Guyana Times - Thursday, May 11, 2023

3 shot, injured on land dispute on Essequibo Coast

Awoman, her

(Pomeroon-Supenaam), after being shot by a man during a dispute over land.

The incident occurred at Fairfield, Essequibo Coast on Monday afternoon, and the injured persons are Rajkumarie Ragobar, Sattohan Maraj and Roopchand Maraj, all of whom are residents of the Essequibo Coast.

Roopchand told Guyana Times from his hospital bed that the dispute over the land had arisen two weeks ago, when the suspect had claimed ownership of the land. Roopchand says the land belongs to his aunt, who

had allegedly given him permission to store his machines there, as they needed access to the sand that was being stored at the back of the land.

Roopchand has said that despite seeking help from the authorities to move his machines from the land, he was unsuccessful. He said that on Monday, at about 13:50h, he and his family returned to the land to move their machines and access the sand, since they had a contract to build an access road. However, they were met with a barrage of gunfire from the suspect, who opened fire on them.

"I had to hide because shots started firing steadily," Roopchand Maraj has said. "As soon as I went on the land, I got shot. My two sons came over to see that we move the machines off of the land, and as soon as they saw people getting shot, they started to move the machines and take the car and block it”, he explained.

Following the shooting, the family members were rushed to the hospital, where they are currently being treated for their injuries.

Police have since launched an investigation, which is ongoing.

husband and her father-in-law have been rushed to the Suddie Hospital on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two

The suspect with the gun in his hand

Roopchand Maraj, one of the victims who were shot during the dispute

The injured woman shows where she was shot

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, May 11 – 22:00h-23:30h and Friday, May 12 – 10:30h-11:15h and 23:00h-00:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, May 11 –08:20h-09:50h and Friday, May 12 – 09:45h-11:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery to light showers are expected throughout the day and into the night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 08:32h and 21:28h reaching maximum heights of 2.37 metres and 2.19 metres.

Low Tide: 14:48h reaching a minimum height of 0.84 metre.

Electric bikes now require licence, registration

…as legislation prohibits under-16 use

New laws to regulate the use of electric bicycles on Guyana’s roadways were passed in the National Assembly on Wednesday and will now see e-bikes having to be licensed as well as an age-restriction on those who use this mode of transportation.

The Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2023 was tabled in the National Assembly on April 24 and came up for its second reading as well as debates on Wednesday. The Bill defines electric cycles as “any motor cycle that has an electric motor, and is fitted with an effective stopping system controlled by use of brakes, gears or motor control”.

Effectively, the amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act Cap 51:02 will bring electric cycles under the same legislative regime as motorcycles. This also means that the provisions of the Principal Act that governs the registration and use of motor cycles will now be applicable to electric cycles.

Presently, an individual must be 16 years of age or older before he/she can apply for a provisional motorcycle licence and 17 years or older for a provisional motorcycle and car licence. An applicant needs to be 18 years of age or older for a car, van, and motorcycle licence.

Section 33 (2) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act allows persons who are 16 years to drive motorcycles.

Consequently, the regularisation of electric bikes in Guyana will prohibit persons under the age of 16 from using this type of transportation.

LOTTERY NUMBERS

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn stated that the rapid emergence of electric bikes over the past few years owing to their availability

and affordability warranted changing Guyana’s laws to address the use of e-bikes.

“We have had to take into account the fact that we should not leave gaps in the way our laws are written, so that the question of whether a motor as stated in the law, refers only to a gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle… We wanted to have it clearly defined that it includes electric motors. It is to provide clarity and safety in terms of the language of the law, in case the use of the word ‘motor’ is challenged,” the Minister stated.

Benn disclosed that at the recent Guyana Police Force’s Annual Conference last month, a charge was given to the law enforcement agency to up its game on improving safety and reducing deaths, injuries, and accidents on the country’s roads.

According to statistics, 11 persons have been killed and 14 injured from using e-bikes during the period 2021 to date. Last year alone, there were seven electric bike-related road fatalities recorded in Guyana with several already in 2023.

Laws are necessary

In light of this, Opposition Member of Parliament Geeta Chandan-Edmond posited that these amendments were born out of a need for public safety and to maintain law and order. She pointed to the automatic benefits of such laws including the fact that ownership of e-bikes will be established and can be tracked for law enforcement and tax purposes.

The Opposition parliamentarian also cited international reports that highlight other benefits of e-bikes especially to the environment, such as them being 10 to 30 times more efficient than elec-

tric cars at fighting climate change as well as having a battery efficiency which is 30 to 100 times better than e-vehicles.

Against this backdrop, MP Chandan-Edmond noted that these amendments to the laws were necessary and the Opposition, therefore, saw no need to railroad this process.

“We are here to make laws that are designed for the protection of the Guyanese people and any Bill that intends to do that, shall receive our support,” she declared.

This support from the Opposition was welcomed by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC. He stated that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration will continue to introduce such legislation as the country progresses.

He stated that Government recognised the fact that the lives of too many citizens were being lost on the roadways and would constantly be taking requisite steps to address this phenomenon. According to Nandlall, the people of Guyana, and not oil, are the most important resources and so efforts will be directed towards protecting them.

“We recognise that it is a cheap source of transportation for those who are more vulnerable in our society. We also recognise that it is a quick and expedient mode of transportation in our country. So, we embrace this mode of transportation, but we thought it fit that it should be brought into regulation,” he stated.

Pointing to the fact that persons younger than 16 years are using e-bikes on the country’s roadways, AG Nandlall further posited that this frightening state of af-

fairs could no longer persist.

On February 17, 2023, Bibi Sophia Mohammed, a 17-yearold resident of Nonpareil, East Coast Demerara, died after her electric bike collided with a truck on the Coldingen Public Road, ECD. At the time of the accident, Mohammed was the pillion rider while her 16-year-old sister, who was also injured, was riding the bike.

Meanwhile, in efforts to curb Guyana’s road fatalities, the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill was passed in the National Assembly in November 2022 to toughen existing laws to prevent drunk driving and the carnage on the road it results in.

Draft amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, as well as the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing (Amendment) Bill were approved by the Cabinet in March of last year with the aim of toughening up the penalties for drunk drivers and the bars that serve them.

The Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act amended the Principal Act and put in place a new Section, 35A which now makes causing the death of someone through drunk driving a case of vehicular manslaughter.

The Bill also amends Section 39A of the Principal Act – the penalty for driving while over the alcohol limit –replacing the $7500 fine with $200,000, and the sentence of 12 months with 24 months.

It has also been amended for the penalty for driving under the influence and losing control of your vehicle to be increased from a fine of $30,000 to $60,000 along with imprisonment for 12 months to $200,000 for first-time offenders and $300,000 for second-time offenders. (G8)

Views

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Focus on families

Families play an important role in creating and sustaining peaceful and inclusive societies, which are indispensable for sustainable and inclusive development. Children growing up in stable and supportive families develop positive cognitive, emotional and social characters, thus becoming stable and peaceful adults.

There are several important aspects of stable family environments, ensuring children’s well-being and early socialisation, such as secure attachment and the process of the transmission and acquisition of values.

This year, 2023, International Day of Families will focus on “Families and Demographic Change”.

According to UN, in 1994, it officially declared the International Day of Families in response to the changing economic and social structures that are affecting the stability and structure of family units in different parts of the world. International Day of Families basically celebrates the fact that families are the central part of any society.

In Guyana and across the Caribbean, countries have been struggling to maintain law and order within their respective territories, while simultaneously causing a reduction in the increasing levels of crime and criminality in their societies, which pose the most serious threat to their forward movement and the notion of national security.

While these countries have all approached the subject matter differently, most of them have failed in addressing the root causes. This is not as a result of poor management or the lack of adequate resources, but can be directly attributed to a breakdown in the traditional family structures within our societies; the changing socioeconomic, domestic, and regional environment; the shifting of gender roles; the emergence of new and complex gender identities; and the changing dynamics of a world now driven by newer forms of information and communication technologies.

While all of the abovementioned factors are important to any discussion on solving the proliferation of crime within our regional economies, many researchers and policy makers underestimate the role of males and boys in growth and sustenance of the Region’s crime problem. In fact, little or no effort is made to reform our boy children to ensure that they are able to contribute in more meaningful, progressive, and productive ways to the societies in which they live.

The truth is that most Caribbean men and boys are being poorly socialised, and are many times not given enough attention during their early years of development at home, in school, and within the wider society, from adults who still arguably have the ability to mould them into right-thinking, right-acting, and upstanding menfolk who are employable, educated, and civilised men within their communities.

At an early age, boys within developing countries are told they must be tough, and that the burden to provide for their families still falls on their shoulders, despite the shifting gender roles and the advances made in gender equality. They are socialised to hide their weaknesses and sensitivities, and to shun anything that even slightly appears feminine.

We must re-educate our boys, therefore, and change how they perceive the importance of an education, despite the economic hardships and feminisation of this tool by the societies in which they dwell.

In Guyana, there is need to view the issue of male underperformance and underachievement with a sense of urgency and dispatch. If not, we are going to continue to witness the spread of a deviant strand of hyper- masculinity sweeping across the education system. This reconstruction of masculinity is already manifesting itself in all our schools. Our boys are wearing their school pants well below their waists, and at times exposing their undergarments. Those boys who wear the uniform correctly are teased and referred to as “old”.

We echo the call made by Dr Ralph Gonsalves on February 14, 2023 at the 2nd International Energy Conference and Expo in Georgetown, Guyana, when he called on regional leaders to focus on the importance of the unique family structure in today’s society.

This year, as we observe International Day of Families on May 15, as a society, we need to refocus on the role of families and family policies in achieving more inclusive societies from regional perspectives. It is heartening to know, as announced previously, that the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to invest in programmes and policies that would seek to empower families and create the conditions in which strong, cohesive families can flourish.

EEPGL's Environmental Liability, an estimation of probable cost of an oil spill (Part 4)

Dear Editor, I am encouraged by a few persons to conduct an estimation of a probable cost of an oil spill offshore Guyana with a medium probability. For simplicity in presentation, I have only focused on a single scenario, though multiple scenarios can be simulated, which would be a painfully time-consuming

the benchmark, and with adjustments for inflation. The purpose of this is merely to present a perspective and for readers to have an idea of a reasonable probable cost of an oil spill.

Extending on my previous articles on this subject already, I had established broadly the process to carry out an estimation exer-

worth noting that a major oil spill involving ExxonMobil (the Exxon Valdez oil spill) occurred more than three decades ago, and was not as catastrophic as the BP in the Gulf of Mexico.

There are various costs of the BP oil spill, ranging from US$60 billion to US$70 billion, ten years later. Notably, there was a study on the ultimate cost of the BP oil spill done in 2018 by the University of Houston. The study found that there was over US$60 billion in hidden costs which resulted in the ultimate cost amounting to US$145.9 billion. In the case of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the total cost amounted to US$4.3 billion

rels of crude oil based on a Federal Court ruling and the clean-up cost amounted to US$14.3 billion. The spill, which was caused by an explosion of its Deepwater rig, was capped three months or 90 days later. With this information, the cost of the spillage in terms of the volume measured in oil equivalent-barrels per day can be calculated, as shown in the above table.

The clean-up cost per barrel is estimated at US$4,483 and the spill per day is an estimated 35,000 barrels, resulting in a clean-up cost per day of US$159,000.

The environmental cost for Guyana is estimated at 10% of the BP environment

task. Of note, I do not have the benefit of all of the relevant information needed for such an exercise ― that is, an assessment of EEPGL’s risk management framework, specifically those related to its environmental risk management and operational safety standards, systems, and procedures. These are the prerequisites in order to develop as practically a realistic estimate as is possible.

In view of the foregoing, the estimate herein is based on information that is within the public domain, this author’s own assumptions using the BP case study as

cise, and alluded to some of the factors in the case of Guyana that will have to be considered. For example, the requirement of a capping stack in country, and the advancement of new technologies over the years, employed by ExxonMobil globally, are all aimed at minimizing the environmental risks in the petroleum industry. Particularly, the capping stack, which is a device that never existed prior to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico just over a decade ago. While many commentators have relied on the BP oil spill as the benchmark, it is

(adjusted for 33 years inflation, this is equivalent to approximately US$9.8 billion in today’s money), representing 6.7% of the costs associated with the BP oil spill.

This estimated probable cost in this illustration is contingent upon the following assumptions: The BP oil spill resulted in some 3.19 million bar-

cost (9 days/90 days= 10%).

This scenario is based on a maximum period of 9 days spillage before the well is capped, as per the requirement in the Environmental Permit, where the capping stack is required to be deployed within 9 days of a spill. Within this time frame, the estimated number of barrels spilled is 315,000.

President Dr Irfaan Ali sharing a light moment with students of the Beterverwagting Secondary School during an impromptu visit to Beterverwagting/Triumph, East Coast Demerara on Wednesday (Office of the President photo)

Third World States are being bullied by private international organisations

Dear Editor,

For centuries, all of what we know today as the Global South was at the receiving end of domination by a handful of European countries. It took hundreds of years of bloody struggle, including slave rebellions in Berbice (1763), Demerara (1823) and Essequibo (1834) to see the backs of the colonisers.

