time they tossed aside the LCDS. Where was the commitment then? That is not all. They would want us to forget that this very APNU/ AFC Government is the Government that took away more than 2000 CSO jobs. That took away almost $4 billion from our Amerindian people. It is this Government that restored that $4 billion back to Amerindian people and Amerindian communities,” the President said.

President Ali gave other examples, such as the former APNU/AFC Government’s

Government and found all the tractors, all the vehicles, equipment we had given to the Amerindian communities. All in disrepair. Non-functional. We have replaced and bought new tractors for every community.

And this is aside from the 15 per cent that is going directly to the Amerindian people.

Where were all those voices that so love our Amerindian brothers and sisters? When this great injustice was done?”

Despite scrapping the Low Carbon Development Strategy during their time in office, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) are now critical of the distribution of 15 per cent of the first set of carbon credit payments to Amerindian communities earned from the LCDS.

In a video broadcast on Sunday, President Dr Irfaan Ali lambasted the now Opposition parties for their “hypocrisy” and noted that Guyana, like any other country, has “the doers and the talkers”. According to the President, his Government will continue to count itself among the doers.

“In every country there are the doers and the talkers. There are the builders and the destroyers. But if we allow the falsehood to ever take root in any society, then we will build a country and society that is not built on the truth. I saw the issue of the 15 per cent from the Hess Carbon Credit agreement that is going to the Amerindian communities.”

“And I saw the APNU/ AFC calling for it to be more. We have always consistently given the Amerindian people of Guyana more. But I find it very hypocritical. And I guess it’s the political nature of the people we’re dealing with. The opportunistic nature,” he said.

President Ali cited the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) that earned revenue under the Norway agreement. According to the President, the former APNU/AFC Government “tossed aside” the agreement. They then implemented one of their own, a Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) which did not earn money for Guyana.

This left the responsibility on the PPP/C Government, after it entered office in 2020, to seek to backdate payments for carbon services to cover the APNU/AFC years, when it signed a US$753 million agreement with Hess Corporation.

“This credit, that we sold,

removal of the “Because We Care” cash grant for school children. Even more, he noted that the former Government failed to build any secondary schools in Amerindian communities during their five years in office. He noted that his Government is fixing that.

“We came back into

“By the way they speak about land? Not a single new title was processed under the APNU/AFC Government. The four or so titles that were handed out, were processed under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government. And outside of this 15 per cent, the hinterland and riverine communities continue to benefit from budgetary allocations.”

Ali noted that even as global economic conditions

threaten vulnerable states, Guyanese can “rest assured, we are the doers. We will work hard. We’re the builders. We will continue to build. As together, we build a Guyana that is strong, secure and prosperous.”

Only recently, 240 Indigenous community bodies received payments ranging from $10 million to $35 million, courtesy of the first set of payments from the sale of Guyana’s forest carbon to Hess Corporation.

A total of $4.7 billion (US$22 million), which is 15 per cent of US$150 million, is earmarked for distribution to these villages. In fact, this number may increase as other agreements for the sale of the remainder of Guyana’s credits are concluded.

The first tranche of money comes from Guyana’s carbon credit sales to Hess Corporation, as per the 10year agreement signed last year for the purchase of 37.5 million credits at US$750 million. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has said that the Indigenous communities will get 15 per cent, which they will spend according to their village development plans.

It has been revealed that the total initial money received from the carbon credit agreement with Hess totalled US$150 million by the end of 2023 – with US$112.5 million already received and a further US$37.5 million to come in July 2023. (G3)

President Dr Irfaan Ali during his address on Sunday morning

A section of the Amerindian leaders at the meeting where the funds were allocated to communities

Views

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Rethinking “Indigenous”

In Guyana, there have been two labels for the peoples whom Columbus stumbled upon when he sailed across from Spain in 1492. Initially, they were called “Amerindians”, in deference to Columbus’s mistakenly believing he had reached India. Then, in the 1970s, there was the movement to define them as “indigenous”.

Today, one author in the February edition of the New Yorker believes “It’s Time to Rethink the Idea of the “Indigenous”. He writes: “Today, nearly half a billion people qualify as “Indigenous””. If they were a single country, it would be the world’s third most populous, behind China and India. Exactly who counts as Indigenous, however, is far from clear. Initially, there was the idea of being “first”, but this proved nettlesome. In place of “firstness”, a U.N. fact sheet lists self-identification as the key criterion. This doesn’t quite work, either. If it is neither necessary nor sufficient for the Indigenous to be indigenous, what fills the conceptual space?

A natural candidate, worryingly, is primitiveness. As several recent books show, centuries of colonialism have entangled indigeneity with outdated images of simple, timeless peoples unsullied by history.

The conflation of indigeneity with primitiveness can be stifling. Indigenous intellectuals write about the pressure to adopt identities that are “primordial,” “naturalistic,” and “unchanging.” Fail to do so, they say, and you risk looking inauthentic. Rather than being harmless, one scholar wrote that such standards make it “impossible for Native peoples to narrate the historical and social complexities of cultural exchange, change, and transformation — to claim cultures and identities that are conflicted, messy, uneven, modern, technological, mixed.”

Indigeneity is powerful. It can give a platform to the oppressed. It can turn local David-vs-Goliath struggles into international campaigns. Yet there’s also something troubling about categorising a wildly diverse array of peoples around the world within a single identity —particularly one born of an ideology of social evolutionism crafted in white settler states and burdened with colonialist baggage. Can the status of “Indigenous” really be globalised without harming the people it is supposed to protect?

To understand the origins of a global Indigenous identity, we need to turn to the activist networks that were formed in the nineteen-sixties and seventies. The U.N., in its 2021 report on the “State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples,” determined that eighty-six per cent of them live in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Who’s entitled to the status remains a subject of contention.

Identifying which criteria are at play is tricky, but some anthropologists and social theorists argue that our concept of indigeneity is bound up with outdated ideas about socalled primitive peoples. The tropes persist; we have merely replaced one set of terms with another. Even if you are not aboriginal, you can count as Indigenous if you come across as simple, egalitarian, culturally encapsulated, spiritually attuned to nature, and somehow isolated from history and civilization.

A politics built around indigeneity, many organizers fear, can reify ethnic boundaries. It encourages people to justify why their ethnic group, and not another, deserves particular resources and accommodations. It weakens domestic ties, which are otherwise critical for oppressed minorities.

There is also what the Indian anthropologist Alpa Shah calls a “dark side of indigeneity.” Many of the problems start with image management. To secure their status as Indigenous, Adivasis (as they are called in India) have needed to look tribal and non-modern. Urban activists necessarily endorse images of them as children of the forest. Still, there’s something troubling when advocates and patrons urge their putative beneficiaries to perform Victorian daydreams.

Indigeneity is a project of hope. It was crafted by enterprising activists over years of strategizing, absorbing ideas from Red Power, Third Worldism, African and Asian anticolonialism, and the environmental movement. With it, people sought a politics of the oppressed, aiming to protect land and sovereignty, to turn “backward” natives into respected stewards. When indigeneity promised to deliver on these goals by attracting the support of international organizations, the natural temptation was to stretch the concept until it covered as many disempowered peoples as possible, even at the cost of coherence.

One year of war against Ukraine

February 24, 2022

will forever be recalled as the day when Russia started its brutal, unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

This was, and remains, a case of pure aggression and a clear-cut breach of the UN Charter. This war is neither "just a European issue" nor is it about the "West versus the rest"; it is about the kind of world we all want to live in.

No one is safe in a world in which the illegal use of force by a nuclear power and permanent member of the Security Council would somehow be normalised. That is why international law must be enforced everywhere, to protect everyone from power politics, blackmail, and military attack.

One year on, there is a risk that people may become inured to the images of war crimes and atrocities they see, because there are so many; the words we use start to lose their significance because we have to repeat them so often; and we get tired and weaken our resolve because time is passing and the task at hand is hard.

This we cannot do, because, every day, Russia keeps violating the UN Charter, creating a dangerous precedent for the whole world with its imperialist policy. Every day, Russia keeps killing inno-

cent Ukrainian women, men and children, raining down its missiles on cities and civilian infrastructure.

Every day, Russia keeps spreading lies and fabrications. For the European Union and our partners, there is no alternative to staying the course of our triple strategy: supporting Ukraine, putting pressure on Russia to stop its illegal aggression, and helping the rest of the world cope with the fallout.

This is what we have been doing for one year now, and successfully so.

We have adopted unprecedented sanctions; cut our dependency on Russian fossil fuels; and, in close collaboration with key partners, reduced by 50 per cent the energy revenues the Kremlin gets to finance its aggression. Working together, we have also mitigated the global ripple effects, with food and energy prices declining, thanks partly to our Solidarity Lanes and the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

It is not enough to say we want Ukraine to be able to defend itself; it needs the means to do so. So, for the first time ever, the EU has supplied weapons to a country under attack.

Indeed, the EU is now the leading provider of military training for Ukrainian personnel, so they can defend their country. We are also offering significant macro-financial and hu-

manitarian aid to support the Ukrainian people. And we have decided to respond positively to Ukraine's request to join the EU.

Finally, we are working to ensure accountability for the war crimes that Russia has committed.

Ukraine has shown its remarkable resilience, thanks partly to this support. And Russia has grown more isolated, thanks to global sanctions and international condemnation by the overwhelming majority of states in the UN General Assembly. Our collective goal is, and remains, a democratic Ukraine that prevails, pushing out the invader, restoring its full sovereignty, and, with that, restoring international legality.

Above all, we want peace in Ukraine, a comprehensive and lasting peace that is in line with the UN Charter and international law. Supporting Ukraine and working for peace go hand-in-hand.

Russia's actions are a frontal attack on the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, and international law. If Russia were to succeed, the repercussions would spread globally, as this aggression is indeed a textbook example of an imperialist mindset. The support of Latin American and Caribbean countries at the UN and elsewhere is therefore crucial. We need to be clear that Russian actions are

responsible for the economic shock waves being experienced. The EU is working with the region to address economic needs, and we have increased our funding, including for the most affected countries in Latin America.

