Guyana Times - Tuesday, March 28, 2023

French Navy vessel “La Confiance” concludes port call to Guyana

French Navy vessel “La Confiance” has wrapped up its fourday port call to Guyana, having arrived from Cayenne in French Guiana on Friday last.

Docked at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard wharf in Georgetown, the “La Confiance” is one of three ships, together with “La Combattante” and “La Résolue”, that are based in the region and that have visited Guyana.

For instance, “La Combattante” was here late November and hosted a reception aboard in celebration of the presentation of the Letters of Credence by Ambassador Nicolas de Lacoste to President Dr Irfaan Ali.

This time around, the “La Confiance” held a reception aboard as part of

the week of francophonie, an annual worldwide series of events celebrating the French language, the world’s fifth-most spoken language.

Guyana has had an association for the friends of the French language since the 1950s and an Alliance Française since 1992.

Alliance Française is a network of institutions that act as a culture house, promoting the French language and culture locally. It is located at Lot 61 Robb Street, Georgetown; and its current president is Dhamatie Goring.

A batch of students from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations as well as the GDF are currently learning the language through the Alliance Française.

Meanwhile, the Alliance

Française marked the francophonie week with a series of events, including the reception aboard “La Confiance”. Other activities included a presentation on Guyana’s brief French history as well as a French movie screening.

Moreover, at the reception onboard the “La Confiance”, certificates were presented to some students who are learning the French language through the Alliance Française.

Also present at the reception were Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd; Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud, Resident Representative of the French Embassy in Guyana, Pierre Gaté, and commanding officers from Brazilian vessel “Iguatemi” which was also docked in town that weekend.

Meanwhile during the four-day visit to Guyana, Commanding Officer and Captain of “La Confiance”, Côme Manoury and his officers paid a courtesy call to Chief of Staff Brigadier Godfrey Bess.

This publication understands that during the meeting, the two teams exchanged knowledge and

shared good practices in the execution of their respective duties, especially since the two countries are facing similar concerns – being part of the Guiana Shield.

Guyana and France established formal diplomatic relations on June 22, 1967. France is seeking to deepen its relationship with Guyana through the opening of a local office

of the French Embassy in Georgetown later this year.

Guyana has also expressed interest in expanding its relation with France, through its territory French Guiana.

“We’re all part of the Guiana Shield. So…we’re now trying to expand that relationship,” President Dr Irfaan Ali had expressed in February.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Tuesday, Mar 28 – 22:00h -23:30h and Wednesday, Mar 29 – 10:00h -10:45h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, Mar 28 – 07:50h –09:20h and Wednesday, Mar 29 – 09:05h – 10:35h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be thundery showers during the day. Expect partly cloudy skies and thundery showers at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 08:32h and 21:13h reaching maximum heights of 2.28 metres and 2.06 metres.

Low Tide: 14:41h reaching a minimum height of 0.98 metre.

Govt aiming for 1M passenger arrivals by 2025 as British Airways makes inaugural flight

…2 additional boarding bridges commissioned at CJIA

The Government has its eyes set on Guyana registering air traffic of one million passengers by 2025, as British Airways made its inaugural flight to Guyana and two long-awaited boarding bridges have finally been commissioned.

The British Airways flight landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Monday. At the arrival ceremony, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill made it clear that Guyana is well on its way to becoming a transport hub and that more European airlines will come to Guyana.

“We will connect Caribbean and South America and provide services to every possible destination. We’ve been working very hard in signing air services agreements, negotiating that and engaging airlines as well. The records are there, about the new airlines that have come to Guyana since the PPP/C came to office in 2020.”

“And here we are today welcoming one of the world’s premier airlines, British Airways… make no mistake, this will not be the only European airline that will fly into Guyana. Guyana will be so busy, that sooner or later you won’t be able to get seats on British Airways,” Edghill said.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar revealed that as much as 660,000 persons travelled to Guyana in 2022. He was optimistic that this could be increased to one million passengers by 2025. Indar attributed this growth to the massive economic expansion.

“We have the fastest growth rate in the world. You don’t get that accolade simply by having passive policies. You have to really have aggressive policies to develop your country. And because of all of the investment, inward investment coupled with oil and the other areas we’re developing, we’re seeing a massive amount of traffic into Guyana.”

“Last year alone we had about 660,000. We’re hoping by 2025, we have

about one million people in Guyana. That means the environment in which they come to invest must be conducive for investment. And they must be able to get here with ease,” Indar said.

Bridges

Also taking place on Monday was the commissioning of two boarding bridges. The airbridges, procured at a cost of US$2 million, had arrived in Guyana last year. According to Edghill, the commissioning of the boarding bridges represents the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government’s efforts to get the most for the people of Guyana, while reversing the harm caused by the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) accepting just four air bridges and reduced upgrades to CJIA.

“In 2015 when this (CJIA upgrades) contract was signed, it was envisioned that we would have eight boarding bridges. When we came to Government, we had four. We said to the contractor, we are holding you accountable to the original contract that was signed in 2015. We are holding you accountable to what was agreed on.”

“And as a result of that, we made every effort to negotiate a new arrange-

ment. We indicated that we must have two additional boarding bridges, this corridor and what is taking place in front, which will eventually open in a matter of months. The super centre, which will provide an additional 20 places for restaurants and other facilities.”

According to Edghill, the additional works were undertaken at the cost of the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). According to Edghill, the intention of the PPP/C was always to turn CJIA into a regional transport hub. But this would have been impossible with what they met in 2020, upon returning to office.

“So, as we commission these two bridges this afternoon, we need to emphasise the strong, decisive and visionary leadership that President Ali provided, because this signals that he was able to stand and lead the charge and say that this is unacceptable, we have to get it right,” Edghill further said.

Since taking office, the PPP/C Administration has invested heavily in the upgrade of the airport, which includes an extension of the runway and the installation of an Instrument Landing System to assist pilots when landing in unfavourable weather conditions. (G3)

One of the newly commissioned boarding bridge

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Social media & teens

Social media is a world within a world, and for those who were born in the 21st century, technology is only but a natural phenomenon. Cellphones, iPods and video games are practically inevitable for teens and young adults.

Platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat have taken the world in general by storm, and youths in particular. They have connected the seven billion people of the earth like at no time before since Homo Sapiens took over from the Neanderthals. Intended to increase connectivity between persons on the heels of the Internet, they have, however, morphed to create changes in their users – especially youths – that might not have been predicted.

While these sites’ open dialogue allows individuals to express themselves, there must be some amount of user censorship, not necessarily by the domain host, but rather by individuals themselves. Creating a profile and giving details about yourself, hobbies and educational background are all acceptable; however, for many, every aspect of their day, work, and lives is posted. Like driving, the users of social media should be cognisant of the five Cs – caution, care, common sense, courtesy, and consideration – as many of the things posted can arise in the future to haunt thrones.

From studies conducted, it is clear that social media is addictive to young people, and they spend vast amounts of their time on it every day of their lives. “Scientists have found that teen social media overuse creates a stimulation pattern similar to the pattern created by other addictive behaviours. Hence, the brain responds to social media the same way it responds to other “rewards” — with a release of dopamine. These dopamine rushes are catalysed when a teen posts something online and is met with likes, shares, and positive comments from their peers.” Most parents are unaware of the amount of time their very young children spend on social media, but may observe the effects.

Social media certainly has its benefits for youths, since it is at this stage in life they are learning to form relationships.

“According to a report released in 2021 by Common Sense Media on social media’s effects on teens, about half of the 1500 young people surveyed said social media is very important for them in order to get support and advice, feel less alone, and express themselves creatively, as well as for staying in touch with friends and family while social distancing. And 43 per cent said that using social media makes them feel better when they are depressed, stressed, or anxious. Among LGBTQ youth, 52 per cent said social media helps them feel better when they are experiencing these difficult emotions.”

But social media also has its downside for youths, and researchers at Facebook – which owns Instagram – found that the latter negatively affects youths’ mental health.

“They found that 13 per cent of British teen Instagram users and six per cent of American users in the same age segment thought about committing suicide while attributing such self-destructive feelings to the site.” But even against that background, when Facebook owner Mark Zuckerburg was questioned about the subject in a congressional hearing, he insisted that such statistics were “misleading”. Unfortunately, there are no such studies in Guyana, but the dynamics are the same as should be the effects.

The negative and suicidal thoughts arise out of the operation of platforms like Instagram, which are dominated by individuals and “influencers” who post pictures of themselves that have been heavily photoshopped and airbrushed to present images that are very unrealistic in comparison to the looks of average youths. All of these create tremendous pressure on youths to achieve that perfection, especially when it comes to looks and lifestyle. When they compare themselves, they despair at the gap, and feelings of inadequacy set in, which in turn lead to depressive and suicidal thoughts.

Overall, social media has its positives and negatives, but it is clear that there has to be more examination to ensure that the latter does not create a public health crisis in youths. For now, maybe parents should pay more attention to where their children’s minds are at with that ubiquitous smartphone in their hands.

GHRA has changed since the time of its founding

Dear Editor,

The GHRA of today is far removed from the organisation that was formed in 1979. This point was clearly made by General Secretary of the PPP, Bharrat Jagdeo at the Cheddi Jagan memorial event at Babu Jaan on Sunday. While no one doubts that GHRA played an important role in exposing the sustained attacks on human rights in Guyana under Burnham and the PNC, it must be noted that the organisation has changed beyond recognition since those days of endemic State repression.

It is especially important to note that the old GHRA was not a one-man show at that time. The organisation was active and impactful because many distinguished Guyanese leaders were active in the organisation. Among them were Ashton Chase, Gordon Todd, N.K. Gopaul, Fr Malcom Rodrigues, Maulvi Azeez, and others. These stalwarts represented a cross section of Guyanese society known for militancy against the authoritarian PNC. All of them were dedicated to free and fair elections, a matter of national survival, given that by 1979 the PNC had mastered electoral banditry.

The strength of the old GHRA was not on account of one man. If fact, when GHRA was formed, Chase, Todd, Gopaul, Maulvi Azeez and Malcom Rodrigues had already established a track record of fighting the dictatorship. Ashton Chase, of course, was a founding member of the

Political Affairs Committee and the PPP, and had by 1979 earned the reputation as a brilliant and steadfast champion of the labour movement. He was Minister of Labour in Cheddi Jagan’s first Government in 1953. Gordon Todd was the leader of the powerful Clerical and Commercial Workers Union, with strong groundings in the urban areas. For Chamanlall Naipaul, Gordon Todd “was one of those principled, fearless, unflinching and uncompromising advocates and leaders in the struggle of the working class, and indeed a true patriot and son of the soil” (Guyana Chronicle, 1/5/2007).

N.K. Gopaul, a courageous and battle-tested anti-dictatorship fighter, was General Secretary (and later President) of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NACCIE). GHRA also benefitted from the presence and leadership of Jesuit priest Fr Malcom Rodrigues, who was also Head of the Physics Department at UG, and later Vice Chancellor at the same institution. And, among many others who shored-up GHRA, there was the reputable architect, Albert Rodrigues, and the Muslim leader Maulvi Azeez, from West Coast Demerara.

During the heydays of the anti-dictatorship struggles against the PNC, therefore, the GHRA had multiple people who had long track records in human rights, and deep connections to the so-

ciety. They were also active players rather than mere names on a piece of paper (or website). They pulled no punches, but instead took the fight against the extant machinery of repression.

That is a far cry from what exists as the GHRA today. The organisation now has been reduced to a single voice, something that should never happen in an organisation that is intended to protect human rights. The current GHRA has become too politicised, and there is widespread belief that it is biased towards, and a cover for, a small clique of Georgetown elites, along with some overseas academics who have only peripheral connections to Guyana.