In countries like Guyana, the Cold War generated a second phase of the struggle for national independence. Formal independence was supposed to have guaranteed out national sovereignty, but, as we are now seeing, even private international organisations are interfering in our affairs.

While we are indeed a sovereign nation, it cannot be said that we live in a world where all states enjoy the same freedoms. This is so because there are global institutions so biased that, instead of rational decision-making being the anchor of global governance, a handful of nations (and one major alliance) continues to define the rules of the game.

The P5 of the UN Security Council is the most notable

example of a profoundly undemocratic global system of institutionalised power.

Editor, what is even worse is the proliferation of private international organisations - most of them in the ‘West’ - that have arrogated to themselves the right to pronounce on the Third World. These organisations are private, and many of the top executives make CEOtype salaries. While they are called nonprofits, they are often funded through either suspect means, or are secretly sustained by the handful of hegemonic states.

What these organisations, such as Reporters Without Borders and Transparency International, do is contrary to the spirit of a democratically governed world system. These organisations take it upon themselves to first penetrate; then study, classify, monitor, rank, rate, grade and, like an old colonial master, tell us what to do. They function like the colonial overseers of old times by recruiting local collaborators who, for a few pennies and a bit of recognition from the White West, are willing to be the new co-

EEPGL's Environmental...

The total estimated cost is inflated at a rate of 20%.

As illustrated in the above table, in a medium probability scenario, the oil spill clean-up cost and environmental cost are an estimated US$2.7 billion for a nine days oil spill before the well is temporarily capped. The major environment cost would be the impact on the fishing industry, resulting in a loss of export earnings. As of FY 2021, the export earnings from the fishing industry amounted to US$40 million.

Hence, the environmental estimated cost in this scenario of US$853 million represents 21 times/years’ worth of annual export earnings from the fishing industry. The clean-up cost is an estimated US$2.3 billion, and the daily cost is an estimated US$304 million.

What is the recourse in the event of an oil spill?

For discussion purposes, now that we have an idea of what the probable cost of an oil spill could amount to, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Environmental Permit, there are three levels of recourse available to the Government to cover the liability.

Firstly, there is the US$600 million insurance; secondly, the Government can take a charge on the consolidated assets of EEPGL, Hess and CNOOC in Guyana; and thirdly, there is the Parent Company Guarantee of US$2 billion. So, for demonstration purposes, the consolidated to-

lonial assistants, selling out their country and their conscience.

Some pick up a scholarship, others accept invitations to a conference in Paris, London, or New York. Still others get ‘funding’ for their favourite local organisations. All of them get regular attention and plenty of praise from Opposition columnists, letter writers, and even a pat on the back by the ‘Foreign.’

I want to go on record and state unequivocally that Reporters Without Borders’ submission on Guyana is biased, empirically wrong; and further, that it is a brazen attack on our national sovereignty. I am using this letter to challenge any one from the Reporters Without Borders (not from Guyana, but the head office) to a debate on press and media freedom. It should be in Georgetown.

Further, I specifically challenge them to point to a single verifiable instance of abuse of anyone in the media/ press by President Mohamed

Irfaan Ali, Vice President Jagdeo, or any member of the current cabinet.

Private NGO-type organisations have become platforms for career opportunities for many in the Western world, where most of these institutions are located. During the Cold War, many public organisations were conduits for intelligence operations, including overthrow of democratic Governments, Guyana included. Now the private international non-profits are publicly intervening in Third World states, always under the guise of protecting freedom.

These neo-colonial international non-profits continue to work with the civilisational assumption that the White West knows best, that they are the teachers and we are the pupils. We stand in determined resistance against this racial-civilisational bullyism.

Sincerely, Dr Randolph Persaud

FROM PAGE 4

tal assets as of FY 2021 for EEPGL, Hess and CNOOC, stood at US$9 billion. While the financial statements for FY 2022 is not yet filed with the Deeds Registry, it is reasonable to assume that, based on the year over year (y-o-y) growth of the total assets from FY 2020–FY 2021 at a rate of 57%, the total assets for EEPGL, Hess and CNOOC (Guyana) as of FY 2022 is an estimated US$14 billion. Therefore, the total coverage for EEPGL and its Affiliates’ contingent liabilities as of FY 2022 is an estimated US$16.5 billion (comprising the insurance coverage of US$600m + total assets of the local subsidiaries of US$14b + parent company guarantee US$2b).

Assuming that the US$2.7 billion is a reasonable probable cost of an oil spill spanning nine days before capping the well, this amount represents 16% of the total coverage as of FY 2022, as per the above description.

With the aforementioned in mind, it can be safely concluded that there is adequate financial resources to cater for any environmental contingent liability at this point in time. And more importantly to note, if those assets are exhausted, the Government can still go after the Parent Company, which is most likely to be the subject of litigation in a Court of Law. Case in point, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Yours sincerely,

Joel Bhagwandin

16:30 Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. S1 E9

17:00 The Young & The Restless

21:00 Station 19 (ABC)

22:00

23:00 Wednesday S1 E5

CXC Questions: Maths

EU fields experts to discuss electoral reforms in Guyana

…ahead of 2025 General & Regional Elections

In continuing their contributions to capacity building in local institutions, the European Union (EU) has fielded a team of experts to discuss electoral reforms in Guyana with officials ahead of the upcoming 2025 General and Regional Elections.

This was revealed by EU Ambassador to Guyana, Rene van Nes, during European Day celebrations at the Georgetown Club on Tuesday evening. He used the occasion to speak of the EU’s contributions to Guyana, including the support that has been provided to infrastructure development.

“What we also did over these years is support Guyana in its efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and promote good governance and combat corruption,” the EU Ambassador said during his address. “We played an important role during the elections of 2020, when the EU fielded an Election Observation Mission; and related to that mission, there are election experts right now in Guyana who are here over the coming weeks to discuss electoral reforms ahead of the General Elections in 2025.”

Following the 2020 General and Regional

Elections, The European Union’s Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) had made a number of recommendations. Of the EU EOM’s 26 recommendations, eight are priority suggestions to review and consolidate the fragmented election legislation, and launch a consultation process to overhaul the composition and functioning of GECOM.

Guyana has been undergoing electoral reform, which has been acknowledged by the EU. The group had, last year, reiterated its commitment to support this process as a follow-up to the Election Observer Mission it carried out in Guyana for the 2020 General and Regional

Elections.

The Government passed long-awaited amendments to the Representation of the People Act (RoPA) in December 2022, after impassioned debate from both sides of the House and arguments for and against the electoral reforms, which ran past midnight. The Bill zeroes in on electoral challenges and loopholes that were evident during the 2020 polls, and seeks to address them. Not only does the Bill increase the number of polling places, it also mandates the Registrar of Deaths to submit the names of the deceased, so they could be removed from the list.

The Bill also caps the number of electors that can be assigned to a particular polling station, to cut down on the long lines and the subdivision of the regions.

According to Section 6 (A) of the Bill, the polling districts of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) will be divided.

The Bill also provides that the Statements of Poll (SoPs), among other certified forms, be distributed to the Chief Elections Officer and the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Additionally, it provides for the Returning Officer to post an electronic copy of the SoPs on the Commission’s website to be publicly viewed. Strict fines and penalties are attached to breaches of these reforms in the amended Bill.

Timmermans

It has also been announced that Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, will be visiting Guyana in June. During his two-day visit, he is expected to have discussions with Guyanese officials on climate change and sustainable development. According to the EU Ambassador, Timmermans will also have conversations with the media.

“The world is starting to notice what Guyana is doing, especially when it comes to protecting its forests; and the Executive Vice-President is responsible for the EU Green Deal and working on making sure that the EU becomes the first continent that is climate neutral by 2050. We are working with partners to do it. So, he’s really here to help Guyana in

doing that.

“Today I was talking with the Government about his programme. He is very keen to meet with the media, and we will organiseduring his visit - an engagement with the media, so that he can speak on his agenda, climate change, and the role that Guyana plays in that,” van Nes has said.

Frans Timmermans is a Dutch politician and diplomat serving as First Vice President of the European

Commission since 2014. His visit comes at a time when Guyana has made enormous strides in the area of climate resilience. Last year, Guyana signed a historic, multi-year US$750 million agreement with Hess Corporation for the purchase of 37.5 million carbon credits. Guyana is, in fact, the first country to conclude the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) process of certifying its forest carbon. (G3)

Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans

EU Ambassador to Guyana, Rene van Nes

“Gun Butt” freed of 2016 West Ruimveldt murder

…and Europe

A41-year-old man of East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, who had been on trial for the capital offence of murder, was acquitted on Monday as a result of the trial Judge directing the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

Before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court, Calvin Johnson, otherwise known as “Gun Butt”, was arraigned for murder in relation to the death of Paul Rodney, who was shot and killed on November 21, 2016. After Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charge, his trial commenced, during which state prosecutors called several witnesses, inclusive of Police officers and a pathologist.

However, at the close of the prosecution’s case, Justice Kissoon concluded that the elements of the offence were not proven beyond a reasonable doubt. As such, he directed the jurors to return a formal verdict of not guilty in Johnson’s favour, thereby freeing the accused.

Last week, 29-yearold Joshua Meredith, formerly of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole af-

ter serving a minimum of 20 years after pleading guilty to unlawfully killing Rodney.

He had initially pleaded not guilty to a murder charge, resulting in a jury being empanelled to hear the evidence and to determine whether he was innocent or guilty. However, as the trial progressed, Meredith opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter. As such, the trial Judge directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty on the murder charge, and a formal verdict of guilty of manslaughter.

Guilty plea

At Meredith’s sentencing hearing last week Wednesday, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow explained that she accepted his guilty plea because provocation was established from the evidence.

It was reported that Rodney, of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, and a group of men were involved in an argument at Avocado Avenue in West Ruimveldt. The argument escalated into a fight, during which Rodney attempted to escape, but was pursued and shot several times about his body. His killer(s) escaped on a CG motorcycle. Police Headquarters,

in a statement on the kill ing, had stated that ranks were on a mobile patrol when they heard several explosions, and they went to investigate. They came upon a group of men running, during which several more gunshots were fired. Rodney was subsequently found lying motionless on the ground, covered in blood.

Robbery

In December 2020, Meredith was given a 15year jail sentence for manslaughter in relation to the death of Charlestown, Georgetown resident Gregory Garraway, who was shot during a robbery. He was indicted for murder, but elected to plead guilty to the lesser offence.

On October 2, 2016, Garraway, 21, who had gone to “Wings and Things” Bar at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown to purchase food, was wearing two gold chains around his neck. After placing his order, he left the bar. When he returned, as he was crossing the street to pick up the food, Meredith snatched his chains, pulled a gun from his pocket, and discharged a round in Garraway’s direction, killing him.

A post-mortem ex-

amination performed on Garraway’s body revealed that he had sustained gunshot wounds to his abdomen, and died as a result of septic shock.

Meredith was subsequently pointed out at an identification parade by the late Garraway’s brother, who was present at the time of the shooting. The Home Affairs Minister has granted him remission for about 80 days on the 15-year prison term.

Criminal activities

In 2009, when he was just 15, Meredith dropped out of school and travelled to neighbouring Suriname, where he admitted to being involved in criminal activities. That same year, he was charged and placed before the courts for robbery. He was convicted of the offence, but owing to his tender age, the Magistrate fined him $20,000 and placed him on a bond to keep the peace for two years.

Residents in the East Ruimveldt community where Meredith lived had mixed reactions about him. While some said he was a very jovial and helpful young man, others described him as a “notorious criminal.”

Reports from the prison revealed that Meredith is a very disrespectful and disorderly inmate. As a result of his attitude, prison officers were forced to place him in solitary confinement.

There were a few positive reports about him from the prison, including his willingness to attend anger management and rehabilitation programmes. Moreover, a probation report in his favour disclosed that he was unable to have a good childhood due to several circumstances, including abandonment by his father.

Meanwhile, Johnson was previously charged with several counts of robbery under arms following an attack on two moneychangers.

The two counts read that on November 3, 2015, at America Street Georgetown, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Rayburn Fraser of a quantity of local and foreign currencies totalling $1,600,000; and Osafo Ward of a quantity of Guyana and US currency valued at $540,000. This publication is, however, unaware of the legal status of these matters.

Your Eyewitness just read about a school kid from Essequibo winning a “Europe Day” essay contest sponsored by the EU – and his interest was piqued. He had known about “Victory in Europe Day” – held on May 8. This marks the day in 1945 when the German Nazis surrendered to the Brits and Yanks to end WWII. A goodly number of Guyanese had gone up to England –the “Motherland”!! – to enlist in the British Army and the RAF – even to do mundane tasks in munitions factories –to “beat back those nasty Huns”!!!

