Guyana Times - Saturday, May 25, 2024.pdf

Vulnerable children to benefit from new mentorship programme

Pedestrian hospitalised after hit-and-run Sections of Charity under water following heavy rainfall, overtopping

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Saturday, May 25 – 05:30h-06:45h and Sunday, May 26 –04:00h-05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, May 25 –05:05h-06:35h and Sunday, May 26 – 05:40h-07:10h.

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 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to Southerly between 1.34 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 17:49h reaching a maximum height of 2.50 metres.

Low Tide: 11:21h and 23:32h reaching minimum heights of 0.52 metre and 0.76 metre.

Indian university to invest US$1.2M in start-up businesses for GOAL graduates

…targeting 10,000 entrepreneurs in 10 years

ndia-based JAIN Group of Universities & Industries has announced an investment of a whopping US$1.2 million to support start-up businesses for students graduating from the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) Scholarship Initiative.

On Friday, some 1712 students graduated from various programmes under the GOAL initiative offered by 11 universities from around the world, including JAIN University, whose Chancellor and Chairman, Dr Chenraj Roychand, was one of the guest speakers.

During his remarks, Dr Roychand congratulated the graduands on their milestone. Having recognised that 50 per cent of Guyana’s population are below the age of 50, the Indian educa-

According to the Indian Chancellor, over the years, he has helped to create some 5,000 entrepreneurs through the university, and he wants to double this figure in Guyana.

“We’re going to create an accelerated programme online for all the GOAL stu-

talking about knowledge application and how persons can export their thoughts and ideas into lucrative ventures. He subscribes to the saying that three per cent of people are the visionaries, 22 per cent are the intellectual force, and 75 per cent are the skilled force.

online Bachelor’s Degree programme in Commerce. He said he had offered her a 50,000 Indian Rupee (just over G$100,000) start-up investment, which she refused. However, she went on to start business - a simple venture that turned out to be a multi-million-dollar company.

“She started supplying 100 litres of milk. For six months, she supplied 300 litres of milk, and then spices, and then she went to another industry…and within two years, this young girl of 18 years started supplying and made herself a career. Today she owns three gas stations with 800 employees, and she has more than 10 million dollars net worth in a matter of just seven years applying her knowledge,” he said.

He also spoke of another former JAIN University

tor told the graduates that they have the opportunity to meaningfully impact the country’s economy – which he noted is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

To this end, Dr Roychand urged the 2024 GOAL graduating class to consider pursuing a future in entrepreneurship. In fact, he committed to financially supporting start-up businesses undertaken by any of the GOAL graduates.

“On Behalf of India and on behalf of JAIN University, I pledge US$1.2 million for an incubation for start-ups; for the GOAL students here who want to start a business… I will send my team, including professors, here to come up with startup ideas, and we would like to invest in your businesses. [You can] start small and become a 10-million, 20-million or 30-million [company]. You can export ideas, you can export products, you can export services – finance, accounting, technology, machine-learning, artificial intelligence, supply-chain logistic management, or any other models (that) you have in your mind,” he stated.

dents. And it is my commitment that in 10 years, Guyana has at least 10,000 entrepreneurs to [support the country’s] economic growth and add to the GDP of the country. And you all can make this happen,” he stated.

In addition, Dr Roychand announced plans for the GOAL students who graduated with Masters to further evaluate themselves academically with a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD). He said his university would design a special hybrid PhD programme during which they can come with start-up business ideas and will not have to travel to India.

These announcements were met with resounding applause by the graduating students.

The JAIN University Chancellor, who is also its founder, said he is impressed with Guyana and the vision of the President Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government. He believes that the Guyanese graduates have a unique opportunity to use their knowledge to not just enhance and build their careers, but also be business leaders as well.

Dr Roychand pointed out that the world today is

“I started life with one dollar, and today I have 125,000 students across India…JAIN has become one of the finest universities in the country in just 20-30 years… If you dream it, it is possible…I’m just a school dropout. I didn’t even go beyond Eighth Standard (primary school), and you’re all already double graduates. Congratulations on this achievement of yours,” he told the graduating class.

To further inspire the students, the Indian educator gave an example of a female graduate from a poor village in India, who did an

graduate, who started off selling milk and is now one of India’s biggest diary manufacturers, worth some 100 million dollars, in just two years.

“You have the opportunity to make things [like this] happen in life, and you can do that,” Dr Roychand told the Guyanese graduates.

Jain University is one of the universities with which the Guyana Government is collaborating to provide scholarships for Bachelor’s degrees, Masters and doctorates to Guyanese through the GOAL programme.

(G8)

A section of the more than 1700 students who graduated from GOAL scholarship programmes on Friday

Chancellor & Chairman of JAIN University, Dr Chenraj Roychand

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Success of education

As the 1712 graduands proudly celebrate their success having completed several levels of studies under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), it is a good time to remind that education provides one of the main planks for the pursuit of an enhanced life and lifestyle. The ability to read is critical to a student’s success, as well as to lifelong earning potential and economic security.

In spite of the many and various challenges facing Guyana in the delivery of services in the various sectors, when one focuses on the education sector, one can see marked success in the programmes initiated by past and present Governments to deliver quality education to all of Guyana’s children, and provide equitable opportunities for all in the pursuit of upward mobility.

A primary initiative in the education system, which has created success in the education sector, is the establishment of GOAL, which has surpassed its target to provide 20,000 Guyanese with scholarships.

According to data released by the Government earlier this year, since the GOAL scholarship programme was launched in 2021, from 2021 to 2023, a total of 21,442 persons benefited from GOAL scholarships, and this saw Guyanese attaining certificates; diplomas and bachelor’s, post-graduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees in various courses.

The sum of $1.8 billion in budgetary provision was made available to the Public Service Ministry for the programme last year, given the Government’s commitment to the educational advancement of citizens. With regard to Internet connectivity and computer devices, resources were provided to ensure that Information Communication Technology (ICT) hubs in several regions are functional.

In this year’s budget, $4 billion was set aside for the GOAL programme.

Another initiative of the education sector which has created success is the Multimedia Centre at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), with one of the centre’s main activities being the production and broadcast on television of educational programmes. The Learning Television Channel is dedicated to broadcasting programmes throughout the country via the use of satellite communications technology. Broadcasting commenced in 2011, and has proven a great success story.

Additionally, organisational capacity and managerial capability have been enhanced, strengthening the management of the education sector and central ministry.

Focus has been placed on achieving improved educational outcomes through a continuum of policy reviews, initiation of new programmes and initiatives, promoting improved performance management, and monitoring mechanisms geared to ensuring that the goals of the Education Strategic Plan are achieved.

Teacher training has also been enhanced with the introduction of the Associate Degree in Education (ADE), for which thousands have enrolled and concluded training at the Cyril Potter College of Education, along with other teachers in training.

Teachers have been benefiting from continuous development programmes, especially in special training for Maths and English teachers who participate in the non-graduate programmes.

Efforts to support the advances made in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the school and post-secondary levels have also borne fruit, as well as in the field of ICT, where teachers receive basic training in the use of computers with a project of equipping computer labs completed. As such, there have been great strides made in ensuring professionalisation of the teaching force.

In the student community, remediation programmes to facilitate improved Maths and English scores are an ongoing facet of quality education.

There have been stringent efforts to promote child-friendly schools, including enhancements to the school buildings; sanitation blocks; health, nutrition and counselling services; revitalising the PTAs; community outreaches; student councils, and inclusive education. These elements facilitate the realisation of child-friendly schools.

However, irrespective of the efforts of Government, the development of Guyana’s students need cooperative partnership between parents and educational mentors, so parents need to recognise that their support and participation are integral to the holistic development of their children, so that they can emerge as rounded adults primed to engage and overcome the challenges of adulthood.

A woeful desire to poison, politicise people

Dear Editor,

The “Man for All Seasons” cannot even enjoy his birthday peacefully, without the Opposition conjuring that he is not entitled to have a birthday cake and share it, because it will be deemed as politicising the affair, and that will be ‘politically unfair.’ The Man from Leonora grew up in a family that taught him not to be selfish, and to share even the last dollar that he has. From the sugar estate, he knows that you cannot ‘suck cane and blow the whistle at the said time.’

His life is engrained in the sacrifice of workers, and he knows the struggles they endure, because he has firsthand knowledge from experience and exposure from since childhood days. He witnessed the cane cutters riding on their ‘slingshot’ bicycles to go to the cane fields at 6a.m., come rain or sun. That is why you can take him out of the rural area and put him in the urban area, but you cannot separate the sweet from the soil. The man remains full of sugar, and not salt; peace, not conflict; and love, and not hate!

He gravitated from rubbing shoulders with comrades in the trench, and knows the value of comradery. That is why he shares and cares for those who surround him. Guided by a social philosophy, ‘charity begins at home’, he knows that family comes first. Versatile in the scriptures, he fully understands the meaning of giving charity, alms, helping the needy, and looking out for the less fortunate.

Zakat, tithe, and daan are not foreign languages to this devotee of the Supreme, who shares his time, wisdom, resources, and energy

with Guyanese of all denominations without discrimination. As a person, why should he refrain from visiting any mosque, church, or temple without the interference of skeptics, who look through the tainted lenses of ‘politricks’ and not politics? Didn’t the ‘Ranger’ go baby patting while attending church?

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones! Remember the gruelling days of Burnham’s beck and call, and the loyal GDF soldiers running to serve him at his whim and fancy? The ghastly nights still reign terror, when an outfit of murderous sycophants in GDF uniform, ultimately commanded by the head of the PNC, shot and killed two men in Berbice while they were peacefully protesting the illegal removal of the ballot boxes from the place of the poll at the end of voting, during the 1973 General Election. Do you need the help of a stethoscope to hear the marching beat of a political drum? Luckily, the image of the GDF changed for the better, with the likes of Brigadier (rtd) Godfrey Bess and Chief of Defence Staff, Omar Khan.

Some would “eat the cake and want to have it too.” Of course, the Opposition has no desire to recall LFSB, the man who was in charge of all the military forces, and used them for his protection and to preserve his Party’s existence, dressing up like a presumptuous Churchill General in his outrageous uniform, smoking a Cuban cigar on a horseback, riding with leather boots on the dam of Hope (Despair?) Estate like a colonial master, ordering public servants like slaves and taking pride

in a Machiavellian smirk to see subordinates scuttling to please him, and watching gleefully as many senior civil servants cleaned trenches as he devilishly broke their ego and taunted their pride. Under the microscope, would you uncover political pollution or political problem?