The GHRA is so dysfunc-

tional because of one-manism that issues of human rights can be bent, ignored, or simply dismissed. This is precisely what happened when Mr McCormack ignored Tacuma Ogunseye’s race-based call for violent subversion of the Government. May I remind readers that the WPA leader called for turning guns on people. His fanatical call was reinforced by Associate Professor David Hinds of Arizona State University who called for 750,000 Ogunseyes. To the best of my knowledge, Mike McCormack is yet to condemn the WPA’s call to racial violence. I previously called on Mike to do the right thing. So far, nothing.

Sincerely, Dr

Randolph Persaud

Dear Editor, Mr LG made a poignant observation: “the Judiciary needs a complete overhaul.” LG identified, though anecdotally, the disparity in judicial sentencing. One Mr AB of Grove, East Bank Demerara, for example, was initially charged with attempted murder for chopping his neighbour and had his charge reduced to felonious wounding. Mr AB was given a life sentence. And in January 2023 five men were sentenced to 66 years each for the murder of a carpenter in Corentyne.

In another case, the

Court of Appeal reduced the sentence of three men from 81 years to 45 years each. Also, a man was sentenced to 17 years for the murder of an inmate (this charge was probably reduced to manslaughter) while he was on remand for allegedly committing two other murders! One person, Mr CR had his 23year sentence for rape reduced to 12 years by the Caribbean Court of Justice in February 2022. These examples show the disparity in sentencing delivered by different courts.

A dire need for an updated judicial sentencing guideline!

Jungle Exchange in French Guiana: 24 members of the Guyana Defence Force participated in a recent Jungle Exchange known as French Guiana programme “Fer de lance exercise” facilitated by the French Armed Forces in French Guiana (GDF photo)

Chris Ram does not fully understand the foreign currency issue

Dear Editor, Christopher Ram has once again failed to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the foreign currency issue. The dynamics of the foreign exchange (forex) market and the economy at large are very different from six years ago.

For the students of finance and economics who may read Ram’s article, he is not entirely correct when he said that “the Central Bank does not make policy but only carries out policies set by the Government.”

This is not a correct interpretation of how the Central Bank operates. Macroeconomic policies include both fiscal policies, which is a function of the Central Government, and monetary policy, which is a function of the Central Bank.

This means that the Central Bank’s primary function is to manage the money

supply of the economy and implement appropriate monetary policy that synchronises with the fiscal policy stance or philosophy of the Government. The fiscal policy stance can either be contractionary or expansionary. To facilitate growth and development, you need to implement expansionary fiscal policies.

In respect of Ram’s argument that the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) / the oil companies is/are responsible for the forex shortage, I must say that he is completely off on this one. The PSA has nothing to do with the forex shortage and as I have argued and demonstrated previously (which the authorities also confirmed) is that there is no real forex shortage. As of January 2023, the commercial banks’ net foreign sector assets / forex stood at US$446 million, and

Chaitra Navratri 2023

Day 7: Maa Kalratri

Maa Kalratri is one of the fiercest forms of the Goddess Durga. Moreover, she is the destroyer of all darkness and ignorance. Her name derives from two words, “Kaal”, which means time or death, and “Ratri”, which means night. Hence, she is also known as the “Dark Night” or “Kali of the Night”.

Background Raktabeej had a boon that whenever his blood touched the ground, a new demon would be born from it. This made him almost invincible as the gods and goddesses were unable to kill him. The gods then decided to seek the help of Maa Durga, but even she was initially unsuccessful. She then took the form of Maa Kalratri, a fierce and terrifying form of the goddess who used her tongue to lick Raktabeej’s blood before they touched the ground.

for the same period, the international reserve of the Central Bank stood at US$932 million? so where’s the shortage?

The forex issue is a temporary problem and more so, it is a microeconomic problem and not a macroeconomic problem given the numbers cited above on the banking sector’s foreign sector assets. Following the Government’s intervention which was instructive, the appropriate remedy was proposed by the Government and?that is, for the market players, namely, the private sector, the Bankers’ Association, and the Central Bank, to meet and collaboratively seek to resolve the issues among themselves. There is no need for a policy intervention on the part of the Government or the Central Bank because the issue has not manifested into a macro issue. There are certain deficiencies in how the market operates, for example the inter-bank market, which has to be resolved among the market players.

Moreover, there is a far more critical reason why the Government or Central Bank cannot intervene in a major way (which is what the private sector had been pushing for) that is for the Central Bank to inject forex into the system. The Government cannot afford to flood the market with forex because this will naturally engender the dreaded Dutch disease. If the market is flooded, there is a real risk of a sharp appreciation of the G$ against the US$.

For the sake of demonstra-

tion, let’s say this happens, and the exchange rate appreciates to $112 (where it previously was in 1991 followed by the devaluation of the currency back then), and let’s use the Bank of Guyana average rate of $208.5, this is effectively an appreciation $96.5 or 86%.

In 2021, non-oil exports stood at US$1.343 billion, and imports stood at US$4.376 billion. Using the BOG’s current (average) exchange rate of $208.5, the G$ equivalent are, imports - $912.4 billion and non-oil exports - $280 billion. Now, let’s adjust the rate at $112, the adjusted G$ equivalent are as follows:

Import - $490 billion, down from $912 billion, and non-oil exports - $150.4 billion, down from $280 billion.

Effectively, this translates to imports becoming cheaper where there is a saving of some $422.3 billion that the importers will benefit from, which they are unlikely to pass on to consumers. So, therefore, these huge savings will go straight to the importer’s bottom line.

Conversely, the non-oil exporters will suffer a loss of export earnings to the tune of $129.6 billion, wherein their export earnings suddenly fell from $280 billion to $150 billion. In other words, exports become more expensive or less competitive in the international markets and imports become cheaper.

The end result, the non-oil export sector will die at the expense of the importers. The importers will get stinkingly

richer and the exporters poorer. Imagine companies in the export sector going bankrupt, loss of thousands of jobs, aggregate demand will start to dwindle as a consequence, imagine what will happen to the broader economy. This demonstration is exactly what characterise the Dutch disease.

It is for this reason that the hoarding of forex by commercial banks?is both a good thing and a bad thing, which needs to be managed carefully, given the sensitivities, and this is precisely why the Government said to the private sector, that they need to resolve these issues with the bankers and the Central Bank. The overseas investment (hoarding) of forex is helping to stave off the Dutch disease as previously demonstrated. The temporary shortage can be fixed in the short term because the commercial banks are comforted by the fact that the drawdown from Natural Resource Fund (NRF) brings in forex inflows as well to the Central Bank which they can purchase to meet the domestic demand instead of breaking their overseas investments.

With this in mind, it is through moral suasion?that the Government is confident that the forex issue can be dealt with and resolved because the alternative, which is to strongarm the banks to release all those foreign exchange into the system?would be dangerous to the macroeconomy (Dutch disease).

Ironically, with this ex-

planation, if it is understood well, one would quickly recognise that what Chris Ram is suggesting, will in fact engender the Dutch disease because he wants the oil companies to have all of their forex balances in the local banking system. We have long moved away from the days when we were not a free-market economy and there were tight forex controls, price controls, and capital control by the State (the socialist days). We no longer have these controls and that is how an open market economy works?wherein there is free movement of capital inflows and outflows.

Mr Ram seems to want us to revert to those socialist days from where we came from: a once bankrupt economy. Manifestly, he doesn’t fully understand the issues and all of the different variables and risks.

The Government clearly understands the dynamism of these macro and micro issues and the inherent and systemic risks. As such, the Government has employed an appropriate strategy to address this situation, inter alia, moral suasion. Considering, as well that this is a temporary issue that may occur from time to time for short periods, and more so, it is a microeconomic issue and not a macroeconomic issue. Therefore, it does not merit a macro response on the part of the Government.

Yours sincerely, Joel

Bhagwandin

A dire need for an updated judicial...

FROM PAGE 4

be reviewed for relevance.

A massive challenge for the authorities is the number of unsolved cases, especially murders. A wellknown case is that of the double murder of a Pandit and his son in Georgetown where the accused was freed. The question arises: who was/were the killer(s)? Where is justice for this family and others who alone must share the burden of unsolved cases?

proach to sentencing that is characterised by objectivity, rationality, uniformity, and equity.

Iconography

She had a dark complexion, and wild hair, and wears a garland of skulls. She had three eyes, four hands and her tongue is out, signifying her thirst for blood. She rides a donkey. Her right hands are in the Abhaya (peace) and Varada (blessing) mudras. Her left hands hold a hook and a thunderbolt.

Colour: Blue

Several factors tend to influence Judges/ Magistrates’ decisions: nature (gravity) of offence, prior conviction, related circumstances, quality of presentation by the prosecution, the legal skill of the defence, offender’s remorse, and public interest. Mitigation factors in cases like murder include but not limited to offender acting in self-defence, under provocation, under duress, afflicted with mental instability, and entrapment. However, these factors are being given different weights by different Judges/Magistrates, as existing laws allow them wide discretion in the sentencing process. These disparities and inconsistencies generate anxiety among the public who desire an alternative ap -

All sectors of Guyanese society are being modernised, a process that is fuelled by the Government’s innovative development path. The force of change is fittingly captured by Karl Marx at his trial in Cologne in 1849 on a charge of conspiracy when he proclaimed: “Society is not based on law, that is a legal fiction, rather law must be based on society; it must be the expression of society’s common interests and needs......The Code Napoleon which I have in my hand, did not produce modern bourgeois society. Bourgeois society, as it arose in the eighteenth century and developed in the nineteenth, merely finds its legal expression in the Code. …. You cannot make old laws the foundation of a new social development any more than these old laws created the old social conditions.”

Old laws, processes, and procedures are not compatible with Guyana’s new socio-economic development. Some of these, including any judicial sentencing guideline, must

A Sentencing Guideline should draw upon two theoretical streams: classical theory (Cesare Beccaria, Jeremy Bentham, etc) which posits that individuals are rational beings and commit crime of their own free will by weighing the pleasure and pain principle called hedonism. If the pleasure is greater, they will commit the crime; if the pain is greater, they will not commit the crime. The school argues that punishment should be proportionate to the crime to ensure its deterrent impact and must not be viewed as retribution (revenge) but rather as an effort to restore societal order.

The other School of Positivism (Raffaele Garafalo and Enrico Ferri) holds that a person’s behaviour is influenced by both internal and external factors within his environment that go beyond free will. Social and even biological factors could cause individuals to engage in criminal conduct. A person commits crime, for example, because of the internal factor of behavioural disorder. External factors that could lead to criminal behaviour include so -

cial, economic, and political. By changing--through removing or neutralising the underlying negative social conditions--the source of crime would be eliminated or neutralised, thus reducing criminality. It is incumbent for society to mitigate the damage caused by criminal acts and apply less punitive methods of sentencing to effect the reform or rehabilitation of the offender.

In formulating or updating any Sentencing Guideline, focus must be given to both approaches (Classical and Positivism) and extract the relevant and salient features to strike a happy Aristotelian mean. Each type of crime, including its severity, should be given a numerical weight (as in the US) and a final score would be realised. Each level of score would relate to a particular sentence for a particular crime and its degree of severity. In this way, the judicial sentencing process would be modernised and reflect the goal of standardisation, uniformity, reliability, fairness, objectivity, and equity.

Sincerely, Dr

Tara Singh

Mantra and Strotram

“Om Devi Kalratryai Namah” “Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu. Maa Kalratri Rupena Samsthita. Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namaha”

NGSA Math Questions

Over 6400 house lots delivered by Govt in Region 3

…almost 100 persons benefit from cement

& steel subsidies

Throughout its term in office thus far, Government has delivered a significant 6400 house lots to applicants in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

Housing Minster Collin Croal announced that from August 2020 to the ending of 2021, some 2182 lots were allotted in the region, of which persons are already accessing their new plots.

