Guyana Times - Saturday, May 18, 2024

“There are challenges” – Pres Ali to Crabwood Creek residents on cane production

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Saturday, May 18 – 02:00h-03:30h and Sunday, May 19 –02:30h-04:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, May 18 –12:50h-14:20h and Sunday, May 19 – 13:40h-15:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery to light rain showers are expected to prevail during the day and at night, with sunshine in the late afternoon. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 13:18h reaching a maximum height of 2.23 metres.

Low Tide: 06:51h and 19:13h reaching minimum heights of 1.02 metres and 0.94 metre.

IDB, India EXIM Bank financial agreements laid in National Assembly …to account

for education reform, energy & Dornier aircraft financing

as well as expand and improve educational services for vulnerable students.”

“The investment will support the upgrading of at least 19 existing primary schools and the construction of six new primary schools. It also allows for improvement in the learning environment by integrating digital technologies at these schools to the benefit of over 8000 primary education students and their communities.”

According to the Ministry, the newly-constructed schools will provide an additional 2610 new primary education spaces, while at least 7341 students and 352 teachers from Grades 2- 6 will receive digital devices.

n keeping with its commitment to transparency and accountability, the Government on Friday laid a number of agreements in the National Assembly during the 82nd Sitting of the 12th Parliament.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh rose to present these financial agreements to the House. They include a US$150 million conditional line of credit with the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), for spending in the education sector.

Two other IDB contracts, namely a line of credit of US$90 million, financed through the previous agreement, and a revised loan to finance energy diversification, were also presented to the House.

Additionally, there was a line of credit of US$23.3 million from the Indian Export Import (EXIM) Bank to procure the two Dornier aircraft that arrived earlier this year. Finally, there was a US$2.5 million line of credit, also with the Indian EXIM Bank, for a solar power plant at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

In a statement on Friday, the Finance Ministry went into detail about these financing agreements, which it noted would provide new sources of financing, while maintaining the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s “sterling track record of transparent, accountable, and prudent debt management”.

When it comes to the US$150 million agreement, this is for a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) that was signed on February 23, 2024 with the IDB. So far, one loan has been processed from this line of credit, to the tune of US$90 million to finance the Educational Recovery and Transformation Programme in Guyana.

“This Project’s general objectives are to contribute to the development of the human capital needed to manage and drive economic growth and diversification (as outlined in Guyana’s National Development Plan), expand and improve access to safe and improved learning environments in selected schools

Meanwhile, an amendatory loan was also signed on the same day as the CCLIP with the IDB, to revise an original loan the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance

Institutional Strengthening of the Department of Energy (ESMIDE) Programme.”

“The US$26.9 million agreement was an already existing Energy Sector Loan Agreement (approved in the past by the Bank), but was reformulated and repurposed by the current Administration to suit the current needs in the sector.

“The general aim of the Energy Matrix Diversification and Institutional Strengthening of the Department of Energy (ESMIDE) Programme under this loan is to support Guyana’s evolving energy sector with investment in sustainable and reliable energy solutions while contributing to climate change mitigation,” the Ministry explained.

Among the specific objectives are investing in sustainable/cleaner energy solutions to diversify the energy matrix

For Change (APNU/AFC) Government had signed in February 2019, for the “Energy Matrix Diversification and

in the hinterland; investing in the reinforcement of transmission infrastructure to improve reliability and stabil-

ity of the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System and strengthening the regulatory framework and improve institutional capacity and governance of the oil and gas sector.

Meanwhile, two line of credits were contracted with the Indian EXIM Bank. One of them is a Dollar Credit Line Agreement, which was signed between the Government of the EXIM Bank of India for US$2.5 million to finance the installation of a Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

The power plant falls under Government’s efforts to transition from fossil fuel use to renewable energy in order to minimise carbon emissions. The other is a US$23 million to finance the procurement of two Hindustan 228-201 aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

The agreement, according to the Ministry, represented Government’s ongoing efforts to ramp up the capabilities of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), and originated following President Ali’s visit to India’s State-owned aerospace and defence company - Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, in January 2023.

“Government has been investing heavily in strengthening the capabilities of the GDF and in particular, some of its specialised wings, such as the Air Corps and the Coast Guard. The purchase of the two aircraft forms part of the biggest investment in the capitalisation of the Force thus far,” the Finance Ministry said. (G3)

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh as he presented the loan agreements

One of the two Dornier aircraft that arrived in Guyana

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Commitment to success

Throughout civilisation, mankind has been making sacrifices for personal and societal advancement. Here, in Guyana, our history is inundated with stories about selfless sacrifices made by Guyanese foreparents as they laboured in search of betterment for the generation following them. That cycle continues, and today none can dispute that parents want the best for their children; a desire they would pursue with unwavering commitment. These are not mere words, but are values inherent in parenthood, as exemplified by the untold and sometimes unrecognised sacrifices they make as that sense of responsibility through hard work remains. It is not without its difficulties, more so for some than for others. However, on the average, many, locally and across the globe, have unfortunate commonalities which are driven by financial challenges. Despite this, parents and guardians remain steadfast to that responsibility of steering their children towards opportunities for societal upliftment.

This is more profound in the provision of education, and will continue to be something on which they would not compromise while often masking their sacrifices and formidable challenges with a protective smile. That smile, which hides the pain over the years, becomes one of unbridled joy when success is finally achieved, as will be evident in the upcoming months after the announcement of this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), and, in a matter of weeks after that, the results of CSEC and CAPE.

For those whose achievements will propel them into the national spotlight, their academic brilliance will become added inspiration for those who would subsequently strive to emulate them. Importantly for those whose parents or guardians had battled against the odds for their realisation, the achievements embody the many elements of their sacrifices as they become overtaken by pride and tears of joy.

That feeling of success unfolding buries the uncertainty of the outcome which might have prevailed during the process. Not only parents make sacrifices, but the students too. While they may pale in comparison, when the students speak of their own sacrifices, consciously made in a world that is not short of lure and distraction, some are quite aware of what their parents faced in the process, and often that in itself galvanises and intensifies the efforts for a successful outcome, bringing added value to it.

Despite the results, all must therefore be commended; students, parents, guardians, teachers, and all those who contributed. In addition to the sacrifices and the hard work, the success took commitment, diligence and the ability to remain focused. The pride transcends that circle, and is felt by all, as those once unknown to the masses are catapulted into the national glare.

However, there will still be much distance to travel for the final dreams to be realised. Much may not change in terms of what it will take. If anything, something may be added: the weight of the expectation of a nation.

As these young and brilliant minds step into the next phase of their academic lives, those who will not make it into the spotlight must not be forgotten. Many, and those around them, would have made similar sacrifices with similar dreams. It’s a natural part of life, and they would also be entering another phase. They must be encouraged, and not belittled. They must be inspired, and not disappointed in the success of their peers; for new opportunities would beckon.

The results will be analysed with the hope that strategic interventions be made to close existing gaps for the success to be holistic. While the nation would once again exude pride over sterling academic achievements, there have been concerns over the years about the disparity that exists and worrying pass rates in the pertinent subjects.

As the world continues in its technological evolution, and as competitiveness heightens, all will need to be adequately prepared as they inevitably enter the work sphere. This in itself dictates holistic preparation with an aim at increasing that success base to meet growing demands of this competitive environment. A practical mechanism that can help improve the national results would therefore have to be quickly derived and implemented. While there will be related challenges, the process of helping to derive that mechanism cannot be delayed.

It will necessitate the involvement of all, with cognisance of the stark realities. A crucial component is the teachers. They also sacrifice, have their fair share of challenges, and with some being parents with obvious dreams and aspirations, their challenges will be further exacerbated. For the process to derive wider positive results, it will take, among other things, unfettered commitment by those in charge to ensure the provision of adequate resources.

Naturally, teachers would need to feel a sense of comfort, so that their commitment would be adequately rewarded. In the end, for that pride to be sustained, the commitment to success must also be made by all policy makers as well.

GPA welcomes scrutiny into its operations, remains open to criticisms

Dear Editor,

The Guyana Press Association welcomes any scrutiny into its operations, and remains open to criticisms. What the current executive will not tolerate are baseless and defamatory attacks on members of the executive, as well as colleagues in the media.

The missive by Neil Marks, dated May 14, 2024, has cemented the long-held belief that Marks is no longer a member of the media, but is rather a political operative aiming to discredit the independent members of the press, as well as the body he once represented.

Marks wants the council to exclude itself for what he said is not holding elections for six years, but should he not also excuse himself?

Marks remains silent in the face of attacks on his press colleagues, like the cyberbullying, shooting of (a journalist’s) vehicle, and continued harassment of (named media house) reporters. Many of these journalists toil daily doing journalism for the greater public good.

Instead of standing in solidarity with his media colleagues through the GPA, for a timely response by the Guyana Police Force in connection with sexual offences’ allegations made against a senior member of the People’s Progressive Party, Marks has opted to do his master's bidding; and in so doing, has sullied his own reputation.

Our colleagues in the media continue to straddle the news gathering cycle and all the challenges that come with it - including being ridiculed by less qualified persons - as they remain committed to being the eyes and ears of the public. Where is Marks then?

Marks’s missive focused on a few things, among them financial accountability. We are confused about the claim of lack of a financial report when a report was presented as part of the presidential report last year. Marks knows more than anyone that the treasurer had resigned, leaving a handful of documents and reports in a tattered envelope; and, with the help of our members, we used it to present a financial report.

Mr Marks should tell the public what he did with the financial reports that were submitted under his presidency, and why those were not subjected to audits.

Marks was an absentee president. Records of the GPA show that major events and planning for training were done by a handful of persons within the executive during Marks’s tenure.

What was even strange was that Marks himself never turned up at one of the General Meetings called to hold elections. At that meeting, it was expected that the President would issue his report, and the

accounts of the organisation would be tabled. For a lack of quorum, that meeting could not be held, and the executive was at pains to hold another meeting, where Marks announced that he was no longer running for any position in the body. That same absenteeism has found its way into the continued AGM, Marks was glaringly absent there too.

The issue of audited accounts is not a new issue for the association. Since the presidencies of Adam Harris, Julia Johnson, Denis Chabrol, Gordon Moseley and Nazima Raghubir, this issue has been on the table. The fact remains that GPA has long been dependent on membership dues, and has always had little funds. At one time, GPA submitted its documents for audit to a local firm, and the cost to audit was more than GPA had at that time. That has changed over time, and with small amounts of funding for training, the GPA has prepared and submitted financial reports to its membership, including at our last meeting on May 14, 2023. This is more than Marks had done when he accepted state funds for training under the Coalition Government.