The Russian invasion has underlined the need for both Europe and Latin America to avoid excessive dependencies. We have common interests in forging a modern partnership to build more resilient and inclusive economies, to protect our democracies, and to strengthen social cohesion. We need to deliver practical progress in our ambitious agenda for cooperation ahead of the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit later this year.

History and justice are on the side of Ukraine. But to accelerate history and to achieve justice, we need to amplify our triple-strategy. We know this is a collective task, that is why the EU is counting on all its partners to act in a spirit of joint responsibility and solidarity, to ensure that aggression fails and international law prevails.

(Jamaica Observer)

(Josep Borrell is High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/VicePresident of the European Commission (HR/VP).)

Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment of the United Kingdom, Lord Zac Goldsmith, looking at the majestic Kaieteur Falls during a recent visit to multiple destination points in Guyana, to witness the beautiful and diverse culture and picturesque scenery of Guyana (Natural Resources Ministry photo)

B y J osep B orrell

Wanted Guyanese man shot dead in Suriname

Bandits rob Double Day Hotel receptionists

the building with his face wrapped with grey cloth and wearing a black jersey and three-quarter pants. Both suspects, Police said, started to demand money from the two receptionists.

Police in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) have launched a manhunt for two gunmen who allegedly robbed receptionists at the Double Day Hotel and Rental, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

AGuyanese man who was wanted by Police locally for throwing a grenade at a vehicle in Guyana was shot dead in Suriname on Sunday.

Dead is 26-year-old Shemar Wilson, called “Abdue”. Reports are that he was killed in a vehicle near an apartment on Posrenstraat in Suriname on Sunday morning.

Waterkant.Net reported that eyewitnesses said that suspicious persons had been observed in the immediate vicinity of the apartment since Saturday night and on Sunday morning, a gunman opened fire on the vehicle Wilson was in.

Wilson was wanted by Police in Guyana for allegedly throwing a grenade at the vehicle of the owner of

Kaieteur News in 2016. He was also wanted by French Police since October 2022 for murder.

According to the Waterkant.Net report, Wilson sustained gunshot wounds to the head, abdomen, chest, arms, and legs. The Surinamese news agency reported that after the shooting the gunman jumped into a vehicle and fled.

The news agency said that a woman with whom Wilson was in the vehicle has been transferred to the Police Station as the investigation continues.

Waterkant.Net also reported that residents said that after the shooting incident, two other persons who were in Wilson’s car ran off with presumably a large

Monday, February 27, 2023

amount of money. A wanted bulletin was issued for Wilson in 2016 by Police for ‘attempting to cause explosion’. His last known Guyana address according to Police were Lot 43 North Sophia, Georgetown and Lot 51 West La Penitence, Georgetown.

Reports are that at about 17:30h on Saturday, the two receptionists, aged 19 and 20, were on duty at the hotel when a gunman walked into the establishment and held them at gunpoint.

Police said that enqui -

ries disclosed that the receptionists, both of MetenMeer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, saw a man entering the building with a black cloth wrapped around his face and a gun in his hand, wearing a red jersey and blue three-quarter pants.

The 19-year-old receptionist said that the suspect approached her, told her to “get up” from where she was seated and demanded money.

Police said shortly after, another man entered

“The suspect with the gun took away the cellular phones belonging to the two workers (an iPhone 8, black in colour, valued at $85,000, belonging to the 20-year-old, and one Samsung A03, blue in colour, valued at $30,000, belonging to the 19-yearold). They also took out $7000 from a drawer, the property of the 35-year-old businessman and owner of the hotel,” Police said in a release on Sunday evening.

The suspects then made good their escape. Police were contacted and visited the scene. Several persons were questioned around the area. Investigations are ongoing.

Undertakers in Suriname removing the body of Shemar Wilson (inset) from the scene of the shooting (Waterkant.Net photo)

NGSA Math Questions

Agricola youths to get training, job opportunities in construction sector – Pres Ali …drainage,

infrastructure among other issues raised during visit

Nevertheless, he said the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) would look into the issue.

“They’re gonna come in and they’re going to flush the system… However, we are investing in a number of projects now that will see you getting treated water in another two to two and a half years or less… But I’m going to ask [GWI] to continuously monitor the system and to flush as far as possible,” he assured.

The Guyana Government will be roping in young adults from the Agricola community, Greater Georgetown, to get training so that they can benefit from employment opportunities in the country’s burgeoning construction sector.

This was indicated by President Dr Irfaan Ali during an impromptu visit to the community on Sunday morning during which he engaged residents on how they can partner with Government to advance the development of Agricola.

Among the issues addressed were drainage, infrastructure, sport facilities, and youth empowerment and employment.

President Ali declared that his Administration wanted to see young people playing an active role and being integrally involved in the plans to improve and develop their community.

“[This will] create more ownership. It is your community; you’ll want to see [the works] done better,” he stated.

Over the past several months, the Head of State has been talking about the need for more workers in the construction sector which has taken off rapidly in the last couple of years.

To this end, the President urged the youths in Agricola – as he had done in other communities across the country – to sign up to be trained under Government’s construction programme after which they would be given jobs.

“We also want to work on finding persons who want to work in construction, because this is a sector that would require a number of workers and we want to be able to provide the training for it and to help you with the training, so you could become skilled workers and we can get you employed in the massive housing devel-

opment that is taking place in our country,” he informed residents.

Engaged and trained

Consequently, Ali tasked Ministers Charles Ramson Jr and Nigel Dharamlall to follow up on ensuring that persons from Agricola were engaged and trained.

However, one resident raised his concern that often promises were made of initiatives to be undertaken, but they were not fulfilled. He also indicated the community’s interest in participating in the block-making programme that has been implemented in some areas across the country.

In response, President Ali reassured the Agricola residents that immediate actions will be taken on the interventions he made on Sunday and further urged the community to hold Government accountable in fulfilling its commitments.

To ensure this happens, he identified two elderly residents from the community to work directly with the Ministers to address issues in the community.

One such matter is the deplorable state of the roads in Agricola. The President asked that the team get together and identify the priority roads to be done, explaining that not everything could be fixed immediately.

“I want the group to identify the priorities, so we will start with those and try to do a few of them this year. As far as possible, in the small streets, we are now moving to concrete streets so we can hire people from the community. We can give small contracts to the community to do the small concrete streets,” Ali noted.

Another priority issue in the community that was addressed by the Head of State is drainage. He committed that by the end of next week, Government would engage a group of

residents from the community to do some of the work.

“[We’re going to] hire them to clean the internal drainage, to look at all the culverts and so on,” he said.

With regard to the major drainage issue, that is, two main drainage canals that are being blocked by major businesses and private

residents, the President instructed Minister Dharamlall to return with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to have the two canals excavated and cleaned. They will also look at the koker in the area to make it operational.

According to Ali, these

works will start this week. He also addressed concerns by residents of the poor quality of the water, which, they complained, is filled with rust.

President Ali explained that this could be caused by the aged well in the area, which also produces water with a high-iron content.

The Guyanese Leader also told residents that Minister Ramson Jr would be working with the community to enhance their existing sport infrastructure. He said the focus would first be on improving the community-owned facility so that works could be done without any hindrance and then later on, they would explore acquiring additional vacant lands in Agricola for more recreational facilities.

The Head of State engaging an elderly resident from Agricola

President Dr Irfaan Ali with a youth from Agricola

Doing it… …the AFC way

AFC leader Ramjattan hasn’t been given enough credit and acknowledgement as a Guyanese seer. Back in 2015, he predicted that if his AFC were to hitch up with the PNC - with or without their APNU fig leaf - then his party would become “Dead Meat”. And as they say in the Bible - that’s chockfull of stories about seers - lo and behold, he went ahead and tied the knot – on Valentine’s Day even!! - and duly became Dead Meat!!

But in politics, becoming Dead Meat isn’t an event - it’s a process!! Dead Meat results from political hypocrisy and prostitution. Take the closure of four sugar estates by the APNU/AFC coalition, that threw 7000 workers out on the streets. It was from among these sugar workers the AFC had snookered some of the Indian-Guyanese votes that usually went with the PPP. You’d think the AFC would’ve raised even a murmur of protest, wouldn’t you?? After these workers had given them the street cred that made the PNC court it!!

But the AFC - in the person of Ramjattan - actually congratulated Granger and the PNC following the closure!! Did they think the latter would have any respect for them after betraying and biting the hand that voted them in?? And did they think they were then subsequently worth anything to the PNC?? Didn’t they realize the PNC knew they were now bereft of the lifeblood of politics – warm bodies that would place their Xs on the line?? That this now made them “renk” Dead Meat?? But Ramjattan has never said he’s sorry for going along!! Like Frank Sinatra, he proudly insisted he did it his way!!

The second big blunder the AFC made was when their co-leader Raphael Trotman signed away our oil inheritance for a pittance to Exxon. Now, you’d think that Ramjattan would throw up his hands and echo Shaggy’s singing “Wasn’t me!” After all, Trotman had practically declared he’d returned home to the PNC when he winked at Granger and said, “Nassau”, after the coalition won in 2015!! And the person whom he insisted told him to sign along the dotted line certainly wasn’t Ramjattan!! But no siree Bob, Ramjattan never wavered!!

Even now!! Here it is, just this week during the AFC’s presser – after they’d parted from the PNC – Ramjattan still says he has “no regrets” about the worst contract ever signed in the more-than-100-year-old oil industry!! He’s actually claiming, “It is one of the finest economic decisions ever made for the benefit of this country”!!

Guess he realizes… “And now the end is here/ And so I face that final curtain/ My friend I'll make it clear/ I did it my way!!”

Goodbye, Dead Meat!!

…housing

Back in the day, Burnham – who would’ve been 100 this week – promised to “feed, clothe and house the nation”. Since he failed miserably, and left us hungry, homeless and naked, your Eyewitness wonders how he would’ve judged the present PPP Government in these areas of national aspiration?? Unlike his successors, who’re bitching and moaning from morning to night because the PPP’s stealing their thunder, since he’s supposed to’ve been a “big thinker”, would he have been pleased his dreams are being realized??