He continued, “For last year, for which we have just signed for infrastructure works, we allocated a further 4324 lots in Region Three…We’re talking about in two and half years, a total allocation of over 6400 in Region Three.”

While the Ministry is making a dent in the existing backlog it met after assuming office in 2020, this number continues to rise. An evaluation of the pending applications for Region Three one year ago stood at about 14,000. As of now, Minister Croal said the number is now 13,652 pending applicants.

“That tells you that while we’re allocating, you still have new persons who are applying. Obviously, they have met the criteria and they too would like that opportunity to own their own lot or their own home,” Croal shared.

He underscored that Region Three is under major infrastructural development, including the $13 billion Schoonord to Crane four-lane highway and the new Demerara Harbour

Bridge.

On Monday, almost 100 persons from Region Three benefitted from the steel and cement subsidy distribution.

Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwyn Greaves explained that after assessing applications for the subsidy, successful individuals will now be able to benefit, adding that it is not a one-off programme.

“We’re here today to put this initiative in place. We went through the region. We visited over 150 persons. Today, we are going to be giving out vouchers to close to 100 persons who were successful. And this is not a one-off programme. This programme continues forever. Once the President puts something in place to benefit the citizens, he ensures that citizens benefit forever,” Greaves pointed out.

Thus far, only a few suppliers from the region are onboard to supply the

steel and cement to these beneficiaries. Greaves encouraged enterprises in Region Three to be involved in the supply chain by indicating their interest to the Ministry.

“We want to encourage more persons to come forward to us and we will add you to the list so you can benefit. The prices are competitive. Regardless of whichever supplier you go to, you will get the same price,” he added.

This initiative comes from a commitment made by President Irfaan Ali

at the International Building Expo 2022. For homes $6 million and lower, Government will support homeownership to give every builder the steel and one sling of cement. Secondly, for every other category over $6 million until $25 million, two slings of cement will be provided. Two tenets must be in place before the subsidy is released - ownership and an approved building plan. Persons occupying private lands can also apply. (G12)

Beneficiaries of the steel and cement subsidy in Region 3

CH&PA CEO Sherwyn Greaves presenting one of the applicants with her voucher

Judicial Asset Recovery Conference

with oil and gas sector issues – Chancellor

With the massive development

Guyana is experiencing, largely because of its booming oil and gas sector, the Judiciary must be “above par” in dealing with issues and challenges related to the industry, acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards has asserted.

“It’s no secret that Guyana has experienced an economic boom or we’ve been on that trajectory. And with that, that development and the type and magnitude of such development is historic.

The spin-off oil and gas and its related industries, and the challenges and legal issues associated with such economic development are well known and the Judiciary of Guyana must meet those challenges legally and we must be above par in dealing with those issues,” she told a gathering of mostly judicial officers at the opening of Guyana’s Judicial Asset Recovery Conference on Monday.

The two-day conference is being held at the Marriott Hotel and will conclude today.

According to Justice Cummings-Edwards, the workshop is another means of building and enhancing judicial officers’ capacity, giving them the key strategies to combat the issues confronting them related to judicial asset recovery. She explained that among the topics that would be discussed are offences for which property can be forfeited and the burden of proof.

She said, “We were told growing up that crime does not pay and the proceeds of crime, the ill-gotten gains are only for a time. This is so because the State and law enforcement agencies will come after those elements who tried to get rich by criminal means and to get their assets. In simple terms then, asset recovery and civil forfeiture would be what we will be looking at today.”

And because asset forfeiture involves, to some extent, permanent deprivation of property by court proceedings, she explained that the Judiciary will have to be au fait with current legislation, and best practices, and to be

…to counter PNC

Now that the COVID rate has declined – to Guyanese, this means “disappeared”! – the Babu Jaan gathering of the PPP faithful resumed its old, humungous turnout. What better to showcase the new PPP than paying homage to its founder – and sustainer for an incredible TWENTY-EIGHT years – Cheddi Jagan?!! He epitomised the expression “never say die!!” With an exemplar like that, PPP supporters feel their party’s invincible!. Whatever reverses encountered gotta be temporary – once they keep the faith!!

Their opponents complain that the PPP believe they got a God-given right to run Guyana – but they’re mistaken. Their self-belief comes from Cheddi’s unshakeable faith in the “historical forces” – whose existence are immaterial since Cheddi’s belief was vindicated after almost three decades in the wilderness!! Now there’s some who would insist that this PPP isn’t the one Cheddi left.

able to adjudicate on those cases.

However, even before now, the Chancellor highlighted that the issue of asset forfeiture has been featured in Guyana’s AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.

Recovery of assets after crime

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch was keen to note that asset recovery legislative frameworks are critical to taking the profit from crime. “While we understand the challenge of reform, we encourage counterparts to update existing legislation to give judicial officers the best possible framework through which to adjudicate these cases,” she said.

She expressed that the US hopes that the conference will be a step that leads to additional reform and ultimately, recovery of assets after a crime takes place while adding that the conference is well-timed as it comes in the midst of Guyana’s rapid economic transformation.

“We bring you together to not just train, but to connect you with other experts and to learn from you. I hope you share today the challenges that you face,

solutions that you have developed, and new innovative approaches to consider. The discussion over the next two days — along with the practical exercises — is aimed at advancing capacity within the Judiciary of Guyana to further promote timely and reasoned adjudication on asset recovery matters,” she added.

Apart from the Chancellor and Ambassador Lynch, acting Chief Justice Roxane George, SC; Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan; other Judges of the High Court and Court of Appeal; other Magistrates; Commissioners of Title; and Registrars were also in attendance.

This is the second conference of this kind.

In recognition of the increased collaboration between Guyana and the United States of America on security, rule of law, and countering organised crime, the National Centre for State Courts (NCSC) has partnered with the Judicial Education Institute of Guyana to host the conference.

The expert faculty included the Chief Justice of Belize, the Justice of Appeal from the Supreme Court of Jamaica, High Court Judges from the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago, the Dean of the University of West Indies

(UWI) Law Faculty, Director of Public Prosecutions from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines National Prosecution Service, and Kings Counsel from England and Wales.

The event aims to engage members of the Judiciary and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in the area of asset recovery, building knowledge, and sharing best practices in conviction-based and non-conviction-based asset recovery.

It will raise the level of asset recovery knowledge and best practices; encourage the professional exchange of skills, experiences, and challenges when dealing with asset recovery cases; and build confidence among members of the Judiciary who preside over asset recovery cases.

The experts will also address the issue of recovering virtual currencies, the relationship between civil forfeiture and the Constitution, and the importance of prosecutor and defence statements in confiscation matters.

Additionally, this conference seeks to provide an avenue for understanding trends, discussing difficult but relevant issues, and exploring new methods of solving problems to equip all members of the Judiciary with the necessary tools to adequately adjudicate on these matters.

That just reminds your Eyewitness about the story of the knife whose handle was changed after years of use and then the blade was changed after another decade. Was it the same knife?? To those who used it, it was!! And that’s what matters, doesn’t it?? Everything under the sun inevitably changes – but we accept this and move along!! The PPP of 1953 wasn’t the PPP of 1957 and so too the PPP of 1992 or 2023!! Even the rocks change!

Anyhow enough ruminations of the past!! What does the future bode?? Well, VP Jagdeo pointed out the new PPP by those who make the trek to Babu Jaan – with no partyhired trucks in sight!! It was the most multiracial crowd assembled in Guyana – outside of any Guyana Warriors home game!! And this was not just a happenstance. The moment they assumed office, the President, the PM and the VP had declared they’d be courting African Guyanese voters so as to break the racial divide that had bedevilled us so long. And they did it through actions that were visible to one and all – especially the targeted demographic!!

But this is scaring the bejesus out of the PNC and their camp followers. They’ve responded aggressively with a propaganda campaign over social media platforms – insisting that black is white!! That the PPP’s creating an “emerging apartheid state” in which African Guyanese were being “persecuted”!! Most of the viewers on these platforms are Guyanese “in foreign” and inevitably, they’re influenced by the Goebbelsian doctrine. Tell a lie repeatedly and soon folks gonna believe it’s the truth!!But at home African Guyanese know what they know – their lives are being transformed under the PPP! The proof was at Babu Jaan!!

Lastly, the VP explained the PPP’s merely COUNTERING the propaganda; NOT attacking groups carrying the PNC line.

And supporters gotta be involved!! Lest they become consumed.

…to settle disputes??

There’s much talk about moving away from the courts to settle civil disputes – especially commercial ones – by using “arbitration”. Well, the biggest dispute in Guyana is between our two major parties – which aren’t too civil!! Can we convince our politicians to agree to bring in some arbitrators so we can settle things and get on with the business of spending all that oil money to transform us into a South American tropical Abu Dhabi? ‘Cause that’s the first thing about arbitrations – the parties to the dispute gotta agree to go to arbitration and also who’ll be doing the arbitration!

And that last one’s a toughie, since, at a minimum, both parties gotta believe the arbitration panel gonna be fair –or they’ll cry foul!! But the PNC did so after the arbitration panel they’d agreed to – in the form of outside observers from across the world – declared the PPP winner of the elections!

Imagine the PNC cussing out and rejecting Barbados PM Mia Mottley as a fair arbitrator!!

…to show brotherhood

At Babu Jaan, VP Jagdeo illustrated the new multi-racial PPP by acknowledging a new member from Linden who claimed LoO Norton was “minded” by his mother. Sadly, the LoO declared the fella wasn’t “a brother”!! Cold, man!!!

Judiciary must be “above par” in dealing

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary of Guyana Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards (second from right), US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch (third from right), and other officials at the ongoing Judicial Asset Recovery Conference being held at the Marriott Hotel

689 holding bay prisoners transferred to new Lusignan corrections facilities

…overcrowding no longer a concern – Director

In what was described as a “monumental task”, some 689 incarcerated individuals have been successfully relocated from the holding bay to the new Lusignan corrections facilities – a move which followed the completion of the three new state-of-the-art prisons. Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot was on site on Monday as he articulated, “This transfer required tremendous forethought and coordination given the logistics and security concerns. Ensuring a safe and secure move to our new state-ofthe-art corrections facilities were a monumental task and we congratulate everyone involved on a job well done.”

The new facilities were built in keeping with international requirements, and is a commitment of the Guyana Government and by extension the Home Affairs Ministry, following the de-

struction of sections of the Georgetown and the old Lusignan Prisons.

It also forms part of the Administration’s manifesto promise to create safer prisons with improved conditions for both staff and prisoners.

Prisoners are now housed in a dormitory-style setting furnished with beds and mattresses, unlike the holding bay facility. The facilities also feature a fire suppression system with adequate access to water.

“The new facilities will offer improved living conditions for prisoners and a more comfortable environment,” the Prison Director said.

Elliot noted that the question of overcrowding is no longer a concern. Over the years, Guyana’s prison population stood at some 30 to 38 per cent over capacity. Further, the new facilities will facilitate new programming opportunities, aimed

Body found at Leguan

to help individuals better re-enter society.

The $1.2 billion facility is a commitment of the PPP/C Administration and also forms part of the Administration’s manifesto promise to create safer

Taxi driver arrested, as Major Crimes Unit takes over probe

Ataxi driver has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Canadian-Guyanese woman, 68-year-old Roma Dookeran, whose partially-nude body was found at Uniform Beach, Leguan Island, Region Three.

The driver is being questioned by detectives as the Major Crimes Unit has taken over the investigation to ascertain what occurred leading to the discovery of the woman’s body on March 17, 2023.

According to previous reports, CCTV footage shows that the woman was dropped off at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) by her nephew, at about 22:45h on March 14. However, instead of boarding her flight back to Canada, the woman took a taxi and departed the CJIA.

Speaking to this publication on Monday, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum revealed that after being dropped at the CJIA airport, the woman took a taxi to Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and subsequently to the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston Georgetown, on March 14.