The GPA is committed to auditing its accounts, and our membership had been briefed on the updates when the AGM continued last year. Marks would have been present if

he were interested in the GPA at all.

As it relates to the continuation of the meeting, we are baffled that Marks would allege that the proposed draft constitution was not an issue raised, and suggested be placed on the agenda of the upcoming meeting along with decisions for the auditing of the accounts. It is almost as if Marks were not at the meeting, or he did not write the letter that appeared with his name.

At that very AGM, among the membership, it was discussed that several issues could not be addressed or dealt with, since GPA membership needed to work on amending the constitution. At that very meeting, it was decided that amendments to the document would be circulated for comments from the membership, and Marks agreed with a suggestion from the floor that the meeting be suspended to deal with the constitution at the continuation of the meeting.

Marks, as mentioned, was absent when the meeting continued, and we are yet to receive his comments on the DRAFT amendments.

Marks himself would know, of the two GPA meetings he ever attended, there is usually an effort to get members to attend these meetings. This is nothing new.

Hannah Roberts of the United States competes in the women's cycling BMX freestyle park qualification during the Olympic Qualifier Series ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in Shanghai (AFP)

Indian Indentureship: The Police

By Ravi Dev

As we saw in the previous instalment, the Police was used by the Planters who controlled the state, to control the Indentured Labourers. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) had been formed in 1839 and modelled on the highly centralised and militarised Irish Constabulary. The early recruits were primarily from Barbados so as to ensure that any orders from the Whites to use force on the newly freed enslaved Africans might not be disobeyed, out of sympathy for “kith and kin”.

The local Africans, however, were soon recruited into the GPF to deal with the new “threat” and set into motion a historical discrimination against Indian recruitment that continued to the present. It did not fit in with the British policy of playing off one ethnic group against others, to have an integrated force. The British were old hands at the art of discriminations and they used various stratagems to exclude Indians from the GPF.

In Guyana, “minimum physical requirements” was one of their prime tools. The physical requirements for males were as follows: Height: 5’ 8", Weight: 135 lbs., Chest: 34". During the nineteenth century the average height of the Indian male was about 5’ 3" and so in one swipe, most Indians were excluded. The age requirement was 18-25 years and the applicant was also required to be unmarried. Up to the middle of the 20th century, however, Indian cultural practices ensured that most males were married by that age. Food, which was geared for the tastes and diet of the Africans, was another barrier to Indians, who had religious proscriptions against certain foods. Breakfast was typically tea and bread, while lunch and dinner leaned heavily on ground provisions, (plantains, yams, eddoes – fried and in soups) beef, pork, saltfish. Muslims did not eat pork while Hindus ate neither beef nor pork.

By the 1870’s, Governor Kortright noted, that there were over 60,000 Indians on the Plantations – with cutlasses in their hands and this presented a clear and present danger of an uprising. Armed police were recommended for the rural areas. During the 19th century, in only one year (1885) were Indians recruited in significant numbers - 58 of 157. The record showed that they performed credibly. Inspector-General Cox, who addressed the batch, found it necessary to instruct: “If you see Coolies, your own race, breaking the law you must arrest them the same you would Black people.” Indians were obviously not trusted by officialdom and were kept out.

The planters continued their historical opposition into modern times. In 1939, the Sugar Producers’ Association (SPA) demanded a military man to command the Force: “With their thousands of labourers of an alien race of little or no education and a special aptitude for conspiracy, the estates’ need for police protection is a pressing one at this time”. Twenty years after the last indenture contract expired, Indians were still an “alien race”, which, of course, made them easier to mow down. In 1939 five Indian sugar workers were killed at Leonora.

A review of the 1997 General Election: PNC treachery

Dear Editor,

In the interest of peace and stability, the PPP/C accepted the PNC proposal to hold general elections with the use of an ID Card as the sole form of identification. This decision was fraught with danger, due to the fact that it was an unconstitutional commitment which could not be sustained in a court of law. But like I said in the opening sentence, "in the interest of peace and stability," the PPP/C Government of the day acceded to the demands of the PNC. Hence, Election 1997 was held under the new law, that is, voting only by an ID Card. As history would record it, the PNC never accepted the results of that election, and violently hit the streets again, although the

votes for that election were counted and verified three times over. Their excuse for the violence was that the elections were fraudulently conducted. Now, you must remember, that it was the very same PNC who promulgated this law in parliament which stipulated that an elector who was eligible to vote, must do so only by way of an ID Card. So, to resolve this impasse, the Opposition headed to court.

That court case lasted for two long years, held before the present GECOM Chairwoman Justice Claudette Singh. Madam Justice listened to and scrutinized every detail of the case, before finally coming to the conclusion that voting with the use of only one form of identification

GPA welcomes scrutiny into...

Members turn out in their numbers to elections, but it is usually a task to get members to other meetings. Like when there was no quorum during his tenure and absence: ninety-six members turned out for a highly anticipated election; that is what happened in 2023, and 70 members spoke through their votes.

As for the Draft amendments to the GPA Constitution, they are just that: DRAFT amendments. He is more than welcome to make submissions on them.

As for the elections, the executive of the GPA dealt with the issues raised in several statements and at its general meeting last year. It must be reiterated that NO legitimate member of the GPA was excluded from voting. The GPA took a decision to process all outstanding dues within a particular period. This is not a new exercise within the GPA. Marks would have known this if he had attended and was fully involved in the GPA.

Marks continues to make baseless allegations against the executive and the elections process, a process in which he and a roomful of his colleagues attended. For instance, he claims that his “media house” had more than 10 legitimate members who were denied membership. Marks should submit those names with haste to the GPA, since, based on our last checks, the last media house Marks is known to be associated with, all of his colleagues were present and voted.

Finally, the GPA condemns Marks’s continued attack on women in the media and communication fields. Via his missive, Marks continues to try to discredit the women on the executive, knowing fully well that they remain employed in the media. Marks named the executive member who worked at a ministry of Government more than four years ago, but failed to include that he, Marks, shared an office space with the executive member who, alongside him, was filing stories and anchoring the news.

Additionally, Marks continues on a campaign to try to discredit three members of the press, including a media worker who has a kitchen garden. It is almost crass to think that Marks knows that this man is a longstanding member of the media, but is trying to use this noble initiative to feed himself to discredit him and his work in the media.

Now that the conflictual opportunities have vanished, bitterness abounds for failing dismally to deliver the GPA to Robb Street, even after abandoning one’s noble apolitical principle. The GPA shall never be handed on a platter to any agent, to become a pliant and malleable institution at the behest of any political or other interest group that must either toe the line or become subservient or moribund.

Sincerely, Guyana Press Association

was unconstitutional. In this regard fresh elections had to be called. Fresh elections saw the PNC losing in an almost identical manner.

Fast forward to 2020 and you will see the very same strategy being reenacted when The PNC Led Coalition activated the fraudulent formula again, the 2020 Election was free and fair up until the point where The Coalition realized that they have lost. At that point all hell broke loose as claims of fraudulent voting and ghost electors began to surface. Henceforth, The PNC's Acolyte brigade at GECOM sought every avenue to sabotage and rig the system. They unilaterally re-

jected thousands of PPP/C votes, while at the same time inflating those of The Coalition, a deliberate and barefaced act, unveiled before an international audience.

Now, the lesson learnt from the 1997 Election, in fact, from all elections held here in Guyana, is never to trust the PNC, it is the most duplicitous entity known to Guyanese, hence they cannot be trusted. Right now, they are on a biometric crusade for voting and my answer to that is a resounding no! Let us stick with the age-old system of paper balloting.

Respectfully,

Neil Adams

Page Foundation

CSEC MATHS

Read the following extract carefully and answer items 1-5

American Love Song

BY LACHLAN CHU

For the tiger, alone in the dying field by the backyard fence, quiet & so still I had almost no reason 5 to hate him. On his back, through the branches, five gashes of moonlight. Again & again, he spoke

10 without a jaw: you are nothing, you are nothing. Yes, I begged for language— for a word 15 that meant I was not still a boy begging for language. Because here, in the dying field with nothing else alive, 20 this was everything. I was nothing. I stood & watched the tiger: his gorgeous eyes, golden, sloshing in their sockets.

Source: Poetry (May 2024)

1. The extract is describing (A) The dying of a tiger (B) The dying of a boy (C) The conversation of a boy and tiger (D) A backyard

2. Which best describes the mood of the speaker (A) Sad (B) Depressed (C) Apathetic

9. John has x marbles and Max has twice as many. Max gives John 5 of his marbles. How many marbles does Max now have?

(D) Philosophical

3.The speaker’s feelings towards the tiger are (A) Friendly (B) Positive (C) Negative (D) Angry

4. “Dying field” is an example of (A) Simile

(B) Personification (C) Metaphor (D) Allusion

5. The last line of the extract speaks to (A) Imminent death (B) Bad injuries ( C) Drunkenness (E) Loss

Bill to strengthen Guyana’s sea & river defence management passed

in National Assembly

…will now introduce better flood management amid La Nina

Flooding has been experienced in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) over the past week

Abill aimed at bolstering Guyana’s ability to implement sea and river defences was on Friday passed in the National Assembly, with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government receiving bipartisan support in its passage.

During the 82nd sitting of the 12th Parliament, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill rose to present the Sea and River Defence Bill (2024). He explained that the bill has been a long time in the works, as far back as 2019 in fact, when technical work was done to update the existing legislation.

“This is something that has been going on for a while. It has moved from one government in office to another government in office. The facts will show that, by 2019, with funding from the 11th European Union/EDF (European Defense Fund), a consultancy was engaged. They essentially worked on updating what was before two separate pieces of legislation: Chapter 64:01 and Chapter 64:02, and bring-

ing that into one legislation and ensuring that the updated version reflects the realities of our current situation,” Minister Edghill detailed.

According to Edghill, the current bill seeks to refine the work on the law that was started, and finalise the passage of the bill. Edghill was optimistic there would be bipartisan support in getting the bill passed.

“The vulnerabilities of Guyana’s coastal territories to flooding necessitates the establishment of effective administrative and governance frameworks to ensure integrated and sustainable flood management,”

Edghill declared. “In this regard, the Government of Guyana, in recognising the importance of effective flood management functions and systems in the national context, wishes to introduce new legislation to strengthen the management of Guyana’s sea and river defences.”

