âGaza is a âkilling fieldâ, says UN Chief -urgestheworldtoact
-atleast35killedinIsraeliattackyesterday
must explain initial
School girl beaten, forced to drink bleach off on tariffs
Trump backs gun accidentally goes off by bullies in washroom when
Cop shot by colleague after -wasthreatenednottotellanyone âŚbutjackeduprateonChineseimports
tax assessment for vehicles imported by Mohameds to eight CSEC subjects for students
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs
Anil Nandlall says the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will have to explain how it initially assessed the import taxes paid by Azruddin Mohamed on several luxury vehicles that the authority is now going after to seize over unpaid taxes.
Speaking on his weekly programme, âIssues in the Newsâ on Tuesday night, Nandlall said that while the agency will have to provide an explanation on its previous assessment, he clarified that GRA has long held the legal authority to conduct post-audit reviews ofimportdutyassessments.
Notably, GRA is going after the vehicles over breaches of re-migrant and duty-free agreements, claiming Mohamed owes over $1.2 billion in taxes.
DetailsrevealedbyGRAare asfollows:
⢠One 2020 Ferrari PAD 5000 in the name of Hana Mohamed, with additional taxes of $479,743, 489 for breach of the re-migrant requirements,
⢠One 2023 Land Rover Range Rover PAC 9000 in the name of Leslie Khan, with additional taxes of $61,485,982 for breach of there-migrantrequirements,
⢠One 2023 Rolls Royce PAE 5000 in the name of Bibi Moham
$320,064,246 for breach of there-migrantrequirements,
â˘One2020Lamborghini Roadster PZZ 4000 titled to Azruddin Mohamed, with
$371,775,168 for false declarationofvalue.
⢠One 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser PAB 4000 titled to Azruddin Mohamed, with ad
$24,641,272 for false declarationofvalue.
⢠One 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser PAB 3000 titled to Azruddin Mohamed, with addi
$24,641,272 for false declarationofvalue.
For his part, Nandlall statedthatGRAwillhaveto
explain who did the initial assessment and why it was done in the way that it was done,resultinginmillionsin unpaid taxes. However, he explained, âThe GRA alwayshasandalwayshada power to review the assessment of duties and taxes.Itiscalledapost-audit power It is in the law, and any businessman who has hadanyrelationshipwiththe Guyana Revenue Authority wouldknowofthatpower.â
He outlined that such reviews are standard practice,particularlyincases involving duty-free concessions such as the remigrant scheme or other government-facilitated tax relief programs. âThe GRA
President Irfaan Ali has disclosed that the GovernmentofGuyanawill meet with local exporters beforetheendoftheweekto gauge the impact of United States38%reciprocaltariffs on Guyanese exports would haveonthem.
Last Wednesday, United States President Donald Trump announced a 38% tariffongoodsfromGuyana andstatedthatthiscountryis chargingtheUS76%tariffs in currency manipulation andtradebarriers.
from them as to the current impact or the current circumstances, but there is some good conversations goingon.â
At his last press conference, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo explained that the move was not unexpected, given that Trump campaigned on addressingtradeimbalances betweentheUSandvarious countries.
going after vehicles that were brought into the country on different concessionsisalsonotanew phenomenon,âhesaid.
His comments come amid claims by Mohameds thattherecenteffortstoseize hisluxuryvehiclesover$1.2 billion in unpaid taxes are politically motivated Mohamed had alleged that both Vice President Bharrat JagdeoandNandlallwarned himtoabandonanypolitical ambitions or face repercussions, including the seizureofhisvehicles.
theirlegalcounselandaimed a t e n s u r i n g t h e i r disengagement from Staterelatedbusiness.âTheywere accorded all the due processes to which they are entitled. They were treated lawfully and all the protective safeguards guaranteed to them by law were extended to them,â he said.