Reports are that inves-

tigators are also reviewing footage from the Demerara Harbour Bridge to determine if the driver took the woman over the bridge.

A post-mortem examination conducted on Dookeran, determined that she died from blunt trauma to the head and compression to the neck.

Dookeran, formerly of Pert Village, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), arrived in Guyana to finalise several business transactions a week prior to the dis-

covery of her body.

Days after her partially-nude body was found, the woman’s nephews had positively identified her as their aunt.

After learning that she had not arrived home and her whereabouts were unknown, they decided to make checks at the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour since a body was recovered, and the photo which was posted on the Police Force’s Facebook page bore a resemblance to their missing aunt.

prisons with improved conditions.

In 2017, some 1000 prisoners were transported to the Lusignan facility following a mass fire that gutted the Camp Street Prison. A

holding area was constructed to temporarily house those inmates. Meanwhile, Phase One of the Mazaruni Prison expansion was completed and will house 220 prisoners. Phase Two is on-

going and will be completed by the end of the year, housing another 150 inmates.

At Lusignan Prison, three buildings were completed, housing over 900 prisoners. Another three structures will be completed within a few months. A new facility will be constructed for female prisoners at Lusignan, resulting in 80 inmates being housed.

Meanwhile, motion sensor devices and a security fence were installed at the Lusignan penitentiary. An infirmary annex at the facility has led to improved healthcare services for inmates.

Some $2.2 billion of the Guyana Prison Service’s $5.5 billion budget is allocated in Budget 2023 to advance prisons being constructed at Mazaruni and Lusignan, and to commence work for the reconstruction of New Amsterdam Prison.

The new facility at Lusignan Prison where inmates were transferred

Dead: Roma Dookeran

Monitoring animal pathogens, surveillance critical in preventing pandemics – Dr Anthony

mutations.”

This policy is geared at preventing and preparing for current and future health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface, through collaboration and coordination across governance frameworks of human, animal, plant and environmental health programmes.

The meeting focused on the process of developing Guyana’s One Health Policy, reviewing the concept of One Health, its benefits and possibilities of implementation

pandemic prevention, preparedness and response; and also, as a mechanism to enable the country in achieving the targets of universal health coverage and access.”

During the 59th Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Directing Council in September 2021, countries in the Region of the Americas adopted Resolution “One Health: A comprehensive approach for addressing health threats at the human-animal-environment interface”, mandating

the collaborating institutions engaged in a series of technical cooperation activities with the MoH, focusing on various key areas such as health surveillance, laboratories, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), among others.

This inaugural meeting in One Health aimed to reintroduce and reinforce the implementation of the One Health approach in Guyana among key partners and stakeholders as a strategy for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response;

Understanding the animal population, monitoring the types of pathogens which exists in these habitats and enhanced surveillance are key points in establishing a One Health Policy for Guyana that speaks to preparedness and prevention of future pandemics.

At the inaugural One Health meeting on Monday at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony identified that human health has always been approached in silo, without identifying the interrelationship with animals and the environment.

A key example was the COVID outbreak in 2019, which took some two years

to rebound from and the effects still weighing in some countries.

“As human beings start to extend their activity and start encroaching more where habitats are traditionally located, we are going to see a frequency in these jumps because of the close connection. This is one of the things that many researchers and scientists have come up with, that as we get closer to each other, you’re going to see many of these jumps.”

He added, “We have to therefore come up with systems to be able to identify when these jumps occur. Whether it is putting in better surveillance systems to detect them so when there is an outbreak somewhere, we

detect it and be able to contain it, that will be very important as we move forward.”

Apart from the pathogens, he pointed to mutations which are also occurring and are often not tracked due to limited laboratory capacity – a situation which should change.

“We need to change that so that we can contribute in terms of the scientific knowhow, if we have that capacity. Just about two years ago in the midst of COVID, one of the little projects we were doing was to see whether the Plasmodium falciparum would have developed resistance to the medicines that we’re using to treat malaria…We need that type of capacity so that we can do genetic sequencing to track

in Guyana and the strategic perspectives for upcoming One Health activities across the country.

Strengthen and consolidate PAHO/WHO Country Representative, Dr Luis Codina expressed, “For us at PAHO, One Health is a framework that will strengthen and consolidate key areas of technical cooperation that we have with the Ministry of Health and the Government of Guyana, particularly in relation to

PAHO to coordinate, promote, and provide technical cooperation to support countries and territories in implementing One Health.

In March 2022, the Health Ministry requested the support of PAHO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) to collaborate in implementing key activities to strengthen the One Health approach in the country. Shortly thereafter,

and as a mechanism to enable the country in its universal health coverage and disease elimination targets. Specifically, this meeting aims to: review the concept of One Health, including its benefits to Guyana and possibilities for implementation in the country, review experiences on One Health implementation in the Caribbean, discuss strategic and policy perspectives and facilitate the process of developing Guyana’s One Health Policy. (G12)

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony engaging stakeholders at the inaugural One Health meeting on Monday

Govt focused on giving people real empowerment – Nandlall

…to address regularisation of ECD lands

Noting the importance of land ownership, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, SC, has assured that the Government will be addressing the regularisation of lands on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

The Attorney General made this commitment to residents of Victoria during a Cabinet outreach in the area over the weekend. In fact, Nandlall said that the process has already started across the country, including the ECD.

This process, according to Nandlall, has been progressing with surveyors from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

“Part and parcel of our development agenda is to diversify our economy. We are positioning Guyana as a source of food, to provide food security for this region. I know (the Minister

of Agriculture) has been working on many communities on the East Coast of Demerara, as well as many communities along with NAREI, (NDIA), to help you prepare for this transformation in the agro sector. I have commenced this process in many parts of the East Coast, across the country,” Nandlall said.

“Land is the most powerful asset. God making everything, he stop make land. So, you have to get yourself back to the land and we have to regularise your occupation. And you see people from Lands and Surveys are here? That is part of the equation I would like to focus on. To put you back on the land and make you pro-

Tuschen man admits to breaking into restaurant

ductive so you can contribute to the economic drive taking place and you can contribute to making Guyana the breadbasket of the Caribbean.”

According to Nandlall, the Government intends to also regularise the backlands in Victoria. With this, the Attorney General said, will come empowerment for the people. He urged the people of Victoria to ask the naysayers what they have ever done for them, when they had the power to do so.

“I believe that that is fundamental to your empowerment. A lot of people are walking this country talking about empowerment. What have they done for you to empower you? We are offering you empowerment in a real way, connecting you back to the land so you can be productive and you can be in a position to transmit that wealth to generations to come.”

“That is empowerment.

And that is why when they come to talk to you, you must ask them about that. What have they done for you,” Nandlall further said, eliciting a burst of applause from the crowd.

Meanwhile, work on land titling is in addition to other developments in the legal sphere that are coming to the East Coast of Demerara. They include a new court at Cove and John and Mahaicony, as well as the completed new court at Vigilance.

Cabinet members in the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government have been going on outreaches along the ECD last year, during which the topic of land titling had been raised. At the time, Nandlall had promised to visit communities along the East Coast to begin the process of land regularisation.

During an outreach at Melanie, ECD, residents had raised concerns about

land titling and African ancestral lands. The complaints varied from persons unable to obtain titles for the lands their ancestors acquired to persons paying for lands but being yet to receive their transports.

AG Nandlall had assured those residents that a team from the Legal Affairs Ministry would return to the area to address their land titling concerns. He had also disclosed that a similar exercise was being undertaken in Berbice and Essequibo as well.

Back in May 2022, an outreach led by Nandlall in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), saw decades-old land issues at Walton Hall and Jib villages on the Essequibo Coast being addressed. The Attorney General was accompanied at the time by Croal, Regional Vice Chairman Humace Odit, and Prime Ministerial representative Arnold Adams. (G3)

Remanded: Swajeet Jaikarran

A21-year-old man, who pleaded guilty to breaking into Dada’s Grill, Restaurant and Bar at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), has been remanded to prison to await sentencing.

Swajeet Jaikarran, called “Akash”, a labourer of Tuschen, EBE, was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Sherdel IssacsMarcus at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The Magistrate requested a probation report and adjourned the sentencing hearing until April 4.

During the wee hours of Wednesday, March 22, a male was seen on security cameras breaking into the establishment. According to the business, the intruder damaged a security camera, dismounted a television, and removed the cash register, a mobile phone, and an iPad.

“At the time, the cash register contained the daily sales from Dada’s Grill together with the sum of

$503,500 representing 133 general tickets, 10 VIP tickets, and three car passes sold at Dada’s Grill for the “Clash of the Titans” event along with 167 general tickets, 15 VIP tickets and two car passes that were not sold,” a statement from the company detailed. The company said after being alerted of the break-in, it immediately contacted the Police, who responded swiftly. (G1)

Attorney General Anil Nandlall

IDB signs US$22M loan agreement with DDL to boost production & diversification

…as Finance Minister urges more private sector partnerships with IDB

With the signing of a historic agreement between the private sector and the investment arm of the International Development Bank (IDB), Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has urged the private sector to seek out more such partnerships and know that their options are not just limited to banks.

The signing of the loan agreement took place on Monday, between the IDB’s investment arm and beverage giant, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL). The loan, which amounts to US$22 million, is the largest loan that has ever been approved by IDB Invest to a Guyanese company.

However, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh was optimistic that at some point in time, this record can be broken. He urged other members of the private sector to take heed of this agreement and seek out loans of their own.

“We have for a very long time been advocating the IDB doing more with the private sector of Guyana. And in fact, for many years, we’ve been calling on IDB Invest to explore more opportunities to partner with

the private sector. And I’m happy to say that in recent years we have seen an extremely positive response to this call.”

“This transaction represents the largest transaction every done by IDB Invest with any private sector company, in the history of IDB Invest operations in Guyana. And that in itself… is a significant sum,” Dr Singh also said.

There is also the value-added aspect of the investment, with Dr Singh

lamenting that Guyana has for a long time been stuck in a cycle of producing primary goods only to have it sold to the country as processed goods.

“This investment will also create a larger market for farmers who grow fruits. From that perspective, it fits perfectly within the 25 by 25 initiative that is being led by President Ali… the Caribbean initiative for promoting greater food security, for promoting agro-business and agro-processing,

and primary agriculture production,” he further said.

Diversification agenda

Meanwhile, DDL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Komal Samaroo revealed that over the next three years, approximately $100 million will be spent on capital projects. This sum, according to Samaroo, will go a long way towards the company’s diversification agenda.

“In our ongoing, planned and future growth, we are creating new income opportunities for agriculture, with major growth in the demand for fresh fruit. I believe that our demand is about five times what we are getting. So, there is demand for fruits,” Samaroo further said.

“We continue to build and invest in supply chains, from farm to factory, to make it easier on the farmers. And we continue to build our brand to increase demand. In addition, we plan a modern dairy project, which will be a significant supplier of dairy products to the domestic market, as well as creating export potential in the Region.”

IDB Invest is the private sector arm of the IDB and it largely focuses on financing projects that promote clean energy and agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean. Meanwhile, DDL is one of the leading manufacturing companies in Guyana. It also acquired a licence to open a World Trade Center in Guyana from the New York-

headquartered World Trade Center Association (WTCA) last year.

This is the first World Trade Center (WTC) to be set up in the Caribbean Community (Caricom), and this new venture by DDL will provide a range of opportunities for local businesses and organisations to enhance their networking capabilities globally. The World Trade Center Guyana office will be located in DDL’s High Street, Kingston building.

There are over 320 World Trade Centers in more than 100 countries on every continent globally. The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) stimulates trade and investment opportunities for commercial property developers, economic development agencies, and international businesses looking to connect globally and prosper locally.