Edghill further explained that the bill would

introduce a system of flood management planning to ensure all defences are properly identified, designed, and maintained, while at the same time enhancing public participation and consultation.

Lending support to the bill, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Hon. Deodat Indar, MP, pointed out that the legislation is necessary for the continued investment into sea and river defences.

Expounding on the need for robust sea defences for agricultural development, Agriculture Minister the Honourable Zulfikar Mustapha said Government has identified the issues farmers have faced owing to flooding, and was adamant this legislation supports the resolution to the problem.

“Over 1,000 acres of rice adjacent to the sea defence was flooded in 2019, and has not been cultivated since… this is how we operate: we identify, we analyze, and we fix the problem,” he said.

“This bill lays the groundwork for proactive

[work] to fortify our coastline…the bill acknowledges the essential value of our ecosystem and the irreplaceable benefits [to come] for our environment and communities,” Minister Mustapha added.

It was only a few days ago that the flood situation in Region Nine (Upper Takutu—Upper Essequibo) began showing signs of improvement after heavy flooding, with water levels gradually decreasing in several affected areas. Notably, villages in the North Rupununi and South Pakaraima districts, such as Nappi and Kumu, are witnessing a decline in floodwaters, as reported by Public Information Officer of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Patrice Wishart, in an interview with <<Guyana Times>>.

According to Wishart, while progress is evident in these regions, obstacles persist, with some villages still inaccessible due to severely damaged roads. Beyond Region Nine, other areas, including Regions One (Barima-Waini); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), have also experienced flood impacts. However, comprehensive details regarding the extent of the damage are not yet available.

The CDC has been actively monitoring the situation and coordinating response efforts. Recent reports from the Hydromet Service have indicated that heavy rainfall has inundated several villages in Region Nine.

Toka, Massara, Yakarinta, Aranaputa Valley, Karasabai, Tiger Pond, Sand Creek, Karaudarnau and Katoonarib are among the worst affected, with floodwaters reaching alarming levels, submerging roads and engulfing homes. (G3)

Protectionism is not in Region’s interest - Finance Minister …says Govt firmly supports DDL, will continue engaging Caricom counterparts

On the sidelines of Friday’s sitting of the National Assembly, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, made it clear that the recent action of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) authorities in rejecting Guyanese goods are very concerning, and that protectionism and isolationism are in nobody’s interest.

In wake of the refusal of T&T authorities to admit millions of dollars’ worth of milk exports from Guyana, there has been much criticism over this flouting of regional integration. In an exclusive interview with this publication, Dr. Singh spoke about the development.

“Isolationism and protectionism are not in anybody’s interest. They’re not in Guyana’s interest, they’re not in Trinidad’s interest, they’re not in Barbados or Grenada or St. Vincent’s interest. Protectionism and isolationism are not in anybody’s interest, and we feel that strongly and firmly in

Guyana. And that is why we are as committed as we are to the regional integration movement,” he said.

According to Dr. Singh, Guyana wants to be part of a more integrated Caribbean. However, there should also be more reciprocity when it comes to trade in the region. Minister Dr Singh pointed out that Guyana is not in the habit of turning away goods from other countries.

“And we don’t believe that any regional authority should be turning away products recklessly or capriciously. And I’m not suggesting that is what happened in this instance, but we believe that all of our regional administrations should work to promote intra-regional trade, and dismantle phytosanitary and sanitary barriers,” he revealed.

Ultimately, Dr Singh noted, the Government continues to engage the Trinidadians on the matter; and, further, fully supports Demerara Distillers Limited.

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh

Teens charged with murder of excavator operator

Nineteen-year-old

NGeorgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where the charge was read to them. It stated that on May 11, 2024 at Commerce Street, Georgetown, they murdered Williams. They were not required to plead to the indictment. Badley was remanded to prison while the two juveniles were remanded to the Juvenile Holding Centre. They will make their next court appearance on June 7.

him from behind.

Police stated that a 15-year-old held onto Williams’ haversack, but he put up a resistance during which another suspect stabbed him several times to his chest with a knife.

The injured man immediately collapsed onto the roadway and remained motionless. The suspects then fled the scene.

A simmering… …new Cold War

If Time Magazine can ask, “Can the US win the new Cold War?”, your Eyewitness guesses the sky won’t fall if he talks about the new Cold War that’s upon us – even as a very hot one’s playing out in Europe. This new Cold War, we’re told, is between the US - plus its “Western allies” - and the rampant China out in the East. And while the “West is west, and the East is east”, it sho does look like the twain are meeting in several theatres – hot and cold!!

ineteen-year-old Daniel Badley of Second Street, Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Quamina Street, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD), along with two juveniles, was on Friday charged with the brutal stabbing to death of excavator operator John Williams, at the Route 44 minibus park.

The trio appeared before Principal Magistrate Annette Singh at the

It was reported that on May 11, 32-year-old Williams of Third Street, Marthasville, Mon Repos, ECD was walking along Water Street, Georgetown with a green haversack on his back and as he turned onto Commerce Street, Georgetown, he was confronted by the three suspects, who approached

The Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) were summoned, and Williams was pronounced dead. However, quick response by the Police led to the arrest of a 14-year-old and a 15-yearold. During interrogation, the teens claimed that the intent was to rob the victim.

Badley was later arrested and charged.

Now, this is the weirdest Cold War ever!! The first one was between the US/West and the USSR, wherein the latter presented an in-your-face challenge after WWII to the former on all fronts – militarily, ideologically, politically, economically, and every other “ally” you can think about!! We natives in the colonies, during that Cold War, were used as proxies to fight most of the “hot” encounters. Our riots of the sixties, that have split us apart to this day, are a grim reminder that when the elephants fight, the grass gets crushed!!

Now, this Cold War’s weird, ‘cause, up to the seventies, China was wallowing in poverty like the rest of us that they call the “Third World”. The USSR and her satellites in Eastern Europe were the “Second World”. But it was President Nixon of the US who flew to China in 1972 and brought them out of the cold and into the UN system of nations. But more than that, the US allowed their industrial companies to set up shop in China, to “exploit” China’s cheap labour. And before you could say “chowmein”, China had become the “factory” of America and the West!! And since China was shipping oodles more goods to the US than the US to China, the Chinese in a jiffy had trillions of dollars in credit (represented by their currencies as “foreign reserves”) sloshing around in their pockets! So, rather than taking on the West in a military hot warlike they did in 1950 in the Korean War - China launched a Cold War on the economic front with something called the “Belt and Road Initiative”!! And the irony is that the US and EU allowed their factories to rust away so Walmart and Amazon can stock their shelves and warehouses with goods from China!!

So, even as they try to pummel their old adversary Russia in Europe in a hot war, the West just fired a salvo at China in the Cold War -- US President Joe Biden’s major new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment. And imagine, the US claim they are pushing the world to “go green”.

So, the US is exempted??

…anti-corruption battle

In the Bible, the Head Honcho, His Heir and His prophets assure us: “the poor will always be with us”. And they’re just as grim about corruption. Right there in the first book, the Big Guy “…observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt.” And to make sure we understood corruption was a hydra-headed monster, in Timothy, there’s a pretty graphic description: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure.” Whew!!

But we can’t ever give in, can we?? Just as they’re fighting poverty, our govt took on corruption: “We in this Government believe very strongly, and we are fully committed to, the importance of the fight against corruption in all of its forms, and we believe equally …the most effective instruments in the fight against corruption (are) openness, transparency and accountability…”

La luta continua!!

…currency takeover?

So, China wants to replace the US greenback as a reserve currency?? Well, they’ll hafta run massive, sustained trade deficits (like the US does) to get their currency held widely abroad. That means exporting jobs.

Nah…didn’t think so!!

Daniel Badley Dead: John Williams

“There are challenges” – Pres Ali to Crabwood Creek residents on cane production

…assures Govt steadfastly addressing issues facing industry

Issues of low cane production, proper compensation, and poor quality of cane were discussed with the Head of State, President Dr Irfaan Ali, on Thursday by residents of Crabwood Creek in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

Cane harvesters have bitterly complained about the harvest of cane three feet tall during the previous crop, when the normal growth size is about eight to 10 feet in height. According to workers, it is the same amount of work they were doing, but the shorter canes resulted in a substantial reduction in production, and hence reduced pay for them.

The issue was raised with President Ali when he

port and satisfy the entire Caribbean needs,” he explained.

He added that steps are being taken to have the Skeldon Sugar Factory reopened. “There are challenges, but we are working on that. Outside of that, we have Rose Hall, which has been reopened. It was scrapped, and we brought back Rose Hall. We brought back all the jobs at Rose Hall, and if they are workers here in Crabwood Creek who are looking for jobs, we are ready for them. Let us get a list of all the sugar workers that are looking for jobs, because we are looking for workers,” Ali said.

Meanwhile, addressing the issue of poor production during the previous

visited Crabwood Creek on Thursday for a walkabout and engagement with residents. This followed requests by residents of that community, made when party representatives attended the recently concluded People’s Progressive Party congress.

President Ali, addressing the issue of sugar, pointed out that the sugar industry is currently being rebuilt. Noting that 5000 hectares will be under cultivation in the Skeldon area, he declared, “We have brought back thousands of jobs. We have paid severance to workers who were not paid, and we have given them cash grants. Right now, we need workers. We are not getting the workers that we need, that is why we have to expedite the mechanisation of the industry,” he said.

President Ali said his government is currently in discussion with members of the Cane Farmers Association, who have 9000 acres of land.

“The farmers wanting to get into red beans and black eye production. We are working with them, because part of what we want to do is to become self-sufficient in corn, soya, black eye and red beans, to the extent that we can ex-

crop, Ali noted that discussions are ongoing, and Government is currently working with both Cuba and Brazil to have a higher variety of cane.

“I told the workers at Albion and at Blairmont that we are coming back before the end of next month to sit down with them, because we do not want them to suffer… This is a Government that cares about workers and a Government that cares about the sugar industry, and the Government came back and invested in the sugar industry because we know sugar can be viable,” President Ali said.

Workers have expressed concern over the extra work they have been asked to do for the same pay, and the president made arrangement for Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha to meet with sugar workers in the Upper Corentyne today to have the issue of compensation addressed.