The jury is in on the verdict with the Mulatto Stratum (MS) and the Creole middle Class (CMC). Burnham, head of the Army in his miserable time, the man who wanted to be king for life, had an inferiority complex with his colour. It wasn’t all black and beautiful for him, as he changed wives from a darker complexion to a lighter complexion to associate with a higher comfort level. The younger generation is lucky not to have the inconvenience of such a distasteful era. He used and abused the Guyana Police Force with his dogmatic dictates rather than pragmatic dictum. LFSB conveniently went horse trotting with a ‘white man’ on Saturday mornings in Kitty, up William Street up to the corner of Queen Street, to boost his image.

In a Guyana Mounted Police Branch uniform was the last ‘bakra’ crime chief, his mount prancing next to a President who stole that position. It was no other than ‘Skip’ Roberts! Did the telescope pick up poisoning or politicizing the air of refined horsemanship?

The witch doctor is still seeking medicine to know whether or not mixing politics with industrial relations is food for the Gods! Mark Lyte is living in the days of civility as leader of the Guyana Teachers Union, and has the blessings of a cognizant government acknowledging and accepting “the free-

dom to strike.” He does not have to learn to ‘swim with the sharks’ as former CCWU president Gordon Todd had to dangerously experience, thanks to the courtesy of the members of the armed forces with Burnham as head, in a low-flying helicopter out in the turbulent water in the middle of the ocean.

With a PNC member as secretary of the union, do you need an olfactometer to detect the odour of politics on site of the teachers’ strike?

Freddy Kissoon writes, “If there was a PNC today as it was in pre-1992 with Rabbi Washington, Hamilton Greene, Odinga Lumumba, Aubrey Norton and Philip Bynoe, the culture of inflexible, uncompromising, confrontational politics would have dragged Guyana down.” The House of Israel was led by a fugitive, Rabbi Washington. They were thugs who carried out the violent work of the PNC. July 1979, their members murdered Father Darke in broad daylight. You did not need a periscope to spot the close political relationship between Burnham and the Rabbi.

THE GDF and the GPF are no longer for sale, and they will refuse to turn the gun in the wrong direction. The military forces have come to realize that they can no longer afford to be fooled by a few, but to fight the foe. The men of steel know that enjoying a light moment is a piece of cake, and it’s all in a day’s work; for we must learn to live as brothers, or perish together as fools.

Obama warned, “The cynics may be the loudest voices – but I promise you, they will accomplish the least.”

Yours respectfully, Jai Lall

Students of the Rose Hall Town Nursery and Hopetown Primary School visited the Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday, and were given a guided tour. According to a social media post, during their visit, the children had the opportunity to interact with Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy (Office of the Prime Minister photos)

Surviving Indentureship: Cattle and milk

B y R avi D ev

The indentured labourers from India brought a wealth of skills with them, generally centred around agriculture, since this was the mainstay in their villages. We have seen how their knowledge of wet-rice cultivation gave a new industry to Guyana – even when official attempts had failed. Another area of expertise was in cattle rearing, which was not confined to only the Ahir caste, but to most of the rural indentureds.

Factories and logies on sugar plantations were located about a mile from the Atlantic, behind successively a sea dam; the public road; then salt-infused, unsuitable

land for sugar cane. During slavery, provision grounds were allocated here, and with indentureship, each plantation defined the portion immediately north of the factory and managers’ quarters as a “pasture”, where the indentureds could rear cattle for a small fee, and also where small acreages in other sections were rented for rice cultivation. These activities subsidised their starvation wages, so they could labour on the plantations.

To encourage the indentured to remain in Br. Guiana, a $50 bounty was offered up to 1873 for reindenturing for another five years. Many who took up this offer bought cattle, sheep and goats to rear. By 1890, there were 20,631 head of cattle and 5000 sheep and goats on the plantations. By the end of indentureship, however, these numbers were lower, since the plantations placed restrictions on the number permitted. In one account by Luckhoo, in 1918, there were 12,475 head of cattle owned by both indentured and free immigrants, and 3,178 sheep and goats.

Bulls were used to plough and prepare the rice fields, as well as for threshing the paddy. The indentureds also supplied milk to indentureds and free immigrants on the plantations, the villages, and even in Georgetown and New Amsterdam. Cows were reared for this purpose in areas surrounding the city, like in Campbellville, La Penitence, and Bel Air. This gave free Indians their first entry into the city, and, not coincidentally, forced regulations controlling the purity and handling of milk. Through rice, cattle and milk production, Indians slowly lifted themselves out of the poverty of plantation life and into the middle class on their own terms. It was not uncommon for parents to sell a few head of cattle to send their children to Georgetown and abroad to study.

An in-depth look at the Mocha standoff and Peters Hall impasse

Dear Editor,

It is very important to review, analyze, or whatever the term one would like to use in regard to the situation that surfaced in the Mocha standoff and with the citizen in the Peters Hall impasse.

Certain key issues are glaringly similar, which makes for an educated discussion of these two matters. At this point, I must emphatically say that it is my sincere hope that the Peters Hall matter would reach a peaceable conclusion by the time this letter is published. I do hope that good sense prevails, and things are amicably settled.

Now, let us review the Mocha standoff. This was a civil land matter that should have been dealt with civil-

ly; that is, the parties should have come together to thrash things out in a civilized manner. However, that was not to be, the results show that things might very well be headed for another embarrassing showdown.

This is the problem the Government has to face from time to time with a particular group of individuals, when it comes to the acquisition of lands that have been occupied legally or illegally. We are talking here of persons being influenced by the usual political elements in society, who would encourage landowners to inordinately increase their prices, believing that they are to be treated differently from other property owners.

These political functionaries always infiltrate gull-

ible minds with their nonsensical ideas of earning a windfall, which eventually leads to the Government having to use force to evict them.

I must pause here to mention this: from my legal research on the squatters at Mocha, the Government was not legally bound to find separate lodgment for all the members of that household. They could have built a single apartment-type building to house every family there. In legal layman's terms, "We leave you the same way we found you."

However, what transpired was a caring Government relocating them in separate houses, affording them a more comfortable living.

Lessons learned from both cases are that a peace-

ful alternative, rather than a confrontational alternative, is most welcome; hostile and belligerent engagements bring poor results. Leave politics and other extraneous matters out of your discussions, and shun the political actors of the day whose sole aim is only to create trouble.

Like the Bible says, "Come and let's reason together," it is called the meeting of the minds. The Barbadian singer, in her lyrics, expressly states, "The fussin and the fighting and the war must be done, the war must done, and leh we live as one." Let us move forward in togetherness, “One Guyana” is the team's theme.

Respectfully,

Neil Adams

McDonald’s “no compromise” position is flaunting

Dear Editor, I write to offer a short perspective on the ongoing teachers' strike, based on my understanding of what has transpired. As part of the union’s menu of demands, retroactive increases of 20+ percent are being sought from as far back as 2019. It must be recalled that there was another government in power at the time. The APNU+AFC Government, though it fell on December 21, 2018 and occupied government illegally thereafter, a full, complete and legal budget had been passed some three weeks earlier. APNU+AFC therefore had every legal avenue for offering specific increases to teachers.

Please recall that, in 2019, teachers benefited from a 9% increase for those who earned $100,000 or less, and an 8.5% increase for those earning above $100,000. That existing APNU-led Government declared that the treasury was unable to afford or sustain any additional payments to teachers. Fast forward a bit to 2020, after prolonged failed attempts by APNU to steal the election, the PPPC came to power and was appalled at the level of financial mismanagement of the economy, and confirmed that, indeed, the broken, ravished, and rundown economy of 2019 could not afford another cent to any recurring financial regime.

In this letter, I will not delve into the odious, brazen, and unapologetic overt political agitation masked as a teacher’s strike, except to point out that the striker in chief, Ms Coretta McDonald, is a sitting member of Parliament of APNU.

Ordinary citizens and teachers should demand from MP McDonald why her party, which gripped power so tightly, failed to negotiate with, and pay, teachers greater increases in 2019. Instead of owning up to this

and outlining the truth, MP McDonald chooses to attempt to hoodwink the nation. The truth is that, with the state the economy was in at that juncture, the treasury could not even sustain the 8.5%.

The APNU administration found itself with its back against the wall, occupying the seat of power illegally, knowing fully well it would have to face the electorate in a short time. In fact, APNU launched its campaign for the March 2020 elections three weeks after the announcement of the increases, and on the said day the payout commenced, it was all electioneering.

Coretta McDonald knows that. She knows that APNU starved many other good and worthy ventures of resources, and increased taxes to fund their 2019 political odyssey. In 2019, realizing they had a short time left, the APNU Government raided the treasury and diverted hundreds of millions of dollars to benefit a few friends. Think for a moment, APNU was facing an election for its very political survival, and designed its campaign around “massive” salary increases for public servants. MP Coretta says the economy could have afforded a 20% payout to teachers, yet they did not pay it to bolster their campaign. Ask yourself why, the money just was not there.

Coretta McDonald also knew that the plan was to steal the election, and then attempt an economic rescue mission in 2020. Instead, the electorate chose the PPP/C. The PPP/C entered Government in late 2020, having to repair the ravishes done to the economy in 2019, the battering of Covid-19 along with the repairs to the tattered reputation of the country as a lawless, undemocratic nation, one shade away from economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Even though economic activities in the country

ground to a halt in 2020 and 2021, the Government of Dr. Irfaan Ali was able to pay teachers 5% and 7% increases respectively.

The tone of the political rhetoric coming from MP McDonald and other known political operatives embedded in the GTU strike action suggests that teachers did not receive any increases whatsoever. This is a lie.

Further, during 2020 and 2021, much of the nation’s resources were absorbed in diverting funds to the health sector to acquire vaccines, build specialized high-dependency COVID units, pay overtime and exposure premiums to healthcare work-

ers, etc. So, the increases already given to teachers are absolutely what the country could have afforded.

This expresses how ridiculous and unconscionable the “no compromise” position MP McDonald is flaunting. The years 2019, 2020, and 2021 cannot reasonably be included in any negotiations for increases. This is not to pre-judge any other year for inclusion or exclusion in negotiations, I merely addressed these specific years mentioned.

All for your consideration.

Sincerely,

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Foundation

CSEC MATHS

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions.