And they are!! Your Eyewitness knows that, right now, inflation’s eating away at the “small man’s” pocketbook. After all, he’s a card-carrying member of the “small-man brigade”!! But he knows that jobs are opening up all over the country – even in the hinterland!! And that the externally-driven price rises have to end in a while. In the meantime, the food’s there, the houses are being built, and the clothes are aplenty!!

Your Eyewitness thinks Burnham would’ve been pleased!!

…with small willies

For years, there’s been the claim that fellas who hanker after big, fast sports cars were actually compensating for their perceived small willies. Now a study from the University College London has actually demonstrated the physiological link.

Will this affect the sales of sports cars??

Co-gen system at Skeldon derailed after APNU/AFC closure of sugar estate – report

…assessment determines co-gen plants at Albion, Uitvlugt feasible

forts to reopen the Rose Hall Estate will see a whopping $1.1 billion being expended. This sum represents more than 50 per cent of a $2 billion allocation from Budget 2023 and will go towards, among other things, completing works in the factory.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had explained during the examination of the budget estimates that $50 million

The co-generation plant at Skeldon Estate, which was operated by Skeldon Energy Incorporated (SEI) and utilised bagasse from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to produce energy, is no longer functioning as a co-generation system due to the closure of the estate by the previous Government.

According to the Energy Brief which was released by the Government, the Skeldon Estate Cogeneration Power Plant that once generated 30MW of power using bagasse produced from sugar, offered practical experience in the use of biomass as an energy source. That is until the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government closed the estate.

“There is some practical experience in the use of biomass as an energy resource for self-consumption like rice husk in the rice mills, the use of the distillate waste to produce biomethane at Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) or the use of bagasse for co-generation at the Skeldon Sugar Estate.”

“The Skeldon Estate Cogeneration Power Plant — for 30MW of electricity generation using bagasse from the sugar process — was designed to produce excess power that would be exported to the grid. The plant is no longer working as a co-generation system due to the closure of the sugar factory,” the report

noted.

However, while the Skeldon Power Plant is no longer functioning as it used to, the Government has conducted assessments on whether co-generation plants are feasible at the Albion and Uitvlugt Sugar Estates. According to the report, it was concluded that it is feasible to install at least a total power capacity of 23MW.

The co-generation plant was purchased from GuySuCo for an announced price of US$30 million by SEI – a special purpose company owned by the Government’s holding company, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).

But by June 2017, the second year of APNU/AFC in power, they were describing the Co-gen Plant as a ‘ticking time bomb’ that required US$2.5 million to restart the 30MW bagasse-fuelled component of the facility, and an additional US$17 million in order to fix other deficiencies. In 2018, the then APNU/ AFC Government officially closed the Skeldon Sugar Estate.

Major developments are expected in the sugar sector, including higher performance from existing estates and production from the reopened Rose Hall Estate. An output of almost 61,000 tonnes of sugar and the growth of the subsector by 29.3 per cent, are expected in 2023.

The Government’s ef-

will be spent on road works in the surrounding area.

According to the Minister, $452 million has been allocated to Albion Estate and $300 million to start construction on the packaging plant, $287 million for Blairmont and $56 million for Uitvlugt Estate.

After taking office in 2020, the PPP/C Government had announced in the Emergency Budget presented in

September 2020, that some $5 billion would be injected into the sugar industry for the phased reopening of the closed estates.

GuySuCo was allocated a further $2 billion in Budget 2021 by the PPP/C Government for capital works to be undertaken at the various estates to help in the turnaround of the sugar industry.

Last year GuySuCo received $1 billion in sup-

plementary funds from the Government.

And in Budget 2023, $4 billion was allocated. According to Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh in his budget speech, the Government remains committed to the revitalisation and restructuring of the sugar industry to support a diversified and modernised sector, ensuring its sustainability and economic viability. (G3)

The Skeldon Co-generation Plant

Porter dies after being pinned by lorry

A37-year-old porter lost his life after he was pinned by a toppled lorry at Toroparo Trail, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) on Sunday morning.

Dead is Troy Alexander Davis of Tabatinga Housing Scheme, Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

Reports are that the accident occurred at about 00:30h on Sunday morning.

Police said the incident involved a motor lorry, GYY 7764, owned and driven by a 43-year-old miner of Number 27 Village, West Coast Berbice.

Enquiries disclosed that motor lorry GYY 7764 was proceeding east along the northern side of Toroparo

Trail, descending a hill when the driver lost control and the lorry turned turtle and toppled several times.

According to Police, as a result, the driver was flung out of the motor lorry and onto the trail. At the same time, the porter was pinned by the motor lorry.

The lorry driver was picked up in a conscious condition while the porter was unconscious. Both men were taken by public-spirited persons and conveyed to Pappy Show Landing where they were examined by a medic on duty. The driver was treated for minor abrasions and lacerations about the head and body. The porter was, however, pronounced dead on arrival.

Police said the lorry driver is in custody, assisting with the ongoing investigation.

This truck toppled along the Toroparo Trail, Region Seven (GPF photos)

Man serving 33 years for killing hotelier moves to CoA

Police had contended that the now-convicted man committed the act hours after he stole Jagdeo’s cell phone. The prosecution had argued that on November 13, 2013, Leitch and a female companion rented a room at the hotel. However, Jagdeo misplaced his cellular phone after the couple had left the reception area. He later confronted Leitch about the theft.

Former Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident Bryan Leitch called “Big Foot”, who is currently serving a 33-year prison sentence for killing a hotelier, has moved to the Court of Appeal in a bid to have his conviction and jail time quashed.

The matter will be heard on April 12 at 09:30h. He had been indicted for the murder of the owner of South-Central Hotel, Joseph Jagdeo, 62, whose lifeless, bound and gagged body was found in Room 10 at his establishment on November 14, 2013.

After a trial before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court in 2018, Leitch was found guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter and was sentenced to 33 years’ imprisonment.

3 arrested after Police find ammo in boat, cow tied alongside

ing, the men have been arrested.

In sentencing Leitch, the trial Judge had advised him to take advantage of the prison programmes available so that he can add to society in his later years. The now 28-year-old convicted killer had served time at the New Opportunity Corps.

Leitch’s Caution Statement (CS) had stated that he was “sorry” for his actions.

A retired Police Sergeant had quoted from Leitch’s caution statement in which he related that Jagdeo came to his room and told him to leave the hotel, which angered him.

“I was vexed and I tell he and I tie he hand and put a cloth around he mouth and tie it. I push he under the bed and put the room key on the bed. I then go to the office and took out he cell phone; I sorry for what happen, I didn’t go to kill he,” the excerpt from the CS had stated. (G1)

Police ranks in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) have arrested three men whom they nabbed with ammunition and other items believed to have been illegally obtained.

Reports are that in the wee hours of Sunday morning, February 26, 2023, a Police intelligence-led operation conducted at Lighttown, East

Bank Berbice with the collaboration of ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guards led to the interception of a boat in which three men were travelling. A search of that boat unearthed three live 12-gauge cartridges, two outboard engines, one gas tank, one toolkit, and one cow tied to the side of the boat (being dragged).

As a result of the find -

It is still unclear whether the suspects are Guyanese, and where the boat was heading at the time of its interception. No other information has been divulged by the Police.

Only a week ago, the GDF destroyed an illegal mining camp and seized a helicopter and several other items in the New River Triangle, situated in the southeastern portion of East Berbice.

Having gathered intelligence on the mining operation, the GDF launched a search of the New River Triangle and arrested two Brazilian nationals, one of

whom is a pilot. Upon seeing soldiers, several others fled the scene into the surrounding jungle. That illegal mining camp was secured and cleared by members of the Guyana Defence Force. A shotgun, 10 cellular phones, a generator, mining equipment, passports, identification cards, and a bank card were recovered. A quantity of equipment was confiscated, and mining tunnels were destroyed.

The GDF has said that operation was conducted over a period of four days, and involved two officers and 27 of their ranks, supported by the Air Corps. (G9)

Dead: Joseph Jagdeo

The items that Police found in the boat

“You are already world leaders” – visiting English Lord on Guyana’s conservation model

Guyana’s conservation model, which has seen the above average conservation of more than 18 million hectares of forests, has been praised by British Lord Zac Goldsmith, during his official visit to Guyana.

During his visit to Annai, Region Nine, Goldsmith noted that Guyana has much to teach the world about conserving its natural assets… including the United Kingdom (UK), where he serves as Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment.

“If we’re going to solve the issue of climate change, yes, we need technology, we need energy, we need clean transport. We need all those things. But we can never solve climate change if we don’t repair our relationship with the natural world.”

“And that is why what you, here, in this community, but also in Guyana generally, its why what you’re doing is so important. You’re world leaders. You’ve protected your nature in a way that most countries, including my own, have not,” Goldsmith said.

During his visit to Annai, Lord Goldsmith was accompanied by

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat and British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller. Lord Goldsmith had said that the primary aim of his visit was to seek ways in which they can strengthen the relationship between Guyana and the UK.

Lord Goldsmith also did a recent handover of Information Technology (IT) equipment at the Guyana Forestry Commission, which will support the commission’s work as required under the European Union – Guyana Forest Law

Enforcement Governance and Trade/Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT/VPA).

“You don’t need us to succeed, I can see that… But if we can help in any way… we are at your service and we are here to partner up as much as possible. You are already world leaders; you have unlocked the secret of protecting nature while at the same time taking care of the interest of the people who depend most directly on that nature,” the Minister of State had said during the handover.

Only recently, Guyana became the first country to implement the MAXAR Technologies Crow’s Nest technology in Latin America and the Caribbean. A threeyear deal was signed that will provide Guyana with satellite capabilities to monitor oil and gas vessels operating offshore and logging activities - an arrangement that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says will help make Guyana a regional leader in environmental monitoring.

The use of more technology in its regulatory duties had been among EPA’s specific goals for the year, as well as supporting Guyana’s low carbon de-

velopment trajectory, improving enforcement, incorporating the use of more technology and effective implementation of the various multilateral environmental agreements Guyana is a signatory to.

Last year, Guyana signed a historic, multi-year US$750 million agreement with Hess Corporation for the purchase of 37.5 million carbon credits. Guyana is, in fact, the first country to conclude the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) process of certifying its forest carbon.

