Guyana Times - Thursday, April 20, 2023

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, April 20 –04:15h-05:45h and Friday, April 21 – 04:15h-05:45h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, April 20 –16:50h-18:20h and Friday, April 21 – 04:50h-06:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery to light rain showers are expected throughout the day and into the night. Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to Easterly between 2.68 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 16:53h reaching a maximum height of 2.77 metres.

Low Tide: 10:27h and 22:40h reaching minimum heights of 0.34 metre and 0.49 metre.

MARAD to “significantly” reduce piloting

time

with $535M vessel

...as Pres Ali commits to equipping agency to lead modernisation of local maritime sector

In keeping with efforts to modernise the local maritime sector in order to support Guyana’s growing economy, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has received a brand new $535 million pilot boat that will enhance its operations.

The vessel, Pilot Boat Arapaima, was custom-built in France by Ocea Shipbuilding and Industries to meet the needs of MARAD.

The contract, which was signed in December 2021, also includes one-year warranty, technical support and training for local officers.

According to MARAD Director General, Captain Stephen Thomas, the arrival of this new vessel is the “dawn of a new era of pilotage in Guyana”, since these services have been limited by the absence of safe and reliable pilot boats.

These vessels are used to transport marine pilots onboard large vessels that they have to pilot inbound and outbound throughout Guyana’s waterways.

Thomas explained that the Department was in dire need of a new vessel especially, since its fleet currently has a 75-year-old vessel; another aged vessel which was acquired since the ear-

with one of the most modern pilot boats in the world… It’s well suited to operate in constrained and extreme conditions of navigation and manoeuvrability… and is capable of operating at high speed,” the MARAD Head said at the commissioning of the Arapaima on Wednesday afternoon at the Coast Guard Headquarters.

In fact, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill also posited at the ceremony that the 26 knots maximum-speed vessel will significantly enhance the piloting operations of MARAD.

“This vessel will significantly reduce the time it

opment.

“With this increasing amount of maritime traffic and commerce taking place, it is crucial that we have effective systems to ensure that everything is running smoothly and safely... and this is precisely why this vessel was acquired,” Edghill stressed.

Modernising maritime sector

Meanwhile, President Dr Irfaan Ali, who was present at Wednesday’s commissioning, pointed to his Government’s commitment towards modernising the local maritime sector to keep up with the rapid growth of

prove navigational services on vessels entering our main river port. The acquisition of the Arapaima is a continuation of our efforts to give MARAD a fleet of modern, reliable, fuel-efficient vessels that are capable of serving the needs of the shipping community and facilitating a modern marine sector,” he asserted.

On this note, the Head of State announced plans to acquire additional vessels for MARAD as well as enhance training of personnel. This will complement other initiatives that have been undertaken by Government to advance the maritime sector. These include updating the country’s hydro-graphical charts; improving maritime navigational tools and aides – for which over $1 billion has been invested over the past two years; strengthening the capacity of MARAD to manage the sector with some $1.6 billion allocated to acquire new equipment such as a tug; and improving port management.

Additionally, they are also focusing on adopting a strategic rather than reactive approach to the development of the maritime sector with the creation and implementation of a National Maritime Strategy in tandem with a Commonwealth Marine Plan, among other initiatives being put in place.

Moreover, President Ali further outlined that on the security front, Government is looking at using the country’s waterways to widen policing efforts.

“We are also… working to better utilise our riverways as express highways for fast response in terms of crime.

As you know, the Demerara River gives us the opportunity to run the entire coast…

So, the Guyana Police Force and the national security architecture is looking at utilising the river as our fastlane highway, responding to crime and security threats.

ly 1980s and was “slow and unreliable” as well as a much newer vessel, acquired in 2018 under the then A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, that has been plagued with issues since its arrival, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars being spent to keep it operational.

“We’re now equipped

takes for pilots to reach the ships out in the open waters,” the Minister stated.

He noted that Guyana’s water traffic was increasing rapidly, with some 2800 ships requiring piloting in 2022 – a figure that has already been surpassed thus far this year. On this note, the Public Works Minister underscored the important role that MARAD plays in the country’s economic devel-

the country’s economy.

He noted that this “sizable investment” in Guyana’s maritime administration was in line with the vision for a country equipped with modern navigational systems that meet international standards.

“This commissioning of the vessel is part of my Government's ongoing programme to modernise our navigation systems and im-

So, that's an additional added value that the maritime sector as a whole will be bringing in the modernisation of Guyana,” the Head of State outlined.

He added, “The modernisation of Guyana's maritime sector is moving full speed ahead. MARAD is helping to lead this push… [and] implementing our vision of a safe, modern and efficient maritime sector.” (G8)

President Dr Irfaan Ali commissioning Pilot Boat Arapaima as MARAD’s Director General, Captain Stephen Thomas as well as Public Works Ministers Juan Edghill and Deodat Indar look on

The newly-acquired $535 million Pilot Boat Arapaima

Editor: Tusika Martin

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April and Autism: “Transforming the Narrative”

April is Autism Awareness Month, also referred to by some people as Autism Acceptance Month. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is characterized by challenges with social skills, communication and repetitive behavior.

This year’s theme is “Transforming the Narrative: Contributions at Home, Work, in the Arts, and Policymaking.”

Joined by the international community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes and communities around the world, light blue in recognition of people living with autism. Autism-friendly events and educational activities take place all month to increase understanding and acceptance and foster worldwide support. World Autism Awareness Day can trace its roots back to November 1st, 2007. This is when the UN first requested that a day be established as World Autism Day. This resolution was passed and on December 18th of 2007.

According to the United Nations, there has been major progress over the past decade, in increasing access to education especially for persons with autism.

The UN stated that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused countries to temporarily close schools has impacted on more than 90 per cent of students worldwide. The disruption, the UN has stated had caused learning to be reversed and “years of progress and has exacerbated inequalities in education.”

This has caused students with autism to be hard hit and studies now show that they have been “disproportionately affected by disruptions to routines, as well as services and supports that they rely on.”

World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) aims to put a spotlight on the hurdles that people with autism – and others living with autism – face every day. As a growing global health issue owing to its increasing exposure in the press and common knowledge, autism is an issue that is only gaining more understanding – and WAAD activities are planned every year to further increase and develop world knowledge of children and adults who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

As more people become aware of the autism spectrum, more parents reach out for answers. More awareness leads to more knowledge and greater visibility. More people who aren’t living with autism learn to accept, and respect, people who are. At present, there is no official statistics on the number of autistic children and other persons in Guyana; government officials should therefore be keen to acquire the numbers to better understand the complex disorder that affects communication and behaviour.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder that typically appears during the first years of life and affects the development of the child in three broad areas: communication skills, social skills, and repetitive or rigid behaviors. As reflected in the name, children with autism spectrum disorder vary greatly in terms of the level and type of impairment in the areas of social, communication, and behavior, as well as the strengths with which they present within each of these areas. Current statistics suggest that approximately 1 in 88 children has an autism spectrum disorder.

The rate of autism in all regions of the world is high and the lack of understanding has a tremendous impact on the individuals, their families and communities.

Further, stigmatisation and discrimination associated with neurological differences remain substantial obstacles to diagnosis and therapies, an issue that must be addressed by both public policy-makers in developing nations, as well as donor countries.

While there are several local companies who already make autism causes a part of their charitable giving, there are many who haven’t yet jumped on board, please consider doing so. Autism is real. It affects us all. It needs not only our understanding, but our support. More importantly, those on the spectrum deserve our understanding and support. This disorder affects males and females of all races in all parts of the world.

PNC has self-destructed

Dear Editor,

Many moons ago, I predicted that the Coalition, which is primarily made up of the PNC, would die a natural death, since it can no longer mask its intent to destroy this country in its bid to wrest power from the PPP. I further wrote that, “They cannot continue to shout marginalization and discrimination, since their own supporters are seeing the truth. No doubt, the APNU/AFC is the sinister architect of marginalizing and impoverishing their own people”.

The old corruption and marginalization mantra will not work. “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” (Holy Bible).

How can the PNC and the AFC continue to lie and deceive their supporters, and expect them to remain faithful? The Coalition had begged the Guyanese people to give them a chance, and they were given that opportunity to serve them in 2015, and they totally squandered that opportunity. The cronyism, corruption and mismanagement of the economy reached unprecedented heights, and the country was heading for a replica of the Burnham dictatorship.

They gave themselves humongous salary increases to remove the ‘temptation’ to steal, they claimed, but they did in a big way. The first money received

from Exxon (US$18 million signing bonus) was deftly diverted, and was subjected to an intense investigation to determine its existence. It’s anyone’s guess what would have happened had our oil wealth fallen into their oily hands. I can imagine mansions, palaces, Rolls-Royce and Bugatti; luxurious yachts, private jets, and exotic pets, which would have made even the Sheikhs of Dubai and Saudi Arabia envious.

Moreover, they spent five long months attempting to rig the 2020 elections utilizing various old and new PNC tactics. Today, they want Guyanese to believe that the PPP/C rigged the 2020 Elections. They failed miserably in their rigging, but that blatantly exposed them to not only their own supporters, but to the world at large.

I can recall that when the PNC’s abhorrent deeds are narrated to young Guyanese, they seldom believe, and received those historical facts with varying degrees of skepticism. Fortunately, they had a first-hand view of what the PNC is capable of during the Coalition’s term in office, and their rigging propensities. As Dr Jagdeo aptly put it, “they attempted to steal a whole country”.

Today these youths are convinced, and our people do not pledge blind allegiance to any political party; the party they voted for

must deliver on its manifesto and promises to the people. The Coalition never did deliver - just as the PNC of old.

From August 2020 to date, this PPP/C Government has delivered in excess of what it promises the Guyanese people. The PPP/C’s socio-economic programmes do not make exception to any race, class, or ethnic grouping, and supporters of the PNC and the AFC are not blind to this fact. President Ali’s One Guyana initiative is not mere vacuous rhetoric, but his government is meaningfully pursuing its major objective of uniting the Guyanese people. The magnitude of this effort is unprecedented, and is greatly successful.

Therefore, the shifting of former PNC and AFC supporters to the PPP/C is not accidental, but the consequence of what PPP/C has delivered to the Guyanese people. Why insult these Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters and insinuate that they were ‘bribed’? One social media post stated that they were given $140,000.00, but had to provide proof in the polling booth by snapping photos who they voted for. This is a gross insult to these people, who have made their educated choice based on their own evaluation.

One letter writer went as far as to speak about “tradition of good politics” and

“sacred line that even Jagan or Burnham did not cross”. What ‘tradition’ and what ‘sacred lines’? Burnham never respected any sacred line when he rigged his way into office from 1968, and impoverished the Guyanese people. The PNC never respected any so-called tradition when high profile PPP members such as Ranji Chandisingh and Vincent Teekah and others crossed the floor. Teekah’s murder is still an unsolved mystery.

Today, when members of the PNC are embracing the PPP in huge numbers (not 10, as misstated by the letter writer), they are attacked and condemned in the vilest of terms. The PNC should know that they cannot fool all the people all the time. Time has caught up with them.

The PPP/C has reached out to the people, and the people are reciprocating. I could recall that, at one of the President’s Outreaches, an AFC Executive member was stunned when he saw the huge number of PNC and AFC supporters who were there, and he told me there and then that the PPP/C would sweep the polls, since it has the Midas Touch. And they will, not only at the LGE, but in 2025. The days of partisan politics are over: either deliver or be kicked out.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

President Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley share a photo with visiting Grandmaster Nigel Short, MBE at an exhibition of chess Tuesday at State House. Present at the event also was Education Minister Priya Manickchand (Office of the President photo)

Green has seen the light too late

Dear Editor, Self-anointed Elder

Hamilton Green now enjoys the press freedom that he and his fellow headhunters denied the Guyanese populace in the heyday of the PNC. His constant outpourings about good governance and equal opportunities are best surmised in the book Treasure Island (by Robert Louis Stephenson, 1883): too late she cried, waving her wooden leg.

Green compares Guyana to what Kuwait has done with their oil resources, and remarks: Scholarships are offered to attend approved universities in North America to pursue bachelor’s degrees and even Master’s degrees, tuition and allowances paid.

Guyanese had to go to Cuba (while the local university required National Service) and Russia.

I attended University of Guyana in the same time period and on the

same scholarship as one of Guyana’s learned judges, who did not know in 2018 that the majority of 65 is 33! It took eighteen months and millions of dollars for the Caribbean Court of Justice to tell the PNC headhunters this -something any high school student could have done for free. PNC children had similar privileges, but were well rewarded with jobs in the upper echelons of the administration, while their counterparts were dispersed in lowly public positions. In the words of George Orwell (Animal Farm): All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. On the issue of baby milk being gifted in Kuwait, local mothers had to contend with plantain flour. Free health care was of high quality, not the type of Cuban medicine men in Guyana’s hospitals. Is it possible that the crop

of infants who were born and raised during the seven-year period of banned food items (1978-85) have less developed mental prowess due to poor quality food?