The association serves as an “international ecosystem” of global connections, iconic properties, and integrated trade services under the umbrella of a prestigious brand. (G3)

56 more teachers complete postgraduate programmes with GOAL

Guyana’s education system is set to be boosted with more trained teachers in several areas.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Monday morning met with 56 teachers, who recently completed programmes offered through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL). The meeting was held in the auditorium at National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).

In brief remarks, Manickchand congratulated the teachers on completing their respective programmes. She noted that as Guyana evolves, teachers have a significant role to play in moulding the future generation.

The Education Minister

highlighted that recently, an aggressive literacy campaign was launched. She said that the Literacy and Robotics programme is aimed at collectively changing the abilities of pupils in the nursery and primary levels.

She is quoted in a release from the Education Ministry noting that monitoring the progress of the pupils is a key part of the programme. As such, the teachers who recently completed their programmes through GOAL would be an asset to the process.

Director of GOAL, Professor Jacob Opadeyi also congratulated the educators on successfully completing their programmes.

Nine teachers completed their certificate in primary teaching offered by

the Indira Ghandi Open University (IGNOU). Two completed their post-graduate diploma in Instructional Design and Technology, thirteen completed the post-graduate diploma in Literacy Instruction, eleven completed the post-graduate in Teaching and Learning with Emerging Technologies and twenty-one now have a certificate in Teaching of Reading. All these programmes were offered by the University of the West Indies Open Campus (UWIOC).

Also present at the meeting were Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain, Assistant Chief Education Officer (Literacy), Samantha Williams and Head of the Curriculum Unit Omawattie Ramdin.

From left to right; IDB Invest Division Chief Aito Ezcurra, IDB Country Rep Lorena Solorzano Salazar, DDL CEO Komal Samaroo, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and IDB Investment Officer Mark Peters

Education Minister Priya Manickchand along with Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain among other Ministry officials share a photo with the teachers

Sparendaam Police Station being remodelled

The Sparendaam Police Station on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) is currently being remodelled and will soon become a state-of-the-art facility. In the meantime, the station has been relocated to another building, which is approximately 50 metres away from the old building.

The building can be found at the back of the Sparendaam Police Station and is accessible by a street that runs adjacent to the post office, heading toward the seawall.

The reconstruction of the building began during the second week of March and is expected to be completed within 18 months.

According to the Officerin-Charge of Police No 2 sub-division, Deputy Superintendent Jermaine Dufu, operations at this location remain the same.

“The only thing that we wish to change is the quality of service that we provide to members of the public,” he said as he invited the public to visit the station to have their issues resolved.

The temporary facility currently has all the departments, offices, and services available to the public, including the Traffic Department, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), GenderBased Department, and the Enquiries Office, to name a

few. The facility continues to house 36 ranks, including one officer and two Inspectors who are performing duties daily and can be contacted at 222-2232 and 222-4355.

Safety and security

In 2023, the Government allocated $58.6 billion towards delivering safety and security to citizens and businesses which is a prerequisite for them to grow, prosper and contribute to the development of the State, and part of this sum will be used to upgrade Police stations.

In fact, the sum of $2.4 billion has been allocated in

Body found in East Canje Berbice construction worker slapped with murder charge

Rajmangal, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Chandra Sohan, will have to return to court on April 23, when the Police is expected to make a disclosure of all the evidence they have.

The body of the 36-yearold labourer was discovered along a street at Canefield by a villager. At the time, there was blood oozing from his left eye and he still had a radio attached to his hand while his vest was half pulled over his head.

this year’s national budget to upgrade Police stations and facilities and to construct Command Centres in Regions Two, Three, Five, Six, and 10. Also, works have commenced on the construction of the CID Headquarters; Special Constabulary Headquarters; Tactical Service Unit Headquarters;

and living quarters at Beterverwagting Police Station and Cove and John Police Station. Works have also commenced on Police stations at Baramita, Den Amstel, Tuschen, Mocha, Rose Hall, Imbaimadai, Eteringbang, Annai, Lethem, and Karasabai; and ICT Training Complexes in Regions One, Four, Five and

Nine.

Last year, over $1.2 billion was expended towards the construction and rehabilitation of Police stations at Anna Regina, Parika, Kamarang, Kurupung, Mahdia, Blairmont, and Kato, and living quarters at Eve Leary and Port Kaituma. (G1)

Aconstruction worker was on Monday remanded to prison for allegedly killing a Canje labourer just over a week ago.

Trevor Rajmangal, 23, of Canefield, appeared virtually before Magistrate Sherdel Marcus and was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that between March 18 and 19, 2023, at West Canefield, East Canje, he murdered Mohamed Abdul Ali called “Mice”.

An autopsy which was performed by Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan gave the cause of death as shock with cerebral haemorrhage due to a fractured skull.

It had been reported that after the accused was arrested, he confessed to killing Ali.

It had also been reported that Rajmangal allegedly told the Police that he threw a beer bottle at Ali, hitting him in the head.

Rajmangal had claimed that after his arrest, he was taken to an isolated place and threatened and he told

the Police a story. He reportedly claimed that he and the now dead man had an argument and it was during that argument that he pelted him.

Police had reported that the now-dead man was seen at about 20:00h on Saturday walking through the said street drinking alcohol, in appeared to be a drunken state. It was hours later that his dead body was discovered. (G4)

Police ranks who are stationed at the Sparendaam Police Station

The Sparendaam Police Station is being demolished

The Sparendaam Police Station is being temporarily housed in this building

Charged: Trevor Rajmangal

Dead: Mohamed Abdul Ali called “Mice”

Mothers share experiences of raising kids with Down Syndrome

Though having children with Down syndrome may seem like a daunting challenge, two Guyanese mothers have come forward to share their own experiences in raising such kids, in hopes to inspire and encourage other parents who are in similar situations.

Raquel Stanford, who is the mother of an eightyear-old girl named Olivia, shared that though her daughter lives with this disability, she still leads a pretty normal life.

In a video message released by the Education Ministry, the young mother shared that she wants her daughter to function in a standard setting, as she believes that it would be beneficial to the child’s growth.

“In our mind, me and her dad, we keep thinking that a normal setting would work. It’s not that we’re living in denial, but we want to try something because we

know her. We moved her to a normal setting…nursery [school]…she is doing much better cognitively,” Stanford explained of her child’s educational journey.

According to Stanford, there is much negativity surrounding persons with Down syndrome. In fact, the mother admitted that if she had not given birth to a child with the disability, she too

would have been wrongly influenced.

“There’s a lot of negativity about kids with Down syndrome, they need to come away from that, they need to. If I didn’t have Olivia I might…have been influenced wrongly too…from listening to things that people say, but you have to live it. And you could be a part of it, a community, a family, all

of that comes in together, it makes a big, big difference,” Stanford expressed.

Ask for help

Meanwhile, mother of four, Han Gaskin’s 10-yearold child, Daniel, is living with Down syndrome. Gaskin noted that raising such a child comes with challenges as she encouraged other parents in similar sit-

uations to not be scared to ask for help.

“I think the best advice I can give is to ask for help, there’s a lot that is available, completely free of charge. If you approach Government agencies, healthcare providers, even your clinic where you live, they should be able to direct you onward,” Gaskin shared.

Gaskin said though her child sees development all of the time, education is a constant process and it can’t be left at the school level.

“I think you really have to double up outside of the school as a family or as a community to keep the process moving because there is a lot of repetition that is required,” she shared.

In fact, Gaskin revealed that she is part of a non-governmental organisation called “Extra One GY” which was founded in 2022 to raise awareness of Down syndrome.

Down syndrome is a

condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body. They determine how a baby’s body forms and functions as it grows during pregnancy and after birth. Typically, a baby is born with 46 chromosomes. Babies with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes, chromosome 21. A medical term for having an extra copy of a chromosome is trisomy.

Down syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21. This extra copy changes how the baby’s body and brain develop, which can cause both mental and physical challenges for the baby.

Symptoms associated with the syndrome include intellectual disability, distinctive facial characteristics, and increased risk for heart defects and digestive problems, which can range from mild to severe.

(Tassia Dickenson)

SkyCana Airline explores opportunities in local market

Dominican Republicbased airline SkyCana is currently exploring business opportunities in the Guyana market.

Chief Executive Officer of SkyCana, Frank Diaz on Monday met with officials of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to discuss potential areas for partnership.

During this meeting, the CEO discussed possible flight operations between Houston, Texas, and Toronto, Canada, via the Dominican Republic. He met with the

President of the Aircraft Owners Association and Director of Roraima Airways Limited, Gerald Gouveia Jr, and the Chairman of the CJIA Board, Sanjeev Datadin.

While delivering his remarks, Diaz shared that his company aims to connect Guyanese with more destinations and supply the needs of travellers in the country.

“We are here to collaborate with Guyana…and bring more operation. In terms to connect with many destinations…you can travel and enjoy. We have aircraft up to 377 seats we can…supply any needs that

you have here in the country,” Diaz boasted.

According to Datadin, “It is a very good sign and

a statement of intent that… the owner is of the view to demonstrate their commitment by bringing their [aircraft] to Guyana so that we can all see the aircraft. We all know that in Guyana at present, we are in need of roots out of Guyana, we are in need of more…diverse roots, especially to destinations [that] SkyCana is interested in serving.”

He noted that the intention is that the flights will only have a refuelling stop in the Dominican Republic when flying to Houston and Toronto.

Datadin also shared that it is in their best interest to provide more services to the Guyanese public and ensure the provision of better services.

“We are…the agency that manages and administers the airport, it is in our interest to encourage more and to try to provide better service to the Guyanese public and to try to provide more options to the Guyanese public. There is, of course, the GCAA (Guyana Civil Aviation Authority) that has its regulatory functions to perform. But it is our intent to do everything that we can do…to assist so that this venture may bear fruit as quickly as possible,” Datadin remarked.

Meanwhile, Gouveia shared that the interest of these new airlines in the country is very beneficial to Guyanese, adding that it will give Guyanese more options to better move around the Caribbean.

SkyCana was established by a group of renowned professionals from all areas of the aviation industry, who work to provide clients with a unique aviation experience.

Han Gaskin Raquel Stanford

The SkyCana aircraft that arrived in Guyana

NGSA Science Questions NGSA S.Studies Questions

Ecuador landslide kills more than a dozen

At least 16 people have died in a landslide that buried entire families under mud and rubble in a mountain village in Ecuador.

Firefighters, Police and specialised rescue teams have been dispatched to the canton of Alausí, in the Andes mountains, to search for trapped residents.

Six people have been pulled alive from the mud, but the Government said that at least seven were still missing.

More than a dozen have been injured.

Local media said that residents had been warning of fault lines forming in the area following heavy rains. Just days ago, the highway linking Alausí with Guamote was closed indefinitely after the tarmac had cracked open.

One resident told local media that "the mountainside slid down like a rocket" on Sunday evening, burying several homes un -

der earth and rocks.

Local media published a video showing a stretch of mountain road which had completely collapsed.

Footage uploaded earlier by the Police showed people using torches and spotlights to search for survivors amid the surrounding darkness.

Local radio reporters described "heart-wrenching scenes" as relatives rushed to the site looking for their loved ones.

President Guillermo Lasso said the country's

Brazilian teenager accused of fatally stabbing teacher

Ateacher has been fatally stabbed in an attack at a school in São Paulo, Brazil, that left three other teachers and two students injured.

Officials have identified a 13-year-old student as responsible for the knife attack, which took place at about 07:20h local time (10:20 GMT) on Monday at the Thomazia Montoro public school.

Freitas wrote in his post.

He also expressed “much regret and sadness” at the death of 71-year-old science teacher Elisabete Tenreiro, who was killed in the attack. After being stabbed, officials say Tenreiro went into cardiac arrest and died.

mobilised” the teenage suspect, thereby avoiding “a greater tragedy”.