These serialised credits, listed on ART’s public registry, are available to buyers on the global carbon market, including for use by airlines for compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s global emis-

sion reduction programme, CORSIA, as well as for use toward voluntary corporate climate commitments.

Guyana’s completion of the ART process paved the way for other governments that are looking to receive carbon market finance for success in protecting and restoring forests. At the time Guyana was issued with the credits, 14 other countries and large sub-national jurisdictions are working toward their own issuances of TREES credits.

ART, which is in charge of certifying forest carbon credits so that they can be sold on the international market, had announced its approval in January of Guyana’s registration for 2021 to 2025, as well as the monitoring report for Guyana’s forests.

In a statement, ART noted that it approved these two documents for Guyana and that they are now available for stakeholder comments which must be submitted within 30 days. The first document is a TREES (The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard) registration document for 2021 to 2025, while the second is a TREES monitoring report for 2021.

ART’s approval of Guyana’s 2021-2025 registration document and monitoring report are important follow ups on its approval last year of 33.47 million forest carbon credits for Guyana, dating from 2016-2020. These credits were verified by a third party against ART’s robust environmental and social requirements. (G3)

Agricola youths to get...

President Ali said his visit was reflective of his Government’s commitment to engage directly with citizens to ensure they play a critical role in the development of their communities.

“We are here to work with you, to engage with you, to support you, because you are part of the transformation that we

want to see in Guyana. As we talk about all the major projects that we’re doing, it is also important that at the community level, we implement initiatives that will help to transform the community themselves also.

“We have to create a positive environment. The only way we’re going to

FROM PAGE 7

advance communities and create new ways of doing things is if we’re able to generate positivity; if we’re able to create a positive environment in which we live, in which we support each other and an understanding that we are in this all together as one Guyanese community,” the Head of State added. (G8)

…says Guyana has much to teach the world

From left: Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, British Lord Zac Goldsmith and British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller

Sydney Alicock, former Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister under the APNU/AFC Government, was among the crowd present during Lord Goldsmith’s visit to Annai, Region Nine

can be solved if we have understanding” – women’s rights activist ...as Rotary observes World Peace and Understanding Day

Americas, Asia and Europe, also served as members or advisers to their own countries’ delegations. Some 49 Rotarians were involved in 29 country delegations at the Charter Conference in 1945. Rotary was at the table in the beginning and remains at the table today, holding the highest consultative status granted to an NGO by UNESCO, and being represented on several UN bodies,” Adjodhea added.

Most of the problems in the world can be solved if humans have better understanding. This is according to women’s rights activist Lyndell Danzie-Black.

Her comments were made on Saturday evening at a dinner hosted by the Rotary Club of New Amsterdam in observance of World Peace and Understanding Day (WPUD).

WPUD is observed annually on February 23 by Rotarians worldwide.

Addressing club members and members at Leisure Inn in New Amsterdam, DanzieBlack, who is the co-founder of the Women Chamber of Industry and Commerce Guyana and co-creator of the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award, said peace is the only pathway to a better world.

She pointed out that what is needed is for all to unite and take action if there is hope for the attainment world peace.

“I also challenge you to be kind, to be compassionate, to demonstrate true respect for each other and respect for the person who may be down in your mind and ignorant because they too have their story. As we celebrate the day of understanding and peace, I am imploring you that we need to demonstrate an attitude and behaviour of peace through mutual respect for

each other. It is in the mutual respect that true peace occurs,” Danzie-Black, who is also the Managing Director of Cerulean Inc – a local company, said.

To celebrate Rotary’s birthday, February has long been designated World Understanding Month and February 23 as World Peace and Understanding Day. More recently, as part of the new strategic thrust, the annual observances have been changed to more closely reflect Rotary International’s areas of focus; February has been re-designated as Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month.

President of the Rotary Club of New Amsterdam, Tajpaul Adjodhea addressing the gathering pointed out that world peace and understanding have long been a focus of Rotary.

“Rotary’s unerring pursuit of peace, goodwill and international understanding, and its work in championing global humanitarian causes was recognised at the consultations leading to the establishment of the United Nations.”

Rotary International, he said, was one of the 42 organisations invited by the US Government to serve as consultants to its delegation to the San Francisco conference.

“Rotarians from many other countries, in Africa, the

The Peace Fellows programmes, which are available at 7 universities worldwide, accept up to 100 persons annually to pursue a Master’s degree or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies.

Meanwhile, Rotary International is set to expand the programme further, with two new centres to be opened over the next several years.

“The Caribbean is one of the regions being considered for these centres, and we certainly hope that one of the universities in the region will be selected, which should enable easier access for would-be fellows in our district.”

Rotary International has also embarked on a partnership with the Institute of Economics and Peace to promote peace.

“In considering peace, we must look at peace, not just being the absence of war or the cessation of violence, but peace in terms of a feeling of safety and where there is mutual respect for human rights,” Adjodhea said.

Across the world, there are 1.2 million Rotarians in about 35,000 clubs located on every continent and in almost every country across the world. Additionally, there are 250,792 Rotaractors (young persons between the ages of 18 and 30) and 468,536 Interactors (between the ages of 12 and 18).

(G4)

Rice farmer fined $120,000 for Essequibo Coast hit-and-run

charge of failing to render assistance to an injured person, and was fined $30,000. Failure to pay this fine would result in him having to serve three months’ imprisonment.

He has also been fined $20,000 for failing to stop after an accident; and for being an unlicensed driver, he has been fined $30,000, or two months’ imprisonment in default of payment. Further, he has been fined $40,000 for breach of insurance, in default of which he would have to serve six months’ imprisonment.

Jeewan Etwaroo, a labourer of New Road, Charity, Essequibo Coast. At time of the accident, Etwaroo was reportedly standing at the side of the road.

Police have said that Baharall claimed he was riding his motorcycle when Etwaroo suddenly walked into his path. As a result, his motorcycle collided with Etwaroo, and Etwaroo fell and received injuries about his body. Baharall claimed that immediately after seeing that Etwaroo was injured, he sped away from the scene.

Rice farmer Alan Baharall of Maria’s Delight, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) has been fined $120,000 for hitting a pedestrian and speeding away. When he appeared before Suddie Magistrate Christel Lambert, he admitted to the

It was reported that the 46-year-old Baharall was arrested on Tuesday, February 21, after Police received a report of a hit-and-run accident that occurred on the New Road at Charity, Essequibo Coast at just after 18:00h. Reports are that Baharall was riding motorcycle CL 2933 in a southerly direction at a fast rate when he struck 59-year-old

Etwaroo was picked up by public-spirited citizens and rushed to the Charity Hospital, where he was diagnosed as having suffered a broken leg and sustaining lacerations about his body.

Later that Tuesday, Police visited the home of Baharall and he was arrested and taken into custody, and later charged. (G9)

Fined: Alan Baharall

“Problems

Lyndell Danzie-Black (centre) at the Rotary Club of New Amsterdam's Dinner in observance of World Peace and Understanding Day

CoA reserves judgement in child rape cases

his Notice of Appeal, he has asked the appellate court to reverse and/or set aside the jury’s verdict, and for his sentences to be quashed on the basis of them being manifestly excessive.

Following a trial at the Demerara High Court in October 2017, a jury had found that he had twice engaged in sexual penetration of a boy: during September 2011, when the boy was six years old, and again on July 10, 2013, when the boy had turned eight years old.

2 go on trial today for moneychanger’s murder

message to others who may want to carry out such acts,” the Judge had noted.

Justice Morris-Ramlall had sentenced Campbell to life imprisonment on each of the two counts; had ordered that the prison terms be served concurrently; and had ordered that Campbell becomes eligible for parole only after serving 30 years.

Then in August 2018, Campbell had appeared before Demerara High Court Judge Priya SewnarineBeharry to answer a charge of a similar offence.

With attorneys for both the defence and prosecution relying on their written submissions, Mark Campbell’s appeal against his child rape convictions and two life sentences was very brief when the matter was called for hearing last Wednesday at the Court of Appeal (CoA) of Guyana. The CoA has since reserved its decision.

When the matter came up for hearing before acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud, Campbell’s counsel Ronald Daniels and State Prosecutor Teshana Lake said they did not wish to amplify anything in their written submissions. The convict appeared in court virtually from prison.

Campbell is currently serving two life sentences for raping two boys on separate occasions; and in

After the jury had returned its verdict, Campbell, who had been unrepresented by counsel throughout his trial, begged the court for mercy, claiming that he did not have a fair trial.

“Since the day I enter this court and see how everything was going, I knew I couldn’t get a fair trial,” he had said, adding that his family did not assist him with retaining a lawyer.

He had expressed that it was “very hard to know” that he had been convicted of something he did not do.

Responding to Campbell’s comments, Justice Simone MorrisRamlall had said the court was not inclined to show him mercy, given that he had violated the boy in the “worst possible way”, and did not even show “one ounce of love” to him when he, Campbell, testified.

“It was as if you were talking to a stranger. This court must send a strong

That time, however, he had forgone his right to a trial and had pleaded guilty to sexually penetrating a five-year-old boy on April 16, 2013.

Justice SewnarineBeharry had similarly imposed a life sentence on him, and had ordered that he was not to be considered eligible for parole until after serving 30 years.

In sentencing the sex offender, the Judge had considered these aggravating factors: that Campbell had abused a position of trust, as he was left to take care of the young boy; and the physical, psychological, and emotional trauma the act must have had on the little boy.

The Judge had also considered the serious nature of the offence, but had stated that Campbell, with his early guilty plea, had saved the victim the trauma of having to come and testify.

(G1)

Essequibo Coast labourer on bail for narco-trafficking

A37-year-old labourer of Onderneeming Sand Pit, Essequibo Coast, has been released on bail after he was slapped with a possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking charge.

Michael Whaul appeared at the Suddie Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Esther Sam, where the charge was read to him. He denied the offence. However, the prosecutor objected to bail but the application was overruled and Whaul was released on $25,000 bail. The case was adjourned to March 17.

It is alleged that Whaul was found with 41.8 grams of cannabis on Thursday last.

Police had reported that at about 10:40h on Thursday, ranks in Regional Police Division Number Two acting upon information received contacted the 37-year-old labourer.