Meanwhile, addressing a larger gathering at CWC, President Ali pointed out that despite the progress happening on the macro level, there is still a need to focus on community issues.

Crabwood Creek is considered an agriculture-based community.

Precautions against flooding

Meanwhile, Mustapha, who accompanied the president and also addressed the residents, said all the canals have been cleared as the ministry has taken precautions against flooding during the current rainy season. He noted that the ministry has been working with cash crop farmers and providing much needed assistance, while adding that huge budgetary allocations have been made for Crabwood Creek. He pointed out that $25 million has been allocated to the Crabwood Creek Water Users Association.

“We ask them to ensure that the farmers, who are the beneficiaries, benefit from these works,” he declared.

Additionally, four machines are currently work-

ing to clean canals in that community.

Moreover, President Ali has instructed that a sub-pharmacy be set up at the Crabwood Creek Health Centre.

Residents also requested that the Government consider making some of the backlands in Crabwood Creek into residential ar-

eas, and have them so regularised. Some 200 households are living in that community, some having been there since the year 2007.

The President has committed to having the issue examined.

The Head of State also noted that the Government is currently in discus-

sions with investors in the Berbice River Bridge with the aim of ensuring that the efficiency and cost can be reduced and thus enhance competitive business.

“I am sure that whatever the outcome of those discussions, Region Six would be in a better place,” the President has posited. (G4)

$1.6M clean water project commissioned at Overwinning Primary School

The Rotary Club of New Amsterdam and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have inaugurated a $1.6 million clean water project at Overwinning Primary School situated in Greater New Amsterdam, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). The project aims to provide clean, safe water for the students and staff. Almost

200 students will benefit from the project.

The Clean Water Project, initiated in 2016 by Rotarian Roger Greenidge, addresses the critical need for clean water at the school. The project focuses on removing impurities from the iron-laced, untreated well water by processing it through an advanced filtration system. This effort significantly reduc-

es contamination, ensuring safer drinking water for the school community.

At the commissioning ceremony, President of the New Amsterdam Rotary Club, Rafeek Kassim pointed out that the project was funded entirely by the Church of Latter-day Saints which has partnered with the club on similar projects over the past eight years.

Protectionism is not in region’s...

He went on to urge other regional authorities to work with companies in the region in order to facilitate regional trade.

“We will continue. We have had good discussions with the Trinidadian authorities, and we will continue to have those discussions. DDL itself is a company that is quite capable of complying with every international standard that you can imagine, and they’re quite capable of representing themselves; but, as a Guyanese company, they have the support of the Government of Guyana, because we want all Guyanese manufacturers to be able to penetrate markets elsewhere,” he explained.

Only recently, news emerged of the return of $20 million worth of milk imports from Guyanese company Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), which were recently blocked by Trinidadian authorities from entry. According to DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo, the import of milk was blocked based on Trinidad’s Animal

Disease and Importation Act 2020, while the water was restricted. He disclosed that these products have been exported to other Caricom territories with no such problems.

In a statement on Tuesday, Guyana’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry slammed Trinidad’s decision to refuse the goods, noting that the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME), to which both Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana subscribe, requires free movement of goods and services under the regional integration framework.

While it acknowledged that regional products must satisfy sanitary and other rules, the Ministry also noted that the dairy products were in full compliance with those regulations. Moreover, the products were accepted in other jurisdictions.

It was pointed out that Guyana has already opened its market to regional producers,

hence it is expected that products from Guyana should be guaranteed the full benefits of regional integration.

Subsequently, T&T Trade and Industry Ministry released a statement in which it claimed that there was no prohibition on the importation of animal products into Trinidad and Tobago from any Caricom member state, including Guyana. However, for these products to be exported to Trinidad and Tobago, countries must be approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF). This is a one-time approval associated with first-time exports, the statement said.

Further, it added that for an import permit to be issued for ‘first-time’ imports of milk from any country, a risk analysis is required to be undertaken by the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO). According to the Trinidad Government, the T&T importer of the products was informed of this requirement. (G3)

“If you were to go to New Amsterdam Hospital at the moment, you will see another project ongoing. That project had some hiccups with the filtration system, but these schools already have the filtration system but the hospital also has a water dispenser.”

Among the schools that have already benefited from similar projects are All Saints Primary, Manchester Secondary, Berbice High, Rose Hall Estate Primary, Berbice Educational Institute, Canje Secondary, McGowan Primary, Cumberland Primary, Edinburgh Primary and Nursery, St Therese Primary,

Canje Secondary and Tutorial Academy Secondary. Public Relations Director of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Attorneyat-Law Leslie Sober explained that it was not just in Guyana that the church has been funding such projects, noting that he has been spending significant sums of money ensuring the development of the welfare of the people in the area that the church seeks to serve.

“The church does not look at creed, race, religion, or any other affiliation. As a matter of fact, we have a yearly activity which carries the slogan ‘helping hands’ where we go out into the communities and do work. So this project today is not the only area of assistance that the church extends. Our members do it individually. Our members are also members of other organisations that help other persons and the church of itself, as is the case today, does this type of work.”

Meanwhile, among the other areas of focus of the New Amsterdam Rotary Club are: promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, hygiene, saving mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies. (G4)

President Dr Irfaan Ali conducted a walkabout at Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) where he met ture project has three ponds that are operational and yield 36,000 tonnes of Vannamei prawns annually. According to a post on the Office (Office of the President

met with residents. During the visit, the Head of State also visited the Vannamei Project at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice. This aquaculOffice of the President social media page, 10 ponds will be in operation by year end, increasing the annual production to 360,000 tonnes President photos)

NRSC advocates for stricter penalties for repeat traffic offenders

Despite increased enforcement and educational efforts, National Road Safety Council (NRSC) Chairman Earl Lambert has expressed serious concerns over motorists’ continued violation of traffic laws.

During the Police programme “Police and You”, Lambert emphasised the need for stricter penalties, including the suspension of driver’s licences, to underscore the seriousness of traffic violations.

He highlighted that despite the Police and the Council’s continuous efforts to enhance road safety through education campaigns and increased law enforcement presence,

many drivers still flout traffic regulations.

“It’s amazing that we keep preaching one thing, that we keep talking about

the five C’s, but, when you look at the way accidents occur, you realise that persons are not paying attention to the way they should

PNCR Congress set for June 28-30

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is set to host its 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress and Elections June 28-30 under the theme: “Forming the Next Government: Building a Just, Inclusive and Prosperous Society for All.”

Party Leader Aubrey Norton made the announcement on Friday during the party’s weekly press briefing.

According to Norton, the Congress’s theme reflects the party’s determination to return to government in the next general elections.

“The theme was chosen to reflect the party’s determination to return to Government in the next general elections and to implement its people-centred development strategy,” he stated.

Further, he expressed that this year’s Congress is set to be the largest and the most important, in the party’s history.

“Delegates and members will be attending the Congress in person; there will be no virtual attendance, arrangements have already started. The 22nd biennial congress is expected to be the party’s largest, most spirited and most important in the party’s history, and we are looking forward to it,” Norton noted.

Norton also touched on some of the topics the executives intended to focus on during the three-day affair.

“Well from a party’s perspective, the Congress reviews the state of the party and that will be done and every aspect of it will be dealt with and then it will have key issues to deal

with such as oil and gas and key national issues and the economy,” Norton said.

He is seeking re-election as party leader, but is expected to be challenged by party executive members Roysdale Forde and Amanza Walton-Desir.

Both Forde and WaltonDesir have indicated their readiness to accept nominations for the post of party leader and other top positions in the party’s executive.

At the last Congress held in December 2021, Norton was elected after three nominations including by Joe Harmon, former Minister of State under the David Granger Administration, and Dr Richard Van West-Charles, the son-in-law of the party’s founder, LFS Burnham. (G2)

be using the road… it is something I feel is ‘being selfish’. It’s about caring about yourself, and not caring about others,” Lambert declared.

To combat this ongoing issue, Lambert proposed a more stringent approach: suspending the licences of repeat offenders. He argued that this measure would serve as a powerful deterrent.

He said once a motorist receives multiple tickets, they should be informed by Police Officers about the number of violations remaining before their licence would be suspended. This transparency, he believes, will drive home the gravity of their infractions and encourage more responsible behaviour from drivers on the roads.

“You cannot carry a horse to drink water and make that horse drink it… once the person’s licence is suspended, they will have to go back through training so that they can learn how they should use the road. If that system starts, we will be sending a message,” he declared.

Lambert also revealed that the Road Safety Council was actively lobbying authorities to implement this policy.

“We are going to canvas the authorities to make sure that it is in the book already. It’s just that it is not being enforced, and we need for that to be enforced, so that it [serves as a] deterrent to those who are using the roads, es-

pecially the drivers, that there is something that can cause you to lose your licences,” Lambert said.

The Chairman’s call to action reflects a growing concern over traffic law compliance and the impact of reckless driving on public safety. By pushing

paign, motorists are urged to take heed of these warnings and contribute to a safer driving environment by following traffic regulations.

Despite the challenges, Guyana has seen a decline in both fatal accidents and traffic deaths

for the strict enforcement of existing laws, Lambert hopes to reduce the frequency of traffic accidents and save lives.

“The message is simple,” Lambert concluded. “If you break the law repeatedly, you will face serious consequences. We are committed to making our roads safer for everyone, and that starts with ensuring that all drivers adhere to the rules.”

As the Road Safety Council continues its cam-

this year, according to the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Between January 1 and May 14, there were 78 fatal accidents, down from 84 during the same period in 2023, with fatalities decreasing from 95 to 91. This improvement in road safety is attributed to collaborative efforts among various stakeholders. However, this news came just days after six persons died in a head-on collision at Long Creek, LindenSoesdyke Highway. (G9)

NRSC Chairman Earl Lambert

Amanza Walton-Desir

Roysdale Forde

PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton

New Toshao elected at Orealla-Siparuta

... Derrick John re-elected Toshao of Moraikobai

Laurence Vandenburg is the new Toshao for Orealla-Siparuta. The results of Wednesday’s elections were made known after midnight on Thursday and showed Vandenburg securing almost one-third of the total ballots cast.

Twenty-six-year-old primary school teacher Vandenburg said it was an honour for him to have gained the confidence of the community, adding that it was a “privilege” and he would put his best foot forward to do all he can for the community.

Vandenburg secured 206 votes to win the four-person contest for Toshao.