In an interview with the Associated Press news agency, a 13-year-old from the school said the suspect, a classmate, had been in a fight with another student the previous week and that Tenreiro had intervened.

risk management agency had been alerted and would be providing help to those affected.

One of the main roads linking the cities of Riobamba and Cuenca had to be closed due to these latest landslides, further complicating access to the area.

The landslide comes just over a week after an earthquake struck Ecuador's southern coast, leaving more than a dozen people dead.

(BBC News)

Guatemala sets line-up for presidential vote as critics slam disqualifications

Guatemala's presidential race kicked off on Monday, a day after the electoral authority finalised its approved candidate line-up for the June election, even as critics blasted decisions to disqualify some candidates while allowing others to run.

Polls point to two conservative women as early presidential front-runners.

The Sunday registry of candidacies by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) launched the three-month campaign to succeed conservative President Alejandro Giammattei, who is prohibited by law from seek

ing a second term, as well as for seats in Congress and Mayor's races across Central America's most populous country and biggest economy.

The TSE has come under sharp criticism for allowing aspirants implicated in corruption to run, at a time when Giammattei and his allies face mounting accusations of dismantling anticorruption efforts via arrests of Judges and Prosecutors.

The TSE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The list of approved presidential contenders for the June 25 first-round vote stands at nearly two

dozen, and if no one secures a simple majority, a runoff between the top two finishers will take place on August 20.

One of the leading presidential hopefuls is Zury Rios, a 55-year-old conservative former congresswoman who was banned from participating in the previous election due to the country's constitutional prohibition on children of ex-dictators as candidates. But this time the TSE is allowing her to run.

The other leading contender is former first lady Sandra Torres, who finished second in the last two elections. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Venezuela's Maduro suspends PDVSA restructuring committee after Minister quits

Venezuelan

President Nicolás Maduro suspended a committee he had appointed to restructure State oil firm PDVSA under the supervision of Tareck El Aissami, the Oil Minister who resigned last week amid an expanding anti-corruption probe into the company and the Judiciary.

Maduro last week ended the 2020 decree that had created the committee, following El Aissami's resignation and extension of the investigation which

began in October, according to the country's official gazette, dated March 22.

The probe has led to 10 officials and 11 businessmen being arrested and 11 more wanted.

PDVSA President Pedro Tellechea was appointed as the new Oil Minister last week, giving him wide control of the industry.

Maduro said last week a new restructuring process must begin in PDVSA, formally known as Petróleos de Venezuela, SA, to audit its accounts and uncover corruption.

The Governor of São Paulo state, Tarcisio Gomes de Freitas, said on Twitter that the suspect had been apprehended. No motive has been confirmed so far.

“I have no words to express my sadness,” de

Three days of mourning have been announced in remembrance of Tenreiro. Officials said the injured teachers and students were being treated at four local hospitals.

Sao Paulo’s Secretary of Public Safety Guilherme Derrite applauded the “heroic acts” of a physical education teacher who “im-

He added that the suspect appeared angry at Tenreiro and threatened to do something about the teacher’s actions.

On Monday morning, the student said the suspect appeared dressed in a skull mask and stabbed the teacher from behind. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

T&T, US to deepen commercial relations

Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Trade and Industry (MTI), Paula Gopee-Scoon has met with US Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Candace A Bond to discuss issues of mutual interest and priority to both countries.

According to a media release from the MTI, Minister Gopee-Scoon acknowledged that Trinidad and Tobago and the US continue to maintain good relations in trade with the US being the country’s largest trading partner.

The release said that several important issues related to increasing trade between both countries were discussed, specifically, Minister Gopee-Scoon shared information on potential opportunities in the food and beverage manufacturing, garment manufacturing, renewable energy, yachting and agro-processing sectors, as well as the prospect for nearshoring manufacturing opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago.

It said Ambassador Bond also took keen interest in Trinidad and Tobago’s creative industry, noting the potential for growth through investment in that sector as well as in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

“Minister Gopee-Scoon also highlighted the importance of commercial diplomacy between both countries, noting Trinidad and

Tobago’s imminent establishment of commercial offices in key markets in 2023, inclusive of the United States,” it said.

The Ministry said Ambassador Bond welcomed this initiative, noting its establishment would facilitate greater leveraging of the Trinidad and Tobago/ Caribbean Diaspora to deepen trade relations.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

China says no conditions on Honduras diplomatic deal

The new Minister must safeguard "the interests of the Republic", the gazette noted.

PDVSA's restructuring commission was created to adopt urgent measures to "protect the industry from imperialist aggression". Its functions were expanded last year.

The probe, revealed last week, is linked to PDVSA's heavy losses in recent years, when tankers left the country with cargoes that had not been paid for in full, officials have said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Honduras has become the latest Latin American country to open formal diplomatic ties with Beijing and end relations with Taiwan.

China says there were no conditions attached to a recent decision by Honduras to end its decades-long diplomatic relationship with Taiwan and establish formal ties with Beijing.

China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the statement on Monday, a day after the Foreign Ministers of China and Honduras signed a joint communiqué in Beijing establishing ties.

“Diplomatic ties are not something for trade,” Mao said, responding to a question about whether Beijing would give the Government in Tegucigalpa the aid it had reportedly sought from Taiwan.

Earlier this month, Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina issued a letter requesting a loan of US$2.5 billion from Taiwan, according to the Reuters news agency. The loan was intended to help write off debt, as well as provide funds for the construction of a hospital and a dam, the news agency reported, citing a copy of the letter.

Honduras subsequent-

ly denied it had demanded US$2.5 billion in aid, while Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said Honduras had demanded “a high price” to maintain relations.

For her part, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen dismissed Honduras’s move as “part of a series of China’s coercion and intimidation”. Mao, meanwhile, said on Monday: “We want to tell Taiwan authorities that Taiwan independence is a dead end, dollar diplomacy has no way through, [and] any plots that go against the tide of history are doomed to end in failure.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Residents look for survivors in the area where a landslide occurred in Alausi, Ecuador, March 27, 2023

Senator Paula Gopee-Scoon, T&T Minister of Trade and Industry and US Ambassador to T&T, Candace A Bond shake hands following the courtesy visit

Oil rises over US$3 on Kurdistan export halt, banking optimism

Around the World

Woman shoots dead 3 children, 3 adults at Christian school in Tennessee

A28-year-old woman armed with several guns opened fire on Monday at a private Christian school she once attended in Tennessee's capital city, killing three children and three adult staffers before Police killed her, authorities said.

There was no immediate official word on a possible motive for the gun violence, which unfolded on a warm spring morning not long after classes began at The Convent School, whose students consist mostly of elementary schoolage children.

The woman was carrying at least two semi-automatic rifles and a handgun, Police said.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department began receiving calls at 10:13

Oil prices rose more than US$3 on Monday as a halt to some exports from Iraq's Kurdistan region added to worries about oil supplies while a US banking acquisition eased worries that financial turmoil could hurt the economy and curtail fuel demand.

Brent crude futures settled up US$3.13, or 4.2%, at US$78.12 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate US crude closed US$3.55, or 5.1%, higher at US$72.81.

Brent gained 2.8% last week while WTI rebounded by 3.8% as jitters in the banking sector eased.

Prices received a lift as Turkey stopped pumping crude from Kurdistan via a pipeline following an arbitration decision that confirmed Baghdad's consent was needed to ship the oil. The exports amount to about half a percent of global oil supply, or 450,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Loss of oil supplies from Kurdistan could offset the impact of Russian production and supplies finding their way to market, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York. It also could force production cuts in the Kurdistan region.

"Now we have this new wrinkle here.... It's production that we really can't afford to lose," Kilduff said, adding that the loss of supply would amplify any other future force majeure or production outages.

First Citizens BancShares Inc said it will acquire deposits and loans of failed Silicon Valley Bank, closing one chapter in the crisis of confidence that has roiled financial markets.

"Oil prices are edging higher extending gains from the previous week as investors weighed up efforts by the authorities to calm concerns regarding the global banking system," said Fiona Cincotta, senior financial markets analyst at City Index.

There are also hopes for extra support for bank funding after reports that US authorities were in early deliberations about expanding emergency lending facilities.

Wall Street equities gained as the banking deal offered a respite after weeks of turmoil.

Oil prices also drew support from worries of geopolitical turmoil after Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, one of Russia's most pronounced nuclear signals yet.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said Moscow is close to achieving its target of cutting crude output by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) to about 9.5 million bpd.

Still, Russia's crude exports are expected to remain steady as it cuts refinery output in April, data from industry sources and Reuters calculations showed on Friday.

On the demand side, China's crude oil imports are expected to rise 6.2% in 2023 from last year's level to 540 million tonnes, according to an annual forecast by a research unit of China National Petroleum Corp on Monday.

Investors were waiting for US inventory data. US crude oil stockpiles were seen rising about 200,000 barrels last week, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday.

The American Petroleum Institute (API), an industry group, will publish its inventory data at 4:30 pm EDT on today and the US Energy Information Administration at 10:30 am on Wednesday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

am of a shooter at the school, and arriving officers reported hearing gunfire coming from the building's second floor, Police spokesperson Don

Aaron told reporters.

Two officers from a five-member team shot the assailant in a lobby area, and she was pronounced dead by

10:27 am.

Police Chief John Drake later described the suspect as a 28-year-old woman from the Nashville area who "at one point was a student at this school." But her identity was not immediately made public.

Deadly mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States in recent years, but a female attacker is highly unusual. Only four of 191 mass shootings catalogued since 1966 by The Violence Project, a non-profit research centre, were carried out by a female attacker

Reacting to the shooting in Washington, US President Joe Biden urged Congress again to pass more gun reform legislation. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Putin ally says Russia has weapons to destroy US if its existence is threatened

An ally of President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia has the weapons to destroy any enemy, including the United States, if its own existence is threatened, accusing Washington of underestimating Moscow's nuclear might.

The comments from Nikolai Patrushev, the influential secretary of Russia's Security Council, are the latest from a senior Russian official to raise the spectre of a nuclear showdown between the world's two largest nuclear powers, something Moscow says it wants to avoid.

"American politicians trapped by their own propaganda remain confident that, in the event of a direct conflict with Russia, the United States is capable of launching a preventive missile strike, after which Russia will no longer be able to respond. This is short-sighted stupidity, and very dangerous," Patrushev told the state Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper on Monday.

"Russia is patient and does not intimidate anyone with its military advantage. But it has modern unique weapons capable of destroying any adversary, including the United

Germany at a standstill as huge strike halts planes and trains

Airports and bus and train stations across Germany were at a standstill on Monday, causing disruption for millions of people during one of the largest walkouts in decades in Europe's biggest economy as soaring inflation stokes wage demands.

The 24-hour "warning" strikes called by the Verdi union and railway and transport union EVG were the latest in months of industrial action which has hit major European economies as higher food and energy prices dent living standards.

They kicked off three days of wage talks which could lead to further strikes if they fail to yield a compromise.

Employers have offered 5% more wages over a period of 27 months and a oneoff payment of 2500 euros (US$2700) - proposals unions, which are calling for a double digit rise, call

unacceptable amid inflation which reached 9.3% in February.

Verdi is demanding a 10.5% wage increase, which would see pay rising by at least 500 euros per month, while EVG is asking for a 12% raise or at least 650 euros per month.

"Employees are fed up with being fobbed off with warm words while work conditions get ever worse and there are many vacant posts," Verdi Chief Frank Werneke told reporters.

Striking workers wearing high-vis jackets blew horns and whistles, held up banners and waved flags during protests.

Germany, which was heavily dependent on Russia for gas before the war in Ukraine, has been particularly hard hit by higher prices, with inflation rates exceeding the euro-area average in recent months.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

States, in the event of a threat to its existence", he said.

Russia has said that one of the reasons why it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February last year in what it calls its "special military operation" was to counter a perceived security threat stemming from Kyiv's rapprochement with the US-led

NATO defence alliance.