The ranks said they re -

quested to search a shop he operates in his presence, and during the search, a pink container was found on a shelf on the northern side of the shop. It was opened in the man’s presence, and three transparent pieces of plastic with leaves, seeds, and stems of cannabis were found.

Another transparent plastic was also found with 27 green zip-lock bags containing leaves, seeds, and stems of cannabis.

According to Police, the suspect was told of the offence, to which he admitted ownership. He was ar -

rested and taken to the Suddie Police Station along with the cannabis, which was weighed in his presence and amounted to 41.8 grams.

Whaul is no stranger to the law. In December last year, he was charged with the offence of possession of 3.75 grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

It is alleged that he was caught with the cocaine at Onderneeming Sand Pit, Essequibo Coast. He pleaded not guilty to the offence and was released on $10,000 bail.

Police said while acting on information received, they went to Whaul’s home at Onderneeming Sand Pit, and conducted a search.

They unearthed an orange bottle with a white cork, and when the bottle was opened, it was observed to contain several pieces of a whitish-cream, brick-like substance that was at the time suspected to be cocaine. He was later charged. (G9)

This morning, a trial will commence for Kerwin Dos Santos and George Hope, who are jointly charged with murdering a Water Street, Georgetown moneychanger during a robbery.

Simone Morris-Ramall is the presiding Judge and 12 jurors will hear the evidence in the case.

Dos Santos and Hope, both 26, of Freeman Street La Penitence, Georgetown, have pleaded not guilty to the indictment which stated that they murdered Sean Nurse on February 4, 2018.

The defence lawyers are from the law firm

Hughes, Fields and Stoby.

Attorneys-at-Law

Marisa

Edwards, Tanesha Saigon, Abiola Lowe, and Delon Fraser are the prosecutors.

According to reports, the well-known moneychanger, of Lot 33 Shopping Plaza, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was sitting in a chair at the corner of Avenue of the Republic and America Street in Georgetown when he was approached by a man armed with a handgun.

The man demanded that Nurse hand over a bag containing an undisclosed sum of local and foreign curren-

cies. Nurse resisted, and in retaliation, the bandit pulled the trigger, shooting him once in his head. Nurse, called “Fabulous” collapsed, and died almost immediately. The alleged culprit then escaped on foot, north on Avenue of the Republic and then east into Charlotte Street.

Police Headquarters had said that a 9mm spent shell was found at the scene, and that several persons were questioned as to the description of the shooter. Reports stated that the man who shot and killed Nurse was clad in a red hoodie and a pair of brown trousers. (G1)

Local firm partners with international satellite company

Local Guyanese internet provider WANSat Networks Inc has partnered with international satellite communications company Viasat for the distribution of satellite broadband services in Guyana. The two companies recently signed an agreement for their partnership.

Viasat is a global leader in satellite communications that leverages its satellite network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections and help close the global digital gap.

The distribution agreement will leverage satellite broadband capacity from the ViaSat-3 satellite platform once it is launched and operational. According to Viasat’s Q3 FY23 earnings call, the company anticipates the launch of the ViaSat-3 for America’s satellite the week of April 8, 2023.

This new WANSat service is expected to provide connectivity even in the hardest-to-reach regions of Guyana where wireless and fiber services are not available.

WANSat will market, install, and provide on-site service to broadband customers in Guyana as a licensed Internet Service Provider, in collaboration with its local partners. The agreement with WANSat gives Viasat a strategic lo -

cal partner and channel

to meet the growing connectivity needs of a nation with the fastest-growing economy in the world.

WANSat’s goal is to enable Guyana to reach 100% internet penetration by 2025, leveraging satellite to extend internet coverage beyond the extremities of current wireless and wireline providers.

Commenting on the agreement, Head of Fixed Broadband, Latin America, & Global Prepaid Internet, Kevin Cohen said: “Through this collaboration, Viasat can offer its high-quality satellite broadband connectivity across Guyana, including hard-to-reach regions. Our ability to connect unconnected communities helps create new opportunities for the people of Guyana including access to online services such as telemedicine, distance learning, business-critical tools, entertainment, and e-govern -

ment services. The upcoming launch of the ViaSat-3 for the America’s satellite will continue to fuel our mission to bring connectivity where it is needed most and help close the global digital gap.”

Managing Director of WANSat, Andre Jones, added that “At WANSat, we pride ourselves in bringing the latest in satellite technology to the Guyanese public. Leveraging Viasat’s advanced satellite technology and our expertise in satellite communications will enable us to provide cutting-edge solutions for the government of Guyana, enterprise customers, and residential customers in the country’s remotest regions. There are still tens of thousands of people in Guyana without any access to the internet, or access to a high-quality, reliable broadband internet connection we're going to change that.”

Convicted child rapist Mark Campbell

Charged: Michael Whaul

Murder accused Kerwin Dos Santos

Murder accused George Hope

Dead: Sean Nurse

A display of ViaSat-3 satellite – Courtesy of Viasat

Mexicans turn out in droves to protest electoral overhaul, see democracy at risk

Huge crowds gathered in Mexico on Sunday to condemn Government moves to shrink the electoral authority as a threat to democracy, in what appeared to be the largest protest so far against President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's Administration.

Organisers said over 500,000 people turned out in Mexico City, with video footage on social media showing the central Zocalo square filled with protesters, who also spilled out into adjoining streets. One Police Officer nearby said he had heard the half a million figure, while others gave lower estimates.

Mexico's Congress on Wednesday approved a major overhaul of the National Electoral Institute (INE), an independent body which Lopez Obrador has attacked as corrupt and inefficient.

The 69-year-old President denies his changes will weaken Mexican democracy. Critics have vowed to take the legislation, which slashes the INE's budget and staff as well as paring

Argentina in final talks with IMF to ease reserves' targets amid drought

Argentina's Government is in final talks with International Monetary Fund officials to ease foreign exchange reserves targets for 2023 under the country's US$44 billion programme, two sources close to the matter told Reuters.

The move comes as the South American commodities exporter is facing the worst drought in 60 years, which has pummelled soy, corn and wheat crops, compromising already weak foreign exchange reserves.

Discussions include the impact of the drought on 2023 goals for net reserves, said an Argentina Economy Ministry adviser who asked

back its responsibilities, to the Supreme Court.

Veronica Echevarria, a 58-year-old psychologist from Mexico City at the protest, said she feared Lopez Obrador's INE shake-up was a bid by the President to stay in power. He denies this.

"We're fighting to defend our democracy," Echevarria said, wearing a cap emblazoned with the words "Hands off the INE."

She and thousands of

others converged on the Zocalo on Sunday morning, many of them holding Mexican flags and dressed in pink, the INE's colour. Shouts of "Viva Mexico!" and "Lopez out!" rang out periodically as the mass of people advanced.

Over 500,000 people had reportedly gathered in the capital on Sunday to oppose the INE overhaul. Demonstrations took place in more than 100 cities.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

not collect the Trident ID card, says DLP President

Citing previous data breaches as well as the glitches with rollout, President of the Democratic Labour Party, Dr Ronnie Yearwood, is calling on the Barbados Government to fix the issues associated with the new Trident Identification card.

And until this is done, he is advising members of the public who have not yet collected the cards to leave them where they are.

“Until the Government sorts this out and comes, explains and fixes all the issues that we have with this ID, I would tell people ‘do not take this ID’ because we are not sure our data is safe. We don’t know where [the information collected] is going and the only way the Government will understand that we are serious about this and they need to pay attention to this issue and stop trying to gaslight us in terms of data security

is to show them they need to fix this and they need to fix this now,” he said.

Yearwood, who was attending Agrofest 23 on Saturday in Queen’s Park, said the cards are “an intrusion on the fundamental rights and freedoms of Barbadians”, whose personal data has been compromised before via the electoral list last year and the cyberattack at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. (Nation News)

Jamaican ganja farmers outraged after licence granted to import Canadian herb

Some local ganja farmers are fuming over reports that a licence has been granted to a company to import Canadian cannabis into Jamaica.

Speaking inside the ‘Jamaica Cannabis Industry Forum’ WhatsApp group, President of the Jamaica Cannabis Licensed Association, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, asked growers to figuratively “holster [their] weapons and keep [their] powder dry”, noting that the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) was aware of the ire created within the local industry following the latest development.

“I learnt and later confirmed that the CLA Board has approved the importation of ganja into Jamaica from Canada. A licensed (sic) applied for & was granted the necessary permits. I will not fault the licensee but I find it disturbing & indeed scandalous that we could allow imports from a state to which we cannot export,” Lewin wrote.

“I have had a meeting with the Chairman of the CLA, he recognises the angst in the industry. It is anticipated a full review will be done. Please holster your weapons and keep your powder dry,” he added.

Lewin, speaking exclusively with Observer Online, confirmed that he was in fact the individual who had brought news of the recently granted licence to the attention of industry stakeholders.

“I brought this to the attention of our members and the industry. And also to the CLA; who confirmed it. I made a lot of noise about it, because I am very angry that a country that does not allow Jamaican imports or exports from Jamaica into their market could be granted permission to export to Jamaica,” he said. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

not to be named because the talks were ongoing.

Talks are now focused on agreeing on exact figures, said one of the sources. An Argentine Government source, who asked not to be named because discussions are private, said talks are ongoing but nothing is defined yet.

Officials for the Economy Ministry declined to comment.

A spokesperson for the IMF said that the Fund's staff and the Argentine authorities were discussing the fourth review of the programme, and it would communicate the outcome of those discussions in due course.

A group of representa-

tives from Argentina's central bank and Economy Ministry arrived in Washington this week for the fourth review of the extended fund facility programme approved in March 2022, after a failed bailout four years earlier.

Meanwhile, Economy Minister Sergio Massa met with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meetings in Bengaluru, India.

The world's top exporter of soy oil and meal is also facing a rise in import costs of energy and fertilisers due to the war in Ukraine, adding pressure to much-needed dollar reserves. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Griffith accuses PM of 'blame game' over US human-trafficking report

Former National Security Minister

Gary Griffith has defended the efforts of the former People's Partnership Administration to address human trafficking when he was a member of the Cabinet, accusing the Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley of a "blame game" over a 2022 US report that alleged that senior Government officials are involved in human trafficking.