Meanwhile,speakingon the sidelines of the Local Content Summit on Tuesday, PresidentAli said, âAswesaidearlier,theUSis a strong partner of Guyana and we have a lot of d i s c u s s i o n s a n d conversations that are ongoing and Iâm not going to go further at this point.â
Hecontinued,âIhaveasked theMinisterofFinanceandI knowourVicePresidenttoo will be meeting with our exporters before the end of this week to have a sense
However, in a stunning reversal, U S President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would temporarily lower the hefty duties he had just imposed ondozensofcountrieswhile further ramping up pressure on China, sending U S stocksrocketinghigher Trumpâs turnabout, which came less than 24 hours after steep new tariffs kicked in on most trading partners, followed the most intense episode of financial market volatility since the earlydaysoftheCOVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reported on Wednesday The upheaval erased trillions of dollars from stock markets and led to an unsettling surge in U.S. government bondyieldsthatappearedto catchTrumpâsattention.
Further, he noted that in Guyanaâscase,theUStrade figuressuggestasubstantial trade surplus that Guyana exportsmoretotheUSthan it imported, while Guyanaâs datadifferssignificantly As
a result, he assured Guyanese exporters that the government will seek to clarify the difference in the trade surplus data with the aim of potentially lowering thetariff.Usinginformation from the United Nations
COMTRADE, Jagdeo pointed out a significant difference between Guyanaâs trade surplus figures versus the figures reported by the US. For 2024, Guyanaâs report to UNCOMTRADEstatesthat the country exported US$3.3billiontotheUSand
imported US$2.56 billion, leaving a trade surplus of US$799 million. However, the US report to the UN COMTRADE presents drastically different figures, showing Guyanaâs exports to the US for 2024 were US$5.5 billion and imports were only US$1.3 billion, resultinginatradesurplusof US$4.1 billion. âSo, clearly thereisroomforustowork with the US partners to clarify this information,â Jagdeosaid.Hehadassured exporters that the government will work with them to mitigate the impact of the tariff and noted that thereisnoneedtopanic.He said,âIwanttoassureallof our exporters that weâll work with them as we learn moreoftheissue.Wewillbe meetingwiththem,working withthemtoensurethatthey can continue to access the US markets and other markets in the world and they will have the full support of the government ofGuyanaandsothatwedo not lose economic, welfare, or welfare associated with thelossofeconomicoutput, thisislikepeoplelosingjobs etcetera in the export industries.â
ButtheAttorneyGeneral hasrefutedthoseallegations, stating,âIhaveneverspoken toMr AzruddinMohamedin the presence of Mr JagdeoâŚsince the sanction was imposed, I have never spoken to Mr Mohamed in person or on the phone by himself.â
Azruddin and his father, Nazar âShellâ Mohamed, and their businesses were sanctioned in June 2024 by the U.STreasuryâs Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) over allegations of corruption, tax evasion, and gold smuggling The sanctionswerealsoimposed on former Ministry of LabourPermanentSecretary MaeThomas,whoisaccused of granting State contracts and benefits to the Mohameds.
Nandlall stated that any meetings he had with the Mohamed family after the sanctions were imposed were official in nature, conductedinthepresenceof
Last Saturday, the GRA andtheGuyanaPoliceForce attempted to seize the vehicles, but were met with resistance from Team Mohamed supporters who blocked the operation A temporary injunction from the High Court has since barred the agency from seizing the vehicles pending afinalruling.
M o h a m e d h a s maintained that the vehicles were legally imported and approvedthroughtheproper GRA channels years ago, questioningthetimingofthe renewed interest in the matter âWeârenotgivingup the vehicles because the vehicleswereapprovedâŚso why seize them now, four years after?â he previously said.
24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456
Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams
Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
The main opposition party, Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) has rejected the decision by the government to use the Barbados-headquartered Regional Security System (RSS) to investigate the killings in Linden, citing past failures and that the organisation cannot be deemed impartial and independent.
Theyalsosaidthatthetrackrecordofthatbodydoing workinGuyanahasleftmuchtobedesiredandthatifthe government truly cares about investigating the killings, they would look somewhere else. These sentiments have found resonance with some Guyanese who have not forgotten the role played by the RSS in the probe into the murderoftheHenrybrothersfromWestCoastBerbice. Lindener, Ronaldo Peters, 23, was shot dead on Monday afternoon by a policeman who claimed that the youthwaswantedforrapeandthat,intryingtoarresthim, his firearm accidentally went off and shot him. In the ensuing protest on Tuesday, another young man, Keon Dan Fogenay, was shot and killed by police who were tryingtobeatbackprotesters.
