Guyana Times - Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Caricom to launch

Region’s 1st unified policy designed to protect biodiversity

UN Security Council calls for maximum restraint between Guyana and Venezuela Border controversy ...says resolve differences through peaceful means Page 11

Over 1500 jobs to be created as gold mining activities progress at OKO

IDB approves US$25M loan for construction of EBD mega complex …project to provide

Teen among 2 charged for rape, murder of Corentyne woman

Woman crushed to death by truck

“I am saying what others are afraid to say!” – Amna Ally on PNCR leadership

…no holding back on criticism of Norton’s “undemocratic” leadership

GECOM warns of impostors visiting homes to collect data

Local businesses must up quality standards to reap benefits of Guyana’s development

Carifesta Avenue, seawall road now one-way during rush hour

…says it is not engaged in any field exercise

Mother, son charged for murder of labourer

Pork-knocker stabbed to death by drinking buddy

Caricom to launch

Region’s

1st unified policy designed to protect biodiversity …Guyana’s success in balancing oil & gas with environmental protection showcased

In a historic move, the Caribbean Community (Caricom), under the Chairmanship of President Dr Irfaan Ali, is expected to launch its first ever regional Environment and Natural Resources Policy Framework, with the eventual creation of a unified strategy on the cards.

During a workshop tackling bio-diversity strategies at the Pegasus Hotel, Caricom Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett revealed plans for the launch of the region’s first unified policy designed to protect biodiversity.

Barnett explained that an Environment and Natural Resources Policy Framework will be launched during next month’s fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which is being held in Antigua and Barbuda.

“We are determined to lead by example, wherever we can in efforts to tackle global challenges. There are ongoing, significant regional initiatives in this regard. For example, the region has articulated its first Caribbean Community Environment and Natural Resources Policy Framework. This is to be formally launched at the fourth international SIDS Conference, scheduled for the 27th to the 30th of May, 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda.”

“This policy framework which has been approved by the Environment Ministers, is designed to serve as the umbrella policy for the sustainable management and use of the community’s environmental and natural resources. The framework acknowledges the vital role that land, air, water and ocean play in sustaining the economic, social and environmental development of the community,” Barnett further explained.

According to Barnett, the framework will also

allow for the creation of a strategy, which is being finalized for approval by the various ministers in the region. She explained that the strategy will guide member states in the management and conservation of the environment and biodiversity.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat laid out Guyana’s biodiversity credentials. The minister noted that Guyana can serve as a model to other countries around the world when it comes to preserving its biodiversity.

“We understand clearly our responsibility as a country and a government, that we have the difficult task of balancing the extraction of natural resources, with the preservation of our environment. Our biodiversity. And our forests. It is not an easy task, but I think Guyana can be used as a model country around the world. For creating that balancing act.”

“As we are one of the few countries in the world, even though we’re an oil producing nation, we’re still carbon negative. We still have a forest that’s the size of the United Kingdom. That can trap 19.5 gigatons of carbon. That is almost 95 to 98 per cent virgin stand-

ing forest. That is what we boast as a country,” the minister further said.

Guyana, with US oil giant ExxonMobil as the operator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019, in the Stabroek Block. Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is in charge of regulating the environmental aspect of this, among other industries, has had its capacity progressively boosted by the current government over the years.

Last year, the World Bank had revealed that there are over two dozen experts currently aiding Guyanese Government agencies and other bodies with building capacity to oversee the oil and gas sector, as part of an ongoing World Bank project.

The project is entitled the “Guyana Petroleum Resources Governance and Management Project” and it has been in place since April 2019. Under the project, Guyana was allocated a US$20 million loan.

ExxonMobil, through its local subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), has a majority 45 per cent interest in the oil-rich Stabroek Block, and is the operator; while Hess Corporation holds a 30 per

cent interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds the remaining 25 per cent interest.

Currently, ExxonMobil has three FPSOs – the Liza Destiny from the Liza Phase One Project, Liza Unity from the Liza Phase Two Project, and Prosperity from the Payara Project –which are currently operating offshore Guyana and are safely producing more than 600,000 barrels of oil per day.

Additionally, construction is underway on FPSOs for the Yellowtail Project – the One Guyana FPSO, which is set to commence production in 2025; and for the Uaru Project – the Errea Wittu FPSO, which is anticipated to start in 2026. Approval was recently given also for Exxon’s sixth project- Whiptail.

In addition to these six Guyana offshore projects, Exxon is eyeing the possibility of having 10 FPSOs operational by 2030. Nevertheless, with these six developments to come on stream by 2027, production from the Stabroek block will generate tens of billions of dollars of revenue and significant economic development for Guyana.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat as he addressed the gathering. Caricom Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett is seated at the head table (2nd from left)

Views

Parental roles: male role model

Next month is host to two celebrations of parenting – the Global Day of Parents on June 1 and Father’s Day on the third Sunday. For good or ill, parents and those who parent play a tremendous role in children’s lives. Parents are a child’s first teachers and hold with their hands the power to determine much of the trajectory of their lives.

According to the Handbook of Parenting and Child Development Across the Lifespan , “The quality of parenting children receive during childhood and adolescence plays a major role in influencing their developmental competence and ultimately their life course trajectories. The parentchild relationship has a pervasive impact on children, and affects many different areas of development including language and communication, executive function and self-regulation, sibling and peer relationships, academic attainment, and mental and physical health.”

Parenting now, as in the past, is demanding, sometimes difficult work with many challenges, and now that family life has undergone many changes in the modern world, many parents are juggling new challenges, with limited success.

Fractured families result in a fractured society. Since society as a whole comprises family units, the more fracture these suffer, the more frayed the societal fabric becomes. The greatest threat to modern society is engendered by the rise in single parenthood. Single parenthood precipitates many ills in families and societies and is most often caused by delinquent fathers who shirk their responsibilities to their families. Worldwide, single mothers are forced to assume the roles of both parents.

Lack of a male role model and an authority figure in their lives – which only a caring, responsible father can provide – has been irrefutably proven by statistics to often cause children to fall prey to societal predators, even criminals. Young girls in their bid to seek out an equivalent father figure often fall victims to paedophiles, with related problems such as dropping out of school, child pregnancies, abusive relations, etcetera, with a recurrent nightmarish continuum of self-destructive behaviour. Similarly, boys who grow up in fatherless homes are often lured into anti-social, even criminal, behaviours.

“There’s a growing realisation that the increase in fatherlessness constitutes a clear and present danger, not only to the children but to the long-term health and success of our society,” said David Blankenhorn, President of the Institute for American Values, a New York-based organisation concerned with family issues.

Men have been engaged in a massive migration away from their children for centuries. Statistics worldwide indicate that divorce rates are nearly tripling, and outof-wedlock birth rates more than quadrupled since 1960. Demographers say the typical male spends a smaller portion of his adult life living with his children than ever before.

For families to succeed, men, and women, must be given all assistance possible to fulfil their parental roles. Given that the parent-child relationship and the cultural and community context combine to influence the quality of parenting children to receive, support to strengthen these two factors will improve outcomes for children.

As the Handbook of Parenting and Child Development

Across the Lifespan notes, “Parenting support that is delivered at a whole of community level and is attuned to the broader ecological context of modern parenting is needed to promote competent parenting and to reduce the adverse effects of poor parenting on children. Policy-based investments in evidence-based parenting programmes have great potential to enhance life course outcomes for both children and parents that can have major economic benefits to the entire community.”

Amid the Israel-Iran escalation, it’s time for a region-wide ceasefire

When the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, he knew what he was doing. Although any attack on a diplomatic mission is a clear violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the Israeli leader proceeded, hoping to divert attention from his failures in the Israeli war on Gaza.

With Israel having previously carried out a series of assassinations against Iranian officials and scientists, this act was hard to deny. No other power in the region could conduct such a brazen violation of international law regarding the sanctity of diplomatic missions.

Coming on the heels of other Israeli attacks on Iranian targets in Syria, this was a provocative act aimed at establishing military hegemony in the region.

For their part, the Iranians were caught in a bind. The international response to the brazen Israeli defiance of international law was muted, especially in the West, and Tehran could no longer tolerate the Israeli provocations. Iran also has its own considerations of military deterrence in the region.

The result was an attack from Iranian territory, which sent a clear message to Israel and its allies. It demonstrated the Iranian capabilities but also provided space for de-escalation. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian described

the attack as “limited” and said Tehran had warned the United States ahead of launching it.

Thanks to a deployment of US forces to the region and Israel’s own air defence capabilities, nearly all of the drones and missiles Iran launched were intercepted.

This display of military power by Israel and Iran has left the rest of the Arab world terrified of what another regional war could do to an already devastated region. And if it is to take place, there will be not just regional, but global repercussions. Any regional Iranian-Israeli conflict will pull in the Gulf countries, but also the US, Russia and China, creating a potentially explosive global confrontation.

As Israel and Iran are establishing this new “balance of terror”, the international community has to act. The United Nations Security Council must pass a strong binding resolution imposing a full ceasefire in the region that includes the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel, Iran and all neighboring countries involved, as well as nonstate actors.

Importantly, this resolution must recognise that at the core of much of the instability in the region is the unresolved Palestinian question.

Therefore, it needs to call for an end to Israel’s genocidal invasion of Gaza and the exchange of captives. It must provide a clear roadmap to Palestinian statehood and the end of the Israeli military control of all Arab territories occupied in 1967. It must create an interna-

tional peacekeeping force that will ensure compliance by all parties, especially in Gaza but also in the West Bank, where settler violence has reached unprecedented levels.

A clear declaration in support of the Palestinian right to self-determination and a roadmap to its realisation is paramount now. Already most European countries have indicated their plans to join the list of 139 states that have recognised the state of Palestine.

This resolution should not repeat the mistakes of UNSC 2728 passed on March 25, which the US tried to undermine immediately by claiming that it was “nonbinding”. The resolution was binding but it lacked “teeth” – or clear measures to be undertaken in case of violation. That is why Israel ignored it.

A new resolution, therefore, will require the use of Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Article 41 of this chapter reads: “The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures. These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations.”

The possibility of imposing biting sanctions and a diplomatic boycott on those who do not abide by its provisions must be made clear in the resolution. Mention

must also be made of the other provisions in Chapter VII which include the use of military force to ensure maintenance of international peace.

For decades, Israel has gotten away with perpetrating egregious violations of international law because it has faced no consequences. Now the International Court of Justice has declared that Israeli actions in Gaza “plausibly” amount to genocide in Gaza. Israel will not stop its aggression in Gaza or elsewhere in the region unless it is faced with a credible threat of sanctions. Iran, for its part, already faces sanctions pressure from the West, but if China and other non-Western powers were to join such measures, it would think twice before violating the resolution.

With Iran clearly demonstrating it is willing to de-escalate after the attack, a small window of opportunity now exists for action. The US and other countries have come to the rescue of Israel and this means that it will have to pay back its allies by complying with the ceasefire.

Unless the world wants to deal with the economic and humanitarian catastrophe of a region-wide war in the Middle East, it must move quickly and lay the foundations for a comprehensive lasting peace in the region. The key to that is resolving the Palestinian question once and for all.

(Al Jazeera)

(Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, is a former Ferris professor of journalism at Princeton University.)

People gather during a kite festival on Ao Manao Beach in the southern Thai province of Narathiwat (AFP photo)

Attempts to distort economic data to disseminate flawed analysis would not change facts

Dear Editor,

My attention was drawn to a virtual programme hosted by the APNU/AFC hosted by Mervyn Williams, with Guest, Mr Rawle Lucas. The analysis therein put forward by Lucas and the statements made by the host were all based upon a disingenuously flawed analysis, by way of distortion of economic data, and factually incorrect statements about Guyana’s economic history.

The host stated that the PPP/C Administration inherited a buoyant economy in 1992 and had continued the “Hoyte Economic Recovery Programme (ERP)”, which ended in 1997. Thereafter, the economy’s performance was bad under the PPP/C. This (paraphrased) statement by Williams is far from the truth. And fortunately, the target audience of the programme, the younger generation of this country, can independently conduct their own research and analysis (correctly) to ascertain the facts and truth for themselves.