Sexual assault allegations Insufficient “credible evidence” to charge Dharamlall – Police

Two weeks after new sexual assault alle-

gations against former Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall surfaced from a 28-year-old woman, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Friday stated that there is insufficient evidence to institute criminal charges against him.

In a statement to the media, the GPF stated that, on May 23, it received legal advice indicating that there was insufficient evidence to charge Dharamlall for the rape and sexual assault allegations made against him.

“The legal advice was based on the fact that there were several inconsistencies and discrepancies in the complainant's story,” the police have said. In addition, statements taken from several persons have contradicted the complainant's story.

“These included alibi witnesses who placed Nigel Dharamlall in a different region on the date that the alleged incident occurred in

September 2020. Statements also disclosed that Nigel Dharamlall is not the owner of the house where the alleged incident occurred in January 2021, and he has no access to same.”

In light of these disclosures, among others, the police legal advisor has concluded that there is insufficient credible evidence by which to institute charges against Dharamlall, and there is no realistic prospect of securing a conviction in

these matters.

“In keeping with the Code for Prosecutors, a case which does not pass this evidential stage must not proceed, no matter how serious or sensitive it may be,” the statement has added.

Earlier in the month, the complainant hosted a virtual press conference in which she detailed two alleged separate incidents when she was sexually molested by the former minister. The first, she alleged, was committed

“Nothing prepared me for this!” – father of dead driver in 2-vehicle collision

Atwo-vehicle collision on the Columbia Public Road in Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Thursday evening has left 27-year-old Jonathan Gomes of Canary Street, Tucville Georgetown dead.

According to the police, the accident involved motor lorry GSS 6980, at the time being driven by a resident of Airy Hall in Mahaicony, ECD and motorcar PVV 3618, at the time being driven by Jonathan Gomes.

Preliminary investigations revealed that at about 20:15h on Thursday, the motor lorry was proceeding east along the roadway while the motorcar was heading in the opposite direction. Gomes reportedly overtook several vehicles and ended up in the path of the motor lorry. Reports are that despite the lorry driver’s best efforts to avoid a collision, the car slammed into the lorry, causing Gomes to lose control of his vehicle, which

car

crashed into a utility pole.

Gomes was pulled from the wreckage of his vehicle in an unconscious state, and was rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The lorry driver was also taken to the hospital, but was treated and sent away.

A breathalyzer test administered to the lorry driver detected no trace of alcohol in his system. He nevertheless remains in police custody, assisting with the investigation.

In a social media post, Aubrey Gomes, father of the late Jonathan Gomes, has said, “Nothing prepared me for this! I have no words… My only son. I know God knows best. I don't understand… Jonathan Andrew Mark Gomes, you were everything I wanted in a son. No trouble, no headache…Oh, my heart has stopped beating…God, we need your comforting arms around my family.” Attempts to contact this family have proved futile, but investigations are ongoing.

back in September 2020 at State House in Anna Regina, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam). Recounting that incident, the woman claimed that her alleged abuser, who was a minister at the time, had invited her there to be interviewed for a job. She alleged that, upon arriving, she was taken into a bedroom, where she was sexually assaulted.

The woman revealed that the second incident allegedly occurred in 2021 at the former minister’s residence in Cummings Lodge. She admitted that she was hesitant to report the matter, blaming her hesitancy on the extent of corruption within the Guyana Police Force and, more importantly, she did not want her name to be dragged “into the mud.”

Following the accusations, Dharamlall issued a statement that vehemently refuted the claims made against him. He expressed awareness of the alleged victim’s press conference, where she levelled ‘malicious’ alle-

gations against him, and he began by outrightly denying each accusation put forth by the woman.

Nevertheless, he stated that he had personally known the woman for several years, and had always maintained a most civil and cordial relationship with her, including socialising on many occasions. He added that her demeanour towards him changed fundamentally after he rebuffed her advances and spurned her attempts to engage in an intimate relationship.

A few days later, he turned up at the Cove and John Police Station, East Coast Demerara (ECD) with a team of lawyers led by Attorney-at-Law Bernard DaSilva, where he was interrogated about the sexual assault allegations made against him by the young woman. He was later released, and the case file was sent to the Police legal advisor to determine the way forward.

In June 2023, Dharamlall was arrested at

the Brickdam Police Station for questioning in relation to rape allegations levelled against him by a 16-yearold lass. He was subsequently released on $1 million station bail. No charge was instituted based on advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, following a statement from the teenager that was delivered to the police by her mother. The teenager, in that statement, indicated that she wanted no further action on the matter. In light of that, the DPP concluded that in the absence of the victim’s complaint, there was no legal provision for the police to proceed with the matter. The DPP also disclosed that consideration was given to the fact that the complainant had given a further statement to investigators to the effect that she wished to withdraw her complaint against Dharamlall, that her decision was not influenced by anyone, and that it was in her best interest to do so.

(G11)

Dead: Jonathan Gomes

The mangled

after the accident

Former Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall

To protest…?

…or, not to protest?

Apart from all the challenges facing the PNC to bring off their Congress by the end of June, they’re now engaged in a bitter war of words over whether they should be protesting in the streets, or not!! But maybe the two aren’t unconnected. The brouhaha erupted after Leader Aubrey Norton said to one of the chief instigators of street protests – a minor Opposition party functionary – he believes in protests, but STREET protests at this time ain’t the right thing to do!! Now, this is a case of “man bites dog”, and it gotta be explored!!

Norton, after all, is one of those who were leaders in the massive street protests in the late 1990s, when the PNC brought the PPP to its knees – and to the bargaining table and constitutional change!! And it was because of the street cred he then developed that made the party turn to him and elect him as party leader, when Granger left office after their five-month illegal squatting on the presidency. He was to SHOW those PPP so-and-sos where barley does grow!! But with his bellicosity not going beyond refusing to shake Pressie’s hands – and now his “no-street-protest” announcement – folks are coming out of the woodwork to question his motives!!

No one’s surprised that the minority hanger-on parties are pushing street protests. They gotta get attention somehow, and pushing street protests is a quick and dirty way to do so. Remember when the minority fella screamed to PNC supporters about the PPP: “Undermine them!! Undermine them by any means necessary!!”? And, of course, we had the protest on the Demerara East Coast that ended up with mass pandemonium, beatings and looting at Mon Repos Market!! And this is the reality about opposition street protests in Guyana – innit?? No matter that protests might be a democratic method signalling disapproval of the Government’s actions, when it ends in beatings of fellow Guyanese - who just happen to look different from the protestors – Norton’s got a point to be skittish!!

But look who’s on his case for his stance: no other than his predecessor David Granger, who’s never held a placard in his life, much less march in the hot sun!! Your Eyewitness can understand the worst possible alternative fella (as Burnham dubbed them!!) or the fella in his Brooklyn basement - with his “friend”! - fighting for attention and relevance. But Granger?? Isn’t this the man who never passed up an opportunity to drop on his knees and offer a prayer??

But then, one of the contestants for the PNC’s June beauty pageant, who’s been trying to channel Burnham as his selling point, also weighed in for street protest!! Just shows they’re all deathly scared of Norton!!

…a snap Congress

One of the newbies, brought into PNC politics by Granger as part of his militarization of the party, just complained that the Congress’s date is “too quick”!! Rather than the one-month notice, there shoulda been at least three!! Now, this just shows you how these neophytes haven’t the foggiest idea of how democracy works in real life. Did the young lady ever hear about “snap elections” in the parliamentary system??

While normally a government’s term normally lasts five years, it’s the incumbent’s prerogative to call an election at any time – a “snap election”!! Like snapping your finger!! Obviously, it’s to catch the Opposition in a state of unpreparedness – and gain an advantage. So, in real life, Opposition parties gotta always be prepared for elections. And so it is with internal elections: for over a year, many in the PNC have been baying at Norton to schedule Congress so leadership elections can be held; and they expect him NOT to use his prerogative?? Politics isn’t ludo!!

…too much!!

The World Court just ordered Israel to quit its invasion of Rafah in Gaza. And the Israelis have replied, “No can do”. The World Court has no battalions – save what the IUN Security Council musters. Which the US will veto!!

“Use this new beginning" – Pres Ali to 1712 GOAL graduating students

…as valedictorian calls on naysayers to find success in GOAL also

The 1712 graduates of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme, funded by the Government, should view this opportunity gained in their lives as a new beginning, marking a fresh start in their academic and lifelong journey.

Those were the remarks of President Dr Irfaan Ali during the recent GOAL graduation, where he emphasised that the hard work students have undertaken serves as a stepping stone towards their future goals.

According to the Head of State, persons must keep

this ideology in mind while also knowing that they are in charge of the trajectory of their lives.

“Today you are in a better place to shift what will drive your future, this shift can either be a positive mindset that will drive your future or the experiences of the past that you will allow you to limit yourself; whether today, in this moment of pride, you make a decision that you will change your life now, that’s not my decision, that is your universe to decide,” he stated.

He further pointed out to the graduates that their long-lost dreams that they thought were so far away have now become their reality.

“Your dreams and goals are no longer dreams and goals, they are now your results. Your goals and aspirations are now no longer goals and aspirations, you are now champions of your own stories. You will decide today whether your story will stop here today or if your story will move on to part two,” the Head of State encouraged the graduates.

Additionally, he urged the graduates to see this opportunity as a new beginning, highlighting the Government's significant investment in the project to improve the nation as a whole. He emphasised that the only way to stay ahead of ongoing competition that will be happening, as various persons from around the world would like to spread their wings in Guyana is by continuing their academic efforts.

“Your Government is ensuring that you remain competitive not only for today, but long into the future and much more than that, the Government that is incentivising, your Government has invested over 1.5 billion dollars in over the course of the past two years, the only way to stay above the curve is to do what you are doing right now,” the Head of State said.

Do not listen to naysayers

Meanwhile, the valedictorian, Rohanie Beeram, echoed President Ali's sentiments, stating that she had faced rough waters but had overcome them.

According to Beeram, two years ago, she embarked on the journey with a shared goal, eagerly awaiting the day it would come to an end. She also stated that various persons would have tried to shatter her spirit and the other graduates’ while they were studying.

“Many people tried to

break our spirits with their negativity and doubts, but we made it despite all the challenges thrown our way thanks to the unwavering support of our loved ones,” Beeram shared.