The report said T&T remained on its watch list as the Government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, but did note it was taking steps to do so.

The National Transformation Alliance (NTA), which Griffith now leads, claimed T&T got a favourable review when he was in Government.

NTA, in a statement on Sunday, said Dr Rowley has attempted to deflect for the fact that after eight years in office "his Administration has to take full responsibility for the US Trafficking in Persons 2022 Report which places Trinidad and Tobago on a Tier 2 Human Trafficking Watch List."

This view comes a day after Griffith's former Cabinet colleague and United National Congress (UNC) Member of Parliament (MP) Devant Maharaj agreed

with Dr Rowley's suggestion that Opposition members may be involved in human trafficking, since it could not have been Government MPs, the US report referred to.

NTA noted in 2014, that as National Security Minister Griffith "was able to improve our status from Tier 2 Human Trafficking Watch List to Tier 2 (the grading being from Tier 3 to Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 2 and then to Tier 1), with the 2014 US Trafficking in Persons Report commending Trinidad and Tobago for, 'making significant efforts in the fight against human trafficking.'" (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

PM Browne in St Kitts for ECCB Meeting and US-Caribbean Citizenship Roundtable

Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne was this weekend in St Kitts and Nevis for the 104th Meeting of the Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and the US – Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Roundtable.

Prime Minister Browne stated that high on the agenda was the state of the monetary, financial and credit conditions in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) and noted that the financial system stability which was brought forward from 2021 continued in 2022. He also pointed out that the meeting concluded that the banking system across the Union remained in a ‘stable condition with ample levels of liquidity and strong levels of capital’.

The Meeting also commended Antigua and

Barbuda and Grenada for having passed all of the critical legislation required for uniform financial legislation within the ECCU.

Prime Minister Browne also pointed out that the meeting addressed the BAICO and CLICO issues and the grouping received an update from the BAICO Judicial Manager to deliver an additional payout to BAICO policyholders. It was also stated that there

are efforts to secure funds from the Government of Barbados to make a payment to CLICO policyholders.

Prime Minister Browne also commended Antigua and Barbuda’s Dr Vincent Richards, who was appointed as the new Deputy Chairman of the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission ECSRC. (Excerpt from Reuters)

A person takes part in a protest in support of the National Electoral Institute (INE) and against President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's plan to reform the electoral authority, in Mexico City, Mexico, February 26, 2023 (Reuters/Luis Cortes)

Prime Minister Gordon Browne (second from left) with members of the ECCU

Do

Russia halts pipeline oil to Poland, says refiner PKN Orlen

Russia has halted supplies of oil to Poland via the Druzhba pipeline, PKN Orlen's CEO said on Saturday, adding that the Polish refiner would tap other sources to plug the gap.

The halt in supplies via the pipeline - which has been exempted from European Union sanctions imposed on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine - came a day after Poland delivered its first Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

"Russia has halted supplies to Poland, for which we are prepared. Only 10% of crude oil has been coming from Russia and we will replace it with oil from other sources," PKN Orlen Chief Executive Daniel Obajtek wrote on Twitter.

Orlen said it could fully supply its refineries via sea and that the halt in pipeline supplies would not impact deliveries of gasoline and diesel to its customers.

As of February, after a contract with Russia's Rosneft expired, Orlen has been getting oil under a deal with Russian oil and natural gas company Tatneft.

Tatneft and Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Oil transport to the Czech Republic, where Orlen operates two refineries, via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline was running to plan, pipeline operator Mero said on Saturday.

The supply halt came after US President Joe Biden visited Warsaw and Kyiv in a show of support for Ukraine a year after the invasion. And on Friday, the European Union agreed on a 10th package of sanctions on Russia.

Following the invasion of Ukraine and before the EU embargoed seaborne supplies from Russia, Orlen stopped buying Russian oil and fuels transported by sea.

It said its supply portfolio now includes oil from Western Africa, the Mediterranean, the Gulf and the Gulf of Mexico. It also has a supply contract with Saudi Aramco as of 2022.

Seaborne supplies reach Poland via Naftoport, an oil terminal in Gdansk on the Baltic Sea. It can receive 36 million tonnes of oil annually topping volumes that can be processed by Polish refineries and is in part used to supply oil to refineries in eastern Germany that are linked to Druzhba.

"Given the capacity of Naftoport and the fact that we also have other routes to import motor fuels, clients will not feel any impact, while Orlen has been prepared for this for months," Mateusz Berger, Poland's Secretary of State in charge of strategic energy infrastructure told Reuters by telephone. (Reuters)

Nigeria election 2023: Early results arriving

Early results have started to arrive from Nigeria's tightest election since the end of military rule in 1999.

Official results from the south-western Ekiti state show a clear victory for ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu in one of his strongholds.

Further results will not be formally announced until 10:00 GMT on Monday.

Following widespread delays and attacks on some polling stations on Saturday, voting was postponed until Sunday in parts of the country.

Voting continued through the night in some areas.

Turnout appears to be high, especially among young people who make up about a third of the 87 million eligible voters.

This makes it the biggest democratic exercise in Africa.

The election has seen an unprecedented chal -

Around the World

Putin casts war as a battle for Russia's survival

President Vladimir Putin cast the confrontation with the West over the Ukraine war as an existential battle for the survival of Russia and the Russian people - and said he was forced to take into account NATO's nuclear capabilities.

A year since ordering the invasion of Ukraine, Putin is increasingly presenting the war as a make-or-break moment in Russian historyand saying that he believes the very future of Russia and its people is in peril.

"They have one goal: to disband the former Soviet Union and its fundamental part - the Russian Federation," Putin told Rossiya 1 state television in an interview recorded on Wednesday but released on Sunday.

The NATO and the West dismiss such narrative,

saying their objective is to help Ukraine defend itself against an unprovoked attack.

Putin said the West wanted to divide up Russia

and then control the world's biggest producer of raw materials, a step, he said, that could well lead to the destruction of many of the peo-

ples of Russia including the ethnic Russian majority.

"I do not even know if such an ethnic group as the Russian people will be able to survive in the form in which it exists today," Putin said. He said the West's plans had been put to paper, though did not specify where.

The United States has denied that it wants to destroy Russia, while President Joe Biden has warned that a conflict between Russia and NATO could trigger World War Three, though he has also said Putin should not remain in power.

Putin said the tens of billions of dollars' worth of US and European military assistance to Ukraine showed that Russia was now facing off NATO itself - the Cold War nightmare of both Soviet and Western leaders.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Migrant shipwreck in Italy kills at least 59, including 12 children

At least 59 people died, including 12 children, when a wooden sailing boat carrying migrants to Europe crashed against rocks near the southern Italian coast early on Sunday, authorities said.

The vessel, which sailed from Turkey and was carrying people from Afghanistan, Iran and several other countries, sank in rough seas before dawn near Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort on the eastern coast of Calabria.

lenge to the two-party system that has dominated Nigeria for 24 years.

Peter Obi from the previously little-known Labour Party, Tinubu from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are all seen as potential winners. There are 15 other presidential candidates.

A candidate needs to have the most votes and 25% of ballots cast in two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states to be declared the winner.

Otherwise, there will be a run-off within 21 daysa first in Nigeria's history.

Saturday's voting was marred by long delays at polling stations, as well as scattered reports of ballot-box snatching and attacks by armed men, especially in southern areas, where Obi has strong backing. (Excerpt from BBC News)

The incident reopened a debate on migration in Europe and Italy, where the recently-elected rightwing Government's tough new laws for migrant rescue charities have drawn criticism from the United

Rescuers recovering a body after a suspected migrant boat is wrecked and bodies believed to be of refugees were found in Cutro, the eastern coast of Italy's Calabria region, Italy, February 26, 2023

Nations and others.

Manuela Curra, a provincial Government official, told Reuters that 81 people had survived the shipwreck. Twenty of them were hospi-

talised, including one person in intensive care.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who travelled to the scene, said 20-30 people might still be missing, amid

reports from survivors that the boat had been carrying between 150 to 200 migrants.

The vessel set sail from the western Turkish port of Izmir about four days ago and was spotted about 74 km (46 miles) off the Italian coast late on Saturday by a plane operated by European Union border agency Frontex, Italian Police said.

Patrol boats were sent to intercept it, but severe weather forced them to return to port, Police said, adding that authorities then mobilised search units along the coastline.

A baby aged only a few months was among those found washed up on the beach, ANSA news agency said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Israel and Palestinians agree steps to curb violence

Israeli and Palestinian officials have pledged to implement measures to de-escalate surging violence after talks in Jordan.

In a joint statement at the end of the meeting in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba on Sunday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said that they would work closely to prevent “further violence” and that they “reaffirmed the necessity of committing to de-escalation on the ground”.

Israel was committed to stop “discussing setting up any new settlement units for four months and stop approving any new settlements for six months”, a joint statement said.

After “thorough and

frank discussions”, the Palestinian and Israeli sides “reaffirmed the need to commit to de-escalation on the ground and to prevent further violence”, it said.

The joint statement came at the end of a meeting also attended by United States, Egyptian and Jordanian of-

ficials amid growing concerns over an escalation of violence in the run-up to the holy Muslim month of Ramadan that begins in late March.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority stressed “joint readiness and commitment to work immediately to stop

unilateral measures” for three to six months, according to the statement.

Host nation Jordan, along with Egypt and the US, considered “these understandings as major progress towards re-establishing and deepening relations between the two sides”, the statement said.

The two sides also agreed to meet again next month in Sharm el-Sheikh in Eqypt.

The Hamas group, which governs the besieged Gaza Strip, condemned the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority for taking part. An official from the group said the meeting was “worthless” and would not change anything. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering his annual address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow, Russia, February 21, 2023

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Stretch your mind, consider the possibilities and come up with a plan that can help you get ahead financially. Give your all, and you will find your niche and enjoy the process.

(March 21-April 19)

You'll be put in a difficult position if you are too compliant. Carefully choose what you are willing to do and refuse to let anyone put you in an uncomfortable position.