The touted Hoyte ERP was imposed upon Guyana by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was adopted by the late and former President Hoyte. It was not crafted by the Hoyte’s Administration; the Hoyte’s Administration approached the IMF for help after the economy was plunged into bankruptcy by his predecessor, the late L.F.S Burnham. And Guyana did not exit the IMF programme in 1997, it was in 2006 that Guyana exited that programme.

The APNU/AFC continue to mischaracterise the ERP as an economic development strategy; it was not. The ERP was basically a two-pronged strategy whereby: (1) it imposed austerity measures… this was where the size of the public service shrank because that involved terminating public servants as part of the austerity measures (cutting costs). This explained why free university education was no longer free as it was part of

the cost-cutting measures, inter alia, the ERP. And (2) the economy was a socially planned economy to the extent where more than 80% of the economy was owned and controlled by the State. Hence, the privatization of State assets became necessary. In other words, liquidation of State assets aimed at generating liquidity, which aided the commencement of a long journey of economic recovery. As such, the ERP could NOT have singularly achieved full economic recovery and stability.

The PPP/C Administration did not inherit a buoyant economy in 1992; what they inherited was a bankrupt economy and this is easily verifiable. Although the ERP had commenced by then, economic recovery from a state of bankruptcy was a long, painful journey. The fact is that the economy did not fully recover to economic stability and financial viability until 2006―that is, nearly two decades following the implementation of the ERP.

Guyana’s full economic recovery to economic stability was aided to a large extent by the successful negotiations for debt forgiveness from Guyana’s external creditors amounting to over US$2 billion. This was led by the then former finance minister, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, which he continued after he became President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in 1999―2011.

By the end of 2011, the economy’s debt-to-GDP was reduced from 900% in 1992 to less than 50% in 2011; the debt service to revenue ratio was reduced from over 150% to 30%; inflation was reduced from 87% (1992) to 2% (2011); interest rate was reduced from a high of 30% (1992) to 11% (2011); the exchange rate stablised at G$200/ US$1; the foreign reserves stood at US$750 million representing 5 months import cover from zero in 1992; the GDP moved from US$300 million to US$3.7 billion (2011); GDP per capita increased from US$500

to US$4,900.

Furthermore, from inheriting a bankrupt economy with practically zero savings in the bank, by the end of 2011, the PPP/C Government had accumulated a total of G$101 billion liquid cash in the Government Deposit Accounts in the banking sector. This amount, when adjusted for present value (PV) is worth G$150 billion. Resultantly, the sum total held in the Government Deposit Accounts together with the foreign reserve balance of US$750 million, would give rise to a total of G$252.5 billion (2011 value), with a PV of $348.5 billion. Of key note, this remarkable achievement was accomplished with zero oil money and zero oil discovery more than a decade ago.

Moreover, what was worrying but not surprising, was that Mr. Rawle Lucas did something that was very disingenuous. To show that the Granger Administration, that he was a part of, managed the economy better than the PPP/C Government, he used the average GDP growth rate data for the period 2000–2014 (14 years), which was 2.66% and compared that with the average GDP growth rate for the period 2015-2019 (4 years), which was 3.75%. This was a deliberate distortion at best to deliver a false story. Thankfully though, anyone who has a basic knowledge of statistical analysis would know that it is incorrect to compare datasets of two different time periods as Lucas did here (14 years versus 4 years). The correct method would have been to compare the immediate preceding four years period (2010-2014), and the result would show that the average growth rate for that period under the PPP/C Government was 4.72%. Clearly, a higher average growth rate than what was obtained by the Granger Administration.

Of note, Lucas particularly used the economic growth rates for the period 2000-2014, although it was not a correct and fair com-

parison with the four years under the APNU+AFC, because he wanted to point out the negative growth attained in the years 2000, 2003 and 2005. The contraction of the economy in those years accounted for the lower average growth rate. In those years, however, the economy contracted not because of bad economic policies or contractionary fiscal policies, per se; but were due to factors that were out of the Government’s control. For example, in 2005 there was the massive flood that resulted in economic losses that equated to about 60% of GDP.

Notably, Lucas did not address the fiscal mismanagement under the Granger Administration that he was a part of. To this end, contrary to the contentions of Lucas and Williams, the Granger Government inherited G$81 billion (2014 end year balance) in liquid cash sitting in the Government’s deposit accounts held in the banking system. By the time the Granger Government demitted office in 2020, the Government deposit accounts held at the Bank of Guyana recorded a massive, illegally accumulated overdraft balance of G$128 billion.

It must be noted that the manner in which the Granger Administration operated the Government deposit accounts, were in gross violation of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (2003) (FMA Act). Section 60 (1) of the FMA Act states that…” the Minister may approve the use of advances in the form of an overdraft on an official bank account to meet cash shortfalls during the execution of the annual budget”. In other words, the Act provides for the deposit accounts to be overdrawn. However, Section (2) of the FMA Act states that…” the Minister shall repay in full all advances in the form of an overdraft on an official bank account on or before the end of the fiscal year during which that overdraft was drawn”. The overdraft balances were

never cleared for the entire five years period (20152020) until the PPP/C Government assumed office in 2020 and made the necessary provisions to regularize those overdrafts in accordance with the FMA Act.

In the final analysis, no

Is

amount of distortion of economic data, misrepresentation of facts and figures, and misinformation peddled by the likes of Lucas et.al would change the historical economic facts.

Yours sincerely,

Joel Bhagwandin

it reasonable, fair for a NIS contributor to wait all these years?

Dear Editor,

I am an 80-year-old pensioner who has worked all my life on the sugar estate. I started to receive my NIS pension from September 2004. I was aware of deficient contributions for years 1981 and 1985 and as such immediately appealed the matter in September 2004.

The matter was unresolved and pending for 20 years. A tribunal was established on 25th October, 2023 at the NIS Leonora Office to finally address the same. After taking all the

facts presented by myself and the NIS, the tribunal concluded and a ruling was given. I was awarded maximum contributions for the years 1981 and 1985.

The matter is languishing at the NIS Head Office for more than five months since the tribunal report was submitted at the end of October 2023.

I ask, is this reasonable and fair for a contributor to wait for all these years?

Respectfully,

Seenanan Sooknanan

Page Foundation 6

Stem-and-Leaf Plots

A stem-and-leaf plot organises data and helps you compare it. Think of the plot as a plant with stems. Each stem may have a different number of leaves.

Example:

To read this, attach each leaf to its stem. In Mrs Levy Maths class, the test scores were 67, 68, 69, 75, 76, 76, 83, 85, 87, 89, 89, 91, 91, 93, and 99. You will notice that the data is organised from least to greatest.

In this stem-and-leaf plot, the stems are the scores (in tens) and the leaves are the ones of the scores. To find the range in a stem-and-leaf plot, look at the first leaf on the first stem and the last leaf on the last stem. Subtract the smaller number from the larger one.

Range = 99 – 67 = 32

Maths test scores in In Mrs Levy Maths class

Stems Leaves

6

7

5

1

Exercises: Interpret

What are the data points for this stem-and-leaf plot? What is the range?

Stems

Make a stem-and-leaf plot from the following data: 32, 33, 34, 45, 51, 77, 78, 99

Leaves

Stems

The bee has many specialised body parts — from compound (multiple) eyes with ultraviolet vision to pollen baskets on the outside back legs. Bees are built to contribute to the survival of their colony (family).

Bees also contribute to our survival. Without their pollination of many fruits and vegetables, our food supply would be greatly reduced. As a bee visits flowers in search of their food (nectar), tiny grains of pollen from the anther (the male part) of a flower stick to the bee’s body. As the bee moves on to other flowers, it takes the pollen along, transferring it onto the stigma (the female part) of the next flower and starts the pollination process — how a flower or plant develops new seeds.

Task: Design and draw a robot that could complete the transfer of pollen from one blossom to another and help a plant grow its fruit.

Supplies

Drawing supplies: paper, pencil, markers, ruler Household junk — containers, boxes, rubber bands, pipe cleaners, paper clips, Styrofoam, toothpicks, etc — or a building set such as LEGO or K’NEX (optional)

Getting Started

Think about what you read about how a bee performs her pollen-collecting task. Then, draw a bee and point out the bee anatomy that makes the bee good at pollinating. Now, focus on a new type of pollinator — a robotic one of your own design. To started, discuss:

• What materials could be used to build the robot

WORD SEARCH ◄

April Poem

By William Watson

What tasks do the bee robot need to complete? How could it be constructed?

• What could be the harm or benefit to nature of having robots perform pollination?

• How will the robot understand its environment?

Create and explain your design. If you are interested, use some of the materials listed above to create your robot or a 3-D model.

What kind of reaction might your robot get from a real bee?

Buzz about Robots

Compare or get inspiration from the robot bees at Harvard University: http://micro.seas.harvard.edu

Learn why cuteness counts in robot design: http://labcast.media.mit.edu/?p=206 (Adapted from startwithabook.org)

April, April,

Laugh thy girlish laughter; Then, the moment after, Weep thy girlish tears!

April, that mine ears

Like a lover greetest, If I tell thee, sweetest, All my hopes and fears, April, April,

Laugh thy golden laughter, But, the moment after, Weep thy golden tears!

“I am saying what others are afraid to say!” – Amna Ally on PNCR leadership …no holding back on criticism of Norton’s “undemocratic” leadership

The war of words continues between People’s National Congress (PNC) stalwart Amna Ally and current Chairman Shurwayne Holder, with Ally calling out Holder for his attacks on her and her right to criticise party leader Aubrey Norton ahead of the party’s elections.

Referring to Holder’s allegations against her as garbage, former PNC General Secretary Ally came out swinging in a statement on Monday. According to Ally, who first attracted the ire of the Chairman for calling Norton an unfit leader, she is merely saying what many in the party are too afraid to say.

“I am confident party members and supporters are too wise to be misled. I feel pity for my young comrade and am personally ashamed that he has allowed himself to be a conveyor of misinformation and disinformation desperately hoping that I will or can be silenced; that Party members would readily believe him and not me. Himself and whoever he serves can sit and wait… I am speaking aloud what many are silently saying, and others fear to say,” Ally wrote.

Ally re-emphasised her

points of contention with Norton. These include accusing Norton of being an undemocratic leader who undermines the party structure and weakens the party’s Central Executive Committee.

“Aubrey Norton’s style of leadership is undemocratic. He has demonstrated a lack of accountability in the Party by undermining and destroying various party structures and practices by which he can be held accountable effectively placing himself as an autocratic leader with a CEC rendered ineffective and impotent,” Ally further said.

“Comrades, my party, the People’s National Congress, which I grew up in and have served over 53 years, from the age of 14,

has always been a party of principles, a party with respect for its constitution and one where every member was valued and had the privilege of financial accountability. We must ask Aubrey Norton what entitles him to run the PNCR like his personal pig farm or cake shop. I have served every leader of the PNCR and our members as well as supporters faithfully.”

In making it clear that she cannot be silenced, Ally noted that she cannot sit and quietly watch Norton “weaken and destroy” the PNC/R party. She further made it clear that she cannot support his leadership and would thus not be making any contributions until the party changes leadership.

“I am not going to lift a finger under Aubrey Norton’s leadership. When he is changed as leader, I will look and see what contribution, if any, I can make. But as of now, I want nothing to do with Norton and his quality of leadership,” the seasoned politician further contended.

But in a video recording over the weekend, Holder had accused Ally of refusing to accept Norton’s mandate from the party to lead, even though Norton was elected party leader over two years

ago. He had read and directly criticized quotes of Ally saying she would not lift a finger to help Norton, given his leadership style, until party elections are held and a new leader elected.

“Comrade Ally’s remarks imply a refusal to accept the decisions of the party membership, as a long-standing member of the party, comrade Ally is signaling to members that it is ok to not accept the results of our elections, should they lose. For any party to be viable, it is essential that all are prepared to accept the decisions made by the majority, even should they lose,”

Holder said.