Highlighting a crucial point in her life when her beloved mother passed away mere months ago, she relayed that it has been one of great loss, but she knows her mother will always be with her just as how her degree will always be with her.

“She always had that faith in me and believed I'd be standing here today even before I did. All I wanted to do was run and show it to her, because seeing that was a bittersweet moment for me, just like standing here is right now.”

She added, “Even though she's not physically here with me today and is probably rocking away somewhere in heaven, she will always be in my heart and her teaching will always stay with me, just like this master's degree.”

Meanwhile, the young valedictorian had a message for the persons who would have discouraged her in her journey where she wished that they themselves would partake in the GOAL programme.

“To those who doubted us and said, ‘oh, it's just a piece of paper’ and fuelled your negativity our way. I hope success finds you one day as well, because if we can do it, so can you,” Beeram confidently stated.

Seventeen hundred and twelve students ranging from young adults, single parents, mothers and fathers have graduated from the GOAL initiative that the Government has invested billions of dollars in since 2021 when the programme was launched. In the 2024 Budget, some $4 billion was allocated to the initiative.

(G2)

GOAL’s 2024 Valedictorian, Rohani Beeram

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Vulnerable children to benefit from new mentorship programme

Some 40 children and youths will be the first batch to benefit from the newly-launched Youth Empowerment & Mentorship Programme –an initiative that will see various leaders working with vulnerable participants to equip them with the tools and guidance needed to harness their talents.

This Empowerment and Mentorship programme is a collaboration between the Men on Mission (MoM) initiative and the Private Sector Commission (PSC). It will target children and youths, aged five to 14, with the first batch of 40 already identified in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

Hosted at the One Guyana Kitchen on Main Street, Georgetown, the programme will commence from June 1 and will see participants receiving meals, assistance with homework, access to computers and the Internet, and motivational sessions by prominent Guyanese leaders as well as extra-curricular activities including yoga and karate.

During the launch on Friday in Georgetown, President Dr Irfaan Ali lauded the multi-faceted partnership with the Private Sector that will provide positive role models for these vulnerable participants.

“This group of Private Sector persons are coming together in a sustainable way to keep these children in this [empowerment and mentorship] environment until they graduate out of the programme… They will bring these children together in the afternoons and there will be a roster of individuals including the Chiefof-Defence Staff, myself, the Commissioner of Police… who will come in the evenings to talk to the children to identify whether they have any specific and special talent that we could also develop – sporting talent, technical talent.

“And then we have Nations School that would help us to supervise the extra learning for the children when they come here… So, if we have kids who need additional work on reading, in mathematics, on numeracy skills; they will get that support from an environment that offers that support,” the President noted.

According to the Head of State, the Private Sector will support these vulnerable children and youths throughout their secondary education and then ensure they further their studies at the tertiary level.

“So, whether you need to go to the University of

Guyana, which will be free by then [or] you go on the GOAL scholarship programme, which is again free – the Government is building all of these facilities to support every young person. But we need that guidance, that motivation and that modelling, and that is what this group will do,” Ali posited.

MOM, a brainchild of President Ali, is currently working with the Private Sector in Regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) to roll out similar mentorship programmes there.

MOM Representative, Lieutenant Colonel Bhageshwar Murli underscored the important role mentorship plays in shaping children and youths. He explained that this mentorship programme was structured to provide foundational support and guidance to young people.

He added that for this programme, mentors would be “carefully matched” with mentees who have shared interests and goals thus creating meaningful and lasting connections.

“This programme will offer regular one-on-one meetings, group activities, workshops… and learning opportunities throughout Guyana. We have high hopes for the outcome of our programme. By connecting our youngsters with supportive role models we aim to instil confidence, inspire ambition and foster personal and professional development. Through this programme, we aspire to see our young people thrive, equipped with the positive habits, skills, and knowledge needed to navigate life’s challenges and seize opportunities,” Murli stated.

One of the major Private Sector supporters is ENet and according to its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Vishook Persaud, this programme will help to em-

power and equip Guyanese children to think differently and become part of the local workforce.

He also spoke about the importance of a balanced environment that will foster

academic and extra-curricular activities for Guyanese children and youths. Persaud further lobbied for wider participation from the

Private Sector to support the empowering and mentoring of Guyana’s future leaders.

Another prominent

Guyanese supporting this programme is former national cricketer and businessman, Lennox Cush. (G8)

President Dr Irfaan Ali speaking at the launching of the Youth Empowerment and Mentorship Programme on Friday

58th Independence Anniversary celebrations Jagdeo criticises promoters of boycott in Linden

…as Opposition refuses to participate in flag-raising ceremony

The Guyana Government will take the national flag-raising ceremony in observance of the country’s 58th Independence Anniversary to Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Sunday.

However, some political activists have been ad-

vocating for a boycott of this national event and have publicised several reasons why people should not attend the gathering. The reasons sought to discredit the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government’s track record in Linden.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has since criticised

the attempts to undermine the celebrations, contending that it is another act of rac-

ism being promoted by certain Opposition players.

He explained that the cur-

rent PPP/C Administration had taken a decision to host the national flag-raising ceremony in regions outside of Georgetown, in an attempt to bring people closer to these events and promote a better sense of patriotism.

“I would’ve thought that this is a national event and that you would want full participation. It takes the pomp and ceremony to another part of the country which is normally associated with Georgetown,” Jagdeo said.

Previously, the flag-raising ceremonies were held in Anna Regina, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

However, he recalled that when the event was held in Region Two, members from the Opposition camp had criticised the move. “Now that it’s going to Region 10, they’ve urged people not to attend,” the Vice President lamented.

He referred to a list in circulation of reasons why people should not attend the event in Linden, debunking each of the mistruths therein.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the investments, Jagdeo

noted that the Government was spending $280 million on two stands at the Linden Synthetic Track and installing floodlights to make the sporting facility better. In addition, 1000 house lots are being developed on a plantation next to Linden to facilitate construction of low-income houses along with another 400 in Amelia’s Ward.

“That’s 1400 persons who will get a plot of land or a low-income house from the government in this period,” he noted.

He also alluded to significant investments in health, telecommunications, and other areas by the current administration for the people of Linden and Region 10.

Opposition’s boycott Meanwhile, the Opposition on Friday said that it would not participate in the 58th Independence flag-raising ceremony. The Opposition claimed the Government did not consult with the elected Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10 and the Mayor and Town Council of Linden in planning the activities.

“The deliberate exclusion of regional officials from Region 10 from such a significant event is not only callous but also gross disrespect to the principles of local and regional governance,” the Opposition said on Friday.

Pedestrian hospitalised after hit and run

Apedestrian is now hospitalised after a hit-and-run incident on High Street, Georgetown, and according to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), law enforcement officers are actively searching for the driver involved, who fled the scene.

Reports are that at about 19:00h on Thursday, a motorcycle crashed into Jvon Ross of Durban Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, causing him to sustain injuries about his body. The rider of the motorcycle was reportedly proceeding north along High Street, against

the one-way direction of this road, at a fast rate when he collided with Ross, who was crossing the road from the east to the west in the vicinity of the Ashmin building. Ross sustained injuries about his body, and fell on the roadway. He was picked up by his parents, placed in a motorcar and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where a doctor on duty admitted him as a patient. The driver of the motorcycle rode away after colliding with Ross, but the scene was visited by police, and investigations are ongoing. (G9)

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton

File photo: Independence celebration in Lethem, Region Nine in 2024

Electoral fraud cases… Lowenfield, Myers were on fishing expedition, “cast their net too wide” – High Court

…CJ dismisses constitutional challenge

Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, on Friday dismissed a challenge filed by former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and his then Deputy CEO Roxane Myers regarding the electoral fraud cases filed against them in a magistrate’s court over the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Lowenfield and Myers, along with others, are charged with 28 criminal charges of attempting to commit fraud at the 2020 General and Regional Elections. These criminal charges are pending at the Georgetown magistrate’s Court.

The former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials had claimed in their challenge that Section 140 (2) of the Representation of the People Act breached their right to a fair trial, as guaranteed by Article 144, and their right to equality before the law, as guaranteed by Article 149 (D) of the Constitution.

Section 140 (2) of ROPA states that: “No evidence of any deliberations of the Elections Commission or communications between members of the Commission regarding its business shall be admissible in any court.”

During the magistrate’s court proceedings, lawyers for Lowenfield and Myers had requested minutes from GECOM’s meeting, which was hindered by Section 140 (2). Hence, the lawyers had argued that this section of ROPA is breaching their client’s constitutional rights.

Lowenfield and Myers claimed that they needed the deliberations or communications of the GECOM as part of the facilities for the preparation of their defence in the criminal proceedings. As a result, they made an application for the criminal cases to be adjourned while they filed the constitutional challenge in the High Court. Amid public criticisms, presiding Magistrate Leron Daly adjourned the criminal proceedings to await the deci-

sion of the High Court.

In the High Court challenge, the Attorney General (AG) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were named in the constitutional action. On April 23, the Chief Justice ordered written submissions from all the parties, including GECOM, which had made a successful application to join the proceedings.

Justice George ruled on the matter on Friday.

In dismissing the case, the High Court agreed with the submissions of the AG, the DPP and GECOM.

A statement from the AG Chambers said the Court found that Lowenfield and Myers were on a fishing expedition and "cast their net too wide." It added that the Court found no evidence that Lowenfield and Myers’ constitutional rights were likely to be infringed.

“The Court also found that the public interest in ensuring that GECOM's deliberations remain confidential overrides whatever constitutional rights Lowenfield and Myers enjoy. Finally, the Court ruled that there was no ground established that shows that Section 140 (2) of the Representation of the People Act breached any provisions of the Constitution,” the missive from the AG Chambers detailed.

During the High Court proceedings, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, appeared in person along with Assistant Solicitor General Shoshanna Lall; Senior Legal Adviser Loretta Noel, and State Counsel Pierre Squires. The Applicants were rep-

resented by Attorneys Nigel Hughes and Iyanna Butts, while the DPP was represented by Darshan Ramdhani, KC, and GECOM was represented by Attorney Kurt DaSilva.

The High Court ruling now paves the way for the presiding magistrate to proceed with the criminal charges.

In addition to

Lowenfield and Myers, the other defendants in the election fraud cases are former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, former People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairperson Volda Lawrence; PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph, and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller.

They are accused of several offences, including misconduct while holding public office, presenting falsified documentation, and planning to manipulate Guyana’s voters by presenting an inaccurate vote total.