It was the “war to save democracy” – never mind we didn’t have democracy here in Guyana!! The franchise was soooo restricted that just a few persons with money and jobs could vote!! Thing is, the Germans kept on fighting the Soviets who’d advanced from the east – for another day, so that’s why Putin and his Russian people celebrated “Victory Day” on May 9. This year, their parade in Red Square was a bit sparse, since so many troops and war equipment were deployed in Ukraine!! It was a sign of the times that, as the Ruskies were celebrating THEIR victory, the Head of the EU was showing solidarity with Ukraine by visiting!!

So, if the Ruskies have their May 9 celebration, what’s this “Europe Day” on May 9?? For which the kid won a prize. Isn’t that kinda like giving support to the ungodly (ex) commies with whom a nasty “Cold War” had been fought from 1945 to 1989?? Well, THAT was a proxy war in which most casualties were in the Third World – like here in Guyana!! And so that doesn’t REALLY count!!

So, it turns out there’s a story about this Europe Day also!! Seems after WW II – as Europe moved to rebuild from the ashes – a “Council of Europe” was founded on 5 May 1949. And THEY chose that day for celebrating when the holiday was established in 1964!! So, the Europeans have a May 5th also!! But, as their union developed from the European Coal and Steel Community to the European Economic Community (EEC) to European Union, a series of “Europe Days” were proposed and adopted – culminating in 1985 with the present European Day” of May 9th.

It’s supposed to celebrate “peace and unity” in Europe. It marks the anniversary of the historic 'Schuman declaration' that set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe's nations unthinkable. A tad ironic this year, since a war is waging between Ukraine and Russia right now!!

But hold it!! While Russia and Ukraine are European –they’re not European Union!! Seems there are Europeans AND Europeans. And some Europeans are more equal than other Europeans!!

…and Justice

Well, at last a Court found Donald Trump guilty of sexual abuse of journalist E. Jean Carol back in the 1990s in a Bergdorf Goodman store. He’s also been found guilty of defamation for publicly berating her as a “liar”, and has been fine US$5 million in total. Of course, he’s certainly not shown any contrition, and has already announced he’ll appeal!!

The man who boasted on tape that he frequently grabbed women’s “pu55ies” called the verdict “ridiculous”, and on the judge, “What else can you expect from a Trump-hating, Clinton-appointed judge, who went out of his way to make sure that the result was as negative as it could possibly be; speaking to, and in control of, a jury from an anti-Trump area, which is probably the worst place in the U.S. for me to get a fair 'trial’.”

As usual, your Eyewitness is certain that this conviction will have no effect on Trump’s supporters for his 2024 Presidential bid!! He’s their man!!

…and justice

St Lucia – the tiny island with only 179,000 citizens – just acceded to the CCJ as their final Court of Appeal. So, what’s stopping St Vincent, whose PM said having Charles III as their Head of State was “ridiculous”?

Dead: Paul Rodney Freed: Calvin Johnson Jailed: Joshua Meredith

Opposition submits amendments to increase penalties in TIP Bill

among recommendations

Weeks after the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government had laid its Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill 2023 in the National Assembly, the parliamentary Opposition has submitted two amendments to the bill to increase penalties under the bill.

In a missive to Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Issacs, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Volda Lawrence informed that the Opposition wishes to amend Clause 13(1) and Clause 23(5) of the bill. She was seconded by her colleague Natasha SinghLewis.

The first amendment concerns Clause 13(1) of Part Two, which in its current form reads: “a body corporate which commits an offense under this Act is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine of $10 million.”

The Opposition is seeking to amend the bill so that the fine of $10 million is a minimum fine, allowing for increased fines to be imposed on conviction.

The second amendment, meanwhile, concerns Clause 23 of Part Three. According to this part of the bill, “a person who commits a breach of the confidentiality enjoyed by this section commits an offense, and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500,000 and to a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months.”

The Opposition is seeking to increase the fine to $1 million, while at the same time making the term of imprisonment at least six months. Hence, if adopted, persons found guilty can be sentenced to a fine of $1 million and imprisonment anywhere above six months.

The Combatting of Trafficking in Persons Bill (2023) was presented to the National Assembly during the 63rd Sitting by Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud. According to her, the bill contains comprehensive measures to combat human trafficking. Once passed, the bill will replace the Combatting of Trafficking Persons Act of 2005.

The bill covers the recruitment,

transportation and sheltering of a child for the purpose of exploiting them for use in prostitution or the drug trade. In the bill, a person’s past sexual consent or history, marriage, or their immigration sta-

tus cannot be used against them. Additionally, the intentional withholding of identification papers is a criminal offence under the bill.

The transportation of anyone across the border for exploitation is also an offence that will carry, on summary conviction, a $5 million fine and up to 5 years in prison. Convicted persons can also have their assets forfeited to the state, whether local or overseas. The law also allows for restitution to be paid to victims.

Section 7(1) states: “Where a person is convicted of trafficking in persons under this act, the courts shall order that person to pay restitution to the victim, and shall be guided by information provided by the unit or any other agency or person, pursuant to the list set out in the second schedule.”

Section 8(1) states: “All property, including money, valuables and other moveable and immovable property, of a person convicted of trafficking in persons under this Act, that was used or intended to be used, or was obtained in the course of the crime, or as part

of benefits gained from the crime, shall be forfeited to the state.”

Among the costs that the victim will be compensated for are: medical and psychological treatment; physical and occupational therapy; cost of necessary transportation, temporary housing and childcare; lost income, attorney’s fees and other costs; compensation for emotional distress, pain and suffering; and any other costs suffered by the victim as a direct result of being trafficked.

It was announced earlier this year that Guyana has been able to maintain its Tier One status in the United States Department of State 2022 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. According to the report, “The Government of Guyana fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

“The Government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore, Guyana remained on Tier 1,” the report had stated. (G3)

…$10M fine for breach of confidentiality

“Comprehensive package” for all teachers – Ali announces

President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced the Government’s plans to deliver a “comprehensive package” to fulfil the needs of teachers across the country.

“We are working towards a comprehensive package for the improvement of your lives,” Ali said. “Your lives are not only about salary, it is a comprehensive package that must be able to give you good, sustainable housing and allow you to provide for your children; and for your children, too, to have a great future [with] great opportunities,” Ali said during a visit to Beterverwagting Secondary School on Wednesday.

Addressing concerns of the school’s headteacher, President Ali also promised to fix the school’s internet connection and deliver a public address (PA) system and computers by the end of the week.

He assured the school’s administration that an assessment of their furniture needs would be completed shortly, as well as an examination of the school grounds by Education Minister Priya

Education

Manickchand and Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, to ascertain the possibility of a building extension.

Take advantage

Speaking to the secondary school students present, the President encouraged them to continue working hard and to take advantage of the educational opportunities that the Government is presenting to them.

“Focus on your education. There are tremendous opportunities now. As soon as you’re finished here, you can go on to scholarships under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme. We’re working towards ensuring that University of Guyana (UG) education will also be made free,” Ali said.

“All of these things are giving you a better chance of a better future,” he continued. “All you have to do now is to concentrate on your work, keep your priorities right, and work with your teachers.”

On the walkabout around the school’s vicinity, President Ali also identified

Republic Drive, Ogle Street and Oronoque Street as areas for rehabilitative works. Among the interventions planned are improvement of drainage systems, construction of a bridge and concrete footpath, and renovation of the Community Centre.

This week, the President has been visiting several areas to assess their progress and meet with citizens to determine their needs and address their concerns. On Tuesday, Dr. Ali inspected the ongoing road upgrades connecting Georgetown and the East Coast of Demerara, which aims to reduce travel time and traffic congestion. Meanwhile, during a visit to Enmore to inspect the first 50 five-acre plots under development, Ali remarked that the development will result in industrial, commercial and light commercial lands for economic use. As this area will be connected to the Aubrey Barker Road, which will be interconnected to the East Bank Demerara corridor, President Ali noted that Guyana is on the move with aggressive infrastructure development.

Ministry hosts “parents,

first teacher” workshop

Directed towards increasing parents’ active involvement in their children’s education, the Education Ministry on Tuesday hosted a parent-sensitisation workshop

under the theme “Parents, the child’s first teacher.”

This workshop, for parents of nursery learners on the East Coast of Demerara, was conducted by the Early Childhood (Nursery) Unit

of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), in collaboration with the Department of Education of Region Four (DemeraraMahaica).

President Dr Irfaan Ali during a visit to Beterverwagting Secondary School on Wednesday

Parents of nursery learners on the East Coast of Demerara engaging with Education Ministry officials during a parent-sensitisation workshop

the child’s

Be an inspiration for other communities –Pres Ali to young Leopold St block-makers

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday offered words of encouragement to the youths in Leopold Street, Georgetown who are involved in block-making as they make efforts to attain skills and play an active role in the country’s workforce.

These youths form part of the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA’s) Community-based Employment Stimulation Project (CESP), which was conceptualised in 2021 to boost economic activity and employment for persons living in vulnerable communities. The young Leopold Street residents are currently managing their own company –Leopold Street Inc – which has been contracted by the Housing and Water Ministry to build 1800 concrete blocks in the first phase. To date, the company has completed 600. The Housing Ministry is expected to engage Leopold Street

Inc in the construction of 10 houses.

President Ali, during his visit, commended their work and remarked that they are an inspiration to other young people across the country.

“You have this opportunity of not only doing something for yourselves, families and your community, but an opportunity to be an inspiration for other communities, other young people; to take young people out of their situation,” Ali said.

The President added that the work these youths are doing plays an essential role in the development of the country overall.

“Part of what you’re doing is also to give back to the community,” he continued. “I want you guys who have made the effort to come forward to help the others. Talk with them, reason with them to come on board, because the more

people on board, the more families’ lives will improve.”

Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, and technical officers from the Housing Ministry were also pres-

ent during this visit.

Minister Indar hasexpressed admiration for the youths’ work ethic. “These young fellows are very willing, very hardworking, and that gives you encouragement

to work with them,” Indar has said.

This project’s scope includes start-up support, tools, materials, transportation, market sourcing for blocks, and project management. It is one of the many ventures which the Government has embarked on to ensure the upskilling of Guyanese across several sectors, to fill gaps that exist in the labour force as well as help Guyanese to learn valuable skills and improve their financial situations.

In 2021, as a way to increase their money management and life skills, as well as allow them to present themselves as more employable, the Government had engaged in training several persons with disabilities in block-making.

Those blocks were to be supplied to build 900 houses at Little and Great Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara.

President Dr Irfaan Ali engaging with young community members involved in block-making at Leopold Street

Sir Mars’s brutal murder Teacher stabbed 8 times, crushed to chest – PME report

on Sunday, and Mars was found pinned between his car and an apartment building fence at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara, with his body crushed and draped in blood.

Police reports indicate that two knives were recovered from the scene. The suspect, identified as 24-yearold Brian Richards, was apprehended on Wednesday afternoon at his workplace in Georgetown. He has since allegedly confessed to the murder, and is currently in Police custody as investigations continue.

Days after renowned educator and comedian Kirwyn Mars, popularly known as 'Sir Mars,' tragically lost his life in a brutal attack, an autopsy report released on Wednesday revealed that he suffered eight stab wounds to his body, including his chest, right shoulder, collarbone, left hand, and right elbow.

According to Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh, the cause of death was "crush injuries to the chest compounded by multiple cutaneous wounds."

The incident occurred

In his alleged confession, he detailed that, on Sunday, he and Mars arrived at the Green City Bar in Georgetown, where altogether they consumed two cases of beer.

The duo then departed the bar and decided to travel to Diamond via the Mandela/ Eccles highway, but on their way to that location, a misunderstanding arose between them and a scuffle ensued.

The suspect related that, during the argument, he picked up a bottle and struck Mars to the head, but in retaliation, Mars collected a knife that was in the car and attacked him. The suspect allegedly said he then man-

aged to relieve Mars of the knife and, in turn, stabbed Mars several times.

The suspect told investigators that after receiving the stab wounds, Mars brought the car to a stop at a location in Providence, on the East Bank of Demerara. Mars then exited from the driver’s seat and walked to the back of the vehicle.

Richards said that while he was trying to retrieve his phone, which had fallen in the car during the scuffle, his hand touched the lever and accidentally put the car in reverse, ultimately crush-

Mars. After realising what had happened, he said, he panicked and escaped the scene.

Mars was a prominent figure in both the educa-

tion sector and local comedy scene in Guyana. With over 30 years of experience in both fields, he had established himself as a well-respected educator and come-

dian. Mars started his career as a teacher in 1992, and had risen to become the Deputy Principal at New Central High School in Georgetown. (G9)

Education Ministry hosts...

The presenters for this sensitisation included the Director of the Early Childhood Centre of Excellence, and Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Guyana, Lidon Lashley; Special Education Needs Officer Yolanda TrotmanPhillips; and Early Childhood - Nursery Officers Marisa Brandon and Deborah Hutson.

Marking a start to the workshop, Lashley’s presentation highlighted parental involvement versus parental engagement, discussing how the relationship between the school and home can be strengthened to lend to successful strides in the child’s educational development.