“By openly declaring her unwillingness to support the party under comrade Norton’s leadership, comrade Ally sets a dangerous precedent that suggests losing candidates can simply opt out, rather than engaging constructively in internal discussions and decision-making processes. Comrade Ally’s attitude suggests that it is acceptable for members to withdraw from the party if their preferred candidate does not win.”

Ally is not the only one who has of recent been highly critical of Norton.

Only last week, former Georgetown Mayor and PNC member Ubraj Narine had posited that for the party to truly represent the aspirations of its constituents, it must provide a space wherein individuals from all backgrounds feel valued and included.

He had said that rather than stifling voices of dissent, the PNC must embrace its diverse membership base while taking into consideration Guyana’s multi-ethnic composition.

Narine went on to call on the PNC congress to address the concerns raised by loyal members, who feel marginalized due to their Indian heritage or desire to challenge the party’s leadership.

It has been announced that the long-awaited PNC/R congress will be held before August 31, 2024.

Current PNC/R Member of Parliament and Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, has already declared his intention to challenge Norton for the leadership. Ally is backing Forde’s candidacy. (G3)

PNC stalwart Amna Ally

PNC Chairman Shurwayne Holder

PNC leader Aubrey Norton

Teen among 2 charged for rape, murder of Corentyne woman

The two men, who have reportedly confessed to raping and killing a 52-year-old Corentyne woman last Friday have been remanded to prison.

One of them is a teenager.

Crishan David called ‘Varen’, 25, of Number Naught Village, is considered the mastermind and Yogindra Pokhai called ‘Ravin’, 18 of Number 54 Village were charged with murder during the act of a sexual offence –rape.

The duo appeared at the Springlands Magistrate Court before Tuanna Hardy and were not required to plea to the indictable charge.

It is alleged that they raped and murdered 52-year-old Ninawattie Nandalall, called ‘Sharda’, of Number Naught Village, Corentyne.

A postmortem examination conducted on the woman’s body has given the cause of death was asphyxiation, incise wound to the

Charged and remanded: Crishan David, called "Varen"

neck, and fracture of the cervical spine.

The two men were represented by Senior Counsel Murseline Bacchus. The defence attorney told the court that the accused have both related that they were forced to sign statements prepared by the police.

During the hearing, magistrate asked the accused if they had any marks of violence, which they needed

Charged and remanded: Yogindra Pokhai

the court to make a record of and both accused responded in the affirmative.

Spilling…

…guts (selectively)

Nagamootoo’s very proud of his Tamil origins so it ain’t out of place to point out his name means “a snake’s pearl”!! As such, when folks called him a “snake” after reading his memoir, he was merely translating the ex-Prime Minister’s actual name!! Name and nature?? Now Naga’s taken quite a lot of blows for not being more forthcoming about what went down during the APNU/AFC’s 2015-2020 regime. Especially at the end when Russians were being intercepted by his security minister with pencil erasers to rig our elections for the PPP!!! Or Mingo’s hijinks with the stained bedsheet from the GECOM office at Kingston!!

The two accused were then remanded.

The matter has been transferred to Number 51 Magistrate’s Court and will continue on May 8, when the prosecution will be expected to make a disclosure of all of the evidence they have before a trial date is set.

However, Pokhai showed the court his right hand and David raised his shirt and showed the court his stomach. Magistrate Hardy asked the police prosecutor to take a closer look and he indicated to the court that it appeared to be a mark on David’s belly from a surgery he may have had previously. Pokhai then indicated that he did not have any marks he wished to show the court.

Meanwhile, police had reported that the duo provided a confession saying that they were the perpetrators.

It had been reported that the police took a video recording of the confession statement.

Following the hearing the teenager’s mother Khamwattie Nevil called ‘Mama’, told this publication that she will do anything for her son.

She said her son said they were in the backdam and saw a light and hid in the bushes until they realized that it was the now dead woman’s son in a vehicle.

“He tell me Ravin dem ah look fo dem Mammy and they ask him if they see dem Mammy and dem tell dem ‘no’,” she said.

She said her son and friend went into the backdam to catch rabbits and did catch one.

The lifeless body of Nandalall was discovered by her youngest son between vegetation about 400 metres into the backdam on Friday morning.

The mother of three had ventured to the backdam around midday on Thursday to pick mangoes to make achar for visitors she was expecting, but had never returned home. (G4)

But it ain’t fair to say the Snake-Pearl didn’t let on – he just did it discreetly since politics in Guyana is quite bareknuckled – to say the least!! The man did say he wants to enjoy his remaining years checking out historical sites in the States – not so incidentally home of the capitalist running dogs he’d condemned for fifty years!! Some people eye open late!! But of his time with the PNC in Government – which he provided with the critical Xs to get over the line –this he revealed:

“The coalition cannot absolve itself from blame for its removal from office. The complex but toxic mix of inter-party bickering, dependence on ethnic support, entrenchment of the impulse to rig elections, misuse of office to foist personality politics and party paramountcy cannot be underestimated.” Now, ain’t that a mouthful?? All we gotta do is read between the lines and it’ll be clear as a bright, sunshiny day in August!! Let’s start with “The coalition cannot absolve itself from blame for its removal from office”. This clearly blames Granger, the leader of the coalition for shooting it in the foot with unilateral actions like shutting down 4 sugar estates – and destroying Naga’s street cred!!

“The complex but toxic mix of inter-party bickering”: refers to the PNC shutting out his coalition partners –especially the AFC by reneging on all the SIGNED promises in the Cummingsburg Accord. Like giving PM Naga more than just outriders and flashing lights!! “Dependence on ethnic support” reinforces the PNC’s kicking Naga’s Indian base in the nuts and depending on only their traditional base!! The crux of the confession, however, is: “entrenchment of the impulse to rig elections”!! Meaning, of course, that the impulse to rig is so deeply embedded in the PNC’s psyche that they just couldn’t help doing what they did after March 2 with Mingo!!

“Misuse of office to foist personality politics and party paramountcy” goes back to the tradition of Burnham. Remember his face on exercise books scaring the bejesus out of school kids – and causing education standards to plummet?!!

Of “party paramountcy”, your Eyewitness says no more!!

…Govt information

Ever since the PNC grudgingly demitted office, your Eyewitness has been raising his hands to the skies (metaphorically!!) and pleading for them to use all the tools at their disposal – to keep the Government on their toes. It didn’t take even the knowledge the PNCites – all steeped about corruption – to figure out with all the oil money flowing into our coffers, some gonna adhere to sticky fingers!! After all, this is why THEY wanted to rig and remain in charge of the cookie jar!!

So your Eyewitness was pretty chuffed to see the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic Services summoning GPL to explain what the heck’s going on with our electricity supply!! After the 2000 PNC protests – expressed in the streets with arson and condign beatings of PPP supporters – four such committees were established with rotating Chairs - ensuring the Opposition leads two.

Finally, they’ll be doing their homework to grill GPL and inform the nation why we’re having flickering Christmas lights in April!!

…Iranian pantomime

After Israel bombed the Iranian Syrian Embassy –retribution was certain and a widened war involving the US was feared. Now we’ve learnt Iran used backdoor communication channels to inform the Yanks – who helped ensure no Iranian missile hit Israel.

War averted!!

Govt to establish brachytherapy facility in Guyana

…will eliminate need for cancer patients to travel abroad

Government is in discussion to establish a local brachytherapy facility, with the aim to end the need for patients to travel abroad for treatment.

This is according to Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, who made the announcement at the launch of the new Action Plan for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer last week.

According to the minister the plans to complete this initiative are derived from talks between the Health Ministry and the Mount Sinai Health System in New York. “We have been talking to Mount Sinai to

help us to design what that brachytherapy unit will look like and what are the types of equipment that we

will need to have there,” he stated whilst then adding that once that information is relayed towards them, the respective works will be put into motion.

Meanwhile, he underscored that locals who are currently in the need for brachytherapy have to travel as far as Trinidad and Suriname to undergo treatment and he expressed that the implementations of the system within Guyana will erase the need for Guyanese patients to do so.

“We want to make sure that Brachytherapy services are right here within Guyana, Cervical Cancer is second on the list of cancer registry after breast cancer and with these new implementations we can reduce that,” he expressed.

Dr Anthony reassured cancer patients at the event that this initiative serves as one of the commitments that the Government has made which refers to ensuring that they can provide brachytherapy towards locals who are in need of it.

About $2.8 billion is set aside to subsidise cervical cancer testing, to benefit approximately 350,000 persons this year.

Brachytherapy is a type of cancer treatment where radioactive sources are placed directly inside or near the tumor. It delivers high doses of radiation to the tumor while minimising exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. It's commonly used to treat various types of cancer, including prostate, cervical, breast, and skin cancers. (G2)

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony speaking at the event

Carifesta Avenue, seawall road now one-way during rush hour

As ongoing efforts to significantly reduce traffic congestion continue, Traffic Chief ,Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh has approved a new strategy set to be implemented along the, Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown during morning and evening rush hour.

Speaking during a Radio Eve Leary interview on Monday, Inspector Garvin Boyce, said that based on the new approved traffic strategy, Carifesta Avenue will become a oneway for west bound traffic into Georgetown. “Starting from Tuesday, during that period from 07:00h to 8:30h we expect that the westbound traffic coming all the way from the east coast corridor to Carifesta should minimize because having two lanes of traffic flowing will enable persons to get to work in a timely manner, drop their children off at school, and still have some extra time to play,” he stated. Meanwhile, he stated

that the seawall carriageway would be used for traffic heading east. “The sea wall road will be used for traffic facing east and not west. In addition to that, we are kindly asking citizens to please comply with

our traffic posture because this strategy is set to help all of us to get through with all of our tasks in a timely manner,” Inspector Boyce emphasised.

Further, Inspector Boyce highlighted that police ranks will be conducting traffic directives within the area which will ensure compliance for persons driving west along the carriage way during rush hour.

Inspector Boyce has also indicated that this initiative was prompted by the recent observation of congestion caused by the scores of children attending the Marian Academy, as the scores of students travelling to school places a strain on traffic.

“Currently, the Marian Academy has a lot of children which attend the school and that puts a lot of strain on the westbound

traffic on the southern carriage way area, which is why the next lane coming west along the northern carriage way was implemented,” he stated, adding that by doing this, persons who are waiting to turn into the school to drop off their children will be able to do so as traffic will be able to flow simultaneously, making it easier for persons heading in the same direction. (G2)

Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh and Inspector Garvin Boyce speaking during the Radio Eve Leary interview

Over 1500 jobs to be created as gold mining activities progress at OKO

The Guyana Government recently accepted the terms of scope for the environmental and social impact assessment on the Oko West project, allowing the Canadian company, Reunion Gold, to move ahead with permitting.

The project area occupies about 12,000 acres of prime gold property.

Chief Executive Officer of Reunion Gold Rick Howes, had said in a statement last month that the company remains on track with its accelerated development timeline for Oko West, which includes the completion of a preliminary economic assessment by the end of the second quarter of 2024.

The company had said it plans to advance work on both the feasibility study and the environmental permits throughout the remainder of 2024 and into the first quarter of 2025.

During a recent discussion on the Guyana Dialogue programme, Natural Resource Minister Vickram Bharrat revealed that gold mining operations will commence in three years’ time following the construction of a mining facility.

Further, it was disclosed that as much as 2000 jobs will be created.

“So, there is a large amount of it in the large-

scale gold mining operation in which we see the results in another three to four years from now”.

“I mentioned a new company we are going into agreement soon; they are going to create 1500 jobs during construction and then 500 during production. This is a direct benefit to Guyanese again,” Minister Bharrat disclosed.

When asked about other major mining operations across the country, Bharrat disclosed that companies such as Omai Gold Mine is growing exponentially.

“Have companies sitting on $6.5 million ounces of gold, we have another company on $2 million ounces of gold, Omai is back doing exploration sitting on over $4million ounces of gold.

So, our proved resources in the gold sector to date is

$15 million ounces of gold which have already been discovered by large-scale companies,” he disclosed.