Former Toshao Lewis DeVair secured 153 votes; David Henry, 111 and Thesius Henry, 180.

DeVair had been accused by residents of not managing the affairs of the communities properly. Residents also claimed that the communities had not been benefiting from their resources as they should.

Both Orealla and Siparuta produce sand and timber.

Another voter, Stewart Peneux ,in pointing out the importance of the elections, said there was a need for good governance in the two communities.

“Over the years, we have tried different people to lead…we have tried elders; we have tried people with good sense but they haven’t been able to rectify this or give a proper diagnosis as to what has been happening in this area of governance.

Lawrence is a well-rounded individual, capable, spiritual and well-groomed. He is the person I think can take this community from this situation to a better situation,”

First-time voter Elvin Dick said the communities have not shown signs of improvement for over a decade. He said he was hopeful that the new leaders would place more emphasis on sports and create jobs in the area.

During his campaign, Vandenburg had said if elected Toshao, his priority would be accountability.

“… if I get into office, I will make sure that we give a report to residents on a monthly basis and that our books will be audited annually,” he had told villagers.

He had also promised to pay much focus on improving utility services to residents, noting that because of the geographic location of some villagers of Orealla they do not receive potable water.

“Because the pump is located down the hill, some residents on the hill do not get water. If I am to be elected as Toshao that is one thing that

I would like to look into and see how we can solve that issue,” he told the media during his campaign.

Following the announcement that he had become the new Toshao, he said those promises would be kept.

“I said in my campaign that I will be looking into the water system, the electricity and the sand. My number one priority will be in ensuring accountability besides projects for the community.

Accountability has been a big problem for us over the years, so as I promised in my campaign… we will prepare our financial report at the end of each month and we will present those reports at the gen-

eral meeting which will be held every quarter,” the new Toshao assured. Meanwhile, Moraikobai, located 96 miles up the Mahaicony River, in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), also held elections for its Toshao on Wednesday. Residents re-elected their Toshao, Derrick John, for another term. John, who is also Chairman of the National Toshaos Council, secured 135 votes ahead of Colin Adrian with 127 and Remington Adrian with 57. Twelve persons were also elected to serve on the Moraikobai Village Council. (G4)

Man sprints from Police leaving ganja, cocaine behind Man accused of stealing gold chain granted bail

A26-year-old man from Samantha Point, Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was granted $30,000 bail after he was charged for stealing a gold chain.

Romel McKenzie appeared at the Diamond Magistrate’s Court on Friday before Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce where he denied the charge.

It is alleged that he stole the chain valued at $150,000 from Anthony Thomas.

Charged: Romel McKenzie

The charge was filed under Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 08:01. Following the not-guilty plea, McKenzie was granted bail, and the case was adjourned to May 31.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is now looking for a man who escaped from Police ranks leaving behind 2239.2 grams of cannabis and 41.9 grams of cocaine in a house at Buck Hall, Essequibo. Reports are that Police, acting on information received, went to the area, where they searched a wooden house.

During the search, the ranks found a bulky plastic bag containing five transparent bags of suspected cannabis seeds, leaves, and stems. The ranks also found several ziplock bags that contained a hard rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine.

A quantity of bambo, empty ziplock bags, three cellular phones, one GPS without a battery, and one national identification card were also found in the house.

The narcotics and other items found were taken to the Parika Police Station. The cannabis,

when weighed, amounted to 2239.2 grams. The suspected cocaine amounted to 41.9

grams. Investigations are ongoing. (G9)

Peneux said.

Orealla-Siparuta Toshao Laurence Vandenburg

The 12 Councillors being sworn in for Moraikobai Village Council

Re-elected Moraikobai Toshao Derrick John taking the oath of office

The drugs that were found by Police

Shooting over parking space

“My son wasn’t supposed to die like that” – mother of

dead taxi driver

…calls for faster Police action

Almost three months after a taxi driver was shot dead during an argument with two other men over parking in the vicinity of Bourda Market, Georgetown, his family has expressed disappointment at the manner in which the Police are handling the probe.

Forty-year-old Eon Holder of Lot 2498 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was killed on February 24 on Alexander Street, Georgetown.

According to information received, about 04:40h on February 24, Holder was at a taxi service working his motor car, PRR 271, when he was hired by a 50-year-old businessman of Queenstown, Georgetown, to go to the Bourda Market to purchase vegetables.

On arrival at Alexander Street, the businessman exited the car and walked towards the market while Holder searched for a parking space.

About five minutes later, the businessman reported that he heard a loud explosion and as he turned around, he saw Holder lying on the ground about 15 feet away from his car, helpless. At the time, two men – one armed with a handgun – were seen running away from the scene.

Dead: Eon Holder

The Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) Service arrived at the scene and pronounced Holder dead.

Police stated that several persons were questioned and based on information received, it is alleged that the taxi driver argued with the suspects after he stopped his car in the centre of the road, blocking vehicles from passing.

During the argument, one of the suspects allegedly drew a handgun and discharged a round at the taxi driver. The suspects remain on the run.

Seeking justice

In a recent interview with the dead man’s mother Muriel Holder, she said that she has been seeking justice since her son’s death, but to no avail. The

woman said her most recent visit to the Police was on Friday last, and she was promised that some efforts would have been made to arrest the suspects.

“I was there Friday, and the CID [Criminal Investigation Department] man told me this weekend they would go and arrest the suspect and he will call me, and on to now, he didn’t call me, so I plan on going back to follow up on what is going on,” she said.

“I can’t see it’s nearly three months now and they can’t find the person/s that killed my son…they told me when I was there, they going and look for the man [the suspect]. He said he sent out one of the Police Officers to look for the suspect/s and they will collect him on the weekend”.

The woman said that since her son’s death, she has been uneasy knowing that his killer is still on the run.

“Every day I cry for my son…on Mother’s Day, knowing that he does be around and he wasn’t there, I cried. His birthday is coming up and I will cry again. I feel it for my son. My son wasn’t supposed to die like that,” the tearful woman said.

The woman is calling for justice to be served for her son soon.

Parents urged to take advantage of new schools being built by Govt

With several new schools being constructed throughout Region One (BarimaWaini), Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal urged parents, especially those in Haimaruni, to take full advantage.

The Minister was at the time addressing residents of Haimaruni where 10 houses were handed over to villagers.

He told residents that three schools would be constructed throughout the region.

“So, we must all strive to ensure that our children maximise and make use of the educational opportunities that are coming this way. That is why you have the construction of three secondary schools in Region One,” he said.

Meanwhile, he also announced that the Education Ministry would soon sign the contract for the construction of a new secondary school at

Waramuri.

“Very shortly, the Education Ministry will be signing the contract for the new secondary school to be constructed at Waramuri and similarly over at Mabaruma Sub Region, we have the construction of the Hosororo Secondary School,” the Minister told residents.

As part of the Ministry’s plan to equip pupils with knowledge in science and technology, Minister Croal further added that the new schools would be wellequipped with state-of-theart laboratories.

“All these secondary schools that you see are also being equipped with all the necessary laboratory facilities so that your children will also embark on subjects that were prohibitive for the hinterland areas, mainly science and technology subjects,” he stated, adding that Government wants children to make use of the job opportunities that exist within the country. (G2)

1 on bail, 1 remanded on B&E charge

Michael Harry, 26, of Block Y Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and Chris Harrycharran, 36, of Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara were charged on Friday with the offence of break and enter and larceny.

The two men were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly breaking into the home of Dwayne Dodson. They both appeared at the Diamond Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Sunil Scarce, where the charge was read to them.

Charged: Michael Harry and Chris Harrycharran

Both of the defendants pleaded not guilty. However, Harry was granted bail in the sum of $100,000 while

Harrycharran was denied bail and remanded to prison. The case was adjourned to June 6.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal

Dominican Republic’s Abinader looks set for 1st-round election win

The Dominican Republic's Luis Abinader, an anti-corruption crusader who helped catapult the island nation's economy from pandemic lows to one of the fastest growing in Latin America, looks set for a first-round victory in presidential elections on Sunday.

Abinader, the country's current president and leader of the Modern Revolutionary Party, garnered 60 per cent of voter intentions in an early May Gallup-RCC Media poll, a tally that puts him well ahead of his closest rival, three-time former President Leonel Fernandez, with 24.6 per cent, and Abel Martinez with 11.1 per cent.

Several other candidates are polling at or under one per cent.

The stakes are high for the Dominican Republic as the Caribbean island nation wrestles with an exploding

UN

humanitarian crisis on its doorstep in Haiti, still festering inequality and untenable levels of crime and corruption.

Those issues may draw substantial turnout among the 8.1 million eligible to vote for the next President, Vice President and Members of Parliament on Sunday, leaving room for surprises.

If no candidate receives more than 50 per cent of the vote, a second round will be held on June 30.

In the country's first-ever presidential debate in April, Fernandez, Abinader's closest contender, painted his opponent as weak on the economy and crime, key touchpoints for many voters. (Excerpt from Reuters)

urges US to stop forced returns to Haiti after latest deportation flight

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has called on the United States to stop forcibly returning Haitians to their home country, which is facing a months-long surge in gang violence and continued political instability.

In a social media post on Friday, UNHCR urged US President Joe Biden’s Administration “to refrain from forcibly returning Haitians who may face life-threatening risks or further displacement” in the Caribbean nation.

The call came after the UN agency said “another US deportation flight landed in Haiti” on Thursday.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on Friday on the

flight, including how many people were on board.

It marks the second such deportation flight from the US to Haiti in the past month. On April 18, the US Government sent about 50 Haitian nationals back to the country in a move that drew immediate condemnation from rights groups.

“Individuals are removed only if they were found to not have a legal basis to remain in the United States,” a DHS spokesperson told Al Jazeera at that time.

Haiti has experienced widespread gang violence in recent years, particularly after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 created a power vacuum.

But the already-dire situation escalated further in late February, when power-

ful armed groups attacked prisons, Police Stations and other State institutions across Haiti’s capital, Portau-Prince.

The unrest forced Haiti’s unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry to announce plans to step down and spurred a shaky political transition, which continues to unfold.

The UN said earlier this week that 362,000 persons were internally displaced across Haiti, half of them children.

The International Organisation for Migration also reported that about 95,000 persons fled the capital of Port-au-Prince, which has been hardest hit by the recent violence, in one month between March 8 and April 9. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Kenyan lawyers move to block Police deployment to Haiti

Kenyan lawyers have moved to block the country's planned deployment of Police to Haiti, a court filing showed, days before officers are expected to arrive in the Caribbean nation to tackle spiralling violence there.