Green epitomises Saul, the murderer in the Bible, who somersaulted into Paul the Apostle. When a particular sector of the population was almost always invariably the victims of kick-down-the-door rampage, Hamilton Green’s silence can be construed as a form of acquiescence.

The Elder held a variety of portfolios, like Minister of Agriculture; Health; Works & Hydraulics; Sports; Mayor of Georgetown, and even acted as President! He had huge resources at his disposal to install the very facets of governance he constantly laments to be missing. Elder quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson: “truth is too simple for us; we do not like those who unmask our

illusion”. A simple extrapolation can include “we do not like those who unmask the truth in our past”.

The fact that the country covets the same population for 57 years since Independence can be directly attributed to the marginalisation of persons who dare challenge autocracy and express candid opinions of all past and even present regimes; but this is the so-called snowball effect which was initiated by Green and his Party of paramountcy dictatorship.

A day late and a dollar short, the former minister of six portfolios under Dictator Burnham should also realise that the freedom to write does not translate to being correct, nor the right to be taken seriously.

Sincerely,

Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine

Were Nagamootoo, Ramjattan induced with money when they switched sides?

Dear Editor, How come it is okay for Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan to switch allegiances from the PPP to PNC/APNU+AFC, but somehow it is not okay for the likes of Patricia Chase–Green to do the reverse?

I ask this question in response to a letter published in the Stabroek News on April 19th, 2023, in which PNC supporter Eric Moseley insinuates that Chase–Green was induced with some sort of “incentive”, given, according to him, that she was once a fervent PPP critic.

Nagamootoo and Ramjattan were staunch critics of the PNC for decades. Readers would also recall that they went ahead and merged with the PNC despite earlier declaring that to do so would render them “dead meat.” So how come it is okay for them to

do so, but not okay for PNC members to throw their support behind the PPP – particularly Afro-Guyanese?

But this issue shows how poorly the PNC think of their Afro-Guyanese supporters – that they can be easily bought, and are motivated only by financial and other rewards.

Those currently in their good graces should take note. It matters not that you might be dissuaded by their racist, incompetent and uninspiring leadership. It matters not that you might have been disgusted by their blatant and comical attempt to remain in office through fraud. For them, once you exercise your democratic right to support a party of your choosing and that choice is not the PNC/ APNU+AFC, you are a sellout.

Yours sincerely, Alvin Hamilton

Dear Editor, The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce wishes to refute certain tendentious statements attributed to Her Worship Waneka Arrindell, Mayor of Linden, as published on April 17, 2023.

In her release, Mayor Arrindell sought to convey a theme of neglect for Linden by this administration, making specific reference to the Linden Town Week 2023.

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce has been consistent in its support for Linden and the wider Region 10, as have other Ministries of the Government. The Ministry routinely receives requests for sponsorship from across the country. These requests are assessed for merit, their alignment with the Ministry’s strategic direction, and in light of budgetary realities. Over the last 12 months, the Ministry has received numerous requests from Linden and the wider Region 10, and we have responded favourably to many of these.

In 2022, we supported activities in Region 10 for Tourism Awareness Month with approximately $1.1 million in funding, and in totality, $500,000 was given in the fiscal year 2022 in support of Linden Town Week activities. In fact, during that period, in recognition of the tremendous tourism potential of Region 10, the Ministry launched national Tourism Awareness Month in Linden. We did so

to manifest our commitment to, and support for, the community, and exemplify our policy that all regions have valuable roles to play in our country’s development.

This year, we are supporting event organizers from Linden who have planned activities to coincide with Town Week 2023, such as the Linden Building Expo and the Entrepreneurial Village & Arts Festival. Our support for these events includes financial assistance to the tune of $500,000.

Outside of these events, the Ministry supported the Inter-school Kayaking Competition for 2022 and 2023, the Inter-regions Kayaking Competition, and the Fish Extravaganza. Funding has also been approved for sponsorship of the Best of Linden Magazine 2023 publication.

On a related note, the Ministry continues to work closely with stakeholders in Region 10 as part of our broader work plan, including facilitating Regional Tourism Workshops.

Overall, contrary to the misrepresentations proffered by the mayor, the Ministry has invested just shy of $5M in support of activities and initiatives in Region 10 – including Linden – over the last 12 months.

We advise Mayor Arrindell that “One Guyana” is no mere cliché, but is a philosophy of the PPP Civic Administration, which we continuously demonstrate in our policies and pro-

grammes which are implemented in all regions of our country for the benefit of all of our people.

Government will continue to actively support sustainable and feasible initiatives in Linden, as we do in all our communities in our country. In doing so, we call on Mayor Arrindell to prior-

itise progress above politics, and to discharge her responsibility to her constituents by working with the administration to realize benefits for the municipality of Linden.

Sincerely, Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023

Govt will continue to support sustainable, feasible initiatives in Linden

NGSA Math Questions

Govt open to proposals on Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge – Edghill

…work continuing apace on Linden-Mabura Road

Even as work continues on the Lindento-Lethem Road, the Government remains open on discussing proposals from companies to build the new Wismar-toMackenzie Bridge, which is also planned.

A few months ago, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had indicated that Government is open to proposals for the Mackenzie-toWismar Bridge. The bridge the Government intends to build is a four-lane one that is able to facilitate the increased volume of traffic through Region 10.

“We’re going to build a bridge - four lanes, about 600 metres long - across the Demerara River in the Region 10 area linking Wismar with Linden. This bridge has not yet been awarded; we are open for proposals and discussions if you’d like to finance and build. And possibility exists yes,” Edghill said.

In an interview with this publication, Minister Edghill

confirmed that Government is still open to proposals for the Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge. In fact, he noted that discussions are ongoing with some such companies.

A bridge that can accommodate the increase in traffic is particularly necessary as the Government is building the Linden-to-Mabura Road. In a social media post on Wednesday, Minister Edghill informed that work is on schedule with the road.

“The Ministry assures the public that work is continuing apace on the project, and what is currently happening is sealant being placed on the surface to allow for curing of the subbase. The Ministry of Public Works understands the importance and value of this project, and so is ensuring it is completed according to international standards,” Edghill said in his post.

The current Wismar Bridge has only one vehicle lane and is over 50 years old.

Back in 2020, Italian engineering company Politecnica

had unveiled designs for a new bridge. The company had been contracted by the then Ministry of Public Infrastructure to do a feasibility study for the bridge.

Speaking during the presentation, Politecnica Environmental Management Specialist Marciano Glasgow had emphasised that even as the company had proceeded with the designs, an environmental and social impact assessment is being conducted.

In his presentation, team leader Francisco Reina had said the new bridge is proposed to be situated upstream of the Demerara River and south of the existing bridge. It was noted during the presentation that the existing bridge would remain in place, with the suggestion for it to be utilised for pedestrians and non-vehicular traffic.

While a decision wasn’t made at the time, July 2020, Reina had said the company had designed a two-road approach: one for the eastern

river bank and the other for the western. On both sides, the designs cater for new roundabouts which would connect the existing road networks. The bridge would also cater for two-lane traffic and pedestrian walkways.

According to the design, the bridge, road approaches and roundabouts would be equipped with street lights, underpass/culvert to maintain the continuity of existing roads, road safety barriers and sidewalks, and provision would be made for access to the Linden Hospital Complex at Mackenzie.

Meanwhile, the Lindento-Mabura Road, which is the first link in the highway between Linden and Lethem, is anticipated to provide major support to ease of travel, trade, and general connectivity between Guyana and Brazil, and open up vast opportunities by linking Guyana’s hinterland communities to Georgetown.

This project would be the largest project ever funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and is one of the most historic projects undertaken in

Guyana. The road works include upgrading the existing roadway to an asphaltic concrete surface with two lanes spanning 7.2 metres for 122 kilometres, with the inclusion of five drainage structures.

Construtora Queiroz Galvao SA, the company doing the project, is a large Brazilian contractor established in 1966. The company specializes in construction of refineries , roads, bridges, commercial offices, residential buildings, highways, and sewage systems worldwide.

Work on the Linden-to-Mabura Hill Road

The current Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge

Security guard remanded for firing gun at 10-year-old boy

A23-year-old security guard has been charged with firing a loaded gun at a 10-year-old boy.

Ted Edwards of Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara appeared on Wednesday before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Diamond /Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts and pleaded not guilty to the charge. He has been remanded to prison, and the

case will continue on May 10.

According to a Police report, the incident occurred on April 15 at the Red Sun Chinese Supermarket at Grove Public Road, EBD. Edwards was arrested the same day. Police Headquarters are yet to release details surrounding the shooting. However, in a video of the alleged shooting being circulated on social media, two males were seen

entering the supermarket.

One of these males then turned around, and while pointing his fingers, was seen talking to the male security guard, who was dressed in a blue uniform. During an exchange of words, the guard whipped out what appeared to be a firearm, prompting the male to run away. After allegedly firing the gun, the guard was seen walking behind the male. (G1)

Accused in murder of ex-soldier freed after judge upholds no-case submission

mer soldier and resident of Triumph, ECD.

Led by State Counsel Cecilia Corbin, the prosecution had called several witnesses, including Police ranks, a doctor, and Beveney’s relative, before Defence Attorney Teriq Mohammed made his nocase submission. A submission of no case to answer is usually made at the close of the prosecution’s case, when the defence believes that the prosecution’s case does not support a finding of guilty.

Tellin’ it...

…like it is

It might’ve been a “talk shop”, as TT’s Opposition Leader Kamla Bissessar sniped, but there was a whole lotta TOUGH talk coming outta the just concluded Caricom Symposium on Crime. Nev-er mind their stated commitment to consider crime as a “Public Health” problem, the gathered Caribbean leaders to a man (and woman) didn’t pull no punches. Kamla’s intervention was typi-cal. Honing in on “home invasions” that’ve now become routine in the land of Carnival and Kai-so, she morphed into Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” – squint and all!!

She pointed out this was the #1 fear in the land: “You can see sometimes seven men jump over your wall and invade the sanctity of your home, with guns, with cutlasses, with other weap-ons…They torture, rob, they rape and then like rats jump off your house in rapid succession to proceed to a waiting car to move to the next venue.” She recommended that homeowners de-fend their “castle” by any means necessary – and the namby-pamby law of responding with “commensurate” force - be dumped!! “Shoot on sight” and “hang ‘em high” would be appro-priate legislation!! If the home invaders were unfortunately not killed, there should be MANDA-TORY 25-year sentences imposed!!

Now you may think that Kamla’s some right-wing, law and order nut but how do you explain St Vincent’s dyed in the wool socialist Ralph Gonsalves identical position?? He went against his “mother and the Pope” to call for the death penalty for murder!! He didn’t spare the Judiciary: “How could you go and give somebody who’s charged with murder, bail? Let’s be serious! …Where do those judges live? On Mars?” He didn’t spare Opposition politicians who sanctimo-niously urge they be included in crime fighting efforts but will only “undermine” initiatives as they try to “expose, oppose and depose” the government”! Whew!!

Dead: Edward Beveney

Rawle Munroe of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara has been freed by the Demerara High Court on Tuesday after Justice Sandil Kissoon upheld a no-case submission made by defence attorney Teriq Mohammed. Munroe was charged with the capital offence of murder in relation to the May 26, 2018 death of Edward Beveney, a 23-year-old for-

Trial Judge Sandil Kissoon upheld the no-case submission, finding that Munroe acted in self-defence. Accordingly, he directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty in favour of Munroe.

Edward Beveney of Ogle Street, Triumph, ECD sustained multiple stab wounds on his body following an altercation with Munroe over a bicycle on May 26, 2018. Reports are that Beveney had visited a shop earlier in the day, and had left his bicycle outside.

When he returned to pick up the bicycle, he was told that Munroe had moved it. As such, Beveney attacked Munroe, chopping him with a cutlass.

In retaliation, Munroe stabbed Beveney several times with an icepick.

Edward Beveney’s aunt Debbie Beveney, 52, while testifying, had said that on the day in question, she arrived at the Ogle Street, Triumph, ECD home she cohabited with her children and niece and nephew, and was doing chores around the home when, at about 07:00h, she heard a “noise” — it was someone shouting for her nephew by his call name “Kester”.

As such, Debbie said, she ran out of the house, and saw a crowd gathered on a bridge and her nephew staggering. He later fell on the ground, she added. According to her, upon examining her nephew, she observed a wound to his chest, and so she called out to him, but got no reply. She then called a taxi and took the injured man to the hospital.

Across the road from where she lived, Debbie recalled, she saw Munroe, whom she did not know prior to the day in question. Munroe, she testified, had an ice pick in his hand, and his body was covered in mud. Convinced he might have been the one who had inflict-

ed the injuries on her nephew Edward, she said, she called out to persons, urging them to apprehend Munroe.

Back at the hospital, she said, her nephew was rushed for treatment, but, a few minutes later, a doctor informed her that “we just lost him”, meaning that he had died.