Reunion Gold

In 2023 Reunion Gold in a release said that it has raised $70 million from a bought deal financing and will use part of the proceeds to advance the company’s Oko West project in Guyana to the next stage of development.

The company said an underwriting syndicate acquired 152.2 million shares at 46 cents per share. It also said the underwriters have been granted the option to purchase an additional 15% of the offering to cover over-allotments, if any. The green shoe option remains open for 30 days after closing.

Back in February 2022, the company announced that it would continue drilling at its Region Seven location since it believes that even more deposits of gold are available at the Wenot deposit.

Prior to that, the company had filed a technical report with SEDAR, which supports the 16.7 million tonnes of indicated gold and 19.5 million tonnes of inferred gold it had announced the Wenot deposit held back in January.

Gold mining expansion

Gold mining in Guyana

is the second highest contributor to country’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which grew by 33 per cent in 2023.

Some 40,000 Guyanese are currently working in the sector which expanded by 42.6 percent last year.

According to Natural Resource Minister, the sector is a priority for Government and efforts will be made this year to facilitate further expansion, however, noted that the administration not in a rush to extract oil and ramp up production of mining simultaneously.

On this point, he ex -

plained that Guyana’s forest is a global asset which the world depends on, and as a result, all environmental activities will be conducted in a safe and sustainable manner.

In fact, a total of $710 million allocation in the 2024 National Budget for several projects, including the rolling out of a mineral mapping project which would be launched in phases.

According to the minister, this mineral survey is “badly needed”, and would assist with a more informed allocation of claims and mining blocks of min -

eralised areas. This, he explained, would significantly reduce deforestation caused by miners.

With a limited or outdated mineral inventory, miners are usually issued lands that they clear out, and if they do no find minerals, then they would move on to other locations.

The Natural Resources Minister pointed out that this mineral survey would also remove or ease the cost of prospecting and exploration exercises, especially for small- and medium-scale miners. Already, miners do not usually invest in this exercise. (G1)

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

IDB approves US$25M loan for construction of EBD mega complex …project

to provide over 200 jobs for locals

Unicomer Caribbean, through its sister company, Redstart Guyana, has secured the financing for the construction of its Riverplace Complex Mall pegged for Farm, East Bank of Demerara.

The project is being financed through a partnership with the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) valued at US$25 million.

The 50,000 square feet retail and commercial facility will house Unicomer flagship stores such as Courts Mega Store, RadioShack, Courts Optical, and Ashley’s Furniture Home Store.

The complex will also house over 40 other entrepreneurs who will establish stores, ranging from eateries, gym, international-branded shopping centres, and international food chains, among others.

Unicomer Caribbean

Vice President Errol Leblanc said the goal is to streamline the retail gi-

tinuous growth and development in the countries in which we do business and fulfill our commitment to enhance the lives of the Guyanese people,” Leblanc said.

“This investment will result in a state-of-theart mall in its first phrase which will continuously upgrade, hopefully with funding from IDB with future expansions led by modernised architecture and technological developments,” he added.

Expanding business opportunities

Meanwhile, IDB Group Country Representative, Lorena Solorzano said IDB Invest will play an important role in supporting Unicomer Guyana Int'l sustainable growth, and expanding business opportunities for local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

With the construction of the commercial complex, the company is expected to

double the number of domestic, micro and medium enterprise suppliers in the country,” the IDB Group

ant’s presence on the local market and benefit exponentially from Guyana’s growing economy.

On this point, he explained that the investment coincides with the government’s development plan for Guyana, which will position it as not just an oil and gas country, but a destination of choice for tourists and visitors.

“Unicomer’s investment in Riverplace supports the government’s growth initiative, leverages the support of international organisation such as the IDB, demonstrated Unicomer’s mandate to facilitate con-

employ approximately 100 new persons during construction, which will generate more local employment.

Additionally, the construction includes a strong focus on sustainability by using LED Energy, solar panels, and local materials to leverage the local construction supply chain.

“During the construction it is expected that 100 jobs will be generated while on the completion of infrastructure another 100 job. This financing is to strengthen the domestic value chain, it is expected that Unicomer also

Country Representative explained.

The project's Environmental and Management Plan will also focus on continuous improvement of the company's Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS), alongside emergency response, and occupational health and safety policies and procedures.

The project is also expected to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG Eight: Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG Nine: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 10

Reduced Inequalities and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.

Confidence in Guyana’s development

According to Senior Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, the investment, which is the largest single transaction issued by IDB Invest in Guyana, comes at yet another juncture in the country’s economic history.

of the country’s resources” and steadfast approach to sustainable development.

“Prior to 2020, IDB invest had not approved a single project in Guyana or for Guyana for several years. From 2020 to date, IDB has invested projects totaling $173 million US dollars for Guyana, for Guyanese companies and for companies operating in Guyana… I am happy that you have done a transac-

chase services.

The company has since expanded its presence in Guyana and has disclosed interest in establishing four additional facilities in 2024.

One being a 250,000 square foot facility at Houston, East Bank of Demerara that will support Courts’ expansion.

He contends that the initiative also displays the organisation’s confidence in Guyana’s rapid and unprecedented development.

Dr. Ashni credits this accomplishment to the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration’s “proper management

tion at this scale but you know my views, I would urge you to do even more going forward,” the Senior Finance Minister urged.

Unicomer presence in Guyana’s retails market started in 1993 with the establishment of Courts, which provides hire pur-

The facility which is slated to be built will be constructed on 50 to 60 acres of land and will be equipped to handle not just products for Courts but other businesses as well. It will be equipped with transportation, heavy lifting equipment, and container yard and storage facilities, among other amenities. (G1)

Senior Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh alongside representatives from Unicomer Caribbean and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as they signed the US$25M loan agreement

An artist's impression of the mega complex

Local businesses must up quality standards to reap benefits of Guyana’s development

With the fast pace at which Guyana’s economy is growing, local businesses will need to up standards in order to reap the benefits that comes with major economic development.

This is according to Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) Managing Director for Systems Solutions and Initiatives, Sheryl Anderson.

your country being on the tipping point of great development, I just want you to also align your tipping point with Guyana’s tipping point as a company to implement international standards to be internationally recognised in order for you to partake in the development of your country,” Anderson told the participants. The primary aim of this workshop is to equip private sector companies

ternational contracts they will need to show that they have up to date management systems in place in this regard the Caricom Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) have made it part of their duty to provide the resources that will allow businesses to advance. This initiative was launched in an effort to close Quality gaps in the Caricom region and strengthen the overall Quality infrastructure.

Anderson made this call at a collaborative five-day sensitisation workshop between GNBS and Caricom Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), which will conclude on Friday. The focus of the workshop is quality management systems.

According to Anderson, it is important for businesses to implement international quality management systems. “…with

with a foundational understanding of internationally recognized certification standards, procedures, and protocols. By highlighting the tangible benefits of adhering to these standards, the workshop seeks to encourage conformity, thereby elevating the quality and competitiveness of products and services while bolstering consumer confidence. For local businesses to acquire in-

Meanwhile, also present at the event was Regional Tech Officer for the Caribbean Regional Organization for Standards and Quantity, Stephen Farquharson, who highlighted that the specific objective of this initiative is to increase the use of internationally recognized regional quality infrastructure and reduce technical barriers to trade.

Farquharson also high-

lighted some of the progress made in relation to the regional framework and standards development methodology accreditation conformity assessment and awareness, he noted that this area has been strengthened. According to Farquharson “we have accomplished 96% of the ac-

tivities under this area and we expect to complete all by the end of the period. under this area we have accredited six conformity assessment bodies and we’re currently certifying six private sector organizations. To date we have completed four of them and two are prepared but due to various challenges certification as been delayed.”

The workshop serves as a crucial step towards fostering a culture of quality excellence within Guyana's private sector and is being facilitated by Mrs. Sheryl Anderson, an expert from Quality Systems Solutions & Initiatives (QSSI).

Regional Tech Officer for the Caribbean Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality, Stephen Farquharson

GNBS Managing Director for Systems Solutions and Initiatives, Sheryl Anderson Participants of the workshop

GECOM warns of impostors visiting homes to collect data

…says it is not engaged in any field exercise

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has sounded alarm bells over unidentified persons pretending to be employees of the agency, who are visiting homes in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) collecting registration data of persons.

On Monday, GECOM revealed that it has received reports of persons claiming to be part of a “Future Forward Foundation” going door to door in Wismar, Linden under the pretext of being GECOM employees. This, according to the agency, is not a process that it is conducting.

“It is imperative that we make it abundantly clear that GECOM is not currently engaged in any such exercise, nor has the commission engaged or authorised any person or group or organisation to collect information from any person for any reason whatsoever through house-to-house visits or any other methodology,” GECOM explained on Monday.

According to GECOM, the only time its registration staff would visit the homes

of applicants is during registration exercises. During these visits, GECOM staff and party scrutineers would identify themselves and display accreditation badges showing clearly that they belong to GECOM.

“GECOM takes this opportunity to state categorically that, as an integral component of the ongoing registration exercise, GECOM Registration Staff and accredited Scrutineers of the Parliamentary Political Parties are required to visit the given residential addresses of applicants for registration only to verify the existence and accuracy of addresses they would have provided.”

“However, those applicants are routinely advised about that legal requirement at the time of the application being prepared. GECOM Staff and Scrutineers are required to

display their respective identification and accreditation badges throughout all such field exercises. Accordingly, the general public is hereby cautioned not to recognise any person(s) without GECOM identification as being representatives of this Commission.”

In light of this, GECOM urged citizens to be “extremely cautious” and refrain from giving any information to persons purporting to be GECOM representatives.

Further, GECOM urged persons to contact them on telephone numbers 2239653, 225-5808, or 225-5868 to report or clarify any concerns.

In 2022, GECOM had also had cause to raise the alarm over unauthorised persons visiting the homes of citizens. At the time, GECOM had urged representatives of political par-

ties visiting homes not to misrepresent themselves as belonging to GECOM.

It has previously been indicated that the 2025 General and Regional elections will be held late next year, potentially November 2025. With the 2025 General and Regional Elections just a year away, political parties have already been gearing up to campaign.

In February 2024, the Government had written the European Union (EU) to field an Election Observer Mission (EOM) to monitor the local polls. Governments

are customarily required to write international bodies to invite them to observe national elections.

During a press conference at the time, General Secretary of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, said Government wants to have a wide presence of the international community here.

The international community, including the EU, had played a crucial role in ensuring that democracy prevailed following the historic March 2, 2020 General

and Regional Elections, which saw Guyana being in a political deadlock for five months as a result of blatant attempts to steal the elections by some officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) with the aim of keeping the then A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) regime in power. At the 2020 polls, the PPP/C won the presidency with a commanding 233,336 votes, a lead of 15,416 over its nearest political rival, the APNU/AFC coalition.

Mother, son charged for murder of labourer

Amother and her son, who are accused of killing a Festival City, Georgetown labourer, were on Monday slapped with a joint murder charge and remanded to prison. Alicia Edmonson, and her son, Malachi Kennedy, both resident of Lot 3 Perry Street, Tucville, Georgetown were charged for the murder of 36-yearold, Amaiziah Hohenkirk, a labourer of Lot 1308 Unity Place, Festival City, Georgetown.

The 42-year-old woman and her 22-year-old son, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and were not required to plea to the murder charge.

It is alleged that on

April 11 at about 23:15h, Edmonson and one of her other sons, who is a friend of Hohenkirk had a misunderstanding over a speaker box that was damaged.

Reports are that on April 12 at about 06:50h, Edmonson allegedly informed her younger son, Kennedy, that her older son had abused her. At 07:00h went searching of his older brother but instead encountered Hohenkirk and one of his friends. During that encounter, an argument broke out among them, and the group ended up at the woman’s res -

idence, where the victim’s friend allegedly hit her with a hockey stick.

In retaliation, the woman armed herself with a knife and allegedly stabbed Hohenkirk once in the abdomen and once on each of his wrists. The injured man and his friend managed to flee the scene, and proceeded to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where Hohenkirk died while receiving medical attention.