Since then, Moscow has accused the West, without presenting public evidence, of making nuclear threats against it, and has spoken of its readiness to use nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances if the very existence of the Russian state is imperilled. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Scotland’s ruling SNP picks Humza Yousaf to succeed Sturgeon

Scotland’s governing party has elected Humza Yousaf as its new leader.

The 37-year-old son of Asian immigrants is now set to become the first person of colour to serve as Scotland’s First Minister, less than six months after Rishi Sunak became the first British Prime Minister of Indian heritage.

Yousaf will lead the Scottish National Party (SNP) as a successor to Nicola Sturgeon, who unexpectedly stepped down last month after eight years as leader of the party and of Scotland’s semi-autonomous Government.

The SNP leadership race concluded on Monday after a bruising five-week contest that exposed deep fractures within the pro-independence movement.

The Scot of Pakistani heritage, a Sturgeon loyalist, was the favourite to win.

He was up against Kate Forbes, 32, the country’s Finance Minister and a rising star whose views opposing same-sex marriage have lost her supporters, and Ash Regan, who quit the Government in opposition to proposed changes to gender recognition.

“From the Punjab to our Parliament, this is a journey for our generations,” Yousaf

said in an impassioned victory speech in Edinburgh, referencing his South Asian origins.

Yousaf said he has a “passion” for Scottish independence, and advocates “using our devolved powers to the absolute maximum effect to tackle the challenges of today”.

“I will ensure our drive for independence is in fifth gear,” he said. “The people of Scotland need independence now more than ever.”

Scotland voted against independence by 55 percent to 45 percent in 2014.

Britain’s vote to leave the European Union two years later when a majority of Scots wanted to stay – and Scotland’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic – brought new support for independence. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

People walk with children beside an emergency vehicle at a family reunification centre after a mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, US March 27, 2023

Humza Yousaf

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Research and preparation will set your mind at ease. Knowing what you are up against will be key. Choose your words wisely and share with like-minded people. Don't lead someone on.

(March 21-April 19)

You'll charm others with your insight. Concentrate on getting things up and running before you share your plans. Someone you love or respect will spark an unexpected change of heart.

(April 20-May 20)

PEANUTS

(May 21-June 20)

Stick to the script and you won't get caught off guard. If you want others to take you seriously, be precise and pay attention to detail. Work with people whom you can trust.

You may feel like taking on the world, but until you steady your emotions and are prepared to follow through with your plans, you are better off working alone. Leave no room for error.

(June 21-July 22)

Step in and take charge. Your insight and openness will encourage others to go to bat for you. Don't let a change someone makes disrupt your plans. Avoid unpredictable situations.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Don't waste time when you can accomplish so much. Adopt a single-minded focus on reaching your goal. A personal change will give you the edge you need in a competition.

Keep your emotions out of the mix when dealing with professional situations. Protect your reputation by fulfilling your duties and keeping an open dialogue with your partners, peers and loved ones.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

You'll get the most done if you work alone. A home improvement project will pay off and put you in a better financial position. Let your creative imagination take the reins. Romance is favored.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Don't let anyone limit your achievements. Work to satisfy your needs, regardless of what others do or say. Don't let anyone disrupt your day or your plans.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Stick close to home. Getting into a feud with a friend, relative or colleague will stop you from getting things done on time. Discipline will help you override any interference you encounter.

Keep the momentum flowing and you'll discover innovative ways to make money. Keeping a low profile and working alone will prove beneficial. Don't present your plans until you are ready.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Refuse to argue or let someone interfere with your plans. Working toward your goal will feed your imagination and encourage you to surpass your original objective. Believe in yourself.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

2026 & 2030 men's World Cups… Payments for players' release from clubs increased

FIFA has increased its payments to clubs for the release of players for each of the next two men's World Cups to US$355 million.

For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, clubs received a combined US$209 million.

The move is the central component of a new Memorandum of Understanding between FIFA and the European Clubs' Association (ECA), which will run to 2030.

The next men's World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, takes place in June and July 2026.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his UEFA counterpart, Aleksander Ceferin were present at the ECA general assembly in Budapest for the announcement.

It brings to an end months of bickering between the two bodies, who had initially been at loggerheads over Infantino's desire to host a biennial World Cup, an idea that was met with huge opposition.

An expanded 32-team Club World Cup, featuring 12 European teams, has been agreed in its place, with UEFA and ECA sup-

port guaranteeing this will be put into the international calendar from 2025 despite opposition from leagues and unease among player unions.

Agreement has also been reached over the concept of a Women's Club World Cup, although the format of this is still to be decided.

In addition, the ECA has backed FIFA's plan for

Matthews named Player of the Tournament as Mumbai Indians win inaugural WPL

a player welfare taskforce, which players' union Fifpro believes is essential.

The new agreed international match calendar will also include an annual match between the Champions League winner and the winner of an intercontinental playoff.

Infantino said: "This is a significant day for the future of football and its long-term stability. We are very happy to renew and strengthen our cooperation agreement with ECA, an important stakeholder representing clubs from all over Europe.

"To have the new international match calendar endorsed by ECA provides the necessary balance between club and national team football. We have exciting projects ahead, including the new FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 and the new FIFA

Women's Club World Cup.

"A close collaboration with clubs in Europe, and the rest of the world, will be essential for the success of those events."

The precise format for the Club World Cup is to be determined but as the four winners prior to the tournament up to 2024 will be included, Chelsea are already guaranteed entry after winning the 2021 Champions League.

In addition, ECA Chairman Nasser AlKhelaifi, who is also President of Paris StGermain, touched on the close relationship between his organisation and European governing body UEFA in his opening address.

This included another rebuke at Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona, who

are awaiting a ruling from the European Courts of Justice over UEFA's monopoly position, which they believe has put barriers in the way of their cherished European Super League concept.

"In this next era of the ECA, I am determined that we will be recognised for driving financial prosperity and distribution for the entire football pyramid, not just the elite," Al-Khelaifi said.

"Thinking back to the sorry events in April 2021 –which we should not forget –the ECA's relationship with UEFA has changed completely in the past two years.

"Today, it is founded on trust, respect and common interest. As a result, we are both much stronger. Thank you, President Ceferin." (BBC Sport)

Nkrumie, Hibbert, Cole headline Jamaica squad for 2023 CARIFTA Games

Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, Jaydon Hibbert, and Serena Cole headline the squad selected to represent Jamaica at the 50th edition of the CARIFTA Games scheduled for April 8-10 in Nassau, Bahamas.

Nkrumie will compete in the 100 metres after winning the event in 10.19 at Jamaica’s CARIFTA Trials held at the National Stadium earlier this month.

The 19-year-old ran a national junior record 10.02 for 100m silver at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali last year, a race won in a world junior record 9.91 by Botswanan sensation Letsile Tebogo.

Kevongaye Fowler, Kededra Coombs, Bryana Davidson, Camoy Binger, Rhianna Lewis, Sashana Johnson, Shanniqua Williams, Asia

Michael Neil, Joseph Salmon, Javontae Smith and Ronaldo Anderson.

The Mumbai Indians are champions of the inaugural season of the Tata Women’s Premier League (WPL) after a seven-wicket win over the Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

The Capitals, who advanced to the final after finishing top of the table in the league phase, made 131-9 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

Captain Meg Lanning led the way with 35 while Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav each made 27*.

Hayley Matthews was magnificent with the ball for

Mumbai, picking up three wickets in her four overs while conceding only five runs. Issy

Wong also continued her wicket-taking form with 3-42 from her spell.

The successful Mumbai chase took 19.3 overs and was anchored by Nat SciverBrunt, who finished not out on 60 off 55 balls, including seven fours. Captain Harmanpreet

Kaur made a 39-ball 37 in support as the Indians reached 134-3.

Sciver-Brunt was named Player of the Match while Matthews, who ended the season with 271 runs and 16 wickets, was named Player of

the Tournament.

Her run total placed her fifth overall behind Lanning (345), Sciver-Brunt (332), Talia McGrath (302) and Kaur (281) while her 16 wickets were joint-most alongside Sophie Ecclestone. (Sportsmax)

Hibbert, an 18-yearold freshman at Arkansas University, won the NCAA Indoor triple jump title in Albuquerque in March with a magnificent 17.54m, a world junior record. He also won gold at the World U-20 Championships last year in a meet record 17.27m.

Cole will compete in both the long jump and the 100m in Nassau. She won the 100m at the CARIFTA trials in an impressive 11.18 and was third in the long jump with 5.84m. She was also a silver medallist at the World U-20 Championships last year, running 11.14 to finish behind countrywoman Tina Clayton.

The full team are as follows:

Female U-17: Natrece East, Tiana Marshall, Shanoya Douglas, Rosalee Gallimore,

Mckay, Sabrina Atkinson, Dionjah Shaw, Shemonique Hazle, Breana Brown, Alikay Reynolds and Abigail Campbell.

Female U20: Serena Cole, Alana Reid, Carleta

Bernard, Rickiann Russell, Kacian Powell, Kishay Rowe, Rickeisha Simms, Jody-Ann Mitchell, Kaydeen Johnson, Habiba Harris, Alexis James, Tonyan Beckford, Alliah Baker, Jade-Ann Dawkins, Deijanae Bruce, Cedricka Williams, Abigail Martin, Britannia Johnson and Britannie Johnson.

Male U-17: Tramaine Todd, Khamani Gordon, Donte Mendez, Dontae Watson, Kenrick Sharpe, Nickecoy Bramwell, Rasheed Pryce, Joel Morgan, Delano Todd, Tyrone

Lawson, Kahiem Carby, Shakir Lewis, DeAndre Gayle, Demarco Bennett, Euan Young, Courtney Kinglock,

Male U-20: Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, De Andre Daley, Malique Smith Band, Javorne Dunkley, Delano Kennedy, Jasauna Dennis, Kemarrio Bygrave, Ainsley Brown, Ainsley Campbell, Shaquane Gordon, Demario Prince, Roshawn Clarke, Antonio Forbes, Royan Walters, Brandon Pottinger, Chavez Penn, Jaydon Hibbert, Kobe Lawrence, Shaiquan Dunn and Tyreese Ebanks.

Management team:

Chef De Mission: Maulton

Campbell; Manager: Richard

Thompson; Assistant

Manager: Richard Thompson; Assistant Manager: Desrine

Anderson; Technical Leader: David Riley; Doctor: Dr Jason

Dawson; Coach: Keilando Gobourn; Coach: Dave Anderson; Coach: Demar

Gayle; Coach: Richard Smith; Coach: Kamille Ellis; Coach: Jeremy Deslliser and Massage

Therapist: Orville Crawford. (Sportsmax)

Gianni Infantino (left, with UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin) was re-elected for a third term as FIFA President earlier this month

Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, Jaydon Hibbert, and Serena Cole

MVP Hayley Matthews also had the joint-highest wickets

The Mumbai Indians hoist the WPL trophy after defeating the Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in the final on Sunday

PPP Soesdyke/Timehri Highway Cluster 7-A-Side Football…

Soesdyke needle Waiakabra to take the top prize

…Neron Barrow is MVP

Two days of exciting sevena-side football culminated on Sunday evening when Soesdyke, through a Mark Barker second-half goal, emerged as the inaugural champions of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Soesdyke/Timehri/Highway

Cluster-organised competition.

The matches were played at the Banakari Ground situated at Long Creek on the Linden-

Soesdyke Highway, and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, among other officials including Michelle Drepaul, Askari Ferrier, Everton Poole, and Pierre Andrews, witnessed exciting action as the 12 teams all displayed skills, but it was the Soesdyke boys who claimed the top prize of $100,000, medals and a trophy with their win over Waiakabra

which walked away with $50,000 and a trophy.