“The parents were encouraged at the session to work collectively to devise the perfect equation that can be used as a guide for the best result for their children during their educational lives. An equation that can only be completed if and when they become parents and are engaged and

work collaboratively with the school as well as with their child/children to ascertain the learner's success,” a statement by the Education Ministry expanded.

Offering parents with children who have special needs an opportunity to expand their knowledge on their role, Trotman-Phillips’s presentation, “Special Education Needs and You”, highlighted ways to ensure parents foster an environment of positive learning, growth, and development of their children.

She mentioned the importance of early identification and intervention, signs and symptoms to look for in identifying the possible presence of a special education need, and the procedure of getting the child assessed and/or diagnosed to prove appropriate support for him or her.

Concluding the sensitisation session, Brandon and Hutson’s “Practical waysthe use of home-based resources” sought to teach parents that they can creatively

craft ways and strategies to encourage engagement and learning using home-based resources.

“Throughout the session, there was evidence of interested parents who openly participated and interacted with the presenters, sharing their experiences and asking questions for clarification.

Parents used this opportunity to eagerly request advice for situations they faced with their children, and brilliantly devised ways of using home-based resources such as buckets, ice trays, funnels, clothes pins, measuring spoons, etc. to engage with their children at home,” the statement clarified.

NCERD Director Quenita Walrond-Lewis, NCERD Curriculum Officer Omawattie Ramdin, and other Education Ministry officials were also present during this workshop.

Parent representatives of nursery schools/classes on the East Bank of DemeraraDistrict Four, will also be participating in a similar session at a later date.

Parents of nursery learners on the East Coast of Demerara engaging with Education Ministry officials during a parent-sensitisation workshop

Sir Mars and the suspect leaving the Green City Bar on Sunday

Suspect: Brian Richards

Dead: Kirwyn Mars, popularly known as “Sir Mars” ing

EU an important partner in bridging technology gap, climate change mitigation – Ali …also calls for EU to work with Guyana in improving trade, business

business. He acknowledged that the EU has always been a stable development partner to Guyana.

“What we would like now is for the Ambassador to work with us on ensuring that, as we develop our own systems, that we have all the requirements that would ensure the ease of doing business and trade with the European Union,” he said.

“The infrastructure and institutions must be within the standards that the European Union accepts, but we must be helped to ensure that those standards are easily met, and hurdles are not placed in the path of expanding our trade with the EU,” Ali said.

Tangible targets

The European Union (EU) has been described by President Dr. Irfaan Ali as an important partner, not only in coming up with climate change mitigation strategies, but also in bridging Guyana’s technology gap.

On Tuesday, the European Union in Guyana held its annual Europe Day celebrations at the Georgetown Club. During the celebrations, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, fresh from his visit to the United Kingdom, spoke of Guyana’s ties with Europe.

“We’re working on the Global Gateway Initiative. In this initiative, the European Union, we’re pur-

we’re working closely with the EU to incorporate in our own development path,” the President further said.

Another related area is Guyana’s technology gap, which President Ali noted the EU is helping Guyana to bridge. This, according to President Ali, is the only way Guyana can develop in a sustainable and resilient way.

“We are not thinking in a narrow way. The thinking process of the policy-makers of this country is about bridging a gap as fast as possible. And here is where the European Union, with their technology, must be part of supporting this bridging. We cannot move

According to President Ali, Guyana has had success, and must continue to work to meet tangible and measurable targets. This comes even as Guyana and the EU will soon be launching a Business Chamber to facilitate further trade and investment.

Last year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had commended Guyana’s climate change mitigation efforts, which the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has been addressing on multiple fronts.

According to the IMF in its statement on the conclusion of its Article IV consultation with Guyana, the Government has been making efforts to build climate change resilience. Guyana’s climate mitigation efforts have included the construc-

promotion of climate resilience. The enhanced LCDS would allow Guyana to further decarbonise onshore economic activities.

The LCDS was first launched on June 8, 2009, and the revised version was published in May 2010. This version was subsequently launched in March 2013. The new draft is intended to continue and build upon the work started in 2008.

Money from the LCDS has since created low-carbon jobs; enabled Amerindian villages to receive legal titles for communal lands; rehabilitated the Cunha Canal to protect against flooding; and started to equip Amerindian and

hinterland communities with renewable energy, digital infrastructure and sustainable livelihood opportunities.

It seeks to create a new low-carbon economy in Guyana by establishing incentives which value the world’s ecosystem services and promote these as an essential component of a new model of global development, with sustainability at its core.

The United Nations (UN) Global Roadmap sets out the target that the world must achieve to attain net-zero emissions by 2050. It involves balancing the amount of greenhouse gas produced with the amount removed from

the atmosphere.

At the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP26) in 2021, Guyana committed to reducing carbon emissions by 70 per cent by 2030. The cleaner energy mix to be undertaken involves the use of natural gas through a 250-megawatt plant, reducing the use of fossil fuel. This is in combination with the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) and solar farms.

President Ali had previously said Guyana is poised to lead the Net Zero by 2050 Agenda through its robust plans for energy security and renewable generation, while continuously recording increased economic prosperity. (G3)

suing different areas that all lead to sustainable development, resilience, and the development of projects that will mitigate against climate change. Adaptation measures using science and technology - advancing our countries so that we would bridge or narrow that technology gap looking at the issues of renewable energy. All of this is part of that Global Gateway Plan that

to 2030 through a straight line; we must adopt the best technology and systems in the world now, and work backwards to bring our population to meet those standards and technology. That is the only way we can get ahead of things,” he further said.

President Ali further noted that the EU should provide Guyana with support to ensure ease of doing

tion of a secondary city, Silica City, away from the Low Coastal Plain which is flood-prone.

The Government has also been implementing an updated Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) that includes the provision of environmental services, the protection of biodiversity and water resources, the development of marine economy, and the

President Dr Irfaan Ali (right) and EU Ambassador René Van Nes during Europe Day observations

Opposition loses bid to “restrict” Clerk, Speaker

The Government side used its one-seat majority in the National Assembly on Wednesday to throw out a motion brought by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change Opposition that sought to impose a timeline within which the Clerk and the Speaker of the National Assembly would deal with questions and motions submitted.

The motion, which was presented by Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul sought to amend Parliamentary Standing Orders 20 (2) and (3), and 27 (2).

Among the things the Opposition wanted to change was Standing Order 20 (2) to say: “Questions and Motions submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly must be submitted to the Speaker of the National Assembly within four (4) days of receipt, who shall consider the Questions and Motions.”

The Opposition also wanted Standing Order 20 (3) to state: “If the Speaker is of the opinion that any question of which a member has given notice to the Clerk or which a member has sought permission to ask without notice is an abuse of the right of questioning or infringes any of the provisions of this or any other Standing Order, he or she may within four days direct: (a) that it be printed or asked with such alternations as he or she may direct or (b) that the Member concerned be informed that the question is inadmissible.”

And the amendment to Standing Order 27 (2) read: “If the Speaker is of the opinion that any notice of motion which has been received by the Clerk of the National Assembly infringes the provisions of any Standing

Order or is in any other way out of order, he or she may, within four days, direct: (a) that the Member concerned be informed that the notice of motion is out of order; or (b) that the notice of motion be entered in the Order Book with such alternations as he or she may direct.”

Government Member of Parliament, Attorney-atLaw Sanjeev Datadin argued that it was the Speaker’s prerogative to determine how to run the House. This, he noted, was solidified when the High Court ruled backed in January in a case brought to challenge the suspension of several Opposition MPs over their actions during the December 2021 uproar in the House, that it “ought not to interfere” with the “internal proceedings” of the National Assembly.

Constitutional duties

According to Datadin, imposing a timeline on the Clerk and the Speaker is fettering their discretion on executing their constitutional duties.

“They speak in this House about wanting the high ideals and lofty goals of transparency… Transparency means that you allow the Speaker and the Clerk to do [their] jobs. That’s what transparency means, not that you fettered the discretion and tell them how to act, tell them when to act…,” he stated.

Datadin went on to add that, “…the imposition of four days is really and truly an attempt at corruption masquerading as transparency; that is what it is. Make no mistake, an aggressive timeline like four days is intended to put pressure on the decision-maker, is intended to influence and intimidate the decision-maker and should never be countenanced in this House.”

Meanwhile, Opposition MP Annette Ferguson, in her contribution to support the motion, highlighted several instances when questions and motions submitted by their side of the House took months before they were placed on the order pa-

per. Similarly, she outlined the last-minute notice about faults with their motions that end up languishing for months on the order paper.

“Today, we, on this side of the Assembly, have demonstrated that we are constructive, and have explicitly provided solutions and recommendations on how the proposed amendments to Standing Orders… can assist in strengthening parliamentary democracy which will aid us as representatives of constituents and constituencies in providing adequate and timely feedback to the people of Guyana,” she posited.

Ferguson further noted that while the Government’s side has complained about the four-day timeline, it failed to provide an alternative that could have been considered.

However, Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira noted that the Opposition’s sudden want for democracy would not remove the stain of the 2018-to-2020 period when the APNU/AFC Government violated the Constitution as it failed to call elections within the three-month stipulated timeline after the passage of the no-confidence motion against the coalition regime in December 2018, and then the five-month delay after the March 2020 elections.

No justification

Teixeira, who is also the Government’s Chief Whip in the National Assembly, further maintained that the Opposition motion has no justification and is against parliamentary rules.

“This motion does not warrant the support of this side of the House because to limit any Speaker or Clerk to four days, I think,

is wrong. It goes against the principles and parliamentary procedures that we allow ourselves, as in all cases, to be subjected to higher authorities to examine what we do…

“That’s not how the Standing Orders work… You can’t say four days for the Clerk and the Speaker to respond and then say “well, if they can’t make it, that’s okay they can take more time… You’re bringing in amendments to restrict the Clerk and the Speaker to four-day limit on examining the questions… and you’re treating the two highest positions in this House as post boxes – we mail it in and they’re forced now to deliver it; that’s not how it works,” Minister Teixeira contended.

Meanwhile, MP Mahipaul argued that his motion has no sinister motives, but was simply aimed at ensuring that questions were answered in the interest of the Guyanese people.

“It was a simple motion brought before this House for support from their side. There is no ulterior motive and it simply seeks to provide the people of Guyana

timely answers to their questions and to their request to their motions,” he declared.

The Opposition parliamentarian went on to notify the House that they intend to bring another motion that will reduce the number of days it takes questions and motions to move from the notice paper to the order paper, which outlines the schedules for each sitting of the National Assembly.

Mahipaul insisted that, “These actions are not things of sinister motive… It is simply to have time and effective and efficient responses to questions and issues the ordinary citizens have and will like them to be answered.”

Nevertheless, the Opposition motion was eventually dismissed on Wednesday but not before a roll call had to be conducted which resulted in 34 MPs voting against it and 31 in favour.

This voting was the first time that newly-appointed representative for the Joinder List, MP Dr Asha Kissoon, had to vote since entering the National Assembly. She voted against the motion. (G8)

Construction of IDB-funded hinterland hospitals to begin this month

As part of Government’s agenda to expand its healthcare facilities to hinterland regions across the country, the Health Ministry will, later this month, begin construction of a new hospital with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

During an interview with this publication on Wednesday, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony provided an update on this initiative while noting that construction of the hinterland facilities is expected to begin this month.

“We’re starting this month. We’re looking at hinterland hospitals and… we’ve already secured a loan to do construction (of) new hospitals in the hinterland, and also dormitory facilities in the hinterland region. So, we’re looking at Lethem, Moruca, Kamarang and Cato, all of these will have new facilities. You would see, over the next couple of

years, brand-new facilities being built,” the Minister shared.

In December last year, the Government secured a US$97 million loan from the IDB to strengthen its healthcare network as the first operation under a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP). The programme will expand the capacity of seven hospitals, spanning four hinterland hospitals in Region One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), and Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo), Linden Hospital, New Amsterdam Hospital, and Georgetown Public Hospital.

Funds will also be used to extend the coverage of diagnostic exams and medical consultations. It will also increase the efficiency of the public health system by supporting improvements in logistics, management, and processes. Infrastructure up-

grades include more efficient use of water and energy, as well as accessibility provisions for disabled persons.

“It is expected that the project will benefit around 406,000 persons, over half of the country’s population.

In addition, the telehealth activities which will be installed in over 15 health facilities will reach all ten of the country’s regions, including the hinterland,” the IDB previously said in a statement.

As part of the investment project activities, the CCLIP will also finance Guyana’s plans for a digital transformation in health, including the expansion of the teleradiology and teleophthalmology networks.

Moreover, it will strengthen supply chain management, improve the provision of maternal and child health, and contribute to pandemic and emergency preparedness, among other activities.

Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira

Opposition MP Ganesh Mahipaul

250 nurses every 3 years insufficient for growing health sector – Dr Anthony

The Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC) has officially launched its Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) programme for nurses, midwives and nursing assistants, to enhance their professional competence.