PresidentIrfaanAlionTuesdaywhilecommentingon the killings said: âI have been fully briefed on the current situationinLinden.TheCommissionerhasadvisedmeon the immediate actions taken: the police officers involved inthetwoincidentsarecurrentlyunderclosearrest;afull investigation will be conducted with the support of the Regional Security System (RSS); every aspect of these incidents will be examined thoroughly and transparently, withexternaloversight,âAlisaidinastatement.
TheRSS,washeretoconductaninvestigationintothe killing of the Henry brothers back in 2020 and as Chairman of the PNCR, Shurwayne Holder said they have been a complete failure. Holder said, âWe do not believe that a thorough, impartial or independent investigation can be done by the RSS. We've seen the workoftheRSSbefore,whenitwasthecaseoftheHenry boys back in 2020; we saw them say that the RSS would havedonewhateverinvestigationandthatwasacomplete failure. Up to today, we don't have closure into the Henry boys' matterâŚboth parents of those boys died not knowingwhatexactlytranspired.â
To begin with, Guyana unlike back in 2020, is now a full member of the RSS having formally joined the organisation in September 2022, after President Ali signed the Instrument of Accession. Soon after, this country took over the rotating chairmanship. The RSS was established in the early 1970s and 1980s in response to the necessity for a coordinated response to security challengesthatwerethreateningregionalstability.
In order to establish âmutual assistance on requestâ, four Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Barbados in October 1982. St. Kitts and Nevis joined after gaining independence in September 1983, and Grenada joined in January 1985. The MOU was revised in 1992, and the Treaty, which was signed in St. George's, Grenada, gave the RSS legal standing in March 1996
That Guyana is a member of the RSS and is probably one of its top financiers, that organisation can hardly be consideredindependentandimpartialtobedeployedhere to investigate the case that involves the state premier law enforce organisation- the Guyana Police Force
Additionally,basedonthestructureoftheRSSatthetop, is the council of ministers of which Guyana's Home AffairsMinister,Robesonisamember
The commissioners of police and defence chiefs of the various are also part of the body. It is anyone's guess howtheirinfluencecancompromiseaninvestigation.
Flushedwithoilmoneythathasbeenspentrecklessly, the President Ali administration can afford to engage Scotland Yard or the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) to conduct a proper investigation into the incidents and
We cannot claim to love democracy only when it serves us
Dear Editor,
IreadLelonSaul'srecent letter (I call upon the opposition-appointed GECOM commissioners to resign). And then I read it again. Not because it was persuasive, but because something about it lingered. SomethingIcouldn'tshake.
Perhaps it was the tone âheavy with opprobrium and indignation.
Or maybe it was the pretense â the pretense that we didn't just live through the near-collapse of our democracy a mere five years ago.
Lelon writes of fairness, of public trust and institutionalfailure.
All worthy concerns to be sure. But as I read his sermon for the third time, I couldn't help but wonder: where were his sermons on public trust in 2020, when the foundations of this country were once again being tested in ways that still haunt our collective memories?
I remember those months clearly â this wasn't 1968, 1973, 1985. This was real. And while many of us raised our voices â ordinary citizens, journalists, community leaders, I don't recall reading a sermon from
Mr Saul.
Thatsilencematters. Because principles, if they are real, don't disappear when they're inconvenient. They certainly don't wait in the wings only to reappear when it is politically expedient.
Editor, there's an expression for that â moral inconsistency It's when outrage becomes selective and when memory is edited for comfort.
Now, I expect Mr Saul might respond with more manufactured opprobrium claiming this is some kind of personalattack.
\That I wish to discredit him. Let me be clear: this is not a personal attack on Mr Saul.
I merely wish to highlight pattern and timing â the loudness of his voice now, on an administrative matter no less, contrasted with the silence that preceded it. In public life, thisanalysisisfairgame.
At the centre of Mr Saul's concern is the nonrenewal of GECOM's legal advisor He sees it as evidence of bias, perhaps even revenge. But the facts areplainerthanthat.
\Thelegaladvisor,acting
in a matter before the court, publiclysubmittedaposition contrary to that of his clientâGECOM itself. In almost any other legal or professional context, that would be considered a breach of trust Any employer, especially one as sensitive and scrutinized as GECOM,wouldhavereason t o r e a s s e s s s u c h a relationship.