Both Edmonson and Kennedy were remanded to prison and the case will continue on May 7.

Dead: Amaiziah Hohenkirk

Charged: Alicia Edmonson Charged: Malachi Kennedy

Border controversy UN Security Council calls for maximum restraint between Guyana and Venezuela

...says resolve differences through peaceful means

Following a private meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), of which Guyana is a non-permanent member, which was convened on Tuesday last to discuss Venezuela’s aggressions towards Guyana, members of the council on Monday urged Venezuela to exercise “maximum restraint.”

In a statement, the UNSC said that members of the Security Council expressed their concern about the possible escalation of tensions between Venezuela and Guyana. They urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint, reminding them of their obligations to comply with the Order of Provisional Measures issued by the International Court of Justice on

December 1, 2023. The Council, the statement said, also underlined the importance of maintaining regional peace and security and ensuring that the Latin American and Caribbean regions remain a Zone of Peace.

In this regard, the council, commended regional efforts, which resulted in the conclusion of the Declaration of Peace and Dialogue of Argyle of 14 December 2023 in which Guyana and Venezuela, inter alia, agreed that any controversy between the two states will be resolved in accordance with international law, including the Geneva Agreement of 1966.

“The members of the Security Council urged the parties to resolve their differences through peaceful

means and to uphold their obligations under international law and the United Nations Charter. They also stressed the importance of regional actors playing a facilitating role in easing the tensions,” the statement read.

The members of the security council reaffirmed the importance of upholding the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity and the prohibition to any party, on the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, as enshrined in Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter.

The meeting on Tuesday was held under agenda item “Threats to international peace and security”. The brief had stated that Venezuela would be expected to participate in the private meeting under rule 37 of the UNSC’s provisional rules of procedure.

"Jet" man dies as mining pit collapses

Police in Regional Division Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapsed of a mining pit, which claimed the life of a 47-year-old miner.

Dead is Stephen Mark Samuels of Karawab Mission, Pomeroon River, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

Reports are that at about 16:00h on Sunday at Puruni Backdam, Puruni River, Region Seven Samuel and several workers were in the pit working.

Police said on Monday said that Samuels was employed by a Brazilian national, and was working as a ‘jet’ man on a six-inch land dredge in the area.

However, while working, a part of the eastern wall of the mining pit broke and fell into the pit covering Samuels.

An alarm was raised, and with the assistance of other workers present, Samuels motionless body was removed from under the rubble.

A report was then made to the Police who visited

the scene and examined the body. No marks of violence were seen. The body was then escorted to the Puruni Health Centre and pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty. It was then transported to the Bartica Regional Hospital mortuary and will be transported to Georgetown for post mortem examination. Investigations ongoing.

In March, 60-year-old Bertram Willie, a dredge owner of Wisroc New Housing Scheme, Linden, died while working at his mining operation at Cowing Backdam, Upper Mazaruni River in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Based on reports received, Trevor Benn, another miner, related that on March 6 at about 12:45h,

the now-dead man was submerged while extracting gravel in the Mazaruni River.

As he looked closer, he observed that a piece of land had caved into the river –the area where Willie was operating.

However, Benn explained that he called out to Willie but did not get any response. As such, he immediately raised an alarm, and with the assistance of other miners, they found the body of the elderly man pinned underwater by a tree stump.

Willie was subsequently pulled from the water and taken to the surface. He was taken to the Imbaimadai Health Post, where he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem is expected to be conducted soon.

Rule 37 provides for non-UNSC members to participate in discussions at the Council, at the Council’s invitation, “in the discussion of any question brought before the Security Council when the Security Council considers that the interests of that Member are specially affected, or when a member brings a matter to the attention of the Security Council.”

President Dr Irfaan Ali dispatched an April 5 letter to the Council invoking Article 35 (1) of the UN Charter. Further, it was explained that Assistant Secretary General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, Miroslav Jenča would provide the brief during the meeting. Additionally, it was noted that members of the UNSC are expected to urge Venezuela to follow the Argyle Declaration.

In the letter requesting the meeting, Ali cited the “Organic Law for the Defense of Guayana Esequiba”, which Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro signed on April 3. He warned that this action “cements Venezuela’s intent to annex more than two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory and make it part of Venezuela”. Maduro described the law as the implementation of the results of the December 3, 2023 referendum. He added that the law “establishes the creation of state number 24, the

state of Guayana Esequiba within the political and territorial organisation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”. The law also reiterated Venezuela’s rejection of the validity of the 1899 Paris Arbitral Award and the ICJ’s jurisdiction on the matter.

According to a brief, in his April 5 letter, Dr Ali said that the law violates the ICJ’s December 1, 2023 provisional measures and expressed concern that given Caracas’ disregard of this order, “Venezuela’s next move would be to implement its plan for the seizure of our sovereign territory”. He added that such an act would be a breach of the fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter and would contradict the letter and spirit of the Argyle Declaration. The letter also rejects recent claims made by Maduro that the US has installed bases of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Essequibo, calling it a “dangerous narrative”.

In a brief statement on social media, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud had said previously that the planned meeting would “address Maduro’s violation of the rules of international law requiring States to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of other States, as well as the International Court of Justice”.

It was only on Monday last that Venezuela finally submitted its counter-memorial on the border controversy case to the ICJ –

the very last day the World Court had given the country to do so. Ironically enough, members of the Venezuelan Diaspora in the Netherlands were on hand to protest and boo the Venezuelan entourage as they left the Peace Palace.

In a video message, President Ali welcomed the decision and further expressed hope that Venezuela would continue to cooperate in the border case – which it has been reluctant to do, despite the court ruling since 2020 that it has jurisdiction to hear and decide the case.

Venezuela is already attracting widespread condemnation for its recent promulgation of a “Law for the defense of Essequibo” in its National Assembly, which was condemned as infringing on Guyana’s sovereignty.

The controversial law was promulgated at the instigation of President Maduro last week, in his bid to establish Guyana’s sovereign Essequibo region as a state within his country.

In addition to the OAS and Caricom, the Commonwealth Secretariat has also expressed concern over the recent actions of the Venezuelan regime. The last time the UNSC met to discuss the border controversy had been in December 2023. At the time, the UNSC had convened privately to discuss the intensifying border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela at a time when the latter was advancing efforts to seize the oilrich Essequibo.

The United Nations Security Council

Woman crushed to death by truck

AGolden Grove, East Coast Demerara woman was crushed to death by a truck on Water Street, Georgetown.

Dead is Doreen Haynes. In a video of the accident that was released, the woman can he seen talking with a canter truck driver and almost to the center of the road and the truck was seen maneuvering the traffic. The canter was parked obstructing the flow of traffic with its hazard lights blinking. It was when the truck attempted

to pass the canter it left side rear end squeezed the woman between the canter and the truck and subsequently dragged a short distance away. The left back wheels of the truck ran over the woman’s body. She died at the scene.

Pork-knocker stabbed to death by drinking buddy

Adrinking spree turned deadly on Sunday when a pork-knocker was stabbed to death by his drinking partner.

Dead is Trevor Hilliman, a pork knocker from 5-Miles Arakaka, Region One (Barima-Waini) and Lot 14 Public Road, Pouderoyen, West Coast Demerara

Reports are that at about 23:00h on Sunday, Hilliman was stabbed to death at Jonnel Gaskin’s Shop in 5 Miles, Arakaka, North West District.

FBI opens criminal probe into deadly Baltimore bridge collapse

The FBI has opened a federal criminal investigation into the deadly collapse of a Baltimore bridge last month when a ship crashed into one of its supports, the Bureau said on Monday.

FBI agents had boarded the cargo ship Dali to conduct court-authorized law enforcement activity regarding the crash, a spokesperson told Reuters.

There is no other public information available, and the FBI will have no further comment, the spokesperson said.

In the early morning of

March 26, the massive container ship lost power and crashed into a support pylon, sending the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsing into the Patapsco River and killing six persons who were working on the span at the time of the crash.

The investigation into the collapse will focus in part on whether the crew of the cargo vessel left the port knowing the freighter had serious problems with its systems, the Washington Post reported on Monday.

Safety investigators have recovered the ship's

Lawmakers

"black box" recorder, which provides data on its position, speed, heading, radar, bridge audio and radio communications, as well as alarms.

The Nead of the US National Transportation Safety Board separately told Congress last week that its investigators had interviewed key cargo ship personnel as part of its probe.

Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the port's shipping channel continues. (Excerpt from Reuters)

brawl as Georgian Parliament considers “foreign agent” bill

Lawmakers in Georgia have come to blows inside Parliament as ruling party legislators appeared likely to advance a bill on “foreign agents” that has been criticised by Western countries and has caused protests at home as “pro-Russia”.

tive body.

Tensions in Parliament have bubbled up in recent years as the ruling party and the Opposition have debated whether to deepen relations with the West or reconnect the former Soviet republic with Russia.

Parliament.

Footage showed Elisashvili being greeted with cheers after the incident by protesters gathered outside the parliament building.

Following the incident, police were contacted and upon arrival, the suspect,

According to Police, inquiries revealed that the suspect and the pork-knocker are known to each other and on Sunday the suspect was passing on the main access road at 5-Miles Arakaka when Hilliman called him, and they began imbibing. Police said that after a while, a heated argument ensued, and the suspect pulled out a knife from his pants waist and dealt Hilliman a stab to the left chest.

who was still on the scene, was pointed out, and he was arrested. The victim’s body was then escorted to Port Kaituma hospital mortuary, awaiting post mortem examination. The suspect, 42-year-old miner from 5 Miles Arakaka, North West District, remains in custody as investigations continue.

Footage broadcast on Georgian television showed Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s parliamentary faction and a driving force behind the bill, being punched in the face on Monday by Opposition Member of Parliament Aleko Elisashvili while speaking before the legisla-

Russia is widely unpopular in Georgia due to Moscow’s support of the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia also defeated Georgia in a short war in 2008.

The incident on Monday prompted a wider brawl between several lawmakers, an occasional occurrence in the often raucous Georgian

Before a rally to protest the bill on Monday evening, protesters unfurled a large European Union flag and shouted: “No to the Russian law!”

“Georgia’s society is strong enough not to allow the country to slide into Russian-styled authoritarianism,” Saba Gotua, an architect, told the Agence France-Presse news agency. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Cervical cancer affects the entrance to the womb. It may not cause any symptoms in the early stages, but symptoms may include pelvic pain, bleeding between periods, and vaginal discharge with a strong odor.

Human papillomavirus

cancer but to reveal any cell changes that indicate the possible development of cancer so that a person can take early action to treat it.

The most common symptoms of cervical cancer are:

Bleeding between periods

Bleeding after sexual intercourse

Bleeding in post-menopausal women

Discomfort during sexual intercourse

Vaginal discharge with a strong odor

Vaginal discharge tinged with blood.

Pelvic pain

HEALTH TIPS

CERVICAL CANCER

vix and uterus, but not as far as the walls of the pelvis or the lower part of the vagina. It may or may not affect nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 3: Cancer cells are present in the lower part of the vagina or the walls of the pelvis, and they may be blocking the ureters, the tubes that carry urine from the bladder. It may or may not affect nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 4: The cancer affects the bladder or rectum and is growing out of the pelvis. It may or may not affect the lymph nodes. Later in stage 4, it will spread to distant organs, including the liver, bones, lungs, and lymph nodes.

Undergoing screening and seeking medical attention if any symptoms occur can help a person access

(HPV) causes most cervical cancer cases. The HPV vaccine successfully prevents HPV.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initially recommended the vaccine for all people aged 9–26.

These symptoms can have other causes, including infection. Anyone who experiences any of these symptoms should see a doctor.

our body have a set lifespan, and, when they die, the body generates new cells to replace them.

Abnormal cells can have two problems: they do not die, they continue dividing.

who have had many sexual partners generally have a higher risk of HPV infection.

PREVENTION

identify and deal with signs of cancer before the condition can develop or spread too far. Screening does not detect cancer but indicates changes to the cells of the cervix.

Several measures can help reduce the chances of developing cervical cancer.