Speaking with this publication at the simple launching ceremony on Wednesday, Chairperson of the NMC, Nicola Nero, shared that the programme would be continuous, and has been implemented for nurses and midwives to improve their knowledge and skills in each category of their work.

“The CNE, Continuing Nursing Education, it’s an activity where nurses who would have already been trained and registered with the Nurses and Midwives Council will have the opportunity now to improve their knowledge and skills in whichever category, respective of registered nurses, midwives, as well as nursing assistants and specialty areas, to improve their nursing competency to actually deliver care at health facilities in a more effective and efficient (manner) tailored to the needs of the patient,” Nero explained.

She added, “It will be offered all the time, and so we will have quarterly sessions throughout the year on different topic areas, and we will also have the sessions or

the topics based on the level of the different categories; which would be the midwives, the registered nurses, as well as the nursing assistants.”

Additionally, this programme would be accessible online. Nero emphasised that it is mandatory for all nurses and midwives to register and complete twelve (12) contact hours, which is equivalent to three (3) credits of training per year. Proof of participation must also be presented to the Council before the person can be relicensed.

More nurses

During the launch of the programme, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony highlighted the need for more nurses as the Government continues to expand its healthcare facilities across the country.

“Our capacity at our

three nursing schools is only about 250 persons every three years. That’s not enough, because we…have been expanding our health infrastructure. So, all these places would require more persons, because these services would be run on a 24hour basis. We will have more specialties at these facilities, and that would require more nurses than we currently have,” the Health Minister pointed out.

The Minister also highlighted the Ministry’s threeyear hybrid programme with Coursera, which will see persons completing their nursing education virtually.

“One of the programmes that we are starting is a hybrid programme where the Ministry, in partnership with Coursera, we are going to offer the Registered Nursing programme online. We have put out a call to

people who are interested in nursing to apply, and I must say we have gotten very good responses. We’re almost close to that 1000 we want to start with, and we are going to start shortly. What we will have is theory online, and then when we need to do the practical component, we’ll build out some simulation centres across the country so that nurses can come here and do the practical component,” Anthony explained.

Additionally, he said, there are a number of other programmes aimed at boosting the human resources of the healthcare sector, as he revealed that a newly revised curriculum for the Nursing Assistant programme is currently being developed by Mount Sinai, and it would reduce the training time.

“We also recognise that we need to train more

Nursing Assistants, and we had Mount Sinai look at our Assistant Nursing Programme. It’s 18 months right now, and they feel very confident that, without compromising the training and the content that is there, we can reduce the time it will take to train someone. So, from 18 months, they feel we can bring that down to 12 months, so they’re working on a revised curriculum for us.

“It should be done within a month or so. That is something that we would work with the Council, and once it’s accepted, then this is another programme that we’ll roll out,” Minister Anthony has said.

He is encouraging persons to take up positions as administrative professionals within the healthcare sector, and has revealed that 25 persons are currently be-

ing trained as administrative professionals at York University in Canada. He said their training would conclude in June. Once that programme concludes in June, the opportunity would be given to interested persons who wish to pursue a career in that field.

He noted, too, that the Health Ministry is also working with the United Kingdom to train biomedical technicians, and will soon roll out an ultrasound technician programme and a postgraduate programme for nurses. Works are also underway to upgrade some of the existing nursing schools across the country.

“We also want to train… specialised nurses, and we’re opening up new opportunities for these types of specialisation. We have started a number of partnerships, and there have been a lot of opportunities for people to go and immerse themselves in other institutions abroad, so that we can understand how those institutions function and hopefully we can bring back some of those techniques to work in our sector,” the Minister remarked.

It was also announced that the Ministry is currently exploring options for offering post-graduate programmes for nurses to participate in fellowship training at McMaster University in Canada.

Rape appeal hearing deferred for pensioner serving 2 life sentences

The appeal hearing for a septuagenarian who, back in 2017, was handed two life sentences after a jury found him guilty of raping a girl, has been deferred until further notice. The matter was previously scheduled for hearing on Thursday, May 11, today.

Michael Abrams, who has previously described himself as a “devoted Catholic”, is contending that the verdicts are unreasonable and the prison terms are manifestly excessive. He argues, inter alia, that the trial Judge failed to adequately put his defence to the jury, and this has amounted to a grave miscarriage of justice. As such, he is asking

the Court of Appeal to set aside both his sentences and convictions.

The first count of rape, for which Abrams was

found guilty, occurred at some time between January 1 and 19, 2016; and the second count was committed on January

19, 2016. The jury’s verdicts on both charges were unanimous.

During trial proceedings, which were held in-camera, the court had heard the testimony of Abrams inserting his finger into the six-year-old girl’s vagina, and also sodomising her. High Court Judge Simone MorrisRamlall had admonished Abrams for his wrongdoings, telling him, “You say you are a devoted Catholic, I hope you pray to God and ask forgiveness.”

Following the guilty verdicts, Abrams had said that even though the jury “in their wisdom” had found him guilty, he is maintaining his innocence.

“This situation makes me feel sad. I felt like the accused [Abrams] would try to hurt me,” the rape survivor had expressed in a victim impact statement.

For her part, the State Prosecutor had urged the court to impose the maximum sentence on Abrams, and, in so doing, had pointed out that the rape convict had abused his position of trust, and had violated the child in the worst possible way, shattering her innocence.

From the evidence, Justice Morris-Ramlall had said, it was evident that the young girl had loved Abrams. The Judge had said that Abrams “pretended” to love her, and treated her “like a beast.”

In sentencing the child rapist, the Judge took into consideration the aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as the circumstances surrounding the case. In the end, she sentenced him to serve life imprisonment on each of the two counts. The sentences will run concurrently, and he becomes eligible for parole after severing 35 years.

The hearing of the convict’s appeal had been previously deferred because of missing notes of evidence. His appeal will be heard by Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud. (G1)

The Minister and other nursing professionals during the launch of the CNE programme

Convicted child rapist Michael Abrams

Flawed rice deal under APNU/AFC

Guyana still trying to recover millions owed by Panama – AG

The Guyana Government is still actively trying to recover the millions of dollars owed by the Government of Panama over a flawed rice deal that was struck under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government in 2018.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall on Tuesday

shared that legal proceedings have been filed at the International Chamber of Arbitration in France in an attempt to recover the monies owed to local rice farmers.

“Monies have to be expended to retain international lawyers to prosecute and defend these claims. And these are the people who are running around this country and accusing our Government of being an-

tinational and unpatriotic and that this their legacy,” Nandlall remarked during his programme “Issues in the News”.

On April 13, 2018, a contract was signed between the Government of Panama and the then APNU/AFC Administration for the supply of some 9000 tonnes of rice, with the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) being the facilitator.

Fisherman jailed for 6 months for possession of cocaine

Roy Morgan, popularly known as “Rickey Singh”, a 35-yearold fisherman of Skeldon, Corentyne, Berbice, has been sentenced to six months in prison for possession of 6.4 grams of cocaine and smoking utensils.

He was caught with the items on Friday in Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam). He appeared at the Charity Magistrate's Court on Tuesday before Magistrate Esther Sam, and pleaded guilty to the charges. He was sentenced to six months in prison on each charge.

The sentences will run concurrently. According

Sentenced: Roy Morgan

to reports, on May 5, ranks of Regional Police Division Number Two (Pomeroon- Supenaam) were on mobile patrol in Charity (Backstreet) on the Essequibo Coast when they noticed Morgan acting suspiciously.

Reports are that the man was carrying a bag on

3 months later

Cooperation Ministry as well as through the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), among other avenues, to recover the monies owed, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, it was reported in September 2022 that two Essequibo Coast rice millers had moved to the High Court in order to secure the payment of millions of dollars owed to them by the GRDB for the supply of rice to the Panamanian market in 2018.

his back when the ranks stopped him and carried out a search.

During the search, the ranks discovered a plastic bag containing 25 pieces of a creamish rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine.

A further search found two smoking pipes (utensils) in his left trousers pocket. Morgan was cautioned and told of the offence committed. He had replied, "I just bought it from someone."

He was subsequently arrested and taken to the Charity Police Station, where the suspected cocaine was weighed in his presence. (G1)

“Smokey” remanded for attempting to kill cattle farmer

After evading Police for nearly three months, Kevin Sooklall, a 38-year-old labourer from Onderneeming Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), was remanded to prison for attempting to murder cattle farmer Trevor Jameer on February 17, 2023.

The incident occurred after Jameer assisted the Police in retrieving a car involved in an accident in Hopetown Village, WCB.

Jameer sustained severe injuries to the right side of his chest, arm, back, and face during the attack.

Sooklall appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh via Zoom at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, and he was remanded to prison. He was not required to enter a plea, and was scheduled to appear in court again on May 18, 2023.

Injured: Trevor Jameer

The incident occurred after a 19-year-old man, Nicholas Arjune, while driving collided with two individuals riding on an electric bike on February 5, 2023. The residents set fire to the car and blocked the public road, causing chaos.

Jameer’s daughter, Travene McAlmont, had told reporters that residents attacked her father for helping the Police retrieve the vehicle, accusing him of being a traitor.

Remanded: Kevin Sooklall

The attacker returned to the scene shortly after with a bottle containing a liquid suspected to be gasoline or kerosene and a flaming stick.

He threw the bottle at Jameer before pushing the stick towards him, causing him to catch fire.

Jameer was treated at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital before being transferred to the Burn Care Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he is currently recovering. (G9)

Reports indicate that after the rice was shipped, a partial payment was made, but the balance, which has now accumulated significant interest, remains outstanding to date. There was another contract signed in 2019, for which no payment was made to Guyana, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had told the State-owned Guyana Chronicle.

“In the 2018 contract only a part payment was received; and the second contract in 2019, not a cent was received, so the additional

funds from the first, along with the last, are owed to the millers,” Mustapha is quoted as saying.

“US$7.1 million along with interest they left abandoned in Panama. Our Government now has to shoulder the responsibility and take the necessary legal recourse to recover these monies on behalf of our rice farmers,” Nandlall contended.

Since taking office in August 2020, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government had made several attempts through the Foreign Affairs and International

“These are farmers who delivered the rice to the Rice Board as instructed by the Government of the day. The Government of the day boasted that they secured a new market for rice, sold and delivered the rice farmers’ rice and the millers’ rice on credit and never attempted to recover any payment,” the AG lamented.

In February 2021, Agriculture Minister Mustapha had said that Guyana was in discussion with Panamanian authorities over the $1.9 billion owed to Guyana.

Juvenile uncle charged for murder of 12-year-old niece

More than two weeks after the body of 12-year-old Amanda Smith of Aishalton village in South Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) was found in her yard, her juvenile uncle was on Tuesday charged with her murder.

The name, particulars and photograph of the accused cannot be published, because he is afforded certain protection under the Juvenile Justice Act. He was arraigned in the Lethem Magistrate’s Court, and upon the conclusion of a hearing, was remanded to a juvenile holding centre.

A post-mortem examination confirmed that the young girl was strangled to death, and had sustained brain haemorrhaging as a result of blunt trauma to the head and face.

Amanda’s parents had left her and her siblings at home on the evening of April 22 while they went out. Upon their return, they discovered Amanda’s battered body a short distance from their home. Her teen uncle, who lived nearby, was then taken into Police custody. During the investiga-

tion, he allegedly admitted that, as the young girl was heading towards the door to urinate, he stretched out his foot, thus causing her to trip. As a result, she reportedly hit her head against a nearby wall and became unconscious.

The teenager claimed that after panicking, he picked her up and took her to the back of the yard, soon after which he heard the victim’s brother calling out to her. In fear, he fled the scene.

When contacted, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum related that the teenager al-

legedly sneaked into the house via the back door, which the child’s older brother had left open while he used an outside washroom.

After realising that Amanda was missing, a relative told this newspaper that, upon checking the backyard, the 17-year-old suspect was seen fleeing the area.

The family alleges that, during Police interrogation, the accused killer said he went to the house to check on the children. However, according to the child’s parents, they would never allow anyone, not even a relative, at their house at that time.

They said they believe the child was attacked while she was asleep, strangled, and then dragged into the yard. “How else did she get compression to the neck? He probably attacked her and strangled her to death,” they said.

The devastating news of the child’s death has sent shockwaves throughout the small community of Aishalton. Amanda was a 7th Grade student at Aishalton Secondary School.

Dead: Amanda Smith

File photo: Rice being loaded onto a ship

CXC Questions: Maths

Costa Rican President removes Minister, security chiefs amid record murders

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves on Wednesday removed his security minister and other top officials from office, after the Central American nation famed for being a safe haven in the region recorded its worst-ever year for homicides.

Costa Rica ended 2022 with the highest number of murders on record, with a rate of 12.6 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, and data for the first quarter of 2023 indicate a 40 per cent jump from the same period last year.

This comes as El Salvador's President Bukele – who has made the fight against crime a key campaign – said El Salvador was on the verge of hitting 365 non-consecutive days without murders since he came to power in 2019.