Mr Saul writes with conviction. He's concerned, if you can manage to read past the manufactured indignation, about the nonrenewalofthelegaladvisor's contract, seeing in it the collapse of GECOM's credibility
As a Guyanese citizen, those are concerns worth having. But his letter feels disingenuous, especially giventhecontext.
In 2020, we watched as GECOM officials aligned with the party he represents attempted to overwrite the results of a national election.
Even Bruce Golding, the head of the OAS observer mission, remarked that he had never seen âa more transparent effort to alter the results of an election.â That, too, was a breach of trust and a far more dangerousone.
So when Mr Saul writes indignantlyofGECOMnow, I have to askâwhere was this energy when it was truly needed?
None of this is to say GECOM is perfect No public institution is But if we are going to speak about reform, about strengthening democracy, then we must be honest about the full story We must remember the silence
We must hold ourselves to the same standards we ask of others. Anything less is n o t p r i n c i p l e i t ' s performance.
So, noâI don't agree with Mr Saul. Not because I deny the importance of accountability, but because I believe accountability starts withhonesty
With consistency With memory
We cannot claim to love democracy only when it serves us. We cannot forget the near-crisis of 2020 simply because it is inconvenient to remember And we cannot pretend that outrage, is the same as moral clarity
Guyana deserves better And more importantly, Guyanaremembers.
Sincerely, Alfonso DeArmas
Alexander's letter is a desperate attempt to create mischief, to misinform and to rabble-rouse
Dear Editor, I found Mr Vincent Alexander's letter on the court's decision to dismiss Ms. Carol Joseph's case on the Elections Commission in the âStabroek Newsâ of April 6, 2025, to be disingenuous.Itisdangerous too since Mr Alexander is a member of the Elections Commission for many years and he must know that his arguments are based on selected information and did notgivethewholepicture.
It could also be considered disrespectful to describe the ruling of the Chief Justice (ag) as âmyopicâ.
Inpassingitisappositeto observe that almost all the decisions handed down by
the learned Chief Justice have stood up really well at other levels in the legal system.
ItisMr Alexanderwhois really myopic because it seems as his main purpose is to find ways and means to reduce the security of elections.
This has been happening sincethepost1997elections. In the run up to those elections the Parliamentary Parties worked to strengthen the security of the vote. Agreements were reached. The most famous being the acceptance of using voter ID cards as the only mean of voting.
It was in those, the most secure of elections, that the PPP/Civic has its largest
make recommendations to improve the operations of the Guyana Police Force, instead of spending US$50,000 ($10m) on a firm to lobby the Trump Administration. The PPP/C in previous administrations and they are doing the same currently, often resorts to these dubious entities or individuals to conduct very serious investigations that have the potential to further inflame deep ethnic divisions that existinoursocietytoday
Itbegsthequestionswhethertheyarereallyeverserious aboutgettingtothetruthorfixingthemess.
majority
Since then, the PNC has been doing its darnest to weaken the process. Even when their proposals were accepted but they lose they begin 'again' to try to discredit GECOM and indeedtheprocess.
This time Mr Alexander seems to be taking a broader aim and has included the Judiciary or judges who uphold the law, both in letter and spirit. Let's therefore go backtobasicsandseewhatis the most important ingredient of a free and fair election. It is to ensure that those who vote are real persons with all the qualifications to be a voter I submit that this has been the case since 1992. Only real peoplevoted.Whenthe1997 elections were audited the report stated that not a single fraudulent ballot was found.
Itwasbecauseofthisthatthe PNC resorted to using administrative measures as theytriedin2020.
Mr. Alexander clothed his arguments with a lot of fluff. Using statements such as âResiding and Claiming
an address are not conterminous.â
What Mr Alexander is trying to obscure is the fact that to get on the list one's address had to be verified. The process is as follows. Every registrant had to be visited at his/her home, not just by GECOM's officials alone but by scrutineers of the governing party and the oppositionpartiesaswell. Therefore, every person on the voters list was verified, so too was the address where that person resides! This fact Mr Alexandermustknow,hehas been on the Commission âsinceNoahwasalittleboy.â Mr Alexander'sletterisa desperate attempt to create mischief, to misinform and torabblerouse.
Mr Alexander and the PNC would do well to focus their energies in producing realistic plans and programmes to capture the imagination of the people and cease their campaign of disinformation.