The High Court on Friday ordered the lawsuit be served to top Government officials and that the case be heard on June 12, it said in a statement.

Responding to Haiti's appeal for assistance,

Kenya offered last July to send 1000 officers to Haiti to help tackle a worsening security crisis where escalating gang control has plunged millions into a humanitarian crisis.

However, Kenya's High Court ruled in January that the Police Officers could not be deployed to Haiti in the absence of a "reciprocal arrangement" with the host government.

Kenyan President William Ruto then signed a security deal with Haiti's then-Prime Minister Ariel

Henry in March which Nairobi hoped would satisfy the court's objections and allow the deployment to go ahead.

Lawyers Ekuru Aukot and Miruru Waweru, who lead an Opposition party in Kenya called Thirdway Alliance, said in their application to the High Court on Thursday that respondents, including Ruto and the Police, had blatantly disobeyed the court order in signing the reciprocal instrument with Haiti. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Trinidad: Former Director, pastor among 5 held in SSA dragnet

Self-proclaimed spy, Pastor Ian Brown, is again in Police custody, after he and four other affiliates of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), including former Director Roger Best, were detained by Police during a 24-hour exercise between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday.

Brown and Best, who has been on administrative leave since March 2, are assisting Police with a series of investigations, which include murder and illegally-transferring guns.

Police sources told Guardian Media that the five were being kept separately at different Police Stations and have been assisting Police in the company of their Attorneys.

Brown, a former Special Reserve Police Officer, was fired on March 19. He was appointed a police officer by former Police Commissioner Gary Griffith in 2011 and

seconded to the SSA at the request of Best.

He is reportedly Best’s “prophetic adviser” and earned a consulting fee from the agency of about $25,000 per month.

Brown’s Malabar home and churches were searched in March and Police-issued equipment was seized.

On March 2, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced, through the Office of the Prime Minister

(OPM), that the National Security Council had recommended Best be replaced immediately. Best was sent on administrative leave and T&T’s Ambassador to the United States, Anthony PhillipsSpencer, was recalled and appointed acting Director of the agency. Spencer was also appointed to conduct an internal audit of the SSA. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Uprooted by Brazil floods, foreign refugees 'start all over again'

Tens of thousands of Haitians and Venezuelans who found refuge in southern Brazil after escaping hunger, violence and natural disasters are being forced once more to rebuild lives now wrecked by record flooding in Rio Grande do Sul state.

Reginald Descilong left Haiti after he lost family and friends in the devastating 2010 earthquake. He got to Brazil three years later, crossing Central America on foot and by bus. Today, the 39-year-old and his wife and three daughters are in a public shelter in the inundated state capital Porto Alegre.

"It seems that disaster is always chasing us. I got here, but the problems don't stop. We lost everything in our home underwater, and

we can't even get back there by boat," he said.

"I don't know where I'm going now. We have to start all over again," he told Reuters.

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has data on 43,000 refugees living in the state, including 29,000 Venezuelans and 12,000 Haitians.

Rio Grande do Sul was among the top three states to receive refugees in a federal humanitarian programme that relocated migrants fleeing Venezuela on Brazil's northern border.

Many, like Descilong, got steady jobs with full benefits. Over 14,000 refugees found formal employment in Rio Grande do Sul from 2011 to 2019, more than any other state, according

to data from Brazil's Justice Ministry.

The most common home for the state's refugees has been in the Sarandi neighbourhood on the north side of Porto Alegre, which was the most ravaged by flooding after a dike collapsed.

More than 26,000 Sarandi residents with homes underwater are now in various shelters in the city. Many left everything behind as they escaped the rising floodwaters, including documents now lost forever, raising additional concerns for the immigrants.

Venezuelan Carina Gonzalez, 27, had to leave a backpack with her documents and those of her 11-year-old daughter when she fled her house in chestdeep water. (Excerpt from Reuters)

A view shows a billboard of Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, candidate of the Modern Revolutionary Party, near a building which is under construction, ahead of Sunday's elections, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, May 16, 2024 (Reuters/Henry Romero photo)

Former SSA Director Roger Best

Venezuelan refugee Xavier Velasquez holds his dog at a shelter after his house was destroyed by floods, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, May 14, 2024 (Reuters/Adriano Machado)

Around the World

OOIL NEWS

Oil gains 1% on hopes of firmer demand

Fierce fighting in northern Gaza as aid starts to roll off US-built pier

Israeli forces battled Hamas fighters in the narrow alleyways of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Friday in some of the fiercest engagements since they returned to the area a week ago, while in the south militants attacked tanks massing around Rafah.

il prices settled about one per cent higher on Friday, with global benchmark Brent crude recording its first weekly gain in three weeks, after economic indicators from the world’s top two oil consumers – China and the United States – bolstered hopes for higher demand.

Brent settled 71 cents higher, or 0.9 per cent, at US$83.98 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 83 cents, or 1.1 per cent, to US$80.06.

For the week, Brent gained about one per cent, while WTI rose two per cent.

China’s industrial output rose 6.7 per cent year-on-year in April as a recovery in its manufacturing sector gathered pace, pointing to possibly stronger demand to come. China also announced major steps to stabilise its crisis-hit property sector.

The Chinese figures showed potential for demand construction and supported oil prices, said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. However, Government data showing a drop in China’s annual refined output may have offset that support.

Declines in oil and refined product inventories at global trading hubs have also created optimism about demand, reversing a trend of rising stockpiles that had weighed heavily on crude oil prices in previous weeks.

The US oil rig count rose by one this week to 497, the first increase in four weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said.

Recent US economic indicators have fed into the optimism over global demand for oil. US consumer prices rose less than expected in April, data showed on Wednesday, boosting expectations of lower interest rates.

“Consumer prices were not as bad as expected,” said Tim Snyder, economist at Matador Economics. “It gave the US a little bit of a boost.”

Lower US interest rates could help soften the dollar, which would make greenback-denominated oil cheaper for buyers holding other currencies.

Meanwhile, a fire started at Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery overnight after a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks. The extent of the damage was unclear.

On the supply side, investors were mostly looking for direction from the upcoming Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) meeting on June 1.

“With the price of Brent crude hovering below US$90, a level quietly being targeted by Saudi Arabia and others, the upcoming OPEC+ meeting is likely to result in a rollover of current production cuts,” Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen said in a note.

Money managers raised their net long US crude futures and options positions in the week to May 14, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said. (Reuters)

Russian strikes kill 2 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv as Moscow steps up attacks

Russian guided bombs have killed at least two persons and injured 13 in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv, local officials say, as Russia continues its major military offensive in the region.

It was not immediately clear what the bombs had been targeting on Friday, but the regional governor said those injured were civilians.

“Among the 13 wounded, four are in a serious condition,” Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s sec-

ond largest city, and the surrounding region have long been targeted by Russian attacks, but the strikes have become more intense in recent months, hitting civilian and energy infrastructure.

Reporting from Kharkiv on Friday, Al Jazeera’s John Holman said several strikes were heard and a “thick, black plume of smoke” was visible.

“We don’t know yet what’s been hit – if it’s factories or residential infrastructure,” he reported, adding that the city had also experienced drone attacks.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Residents said Israeli armour had thrust as far as the market at the heart of Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps, and that bulldozers were demolishing homes and shops in the path of the advance.

“Tanks and planes are wiping out residential districts and markets, shops, restaurants, everything. It is all happening before the one-eyed world,” Ayman Rajab, a resident of western Jabalia, said via a chat app.

Israel had said its forces had cleared Jabalia months earlier in the Gaza war, triggered by the deadly Hamasled attacks on southern Israel on October 7, but said last week it was returning to prevent the Islamist group re-grouping there.

At the southern end of Gaza, thick smoke rose over Rafah, bordering Egypt, where an escalating Israeli assault has sent hundreds of thousands of

people fleeing from what was one of the few remaining places of refuge.

“People are terrified and they’re trying to get away,” Jens Laerke, United Nations humanitarian office spokesperson, said in Geneva, adding that most were following orders to move north towards the coast but that there were no safe routes or destinations.

As the fighting raged, the US military said trucks had started moving aid ashore from a temporary pier built off the coast, the first to reach the besieged enclave by sea in weeks.

The UN said it had fi -

Mass wedding for Nigerian orphans sparks outcry

The planned mass wedding of about 100 orphans has sparked widespread outrage across Nigeria.

The orphans, some of whom are feared to be underage girls, are set to be married off on May 24 in the north-western state of Niger.

They have all lost parents to attacks by armed bandits, who regularly target civilians across the state.

Nigeria’s Women’s Affairs Minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye said she has filed a court order to stop the ceremony.

According to reports, the mass wedding was supported by the Speaker of

the Niger State Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, who said local religious leaders had approached him for help funding it.

The Imams Forum of Niger have said that the marriage ceremony should go ahead, insisting that the girls are not below 18 – the legal age of marriage.

However, critics have expressed concern that some girls may be younger than 18, or being forced to comply for financial gain.

Minister KennedyOhanenye said the girls “deserve better” and that her department was looking into who the 100 girls are, their ages and whether they consented to the marriages.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

nalised plans to distribute the aid, while reiterating that truck convoys by land – disrupted this month

by the assault on Rafah –were still the most efficient way of getting aid in.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Paul Pelosi attacker sentenced to 30 years in prison

The man who attacked the husband of former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

David DePape was convicted of assault and attempted kidnapping of a federal official in November after a weeklong trial in San Francisco.

The attack left Paul Pelosi, now 84, in hospital for six days with a fractured skull and other injuries.

Mrs Pelosi had asked for a “very long” sentence to be given to DePape.

A spokesperson for Mrs Pelosi said that the family “couldn’t be prouder of their Pop and his tremendous courage” on the night of the attack and in testifying in the case.

“Speaker Pelosi and her family are immensely grate-

ful to all who have sent love and prayers over the last eighteen months, as Mr Pelosi continues his recovery,” the spokesperson said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. Prosecutors had asked the Judge for DePape to be given 40 years. He is also facing life imprisonment on separate state charges.

Video of the incident shown during the trial shows DePape, a Canadian citizen who has lived in the US for two decades, breaking into the Pelosi home in California armed with a hammer on October 28, 2022.