These charges stem from attempts to rig the 2020 General and Regional Elections in favour of the then ruling A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC)

coalition. These accused persons are all out on cash bail.

Shortly after GECOM had announced the election results on August 2, 2020, charges were brought against the individuals in question. In August 2021, GECOM voted to terminate the employment of Lowenfield, Myers, and Mingo.

Last year, the prosecution had asked the Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, to assign a special court to hear the cases in order to expedite them. Concerns regarding the unsatisfactory progress in these cases have been voiced by a number of persons, including the Attorney General.

Former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

Former Deputy CEO Roxane Myers

Sections of Charity under water following heavy rainfall, overtopping

Several sections of Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), were inundated following the overtopping of the Pomeroon River on Friday.

The overtopping has also left several residents counting their losses as their homes were flooded. They, however, blamed the contractor, Adamantium Holdings Construction Division, claiming that the

company neglected the ongoing project even though it was warned about potential flooding owing to high tides.

One resident stated that over $2 million worth of household items, including a washing machine, two refrigerators, a microwave, cabinets, a fan, a bed, and chair sets, were damaged owing to the floodwaters.

ing him of negligence for failing to construct a temporary blockade to prevent flooding, despite the threat of the high tide.

As a remedial measure, mud and sandbags were used to seal the breach. The regional officials promised to meet with the contractor to discuss the situation. NDIA has since conducted emergency works to prevent the water from further inundating more homes.

ea’s integrity within two hours.

The release stated that dewatering of the affected areas has commenced and

will continue until the water has completely receded. Additionally, the team remains on-site, monitoring the situation and con-

ducting additional work to maintain the wall’s integrity. Adamantium Holdings says it is committed to completing the project.

Shortly after the flooding, Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva, Regional Vice Chairman Humace Oodit, and a team from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) visited the affected areas to assess the situation.

During their visit, they were told that the contractor should be held responsible for the damage, accus-

“When I woke up and stepped off the bed, I landed in about nine inches of floodwater. All my furniture and appliances were soaked and damaged. Who will repay for all of this?” the woman added.

Meanwhile, the contracting company, in a subsequent release, related that at approximately 05:30h on Friday, a section of the berm wall of the Pomeroon River near the Charity pump station construction site was overtopped owing to high spring tides combined with excessive rainfall, causing the river to reach unusually high levels.

The contractor added that the engineering team promptly responded to a resulting small breach, sealing it and restoring the ar-

Chinese Govt donates $21M in flood response equipment to CDC

The People’s Republic of China on Friday handed over US$100,000 in flood response equipment to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) as part of an effort to increase countrywide resilience to flooding.

The items handed over comprised two Argo Aurora 950 Huntmaster amphibious vehicles, four 14-foot aluminum boats, and four Mercury outboard engines.

During the handing over ceremony, held at the CDC Headquarters in Thomas Lands, Georgetown, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan, along with Prime Minister Brig. (ret’d) Mark Phillips and others, was briefed on the capabilities of the products and the significant positive impact they would have on disaster management.

Encore Power Inc., Farm Supplies Ltd., and SEBCO/ Automotive Art would provide maintenance services on these pieces of equipment when necessary.

Director General of

the CDC, Colonel (ret’d) Nazrul Hussain, underscored the importance of quality resources to manage hazards and diminish vulnerabilities in floodprone areas. And Prime Minister Phillips emphasised the longstanding relationship between Guyana and China, while referencing the aid that the Chinese Government delivered during the El Nino season.

These resources would

be deployed to flood-affected areas across the country, and would be utilized by trained personnel.

The La Nina season has officially begun, and consistent rainfall is expected throughout its duration. As a result, residents are urged to be cautious, and to report any impact to local authorities or the National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) on telephone #600-7500 at any time.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips; Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan; Director General of the CDC, Colonel (Retired) Nazrul Hussain, and representatives of the two companies during the handing-over ceremony

NDIA conducting emergency works at the project site

The sealed breach after the overtopping

Regional

US missionaries killed in Haiti gang violence

AUS missionary couple were among three people killed in Haiti as widespread gang violence continues to plague the country.

Natalie Lloyd, 21, her 23-year-old husband David, and Jude Montis, a 20-yearold Haitian, were ambushed by gunmen as they left a church.

The couple’s deaths were confirmed on Facebook by Natalie’s father, Missouri State Senator Ben Baker.

“They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed,” he wrote. “They went to heaven together.”

The couple were married in 2022.

Their organisation, Missions in Haiti, confirmed to US media that Mr Montis was the third victim.

In an earlier Facebook post, the organisation said that the three were attacked by two separate armed groups, beginning with an attack by gunmen in three vehicles.

After another group arrived and a gang member was shot dead, the three missionaries were trapped in a house while the gang went “into full attack mode”, the post added.

“They are holed up in there, the gangs have shot all the windows out of the house and continued to shoot,” the post said.

Missions in Haiti confirmed that all three were dead three hours later.

The state department is aware of the deaths, a spokesperson told the

BBC’s US partner CBS.

“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss,” the spokesperson said. “We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”

On X/Twitter, Missouri Governor Mike Parson called the deaths “absolutely heart-breaking news”.

The White House on Friday called for the swift deployment of a Kenyan-led multinational force to stabilise the nation.

“The security situation in Haiti cannot wait,” said a National Security Council spokesperson, adding that President Joe Biden had pledged to support the “expedited deployment” of the force in talks with Kenya’s president on Thursday.

“Our hearts go out to the families of those killed as they experience unimaginable grief,” the spokesperson added.

In a similar incident in 2021, 17 North American missionaries were kidnapped and held east of Port-au-Prince.

Five were released and 12 ultimately escaped by

using stars for navigation to trek through dense bush.

Missions in Haiti has been operating in the country since 2000, and is largely focused on helping Haitian children.

For weeks, gangs had been carrying out deadly co-ordinated attacks, demanding the resignation of the then Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

He agreed to step down in March. Nine members of the transitional council have now been sworn in to lead the country.

But the gangs have capitalised on the power vacuum left by Mr Henry’s exit and expanded their control over large swathes of the country.

Kenya is due to deploy police forces to Haiti at the head of an international force aimed at helping the country’s transitional authorities restore order.

Earlier this week, the UN children’s agency, Unicef, warned that the violence and widespread malnutrition have brought Haiti’s health system to “the verge of collapse”. (BBC)

Heavy rains return to southern Brazil, flooding even higher ground in Porto Alegre

Heavy rains once again pounded parts of Brazil’s southernmost state on Thursday, ruining days-long clean-up efforts and flooding areas which had previously been untouched in Rio Grande do Sul’s capital city of Porto Alegre.

Record flooding over the past month has killed 163 people and displaced around 600,000 more. Another 64 people are still missing.

Rains had lightened up to a drizzle over the past few days, with stores beginning to open and residents working to rebuild.

But the skies opened once more on Thursday morning, dumping heavy rains and flooding areas of Porto Alegre all over again.

One daycare in the neighborhood of Menino Deus, which had reopened on Wednesday after a week-long clean-up, was forced to evacuate as the rains rushed in.

“It all happened very quickly, (the flooding happened) much faster than last time,” the director of the child-

T&T

care center, who did not give her name, said.

In a span of 12 hours, parts of Porto Alegre received more rains than they typically do in a whole month, according to data from the national meteorological institute.

The flooding on Thursday also hit areas of Porto Alegre, such as in the south, which had previously gone unscathed.

Gimena Samuel had to call for her elderly parents to be rescued in the neighborhood of Cavalhada, where streets were flooded and cars unable to get through.

“There are a lot of elderly people here who can’t get out by themselves,” she said.

Earlier this week, the city of Porto Alegre had asked residents to leave their trash out on the sidewalk to be thrown away. However, the fresh rains carried the trash out onto the street, clogging drains and worsening the flooding.

Porto Alegre Mayor Sebastiao Melo told reporters the city was not surprised by the downpour, but that it was “excessively heavy.”

Residents, however, complained about the lack of warning. (Reuters)

cops kill four suspects linked to kidnapping of doubles vendor

The four men who were killed by police during an alleged shootout in the mountains at Upper St Michael’s Road, St Augustine, yesterday morning, were yet to be identified up to last night.

Although the T&T Police Service (TTPS) was unable to definitively confirm if and how

Former Jamaican soldier who killed wife sentenced to 5 years in prison

Lieutenant Kyodia Burnett, the former Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) physiotherapist who stabbed his attorney-at-law wife, Nordraka to death in December 2018, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Burnett, who had been charged for murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility when his trial began in February.

A slew of medical psychiatry reports entered into evidence during the trial indicated that Burnett was first diagnosed with a mental illness in 2008, the same year he married his wife, and that he continued to decline.

Jacqueline SamuelsBrown, King’s Counsel, attorney for the 41-year-old in addressing trial judge Justice Dale Palmer in the Home Circuit Division of the Supreme Court in Downtown Kingston had said her client

was first diagnosed with ‘generalised anxiety depression’ in 2008. She said his condition deteriorated, leading to him being diagnosed with major depressive disorder with anxious distress in January 2018. Burnett murdered his wife on December 13, 2018.

Samuels-Brown also pointed to an expert opinion contained in one of the reports

which said Burnett experienced a further decline leading to him being diagnosed with ‘schizoaffective disorder – the depressive type’ and was at one point placed on suicide watch.

The experienced attorney, who had argued “that all the evidence points in the direction of a supervisory order” had suggested a sentence of

no more than three years.

In a detailed plea in mitigation address, SamuelsBrown said an order that does not include incarceration in a prison or correctional centre is the appropriate one to be made in the case.

However, senior prosecutor Claudette Thompson, now acting director of public prosecutions who led the evidence in the matter, in making her sentencing submission pointed out that while Burnett “is an educated man, a university graduate, a professional who knew from as early as 2008 that he was suffering from a mental illness…his children are now having to face all the good and the bad, negatives and positives, without a mother to guide them”.

“He needs to be punished so that he will understand the consequences of action and inaction…it is a custodial sentence that the Crown is urging on this court,” she said at the time. (Jamaica Observer)

the men were connected to the kidnapping of doubles vendor

Anisha Hosein-Singh, who was released unharmed on Wednesday night in Caroni, it is believed the four played a part in the woman’s five-day ordeal.

The dead men, who were killed several hours after Hosein-Singh was found by a motorist wandering along the road in Caroni, were alleged to be members of the Resistance Gang.