Under cross-examination by Munroe’s counsel, Debbie admitted that she did not see when Munroe inflicted injuries on her nephew. She also pointed out Munroe, who appeared in court virtually, as the man she had seen holding the ice pick while her nephew was on the ground bleeding.

Also testifying was Detective Police Constable Keon Burgess, who is stationed at the Kwakwani Police Station’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID). According to this witness, at the time of the murder, he was stationed at the Beterverwagting Police Station’s CID, where he performed the duties of a Crime Scene Technician.

At around 08:40h on the day in question, Constable Burgess recounted, he was summoned to the scene of an alleged murder, where he took photographs of a drain and a bridge. He said he also took photographs of the ice pick, and of Beveney’s body while it was at the mortuary. (G1)

But it wasn’t just the individual PM’s who talked tough. Caricom as a whole called out the world superpower – the US - on the guns they ship into the region. “(G)iven our observation that the gun has become the new drug, as articulated in our separate 18 April 2023 Declaration, we call on the US to reciprocate and join the Caribbean in its ‘War on Guns’.” Now you know things na regulah when puny CariCom’s not only willing to take on the US – but its most powerful gun lobby!! That $50billion a year industry’s dominated by a handful of big ones – who’re more untouchable than the mafia”!!

Can you imagine a “civilized” country where the majority of its citizens would die to defend their right to carry a gun?? And somebody gotta make those guns for them to carry around, no??

Now let’s see what happens after they got that outta their system!!

…the mornin’ after

After a bout of lovemaking some folks throw back with a cigarette and maybe think about what just happened! But after the lovefest that’s consummated by the political parties on Nomination Day, while Guyanese MAY take a pull on their cigarettes, they ALWAYS argue about who bested who!! To change the metaphor, if election day in Guyana is like a boxing match between heav-yweights, then Nomination Day’s like them coming out of their dressing rooms with their entou-rage!! A whole lot of strutting and shadow boxing!

The consensus on the street is that the PPP were definitely better prepared – and not only be-cause they had their red shirts ready!! They had the bodies to get into the shirts!! But then they’d unabashedly announced their strategy when they eased into government: get right into a literal “in your face” jabs at the PNC’s strongholds!! They then landed some body blows ; opened up the weak spots and we saw the results.

Total disarray in the PNC camp!!

…in song

Most Guynese channelin’ Sam Cooke: “It's been too hard living/ But I'm afraid to die/ 'Cause I don't know what's up there/ Beyond the sky/ It's been a long/ A long time coming, but I know/ A change gon' come/ Oh yes, it will”.

Freed: Rawle Munroe

Remanded: Ted Edwards

Increase in persons seeking to bid for contracts recorded – PPC CEO

…urges small-to-large-scale contractors to register for upcoming training

With the increase in capital projects has also come an increase in persons who are interested in bidding for contracts. It is an increase that the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is seeking to account for by training both agencies and contractors on how to bid for contracts and the procedures involved.

On Wednesday, the PPC hosted an Open Day activity at its New Garden Street, Queenstown, Georgetown office. While there, members of the public were able to meet with staff of the PPC Secretariat and get their questions answered.

PPC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Singh explained that with the uptick in capital projects across the country and persons looking to get into bidding, more education is needed on procurement. Additionally, he pointed out that one of the PPC’s mandates is educating the public on procurement practices and laws.

“In the procurement aspect, what we’ve seen is lots of people are interested in that: to know what are the requirements, what they should do, what they should not do, what are the processes and so on with procurement,” he said.

“A large sum in the national budget, billions of dollars, has been earmarked for infrastructure projects and also for goods and services which (have) to deal with procurement. Because of that, we find there is a greater need, and also people are very much coming to us saying, ‘We need to be trained’,” he explained.

According to Singh, some of the most common queries being made by the general public to the commission have to do with how persons can get into the system and bid for Government contracts, and what are the documents that are required.

The CEO explained that persons who came to the Open Day activity spoke with procurement specialists, civil engineers, operations man-

agers and legal officers to get further assistance.

The CEO further expounded on the Secretariat’s future plans for bringing more training and awareness to bidders and agencies, in collaboration with the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

“On May 31, we’re having a contractors’ training at the Ramada Hotel in Providence. The ad will go out, the press release will go out, so that others will see. We’re encouraging contractors: small-, medium- and large-scale contractors, to register for this training and come and be empowered.

Come and receive more knowledge; ask their questions, because we’re doing this and we have IDB also doing a complete component

of the training. And also, we’re having NPTAB with the PPC, and we will conduct this training,” he explained.

The members of the PPC were appointed by President Dr Irfaan Ali in July 2022. They are Attorney-at-Law Pauline Chase; Economist Rawle Lucas; Financial Analyst Joel Bhagwandin; Berkley Wickham and Rajnarine Singh.

The PPC is a constitutional body established to monitor public procurement to ensure that not only principles of public procurement are upheld: fairness, equity, transparency, value for money, and competition; but that public procurement procedures are executed in accordance with the procurement laws of Guyana.

The priority areas of the PPC are to promote awareness of the rules for public procurement in Guyana,

spearhead reform of the legislative framework of the public procurement system, investigate complaints of irregularities in public procurement, and monitor the performance of public procurement entities.

The Constitution of Guyana mandates that the PPC shall consist of five members who shall have expertise and experience in procurement, legal, finance, and administrative matters. The President shall appoint the members

of the Commission after such members have been nominated by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and approved by not less than two-thirds of the elected members of the National Assembly.

According to the Constitution, the members of the PPC shall be appointed for a term of three years, and shall be eligible for re-appointment for one other term of office, not earlier than three years after the end of their first term. Of

those appointed, two shall hold office for four years.

The life of the last PPC came to an end in October 2020. The first PPC was established in October 2016, more than a decade after the Constitution was amended to cater to the procurement oversight body.

Former Labour Minister Nanda Kishore Gopaul, Carol Corbin, Sukrishnalall Pasha, Emily Dodson and Ivor English were its first members. Corbin was elected as its chairperson. (G3)

PPC CEO, Michael Singh

The Open Day activity on Wednesday

– gunmen to patrons in supermarket invasion

“I had the money in my pocket, and I leave it there. And when I turned and I looked properly, I saw he had a gun. The other one with the other gun [went] over to the [cashier] and he was emptying the register,” the victim shared.

She added that she screamed and one of the bandits choked her and ordered her to stay quiet. Subsequently, her husband, who was unaware that a robbery was taking place, re-entered the building and was ordered by one of the bandits to “get inside”, with which he complied.

Truck driver in deadly Greenwich Park accident further remanded

Armed bandits stormed a Chinese Supermarket at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, and harassed customers before exiting with an unknown sum of cash. This publication understands that that incident occurred at around 19:15h on Tuesday, April 18.

Speaking with this publication on Wednesday, one of the victims shared that the robbery, which lasted for about three minutes, took place just as she and her husband were about to cash out and leave the supermarket.

She related that she and her husband had stopped to

purchase water and some groceries, and while she was at the cashier, her husband had ventured outside to get a bottle of water. That was when two armed men entered the store and approached her, demanding money.

“I was cashing out our items, and he went to get the water from outside, where the Chinese usually have it, to put [in] the car. So, as I turn and I finish paying the cashier, I saw two guys walking coming in, and one of them come to me and say, ‘Give me the money you have!’,” she said.

“I was on the ground, my husband tried to console me, he [a bandit] was pointing the gun to him and telling him, ‘Not a word…don’t say anything’, and he turn and he tell the bandit, ‘She’s not well, that’s why she’s crying’, and he (the bandit) said, ‘You don’t hear what I said?! Y’all don’t make a sound! Don’t move!’,” she shared.

According to the victim, she did not get a good look at the perpetrators. However, from what she could remember, they were both wearing hats.

Investigations are ongoing.

Ewart Stewart, the 38-year-old man who was behind the wheel of a speeding truck on March 6 when it became uncontrollable and slammed into a Route 32 minibus, killing five persons, has been further remanded to prison. A resident of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, Stewart made another court appearance

on Monday, April 17, before Senior Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court. He was

on. Stewart is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Ganesh Hira.

Police Headquarters report that the truck driver Stewart has also been charged with driving an uninsured motor vehicle and driving an uncertified motor vehicle. He has been granted bail for these two charges in the sum of $20,000 after pleading not guilty.

Prowell was the driver of a minibus in which the four other deceased persons

Reports are that motor lorry GZZ 2285, driven by Stewart, was proceeding east along the northern side of the Greenwich Park Public Road at a fast rate of speed behind motor car PWW 836.

The lorry driver alleges that the driver of the car made a sudden stop to allow a pedestrian to cross the road, and he swerved to the right to avoid a collision with the car, but, in the process, he collided with the minibus, which

not required to enter a plea for any of the five indictable charges that he faces: which allege that he caused the death of 72-yearold Margaret Kennedy of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE); 57-yearold Olga Reddy of Parika, EBE; 50-year-old Vernon Prowell of Bent Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown; 40-year-old Elvis Charles of Ruby, EBE; and 71-yearold Stella Parhoo of Parika, EBE; and he has been further remanded to pris-

were passengers at the time of the accident. Several others passengers were seriously injured following that horrific accident which occurred on the Greenwich Park Public Road, EBE on the morning of March 6.

Those injured are: 21-yearold Shemar Alleyne of Tuschen, EBE; 46-year-old Samuel Ramda of Tuschen, EBE; 64-year-old Selmont Brisport of Tuschen, EBE; Samuel Ramdas of Ruby Backdam, EBE; and Junior Jack, 25, of Tuschen, EBE.

was proceeding from the opposite direction.

The impact of the crash also caused a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) pole to break and fall into a house in the area. However, no one was injured in the home.

Following the accident, a party of Policemen visited the scene and carried out an investigation. A breath analysis carried out on the driver of the motor lorry showed a reading of .00%.

(G1)

“Y’all don’t make a sound!

Don’t move!”

The Eccles Supermarket where the robbery occurred (Rupesh Singh photo)

The scene of the accident

Remanded: Ewart Stewart

Dead: Stella Parhoo

Guyana signs agreement with Costa Rica for tourism partnerships …investment

opportunities, technical support on agenda

into one package.”

St Lucia’s Minister of Tourism, Dr Ernest Hilaire, who had visited Guyana to participate in the launch of the British Airways direct flight between Guyana and the United Kingdom at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), has meanwhile said there is much his country can share with Guyana on the sector.

“So, we’ve developed a product in St Lucia, and we certainly look forward

to working with you. We’ve met with your Minister, and I’m sure that under the leadership of your Minister, Guyana tourism will go very very far. We need to start thinking about multi-destination marketing. So, you can come to Guyana, stay in St Lucia. You can come to St Lucia and come over to Guyana, with the ease that this flight offers. So, I’m really pleased…I look forward to the strengthening of the bonds of friendship and sol-

idarity between Guyana and St Lucia,” the Minister had also said.

Guyana is already working in collaboration with Barbados to twin the two countries’ tourism products and to share best practices for the sector. Last year, an agreement was signed by President Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados to further facilitate relations between Guyana and Barbados and collaboration in a number of

areas, including tourism. The agreement, called the Saint Barnabas Accord, was signed on the sidelines of the 43rd Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government meeting, and it paved the way for the two countries to have further dialogue in nine specific areas. It was an updated agreement, since a previous Saint Barnabas Accord had been signed between the two leaders.

Guyana has signed an agreement with Costa Rica for further partnerships between the two countries in the areas of tourism, exploration of investment opportunities, and exchanging of knowledge and technical support - continuing a trend of Guyana building its tourism product through collaboration.

The Letter of Intent and Collaboration was signed by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, and the Costa Rican Minister of Tourism, William Rodriguez Lopez, at the latter minister’s office at the Costa Rican Tourism Board Building in San Jose on Wednesday.

The agreement is aimed at strengthening tourism partnerships between the two countries, and covers institutional arrangements and an action plan for knowledge-sharing, technical support, and other areas of collaboration.

“Minister Walrond and Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Kamrul Baksh, will be engaged in a series of meetings in the Central American country over the next three days, including discussions with the Director of Tourism Management and Certifications Department, and the Director of Marketing at the Costa Rican Tourism Board,” a

statement from the Ministry of Tourism has said.

“Tourism investment opportunities in Guyana and Costa Rica, and potential collaboration areas between the Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) and The National Chamber of Tourism of Costa Rica (Canatur) are also part of the agenda.”

The signing comes almost one month after Minister Walrond had visited St Lucia for a two-day official visit, during which greater bilateral partnerships between the two countries, and even a potential twinning of their tourism products, were discussed.

Minister Walrond had said that both countries have attractive tourism options for their citizens to enjoy, such as St Lucia’s Jazz Festival and Guyana’s Rupununi Rodeo in Region Nine, and the Cricket Carnival.

“We have additional options for Guyanese wishing to experience the St Lucia Jazz Festival. Similarly, it will also promote our local events, such as the Rupununi Rodeo and the Cricket Carnival, to the St Lucia market,” she explained.