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

The link between the development of cervical

However, the CDC now advises that the vaccine is also available for all women and men aged 26–45 years who received the vaccine as a preteen.

In the early stages of cervical cancer, a person may experience no symptoms at all. As a result, women should have regular cervical smear tests or Pap tests.

A Pap test is preventive. It aims not to detect

STAGES Working out the stage of a cancer is important, as it helps a person decide the most effective type of treatment. Staging aims to assess how far the cancer has spread and whether it has reached nearby structures or more distant organs. A 4-stage system is the most common way to stage cervical cancer.

Stage 0: Precancerous cells are present.

Stage 1: Cancer cells have grown from the surface into deeper tissues of the cervix, and possibly into the uterus and to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 2: The cancer has now moved beyond the cer -

early treatment and increase the chances of survival.

RISK FACTORS

This increases their risk of developing cervical cancer.

• Smoking: This increases the risk of cervical cancer, as well as other types.

• A weakened immune system: The risk of cervical cancer is higher in those with HIV or AIDS, and people who have undergone a transplant, leading to the use of immunosuppressive medications.

• Birth control pills: Long-term use of some common contraceptive pills slightly raises a woman’s risk.

• Other sexually transmitted diseases (STD): Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis increase the risk of developing cervical cancer.

• Socio-economic status: Rates appear to be higher in areas where income is low.

CAUSES

Cancer is the result of the uncontrolled division and growth of abnormal cells. Most of the cells in

This results in excessive cell buildup, eventually forming a lump or tumor. Scientists are not completely sure why cells become cancerous. However, some risk factors might increase the risk of developing cervical cancer. These include: HPV: This is a sexually transmitted virus. More than 100 different types of HPV can occur, at least 13 of which may cause cervical cancer.

• Having fewer sexual partners

cancer and some types of HPV is clear. If every female keeps to the current HPV vaccination programs, they could reduce the frequency of cervical cancer.

Safe sex and cervical cancer

Having many sexual partners or becoming sexually active early: The transmission of cancer-causing HPV types nearly always occurs because of sexual contact with an individual who has HPV. Women

The HPV vaccine only protects against two HPV strains. Other strains can cause cervical cancer. Using a condom during sex helps protect from HPV infection.

Cervical screening

Regular cervical screening might help a person

The more sexual partners a woman has, the higher the risk of transmitting the HPV virus becomes. This can lead to a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.

Delaying first sexual intercourse

The younger a woman is when she has sexual intercourse for the first time, the higher the risk of HPV infection becomes. The longer she delays it, the lower her risk.

Stopping smoking

Women who smoke and have HPV face a higher risk of developing cervical cancer than people who do not.

Regional Cuba calls on US to ease sanctions on eve of migration talks

Cuba on Monday said it would insist the US ease sanctions and end special treatment of Cubans illegally entering its territory at high-level migration talks slated to begin today in Washington.

The twice annual meetings resumed in 2022 after being suspended during the US presidency of Donald Trump and amid a record surge of around half a million Cubans illegally entering the United States beginning in 2021, according to US authorities.

Cuba is mired in a deep economic crisis characterised by shortages of basic goods, run-away inflation and blackouts.

The talks' stated aim is to promote safe, legal and orderly migration between the two countries.

Johana Tablada de la Torre, Deputy Director for US Affairs in Cuba's Foreign Ministry, expressed frustration at not reaching those goals while stating the talks remained important as one of the few points of contact under the Administration of President Joe Biden.

"The blockade (sanctions) ... is what most weighs in on the bilateral migration situation," Tablada told a press conference in Havana.

Cuba's Communist Government has long blamed US sanctions for strangling the island's economy and the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, which grants special entry rights to Cubans and support upon arrival, for encouraging its youth to emigrate. The United States – the top destination for Cuban migrants – counters that

a lack of civil liberties and human rights in Cuba have combined with a Statedominated economy to force its citizens to migrate.

The Biden Administration has increased legal pathways to migration for Cubans, including visa access in Havana, family reunification and humanitarian parole programmes aimed at stemming illegal migration.

Tablada said the measures would not solve the problem as long as sanctions remained in place. (Reuters)

X reverses course, tells Brazil court it will comply with rulings

Lawyers representing Elon Musk's X told Brazil's Supreme Court that the social media platform will comply with every ruling issued by the court or Brazil's top electoral court, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Monday.

The document addressed to Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes comes after Musk last week said he would challenge a decision by Moraes ordering X, formerly known as Twitter, to block certain accounts in the South American country.

The move marks a change of stance by X's Brazilian unit, which last week said in a separate document sent to Moraes that it was not able to control the US-based company's will-

ingness to comply with the Brazilian court's orders.

"As already communicated to the federal Police, X Brasil informs that all orders issued by this Supreme Court and the Superior Electoral Court will continue to be fully complied with by X Corp," the lawyers told Moraes in the letter seen on Monday.

Musk, the owner of X and a self-declared free speech absolutist, had previously said he would reverse all restrictions imposed by Moraes, because they were unconstitutional and called on the Justice to resign.

Moraes in response opened an inquiry into the billionaire for what he called obstruction of justice.

Moraes is investigating "digital militias" that have

been accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the Government of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. He also leads a probe into an alleged coup attempt by Bolsonaro.

X earlier on Monday said it had been subpoenaed by the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee to provide information on orders from the Brazilian Supreme Court regarding content moderation.

The lawyers for the social media platform told Moraes that X had complied with the committee's request for it to share confidential court documents and would keep the Justice posted regarding any updates it might get from X Corp on the matter. (Reuters)

US says it will not renew easing of Venezuela oil sanctions unless progress made on elections

The US will not renew a temporary licence set to expire on Thursday that widely eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil and gas sector, a State Department spokesperson said, unless progress is made by President Nicolás Maduro on commitments for free and fair elections this year.

The US has been concerned about Venezuela's electoral process and what it sees as Maduro's failure to meet his main promises for the July 28 presidential elections.

"Absent progress by Maduro and his representatives in terms of implementing the road map’s provisions, the United States will not renew the licence when it expires on April 18, 2024," the spokesperson said on Monday.

The Biden Administration holds out little hope that Maduro will make enough concessions before Thursday's deadline to satisfy US demands. US and Venezuelan officials met secretly in Mexico last Tuesday, but a source familiar with the talks said they made little or no progress on narrowing their differences.

The lack of a renewal of the current license would not rule out the possibility that the US could issue a new, more restrictive licence to replace it.

Venezuela's oil exports in March rose to their highest level since early 2020 as customers rushed to complete purchases ahead of the predicted expiration of the US licence, Reuters reported this month.

Venezuela's State-run oil firm, PDVSA, has said it is prepared for any scenario, including the return of full oil sanctions.

US President Joe Biden's aides are still discussing a range of options ahead of the expiration on Thursday of the tempo-

St Kitts and Nevis PM raises red flag over CDB President’s suspension

Dr Hyginus “Gene”

Leon’s return to his position as president of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) appears unlikely in the near future, as concerns persist regarding the bank’s handling of whistleblower complaints against him.

Tensions escalated in February following perceived disregard from Ahmed Hussen, the

Canadian Minister currently chairing the CDB Board of Governors, in response to concerns raised by nine Heads of government from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Dr Terrance Drew, the St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, in his capacity as Chairman of the OECS Authority, wrote a letter to Hussen expressing concerns.

But in a sharp reply through a law firm, the CDB said, “This is an internal bank matter and is not within the jurisdiction of the OECS.”

The missive continued: “Therefore, to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of the investigation, we recommend you cease from commenting on this matter publicly and from contact-

ing the Board of Governors regarding the investigation.”

The Barbados-based bank sent Leon on administrative leave in mid-January for three months and confirmed through its acting president Isaac Solomon that there was “an internal administrative process involving the President”. (Excerpt from Nation News)

rary US licence that has allowed Venezuela to freely sell its crude, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Biden Administration is determined to punish Maduro’s Government in some way and is deliberating on how far to go in withdrawing sanctions relief, though it is expected to stop short of a full return to the Trumpera “maximum pressure” policy.

Possible steps under serious consideration would be to allow Venezuela to continue selling its crude on world markets, but to reimpose a ban on use of US dollars in such transactions, requiring Venezuela to switch to other currencies and expand barter arrangements and swaps, according to people briefed on the discussions.

That option could expand the Venezuelan banking sector's role in oil sales if transactions in domestic currency are the only ones authorised.

A bipartisan group of US Senators urged Biden last week to consider individual sanctions for those directly responsible for "repressive actions". Successive US Administrations have already sanctioned scores of Venezuelan officials.

US officials are not planning to roll back the authorisation given to Chevron in 2022 to sell oil in the US from its Venezuela joint ventures, which renews automatically each month. Authorisations to European oil companies to take Venezuelan oil also are expected to remain, the sources said.

Chevron did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Weighing on current US deliberations are concerns about whether reimposing sanctions on Venezuela's energy sector could spur higher global oil prices and increase the number of Venezuelan migrants heading for the USMexico border as Biden campaigns for re-election in November.

The US provided the partial sanctions relief in October in response to an election deal reached in Barbados between Maduro's Government and the Opposition. The agreement included the right of the Opposition to choose its own presidential candidate.

The US Treasury Department separately on Monday extended through August 13 a licence that protects Venezuela-owned refiner Citgo Petroleum from creditors.

Venezuela's Opposition is conducting internal negotiations about how to run a candidate in the July 28 election and who that candidate could be.

Maria Corina Machado, who resoundingly won the Opposition primaries last October, cannot run because she is barred from holding public office, a decision she says is unfair. Machado named Corina Yoris as her successor, but the 80-year-old academic was also unable to register her candidacy.

Two Opposition candidates were able to register, and possible substitutes can be named until April 20. (Reuters)

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at a meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 9, 2024 (Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria photo)

Johana Tablada, Cuba's Deputy Director of US Affairs, addresses the media in Havana, Cuba, April 15, 2024 (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini photo)

Around the World OIL NEWS

Oil prices slip after Iran attack, US economic data

Oil prices slipped lower on Monday after Iran's weekend attack on Israel proved to be less damaging than anticipated, easing concerns of a quickly-intensifying conflict that could displace crude barrels.

Brent futures for June delivery settled at US$90.10 a barrel, down 35 cents, or 0.4 per cent. US crude futures for May delivery fell 25 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to end at US$85.41 a barrel,

Oil dropped by more than US$1 a barrel earlier in the session before paring some losses after Reuters reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had summoned his war Cabinet for the second time in less than 24 hours, citing a Government source.

The benchmarks had risen on Friday in anticipation of Iran's retaliatory assault, with prices soaring to their highest since October.

Israel's interception of Iran's attack, which involved more than 300 missiles and drones, calmed fears of a regional conflict affecting oil traffic through the Middle East.

"The success of the Israeli defence implies that the geopolitical risk has pulled back considerably," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho bank.

Strong US retail sales data from the Commerce Department also hindered oil prices, Yawger added, by increasing the likelihood that interest rates in the world's biggest economy would remain higher for longer and reduce demand for oil.

"The key term in that whole scenario is demand destruction," Yawger said.

In the Middle East, Iran saying it considers its retaliation to be over has further lowered the geopolitical temperature, said Kpler analyst Viktor Katona.

Meanwhile John Evans at oil broker PVM said the Iranian drone and missile attack was "about as telegraphed a world event that people can remember".

"They might as well have had big disco lights on them and towed banners with ‘come on, ladies and gentlemen, please shoot me down.’"

The attack, which Iran called retaliation for an air strike on its Damascus consulate, caused only modest damage, with missiles shot down by Israel's Iron Dome defence system.

Iran produces more than three million barrels per day of crude oil as a major producer within the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Middle East hostilities centred on the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza have had little tangible impact on oil supply so far.

"If the crisis does not escalate to a point that creates supply disruptions, then there will be downside risk over time, but only once it becomes clear Israel has chosen a measured response," said Amrita Sen, founder and director of research at Energy Aspects.