DePape asked for Mrs Pelosi, who was not at home, when he confronted the lawmaker’s husband inside the couple’s house. (Excerpt from BBC News)

France blames Azerbaijan for New Caledonia violence

France has accused Azerbaijan of being behind protests and violence that have rocked its Pacific island territory of New Caledonia for the past few days over the French Government’s decision to change a voting law.

Azerbaijan, which has traditionally had little presence in the Asia Pacific and is nearly 14,000 kilometres (8700 miles) away from New Caledonia, has denied the allegations of interference.

Mass protests erupted in New Caledonia on Tuesday this week after the French Parliament passed reforms that allow French people who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years or more to vote in local provincial elections in New Caledonia.

The French Government has argued that these reforms uphold democracy in the archipelago. But local people – particularly those

from the Indigenous Kanak communities, who make up 40 per cent of the islands’ population – fear this will undermine their efforts to win independence from France.

New Caledonia, one of the largest French overseas territories, is located between Australia and Fiji. France occupied the territory in 1853.

Five persons have been killed and hundreds injured in the violent protests, which have been accompanied by looting and arson and are the worst violence New Caledonia has experienced in 30 years, experts have said. In response, France declared a state of emergency in New Caledonia on Wednesday and deployed 500 additional military and police Personnel to bolster the existing 1800 Police and gendarmes stationed in the territory. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

A truck carrying aid delivered into Gaza via a US-built pier moves, as seen from central Gaza Strip, in this still image taken from a video, May 17, 2024 (Reuters/Reuters TV photo)

Mass weddings are fairly common in northern Nigeria (file photo)

Take charge and finish what you start. Use your imagination when managing money for best results. Maintain a positive attitude and you'll discover what makes you happy.

SUDOKU

Mingle, participate and look for people heading in a similar direction. Choose a path that leads to positive change and a more efficient, peaceful lifestyle. Love is in the stars.

False information will lead you astray. Verify information before initiating a change that can influence your reputation, direction or physical well-being. Address home improvement or bureaucratic matters.

Don't apply or succumb to pressure. Back away from situations that make you nervous. Align yourself with people who share your concerns. There is safety and strength in numbers.

Don't feel pressured to change because of someone else. Put your energy into what makes the most sense and brings you the highest return. Devote your resources to something that satisfies your soul.

(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22) (March 21-April 19) (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) (May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20) (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

You have plenty to gain if you join a group that offers insight into people, places and projects that can benefit you. Romance is in the stars, and a lifestyle change will encourage happy alternatives.

A proactive approach will boost your reputation and encourage others to support you. Don't pay someone else to do something you can do yourself. Be direct and helpful, and leave nothing undone.

Take part in activities or events that excite you. Seek out people who share your beliefs and offer unique strategies to help you bring about positive change. Partnerships look exciting.

Distance yourself from pending problems. You require time and space to rethink your strategy and determine who is on your team. Examine all the facts and options.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You have more power than you realize. Refrain from letting anger take charge when insight and creative options will put you in a leadership position. Open your heart.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

You'll meet with opposition and face difficult decisions if you get involved in a joint venture or shared expenses. Sit tight and wait for a better opportunity. Avoid paying for someone else's mistake.

Trust your instincts, and you'll devise a plan to reduce stress. Don't let anyone step in and take control. Work to create opportunities that address your desire to achieve, and you will gain respect.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

MI finish at bottom, but LSG not into playoffs

On a bittersweet evening for Mumbai Indians (MI) fans at the Wankhede Stadium, a high-octane Rohit Sharma fifty gave them something to be happy about; but they also saw their side slump to their tenth defeat of the season, thus finishing at bottom of the points table.

The victors, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), have also been left with a whatcould-have-been feeling, as their seventh win of the season took them to the important landmark of 14 points, but a straggling net run-rate of -0.667 left them just outside the top four.

the LSG spinners came on. Krunal Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi, occasional boundaries aside, made an impact with tidy spells to slow MI down. The two of them also took sharp outfield catches to help LSG’s cause.

After holding on to a spectacular sliding catch at long-off, to dismiss Brevis in the ninth over off Naveen, Krunal got Suryakumar Yadav sweeping to deep third for a three-ball duck in the tenth over.

Bishnoi, who took the tough juggling catch for that Suryakumar dismissal, then had Rohit slicing to Mohsin at short third in the 11th.

In any case, despite scoring 214 batting first, LSG needed an impossible margin of victory to get their NRR where it would have been useful. On the night, it was Nicholas Pooran who rescued LSG from a familiar situation. With their top order struggling again, his 29-ball 75 brought life to a sluggish innings against an inexperienced MI attack that played without Jasprit Bumrah, Arjun Tendulkar being his replacement.

a short rain delay, but they slid from 88 for no loss to 120 for 5 in the mid-

dle overs, effectively ending their chances of putting up a realistic fight. The result meant MI, under new captain Hardik Pandya, finished last for the second time in

MI began the chase in dazzling fashion on the back of Rohit’s barrage of boundaries on either side of

three seasons; and LSG will end up missing the playoffs for the first time in their three-season history.

Pooran goes 360! LSG gave Devdutt Padikkal another go this season at the top. But he finished the way he had started, with a duck.

Nuwan Thushara got the new ball to sling into Padikkal, and Tendulkar also troubled #3, Marcus Stoinis, early with the swinging delivery. Moreover, Piyush Chawla kept LSG quiet enough to prise out Stoinis and Deepak Hooda in quick succession. And at 69 for 3 in the tenth over, LSG’s innings was moving without direction.

Pooran, however, changed that, even masking KL Rahul’s inability to get quick runs. As Rahul moved to only 40 in his first 33 balls, Pooran bashed 22 runs off Anshul Kamboj’s 12th over, and then hit consecutive sixes off Hardik in the 13th. He saved his best for the 14th, when Tendulkar’s first two balls went for 12, and after an injury forced the bowler to leave the field, replacement bowler Naman Dhir got pummelled for two sixes. That over went for 29.

Not all of Pooran’s

shots were pretty, but he rode his luck. Even though he and Rahul fell as part of three wickets in three balls, their partnership and the late assault from Ayush Badoni (22 in ten balls) gave LSG 214 for 6.

Rohit finishes on a high Rohit came into the match with scores of 6, 8, 4, 11, 4 and 19. Among India’s batters for the T20 World Cup, he was the most outof-form. But, on his way out of the season, Rohit batted the way he was expected to when captaincy was taken away from him at the start of IPL 2024. He hit boundaries on either side of the wicket alongside new opening partner Dewald Brevis to get MI off the blocks early in the 215 chase. He also made up for a streaky early boundary to hit Matt Henry for sixes over midwicket and long-off in the second over.

Hardik couldn’t do much, and Nehal Wadhera then became Bishnoi’s second victim. Together, the middle overs saw MI lose five wickets for only 22 runs in 34 balls.

Dhir shows his worth With Ishan Kishan looking off-colour from #4, MI’s game looked done after Wadhera’s dismissal in the 15th over. But Dhir gave the home fans some positives for next season with a dazzling unbeaten 28-ball 62 that took MI to 196. His second boundary of the evening, a scoop off a short ball behind the keeper, showed his intent, and he followed it up with more big shots.

The three sixes in the space of five balls across the 19th and 20th overs gave MI a bit of hope, but another spectacular fielding effort from Krunal on the boundary line stopped a second six to start the final over, and that took the wind out of the chase (ESPNCricInfo)

Krunal, Bishnoi trigger collapse

Then through the fifth, sixth and seventh overs, Rohit enjoyed the pace-on deliveries and hammered Mohsin Khan and Naveenul-Haq for six fours and a six in the space of 18 balls. It got him to his fifty in 28 balls, and put MI ahead in the chase.

But MI and Rohit found themselves in a squeeze as

3-0-48-0

Piyush Chawla 4-0-29-3

Nehal Wadhera 2-0-13-0

Hardik Pandya 2-0-27-0

Naman Dhir 0.4-0-17-0

Romario Shepherd 2-0-30-0

Mumbai Indians (T: 215 runs from 20 ovs) BATTING R Rohit Sharma c Mohsin Khan b Ravi Bishnoi 68 Dewald Brevis c Pandya b Naveen-ul-Haq 23 Suryakumar Yadav c Ravi

Piyush Chawla finished with 3 for 29

Nuwan Thushara struck in the first over

Ravi Bishnoi finished with 2 for 37

Rohit Sharma brought up his fifty in 28 balls

Young Daby set to make debut in Junior Dragster Racing

At just 13 years old, Matthew Daby is gearing up to debut in motor racing at the 1320 Heat Round 2 event on Sunday, May 19, at the South Dakota Circuit. What makes this debut even more remarkable is that Matthew will compete with a junior dragster, marking him as one of the youngest drag racers in Guyana.

Matthew’s passion for drag racing stems from his upbringing as the son of seasoned drag racer Peter Daby. Having spent years watching his father compete on the track, Matthew developed a deep love for the sport, and has expressed a strong desire to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Despite his young age, Matthew’s determination to race has been unwavering. After much persistence and persuasion, his father finally relented and bought him a junior dragster, paving the way for Matthew to pursue his dream of becoming a drag racer.

For Matthew, this debut is about fulfilling a personal ambition and continuing a family legacy. He aspires to one day race his father’s cars and carry on the family tradition of drag racing.

Matthew has expressed confidence and excitement when asked about his feelings ahead of his debut race. He is reassuring spectators that he is not nervous, and is encour-

aging everyone to come out and witness the fastest kid in Guyana take on the quarter-mile track.

Matthew Daby’s debut is a testament to his passion, determination, and family’s unwavering support. As he prepares to hit the track for the first time, all eyes will be on this young talent, eager to see what the future holds for him in the world of drag racing.

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Linden edition… Defending champions begin tournament on high note

Three-time defending champions Swag Entertainment, Excuse the Rush, Hardball, and Spaniards were among the winners when the ‘Guinness Greatest of the Streets’ Linden edition commenced on Wednesday evening at the Silver City Hard-court.

Swag Entertainment needled Anybody Could Get It 1-0, while Excuse the Rush demolished Tidal Wave 6-2. The Spaniards grounded the Hi-Flyers 3-1, while Hard-ball squeaked past the Universal Ballers 2-1 on penalty kicks after normal time ended with the game at 1-1.

In other results, Fearless brushed aside Coomacka 2-0, while Young Guns defeated Super Strikers via walkover.