“Recognizing the potential, we have begun tourism twinning with St Lucia, combining two distinct appealing experiences and bringing the best of two worlds

Costa Rican Minister of Tourism, William Rodriguez Lopez (left), and Guyana’s Minister of Tourism, Oneidge Walrond, as they signed the agreement

Skeletal remains of cop missing since 2020 found in shallow grave

…“I need answers” – mother

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) made a major breakthrough that could finally provide answers on the mysterious disappearance of Police Constable Quincy Lewis. On Wednesday afternoon, detectives uncovered human skeletal remains believed to be those of Lewis. The officer had been reported missing since June 19, 2020, and his whereabouts had remained a mystery.

The remains were found buried in a shallow grave at the Madewini Sandpit area, located on the LindenSoesdyke Highway, and were quickly credited as those of Lewis. This was after intensive interrogation of two suspects who allegedly admitted that they had

known about the killing of the officer.

On Wednesday, both suspects cooperated with investigators and pinpointed the location where Lewis’s body was buried.

It was an emotional moment for the family and friends of the missing officer who had been waiting anxiously for news since his disappearance.

Lured

According to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, the missing Policeman was reportedly lured to a woman's home on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), where he was allegedly shot dead. His body was then transported and buried in a shallow grave on the Linden-

Soesdyke Highway. This shocking revelation has left the community in disbelief and outrage that a Police Officer could be targeted in such a manner.

On the day he went missing, Lewis had visited his La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home to uplift a few pieces of clothes before boarding a motor car.

His family became aware that he was missing when the owner of the car, which he had left in, went to his family four days later, to collect his car.

The family had been under the impression that was on duty and became alarmed when they were told he did not turn up for work. Several efforts were made to contact Lewis's phone, but they were all in vain.

Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance recordings later revealed that Lewis crossed the Demerara Harbour Bridge, which is less than a 10-minute drive from where he was stationed at Agricola. He was last seen entering Greenfield Park, EBD. Months after he disappeared, Lewis's cell phone was found in the Timehri, EBD area with the screen cracked.

This dramatic discovery marks a significant breakthrough in the case, providing hope that justice would finally be served for Lewis and his family. On Wednesday evening, the GPF said that it intended to send samples of the remains for DNA testing and would use all legal avenues to ensure that the other two suspects, who were named in the murder, be extradited to Guyana to answer to the allegations in relation to Lewis's death.

Need answers

Meanwhile, it is a bittersweet moment for Lewis's family, who can now lay their loved one to rest, but are still grieving his loss.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Wednesday evening, the officer’s mother, Charlene Jordan said she was confused by the entire

situation.

“Since when they found his phone in Timehri or Splashmin, they should have been searching that entire area…I am waiting and I need answers right now. While they are doing their investigations to confirm if that is him or not, I need answers.”

“What happened with the car? I want to know if they find it or nothing…,” she cried.

She said she was hearing conflicting stories about her son’s death. Jordan said she was told that it was her son’s girlfriend who lured him to his death, and the woman was married. However, she said the woman that she knew as his girlfriend was not married and she confirmed such, because she was in contact with the woman’s parents who said she was not married.

“The girl I know he was with she wasn’t married. I spoke to her father and her stepmother. I know certainly he was in a relationship with that girl. I don’t know any other person that he was in a relationship with.

“I hear some people talking about another girl,

but that girl, based on what he told me, they had an incident some time back. At the time he was working at one Police station… he was transferred to another Police station because of the problem they had.”

She said that some time later, “he then told me that the girl who he had the problem with went or was living overseas…she had come into the country and they became friends. I warned him to stay away from her and not to get mixed up, because they already had problems and I don’t want him to get involved,” she explained.

The grieving mother said she was so confused by all the information she was receiving as there were so many theories. She said that she did not know the suspects.

When asked if she thinks she has gotten closure on her son’s disappearance, the woman responded “no”.

“I feel like I will have to get more information and know the truth of what happened to my son, and maybe then I will get some kind of closure. In the meantime, I want answers,” an emotional Jordan said. (G9)

Almost 3 years later

Constable Quincy Lewis

The skeletal remains that were found by Police

Visit by Hon’ble Dr S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India to Guyana

Deepening ties, expanding economic cooperation

By HigH Commissioner of india to guyana, dr K J srinivasa

Relations between India and Guyana have always been cordial and strong ever since the two nations formally established diplomatic ties more than 50 years ago but have deepened in recent years through bilateral relations punctuated by exchange visits at the highest levels.

This ever-growing friendship is expected to assume new heights with the visit from Minister of External Affairs of India, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, a distinguished diplomat, who has been masterfully representing India’s interest on the global stage on a variety of complex issues.

Minister Jaishankar’s visit from April 20-24, 2023 to Guyana, follows closely on the heels of the official visits to India by President HE Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali in January of this year and Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo in February 2023.

During his visit to India, HE President Ali was conferred with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (Indian Diaspora Award) by President of India, HE Droupadi Murmu and held discussions with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on a wide range of issues, including energy cooperation, infrastructure development, pharmaceuticals, health care, technology and innovation, and defense corporation.

At the conclusion of his visit, HE President Ali in a briefing with local journalists, reported that “We are examining government-to-government relationship and government-to-government opportunities for [oil] exploration and production,” adding that: “There was tremendous interest in having close collaboration between the two governments on research and development, technology transfer, building out of our agrifood system, the echo system surrounding our food production and agriculture and enhancing productivity of our agriculture sector.”

On his part, Hon’ble Vice President Jagdeo told the Indian media corps that while India-Guyana relationship has always been strong, Guyana is working to expand this relationship and was keen to recognise India’s growing presence and respect in the international community, while pointing out that inevitably, India will be representing the Global South.

Hon’ble Minister Dr S Jaishankar, who met with Vice President Jagdeo, was very upbeat following their engagement, tweeting: “Delighted to meet Hon. Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President of Guyana, during his India visit. Discussed our historical relationship and greater opportunities in contemporary partnership, especially in trade, energy, agriculture, skills and people to people ties.” His tweet, aside from aptly capturing the discussion with the Honourable Vice President, which bodes well for expansion of economic cooperation, also underlined the historical relations between India and Guyana, which stretches back long before the two nations established diplomatic relations on May 26, 1966.

Though separated by continents, rivers and seas, India and Guyana are deeply connected in spirit. On May 5, 1838, the first batch of 396 Indians immigrants aboard the Whitby and Hesperus arrived in Guyana to work on the sugar plantation during the indentureship period which lasted from 1838 to 1917 and saw an estimated 240,000 Indians brought to these shores. Historical records indicate that many came from present day Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Today, their descendants account for the largest ethnic group in Guyana and have been credited with playing a major role in the social, political and economic transformation of this land they embrace as home.

Part of this development can be credited to India which has over the years provided over a thousand scholarships to Guyanese students to pursue studies in various disciplines aligned to priority areas of national development, at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels as well as short courses through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) schemes. This is just a small mention of India’s generosity towards Guyana.

India has provided significant assistance (US$25 million) to Guyana in the building of the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East

India’s External Affairs Minister arrives today for official visit

India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is visiting Guyana for the first time today on an official trip.

Bank Demerara; US$ 2.1 million in the supply and installation of 50 solar traffic lights; US$ 2.9 million in drainage pumps as well as US$ 2 million in the setting up of the Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) at the University of Guyana (UG). Recently, India has delivered to Guyana the MV MA Lisha, built through a line of credit cum project grant from India to the tune of US$12.77 million that will serve the NorthWest region of Guyana. This ferry is expected to be formally jointly commissioned by HE President Irfaan Ali and EAM Dr S Jaishankar during his visit to Guyana.

India is also funding the construction of the Ogle-Eccles Road link. When completed, this road will significantly reduce the time commuters travel within these locations as well as open up areas for housing and commercial development. In addition, India has provided funding in the sum of US$17.5 million for the upgrade of the Suddie Regional Hospital, the West Demerara Hospital and the Bartica District Hospital and assistance for rice husk gasifier and quick impact community development projects. Notably, these supports from India and the growing friendship with Guyana have been underpinned by mutual respect and cooperation, acceptance of equal partners in business, non-interference in internal affairs and respect for territorial integrity.

These values characterise India’s affairs in the arena of global business, politics, trade and diplomacy and are imbedded in India’s values system, at the heart of which is the embrace of humanity. Here India stands as a giant in the world. Many will recall, less than two years ago in the throes of COVID-19, which was ravaging nations across the planet, India, notwithstanding its own challenges, quickly responded to the cries of distress, and Guyana was among the first countries to benefit from the Vaccine Maitri (vaccine friendship) programme. And in keeping with its reputation as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’, India extended this magnanimous gesture, supplying portions of its Oxford-AstraZeneca and Covaxin vaccines free of cost to scores of nations in need.

India’s service to humanity at the global level is worthy of note and emulation and cannot be more accurately elucidated by Guyana’s Foreign Minister, Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd, when he said the following:

“India has to take care of 1.3 billion people, in a democracy, with smooth transitions. Can you imagine having to take care of 1.3 billion people and still having the time at the policy level to say, ‘Let us look to see what we can do for the rest of the world’ when multilateral institution should be doing that; so I will dare say that India is a multilateral institution in its own right. When you think about their commitment to humanity, India is providing leadership at the global governance level and that is commendable for a country 75 years old. Think about it. In our lifetime, we have industrialised economies that were never colonised. Some were colonised centuries-old in terms of their post-independence but do you get the same attitude and commitment and conviction as you get from India?”

For India, her motto is expressed in the Sanskrit phrase, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, “The world is one family”.

Warmest welcome to Hon’ble External Affairs Minister of India Dr S Jaishankar and his delegation to Guyana and it is the hope that the friendship and commerce between Guyana and India will grow and deepen to the mutual benefit of their people.

“We [have been] working very assiduously over the past few years where we are actively engaging with Guyana from India, working on many new projects [and] building a strong partnership,” India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa said during a pre-arrival press conference on Wednesday.

During Jaishankar’s three-and-a-half-day visit, he will convene with Foreign Ministers from some 13 of the 15 Caribbean Community (Caricom) Member States during a joint meeting as well as oneon-one bilateral discussions.

He will also engage with President Dr Irfaan Ali; Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo; Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips and Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir.

The External Affairs Minister will be co-chairing a joint commission meeting between the two countries to engage with representatives from eight prominent sectors: agriculture; infrastructure; defence; health and pharmaceuticals; technology and innovation; energy –including renewable energy; human resources and capacity building; and ayurveda and wellness.

On Sunday, Jaishankar will be at the inauguration of the passenger ferry built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd

in collaboration with the Government of Guyana.

The Minister’s visit also includes a business roundtable discussion with over 80 leading Guyanese companies, a site visit to the East CoastEast Bank bypass road, and visits to the Non-Aligned Monument, Mahatma Gandhi Monument and the Independence Monument where he will pay tribute and lay wreaths; a trip to Kaieteur Falls and lastly, a community reception with members of the Indian Diaspora and Indian passport holders.

This visit by Jaishankar follows the official visits to India by President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo in February, which saw discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on energy cooperation, infrastructure development, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, technology and innovation, and defence cooperation.

“We are following up on various discussions which happened during the high-level visits in January and February. India and the growing friendship with Guyana have been always [maintained] with mutual respect and cooperation,” Srinivasa said. “We accept that we are equal partners in business, non-interference in internal affairs, and respect for territorial integrity.”

As the current chair of the intergovernmental forum G20, India is working across the developing world and has involved Guyana previously for input especially on food security given the country’s leading position within Caricom on reducing food imports by 25 per cent by 2025, Srinivasa added.

As part of his Latin American tour, Jaishankar will also be visiting Panama, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.

Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

New PPP LGE candidates want to see change in New Amsterdam

date, Nicola Luther.

New candidates on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) list to contest the 2023 Local Government Elections (LGE) in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) say they are there because they want to see change in the town.

The candidates say services offered by the municipality to residents have not been what has been expected for decades.

As a township, New Amsterdam is 231 years old, making it by far the oldest town in the country and in terms of being a municipality, it is 131 years old – also the oldest in the country.

The Town Council has always been under the majority rulership of the People’s

National Congress (PNC), which for years occupied 13 of the 14 seats, with the PPP having one.

When LGE were last held in 2018, the PPP was able to secure three seats and under a new name A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) – the PNCled coalition which entered the elections partnered with the Alliance For Change (AFC), 11 seats.

The PPP has since said that it is aiming to change the leadership of the Council.

One of its candidates, Juanita Burrows, who is a new face, says the overall goal is to ensure that the town experiences development. The same view was expressed by another candi-

Burrows said there has been neglect of the town for decades. Basic infrastructure, she said, needs to be improved as she made mention of the Stanleytown cemetery which remains in a run-down state. Most of the tombs have been covered with heavy overgrowth. The cemetery is under the control of the municipality and over the years for a price persons have been able to bury their loved ones in selected spots; even on the walkways - -some of which have now become inaccessible.