Rising US oil output also weighed on oil prices, with the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) saying output from top shale-producing regions will climb by more than 16,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 9.86 million bpd, or the highest level in five months.

(Reuters)

Calls for restraint mount as Israeli military vows response to Iran attack

Israelis awaited word on how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would respond to Iran's first-ever direct attack on their country as international pressure for restraint grew amid fears of an escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

Netanyahu on Monday summoned his war Cabinet for the second time in less than 24 hours to weigh a response to Iran's weekend missile and drone attack, a Government source said.

Israel's military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the country would respond. He provided no details.

"This launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and drones into Israeli territory will be met with a response," he said at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, which sustained some damage in Saturday night's attack.

Israel remained on high alert, but authorities lifted

some emergency measures that had included a ban on some school activities and limits on large gatherings.

The prospect of Israeli retaliation has alarmed many Iranians already enduring economic pain and tighter social and political controls since protests in 2022-23.

Iran launched the attack in retaliation for what it says was an April 1 Israeli

airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus, and signalled that it does not seek further escalation.

While the attack caused no deaths and limited damage, it has increased fears of open warfare between the long-time foes and fuelled concerns that violence rooted in the Gaza war is spreading.

US President Joe Biden told Netanyahu at the weekend that the United States, which helped Israel blunt the Iranian attack, will not participate in an Israeli counter-strike.

Since the war in Gaza began in October, clashes have erupted between Israel and Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Wars to dominate G7 talks as Foreign Ministers seek path to peace

Efforts to end wars in the Middle East and Ukraine will dominate this week's meeting of Group of Seven Foreign Ministers, host Italy's top diplomat Antonio Tajani said on Monday, with the West struggling to get its voice heard.

Gathering on the picturesque island of Capri from April 17-19, the Ministers from major Western powers will present a united front in de -

manding a ceasefire in Gaza and a de-escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran.

The Ministers from the United States, Italy, Germany, Japan, France, Britain and Canada will also reiterate full backing for Ukraine in its two-year war against a more powerful Russia.

"It is not easy in this moment. But I think diplomacy is crucial," Foreign Minister Tajani

told Reuters ahead of the three-day gathering that he will chair. "Our international position is very clear ... We are united. This is crucial."

But having a unified position has not been enough to bring peace either to Ukraine or the Middle East.

The Israelis have resisted repeated calls to halt their Gaza offensive, while in Ukraine the momentum on the battlefield

has shifted in Russia's favour, with the West seemingly incapable of providing Kyiv with the weaponry it desperately needs.

Tajani said it was crucial for Ukraine to keep the Russians at bay, adding that both the Head of NATO Jens Stoltenberg and the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba would be in Capri to discuss the conflict.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Trump trial: Dozens of jurors rejected as they say they cannot be impartial

Donald Trump's unprecedented criminal trial has begun with half of a group of potential jurors ruled out within minutes on impartiality grounds.

Trump denies falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Sixty of 96 potential jurors were quick to say in the New York court that they could not be impartial.

Those left were then asked multiple questions, including about their news and book-reading habits.

"I just couldn't do it," one prospective juror was heard saying as she left court on Monday.

The dismissals were

an indication of how challenging it could be to find a group of 12 impartial jurors for a case concerned with a high-profile sex scandal involving a former President running once again for the White House.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office alleges that Trump directed his former Attorney, Michael Cohen, to pay Daniels US$130,000 in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter

that the former President denies took place.

Prosecutors say he did so to "unlawfully influence" the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty.

Jury selection began in the afternoon. The Judge started by dismissing jurors who raised their hand to say they could not be impartial, leaving around 34 persons.

Those left were then grilled on 42 questions in the jury questionnaire, including on their news-reading habits, whether they had attended any Trump rallies or read any of the former President's books.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Israeli armoured personnel carriers (APC) manoeuvre, near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Israel, April 15, 2024 (Reuters/Amir Cohen photo)

Former US President Donald Trump

(March 21-April 19)

(April 20-May 20)

(May 21-June 20)

(June 21-July 22)

(July 23-Aug. 22)

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

A little adventure will spark your interest and broaden your awareness. Use your imagination, and it will lead you to participate in something valuable. Your input can make a difference.

Don’t make a scene when you should be working quietly toward your goal. Shoot for the stars and keep the momentum going. Focus on getting things done instead of gossiping.

Don’t count on others to handle your responsibilities. Hedge your bets and don’t make a scene or draw attention to yourself. Personal growth and kindness are favored.

Put a budget in place. Delegate how you want things done. Show your leadership ability and put your distinctive spin on whatever you do. Protect your ideas, health and money.

Energy will be a must if you want to get things done. Aggressive, good-humored action will give you the upper hand when you face a daunting challenge. Trust and believe in yourself.

Learn and adjust as you go. Embrace change, gain wisdom and put your time, effort and energy into whatever makes the most sense. Partnerships and personal gains are favored.

Participate and make a difference. Refrain from hesitating when you must take charge. Show your strength of character and implement changes that improve your life.

Change begins with you. Step up and make things happen. Refuse to let others stand in your way. Learn as you go and keep going until you reach your desired results. Patience is your friend.

Being well-informed will keep you out of trouble. Stay calm if someone chooses a different path or creates chaos or confusion. Research will help you make the best decision.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Tidy up and make your world more efficient. Don’t let outsiders mess things up or cause you to question what you are doing. Stay on track and put your energy and dedication into what matters to you.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Tap into what you enjoy doing most and turn it into something tangible. How you portray yourself to others will affect how they treat you. A positive attitude will be crucial.

An undercover approach to what you pursue will make it easier to achieve your goal. Take precautions and consider how to best implement necessary changes.

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES PICKLES

Sunrisers Hyderabad showed how merciless modern T20 batting can look, obliterating the record they had themselves set earlier this season to post 287 for 3, the highest total in the IPL. Travis Head, who has won Australia the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup final over the last year, sent another warning signal for his opponents ahead of the T20 World Cup. He had scored a 24-ball 62 when Sunrisers made 277 for 3 against Mumbai on March 27; now he belted a career-best

102 off 41 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

The big hits were incessant. Head hit eight sixes, and Heinrich Klaasen seven in a 31-ball 67, out of a Sunrisers total of 22 - another IPL record. RCB did their bit too, on a dream day for batters, sending 16 hits soaring over the M Chinnaswamy Stadium's boundaries as they made a superb effort to restrict the damage to their net run rate. They finished on 262 for 7, Dinesh Karthik leading the way with 83 off 35 balls.

The match aggregate of 549 runs was the highest in all T20 cricket.

Head breaks RCB's hearts

RCB went into the match without a single frontline spinner. But with two left-handers in Head and Abhishek Sharma opening for Sunrisers, they began with the offspin of batting allrounder Will Jacks. He found turn in the first over, and conceded just seven. His second over was even better, going for just four.

And yet, Sunrisers put up 76 in the powerplay, the third time they had gone past 70 during that phase of the innings this season. By then, Head had motored to his half-century off 20 balls. Head hit four sixes across the fifth and sixth overs as RCB debutant Lockie Ferguson went for 18 and then Yash Dayal for 20.

Head, Klaasen play decisive hands in Chinnaswamy big bash

then, and SRH already had 165 on the board. That was enough indication of what more was to come on a flat pitch surrounded by small boundaries.

Klaasen continues six fest Promoted to No. 3 after the openers hammered 108 in 8.1 overs, Klaasen kept Sunrisers' party going. He managed only three runs from his first five deliveries, but soon got into the six-hit-

With Head's dismissal bringing a second righthander to the crease in Aiden Markram, RCB brought on the left-arm spin of Mahipal Lomror in the 14th over. The match-up didn't bring any joy, as Klaasen carted him for two sixes.

Klaasen hit three more sixes - including a 106m straight hit off Ferguson that sailed over the roofbefore being dismissed with three overs remaining, with

T Natarajan 4-0-47-1

Pat Cummins 4-0-43-3

Mayank Markande 4-0-46-2

Jaydev Unadkat 2-0-37-0

Head's second fifty was even quicker, taking only 19 balls, and the century came up in the 12th over.

Ferguson had Head ballooning a catch to mid-off halfway into the 13th, but Klaasen had arrived by

ting groove that has made him among the world's most dangerous T20 hitters. He swung Dayal and Ferguson for sixes over midwicket just before Head was dismissed, and that wicket did nothing to temper Klaasen's aggression.

Sunrisers on 231. The only question then was if they could breach their own record total of 277. Abdul Samad and Markram put all doubts away with stunning cameos, as the last two overs produced 46 runs.

Karthik fights to limit the damage

There was only one way for RCB to bat in their response, and Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis counterattacked their way to 79 in the powerplay, three more than what Sunrisers had managed at that stage. RCB's opening pair smashed 11 fours and four sixes in that phase alone. Even so, RCB were behind the asking rate, which had now climbed to nearly 15.

Sunrisers' Impact Sub

Mayank Markande, who replaced Head at the start of the chase, beat Kohli with a googly just after the powerplay, and that began something of a mini-collapse, as RCB slipped to 122 for 5 by the end of the 10th over, with Pat Cummins striking twice including getting du Plessis for 62.

That is when Karthik entered to keep the crowd entertained. He was the dominant partner in a 59-run partnership with Lomror, which briefly stirred hopes of an outlandish finish, as Markande and Jaydev Unadkat leaked 46 across the 13th and 14th overs.

A six-run 15th over from Cummins, which also included the wicket of Lomror, effectively ended RCB's hopes, but Karthik kept going, hitting at least one six ever over until he was dismissed with eight balls remaining. Seven sixes came off his bat including a switch-hit off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but he couldn't prevent RCB from slumping to a fifth successive loss and remaining rooted to the bottom of the points table. (ESPNcricinfo)

Dinesh Karthik kept RCB fighting with 83 off 35

Travis Head smashed a 41-ball 102

Aiden Markram struck 32 not out off 17

Virat Kohli smashed a 20-ball 42 against SRH

Demerara looking to bring U-19 championship home today

The Demera outfit will look to disturb Berbice’s unbeaten streak in the attempt to capture the Guyana Cricket Board's (GCB)

Male Under-19 InterCounty 50-over title today, to establish themselves as the only unbeaten team in the tournament, despite numerous hurdles.

Demera's unbeaten streak came thanks to their determination as they blistered the bowling attack to secure a nine-wicket win over Select XI on Friday last and a 48-run victory over Essequibo on Sunday.

Captain of Demera Mavendra Dindyal while speaking to the media spoke divulged on the key areas to secure the title.

Dindyal said, “Think the guys are doing good, especially under pressure and we are just looking to move forward from this and bring the championship home, we would just like to tap up our batting a little bit more, I think we have a more capable bats man who can put more runs and I think the bowlers are up to par. Some bet ter-depth bowl ing would be ok for me. I think one of our a good one of fast bowlers but I think the second-hand bowlers really came and bowled well so I think that we are just looking to put balls in The batsman went on to expound on his personal expectations to score

“Think it was a good ball to be honestly I just looking to spend some more time at the wicket and give myself some more time to score some reasons.”

The Guyana Cricket Board's Male Under-19 Inter-County 50-over competition will continue today with Demera taking on Berbice at Malteenoes while at Lusignan Select XI takes on Esseequibo, with both sides will hunting their first win of the tournament.

Promising Talent Showcased at UG’s 2024 Athletic Championships

The University of Guyana recently held its highly-anticipated annual Athletics Championships at the Guyana Police Force Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, which saw the participation of the university athletes competing in various categories of track and field events.

Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the general public attended the event to witness the clash of talent as various academic divisions vied for supremacy. From sprints to the endurance-testing long-distance races, the competition showcased the best of UG's athletes. The atmosphere was filled with anticipation as the various athletes went head-to-head in events ranging from the 100 meters to the gruelling 1500 meters. Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin and other senior officials were present to witness the excitement.

In a great display of skill and determination, the Faculty of Education & Humanities emerged victorious in the March Past, capturing attention with their impressive parade presence and unity.