(April 20-May 20)

Share your thoughts and feelings. Look for any opportunity to pitch in and help. Having an innovative plan, a sense of discipline and a diverse skill set will boost your profile.

(May 21-June 20)

Don't stand in someone's shadow; explore possibilities that will allow you to do something great. Head to the drawing board, figure out what you want to do and get the ball rolling.

(June 21-July 22)

Get involved in something that motivates you to make a difference. The people you meet will light up your life. Emotional growth will help you appreciate what you have and who you are.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

An emotional issue will collide with your responsibilities. Make changes on the fly to accommodate those who can influence your reputation. Adapting to fit circumstances will pay off.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Participate in whatever sparks your interest. Getting out, socializing, learning something new or visiting an unfamiliar place will help you figure out what you want to pursue next.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Go about your business and honor your promises. You'll avoid criticism from someone who can make or break your spirit. Take the road less traveled if it helps you avoid an argument.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Address domestic issues openly and enforce suggestions that ease tension. Keeping updated with the latest technology will pay off. Discuss personal intentions with a loved one.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Don't sell yourself short. Speak up, follow through and make a difference. Adopt a fitness program that helps eliminate any bad habits you've developed over the years. Lower your overhead.

You know what you want; figure out the easiest way to make it happen. Put pressure on people and situations that need it. You will get the help required to improve your life.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Emotional manipulation could help you get what you want, but consider the consequences before you take that route. You might get better results via kind acts and consideration.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

SATURDAY'S WORD -- HOSTLER

Australia beat spirited South Africa by 19 runs to win sixth World Cup

Australia have cruised to their sixth Women's T20 World Cup title with a 19-run win over South Africa in Cape Town. In front of a full house at Newlands, Australia reached 156-6, with Beth Mooney striking a sublime unbeaten 74. It is Australia's third T20 title in a row, and the sixth time in seven editions they have won the tournament.

In reply, South Africa put up a spirited fight, but after a slow start, struggled to cope with the class of Australia's bowlers, and totalled 137-6. Spurred on by the raucous crowd, South Africa fought valiantly in the field after losing the toss, reaping regular wickets to keep Australia's run rate under control, each wicket being greeted by a remarkable roar.

There were two wickets apiece for star seamers Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp, but opener Mooney defied them all in a crucial knock that held the innings together.

A target of 157 felt difficult but achievable for the hosts, who had posted 164 against England in the semi-final; but they were left to rue a nervous start to the run chase, as they crawled to 22-1 after the powerplay, and 53-2 after 10 overs. Laura Wolvaardt somewhat made up for her slow start with an entertaining 61 from 48 balls, but her attacking intent came too late for the hosts.

Despite the disappointment, South Africa and Cape Town were treated to a his-

toric and memorable day for the country's first ever cricket World Cup final, a day in which the impact on the nation felt bigger than the occasion itself.

From the moment Sune Luus's side had secured their place in the final after a gripping six-run win over England, it felt like something was shifting for South African cricket. It was the first time the country had reached a World Cup final in either men's or women's cricket after 11 attempts, and the day after the semi-final, the streets surrounding Cape Town's historic ground were lined by passionate fans clamouring to get their hands on the 3,000 extra tickets that had been made available for the momentous day.

Captain Luus said the sight of people queuing to get in to a women's cricket match was something she had never expected to see, and such was its significance and rarity

that it felt like South African cricket had already won even before a ball had been bowled.

This is a side whose preparation started controversially, with captain Dane van Niekerk dropped over fitness issues, and whose tournament started with a bad loss to Sri Lanka. There was concern that they had already peaked by beating England, who were strong favourites to reach the final, but they held their own against the world's best, and gave their adoring fans plenty to enjoy.

What was striking was the crowd's diversity. Young boys and girls, families and groups of teenagers all erupted as Luus and Chloe Tryon took their fantastic catches in Australia's innings, and burst into life when Wolvaardt cleared the ropes with her three huge sixes.

Sinalo Jafta and Nadine de Klerk sunk to their knees after the final ball, and there were distraught faces in the

dugout, but as the thousands of fans stayed in their seats and applauded their team even after defeat, the overriding emotion was one of hope, and of more to come.

Australia’s record speaks for itself: owners of six of the last seven T20 World Cup titles, current 50over world champions, and Commonwealth Games champions at the first time of asking. Trophies are starting to feel like a formality, but they are greatness personified, a team exceptionally well-versed in professionalism and athleticism, for whom winning comes almost as naturally as breathing.

It is to South Africa's credit that they did not let Australia run away with it, but not once did they panic. Wickets fell at crucial times for the hosts, stalling the flow of Australian runs just as they started to leak, but through it all, Mooney stood firm.

The left-hander is not one of Australia's headline names, but that is her danger: often going unnoticed, but always capable of turning a game with her innovation and power.

In the field, it was business-like. Australia’s bowlers tied a nervous South African opening pair down with consistency; and in the field, shots that their own batters

hit for four constantly found a fielder.

For South Africa, it will sting in the immediacy.

But as the closing fireworks erupted in the Newlands sky, the crowd continued to wave its country's flag, knowing they had witnessed greatness, a team at the peak of its powers - but they had also created history of their own. (BBC Sport)

` SCOREBOARD

Australia Women (20 ovs maximum)

Alyssa Healy †c

de Klerk b Kapp 18

Beth Mooney not out 74

Ashleigh Gardner

c Luus b Tryon 29

Grace Harris b Mlaba 10

Meg Lanning (c)

c Tryon b Kapp 10

Ellyse Perry c Brits b Ismail 7

Georgia Wareham b Ismail 0

Tahlia McGrath not out 1

Extras (lb 2, nb 1, w 4) 7

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 7.80) 156/6

Did not bat: Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Alyssa

Healy, 4.6 ov), 2-82 (Ashleigh

Gardner, 11.5 ov), 3-103

(Grace Harris, 14.1 ov), 4-122 (Meg Lanning, 17.1 ov), 5-155

(Ellyse Perry, 19.4 ov), 6-155

(Georgia Wareham, 19.5 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Nonkululeko Mlaba 3-0-24-1

Shabnim Ismail 4-1-26-2

Marizanne Kapp 4-0-35-2

Ayabonga Khaka 4-0-27-0

Nadine de Klerk 3-0-27-0

Chloe Tryon 2-0-15-1

English Premier League football…

South Africa Women (T: 157 runs from 20 ovs)

Laura Wolvaardt lbw b Schutt 61

Tazmin Brits c McGrath b Brown 10

Marizanne Kapp c Brown b Gardner 11

Sune Luus (c) run out (Mooney/†Healy) 2 Khloe Tryon b Jonassen 25 Nadine de Klerk not out 8

Anneke Bosch run out (Perry/†Healy) 1

Sinalo Jafta † not out 9

Extras (b 4, lb 1, nb 2, w 3) 10

TOTAL 20 Ov

Spurs beat Chelsea to increase pressure on Potter

Tottenham boosted their hopes of a top-four Premier League finish with a London derby win over Chelsea that increases the pressure on Blues’ boss Graham Potter.

Oliver Skipp's thumping 20-yard effort just after the interval put the hosts in command, and their victory was sealed when Harry Kane turned home Eric Dier's knock-down late on.

While most in the Tottenham Hotspurs’ Stadium were in celebratory mood in the final stages, Kane's goal saw visiting supporters head for the exit as Chelsea's recent woes continued.

The Blues have now won just two of their last 15 topflight matches, and sit 14 points off the Champions League places. This result is likely to place more scrutiny on Chelsea's expensively assembled squad - with British record signing Enzo Fernandez at fault for the Spurs' opener -

as well as Potter, who recently outlined the toll that criticism has placed on his family and mental health.

Meanwhile, things are on the up for Spurs, who have won four of their last five league matches, and now sit fourth in the table, four points above fifth-placed Newcastle, who have two games in hand

and are expected to welcome manager Antonio Conte back to work this week after his recovery from surgery.

Overall, the hosts merited the three points, and had come closest to breaking the deadlock in the early stages when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg saw his deflected effort go past a motionless Kepa Arrizabalaga

but hit the right-hand post.

The biggest talking point of an underwhelming first half was referee Stuart Attwell's initial decision to send off Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech, after a melee that saw visiting forward Kai Havertz and home defender Emerson Royal booked. Having administered yellow cards to those players,

Attwell dismissed the Morocco winger for a raised arm on the advice of his assistant referee, before downgrading it to a yellow after the video assistant referee recommended that the official review his decision.

A team sheet containing six changes from their defeat to Southampton, and the inclusion of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a substitute underlined the feeling of uncertainty and flux around Chelsea's bloated squad.

To underline the point, Gabon forward Aubameyang - who appeared to have been cast aside following January's lavish spending - was sent on in the 83rd minute to help retrieve a two-goal deficit.

The introduction of the striker came only after midfielders Denis Zakaria and Mason Mount had come on ahead of him, with Chelsea chasing a leveller.

The loss of Thiago Silva to a first-half injury did not help the visitors' rhythm, but once Skipp had opened the

scoring with a superb shot Arrizabalaga could only get a hand to, Chelsea’s hopes of getting anything from the game appeared to quickly recede.

For all their neat and tidy possession, Potter's side had just two shots on target, with only one of those from inside the Tottenham penalty area. Spurs, on the other hand, delivered the perfect counter-attacking display, making light of their 41% possession at home to record only their eighth win in 62 attempts against their London rivals in the Premier League.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's 80 touches in comparison to opposite number Fernandez's 134 emphasised the difference in approaches.

Meanwhile Kane, who ensured that Arrizabalaga felt his presence with a nudge in the first-half, clinically ensured there would be no way back for the Blues, as he swivelled to prod in from close range. (BBC Sport)

Harry Kane has scored 20 goals in nine successive seasons across all competitions

Mangal declared winner of DemLife golf tournament

Despite the rain on Friday, the DemLife golf tournament was a definite banger on Saturday. The tournament saw many of Guyana's top golfers coming out in their numbers to fight for the top spot. In the end, the experienced Mike Mangal walked away with all the spoils.