“The important thing is not to keep New Amsterdam down, but to let people see a transformation in our community. We want clean drains; good street lights and we also want a very clean cemetery. We all have loved ones there. This will be one of our main focuses and we will also make sure that every part of New Amsterdam is clean and healthy,” the PPP candidate for Constituency Five said.

Meanwhile, Luther said there was a need for a change, noting that she wanted to be a part of that change.

“I want to enhance the community, because community development is our main focus and I know that

with my intellect and experience, I have a basic understanding of the theory and also living in the town, I have observed a lot of things that have been happening over the last few years, and so I know that I can make a change,” she said.

Burrows said she was expecting APNU to bring development to the town of New Amsterdam when it was in Government.

“After those five years, I see no development; the streets are bad, there are no street lights, the cemetery

was because it was not appreciative of the support she wanted to offer.

On Nomination Day, APNU’s election agent, Jevaughn Stephens told this publication that the Central Government has been playing politics with New Amsterdam as he accused the Government of deliberately stymieing the development of the town.

This, Stephens said, makes the Town Council look “politically bad”, as he called on the Government to ensure the town of New Amsterdam gets what it should.

However, the head of the PPP/C candidate list for New Amsterdam, Phillip Rose assured that under a PPP-led Town Council, there would be development.

“Garbage, overgrown bushes, and the drainage

Guyana Times attempted to interview some APNU Councillors also vying for election in New Amsterdam, but they were a no-show for a scheduled interview with this publication. Both Luther and Burrows were known to be sympathetic towards APNU.

is in a state, and garbage is being dumped all over. I took the decision after being dissatisfied with the work of our Government, I decided to make the change,” Burrows said.

Luther, on the other hand, said her decision to leave the coalition behind

which have been left unattended – we will change that. We want people to know that whatever we promise to people, we are going to fulfil. I want to make this clear that we will be working with the Government to make sure that these things happen,” Rose committed. (G4)

A section of the Stanleytown cemetery

Nicola Luther

Juanita Burrows

Ali announces key int’l partnerships to boost economic growth

President Dr Irfaan Ali has restated his Government’s commitment to collaborating with international partners to advance transformative projects across all sectors.

Speaking at the Private Sector Commission’s Annual General Meeting on Tuesday at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, President Ali revealed plans to visit the United Kingdom, as part of efforts aimed at strengthening relationships with Private Sector bodies.

He disclosed that the Government was in discus-

sions with the European Union (EU) to find ways in which the Private Sector there could play a greater role in partnership with the local Private Sector.

India’s Foreign Minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will also be visiting Guyana shortly to advance discussions on a number of areas for collaboration.

“We are working on building stronger partnerships, looking at expanding agro-processing, manufacturing and value-added… looking at research and development, looking at build-

Persons can appeal rejected applications under new single-window system

The lead consultant for the single-window application system, Fareed Amin on Wednesday said that the system would feature a planning tribunal where persons who have had their applications rejected can appeal and possibly have them approved as provided by the single-window legislation.

He was at the time speaking at the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s third consultation.

According to Amin, “so what the legislation provides for is a planning tribunal, so if someone feels aggrieved by a decision of the CH&PA, or someone else who is authorised to make that decision, they can appeal that decision to the planning tribunal. And the legislation specifies that that appeal has to occur within a certain number of days. The planning tribunal decision is final unless that decision impacts…a national policy.”

He added that systems would also be in place to support paper-based submissions for persons who are unable to submit electronic applications.

“While we are encouraging and promoting the electronic portal, and for individuals to go on the portal and submit their applications electronically, there is a recognition that in certain parts of the country, someone may not be able to submit their application online. Recognising that, what we’re proposing is that we will accept paper-based application as an exception, but the individual who is intaking that paper-based application will create an electronic file, will scan that information and upload it into the system,” he explained.

Amin also announced that they were expecting to start internal and possibly external training in May,

and would subsequently be testing and deploying the software in the latter part of June. The system is expected to go live on July 1 of this year.

“We are going to start training internally and potentially outside in May [and] testing and deployment some time toward the latter parts of June and then hopefully we’re looking at implementing it some time in July,” Amin said.

He also announced that they would be launching a public relations and education campaign to disseminate information throughout the country on the proper use of the system. Over the next few days, a number of other regulatory agencies, and Government and Private Sector bodies will be engaged in another round of consultation.

The single-window process is a strategy implemented by the Government to integrate agencies’ approach to services, efficiency, and to significantly reduce the processing time for planning and building permission.

to be the point of entry for planning and building applications; as well as a dashboard to show the status of individual applications and generate progress reports, which can also be accessed by applicants. Another feature of the system is a timebound element by which the relevant agencies will have to respond to applications otherwise they would automatically be considered approved.

ing out our scientific capability,” the Head of State noted.

President Ali was also invited by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil for a State visit to discuss a strong and robust plan for regional integration.

“As you are aware, there are some massive transformative projects that are on the table with Brazil. I am convinced that this state visit as I am invited to, will advance these, will bring forth a tremendous opportunity for the local Private Sector, for Guyanese and Guyana,” the President declared.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader is also scheduled to visit Guyana soon. President Ali will accompany President Abinader back to the Dominican Republic to meet with the Private Sector and several major financial institutions.

The Dominican Republic, he noted, has expressed interest in working on projects and financing local initiatives.

The country is also keen to collaborate closely in the area of energy security.

In addition, Guyana will collaborate with Cuba, later this year to enhance its human resource capacity and advance its healthcare services. Cuba has provid-

ed strategic ideas in this regard.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have extended invitations to discuss Guyana’s development and explore opportunities for Private Sector involvement.

The President further revealed that, “Later this year, we intend to visit China, we will have great collaboration and discussions also on opportunities here. Also, we will be visiting Washington once more to further the collaboration and partnership of a number of transformative projects.”

President Ali expressed his hope that Canada would be an active participant in Guyana’s transformation and acknowledged the High Commissioner’s hard work in advocating for this agenda and promoting it as a top priority.

He emphasised the importance of managing Guyana’s multilateral and bilateral interests to ensure the country was well-represented internationally.

Currently, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips is leading a delegation in Trinidad and Tobago to deal with the issue of crime not only from a country perspective but from a regional perspective.

The legislative framework now paves the way for, among other things, standardised application forms and checklists, as well as minimising the time for completing a transaction.

Further, the electrical portal will enable investors to submit planning and building permits and check the status from anywhere around the globe, as this new mechanism forms part of the Government’s attempt to increase the ease of doing business and foster a business-friendly environment.

In December 2022, a $202 million contract was signed with Global Services – a Guyanese-led consortium with global experience – to make the issuance of planning and building permits hassle-free. The company was tasked with providing a server and network infrastructure; security solutions; and hardware and software maintenance and repairs.

The single-window system will feature five key elements including one-window access to allow the CH&PA

Lead consultant for the single-window project, Fareed Amin (CH&PA photo)

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Venezuelan corruption probe snares another former top PDVSA executive

nessman Salem Hassoun Atrach and Leoner Azuaje, an official who worked at a State cardboard manufacturer, according to Venezuela's State TV channel. It was not immediately clear what charges the men face.

More than 170 raids and 61 arrests have come out of the corruption case involving PDVSA and other State entities, according to figures by Venezuela's general attorney Tarek Saab.

Costa Rican President gets tougher on security as crime soars

alike.

Daniel Calderon, the Director of the country's Police and border control operations, said nearly twothirds of the country's murders are due to the "settling of scores between criminal organisations."

"We are going to mend the course we lost a long time ago," said Chaves, a week after criticising those who condemned the security crisis.

Aformer Vice President of Venezuela's State oil firm PDVSA was arrested as part of a widening anti-corruption probe looking into wrongdoing at the State company, a Government official said on Wednesday.

The investigation that began in October has led to the arrests of more than 60 Venezuelan officials and businessmen, and prompted the resignation of the country's Oil Minister. It is examining missing oil payments and the use of crypto currency for trans -

actions.

Ysmel Serrano, formerly a PDVSA Executive Vice President and chief of trade between 2017 and 2018, appeared in court on Tuesday after being arrested by a special anti-corruption Police unit designated by President Nicolás Maduro for the case, said Venezuela's Information Minister Freddy Nanez on Twitter.

Antonio Perez Suarez, who also served as PDVSA Vice President, was previously arrested.

The anti-corruption Police also arrested busi -

From 2020 to March 2023, PDVSA accumulated US$21.2 billion in commercial accounts receivable, Reuters revealed last month citing internal PDVSA documents. The receivables were tied to dozens of little known middlemen companies that replaced big-name firms barred by US sanctions.

The total receivables include US$3.6 billion in accounts classified by PDVSA as potentially unrecoverable as the customers took oil cargoes away from Venezuelan waters without completing due payments. (Reuters)

Costa Rica's President on Wednesday presented a set of security measures in response to surging crime rates in the Central American country, which is currently on track this year to beat 2022's record murder rate.

"I want people to be able to walk down the street in peace," President Rodrigo Chaves said as he introduced the measures, including more Police, tougher juvenile criminal laws, permitting the extradition of nationals in overseas drug trafficking cases and stricter

rules on ammunition sales.

Costa Rica ended 2022 with a record 12.6 homicides per 100,000 residents, according to the judicial research agency OIJ. The agency calculates that homicides are up 41 per cent in the first 100 days of 2023 versus the same period last year.

This represents one murder every 10 hours in a country of some 5.2 million, which has for years been hailed for its peaceful environment, which has helped make it a top destination for tourists and pensioners

Government officials have blamed decades of deteriorating social conditions, pressure from international drug trafficking groups, limited Police resources, and judicial inefficiency for the soaring crime rates.

The country's main business chamber on Friday called for a state of "national emergency", fearing a hit to foreign investment and tourism.

As Chaves nears the end of his first year in power with favourable opinion ratings, polls nonetheless point to insecurity among the main challenges in the country, which abolished its army in 1948. (Reuters)

Dozens die in Ramadan crush in Yemen's capital Sanaa

At least 78 persons have been killed in a crush at a school in the Yemeni capital Sanaa during a distribution of charity for Ramadan, officials say.

Video footage on social media shows chaotic scenes after the incident in the Bab-al-Yemen area of the city.

Reuters news agency reports that hundreds of people crowded into the school

to receive donations which amounted to about US$9 per person.

Houthi rebels have run the city since they drove out the Government in 2015.

Those responsible for the distribution have been detained and an investigation is under way, the Interior Ministry said.

Many people were also injured with 13 in a critical situation, a health official in Sanaa said.

The Associated Press news agency quotes two eyewitnesses who said Houthi fighters had fired into the air in an attempt at crowd control, apparently striking an electrical wire which resulted in an explosion. This caused panic that led to the crush, they added.

The event happened during the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is marked by a period of fasting.

Yemen has been devastated by the conflict that escalated in 2015, when the Houthis seized control of large parts of the west of the country.

President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi fled abroad and a Saudi-led alliance of Arab States intervened to restore his rule. However, years of military stalemate followed.

The fighting has reportedly left more than 150,000 persons dead and more than 23 million – three-quarters of the population – in need of some form of aid.

Last week, a major prisoner swap between warring sides in Yemen started, seen as part of stepped-up efforts to end the devastating eightyear conflict. (BBC News)

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves

NGSA Science Questions NGSA S. Studies Questions

Answers for last published Science questions

5a) A liquid mixture in which the solute is uniformly distributed within the solvent.

5bi) Chalk and water

5bii) muddy water

5ci) Filtration

5cii) Evaporation

Answers for last published Social Studies questions

5a) Transportation is the movement of people and things from one place to another.’

5b) The airplane

5c) Some parts of Guyana are riddled with waterways and few or no roads, so boats are the most sensible choice.

Cuba’s Parliament ratifies President DíazCanel for new term

Caricom Heads agree to ban assault weapons

Caricom leaders are moving to ban the public’s use of assault weapons and have also promised to write to the US Government to demand a stronger effort to prevent the flow of guns into the Region and to stand with Caricom the same way Caricom stood by the US in their war on drugs.

weapons from civilian populations, Prime Minister Rowley explained that over the years these weapons have slowly been licensed to the civilian population.

port them as well with the legislation moving forward.

Cuba’s National Assembly ratified President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez on Wednesday for a new fiveyear term.

On Wednesday, the deputies of the newly-constituted National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP) in its 10th Legislature re-elected Díaz-Canel as President of the Republic of Cuba.

The President of the National Electoral Council, Alina Balseiro, said that 97.66 per cent of the total number of deputies

(462) voted for Díaz-Canel’s re-election, so he received the support of the absolute majority.

Salvador Antonio Valdés Mesa was ratified as Vice President of the Republic by 93.4 per cent of the total number of deputies of the National Assembly. At the proposal of the re-elected President, the deputies approved by absolute majority to ratify Deputy Manuel Marrero Cruz as Prime Minister. Díaz-Canel recognised that Marrero “has developed a style of work

marked by interaction with the people and direct attention to the attention of social policies, including work in the neighbourhoods”.