Meanwhile, the battle for overall supremacy saw the Faculty of Education & Humanities clinch the top spot, closely followed by the Faculty of Natural Sciences

Second place finish for Team Guyana at ‘Champion of Champions’

Despite fielding a team that comprised several debutants, Guyana finished second overall in the Order of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) ‘Champion of Champions’ Boxing Tournament in St. Lucia on Saturday.

Guyana finished level on points with Barbados for the silver medal spot, as the host nation ended atop the standings. Martinique rounded out the top four.

On the final night of the competition, Guyana ended with a record of three wins and a loss. Ryan Rogers defeated Shane Brandon of Martinique via referee stoppage in the second round.

Shaquan James forced a referee stoppage against Rayan Placid of Martinique in the first round. Alesha Jackman won via walkover after her scheduled St. Lucian opponent failed to enter the squared circle.

Meanwhile, Zidane Wray lost to Barbadian Emerson Hurley via a points decision.

On Friday, Angelina Rogers lost to Auriane Bonvan of Saint Martin via decision. Abiola Jackman defeated Marisa St. Catherine of St. Lucia, who abandoned the contest in the first round.

Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle said, “While our primary objective was simply the exposure of emerging talents in a competitive international environment, the resulting success of the team not only justified our initial decision but illustrates that the structures that have been employed by the association are vital to the continued development and growth of the sport.”

and the Faculty of Social Sciences. The title of Best Male Athlete was fiercely contested, with Joshua Tappin from the Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry and Noelex Holder from the College of Medical Sciences sharing the honour. Tappin showcased his dominance in throwing events, while Holder blazed through the sprints with three gold medals to his name.

On the women's side, Savannah Adams of the Faculty of Natural Sciences shone brightly, claiming two gold medals in the 200m and 400m events. Leonie Adams from the Faculty of Social Sciences secured the runner-up position with an impressive performance in multiple disciplines. In the endurance races, Tamar Charles from the Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry and Hicks Mittleholzer from the Faculty of Natural Sciences demonstrated their stamina, clinching victory in the 3000m and 1500m events, respectively. The sprint events witnessed breathtaking displays of speed, with Noelex Holder dominating the men's 100m and 200m races.

Full results:

March Past

1st- Faculty of Education & Humanities (65.5 PTS).

2nd- Faculty of Social Sciences (55 PTS)

3rd- Institute of Distance & Continuing Education (49 PTS)

Best Female Athlete –Savannah Adams (2 gold medals for 200m and 400m, 1 silver medal for the 100m)

Runner Up – Leoni Adams Faculty of Social Sciences (32 PTS) 1 bronze medal for 100m, 1 gold medal for Long jump, 1 gold medal for Triple jump)

Long Distance Events: 3000M female – Tamar Charles - 17m:22s:20ms

5000M Male – Joshua Ferdinand- 22m:36s:48ms

1500M Female – Aquiba Reynolds - 7m:13s:36ms

1500M Male – Hicks Mittleholzer - 4m:55s:16ms

Overall winner- Faculty of Education & Humanities (217 PTS)

2nd- Faculty of Natural Sciences (212 PTS)

3rd- Faculty of Social Sciences (190 PTS)

Best Male Athlete –Two athletes were Tied For 30 Pts Each.

Unfortunately, Keyon Britton and Junior Madray did not enter the squared circle due to the unavailability of opponents in their weight and age categories, respectively.

On the individual side, Ryan Rogers copped the Best Junior Male award, while Abiola Jackman walked away with the Best Elite Female accolade.

He further said, “International exposure is a vital component of development and is required, especially for burgeoning talents that compete in disciplines that have smaller talent pools. This is even more critical in the female aspect, where participation is a major challenge. The GBA is very proud of the team’s achievements and will continue to undertake similar initiatives and efforts for the greater good and future development of the discipline.”

1. Joshua Tappin {3 Gold Medals for Discus, Shot Put, Javelin}

2. Noelex Holder {3 Gold Medals for 100m, 200m, 400m}

Runner Up – Shimar Velloza {1 bronze 100m, 1 gold for Long Jump, 1 silver for 200m) (24 PTS)

Captain of Demerara Mavendra Dindyal

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin presents the Women’s Triple Jump awards

Angelina Rogers (red corner) in action

Chase, Waramuri maul opponents on course to Milo Quarterfinals

8Secondary School football teams have inched one step closer to a $400,000 grand prize, as the Milo Schools’ U18 tournament saw an exhilarating close to the Round of 16 over the weekend.

While last year’s runners- up Chase’s Academic Foundation and newcomers Waramuri Primary Top showed up and showed out; Bartica Secondary, President’s College, Ann’s Grove, Dolphin, East and West Ruimveldt Secondary have all punched their tickets to the quarterfinals.

Bartica Secondary was the first to do so on Saturday, edging Leonora Secondary 2-1. Ezekiel Baldeo (20th) and Cinzano Richardson (47th) were the goal scorers for Bartica.

Then led by a helmet- trick from Omar Sam in the 16th, 28th, 43rd and 56th minutes, Chase’s Academy drubbed the Bishops’ High School 110. Neeiaz Baksh (12th, 20th) and Justin Alcindor (50th, 57th) netted braces, while Duquain Samuels (22nd), Mark Glasgow (41st) and Shaquan David (70th) registered one each, to back up Sam’s efforts.

Dolphin Secondary also enjoyed a big victory against Queen’s College, after being tied 1-1 at one point. Ezekiel David had a brace in the 6th and 34th minutes, while Gerry Burnette (67th), Kellon Alleyne (35th), Shaquile Dalrymple (60th) and Brian Brower (64th) contributed one each for Dolphin in the 6-1 win. In the final game on Saturday, East Ruimveldt defeated South Ruimveldt Secondary 3-0 on penalties after being tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time. During regulation time, Jahiem Herbert put East Ruimveldt ahead in the 50th, while Carlton Sam

equalized in the 68th by way of a penalty kick.

Meanwhile on Sunday, Ann’s Grove Secondary got things going with a nail- biting win over Abram Zuil, 5-3 on penalties. That game was tied 4-4 at the end of regulation with Omar Kendall (12th), Travin Evans (31st), Javol Spellen (57th) and Lester Noel (67th) accounting for Abram Zuil’s 4. On the other hand, Kennard Halley (10th, 68th) secured a double for Ann’s Grove, while Naron Jerrick (18th) and Deshawn John (56th) found the back of the net once each.

Another narrow game followed, with President’s

Huis T’ Dieren crowned champions of Essequibo’s Future Warriors

By the slightest of margins but one that was well-deserved, Huis T’ Dieren Primary became champions of the Future Warriors Primary School Tapeball tournament (Essequibo), powered by ExxonMobil.

Huis T’ Dieren, Mainstay Lake Primary and 8th of May Primary were tied on points in the round-robin finals held at the Imam Bacchus ground, Affiance, on Sunday.

All three teams had one win and a loss in the eightover-per-side contest, but Huis T’ Dieren won the title with a superior net run rate of 0.640, followed by Mainstay (0.234) and 8th of May (—0.965).

In the first match of the day, the champions breezed the target of 52 in just 5.3 overs with all wickets intact against 8th of May.

Twenty-six extras aided 8th of May as Joshua Isaacs (13) top-scored and Aaron DaCosta bagged 3-11 from his two overs.

DaCosta returned to smash 21 (3x4s) from 12 balls, supported by Lokeraj Persaud (17*).

The talented DaCosta scored 22 (3x4s: 1x) from 13 balls in the second match against Mainstay, but apart

from 14 extras, no other player reached double figures, and the team posted 44-6.

However, their bowlers were not as accurate as before, and extras mounted to 22, along with Kirt Allen’s 10 from five balls, sealed a six-wicket win for Mainstay.

The tie on points came when 8th of May defeated Mainstay by five wickets as they aced the chase of 57 in 7.2 overs.

Benjimyah Fordyce played a captain’s innings, scoring 22 (1×4;3x6s) from nine balls despite the efforts of Navendra Madholall (315) and Jasiel DeJonge (29).

Huis T’ Dieren Lokeraj Persaud (76 runs) and Aaron DaCosta (seven wickets) topped the individual charts, and their side also received numerous pieces of cricket equipment.

In September, the Essequibo unit will compete in the Champions of Champions tournament with Stella Maris Primary (Demerara) and Cropper Primary (Berbice).

The winner of that event will be ‘adopted’ by the Guyana Amazon Warriors during their home leg of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League. FL Sport organised the tournament.

College ousting Charlestown Secondary from the competition after a 2-1 affair. Shamar Barrington (8th) and Mikeal Antigua (66th) netted for PC while Shawn Narain was responsible for Charlestown’s consolation in the 67th, but

the comeback was not to be for the Georgetown outfit.

The second helmet trick of the weekend was witnessed on Sunday; this time off the boots of Zundel Abrams in the 9th, 24th, 26th and 51st minutes, powered Waramuri Primary

Top to a 10-0 trashing of Yarrowkabra Secondary. Odell Holmes netted a hat trick in the 4th, 28th and 34th minutes, while Denzil Abrams (13th), Marcus Smith (43rd) and Rondell Peters (57th) also added their names to the scoresheet for Waramuri.

Then a late brace off the boots of Elijah Sattaur powered West Ruimveldt

The Milo Quarterfinals are set for Sunday, April 21st beginning at 13:00hrs at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Grond, Carifesta Avenue.

T20 world Cup party Stand tickets now on sale

… Box offices to open across the Caribbean in the coming weeks

Party-Stand tickets for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Caribbean fixtures are available for purchase at tickets.t20worldcup. com, including for fixtures where tickets are currently unavailable.

Fans can create an account at tickets.t20worldcup. com to securely purchase party-stand tickets to the 39 games across the West Indies. Prices start at US$25, and fans can purchase up to six tickets for every match. Venues that will have party stands include:

• Antigua and Barbuda: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

• Barbados: Kensington Oval

Guyana: Guyana National Stadium

Saint Lucia: Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Arnos Vale

• Trinidad and Tobago: Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Basic party-stand tickets are US$25 each. This ticket option can be purchased as an individual match ticket and allows you access to the party-stand section of the ground to enjoy the match. This ticket option does not include beverages. However, a fully stocked bar will be available, offering a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and food for sale. Standard party-stand tickets start at US$100 each. This ticket option can be purchased as an individual match ticket or packaged bundle for selected matches and includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Prices will vary depending on the match and venue.

Party-stand tickets for the semi-finals, final, and other selected matches are being sold as packaged bundles.

Party-stand venue packages are the easiest way to ensure you secure party-stand tickets for the semi-finals and final. This package allows you to secure party-stand tickets for all matches at a particular venue. Semi-final or final tickets are included in party-stand venue packages for Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Barbados.

General tickets continue to be available for matches in the USA and West Indies at tickets.t20worldcup.com where fans can purchase tickets online securely and hassle-free. Payment can be made with Visa or MasterCard credit or debit cards.

Additionally, hospitality package options are available for all matches across the West Indies. In the USA, packages to all eight matches in New York, including for India v Pakistan on June

9, are now available to purchase. For further details, email hospitality@t20worldcup.com.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Tournament Director Fawwaz Baksh said: “The launch of party-stand tickets for the Men’s T20 World Cup is something fans have been asking about and now they can get their hands on them through our website. Tickets will also be available at box offices across the Caribbean in the coming weeks, and with party-stand ticket bundles available for the semi-finals and final, we anticipate these will go fast.”

“No one does a Carnival Cricket party better than the West Indies, and for the World Cup fans can expect an out-of-this-world party experience at each venue, while watching the world’s greatest cricketers on show.”

The party stands in the Caribbean for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup promises an electrifying atmosphere where every run and wicket will be celebrated, combining the thrill of world-class cricket with an unforgettable party experience.

to a 3-1 won against North Ruimveldt Multilateral. Prior to Sattaur’s heroics, Donovan Welcome had put West ahead in the 23rd, after which Carlos Joseph equalized for Multi in the 40th. Sattaur netted his brace in the 63rd and 75th minutes.

Scenes from the Milo U18 Round of 16 last weekend

Chase, Waramuri maul opponents on course to Milo Quarterfinals