Police have, however, reported some homicides and gang member "casualties" of fights with security forces, which are not recorded as

homicides.

In April, Costa Rica's Chaves had presented a set of security measures to tackle surging crime rates, after the country's main business chamber called for a state of "national emergency," fearing a hit to foreign investment and tourism.

Chaves appointed lawyer Mario Zamora as the country's new security minister. She had held the same position in the 20112014 Government of former President Laura Chinchilla, known for having been hard

Bolivian leader open to using yuan for trade, touting 'trend'

Bolivia's President expressed openness to the use of the Chinese yuan for international trade during a press conference on Wednesday, citing similar moves by Argentina and Brazil to tap the Asian currency for transactions with China.

International trade transactions tend to be priced in US dollars, especially for major commodity markets like energy and grains, going back decades.

"The two largest econ-

omies in the region are already trading in yuan in agreements with China, and that is going to be the trend in the region," Arce said, adding the South American country could not afford to stay on the sidelines.

The Argentine Government announced last month it will start to pay for Chinese imports in yuan rather than US dollars, in large part to safeguard the central bank's dwindling dollar reserves

needed to pay down debt as well as to finance imports.

Earlier in the year, China and Brazil moved to reduce the dominance of the greenback by signing a deal to set up yuan clearing arrangements that can facilitate bilateral trade.

"In Latin America, we have always had a great influence from the United States... but today many countries have more foreign trade with China. Things are changing," said Arce. (Reuters)

on crime.

Opposition parties have criticised Chaves, saying he has not acted enough against insecurity and calling out his April suspension of a proposal to boost street patrols – Police had protested since it increased their working days.

Costa Rica had abolished its army in 1948.

As incoming minister, Zamora said that his focus will be on combating hired killers, which authorities believe represent two of every three murders. (Reuters)

Nicaragua orders closure of Red Cross in continuing crackdown

The National Assembly of Nicaragua has voted to dissolve the local branch of the Red Cross, a non-profit humanitarian organisation, as part of an ongoing clampdown on groups seen as hostile to the government of Daniel Ortega.

The law to shutter the Red Cross passed unanimously on Wednesday, with the legislature under the control of Ortega’s Sandinista Party.

In its place, lawmakers

called for a “new Nicaragua Red Cross” that would function as a “decentralised, autonomous” body under the Government’s Health Ministry, though it is unclear how the country would fund such a venture.

The attack on the Red Cross comes amid a widespread push to suppress perceived Government critics and other organisations, including the Catholic Church.

As part of Wednesday’s resolution, the Nicaraguan

Brazil’s crusading Justice Moraes ratchets up fight with global tech giants

The head of Brazil's electoral authority, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes delivered a stern warning to the world's top tech companies on Wednesday, saying he would not let them undermine Brazil's democracy.

Government will seize the Red Cross’s property in the country. It has accused the healthcare nonprofit of perpetrating “attacks on peace and stability” for its role in anti-Government demonstrations in 2018.

Those protests, sparked by changes to Nicaragua’s social security system, quickly grew from a student-led movement to a wider push against Ortega’s administration.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Moraes' comments –which included the assertion that global tech giants "believe no jurisdiction in the world can oversee them" – reflect growing global debates about whether the firms are doing enough to police their platforms.

They also constitute an ambitious new battle line for Moraes, a Judge whose previous crusades have included squaring up to farright former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's efforts to undermine the country's electoral system during last year's presidential election.

"The big tech platforms have been challenged and they will be penalised. They will be held accountable, to

guarantee the voter's freedom to vote," Moraes told Judges and public servants studying electoral law, without naming any specific firms.

Shortly after his speech, Moraes threatened to suspend and fine messaging app Telegram nationwide unless it complied with an order to remove criticism it had made on its platform about a proposed Internet regulation bill seeking to control the spread of disin-

formation online.

Telegram subsequently took down the message, saying in a statement that the Supreme Court had ordered it to tell users that its message had "distorted" the debate in "an attempt to induce and instigate users to coerce lawmakers".

Later, Telegram said "it would likely no longer be able to continue working in Brazil if the law were passed with the proposed wording".

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Americans

in US AG: No abduction in Thomas arrest

with

Attorney General Dale Marshall says he cannot characterise the actions of the Barbados Police in the Brent Thomas arrest as an “abduction”. He, however, admits not all procedures were properly followed.

Thomas, a firearms dealer, was reportedly taken from his hotel room in Barbados in October and handed over to the Trinidad and Tobago Police, who returned him to Trinidad and Tobago aboard a Regional Security System (RSS) aircraft.

In ruling against the Trinidad and Tobago Government, Justice Devindra Rampersad found that the detention and transporting of Thomas from Barbados to Trinidad and Tobago constituted an “abduction”.

In a ministerial statement in the House of Assembly, Marshall said he was satisfied that the actions of the Barbados Police Service” have fallen short of applicable legal norms, such as acting under an extradition request [but] I cannot associate myself with the description of the actions of the Barbados Police Officers as an abduction or as has been elsewhere been described as a kidnapping.

He added: “It is evident, Mr Speaker, that the Barbados Police Service sought to assist a sister Police service in a matter which appeared to them to be of a grave and important nature, and especially so, given the scourge of firearm violence that is a feature in Barbados and across the Caribbean. It

is my view that they rendered that assistance without any mental element of criminality that would be associated with an abduction.”

“ We reject fully any implication of involvement and collusion in this matter so as to deny any citizen of Caricom (or anywhere) their rights to due process. Going forward, it will be vital for the Region to fully implement the terms of the Caricom Arrest Warrant Treaty which was agreed to and adopted by Caricom Heads in July 2017 and which was ratified by Barbados in April of 2018.

All of Caricom needs to bring this Treaty into full operation in the shortest possible time so that the recurrence of incidents of this kind may be eliminated” he stressed.

(Excerpt from Nation News)

The Government of US President Joe Biden is offering some new legal options for people to come to the United States as it prepares for the end of asylum restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reported. It said it would admit at least 100,000 Latin

Americans seeking to reunite with family members in the United States. However, little detail has been released. The plan was announced as restrictions tied to a public health law, known as Title 42, were set to expire today.

According to the AP, “during a recent visit to the

border city of Brownsville, Texas, US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N Mayorkas said people would apply for permission to join their families in the United States at regional processing centres. The Government plans to open 100 such hubs across the Western Hemisphere, with the first ones starting in Guatemala and Colombia.

The centres will handle requests for family reunification parole, Mayorkas said, along with applications for the US refugee programme and humanitarian parole for those deemed to be particularly vulnerable, which is decided on a caseby-case basis.”

The new family reunification parole programme is for immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia who are US citizens or lawful permanent residents.

Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves Robles

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes

At least 100,000 Latin

to reunite

families

An asylum-seeker carries her baby past US Border Patrol agents as they wait between the double fence along the US-Mexico border near Tijuana, Mexico, Monday, May 8, 2023, in San Diego.

(AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)

Around The World OIL NEWS

Ukraine says it routs Russia brigade, Kremlin admits campaign 'very difficult'

Oil drops 1% after US data points to further rate hikes

Oil prices fell by more than a dollar a barrel on Wednesday, ending a three-day rally, as economic data suggested that the US Federal Reserve might hike interest rates further.

Brent crude dropped US$1.03, or 1.3 per cent, to settle at US$76.41 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell US$1.15, or 1.6 per cent, to US$72.56 a barrel.

US consumer prices rose in April, potentially raising the likelihood that the Fed will maintain higher interest rates. Rising global interest rates have weighed on oil prices in recent months, with traders concerned about recession.

Oil prices have been depressed by fears about economic growth related to the banking crisis and normal seasonal weakness during the spring as energy demand moderates," said Jay Hatfield, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Infrastructure Capital Management.

US crude oil inventories rose by about three million barrels last week due to another release from national reserves and a drop in exports, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.

The government report confirmed industry data released late Tuesday that had reported an unexpected build, which weighed on prices for most of Wednesday's session.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a crude drawdown of 900,000 barrels.

The surprising US crude inventory build, along with lower crude imports and April's softer export growth in China exacerbated worries about global oil demand.

The decline in crude prices was, however, limited by a surge in US gasoline demand ahead of the summer driving season.

US gasoline inventories fell by 3.2 million barrels last week, much bigger than the 1.2-million-barrel draw forecast by analysts. Distillate stocks also declined, EIA data showed.

RBOB gasoline futures rose 0.7 per cent to US$2.50 per gallon, while the ULSD futures contract was unchanged.

"We are forecasting that oil prices range from US$7595 during 2023 based on fundamental supply and demand and that oil will rally as we head into the summer driving season," Hatfield said. (Reuters)

AUkrainian unit said on Wednesday it had routed a Russian brigade near the stronghold of Bakhmut in an incident underlining the task facing the Kremlin as it carries out what it calls a "very difficult" military operation.

The unit's claim appeared to back up comments by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private army, who on Tuesday said the Russian brigade had abandoned its positions.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraine's ground forces, said Russian units in some parts of Bakhmut had retreated by up to 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) as the result of counter attacks. He gave no details.

Reuters was unable to

independently confirm the situation on the ground.

Wagner units have led a months-long Russian assault on the eastern city, suffering heavy losses, but Ukrainian forces say the of-

fensive is stalling.

"The special military operation continues. This is a very difficult operation, and, of course, certain goals have been achieved in a year," Tass news agency

quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling a Bosnian Serb television channel.

"We managed to beat up the Ukrainian military machine quite a bit," said Peskov, citing Russian missile strikes in Ukraine.

"This work will continue".

His comments did not address claims that Russia's 72nd Separate Motor-rifle Brigade had abandoned positions on the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut.

In a statement, Ukraine's Third Separate Assault Brigade said: "It's official. Prigozhin's report about the flight of Russia's 72nd Independent Motorised Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut and the '500 corpses' of Russians left behind is true." (Excerpt from Reuters)

Finnish Prime Minister divorces husband

Finland's outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin has filed for divorce jointly with her husband of three years Markus Raikkonen, they said on Instagram on Wednesday.

"We are grateful for the 19 years together and our beloved daughter. We will remain best friends," they said

in separate Instagram stories.

Marin and Raikkonen, who until recently worked at a venture capital firm, share a five-year-old daughter. They married in 2020 while Marin was in office dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have lived our youth

together, entered adulthood together and grown into parents for our dear daughter together," Marin wrote on Instagram after her August 2020 wedding to Raikkonen.

Marin and her Social Democratic Party lost Finland's election for Parliament last month, trailing the right-wing National

Coalition Party as well as the nationalist Finns Party.

Marin, 37, the world's youngest Prime Minister when she took office in 2019, is considered by fans around the globe as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, even as voters at home opted for a new government. (Reuters)

Biden to host India's Modi – White House

US President Joe Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit on June 22, the White House said on Wednesday, as Washington works to deepen ties with the world's largest democracy.

"The visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous and secure IndoPacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean

Embattled US Rep George Santos pleads not guilty to fraud

Scandal-plagued

Republican

Congressman George Santos has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen federal charges, including fraud and money laundering.

The 34-year-old is accused of misusing funds, lying to Congress about his income and illegally receiving unemployment benefits.

Outside the New York court, he called the investigation a "witch hunt".

Since he first took office in January it has emerged that much of his biography was fabricated.

If convicted of the top charges, the New York representative could face up to 20 years in prison.

Santos was released on a $500,000 bail bond, secured

by three individuals whose identities were not released.

Outside the federal court in Long Island on Wednesday afternoon, a defiant Santos said he would not resign, and vowed to "keep fighting" for his district.

"This is the beginning of the ability for me to address and defend myself," he said.

He will be confined to his home state of New York, to Washington DC and places in between.

His next court appearance is scheduled for 30 June.

The 20-page, 13-count indictment alleges the Republican participated in three elaborate fraud schemes.

First, according to federal prosecutors, Santos de-

frauded those who gave him money for his House of Representatives campaign, instead using the funds for personal expenses including luxury designer clothing and credit card payments.

Second, Santos allegedly participated in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme, claiming COVID-19 Government assistance despite earning a salary of US$120,000 through his employment with a Floridabased investment firm – a firm that was shut down by the federal government in 2021 over allegations it was a Ponzi scheme.

Finally, Prosecutors claim the Republican misled the Congress about his finances.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

energy, and space," Press Secretary Karine JeanPierre said in a statement.

Biden has been eager to strengthen relations with India as part of his bid to win what he has framed as a contest between free and autocratic societies, especially China. Asked about human rights concerns in India, Jean-Pierre defended the visit, telling reporters that Biden believes "this is an important relationship that we need to continue and build on as it relates to human rights".

During a February visit to Washington by India's national security adviser, Ajit Doval, the United States and India launched a partnership to deepen ties on military equipment, semi-

conductors and artificial intelligence.