Head of the Anti Kidnapping Unit (AKU), ASP Darryl Ramdass, yesterday said, “We would have had intelligence that suggested and led to enquiries.”

Meanwhile, the top brass in the T&T Police Service believe the kidnappers were “spooked” as a result of intensified investigations and had chosen to release their victim to avoid detection and apprehension.

However, investigators said there may be other players still at large and are con-

tinuing to withhold most of the information on the case.

Hosein-Singh, a 27-yearold mother of one, was grabbed by armed men around 5.50 am on May 18, whilst setting up the Sauce & Sons doubles stand along the Eastern Main Road, El Dorado, Tunapuna. She was picked up by a driver around 10 pm on Wednesday near the Caroni Cremation Site.

Reports claim that officers, acting on intelligence, hiked for at least 30 minutes through the hilly St Augustine terrain around 9 am yesterday as they continued enquiries. At some stage during their journey, they were allegedly fired upon by the suspects, who were said to be hiding in a wooden shack.

The officers returned fire, killing the four men on the spot.

A pistol and an automatic rifle were allegedly recovered in the shack where the suspects were killed. (Excerpt from T&T Guardian)

Davy and Natalie Lloyd

People walking in a flooded area in the Cavalhada neighbourhood after heavy rains in Porto Alegre, Brazil on May 23, 2024

Former Lieutenant Kyodia Burnett and his wife Nordraka Burnett

Cops at the scene of the shooting

Around the World

OIL NEWS

Oil posts weekly loss as interest rate policy spurs fuel demand worries

Oil prices rose about 1% on Friday, but fell for the week on worries that strong U.S. economic data would keep interest rates elevated for a longer period, curbing fuel demand.

The Brent crude July contract rose 76 cents to $82.12 a barrel. The more-active August contract closed up 73 cents at $81.84.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled 85 cents, or 1.1%, higher to $77.72.

On Thursday, Brent closed at its weakest since Feb. 7 and U.S. WTI futures at their lowest since Feb. 23.

Summer demand in the United States is expected to pick up starting this weekend, and some investors are wondering if the selloff was exaggerated, said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial.

Brent closed down 2.1% for the week. It declined for four straight sessions this week, its longest losing streak since Jan 2. WTI settled down 2.8% for the week.

Worries over Federal Reserve interest rate policy and last week’s bump in US crude oil inventories weighed on market sentiment, said Tim Evans, an independent energy analyst.

Minutes of the Fed’s latest policy meeting released on Wednesday showed policymakers questioning whether interest rates were high enough to tame stubborn inflation. Some officials were willing to raise borrowing costs again if inflation surged.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other policymakers have since said they feel further increases are unlikely.

Higher interest rates increase the cost of borrowing, which can slow economic activity and dampen demand for oil Consumer sentiment also fell to a five-month low on mounting fears about borrowing costs staying high. At face value, pessimism among households would imply slower consumer spending, though the relationship between the two has been weak.

Oil demand is still robust from a broader perspective, analysts at Morgan Stanley wrote in a note, adding they expect total oil liquids consumption to increase by about 1.5 million barrels per day this year.

Soft U.S. gasoline demand has been offset by global demand, which surprised to the upside, especially in the early parts of the year, the analysts said.

U.S. gasoline product supplied, a proxy for demand, reached its highest level since November in the week to May 17, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday.

On the supply side, the oil rig count, an early indicator of future output, was unchanged at 497 this week, energy services firm Baker Hughes (BKR.O), opens new tab said. Meanwhile, the market is awaiting a June 2 online meeting of the OPEC+ producer group comprising the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies to discuss whether to extend voluntary oil output cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day.

Analysts largely anticipate that current production cuts will be extended at least to the end of September.

Russia, in a rare admission of oil overproduction, said this week it exceeded its OPEC+ production quota in April for “technical reasons,” a surprise that analysts and industry sources say shows Moscow’s challenges in curbing output.

(Excerpted from Reuters)

Top UN court orders Israel to stop Rafah offensive

The UN’s top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has issued a dramatic ruling, ordering Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah”.

It acted in support of a South African application last week which sought a number of measures against Israel, accusing it of stepping up what it says is a genocide.

Presiding judge Nawaf Salam said the situation in Gaza had deteriorated since the court last ordered Israel to take steps to improve it.

Israel has vehemently denied the allegation and signalled it would ignore any order to halt its operation.

Reading the court’s ruling on Friday, Nawaf Salam said “Israel must immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate” which could bring about “the physical destruction” of the Palestinians - alluding to what constitutes genocide under international law.

Israel, he added, must also allow unimpeded access to Gaza to any UN body in-

vestigating allegations of genocide.

The ruling also reiterated a requirement for Israel to enable “unhindered provision at scale” of basic services and humanitarian aid for Gaza.

“The humanitarian situation [in Gaza] is now to be characterised as disastrous,” the ruling said.

Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer called the ruling “public suicide”, adding “there is no power in the world that will push us” to that.

And war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said Israel would continue its offensive “wherever and whenever necessary - including in Rafah”.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, hailed the ruling and called for Israel to abide by it.

“We expect that resolutions of the ICJ be implemented without hesitation,” he said. “That’s mandatory. And Israel is party to the convention.”

Aid agencies and the UN say insufficient amounts of aid are reaching people in

Gaza, which they say is facing famine.

The UN suspended food distribution in Rafah on Tuesday because of the perilous situation there. Israel says it has made “extensive efforts” to ensure that humanitarian aid is “flowing into Gaza”.

Judge Salam also said that the court found it “deeply troubling” that Israeli hostages were still being held by Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, and called for “their immediate and unconditional release”.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticised the ruling, calling it an “abject moral failure” that the ICJ did

not connect their bombardment of Rafah to the release of the hostages.

South Africa’s foreign ministry chief Zane Dangor called the ruling “groundbreaking”, alluding to it being the first time the court has made an explicit order to Israel to halt action in a part of Gaza.

Hamas said it welcomed the decision which it said “demands that the brutal Zionist entity [Israel] stop its aggression” in Rafah”.

Minutes after the ruling was delivered, Israel warplanes carried out a series of air strikes on the Shaboura camp in the centre of Rafah. (Excerpted from BBC)

Bodies of three more Israeli hostages found in Gaza Putin wants Ukraine ceasefire on current frontlines

The bodies of three more Israeli hostages have been recovered from Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have said.

They are those of Hanan Yablonka, Michel Nisenbaum and Orion Hernandez, it said in a statement.

The IDF said the men’s bodies were recovered from the northern town of Jabalia overnight in a joint operation with Israel’s domestic intelligence agency.

It comes one week after three other hostages’ bodies were retrieved from Gaza.

The dead hostages were among 252 people who were taken captive when Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people.

There are about 125 still held in Gaza, Israel says.

Hanan Yablonka, 42, and Orion Hernandez, 32, were killed after fleeing from the site of the Nova music festival which was ambushed by the gunmen. More than 360 mainly young people were

killed at the festival.

Michel Nisenbaum, 59, was last heard of on his way to get his four-yearold granddaughter who was with her father at an army base on the Gaza border.

Orion Hernandez was the boyfriend of Shani Louk, whose body was among the three recovered last week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X: “We have a national and moral duty to do everything we can to return our hostages - the living and the deceased - and that is what we are doing.”

Israel relaunched an offensive on Jabalia two weeks ago, months after pulling out, saying Hamas forces had regrouped there.

The attack on 7 October triggered an Israeli military campaign throughout the Gaza Strip with the declared aim of destroying the group and freeing the hostages.

At least 35,800 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. (BBC)

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire that recognises the current battlefield lines, four Russian sources told Reuters, saying he is prepared to fight on if Kyiv and the West do not respond.

Three of the sources, familiar with discussions in Putin’s entourage, said the veteran Russian leader had expressed frustration to a small group of advisers about what he views as Western-backed attempts to stymie negotiations and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s decision to rule out talks.

“Putin can fight for as long as it takes, but Putin is also ready for a ceasefire – to freeze the war,” said another of the four, a senior Russian source who has worked with Putin and has knowledge of top level conversations in the Kremlin.

He, like the others cited in this story, spoke on condition of anonymity given the matter’s sensitivity.

For this account, Reuters spoke to a total of five people who work with or have worked with Putin at a senior level in the political and business worlds. The fifth source did not comment on freezing the war at the current frontlines.

Asked about the Reuters report at a news conference

in Belarus on Friday, Putin said peace talks should restart.

“Let them resume,” he said, adding that negotiations should be based on “the realities on the ground” and on a plan agreed during a previous attempt to reach a deal in the first weeks of the war. “Not on the basis of what one side wants,” he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on X that the Russian leader was trying to derail a Ukrainian-initiated peace summit in Switzerland next month by using his entourage to send out “phony signals” about his alleged readiness to halt the war.

“Putin currently has no desire to end his aggression against Ukraine. Only the principled and united voice of the global majority can force him to choose peace over war,” said Kuleba. Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, said Putin wanted Western democracies to accept defeat.

Not “eternal war”

The appointment last week of economist Andrei Belousov as Russia’s defence minister was seen by some Western military and political analysts as placing the Russian economy on a permanent war footing in order to win a protracted conflict.

(Excerpted from Reuters)

Smoke rising during an Israeli airstrike in Rafah on 24 May, 2024

The bodies of Hanan Yablonka, Orion Hernandez and Michel Nisenbaum were recovered from Jabalia overnight

SUDOKU

DAILY HOROSCOPES

You’ll be anxious to finish things. Before you begin, put a doable plan in place to ensure success. Don’t let a change someone initiates slow you down. Take a physical approach.

Reach out and connect with people working toward goals that are similar to yours. The assistance you give and receive will lead to unexpected opportunities that will help you get ahead.

Stick to your budget and apply creativity to whatever you do. Be kind to yourself and stick to a healthy lifestyle that offers routine, exercise and a proper diet. Romance is favored.

Don’t make snap decisions or act in haste when dealing with situations that can affect your reputation or physical well-being. Check out what others are doing.

Spend more time on self-improvement, personal growth and taking care of unfinished business. Don’t fall for the hype someone offers about a costly deal or investment. Be on the lookout for scams.

Stretch your mind, observe, absorb and make the changes that encourage better relationships and personal security. Trust in yourself and what you discover. Pay attention to physical changes.