The event will continue today at the same venue with another round of

matches. V-Side and High Rollers will battle in the opening match at 19:00hrs, while the BB Ballers and Turf President will take centre stage at 19:40hrs. The third encounter of the evening would pit Top Strikers against Double 6 at 22:20hrs, while One Side will lock horns with DC Ballers at 21:00hrs.

In the fifth fixture, Amoria will match skills with the Silver Bullets at 21:40hrs, while YMCA will face off against the Assassa Ballers in the final match of the evening, at 22:20hrs.

The winner of the tournament will walk away with $500,000 and the championship trophy, besides an automatic berth to the national championship, which is pencilled for August in Georgetown. The second, third, and fourthplace finishers would pocket the respective prizes of

Thrilling basketball action returns today

Basketball action retakes the spotlight today with the Guyana Amateur Basketball Association’s (GABA) Under23 Championships being played at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.

Potential basketballers are expected to showcase their talent in a bid for national selection to represent Guyana on the international stage.

In game one, Pepsi Sonics would be looking to secure their second win as they look to break the unbeaten streak of the North Ruimveldt Ravens. The matchup is expected to be one of the most anticipated of the night, as both teams can showboat.

Game two pits Kwakwani Untouchables against the Prospect Kobras, and both teams would be looking to

continue their winning ways. Each team is a force to be reckoned with, thus this game is expected to be a very competitive affair.

The tournament kicked off with 12 teams divided into two groups, named Group A and Group B, with a projected 34 games. The teams of Group A are Stabroek Eagles, Leonora D-UP Rising Stars, Cummingsburg Bounty Colts, Lamaha Park/ Springs Pepsi Sonics, North Ruimveldt Ravens, and

GCB T10 Blast…

Demerara Pitbulls bag

$1.5M prize

after title win

$400,000, $300,000, and $250,000 and corresponding accolade.

This tournament is also sponsored by Colours Boutique, which has provided the playing kits for the entirety of the season.

Complete Results

Game 1

Swag Entertainment-1 vs. Anybody Could Get It-0

Game 2

Coomacka-0 vs. Fearless-2

Game 3

Spaniards-3 vs. Hi-Flyers-1

Game 4

Excuse the Rush-6 vs. Tidal Wave-2

Game 5

Universal Ballers-1 vs. Hard-ball-1

Hard-ball won 2-1 on penalty kicks

Game 6

Young Guns vs. Super Strikers

Young Guns won via walkover

Inaugural Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) T10 Blast champs, Demerara Pitbulls, will pocket the tournament’s top prize of $1.5M after completing an exceptional tournament.

The Pitbulls created history on Monday when they advanced from the semis all the way to the finals, where they eclipsed the Essequibo Jaguars by a 2-wicket margin.

Following their win, GCB made the huge announcement that the Champs and the Essequibo Jaguars, who placed second, as well as the two losing semi-finalists, would each receive monetary awards.

The Pitbulls bagged the main prize, the Jaguars will receive G$500K for placing second, while the Essequibo Anacondas and the Berbice Caimans would each pocket GY$100k, as per confirma-

tion by the GCB. Trophies have also been awarded to the top performers of The Guyana T10 Blast 2024 as follows: Man of the Match (Final) - Junior Sinclair

MVP - Christopher Barnwell with 170 runs and 11 wickets

Most Runs - Quentin Sampson with 234 runs

Most DismissalsJeremiah Scott

Most Wickets - Ashmead Nedd, who took 13 wickets in the tournament

GCB president Bissoondyal Singh lauded the respective franchises for their show of sportsmanship, class, and high levels of competition, as well as professionalism throughout the length of the tournament.

The official presentation of winning cheques to the franchises will be done at a time to be announced, according to the GCB.

are

The

This league is sponsored by Wilson Plumbing Supplies and General Services, and is supported by the National Sports Commission and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

protection for Lifetime. Location- Georgetown, Guyana. Contact: +592 612-0036. VISHNU ASTROLOGY CENTER, ( +592-632-9943). Past, present and future spiritual healing, black magic. Specialist in bringing back love and any business, health, marriage, domestic problems, lottery numbers, expert in life time protection. Call/ Whatsapp in Georgetown (+592632-9943).

Meadowbrook Nets.

Group B squads

the Wortmanville/ Werk-en-Rust Pacesetters, Black Caimans, Kwakwani Untouchables, Prospect Kobras, Alberttown Valhalla Knights, and Cummings Lodge UG Trojans.

Matthew Daby’s machine

Christopher Barnwell has been named tournament’s MVP for a brilliant all-round performance

Junior Sinclair has been adjudged “player of the final”

Quentin Sampson racked up 234 runs in the tournament

The Swag Entertainment outfit Team ‘Excuse the Rush’

Team Hardball

GFF sign 2-year deal with Saudi Arabia Federation

– significant benefits anticipated among others.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) on Thursday inked a twoyear Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that covers a broad range of areas that are designed to significantly bolster the football ecosystem in Guyana.

The MOU - first between the two nations - was signed on May 16 by GFF President Wayne Forde and SAFF President Yasser Al Misehal on the margins of FIFA’s 74th Congress, held in Bangkok, Thailand. It

will see collaboration in 17 areas that include: marketing and commercial activities, sports facilities, coach development, refereeing, academies and technical development, league and competition development, women’s football, youth football, futsal, beach soccer, sports science and sports medicine, and governance issues.

GFF President Wayne Forde has said, “This MoU is another step by the Federation to ensure our national players are provided every opportunity to compete at the highest level

through strategic partnerships. The GFF continues to place strong emphasis on expanding its reach across the football world by creating new network opportunities within the global football family.

“Our collaboration with the Saudi Arabia Football Federation will open up a new frontier to the GFF and SAFF for cultural exchanges and capacity building in the areas of Sports Science, Youth Development, Infrastructure Development, Women’s Football and Youth Football,

Beharry Automotive Ltd on board KFC U8 Football Fun Day

The KFC Under-8 Football Fun Day kicks off today at 10hrs at the Police Sports Club Ground in Barrack Street, Eve Leary Kingston, where patrons can join organizers for a fun-filled day of under-8 football action.

The KFC annual Football Fun Day event will feature mini football matches, skills challenges, penalty shootout, and dunk tank. Food and drinks would also be available for purchase.

This is a great opportunity for young football enthusiasts to showcase their skills, make new friends, and have a blast playing the beautiful game.

It promises to be an exciting day of under-8 football fun for the entire family.

Gabriel Strand –Marketing Manager of Beharry Automotive Limited, in throwing his company’s support behind the event, shared, “From the time I moved to Guyana, which would’ve been 15 years ago, Vurlon Mills was my first ever coach and my last coach. From my experience working with him and his team, for me, they are the most trustworthy persons I can think of when it comes to the development of the youth and development through football.

“In my experience throughout my life, football has done more than just made a better footballer out of me. It has taught me dis-

cipline, it has taught me core values of being a man, and it has taught me self-control, especially when you get angry, because it happens in sports.

“But I am extraordinarily excited to be working with Vurlon Mills Football Academy. This won’t be the first event we take part in, and we plan on developing this relationship further. However, I am extraordinarily excited to be part of the team, and for Vurlon Mills extending this opportunity to us. Thank you again, and I look forward to Saturday.”

Founder of VMFA, Mr. Vurlon Mills, has expressed gratitude to Beharry Automotive Limited and to corporate Guyana for their commitment to the de-

velopment of the beautiful game for young boys and girls.

The VMFA has consistently coordinated high-quality initiatives in a professional environment for young boys and girls, and will continue to work closely with all stakeholders for the good of the game.

The VMFA would like to express gratitude to Beharry Automotive Limited, KFC Guyana, MVP Sports, and ENET for their generous support in making this event possible for our future stars.

For more information about the Vurlon Mills Football Academy and its initiatives, please contact Mr. Vurlon Mills on 613-1361, or Marisha Fernandes on 6003332.

“I would like to thank President Yasser Al Misehal for his warm friendship and generous consideration of the establishment of this groundbreaking partnership.

Over the next 2 years, the GFF and the SAFF will apply our best efforts in the creation of an exemplary impactful legacy of the true spirit of cooperation and collaboration among football nations. Football unites the world.”

The MoU comes just two months after the historic FIFA Series, wherein Guyana’s senior men’s national team, the Golden Jaguars, competed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and has resulted in a working relationship being established between the GFF and SAFF presidents.

During their stint in Saudi Arabia, the Golden Jaguars delivered a commendable performance, fall-

ing short with a 1-0 loss to Cabo Verde in their opener, but rebounding strongly to clinch a commanding 4-1 victory over Cambodia at the Prince Abdullah AlFaisal Stadium in Jeddah.

The FIFA Series saw 19 other nations from six confederations participating, and it enables teams to com-

pete outside their confederation, allowing member associations to forge connections and create opportunities for their players.

In the upcoming months, the GFF will collaborate with the SAFF to arrange international friendlies for both the women’s and youth national teams.

Sri Lanka Women to host Windies for 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is next month

Sri Lanka will host West Indies for three ODIs and three T20Is from June 15-28, Sri Lanka Cricket announced on Thursday.

For the hosts, the tour will primarily serve as preparation for the T20 Asia Cup, which will take place in Sri Lanka, starting on July 20.

The West Indies have just concluded a month-long tour of Pakistan, where they dominated both the ODI and T20I series. This will be the regional side’s last competitive action before the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, set for October 3-20 in Bangladesh.

The last time these two sides squared off in a bilateral series was back in 2017, when West Indies swept Sri Lanka across both T20Is and ODIs. The West Indies have dominated Sri Lanka in

T20Is with a head-to-head record of 18-4, whereas in ODIs, the contest has been much closer, with West Indies leading 18-14. The ODI series will be played from June 15-21 in Galle, and is part of the ICC Women’s Championship, which serves as a pathway to

the

qualification. The T20Is will be held in Hambantota from June 24-28. (Sportsmax)

2025 ODI World Cup. West Indies are currently seventh on the Women’s Championship points table, and Sri Lanka are eighth. Top four teams, apart from hosts India, will get a direct

Beharry Automotive Ltd. Marketing Manager Gabriel Strand making a presentation to Vurlon Mills

Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and West Indies’ Hayley Matthews

West Indies Women are set to take on Sri Lanka next month

Wayne Forde, President of the GFF, and Yasser Al Misehal, President of SAFF

Wayne Forde, President of GFF, and Yasser Al Misehal, President of SAFF, signing the MoU