Following Saturday’s opening rivalry which saw all 12 teams competing, the quarter-finals were contested on Sunday when Soesdyke defeated Hauraruni 2-0, through goals from the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Neron Barrow.

Waiakabra were then pushed to the hilt to turn back

Bartica Easter Regatta 2023…

Mings Products & Services and ETK Inc lend more corporate support

With football action kicking off on Sunday evening at the Bartica Community Centre Ground, more corporate support for the 2023 edition of the Bartica Easter Regatta continues to flow in.

Chairman of the Organising Committee, Kenneth Williams who is also the Regional Chairman for Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) has expressed thanks to the principals of ETK Inc, a company operating mainly in the mining & metals sector, and Mings Products & Services Limited, Lot 6 Urquhart Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown.

Both entities have exhibited their commitment to the success of the event by making substantial contributions.

Douglas Nespoli de Mello, Deputy Project Director of ETK Inc, Toroparu Project said that they were pleased to be on board with the event that is nationally recognised.

“Regatta is a huge product for the town of Bartica and by extension Guyana, and we are more than happy to be contributing towards its continued success. Many of the youths are involved in multiple sports activities which augur well for their and the development of the community.

As a company, we are committed to this

development pathway and will continue to make this a reality.”

John Chin, of Mings Products and Services, the exclusive distributor for the entire line of Yamaha products including outboard motors, water vehicles, motorcycles, and generators in Guyana, posited that the company and products have been associated with the Bartica Regatta as long as the event has been around.

“So, we are basically continuing our commitment towards the sustained development of this community through this event, which has various components. Easter Regatta is a household product, and we at Mings are pleased to have been part of building this product and making it sustainable.”

Williams, in response, relayed the gratitude of the Organising Committee and the community of Bartica for the sustained commitment from both companies towards the growth of the Bartica Easter Regatta.

Champs! The victorious Soesdyke team pose with Minister Kwame McCoy and other officials following the presentation of prizes ended as the competition’s joint leading goal-scorers, with a brace each. Waiakabra’s Marlon Fernandez was adjudged the tournament’s best goalkeeper.

the challenge of Yarrowkabra, 3-2 on kicks from the penalty mark as both regulation and extra time failed to produce any goals. Bamia trounced Kuru College 3-1, thanks to goals from Marcus Johnson, Jvonte Lewis, and Kevin Charles. Kuru Colleges’ consolation strike came from Steven Smith.

Swan Madewini eased into the semi-finals on account of a brace from Edson Williams, as

Circuit Ville failed to score.

Both semi-finals were decided by respective 1-0 score lines, Waiakabra’s Joshua Grant netting the winner against Bamia, with Soesdyke’s Tyrone Khan sealing his side’s place in the final and subsequent title, with the winner against Swan Madewini.

Khan, along with Edson Williams of Swan Madewini and Yarrowkabra’s Terrence Glasgow,

Man-of-the-Match

Williams leads Malali to win over Royal Champions

In brief remarks following the presentation of prizes to the top individual performers as well as the teams, Minister McCoy thanked them all for making the tournament a resounding success. Gratitude was also extended to the hundreds of fans who turned up over the two days to cheer their teams on.

McCoy promised the communities that President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the Government of Guyana are fully committed to their development in the area of sports and would be working hand in hand with the Ministry of Sport to ensure that their needs were taken care of. Similar activities are planned for the near future.

Malali, through a fine all-round effort from Orlando Williams, were able to score a twowicket win against Royal Champions when the sides met in the final of the Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDCA) T20 competition, which had the backing of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

After taking first strike, Royal Champions finished with 145 as they were bowled out in 17.1 overs, behind a fine 52 by Rastaf Oselmo as Michael Fredericks made 28 and John Degrealla added 15.

Keno Fredericks collected 3 for 20 off his 3.1 overs, with Williams snaring three for 31 from four overs and Denzil Spencer taking two for 21 from 3.1 overs.

When Malali took to the crease, Spencer struck 21 from the opening over from Michael Fredericks which set the tone for a good response. However,

Royals Champions bounced back with two swift dismissals before Williams stepped in to hold the innings together with a solid 35. With five overs remaining, the Malali side was 131 for five and Captain Trenton Peters was there in the end, on six, when victory was achieved, following other supporting scores from Rishan Ramnauth (13), Dario Pollard (10) and Travis Giles (15).

Derrell got three for 9 from four overs and Michael Fredericks was expensive taking two for 43 from four overs.

UDCA President Bradley Fredericks handed over the GCB’s winning trophy to Peters while the Man of the Match Award was won by Orlando Williams for his all-round performances and he received his trophy from Jawana Douglas in the company of the UDCA President and its Secretary, Jacquey Bourne.

Neron Barrow collects the MVP trophy from Everton Poole

Malali Captain Trenton Peters receives the winning GCB trophy from UDCA President Bradley Fredericks as other members of the winning team look on

Williams collects the donation from Deputy Project Director of ETK Inc Toroparu Project, Douglas Nespoli de Mello

Mings Products and Services representative John Chin hands over a cheque to the head of the Organising Committee, Region Seven Chairman Kenneth Williams

Though a victory may not be a necessity, Guyana’s senior men’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars will look to prey upon Monserrat today, in the interest of ‘keeping momentum at a high’.

The national team’s final game of the 2022-2023 CONCACAF Nations League will kick off at the Wildley Turf Stadium, Wildley, Barbados from 19:00h, local time.

The talk of the game, set to be hosted in Barbados, originally being a home game is seemingly behind the Golden Jaguars, who, in spite of whatever trials they faced pulled off a must-win victory last Saturday afternoon, thus, relieving themselves of

the must-win jitters.

Now, with the Jaguars’ objective [qualification to the CONCACAF Gold Cup preliminaries} achieved, a few tweaks will be made for today’s game.

Guyana Times Sport was reliably informed that today’s game is likely to see some changes to the Golden Jaguars’ starting line- up, as Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz looks to give some playing time to other ballers on the 23-man squad.

"We would rotate the team and make three changes to the starting line-up while still trying to maintain a good quality. Of course, we want to win and end on a high note, but it's equally important to give

opportunity for more players to compete,” Head Coach Shabazz shared with this publication.

The Coach added, "We want a really competitive unit going forward and the players starting today have

that opportunity to maintain the standards with their performance.”

However, the Head Coach

is, by no means, taking their opposition lightly today.

"It’s clear that Montserrat will hunt results to avoid relegation. So, although we are already in the playoffs we need to approach this as our first preparatory step towards the Gold Cup," Shabazz said about the lingering need to take home three points tonight.

" I am always eager to experiment and see what we can learn about our team from this encounter.”

In addition to the forecasted changes, the Captain’s armband is likely to change hands, giving another young Jaguar the opportunity to lead the Guyanese unit. (Jemima Holmes)

It has been a great period of training for the players at the West Indies Women’s Emerging Players camp and Coach Steve Liburd is hugely impressed with what he is seeing.

“Everyone is enthusiastic, and you can see they are having fun. It has been hard work, on the field, in the nets, in the fitness and gym sessions, but they’re smiling and embracing what they’re doing, and this is truly great to see,” said Liburd.

He was speaking at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG), where the players are in camp for two weeks.

“We wanted to create the environment, where we work hard and also have fun. We stressed on accountability and on discipline, … to make the girls aware of what they are doing and the benefits. Everyone has bought into it … everyone has embraced it, and we are seeing some of the results. This is a great group of players who are eager to learn and improve and the smiles just show how much they enjoy

the work.”

The high-performance camp continues the increased investment of Cricket West Indies (CWI) into the women’s game and forms part of the overall HighPerformance Pathway. CWI’s strategic plan has committed resources into developing women’s cricket at every level.

The High-Performance Camp at CCG plays a vital role in the strategy to develop the talent pool and produce the next generation of West Indies Women’s players.

Among the players selected are teenagers Djenba Joseph, Trishan Holder and Zaida James, who were part of the West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 team at the recent International Cricket Council (ICC) U19 T20 World Cup and were also selected in the West Indies senior team at the ICC T20 World Cup in South Africa.

Other players with international experience who will be participating are all-rounders

Jannilea Glasgow, Kaysia Shultz, Sheneta Grimmond, Qiana

Joseph and Shabika Gajnabi, while other members of the Rising Stars Under-19 team are part of the camp which runs until Thursday, March 30.

“We have seen lots of progress. The coaches have noticed improvement and they have encouraged the players to build on what is being done. The last week we have been working on individual skills and we have also been getting really good feedback from the players. We highlight to them the opportunities that exist in women’s cricket and this camp is a step to giving them the best opportunity to succeed in their careers,” Liburd added.

“Women’s cricket is growing at a rapid rate. We want to make sure we keep up and have the players well prepared for all the upcoming matches, tournaments and global events. The ICC programmes are established, and we have global events every year so we have goals we want to achieve and clear targets.”

(Windies Cricket)

The Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground was treated to another series of exhilarating games, as several teams fought to stay in the running for quarterfinal spots in the Milo Schools’ Under 18 football tournament over the weekend.

New Amsterdam Secondary registered their first victory of the tournament thus far, after edging St Stanislaus College 2-1. New Amsterdam’s Keemani Spellen found the back of the net in the 36th and 47th minutes, while Saints’ consolation goal punctuated Spellen’s brace, coming off the boots of Joel King in the 42nd minute.

It was not as big a victory but a win nonetheless when Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) met Essequibo’s 8th of May Secondary. Amani King and Kemani Field scored in the 50th and 70th minutes respectively, for CWSS’ 2-0 win.

Meanwhile, Berbice Educational Institute eased past St Cuthbert’s Secondary 3-1. T’Jon Reid netted a double

in the 16th and 38th minutes, while Carlo Campbell scored Berbice’s other goal in the 35th. St Cuthbert’s Ronaldo Rodrigues was the lone striker to pierce Berbice’s net in the 49th minute.

Strikes from Jude Andrews (11th) and Michael Joseph (68thh) resulted in a comfortable 2-0 victory for President’s College over North Ruimveldt Multilateral.

The final game of the day was a close one, which saw New Central High prevailing 3-2 over Annandale Secondary. Kenneth Gordon (30th, 70th) had a brace and Peter Khan (62nd) one for New Central, while Swade Edwards (35th) and Shakeel Thomas (70th) made the scoresheet for Annandale.

Then on Sunday, Bush Lot Secondary and Marian Academy played to a 2-2 draw in the first clash of the day. In that contest, Bush Lot’s Omarion Anthony struck first in the 21st, but Tevaun Taylor levelled the score for Maria in the 47th. Nicholas Jones gave Marian the lead in the 53rd, but a goal from Quacey Fraser

of Bush Lot tied the scores up in the 60th minute.

Next, Westminster Secondary thumped Charity Secondary 4-2 on the back of a Harold Haynes (8th, 40th) brace and one apiece from Darwin George (59th) and Nickelle Watson (70th). Raphiel Samuels (11th) and Makhaya Thomas (50th) were the scorers for Charity.

Goals from Shaquan David (22nd, 68th) and Antwon Payne (50th) spurred Ann’s Grove Secondary to a 3-0 victory over Vergenoegen in the penultimate game of the weekend; while Charlestown Secondary closed off on a high with a 4-0 win over Cummings Lodge.

Malcom Hendricks (3rd), Tyler Lyle (9th), Andrew Carto (21st) and Emmanuel Nedd (50th) were the goal scorers for Charlestown.

The third round of the group stage of the Milo tournament will commence this Saturday, April 1. The tournament is sponsored by Nestle Milo, Genequip, GINMIN and MVP Sports.

The Golden Jaguars will be hunting another win tonight

“Everyone is smiling and enjoying training” – Coach’s delight with Emerging Players’ approach

Snippets from the Emerging Players camp in Antigua

Milo U-18 tournament…

CWSS, Charlestown, Ann’s Grove pick up wins as Round 2 ends

Scenes from the Milo U-18 tournament