New Delhi has frustrated Washington by participating in military exercises with Russia and increasing purchases of the country's crude

oil, a key source of funding for the war in Ukraine. Washington has been pushing New Delhi to do more to punish Russia for the Ukraine invasion. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Israel-Palestine conflict: Fighting ongoing as ceasefire falters

Israel has continued its attacks on Gaza, killing 21 people, in response to what it says were rockets fired by Palestinian groups.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said seven people were killed on Wednesday, a day after Israeli strikes on the Palestinian territory left 15 dead.

Four of those killed on Wednesday were fighters with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the group said.

A 10-year-old Palestinian girl named Layan Mdoukh was killed in a blast at her home in

Gaza City in unclear circumstances.

“There is a very high sense of worrying,” Al Jazeera’s Youmna El Sayed, reporting from Gaza City, said.

“Everything is closed; schools, private and public facilities have shut down, and people have limited going out of their homes.”

Rana Shubair, a Gazabased writer, said that the Israeli attacks took them “by surprise completely”.

“Everybody was asleep; we suddenly work up to huge explosions,” she told Al Jazeera.

“Barrages of rockets are being launched from the Gaza Strip towards southern Israeli towns,” Sayed added. “We also saw the Iron Dome trying to intercept these rockets.”

The hostilities amount to the heaviest fighting between the sides in months.

Israeli officials said more than 400 rockets had been fired as of Wednesday evening. Most, they said, were intercepted or fell in open areas, but Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said about one-quarter had misfired and fallen inside Gaza.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Smoke erupts following a shell explosion, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released on May 7, 2023 (Adam Tactic Group/Handout via Reuters)

US President Joe Biden speaks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit opening session in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, November 15, 2022 (Prasetyo Utomo/G20 Media Centre/Handout via Reuters)

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Keep tabs on where your money goes. Putting together a budget you can live with will ease your mind. Too much of anything will lead to tension. Be realistic.

(March 21-April 19)

Put your energy into home improvements and getting along with the people who make a difference in your life. Speak up about how you feel, and you’ll resolve pending issues.

(April 20-May 20)

Research will make a difference in how a situation concerning institutions or authority figures unfolds. Stick to the facts, regardless of who prompts you to embellish the truth.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN

AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

You can help by sharing your thoughts, not your cash. A positive attitude will significantly impact everyone you encounter and pave the way for your success.

Work toward your goal, but don’t launch your plans prematurely. Taking care of all the details yourself will be essential. Let your imagination lead the way. Make a move for the right reason.

Set yourself up to win. Put everything in its place and position yourself for success. Sticking to your plan and focusing on what’s essential will save you from taking on too much.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You’ll miss an opportunity if you take on too much or overspend on something you don’t really need. Set your sights on what’s important to you and get moving. Don’t let an argument slow you down.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Your actions will make a difference. Keep your feelings to yourself and focus on the possibilities. Put thought and muscle behind your ideas, and everything else will fall into place.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Talk about the changes you want to implement; the feedback you get will prove valuable. Don’t feel intimidated; take the information you gather and use it wisely.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Stick close to home and family. Listen to grievances and make adjustments that ease tension and ensure success. Focus on self-improvement instead of trying to change others.

Be careful what you wish for; too much of anything will work against your goal. Look for opportunities that will help you save money. Take nothing for granted.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Having a solid plan will give you peace of mind. Concentrate on home and family. Surround yourself with people and comforts that put your mind at ease and allow your imagination to roam free.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

TATA IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals…

Chennai Super Kings in seventh win

–– through Dube, Dhoni cameos and all-star bowling effort

An all-round effort from Chennai Super Kings helped them trounce Delhi Capitals by 27 runs at Chepauk. The four-time champions are now one step closer to the IPL playoffs.

CSK's highest run-scorer was Shivam Dube with 25, but six batters entered the twenties, including MS Dhoni, who made 20 in nine deliveries. Dhoni's late hits lifted CSK to 167, and after that, Deepak Chahar gave them the upper hand by removing both Capitals’ openers inside three overs.

Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja then provided the squeeze after Capitals slid to 25 for 3, and in the back end, it was Matheesha Pathirana who provided the finishing touch that sealed an NRR-boosting win for the hosts.

CSK are now almost certain of a top-four finish with 15 points in 12 games, while another win in their next two matches should secure a top-two position. The Capitals can now reach 14 points at best, which realistically might not be enough this season.

Capitals fail to recover

Even though Chahar's early dismissal of David Warner and Phil Salt had rattled Capitals early, the visitors were hoping that Manish Pandey - returning to the XI - and Mitchell Marsh would dig them out of the difficult situation. But Pandey mistakenly ran for a single that wasn't there, then turned back, and left Marsh stranded outside his crease.

That forced Pandey and #5, Rilee Rossouw, to start a recovery job, with the score reading 25 for 3, but the CSK spinners' stranglehold after

the powerplay restricted them. Pandey made 27 in 29, while Rossouw scored 35 in 37. And while they were around, there was hope for a late blast to bring up the run-rate; However, both fell in quick succession after struggling to up the tempo – Pandey fell by lbw to Pathirana, and Rossouw was caught off Jadeja - and that sucked the momentum out of the chase.

Axar Patel gave a brief glimmer of hope by racing to 20 in 11 balls, but his dismissal in the 18th over to Pathirana realistically ended Capitals' hopes. A tidy 19th over from Tushar Deshpande left Capitals needing 43 off the final over. And even though Pathirana was hit by Lalit Yadav for a hattrick of fours in the final over, the Sri Lankan Impact Player picked up a third scalp in the game's penultimate delivery to finish with 3 for 37.

"We threw our wickets at the top," Warner said after the game. "I don't think there was any good bowling to get us out, but that run-out put some pressure on us. Fiftyodd dot balls as well [55 dots], and you don't win many games where that happens. There were four overs where we failed to rotate the strike."

Energy

After Ishant Sharma was hit for 23 in his first two overs of the first innings, Warner moved to spin early, and found success when Axar had Devon Conway dismissed early, followed by the wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad for 24 just after the powerplay. Lalit then held on to a stunning caught-and-bowled chance to get rid of Ajinkya Rahane for 21, and when Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Moeen for only

7, there was a risk that CSK would finish with an underpar total.

But Dube, battling a finger injury from the Mumbai Indians game, walked in and thumped Lalit for a 23-run over with some help from Ambati Rayudu as well. Their partnership of 36 in only 19 balls went against the run of play. Even though Dube fell for 25, his runs at a strike-rate of 208.33 served as a reminder that poor deliveries still deserved to be dispatched. When he fell, CSK were 113 for 5 in 14.2 overs.

The Midas touch

Jadeja was slow off the blocks, but began CSK's charge in the 18th over by hitting Kuldeep for a six. Then Dhoni, who was struggling with

his running, ruined Khaleel Ahmed's figures. Khaleel had an economy of four after three overs, but erred against Dhoni by being predictable. Khaleel pushed deliveries across to Dhoni, and he pounced on them by pulling him for six, then getting an edge for four, before finishing the over with a straight six. That 21-run 19th over helped CSK touch 160, and even though Marsh took two wickets in a sevenrun 20th over, the total of 167 proved too much on a sluggish Chepauk surface, where batting first at the toss proved to be the right call.

"That's what my job is," Dhoni said about his nine-ball 20 after the game. "I told them this is what I'm supposed to do, don't make me run a lot. This is working, others are

SCOREBOARD

Kuldeep Yadav 4-0-28-1

Mitchell Marsh 3-0-18-3

Delhi Capitals (T: 168 runs from 20 ovs)

BATTING R B

David Warner (c) c Rahane b Chahar 0 2

Phil Salt †c Rayudu b Chahar 17 11

Mitchell Marsh run out (Rahane) 5 4

Manish Pandey lbw b Pathirana 27 29

Rilee Rossouw c Pathirana b Jadeja 35 37

Ripal Patel run out (Ali) 10 16

Axar Patel c Rahane

b Pathirana 21 12

Aman Hakim Khan not out 2 3

Lalit Yadav b Pathirana 12 5

Kuldeep Yadav not out 0 1

Extras (lb 6, w 5) 11

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 7.00) 140/8

Did not bat: Ishant Sharma

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (David Warner, 0.2 ov), 2-20 (Phil Salt, 2.3 ov), 3-25 (Mitchell Marsh, 3.1 ov), 4-84 (Manish Pandey, 12.6 ov), 5-89 (Rilee Rossouw, 14.3 ov), 6-116 (Axar Patel, 17.5 ov), 7-125 (Ripal Patel, 18.5 ov), 8-140 (Lalit Yadav, 19.5 ov) •

BOWLING O-M-R-W

(MS Dhoni, 19.5 ov) •

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Khaleel Ahmed 4-0-32-1

Ishant Sharma 2-0-23-0

Lalit Yadav 3-0-34-1

Axar Patel 4-0-27-2

Deepak Chahar 3-0-28-2 Tushar

doing their job, and I'm happy to contribute. Accordingly, I am practising as well.

"We frankly did not know

what a good score was. When you get 160-170, you never know if it is enough." (ESPNCricinfo)

GOA supports GASA ahead of Pan-Am qualifiers

The Executive Committee of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) last Thursday materialised their support for the Guyana Squash Association (GASA) with a contribution towards expenses related to their participation in the Pan American Squash Championships (Qualifier for Pan-Am Games) which are scheduled to be held in Cartagena, Colombia from June 4 – 10, 2023.

Among the powerhouses of the region that would be participating in these Championships are USA, Canada, Colombia, Mexico and Peru (which now is the home of the world #1 Men’s player).

If Guyana qualifies, the PanAm Games would be held later this year in Santiago, Chile.

President of the Guyana Squash Association, Mr David Fernandes, has thanked the Executive Committee members for the support received. Guyana’s Men's and Women's teams dominated the Caribbean Championships

in 2022, winning not only the team Championship, but also taking home gold in the Men’s and Women's doubles. They hope to carry this momentum to better their last showing in the 2019 qualifiers, where the Women got 6th (qualifying for the Pan-Am Games) and the Men got 10th, falling just short of qualification of the 2019 Pan-Am Games.

At the handover ceremony, Secretary-General of the Guyana Olympic Association, Mrs. Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon, wished the Guyana Squash Association's Team all the very best at these championships, which will serve as the qualifiers for PanAm Games, and so are of great significance, and indicated that she looks forward to the report afterwards. She particularly mentioned the notably strong women's team, comprised of the legendary Nicolette Fernandes and the current Caribbean and National Women's Champion, Ashley Khalil.

Deshpande 3-0-18-0

Theekshana

Rilee Rossouw had to battle hard in testing conditions

MS Dhoni found his range against Khaleel Ahmed in the 19th over

GOA Secretary General Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon making a presentation to GASA President David Fernandes

Matheesha Pathirana had another good game

Guyana’ National Futsal Championships…

Quarterfinal fixtures decided after riveting Round-of-16

sensational goal strike came from Ryan Hackett in the 7th minute, followed by a double from Jermain Junor in the 10th and 30th, Kelsey Benjamin in the 18th,

The second phase of the Kashif and Shanghaiorganized ‘One Guyana’ National Futsal Championship Round-of-16 action took place on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 and was witnessed by animated supporters at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.

Mackenzie All Stars secured their quarterfinal place by defeating New Amsterdam United 4-3. Mackenzie All Stars’ Nicolas Gentle netted the opener in just the 2nd minute of the game, and Mackenzie continued to penetrate NA United with goals from Douquan Wilson in

the 7th and Jashawn Moore in the 16th.

NA United held their composure, and were able to reciprocate with goals coming of the boots of Justin Williams in the 20th, Mark Alfred in the 23rd, and the equalizer from Seon Wrong three minutes after. With fans on the edges of their seats, Amuniki Buntin scored the captivating game winner for Mackenzie All Stars in the 35th.

Sparta Boss, winners of the Kashif and Shanghai Year End Futsal Championship in 2021, demonstrated their class with a 7-1 performance against Festival City. A

and Nicolas McArthur in the 39th. Jermaine Padmore netted the consolation goal for Festival City.

Northeast won 4-3 through kicks from the spot against Ballers Empire. The scores were level at full time 2-2 with astonishing goals.

Back Circle put in a remarkable performance against Gold Is Money to

‘Return of the Scorpio’ Card: May 21, 2023… Alesha Jackman to battle Jamaica’s Britney McFarlane

Briso Promotions’ “Return of the Scorpio” proam card on Wednesday confirmed another international talent to feature in the May 21st, 2023 boxing extravaganza to be staged at the National Gymnasium on Georgetown’s Mandela Avenue.

Out of Jamaica, the proverbial Land of Wood and Water, comes a boxer who is expectedly tough enough and sufficiently savvy to take on Guyana’s young sensational female boxer Alesha Jackman in an amateur clash.

Jamaica’s Britney McFarlane, who will be accompanied to Guyana by her Coach Gilbert Valz, is slated to arrive on these shores on Friday, May 19th, and a monumental clash is anticipated between her and Alesha on fight night.