More than 400 representatives to the assembly who were ratified by voters in March took office early Wednesday and then convened the chamber to elect the Government’s leadership and the President. Díaz-Canel obtained the votes of 459 of the 462 legislators present.

(Excerpt from Telesur English)

Biden to discuss Venezuela sanctions with Colombia’s Petro in White House talks – official

US President Joe Biden will tell Colombian President Gustavo Petro in White House talks today that he is willing to further ease sanctions on Venezuela only in return for concrete steps toward free elections there, a senior Administration official told Reuters.

Previewing the leaders’ first meeting, the official said Biden would reiterate to Petro, who has called for lifting sanctions on Venezuela, that he is not prepared to provide significant sanctions relief to President Nicolás Maduro’s Government until he agrees

to democratic steps with the country’s Opposition.

Relations between neighbours Colombia and Venezuela have warmed since Petro’s inauguration in August, and Maduro has celebrated moves by Bogota to organise an international conference on April 25 to promote resumption of talks between his Socialist Government and Opposition politicians.

The White House talks are aimed at renewing historically strong ties between Washington and Bogota and charting a new relationship with Colombia’s first leftist President. A wide-ranging

agenda will also include anti-drug cooperation, regional migration, Petro’s peace efforts with rebel groups as well as climate change.

Since taking office, Biden has eased some US sanctions on Venezuela to encourage dialogue. But negotiations have stalled again.

“Unilateral lifting of sanctions,” the official said on condition of anonymity, “will line the pockets of people who have already stolen billions of dollars from Venezuela ... The two Presidents are going to likely discuss it and I think we can find common ground.”

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Clearing the air on payment to former LIAT workers

Director of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ian Carrington on Wednesday sought to explain the terms under which the Government of Barbados will be making a payment to former LIAT workers.

In a media release, Carrington acknowledges Government has already given two monetary gifts and a loan and has “no legal obligation to settle any indebtedness to the workers”.

As a result, this action,

which was announced in the 2023 Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, has a maximum cash value of $75, 000, with anything in excess being paid in Series J Bonds.

Government has set aside about Bds$10 million for the 89 eligible workers.

The statement follows in full:

The Government of Barbados notes that it has no legal obligation to settle any indebtedness to former

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley made the announcement as the twoday Caricom Symposium on Crime came to a close at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on Tuesday.

Addressing their move to ban the use of assault

“We are saying that we do not require those weapons within our society in a commonplace way, because of the outcome of the presence in the society. We can continue to provide protection with small number of handguns in the population,” the PM said.

Rowley did not say when the legislation would be brought or if it would require Opposition support. However, he noted the regional leaders did all ask their Oppositions to sup -

“While some people are fighting to roll back what they have done, we’re saying let’s not go there, because there is not a solution to our problem of safety and security,” the PM said.

On the issue of the influx of guns into the Region, Rowley said dialogue with the US was one of a few issues they agreed to speak on with one voice as part of the action plan coming out of the symposium.

He said a letter was to be sent to Washington, adding he had every confidence President Joe Biden would take it seriously. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Top national security adviser to Brazil’s Lula resigns

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s top national security adviser resigned on Wednesday, the presidential palace said, amid a scandal related to the aide’s presence during the storming of Government buildings in the capital.

The resignation of General Marcos Goncalves Dias, which the President accepted, followed a report from CNN Brasil that included footage of him walking around the presidential palace while a mob ransacked Government buildings in Brasilia on January 8.

Sources close to the President said there was no doubt that Dias did not support or facilitate the invasion by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro in any way.

Dias was head of presidential security during Lula’s two previous terms.

Although the General’s presence in the area after the invasion was previously known, Lula’s Opposition says the footage indicated that the Government facilitated the invaders’ entry, as it looks to bolster its request for a

special committee on the invasion.

This committee would be the Opposition’s main platform to push its version of events, which centres on Lula’s newly-sworn-in Government having colluded with the attacks in Brasilia.

Dias arrived at the presidential palace shortly after it was invaded and stayed there until the arrival of Lula that evening, after the Bolsonaro supporters had already been removed and arrested, the sources said on condition of anonymity, because they were not authorised to speak publicly.

One of the sources said that Dias – who was able to get invaders out the door of the presidency room and lock the armoured windows – managed to do what was possible, alone.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Unexplained wealth orders go to Privy Council

LIAT (1974) Ltd. (LIAT) workers.

To date, some workers have received two monetary gifts and a loan from the Government of Barbados. In addition, some workers who contributed to the Barbados National Insurance and Social Security Scheme have received what they are entitled to from the Scheme.

The Government of Barbados will offer an ex-gratia payment to former Barbadian workers of LIAT.

(Nation News)

The reinstatement by the Court of Appeal of preliminary unexplained wealth orders, which allowed the Police to seize the assets of two families allegedly linked to drug trafficking, will be challenged at the Privy Council.

On Wednesday, Justices of Appeal Alice Yorke-Soo Hon, Mira Dean-Armorer and Vasheist Kokaram approved leave for Attorneys for the two families to challenge the Appeal Court’s decision of January 31.

In that ruling, the court allowed the appeal of the Police and remitted the orders to the High Court for further hearing.

The Judges – Justices of Appeal Allan Mendonca, Mark Mohammed and

Maria Wilson – were asked by the Police to overturn the orders of Justice Carla Brown-Antoine, who reversed her decisions to grant preliminary unexplained wealth orders against the families on the basis that the Police did not provide sufficient evidence to sustain the orders.

The orders were initially granted by Brown-Antoine in 2019 on an application by acting Superintendent Wendell Lucas and acting Assistant Superintendent of Police Richard Taylor against the members of two families.

At Wednesday’s hearing, Attorney for the officers Ravi Rajcoomar said there were no objections to the application to appeal to

the Privy Council. Soo Hon said since it was a matter of public importance, the court was giving its permission.

In 2020, Attorneys for the families asked the court to set aside the preliminary unexplained-wealth orders and Brown-Antoine did so, revoking her earlier orders.

In both cases, the police argued they had reasonable cause to suspect the wealth of the five members of the two families was unlawfully obtained as a result of drug trafficking and money laundering.

Some of the five have been charged with varying offences, which are pending.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez

General Marcos Goncalves Dias

Oil falls 2% as dollar gains on potential Fed rate hike

Oil prices slid about two per cent to a two-week low on Wednesday despite a sharp decline in US crude inventories, as the dollar strengthened on fears that looming Federal Reserve interest rate hikes could curb energy demand in the world’s top consumer.

A stronger US dollar can hurt global demand for oil by making it more expensive in other countries. Investors were also discouraged by still high inflation in Europe and uneven economic data in China, the world’s biggest crude importer.

Brent futures for June delivery fell US$1.65, or 2.0 per cent, to settle at US$83.12 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery fell US$1.70, or 2.1 per cent to settle at $79.16, while the June WTI contract, which becomes the US front-month at the end of trading today, also lost 2.1 per cent to settle at US$79.24.

Those were the lowest closes for both benchmarks since March 31, erasing most of the price gains since the surprise oil output cut announced on April 2 by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other allies in the OPEC+ group.

“The crude benchmarks are posting ... lows ... in response to a strengthening in the US dollar that is, in turn, weighing on risky assets following some hot inflation data out of Europe,” analysts at energy consulting firm Ritterbusch and Associates told customers in a note.

“We still believe that the market has been too focused on the supply side of the global oil equation following the OPEC output cuts and that world oil demand is significantly weaker than widely perceived,” the note said.

US crude stockpiles fell by a bigger-than-expected 4.6 million barrels last week as refinery runs and exports rose, while gasoline inventories jumped unexpectedly on disappointing demand, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). ,

That was far more than analyst forecasts for a 1.1-millionbarrel crude decline, and the American Petroleum Institute’s estimates late Tuesday of a 2.7-million-barrel draw.

In China, stock markets closed lower owing to uneven first-quarter data indicating a bumpy economic recovery after the country dropped its strict zero-COVID-19 policy.

Stock market indexes around the world also slipped after back-to-back gains as investors digested the latest earnings reports, while British inflation data hardened expectations of further interest rate rises by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks.

The Fed is likely to have one more interest rate rise in store, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Tuesday.

US economic activity was little changed in recent weeks as employment growth moderated somewhat and price increases appeared to slow, according to a Fed report.

European Central Bank officials meanwhile remained wary of inflation and have suggested further rate hikes also.

Adding more pressure on oil benchmarks, Asian refiners have continued to snap up Russian crude in April. India and China have bought the vast majority of Russian oil so far in April at prices above the Western price cap of US$60 a barrel, according to traders and Reuters calculations.

Oil loadings from Russia’s western ports in April will rise to the highest since 2019, above 2.4 million barrels per day, despite Moscow’s pledge to cut output, trading and shipping sources said.

In the US, meanwhile, heating oil futures closed at their lowest since January 2022 for a second day in a row on low diesel demand.

That cut the heating oil crack spread – a measure of refining profit margins – to its lowest close since February 2022. (Reuters)

Around The World

Thousands flee as new ceasefire attempt fails in Sudan

Anew ceasefire attempt between Sudanese troops and paramilitary forces in Khartoum has so far been unsuccessful, heightening concerns over diminishing food provisions and a breakdown of essential medical services.

The 24-hour ceasefire –lobbied for by countries trying to evacuate their citizens after days of conflict – was supposed to come into effect at 18:00h local time (16:00 GMT). However, eyewitnesses in Khartoum said fighting has continued on Wednesday.

“We can still hear shelling in the vicinity of the presidential palace and the general command of the military,” Al Jazeera correspon-

dent Hiba Morgan said.

“The ceasefire is not unconditional, with both sides saying they will abide by it only if they are not fired at by the other party,” she added.

Earlier in the day, continuous bombardments could be heard in central Khartoum around the compound housing the army headquarters –where Sudan’s military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had said he was based earlier in the week. It was not clear if he was still there.

“The armed forces are responding to a new attack in the vicinity of the General Command,” an army statement said.

There was another heavy

3 Alabama teens charged with murder in sweet 16 party shooting

exchange of gunfire in the Jabra neighbourhood of west Khartoum, where homes belonging to paramilitary leader General

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, and his family are located, Reuters news agency reported. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Chinese actress Jiang Mengjie praised for revealing upskirting blackmail

Three Alabama teenagers have been taken into custody and charged with murder in last week’s shooting at a sweet 16 birthday party that left four dead and 32 wounded, State Police said on Wednesday.

Two suspects – Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16 – both from Tuskegee, were arrested on Tuesday night and charged with four counts of reckless murder, Sergeant Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said during a news conference.

The agency said a few hours later that a third person had been arrested.

Wilson LaMar Hill Jr, 20, of

Auburn, was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon and charged with four counts of reckless murder, the agency said in a press release.

The shooting on Saturday took place at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio in Dadeville, a community of 3200 people about 80.5 kilometres (50 miles) northeast of Montgomery.

“Make no mistake. This is Alabama and when you pull out a gun and you start shooting people, we’re going to put you in jail,” Burkett said. “We’re tired of going to mothers and having to tell them these kids aren’t coming home.”

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Jiang Mengjie has won praise for reporting the crime to the police and speaking out

Chinese actress Jiang Mengjie has been praised for sharing she was the victim of upskirting and was blackmailed over footage that circulated of her.

Upskirting – involving a device such as a camera phone to take explicit images underneath a victim’s clothing without permission – often goes undetected.

Jiang Mengjie told her eight million followers on social network Weibo the video had been filmed “many years ago”.

She found out after her staff spotted comments about the footage online.

Jiang commented that a friend had subsequently sent her a video, leaving her feeling “angry and disgusted, along with a feeling of powerlessness”.

“Some web users have told me that videos have been posted to many groups… and the number of views has exceeded one million,” she said.

Jiang further revealed that she had begun receiving private messages blackmailing her over the footage “saying that they would send the video to major film and TV companies and brands, and ruin the rest of my life”.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

NASA says flash over Kyiv was not its

Amysterious flash that lit up the skies over the Ukrainian capital Kyiv generated much speculation.

Officials in Kyiv said they suspected it was a NASA satellite falling to Earth, but the US space agency told the BBC it was still in orbit.

The Ukrainian air force suggested the flash might have been a meteorite.

Whatever it was, the air force seemed confident it had not been caused by

a Russian air attack – an event all too familiar since the invasion last year.

The bright glow was observed in the sky over the capital around 22:00 (19:00 GMT).

An air raid alert was activated, but “air defence was not in operation”, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, Serhiy Popko, said on Telegram.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to address Mexico’s Congress today by

satellite

video, according to two people familiar with the matter, as he seeks support in his country’s ongoing war with Russia.

Mexico’s Government has said it wants to remain neutral in the conflict, and some supporters of Ukraine have criticised the country’s leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for taking issue with European arms shipments to Kyiv.

Still, Mexico has voted alongside the United States and other Western pow-

ers on a number of major United Nations resolutions.

The speech was due to take place around midday, the sources said.