Pay attention to domestic issues. Taking better care of yourself will give you the capacity to reach your full potential. Make a decision involving someone close to you.

Something or someone will draw you to unusual pastimes and entertainment. Explore what’s available, and adjust your schedule to ensure you get all the benefits of something that resonates with you.

Look for opportunities. Getting involved in something that encourages you to expand your knowledge, experience or circle of friends will lead to personal growth.

Showing flexibility will make it easier to deal with people encouraging you to make a move. Test the information you receive, and you’ll discover what works best for you. Satisfy your needs first. Financial gain and love are apparent.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) (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)

Opportunity knocks; open the door and let it in. Sign up for something that interests you and spend time with someone you love. Pay attention to what’s happening around you.

Rethink your strategy and consider your options. Refrain from letting someone step in and make plans for you. If you don’t feel up for a challenge, don’t accept an invitation to spar.

PEANUTS

Shahbaz and Abhishek spin Sunrisers Hyderabad into IPL final

"There's nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent."

Pat Cummins, November 18, 2023. The next day he took Virat Kohli's wicket and made a ground with 100,000 people feel like a ghost town.

"We have earned the right to have one of those days and still win tournaments." Pat Cummins, May 21, 2024. It's taken a little while longer for him to walk the talk, but boy when he says something we best listen. Sunrisers Hyderabad marched into the final of IPL 2024 and this time they did it with their bowling.

It looked like Rajasthan Royals had won a crucial toss and they did the right thing by opting to chase. One square boundary was significantly shorter than the other (61m vs 72m) and asymme-

spinner in their line-up, but in conditions like these you don't need specialists. You just need people that can turn the ball and hold a line.

try like that makes it really hard to defend totals, especially if the dew came in, but it didn't. All of a sudden SRH had a dry ball and a dry pitch. And they worked a miracle on that.

SRH stun RR with spin Shahbaz Ahmed originally came into this game to try and shore up a stop-start batting innings. It was the second time in two play-off games that SRH had to pull the Impact Player trigger early. He made 17 in a partnership of 43 with Heinrich Klaasen to push the total up to 175. But that total looked light when Yashasvi Jaiswal raced to 41 off 19 balls. The game was slipping away. Except it had also shown SRH a way to claw back. Jaydev Unadkat's first over –the seventh – showed signs of how much the ball was gripping. SRH had no specialist

Shahbaz did that and more, winning a match-up he was second-favourite in. Bowling into the left-hander's hitting arc, he handed Jaiswal his first dismissal to spin since IPL 2022.

Cummins brought in Abhishek Sharma, who had bowled only three overs this campaign, from the other end. He even called Aiden Markram to roll his arm over. The pitch was now taking handsome amounts of turn and Cummins used any means in his armoury to exploit it. SRH produced a 33ball period without a single boundary using bowlers whom they haven't really had to turn to but were there now at this crucial time. This 33-ball period also included four wickets. Shahbaz, who hadn't picked up a wicket since April 5, turned up with 4-0-23-3 tonight. Abhishek, who had bowled his full quota of overs only twice before

Friday, finished with 4-0-242.

Klaasen gamechanger

SRH have one of the world's best batters as a finisher and that played a big part in their win. Heinrich Klaasen does not need any protection. He does not need his entry point to be delayed, because he has the ability to move through the gears. He can resurrect a failing innings with risk-free shots and still find ways to hit boundaries when he needs to. He was 21 off 20 balls in the 13th over. SRH were 108

tra cover was breathtaking.

Royal pains

Looking back now, all the good work RR did feels bittersweet. Trent Boult gave them a first-over wicket for the seventh time this season breaking a partnership that has rewritten history. Abhishek and Travis Head have been scoring their runs at 13.64 an over, the best in IPL history (min 300 runs scored).

Sandeep Sharma bowled 18 slower balls in his spell for just 17 runs and picked up the wicket of Head. His yorker, where he changed his ac-

for 4 at that point. Batting in Chennai is tricky because of the slowness of the pitches there. Mis-hits can still go for four in the powerplay when there are only two fielders outside the circle, but that luck runs out once the field restrictions are lifted. Klaasen understood this nuance and waited for his moments; his match-ups. He has an excellent one against Yuzvendra Chahal and that's whom he targeted, hitting two mighty sixes, including one to the long boundary. The back-foot drive over ex-

tion to be extra slingy, slipped underneath Klaasen in prime hitting form and knocked out his stumps. RR gave away only 12 runs in the last two overs, with Avesh Khan executing his yorkers near perfectly. He dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy, who actually had a decent plan against those yorkers – the reverse scoop because there was no one on the deep-third boundary – by refusing to give him a ball to get underneath. It was high quality planning and execution.

Royals' batting gets stuck again RR's strength in their bowling comes at a price. The batting depth. And they felt it all the more acutely, because Jos Buttler has left to link up with the England squad to prepare for the T20 World Cup and Shimron Hetmyer has been carrying an injury. They tried covering up for it by sending R Ashwin in at number six, but it didn't work.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who was brought in to open the batting in place of Buttler, looked out of his depth, scoring 6 off 13 before being dismissed for 10 off 16. Sanju Samson made a mistake under pressure, look-

ing to access the long boundary and getting caught for 10 off 11. Riyan Parag was facing 3.3 degrees of turn on average and he too made the wrong call, looking to hit across the line and getting caught off the top edge for 6 off 10. Dhruv Jurel fought hard for a while, scoring 56 off 35 balls, but the balance of power never really looked like it was shifting.

SRH have produced some scintillating performances in this IPL, but this – winning with their weaker suit – was special. They're going to be a serious threat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Sunrisers Hyderabad

(20 ovs maximum)

Travis Head c Ashwin

b Sandeep Sharma 34

Abhishek Sharma c Kohler-Cadmore

b Boult 12

Rahul Tripathi c Chahal

b Boult 37

Aiden Markram c Chahal

b Boult 1

Heinrich Klaasen †

b Sandeep Sharma 50

Nitish Kumar Reddy c Chahal

b Avesh Khan 5

Abdul Samad

b Avesh Khan 0

Shahbaz Ahmed c Jurel

b Avesh Khan 18

Pat Cummins (c) not out 5

Jaydev Unadkat run out

(†Samson/Avesh Khan) 5

Extras (lb 1, w 7) 8

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 8.75) 175/9

Did not bat: Bhuvneshwar

Kumar, T Natarajan

Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Abhishek Sharma, 0.6 ov), 2-55 (Rahul Tripathi, 4.3 ov), 3-57 (Aiden Markram, 4.6 ov), 4-99 (Travis Head, 9.6 ov), 5-120 (Nitish Kumar Reddy, 13.5 ov), 6-120 (Abdul Samad, 13.6 ov), 7-163 (Heinrich Klaasen, 18.1 ov), 8-170 (Shahbaz Ahmed, 19.3 ov), 9-175 (Jaydev Unadkat, 19.6 ov) •

DRS

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Trent Boult 4-0-45-3

Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-43-0

Sandeep Sharma 4-0-25-2

Avesh Khan 4-0-27-3

Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-34-0

Rajasthan Royals (T: 176 runs from 20 ovs)

Yashasvi Jaiswal c Abdul Samad b Shahbaz Ahmed 42 Tom Kohler-Cadmore c Tripathi b Cummins 10 Sanju Samson (c)† c Markram b Abhishek Sharma 10 Riyan Parag c Abhishek Sharma

b Shahbaz Ahmed 6

Dhruv Jurel not out 56

Ravichandran Ashwin c †Klaasen b Shahbaz Ahmed 0 Shimron Hetmyer

b Abhishek Sharma 4 Rovman Powell c Abhishek Sharma b Natarajan

Shahbaz Ahmed was truly an impact player with three big wickets

Dhruv Jurel played a good innings under pressure

Heinrich Klaasen celebrates his half-century

Rahul Tripathi teed off in a cameo of 37 off 15

Businessman Sripal is new owner of Guyana’s champion horse Spankhurst

Thirty-four-old businessman Jermaine Sripal became a new horse owner with a big entry to the fraternity when he purchased Guyana’s champion horse for 2023, and the current leading horse for 2024, Spankhurst.

The businessman, who hails from New Amsterdam, is the owner of J’s Supermarket. He was compelled to become a horse owner, witnessing the recent growth in the sport.

Sripal had the opportunity to attend a few races as a fan, and with his vision, he was impressed with the significant growth and development in the sport of kings.

The businessman, who operates two supermarkets in New Amsterdam, Berbice, and one in Georgetown, said if he was to become a horse owner, he wanted the best horse in Guyana, and that was the Jumbo Jet’s superstar horse, Spankhurst. Sripal’s hefty offer could not have been resisted by Jumbo Jet Racing Stables.

The new horse owner, who operates the biggest super-

market in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), will run under J’s Racing Stables. Starting his journey with a bang, Sripal is keen on investing in more horses. His focus will be the Guyana Cup, which is slated for August 11.

J’s Racing Stables racing colours will be blue and red silk, which have already been ordered from Trinidad and Tobago. Sripal has also secured other horse-racing equipment

ICC announces star-studded commentary panel for Men’s T20 World Cup

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will continue to deliver an unmatched viewing experience during the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, bringing together some of the biggest names in cricket and broadcasting for the extravaganza from the nine locations across the USA and West Indies.

Leading the commentary team are stalwarts like Ravi Shastri, Nasser Hussain, Ian Smith, Mel Jones, Harsha Bhogle, and Ian Bishop.

Adding to the insights on the modern game, the team will be joined by former Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cup champions such as Dinesh Karthik, Ebony Rainford-Brent, Samuel Badree, Carlos Brathwaite, Steve Smith, Aaron Finch, and Lisa Sthalekar.

Former 50-over World Cup winners Ricky Ponting, Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden, Ramiz Raja, Eoin Morgan, Tom Moody and Wasim Akram will also be lending their expert analysis to the upcoming tournament.

Making his World Cup debut, American commentator James O’Brien – better known as Jomboy – will aim to add context to the games for our American audiences.

The other big names in the team include Dale Steyn, Graeme Smith, Michael Atherton, Waqar Younis, Simon Doull, Shaun Pollock and Katey Martin alongside renowned cricketing names in broadcasting including Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Natalie Germanos, Danny Morrison, Alison Mitchell,

Alan Wilkins, Brian Murgatroyd, Mike Haysman, Ian Ward, Athar Ali Khan, Russel Arnold, Niall O’Brien, Kass Naidoo and former West Indies skipper Daren Ganga.