This is the second international fixture that has been confirmed for the amateur section, as Trinidad and Tobago champion Lee Ann Boodram will enter the squared circle against Abiola Jackman, Alesha’s sibling. The Trinidad and Tobago fighter will arrive on local shores on Saturday, May 20th for her fistic engagement. The Jackman sisters are the first-ever Guyanese female pugilists to attain world ranking from the International Boxing Association (IBA), after their participation at the Women's World Championships in New Delhi, India. Abiola Jackman is now ranked 27th in the world in the Elite Women 81-and-over Kg, or heavyweight division. Alesha is seeded 58th in the Elite Women 60-63 Kg, or junior welterweight division.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle has said, “The confirmation of Jamaica's participation, coupled with Trinidad and Tobago's established attendance, has firmly concretised this card as an international endeavour.

“What is exceptionally noteworthy is that female pugilists will take centre stage in the amateur section, which is a momentous achievement and a watershed moment for the discipline. Additionally, the confirmed participation of our Caribbean counterparts will certainly raise the event's alreadyestablished international profile, and will act as a

catalyst for the publicising of the female game."

He further said, "The GBA has once again illustrated its unwavering commitment to the development of female boxing, which has pellucidly taken centre stage in 2023 via local events and international sojourns and campaigns. The association remains dedicated to elevating every aspect of the sport, with particular emphasis on empowering the female component, which in previous eras was neglected.

“This is our evidential and unwritten mandate for 2023 and onward."

In what is anticipated to be the biggest fight night in a decade, the Briso Promotions’ pro/am card is being projected to surpass the atmosphere, ambience, and overall quality of the recently staged Patrick Forde Memorial Championships, which were hailed as the benchmark for a local boxing event.

Meanwhile, five exciting professional bouts and an equal number of amateur engagements are confirmed for the impending fight night, which will be headlined and co-headlined by Elton Dharry and Dexter 'De Kid' Marques respectively.

Dharry will enter the squared circle against Ramos Ronald in an eight-round Bantamweight fixture, while Marques will battle Luis Carrillo in an eight-round Super Bantamweight encounter.

A Caribbean rivalry will also resume on fight night, as Terrence Adams is pencilled to face off against Barbadian Ricardo Blackman, while Anthony Augustin will match skills with Emmanuel Anderson of Barbados. The card will also feature a six-round Super Flyweight bout between Natalya Delgado and Darianis Garcia.

The May 21st fight night will mark Dharry's return to the ring in over a year, and will serve as a tune-up for his July encounter on local shores with Hugo Hernandez of Mexico for the WBC Silver Belt. Dharry, 37, fought for the WBA Super flyweight title in 2019, but suffered a controversial ninth-round stoppage loss to Australian Andrew Maloney in Melbourne.

advance to the quarterfinal on the back of a 6–2 win. Gold is Money started the scoring with a double from Jamal Pedro in 12th and 16th, but went on to score an unfortunate own goal in the 18th. Back Circle used that own goal as their motivation for a phenomenal comeback.

Back Circle’s goals came off the boots of Amos Ramsay in the 21st and 28th, Jamaine Beckles in the 25th, and Simeon Moore and Jamal Cozier in the 30th.

Kitty thumped BV in a very tense 3-2 clash, which had

spectators anxious until the final whistle. Kitty’s Stephan Reynolds started the scoring with a goal in the 7th minute of the game, and BV’s Ian Dooker managed to equalize in the 11th. It was not until the 41st that Reynolds responded with another strike, and the equalizing goal was again scored by Dooker. However, Reynolds sealed the winning goal and his hattrick in the 48th. The quarterfinal action of this tournament will commence today, Thursday, at the same venue. Four

Stabroek Ballers opposing Bent Street, North East taking on California Square, Mackenzie All Stars battling Back Circle, and Sparta Boss locking horns with Kitty. The semifinal round is set for Saturday, May 13, 2023. Meanwhile, the final is set to be hosted on Saturday, May 20, 2023 with the champions winning $1M. The second-place team will pocket 500,000, while $200,000 and $100,000 will go to the teams finishing third and fourth respectively. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) would

Women's Super50 tournament… Guyana stumble to second nine-wicket defeat

Guyana suffered another nine-wicket defeat in their second match of the 2023 Regional Women's Super50 tournament at Conaree, St Kitts and Nevis.

Asked to bat first, Guyana posted 121 all out in 33.5 overs. Barbados replied with 122-1 in 17.1 overs, with Hayley Matthews hitting an unbeaten 72.

Earlier, Guyana openers Mandy Mangru (11) and Realanna Grimmond (05) posted 24 runs for the first wicket. West Indies fast-bowler Shamilia Connell made early inroads, but Katana Mentore and her captain Shemaine Campbelle (21) added 32 runs together.

Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, until Shenata Grimmond and Kaysia Schultz added 36 runs for the seventh wicket, taking Guyana to 101-7 in 27.4 overs.

That partnership was all she wrote for Guyana, as the Bajan bowlers shared the wickets. Shakera Selman had 2-16 from

five overs while Connell added 2-21 in eight overs. Matthews had figures of 2-25 in 6.5 overs in a collective effort.

In reply, Barbados raced to the target with a 109run opening stand between Matthews and Kaycia Knight. Matthews struck eight fours and four sixes in her 42-ball knock, while Knight made 40 from 54 balls in a dominant effort. Kyshona Knight was unbeaten on six as Barbados recorded their second win in as many matches in their title defence.

SCOREBOARD

114/8 (31.5) Ashmini Munisar

121/9 (33.5) Kaysia Schultz

Bowling

Shamilia Connell (8-0-21-2)

Shanika Bruce (3-0-18-0)

Allison Gordon (6-1-11-1)

Hayley Matthews (6.5-1-25-2)

Shakera Selman (5-0-16-2)

Keila Elliott (5-0-30-1)

Barbados Innings

Kycia Knight c Grimmond b Grimmond 40

Hayley Matthews not out 72

Kyshona Knight not out 6

Total (1 wickets, 17.1) (4 extras) 122

FOW 109/1 (15.2) Kycia Knight

Sheneta Grimmond, with 1-22 in 3.1 overs, was the lone wicket-taker for Guyana. The Guyanese will be in action again on May 12 against Leeward Islands at Warner Park in St Kitts.

33.5) (24 extras)121

24/1 (4.4) Mandy Mangru

Realeanna Grimmond

Tilleya Madramootoo

Bowling

Plaffiana Millington (4-0-24-0)

Sheneta Grimmond (3.1-0-22-1)

Ashmini Munisar (5-0-20-0)

Kaysia Schultz (4-0-40-0)

Shakibi Gajnabi (1-0-16-0)

Mackenzie All Stars

The Sparta Boss outfit

Back Circle’s Round-of-16 goal-scorers

Guyana’s Alesha Jackman

Britney McFarlane

Hayley Matthews struck an unbeaten 72 against Guyana

Rayon Griffith named Head Coach of West Indies "A"

–– Richardson, Williams named assistants

Guyana Amazon Warriors Head Coach Rayon Griffith is heading to Bangladesh as the Head Coach of the West Indies "A" team for the three-match series against Bangladesh "A."

Cricket West Indies (CWI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Johnny Grave made this confirmation on Tuesday's Mason and Guest radio programme, where he also noted that Stuart Williams and Andrew Richardson will serve as assistants to Griffith.

Joshua Da Silva, the West Indies Test wicketkeeper/ batter, will captain the team in the three 4-day “Test” matches against Bangladesh “A”, starting on 16 May.

Besides Da Silva, the 15-member squad includes other players with West Indies Test match experience: lefthanded opener Tagenarine

Chanderpaul, left-handed allrounder Raymon Reifer, fast bowler Anderson Phillip, and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie.

In addition to Motie and Chanderpaul, Kevin Sinclair and Tevin Imlach are the other Guyanese selected. The squad also includes three newcomers to international level cricket: openers Kirk McKenzie and Zachary McCaskie, and fast bowler Jair McAllister. All three made their first-class debuts during the West Indies Championship four-day firstclass tournament earlier this year.

Lead Selector the Most Honourable Dr. Desmond Haynes has said the aim is to pick a balanced team as they look to expose the players to overseas conditions.

“We selected a group of

players who we think could benefit from the exposure in Bangladesh, and we also have our eyes on the upcoming Test Series against India in the Caribbean. Among the newcomers, we have pace bowler McAllister, who is fast and strong and has the ability to unsettle batters. McCaskie had a solid start to his first-class career, showed good temperament, and also has the ability to play all around the wicket. McKenzie was eye-catching during his double-century for the West Indies Academy in the Headley-Weekes TriSeries. It was a superb knock, and demonstrated that the investment in the Academy is bearing fruit.”

West Indies “A” Team will arrive in Bangladesh on 11 May and play the 3 four-day

International Cricket Stadium (SICS) in Sylhet. These matches will have full firstclass status.

This “A” team tour reciprocates the Bangladesh “A” team tour of the West Indies in August 2022, when the teams drew both a two-match series of

four-day first-class matches and also a three-match 50over series at the Daren Sammy Stadium in Saint Lucia.

Full squad: Joshua DaSilva (Captain), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Tevin Imlach, Akeem Jordan, Brandon King, Jair McAllister, Zachary

MATCH SCHEDULE

All matches at SICS, Sylhet

16-19 May: 1st “Test”

23-26 May: 2nd “Test”

30 May to 2 June: 3rd “Test”

UAE to host WI for ODIs in June …ahead of World Cup Qualifiers

“We defeated some very good teams, teams that traditionally dominate in these age categories, but we’re seeing that the work that the GFF is pushing into the various member associations, into the Academy training centers, it is bearing fruits, and teams can come from the outer reaches of Guyana and can compete with teams closer to Georgetown,” the BFA President reasoned.

By Jemima Holmes

Over the last weekend, Bartica Football Association’s (BFA’s) Under 13 Academy team showed their grit to finish second in the inaugural Tiger Rentals U13 League Cup Championship.

Although the team missed out on the title after a onegoal thriller against East Coast Academy on Sunday at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) National Training Center (NTC) at Providence, BFA President Alden Marslowe is extremely proud of his young troops.

“We’re extremely proud of their performance. They have been in the Academy for quite some time, and we’ve been putting in some work with them, and they’ve come out here and proved themselves that the work is working,” the BFA President told this publication.

Marslowe added, “The finals, like you said, did not go

thankful for their performance and what they have done. They have produced a very exciting final, and we’ll continue to work with them.”

Continuing his chat with <<Guyana Times Sport,>> the BFA President touched on the playing conditions that his team is accustomed to, which is different from what had obtained on the night of the finals, and he noted that they adapted well. Marslowe explained, “They have adapted well. I think the result in the final match proved that they need a little more adaptation, because they showed some signs of (tiring) in the last part of this game, and they conceded the one goal. But I think, all in all, they adapted well. They came out and they represented, they look good working on this surface.”

Further, Marslowe highlighted that the quality of the teams that Bartica overcame is a testament to their progression and the Federation’s input.

Marslowe gave a brief overview of the Association’s plans to ensure success at other age group competitions. Noting that competitions will be a key component, he divulged, “We’ll continue to have our Academy Training Center running. Well, apart from that, competitions are very important. We’ll promote more competitions for them, and we’ll promote more competition for those who are coming after them, so that we’ll have a good crop for continuity in our progression and in our development.”

Aside from the final match, Bartica had an unbeaten run in the preliminary stages of the League Cup. Their goal keeper Zico DosSantos was also adjudged the best in the competition.

As part of their preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, the West Indies men’s cricket team will play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Sharjah next month.

The day-night matches will be played on Monday 5 June, Wednesday 7 June, and Friday 9 June. Both teams will depart for Zimbabwe at the end of the series for their World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins on 18 June. The all-important tournament will confirm the remaining spots for the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, India.

General Secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), Mubashshir Usmani, has said: “We are delighted to host a former World Champion side like the West Indies ahead of the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe. In recent months, our team has produced some sensational performances in the ODI format, which have helped raise UAE cricket’s profile.

Our qualification for the tournament in Zimbabwe is a testament of our recent achievements. We want to ensure we provide the best possible preparation to our team, and this series will most certainly help in achieving the goal.

“We look forward to welcoming the West Indian team. We want to thank Cricket West Indies for their continuous support towards cricket development in the UAE”.

Jimmy Adams, Director of Cricket for Cricket West Indies, has said: “This is our first-ever bilateral tour against the UAE, and we are pleased to have agreed this historic three-match ODI Series, as it will provide a good opportunity for our players to get some preparation ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.

“It will also allow those players not going to Zimbabwe to get some valuable experience at the international level in foreign conditions, which would be hugely beneficial to their growth and development.

“We are happy to work closely with the ECB to arrange the three matches, and we see this as a partnership which can grow in the future.”

UAE vs West Indies ODI series

5 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

7 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

9 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

McCaskie, Kirk McKenzie, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer and Kevin Sinclair

–– BFA President on U13 Academy success

Stuart Williams

Andrew Richardson

“The work is working”

West Windies oppose the UAE before heading into their World Cup Qualifiers

BFA President, Alden Marslowe