Zelenskiy’s address to the lower house of Congress came at the invitation of a congressional friendship group between Mexico and Ukraine, according to the sources. There are other similar groups in the Mexican Congress, including one for Russia.

(Excerpt from BBC and Reuters)

People gather at a station on Wednesday to flee Khartoum during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Army [El-Tayeb Siddig/Reuters]

Community members embrace each other during a vigil the day after a shooting during a teenager’s birthday party at Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio in Dadeville, Alabama, US, April 16, 2023 (Reuters/Cheney Orr)

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Anger is a waste of time. Size up a situation, change what you don't like and move on to something more entertaining. Updating your image may sound inviting, but be sure to do so for the right reasons.

(March 21-April 19)

You'll be eager to take charge and do things your way. Set standards, call on people you trust and don't subject yourself to situations that can lead to physical or financial limitations.

(April 20-May 20)

Rely on what and who you know to carry you through turbulent times. Keep your thoughts and intentions to yourself and avoid an authority figure who gives you a hard time.

(May 21-June 20)

Offer your expertise to those in need, and the rewards will surpass your expectations. Your drive, attention to detail and creative input will draw positive attention.

(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22)

Take a close look at what others are doing and how they act. A reserved approach when discussing money matters will encourage good results. Offer incentives, but don't leave yourself footing the bill.

You'll be open to fresh concepts and ready to learn something new. Talk to an expert if something perplexes you. Taking on too much too fast will be costly and stressful. Protect your reputation.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Don't lose sight of your budget. Monitor your money, health and contracts closely to minimize mistakes, confusion and loss. An offer will not be as good as someone leads you to believe. Ask questions.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Size up your situation and follow your plans. Stay focused on what you want, and adjust swiftly to the changes you make. A shift in your living arrangements will add to your security.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Don't let pride put you in a vulnerable position. Focus on self-improvement and matters you can handle by yourself. Don't commit to something or someone or promise to avoid conflict.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Maintaining a simple lifestyle will help you live up to your expectations. Happiness comes from earning your living doing something you enjoy and spending your downtime with loved ones.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Sharing too much information will cause friction with someone you least expect. Don't present your plans until you have worked out all the kinks. Make your offer tough to refuse.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

You've got the wheel and the goahead to take the lead. Entertain others with your vision and see who wants to tag along. Make no allowances for those hesitating; take those ready to commit.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

‘One Guyana’ Futsal Championships…

Wismar, Gold is Money, Stabroek Ballers are latest winners

Wismar All Stars, Stabroek Ballers and Gold is Money were among the victors when the Kashif and Shanghai-organized ‘One Guyana’ National Futsal Tournament continued at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue in Georgetown on Tuesday evening.

The Linden men of Wismar All Stars downed Bagotstown Warriors by a mammoth 8-1 margin. Jonah Simon led the charge for Wismar with a hat trick of goals in the 7th, 19th and 24th minutes, while Andre Mayers netted a hat trick in the 4th, 9th and 25th minutes.

Allan Halley (1st) and Omar

Williams (15th) each added one to Wismar’s tally. Akeem Wilson netted Bagotstown’s consolation goal in the 11th minute.

Stabroek Ballers easily overcame Timehri Ballaz in a 4-0 encounter. Bevney Mark netted Stabroek’s first goal in the 6th minute, and went on to

complete his brace in the 26th. Shemar Welch and Dorwin George were the others to add to Stabroek Ballers’ tally.

Beterverwagting (BV) and Footsteppers found themselves emerging from a 1-all game, the first of which came in the 22nd minute off the boots of Shemar Brandt to give Footsteppers the

advantage. Anthony Forrestor equalized for BV with a goal in the 30th minute. Gold is Money closed off the night of futsal action with a 7-1 drubbing of Melanie. Randolph Wagner was on fire for Gold is Money, scoring goals in the 6th, 8th and 24th minutes.

Jamal Pedro’s double in the

28th and 29th minutes added to the scoresheet, while Darren Benjamin and Keon B. found the back of the net in the 22nd and 15th minutes respectively. Phillip Williams pierced the nets for Melanie in the 12th minute. The ‘One Guyana’ Futsal tournament will continue this weekend at the same venue.

Avesh, Stoinis help LSG pull off season's lowest defence

On a slow Sawai Mansingh Stadium pitch, Lucknow Super Giants spoiled Rajasthan Royals' homecoming in a game of middling totals by defending 154, the lowest total successfully defended this IPL.

Playing in Jaipur after almost four years, Royals restricted Super Giants to 154 for 7; and in response were 89 for 1 after 12 overs, needing 66 from the remaining eight overs. But Marcus Stoinis and Avesh Khan used the slowness of the surface to their advantage by banging the ball in the middle of the pitch to make runscoring difficult.

As the asking rate mounted, so did the pressure on the Royals’ batters. With 48 required from four overs, Ravi Bishnoi conceded just six in the 17th. In the next over, Devdutt Padikkal picked up three fours off Stoinis to keep Super Giants in the contest, but Naveen-ulHaq bowled an excellent 19th over, giving away just ten and leaving 18 to defend for Avesh.

Riyan Parag started the final over with a four, followed by a leg-bye, before Avesh dismissed Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel on successive deliveries

to seal the result.

LSG's scratchy start

The recent record in Jaipur was in favour of the chasing side, and Sanju Samson duly opted to bowl. Even though Trent Boult couldn't pick up a wicket in the first over this time, he started with a maiden to KL Rahul. With just 14 runs on the board after three overs, Rahul walked at Sandeep Sharma and punched him uppishly towards extra cover, where Yashasvi Jaiswal put down a straightforward chance. Later in the over, Rahul got another life when he pushed one to the right of Jaiswal and took off. Jaiswal intercepted with a dive, but missed a direct hit that would

A flicker, nothing more

It was only after the powerplay that Rahul and Mayers really tried to increase the tempo. They were successful too, for a while. Mayers launched Holder for a six in the eighth over, and Rahul finished it with a four. In the next over, Yuzvendra Chahal was in the firing line. Mayers started by hitting a six and four off successive balls, before Rahul slog-swept the legspinner for another six.

Pooran hitting Holder for two fours and a six in a 17-run 19th over, Super Giants just crossed 150.

Jaiswal keeps Royals afloat Royals started their chase slowly, and were 23 for nil after four overs, despite Yudhvir Singh leaking 16 in the second. By the end of the powerplay, though, they had more than doubled their score.

to Avesh at short third. The next two overs brought two more wickets: Samson was run-out, and Buttler holed out to deep midwicket off Stoinis for 40 off 41.

With 56 needed from six overs, and with Padikkal and Shimron Hetmyer in the middle, Royals were still the favourites. Naveen leaked just

five in the 15th, resulting in the required rate going past ten for the first time in the chase. Hetmyer tried to take on Avesh, but was caught at longon for only 2. That turned the game in Super Giants' favour, and from there on, they didn't give Royals any chance. (ESPNCricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Lucknow Super Giants (20 ovs maximum)

BATTING R B

KL Rahul (c) c Buttler

b Holder 39 32

Kyle Mayers b Ashwin 51 42

Ayush Badoni b Boult 1 4

Deepak Hooda c

Hetmyer b Ashwin 2 4

Marcus Stoinis c †Samson

b Sandeep Sharma 21 16

Nicholas Pooran † run out (†Samson) 29 20

Krunal Pandya not out 4 2

Rajasthan Royals (T: 155 runs from 20 ovs)

BATTING R B

Yashasvi Jaiswal c Avesh Khan b Stoinis 44 35

Jos Buttler c Ravi Bishnoi b Stoinis 40 41

Sanju Samson (c)† run out (Mishra/†Pooran) 2 4

Devdutt Padikkal c †

Pooran b Avesh Khan 26 21

have had Rahul out by a yard.

In the next over, Rahul had a third life: he miscued Boult, but Jason Holder, having settled under it after running back from mid-off, failed to hold on. With Kyle Mayers also struggling to score freely, Super Giants finished the powerplay on 37 for nil - the lowest wicketless powerplay total this season by a distance.

With Super Giants at 74 for no loss after nine overs, the platform was set. However, the next nine overs brought them just 55 runs with the loss of four wickets. Rahul was the first to depart, for 39 off 32, when he chipped Holder to long-on. The experiment to send Ayush Badoni at #3 didn't work either; the batter deflected a scoop off Boult onto his leg stump in the next over.

In the 13th over, Mayers struck back-to-back fours off Chahal, and brought up his half-century off 40 balls. But R Ashwin's double-strike from the other end, to remove Deepak Hooda and Mayers, kept the lid on the scoring rate.

And despite Nicholas

A misfield by Mayers gifted Jaiswal a boundary on the first ball of the fifth over, bowled by Yudhvir. Three balls later, Butter - on 5 off 14 until then - smashed a 112-metre six. In the last over of the powerplay, Jaiswal and Buttler hit Avesh for three fours, the second of those a slash from Jaiswal that burst through Naveen's hands at short third. Still, Buttler was going slower than a run a ball, and it was Jaiswal who kept Royals afloat. The two added 87 in 11.3 overs, of which Buttler contributed only 35 off 35.

Stoinis and Avesh turn it around Royals were moving towards their target with little fuss when Stoinis ended the opening stand with Jaiswal's wicket, who steered one low

Yudhvir Singh run out

(Hetmyer/†Samson) 1 1

Extras (lb 4, nb 1, w 1) 6

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 7.70) 154/7

Did not bat: Naveen-ul-

Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh

Khan, Amit Mishra

Fall of wickets: 1-82

(KL Rahul, 10.4 ov), 2-85

(Ayush Badoni, 11.4 ov), 3-99

(Deepak Hooda, 13.2 ov), 4-104

(Kyle Mayers, 13.5 ov), 5-149

(Marcus Stoinis, 19.3 ov), 6-153

(Nicholas Pooran, 19.5 ov), 7-154

(Yudhvir Singh, 19.6 ov) •

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Trent Boult 4-1-16-1

Sandeep Sharma 4-0-32-1

Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-23-2

Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-41-0

Jason Holder 4-0-38-1

Shimron Hetmyer c Rahul b Avesh Khan 2 5 Riyan Parag not out 15 12 Dhruv Jurel c Hooda b Avesh Khan 0 1

Ravichandran Ashwin not out 3 2

Extras (b 1, lb 4, nb 1, w 6) 12

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 7.20) 144/6

Did not bat: Jason Holder, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma Fall of wickets: 1-87 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 11.3 ov), 2-93 (Sanju Samson, 12.4 ov), 3-97 (Jos Buttler, 13.3 ov), 4-104 (Shimron Hetmyer, 15.1 ov), 5-141 (Devdutt Padikkal, 19.3 ov), 6-141 (Dhruv Jurel, 19.4 ov) •

BOWLING O-M-R-W Naveen-ul-Haq 4-0-19-0 Yudhvir Singh 2-0-27-0 Avesh Khan 4-0-25-3 Marcus Stoinis 4-0-28-2 Ravi

The goal-scorers that gave Gold is Money their 7-1 win

Goal-scorers from the Wismar All Stars outfit

Eventual 'man of the match' Marcus Stoinis and other LSG players celebrating

Kyle Mayers and KL Rahul picked up speed after a quiet powerplay

Tornado Isai Thorne blows away seven Demerara wickets

Guyana fastest youth pacer, Isai Thorne, rocked Demerara with figures of 7-33 as Berbice cruised to a nine-wicket win in round one of the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) threeday Inter-County tournament.

In the match, played at Everest ground in Georgetown, Berbice completed the win inside two days, ending victorious on 107-1 in 24.5 overs. On the eventful day one, Demerara won the toss and opted to bat first. They posted 122 all out in 50.1 overs.

Rivaldo Phillips was the topscorer with 57, while Mavindra Dindyal made 20.

Left-arm spinner Jermey Sandia was the pick of the Berbice bowlers in the first innings with 3-33. Jonathan Rampersaud, Isai Thorne and Leon Cecil each had two

wickets in the first innings.

In reply, Berbice were bundled out for 119 in 42.4 overs. Tomani Caesar top-scored with 32, while Rampertab Ramnauth made 22.

Krisna Singh was the pick of the Demerara bowlers with 3-38.

Demerara, batting a second time, were blown away by West Indies youth pacer Isai Thorne for 101 all out in 29.3 overs. Number 10 batsman Anthon Lim made 42 for Demerara, sparing them further blushes. At lunch on day two, Demerara were on 35-7, with Thorne ripping the heart out of their batting line-up. A 59-run tenth wicket stand took Demerara over the 100-run mark.

Berbice required 105 runs to win, and West Indies

youth batsman Rampertab Ramnauth ensured the boys from the Ancient County prevailed. He slammed an unbeaten 53 from 81 balls in an innings decorated with six fours and one six. His fellow opener Hemendra Gurdayal made 28 in a 49-run opening stand. Zeynul Ramsammy scored an unbeaten 24 as the duo scored an unbroken 58

runs for the second wicket.