ICC will provide extensive coverage of the tournament across the 28 days of action with a pre-match show, an innings interval programme, and a post-match wrap-up.

Building on the success of the vertical feed at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, ICC TV will introduce an AI-supported vertical feed for the T20 World Cup. This innovative feature, produced in collaboration with Disney Star, Quidich Innovation Labs, and NEP, will be a world first for cricket.

What the commentators said:

Aaron Finch: “This is a special event and one that promises a lot of excitement with 20 teams competing and many thrilling contests lined up.

“I am proud to have led Australia to victory in the 2021 edition and understand the immense effort required to win in this unforgiving format. I look forward to bringing all my experience as a player to my commentary during the tournament.”

Carlos Brathwaite: “The T20 World Cup is a tournament very close to my heart, and I’m thrilled this edition is being played in the West Indies and for the first time in the USA. I can’t wait for my stint as a commentator at this event, and I hope this is a truly memorable one.”

Katey Martin: "This

tournament always promises a few surprises. With 20 teams participating, it will be exciting to see some of the Associate teams have a crack at the bigger sides.

“I am fortunate to be part of such a fantastic team of broadcasters, and I'm looking forward to an incredible event."

Dinesh Karthik: "This tournament will be different in many ways, which makes it even more exciting. With 20 teams, 55 matches, and some new venues, it's a thrilling combination, and I can't wait to dive in.

“Being part of such a highclass commentary team is a fantastic feeling, and commentating on players I have recently played with makes it even more interesting."

Ebony Rainford-Brent: "This is the year of ICC T20 World Cups, with an exciting 20-team men’s tournament coming up and the wom-

en’s tournament following in Bangladesh later.

“I've had the pleasure of working at several ICC events in the past, and they just keep getting better. Sharing my views alongside the best from around the world is an incredible opportunity. I can't wait to get started!"

Dale Steyn: "The Men’s T20 World Cup, with its new format and more teams competing, is a fantastic opportunity to spread the game. I’m sure both old and new cricket fans will be eager for the action to begin.

“I will be watching every team closely, and it will be fascinating to see the different tactics that come into play." (ICC)

Police Division 4B grassroot activities supported by Commander Ramana

Regional Divisional Commander # 4B, Superintendent Krishna Ramana, continues to fulfil the Guyana Police Force’s mandate to forge community partnerships. On Tuesday, at Diamond Headquarters, he donated the winning trophy for the upcoming Independence Football Tournament to be held in Mocha-Arcadia, East Bank Demerara from Thursday, May 23 to May 26, 2024.

Additionally, Deputy Superintendent Wayne DeHearte donated the Most Valuable Player trophy. Also present at the handover ceremony was Chief Inspector Mark Lyte.

The Independence tournament aims to restore community togetherness; minimise young, gifted athletes’ idleness, and build partnerships between the Police and youths of all communities through sports to foster a safer and more secure Guyana.

The three-day event, which utilises a direct-elimination format, will feature 24 teams from various communities and regions battling for over $400,000 in prizes.

The event is also sponsored by Alberttown Police

Station, Reliable Graphics Design, Ballers Ent, Panther Security, Secure Innovations and Concept, Mantra Restaurant and Bar, and Mocha Arcadia Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

to make his grand debut as a horse owner. In relation to where his horse racing stables will be based, Sripal is contemplating a location in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) or Region Six, but his main priority will be safety.

According to the Guyana Horse Racing calculations, Spankhurst has earned $4.5 million while racing this year. The horse of the year for 2023, Spankhurst, has had four starts this year, and has secured two first places.

Specialist in bringing back love and any business, health, marriage, domestic problems, lottery numbers, expert in life time protection. Call/ Whatsapp in Georgetown (+592-632-9943).

New horse owner and renowned businessman, Jermaine Sripal

Regional Divisional Commander # 4B, Superintendent Krishna Ramana (right) donated the winning trophy to the organiser, Troy Van Rossum

ICC has announced its Commentary Panel for the upcoming World Cup

Blue Water Shipping Girls U15 tournament… 24 schools to compete for Round of 16 spot today

Twenty-four schools from Regions Four (DemeraraMahaica); Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) are set to compete today for a place in the Round of 16 of the Guyana Football Federation-Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls' National Secondary School Championship.

The Region Four group on May 25 will see competition between Ann’s Grove Secondary, President’s College, Bladen Hall Secondary, Annandale Secondary, Buxton Secondary, Hope Secondary, and Beterverwagting Secondary.

In the South Georgetown District, the action will feature South Ruimveldt Secondary, Tucville Secondary, New Central Secondary, Dolphin Secondary, and East Ruimveldt Secondary.

The Georgetown games are scheduled to be played at the Federation’s National Training Centre in Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Region Six group action will feature Berbice Educational Institute, Canje Secondary, Vryman’s

Erven Secondary, Tutorial Secondary, and New Amsterdam Secondary at Scott’s Ground.

Meanwhile, in Region Nine, Nappi Secondary, St Ignatius Secondary, Annai Secondary, Karasabai Primary, Sand Creek Secondary and Aishalton

2024 Ready Mix Chess Championships Qualifiers heat up

The 2024 Ready Mix National Open Championship completed four rounds of the qualifiers last weekend, May 18-May 19, 2024.

The seven-round tournament began on May 11, with the first two rounds played at the School of the Nations campus. Over 40 chess athletes, both juniors and seniors, males and females, have registered for the qualifiers, hoping to fill out the top nine spots in the upcoming 2024 National Championship.

After six rounds of play, the top contenders are FIDE Master Anthony Drayton, Justino DaSilva, and Candidate Master Ronuel Greenidge on 5 points each, with Keron Sandiford, Kyle Couchman, and Roberto Neto on 4.5 points each. Aditi Joshi, Loris Nathoo, Sachin Pitamber, Gilbert Williams, Ricardo Narine, and Matthew Singh are all on 4 points each. Following with 3.5 points are Ethan Lee, Jayden Taylor, Rolex Alexander, Shiv Nandalall, Rai Sharma, and young Jeremy Cole.

The seventh and final round will be played today, Saturday, May 25, to determine the top nine qualifiers who will test their wits to dethrone the defending National Champion Taffin Khan in the championships scheduled to commence on June 1, 2024, at the National Racquet Centre. Khan cap-

tured the title against his challenger, Loris Nathoo, last December in less than an hour during a fast-paced play-off.

The games will be played according to the time-control Swiss format with 90 minutes for each player with an additional 30 seconds after every move. Games can be viewed online on boards one to eleven on www.view. livechesscloud.com. The competition is being supervised by FIDE Arbiters John Lee and Anand Raghunauth.

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) extends its sincere gratitude to the tour-

nament sponsors, Ready Mix Concrete Limited, for their invaluable support in promoting chess within Guyana. The GCF also wishes to thank the management of the School of the Nations for readily facilitating the tournament venue at short notice.

Interested persons who wish to join the Federation can do so on guyanachess. gy. The GCF also offers chess classes every Saturday from 10:00h-12:00h (10 am to 12 pm) to school students at School of the Nations. For additional information, please message us on Facebook or WhatsApp number 7074529.

Secondary.

Last Saturday, May 18, Westminster Secondary from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), along with Bush Lot and Woodley Park Secondary Schools, were the latest teams to advance in the tournament.

Secondary will compete at the Tabatinga Ground in Lethem.

Seven schools have already secured their spots in the Round of 16: Waramuri Primary, Santa Rosa Secondary, Bartica Secondary, Queen’s College, New Campbellville Secondary, Mackenzie High and Christianburg-Wismar

Westminster Secondary domi nated the Region Three group, playing four games and defeating L’Aventure, West Demerara and Uitvlugt Secondary Schools while re cording one draw against Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary.

In Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), Bush Lot Secondary emerged as the top team, winning

all their matches against Woodley Park Secondary, No 8 Secondary, Belladrum Secondary, Rosignol Secondary and Fort Wellington Secondary and amassing 15 points. Close behind were Woodley Park Secondary, securing second place with seven points from two wins against Fort Wellington Secondary & No 8 Secondary, one walkover from Rosignol Secondary, one loss to Bush Lot Secondary, and one draw against Belladrum Secondary, to also advance to the Round of 16. The tournament is the largest girls’ national competition in Guyana, featuring 60 schools and over 1000 female student-ath-

On May 4, the tournament kicked off the competitive stage of the FIFA Football For Schools (F4S) programme.

CWI launches initiative to inspire young cricket enthusiasts

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has proudly announced its latest initiative aimed at fostering a deeper appreciation for cricket among the youth of the Caribbean.

As part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, CWI has generously provided 2685 tickets to students and 412 tickets to teachers for the West Indies versus South Africa series at Sabina Park in Jamaica. This initiative also includes tickets for 198 players from underage teams (U19, U17, U15), ensuring these young athletes have the chance to experience top-tier cricket action.

The Schools Ticketing Programme, a central element of this initiative, is designed to immerse young minds in the thrill of cricket, offering them the opportunity to witness international matches and develop a lasting passion for the sport. This programme will continue throughout the series, reflecting CWI's ongoing commitment to youth engagement and sports development.

CWI President, Dr Kishore Shallow underscored the importance of this initiative in cultivating a strong cricket culture across the Region.

"We are keen to help revitalise cricket in Jamaica. Introducing the children to cricket is vital for the future of the sport in Jamaica and the entire Region. By bring-

ing students to these matches, we are not only providing them with an enjoyable experience, but also nurturing an appreciation and love for cricket that can grow with them," stated Dr Shallow. "This Schools Ticketing Programme initiative is about more than just watching a game; it's about creating a connection with the sport that can inspire future generations."

Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President, Dr Donovan Bennett expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative and its potential impact.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with CWI for this Schools Ticketing Programme. This initiative promotes cricket and instils values of teamwork, discipline, and perseverance in our young people," said Dr Bennett. He added, "By exposing students to live cricket matches, they are getting a deeper understanding and appreciation for the game. This experience is invaluable for their personal and athletic development."

West Indies won the first match of the series against South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica in the presence of thousands of fans, including hundreds of children. The remaining two matches of the series are on today, Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 at the same venue. The start time is 14:00h (2:00pm) local time.

A glimpse of what to expect as the Blue Water Girls U15 tournament resumes this weekend

Students and teachers in Jamaica get in on the T20 action during the West Indies v South Africa series

FIDE Master Anthony Drayton