The results of the tournament were as follows:

0-16 Flight

1st: Mike Mangal; HC 8, Gross 79, Net 71

2nd: Paton George; HC 16, Gross 88, Net 72

Flight 17-36

1st: Chet Bowling; HC 28, Gross 102, Net 74

2nd: Gavin Todd; HC 20, Gross 96, Net 76

Nearest to Pin: Ayube

Subhan

Longest Drive: Rakesh

Harry

Best Gross: Mike

winners’ row

Mangal 79

Overall Best Net: Mike Mangal, 71

At the presentation ceremony, the Demerara Mutual Sales and Marketing Manager declared the company happy to sponsor such a tournament. She noted that while the game is not

that popular, she is optimistic that in time it would take its place among the topranked sports.

In a statement, the victorious Mike Mangal said, "I had a good game today. It could have been better, but I have accepted what I have gotten. The competition was

fair, everybody didn't get such a good score, but the course played extremely well."

LGC Secretary Chet Bowling also explained that the club is grateful to Demerara Mutual for showing its good corporate social responsibility towards

Versatility is key for success vs South Africa

Mike Mangal was the overall winner

the sport. Bowling divulged that the insurance company’s staff members came out in their numbers to support the tournament, which showed that they are involved. Hence, the club is ecstatic and is looking forward to a great season of golf.

and agents has been serving over 20,000 policyholders, ensuring their troubles in life are covered.

A dynamic management team with evolving strategies has shown itself to be capable of adapting to fast growing economies and un-

Rakesh Harry copped the longest drive prize

Demerara Mutual has, over the last 100 years, established itself as one of the best insurance providers in Guyana and in other territories in the Caribbean region. An ever-expanding team of trustworthy staff

expected situations such as COVID-19.

Demerara Mutual has promised to continue serving its customers “to the best of our abilities, ensuring maximum satisfaction and reduced stress”.

SERVICE

Versatility in all areas remains a top priority for West Indies if they are to make a winning start to their two-match Test series against hosts South Africa, which bowls off with the opener in Centurion on Tuesday.

This was the sentiment shared by both Head Coach Andre Coley and Test team skipper Kraigg Brathwaite on Saturday, after they battled to a drawn result against a South Africa XI in a three-day warmup match on Friday.

Coley and Brathwaite agree South Africa would be a tougher test than their recent stint in Zimbabwe, and both believe the key to success is to ensure they’re at their best in all aspects of the game. In a Cricket West Indies interview on Saturday, Coley said, “You want to maintain standards and discipline. Catching behind the wicket, because the ball tends to bounce more consistently here, is something we have to make sure we’re on top of.

“The lengths that we bowl, our consistency, making sure we plan well. From a batting

standpoint, ensuring there are consistent partnerships throughout the innings, from top right through to the bottom. Just ensuring we’re able to tick those boxes, and as the game progresses, showing an awareness in terms of what game situation we may find ourselves in, and just working together as a team to ensure that we tackle that well.”

Brathwaite, all-rounder and West Indies opening batsman, sees his team “doing well”, and is “quite confident” they can produce a serieswinning performance.

He expressed pleasure with their display with both bat and ball in the practice match, and wants an all-round effort from his squad in order to gain early momentum ahead of the multi-format tour.

In the first innings, West Indies scored 289/9 from 89 overs, with Jason Holder (58), Joshua Da Silva (55), Raymon Reifer (38) and Roston Chase (30) among the runs.

Led by opener Wiaan Lubbe (72) and Dewald Brevis (50), the hosts responded

with 317 all out – a lead of 28 runs –with West Indies practice team debutant and pacer Akeem Jordan (3/34) and spinner Roston Chase (3/98) bagging three wickets each.

In the second innings, West Indies got to 208/8 after 49 overs on the final day, forcing the match to end in a draw. Here, Da Silva made 44, Jermaine Blackwood 40, Kyle Mayers 38, Holder 32 and Kemar Roach finished on 29 not out.

Overall, Brathwaite has been pleased. “I think it (practice match) was decent. I was really happy with the bowling effort yesterday. The aim was to bowl out the team in the day, and in doing that, I thought it was good.

“Batting-wise, I think we could have been better, but I’m still happy that guys spent time in the middle, and we really look forward to this Test series.

On Holder and Da Silva’s batting contributions, he added, “I see them doing well. It was good to see those two guys getting runs, and I feel good. I’m quite confident

we’ll do well in this series as batters.”

Reflecting on their bowling performances, Brathwaite said, “I think building pressure is very important as a bowling unit. I thought those two guys (Jordan and Chase) yesterday stuck to the task. We saw Jordan coming in for his first game for WI and he showed good skill and control. Roston had a number of overs to bowl, and it was decent. One or two overs went for a few runs, but I thought he did a good job.

“In South Africa, bowlers will get some assistance from the pitch, but it’s important to not get carried away. Once we stay disciplined and bowl to the field we have set, mixed with some aggression, I think we will do well.”

Brathwaite closed by saying their preparation is all mental now. “Especially the batsmen. Just to get in that mental zone, how you want to go about spending time and scoring runs; and bowlers to get some good rest and go through the paces in the nets in the next three days. It’s all mental.” (T&T Newsday)

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Coley, Captain Brathwaite

WI tour to South Africa 2023: Test match 1 of 2

Women's CPL tourney will be bigger and better in 2023

By Brandon Corlette

The 2023 edition of the Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) promises to be bigger and better, having successfully been launched last year in St Kitts and Nevis.

Chris Watson, CPL Head of Marketing, told this daily publication that WCPL has had a positive reaction.

"We would love to be able to do that. As soon as we can be able to announce the schedule for the WCPL, we will. That is something we are putting together at the moment. The reaction and response towards the WCPL was absolutely phenomenal," he declared.

Watson added: "I mean, we saw some world class cricket, some really close games; and it was great that we were able to showcase the very best in West Indies cricket and also getting some world class overseas

players as well. Having sort of used WCPL as a launch in 2022, I think we are building on it this year, and make it bigger and better wherever possible."

In the 2022 edition, Trinbago Knight Riders won the inaugural tournament through a captain’s knock from Deandra Dottin and bowling brilliance from Anisa Mohammed, which

steered the Trinbago Knight Riders to a 10-run victory over the Barbados Royals.

With her team put in to bat, Knight Riders’ captain Dottin shone in scoring a

maiden half-century in WCPL history and helping her team to a defendable first innings score of 100-7. And Hayley Matthews was the pick of the Royals’ bowlers,

taking three wickets in the 19th over to finish with 3-22, including the key wicket of Dottin. Based on reports around the region, Barbados will host

matches in the 2023 edition of the CPL, along with Guyana, St Lucia, St Kitts, Trinidad are other countries. Guyana will be hosting the finals in September 2023.

GCB Senior Inter-County 2023… Anderson presents strong case for selection with majestic century

By Brandon Corlette at ProvidenCe

22-year-old batsman

Kevlon Anderson has presented a strong case for selection to the Guyana Harpy Eagles squad with an impressive century in the opening round of the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) Senior Inter-County Four-Day tournament.

Anderson's classy innings of 106 and Junior Sinclair's pugnacious 84 not-out took Berbice to 312-8 in 83 overs, equipping the Ancient County with a lead of 30 heading into day three of the game.

Berbice began their innings when inexperienced senior debutants Adrian Sukwah and Javed Karim taking strike. Smooth in his approach, Torrington trapped Sukwah at the crease for one, and Karim played a loose shot and was caught at cover for three off Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed.

But fresh from a stint playing club cricket in Trinidad and Tobago, Anderson came to the crease and looked at ease. He timed the ball to perfection, although he survived a close leg-before call to Ashmead Nedd. He flicked the ball with ease and grace to the boundary, and was standing tall on 24 not out at lunch, while Jonathan Foo was caught in the slip cordon for 16 off a probing Christopher Barnwell when the Berbice score was at 47-3 in 12.5 overs.

After lunch, Barnwell continued from where he left off, showing his class and experience while hitting a consistent line and length. He trapped Anthony Bramble (00) leg-before at 47-4 after 14.1 overs, but Anderson continued to display class as he reached his half-century with a guide and a square cut to the boundary.

The selectors were seen applauding Anderson's efforts as the former West Indies

Under-19 batsman reached a well-deserved fifty.

Initially looking good, Kevin Sinclair threw away his wicket for 22 when he was caught at slip by Richie Looknauth. Romario Shepherd came and also fell victim to a Looknauth catch at the wicket after scoring 15 runs.

Anderson, however, continued to gather runs, and reached his century with a boundary past backward square-leg. Soon after, Anderson was dismissed after being caught at mid-on off the bowling of Sankar. He scored 106 runs from 194 balls in an innings that lasted for 244 minutes, during which he struck 13 boundaries. His dismissal ended an 84-run stand.

Pugnacious in his strokeplay, the right-hander Junior Sinclair cleared the ropes with finesse as he added 50 runs with Permaul (25) to put Demerara under more pressure.

Nial Smith was unbeaten on

15 while Junior Sinclair had 84 runs from 119 balls, including nine fours and four sixes in an innings that spanned 177 minutes. Ali Mohammed and Looknauth had 2-63 and 2-68 respectively.

Resuming day two on 2289, Demerara's final wicket kept Berbice at bay. Richie Looknauth, who resumed on 19, smashed his way to a halfcentury. Qumar Torrington played the supporting role as the Berbicians lost the plot in the morning session.

Looknauth played the shot of the morning when he thumped Kevin Sinclair over the extra cover boundary for a six. He ended unbeaten on 67 from 84 balls in an innings which had seven fours and three sixes.

The Demerara innings ended on 282 all out in 94.5 overs when Nial Smith bowled Torrington for six. Looknauth

and Torrington added 54 runs for the final wicket. Permaul ended with 4-59 in 31 overs, while Kevin Sinclair had 2-49

in 15 overs. Smith had 2-46 in 11.5 overs. The third day will resume at Providence from 9:30h today.

Head of CPL Marketing, Chris Watson

Anisa Mohammed starred in the final Deandra Dottin took TKR to championship glory

Hayley Matthews led the Barbados Royals in 2022

Kevlon Anderson was solid in his innings (Brandon Corlette photos)

Junior Sinclair mixed aggression with defence

Richie Looknauth was among the wickets after an unbeaten 67