Meanwhile, in the other match, played at GCC Bourda, Essequibo need 162 runs with nine wickets in hand heading into day three against the GCB Select XI.

GCB Select XI made 209 all out in their first innings, with Kevin Kisten scoring 63 and Ezekiel Wilson hitting 55. Leftarm spinner Aryan Persaud

Isai Thorne claimed 7-33 Aryan Persaud picked up 5-69 and 6-53 across both innings against GCB Select XI

starred with 5-69 in 28 overs.

In reply, Essequibo posted 134 all out in their first innings.

Shaahid Vieira made 34, and Wilson returned to claim 3-37. GCB Select XI then made 157 all out in 52.4 overs.

Nityanand Mathura made 30.

Persaud returned in the second innings to claim 6-53 in 22.4 overs. At stumps, Essequibo were 70-1. Myhiem Khan was unbeaten on 46, while Vieira was on 19. This tournament is sponsored by the Government of Guyana under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

CWI Women’s Regional Tournament 2023…

The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) and the Demerara Distillers’ Limited (DDL) on Wednesday moved to solidify and lengthen their partnership for the betterment of youth boxing.

This corporate giant has renewed its sponsorship of the GBA’s Under-16 programme.

The Pepsi/Mike Parris U16 tournament pushed the envelope in 2022 with a record number of tournaments in the calendar year, one of the reasons for the GBA being named “Best

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Caption: Evin Lewis and Rashid Khan were teammates at St Kitts & Nevis Patriots last season

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Association” at the National Sports Commission’s awards ceremony.

Now the GBA will be even more empowered to bolster the tournaments with in excess of a million dollars in sponsorship, compliments of DDL, under their Pepsi brand.

Brand Communications Manager at DDL, Schemel Patrick, during the official announcement on Wednesday morning, emphasized the company’s commitment to the sport and the development of youths.

“I want to reiterate our continued commitment to partnering with the GBA. We see what the programme does, it provides youth with the necessary resources, the skills they need, and it builds them both professionally and personally. And, I mean, that ties in perfectly with our mandate and our mission at DDL and Pepsi,” Patrick shared.

She added, “A key focus for us at DDL and Pepsi is the advancement of youths through education and sport. So, that’s why we have continued to partner, because we have seen what the tournament has done. We have testaments in the room, the Jackman sisters who are products of the programme, who have gone on to do well for boxing and for Guyana.”

Highlighting the 11 years of DDL-GBA relationship, Technical Director of the GBA, Terrence Poole MS,

Campbelle, Gajnabi to lead Team Guyana

in extending his gratitude, encouraged more corporate sponsors to replicate Pepsi’s efforts.

Poole commented, “As she earlier said, 11 years and counting, and I don’t think we had no sponsor on board who would’ve been with us so long, corporate sponsors would’ve come do their part and go; but DDL stuck with us. So, I just call on some corporate sponsors to take a leaf out of DDL’s book and say tomorrow, ‘Boxing, I have this for you; boxing, I’ll be there for you’.”

Also sharing remarks at Wednesday’s presentation was GBA Assistant SecretaryTreasurer Seon Bristol, who spoke to the growth of the tournament through DDL’s support.

“This has become so fruitful that, just last year, we have been able to stage over 16 Under-16 Schools boys’ and girls’ tournaments; and more so, we went into the Caribbean School boys’ Championship. It is telling us that we’re growing,” Bristol remarked.

“So, again, on behalf of the GBA, I want to thank you guys,” Bristol added in a bid of gratitude.

The GBA last held a Pepsi/ Mike Parris U16 tournament earlier this month, and would be looking to host at least two tournaments a month in order to foster development of up-and-coming boxers.

(Jemima Holmes)

Senior national selectors of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) met on Monday, April 17, at the GCB Office to select the Guyana team for Cricket West Indies Women’s Regional Tournament, to be held in St. Kitts and Nevis from May 7 to May 30, 2023.

This squad will be led by West Indies player Shemaine Campbelle, who would have her compatriot Shabika Gajnabi as her deputy. Among the other experienced players in the squad are Cherry-Ann Fraser, Sheneta Grimmond, Kaycia Schultz and Katana Mentore, who have all represented the West Indies, in addition to West Indies under-19 captain Ashmini Munisar and talented West Indies under-19 opening batter Releanna Grimmond.

Clive Grimmond has been appointed Head Coach of the team, while Tremayne Smartt will serve as the Assistant Coach/Manager.

The squad reads:

1. Shemaine Campbelle (Captain)

2. Shabika Gajnabi (Vicecaptain)

3. Cherry-Ann Fraser

4. Katana Mentore

5. Analesia D’Aguiar

6. Sheneta Grimmond

7. Plaffianna Millington

8. Kaysia Schultz

9. Niya Latchman

10. Talleya Madramootoo

11. Mandy Mangru

12. Realanna Grimmond

13. Ashmini Munisar

14. Cyanna Retemiah

Stand-bys:

1. Hema Singh

2. Letisha Gordon

3. Selina Khan

4. Naomi Barkoye

5. Leurene Williams

6. Nafeeza Sabar

7. Anita Hendriks

8. Melanie Dover

9. Trisha Hardat

will be the Vice-Captain of Guyana’s Senior Women’s team Cherry-Ann Fraser

DDL’s Schemel Patrick making a presentation to GBA’s Terrence Poole, MS, in the presence of Seon Bristol and the Jackman sisters, Alesha and Abiola

Grandmaster Short engages Guyanese chess players

…President Ali to support GCF’s endeavours

State House was a buzz of activity on Tuesday afternoon following a visit from England Chess Grandmaster Nigel Short.

Short, in a series of exhibition matches, faced 20 Guyanese chess players simultaneously at the State House benab, prior to which the Grandmaster, along with Executives of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), met with President Dr. Irfaan Ali.

Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Motley, visiting State House on other matters, was also present at the engagement.

Short, the FIDE director for chess development, opposed Guyanese chess players from as young as nine years old to as old as 30 years old.

The former World #3-ranked player started his campaign just after 5pm, and was completely engaged for the first 2 hours of the exhibition as the Guyana side fought valiantly to scratch out an advantage over the Grandmaster.

He played against former Open National Champion CM Taffin Khan, FM Anthony Drayton, Davion Mars, Roberto Neto, Ethan Lee, WCM Sheriffa Alli, Jessica Callender, Nellisha Johnson, 2022 National Women’s Champion Pooja Lam, 2022 Junior Champion Ricardo Narine, 2023 Under-14 Open Champion Kyle Couchman, 2023 U14 Girl’s Champion Anaya Lall, 2023 National U-12 Champion Aquilani Swaminadha; Keron Sandiford, Sasha Shariff, Micaiah Enoe, Ronan Lee, Mayas Khan and siblings Alexander and Nicholas Zhang.

At about 8pm, at the beginning of hour 3, the pins sadly began to fall, and it was all over by 9pm with the final capitulation of CM Taffin Khan.

The best game in the exhibition was said to be against Anthony Drayton.

Tensions were high as player after player battled for

In the not-too-distant future, the mining town of Linden would have its first synthetic track, as the laying and marking of the material nears competition.

This revelation was made by subject Minister Charles Ramson jr. in a social media post on Wednesday morning.

According to that post, the rubber material has already been laid, and the lanes are now being marked. The laying of the track is being done by Russian Company BSW Regupol in a project which commenced approximately 4 weeks ago.

Outside of the track itself, the contract for the facility at Linden was awarded to Builders Hardware and General Supplies to the tune of $179M back in October 2018.

Headley-Weekes Tri-Series 2023…

Da Silva slams unbeaten century, Layne bags five-for

Ronan Lee, who kept the Grandmaster engaged for the entirety of the event, outlasting almost all of their more experienced peers.

Candidate Master Taffin Khan, notably one of Guyana’s most decorated chess players, held on the longest. Only after a long and suspenseful three hours did he finally concede and let the final king fall, leaving former world championship finalist Short with a clean sweep.

Judging from what he witnessed on Tuesday, Grandmaster Short praised the Federation for progress made so far in advancing chess, noting that he sees potential for Guyanese players to eventually be on par with players from global powerhouses for the sport, such as Russia. He added that he also hopes to see Guyana become a regional powerhouse for the sport.

President Irfaan Ali donates $1M for chess development

Meanwhile, during the Federation’s engagement with President Ali, it was confirmed that there would be a donation of one million dollars to the Guyana Chess Federation. This was said to be in the interest of encouraging and supporting the GCF in taking chess to all corners of the country.

The simultaneous exhibition was sponsored by Arrowten, Marics, Mobile Lubricants, Topco, Diamond Water and Digicom. As such, the GCF wishes to express gratitude to its sponsors for enabling the Federation to host the event at State House. Foremost of those wellwishers was His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who granted the use of State House for the activity.

West Indies Test wicketkeeper -batter

Joshua Da Silva has registered his highest first-class score of 136 as Team Headley recovered to post 259.

And West Indies youth fast-bowler Johann Layne has claimed 5-39 in 10 overs on day one of this match between Team Headley and the West Indies Academy in Antigua.

Team Headley won the toss and batted first. Layne, playing in his maiden first-class match, reduced Team Headley to 43-4.

Keagan Simmons was caught and bowled by Jordan for a duck, while Teddy Bishop was bowled by Jordan for a golden duck.

a chance to edge victory over one of the best chess players in the world. Outstanding games

from 9-year-old Aquilani Swaminadha, 12-year-old Anaya Lall and 16-year-old

In addition to Tuesday afternoon’s activity, Short was expected to interact with other chess players and members of the public at the Amazonia Mall at Providence, East Bank Demerara on Wednesday afternoon.

Opener Shayne Moseley retired hurt on nine. Captain Da Silva and Akeem Jordan revived the innings with his unbeaten 136 from 201 balls. He was supported by Test selectee the seamer Akeem Jordan, who scored 54, his highest first-class score.

In addition to Layne's 5-39, left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop had 2-89 and Guyanese Ashmead Nedd had 1-32 in 18.4 overs. In reply, West Indies Academy lost two early wickets.

Guyanese Kevlon Anderson is unbeaten on 12, while Kirk McKenzie had 31 at stumps, with West Indies Academy on 49-2 in 19 overs, trailing by 210 runs at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. Hours before the match, it was made evident that Guyanese Tevin Imlach was named as replacement for Rivaldo Clarke in the West Indies Academy squad for the Headley-Weekes Tri-Series four-day first-class competition. Imlach is a right-handed wicketkeeper-batter who has so far played 12 first-class matches. He made his maiden first-class century of 136 not out against Jamaica Scorpions last month when he was part of the Guyana Harpy Eagles team which won the West Indies Championship.

SCOREBOARD

Team Headley 1st Innings

Kieran Powell c Imlach b Layne 0

Sheyne Moseley retired not out 9

Darren Bravo c Bishop b Layne 5

Kavem Hodge c Nedd b Layne 10

Tevyn Walcott lbw b Layne 15

Joshua Da Silva not out 136

Justin Greaves b Bishop 3

Akeem Jordan c McKenzie b Layne 54

Anderson Phillip Pitman

b McKenzie 16

Chaim Holder c

Wickham b Bishop 10

Marquino Mindley c

Simmons b Nedd 0

Total (9 wickets, 70.4) (1 extras)

FOW: 1/1 (0.3) Kieran Powell

25/2 (6.3) Darren Bravo 34/3

(8.1) Kavem Hodge 43/4 (10.4)

Tevyn Walcott59/5 (18.1) Justin Greaves 164/6 (39.5) Akeem

Upon completion of the Linden Track at Bayrock, it is expected that attention would be turned to the track

Jordan 202/7 (51.6) Anderson

Phillip 224/8 (61.1) Chaim Holder

259/9 (70.4) Marquino Mindley

Bowling

Johann Layne (10-1-39-5)

Kelvin Pitman (8-0-50-0)

Nyeem Young (9-1-32-0)

Joshua Bishop (19-1-89-2)

Teddy Bishop (3-0-9-0)

Ashmead Nedd (18.4-6-32-1)

Kirk McKenzie (3-0-8-1)

West Indies Academy Batting

Keagan Simmons c & b Jordan 0

Kirk McKenzie not out 31

Teddy Bishop b Jordan 0

Kevlon Anderson not out 12

Total (2 wickets, 19.0) (6 extras) 49

FOW 0/1 (0.5) Keagan Simmons

0/2 (0.6) Teddy Bishop

Bowling

Akeem Jordan (6-2-16-2)

Marquino Mindley (3-2-5-0)

Anderson Phillip (4-1-7-0)

Justin Greaves (4-2-3-0)

Chaim Holder (2-0-12-0)

at New Amsterdam, Berbice, the material for which is yet to be laid. The synthetic track at Leonora on the West Coast

of Demerara (WCD) is also expected to be resurfaced by the same company in the near future.

Johann Layne claimed five on debut

Joshua Da Silva scored 136 not out (CWI Photos)

A look at the lane-marking process, which is soon to be completed

Scenes from the simultaneous exhibition games involving Grandmaster Nigel Short