Regards
a r Former President
Dear Editor,
Tuesday 8 April 2025 wasaverysaddayinGuyana âmarkingahugestainonthe already soiled tapestry of GuyanaPoliceForceculture. There are of course some individual officers who take their job seriously and adopt a professional approach to it, butthoseofficersarebutfew andfarbetween.
Police officers in the ungazetted ranks remain lowly paid despite their recentpayincreases.Forthis reason, the culture of 'hustling' for money whilst on the job has not been curbed at all. Police officers in uniform openly solicit bribes for a raft of legal favours and with practiced ease invite friendly 'top-ups' frommotoriststheydecideto stoprandomly.Thatendemic money corruption leads to a wider corruption of almost everything else the GPF does.
The events of 4/8, as our American friends might call it, provide the most recent glaring example of this behaviour On that day came news of two young men, Ronaldo Peters and Dan Johnson, being shot dead by police in separate incidents in Linden. That the Guyana Police Force is dishonest, delivers its services at a low standard and acts with impunity are well known facts. The lives of those two young men should not have beenterminatedbytheGPF No inquiry has yet been undertaken. It is much too early for that to happen.
What is known thus far is that the GPF either lied or was careless in the statement it issued that uniformed officers arrested Mr Peters âwhom they allegedly shot as hetriedtoescape.Thepolice version of the facts of the shooting is that a gun discharged accidentally as police tried to hold on to Mr Peters â another GPF lie perhaps?Itisregrettablethat itissoveryeasyandsensible to question the truth of statements issued by the GuyanaPoliceForce.Where is the Service and Protection promisedbytheGPFmotto? Then the police shot Dan Johnson dead as he participated in the protest that followed the shooting of Ronaldo Peters. Why on earth should police in 2025 be deploying ranks with live roundstocounterprotesters? Is it a case that the top brass intheGuyanaPoliceForceis too preoccupied with building vast personal fortunes â on a scale that could allow them to leave their monthly salary untouchedâthattheyseenot any reason to ask the Government to provide the
Force with rubber bullets to deal with mass civil unrest thatgetsout-of-hand?
It would be interesting to find out whether the officers involved were wearing bodycam. If they were that would either exonerate or damnthepolice.Iftheywere not that would raise the big question as to why the GPF have bodycam anyway? The officers who killed Mr Boston in his bed in the presence of his wife when theyburstintohisDartmouth home at 4 00am one morning, were not wearing bodycam! The police are so corrupt that they routinely act sloppily, apparently without firm directives and guidancefromthoseabove
(Continue on page 6)
Dear Editor, In public office, impartiality and fairness must be the guiding principles of every decision. Public officials, especially those entrusted with safeguarding democratic processes, must ensure their actions withstand rigorous scrutiny Unfortunately, the G u y a n a E l e c t i o n s Commission (GECOM) has repeatedly failed in this regard. Far from being an independent body, GECOM has become politicized and weaponized in favour of the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic(PPP/C).
The recent decision not
to renew the contract of LegalAdviser Kurt Da Silva onApril 8, 2024, is a glaring example of this bias. This move appears vindictive, coming just weeks after GECOM's Chairperson p r a i s e d D a S i l v a ' s performance, only to side w i t h P P P - a l i g n e d commissioners in voting against his retention Notably, this followed the LegalAdviserbeingpublicly rebuked by GECOM's CEO forhissubmissionsinacourt caseagainstthecommission. Suchcontradictionsexposea disturbingpatternofpolitical interference.
ItisevidentthatGECOM
haslosttheconfidenceofthe people. Its repeated failures to act impartially undermine its mandate and erode public trust. As a nation, we can no longer afford to tolerate GECOM in its current form. The commission is in dire need of reorganization and restructuring Complaints against its operations are n u m e r o u s , y e t t h e contributions of opposition c o m m i s s i o n e r s a r e consistentlyignored. Decisive action is required if constructive engagement and reform are to be achieved The opposition
(Continue on page 6)
Dear Editor, I have known Bro Eusi fordecades.Ifirstmethimin my teenage years through my mother, Margaret Ackman-John,whowasthen active in the People's Progressive Party (PPP) alongside youthful figures such as Ina Solomon, Joyce Heywood, and Evelyn Adams Their political gatherings often took place at our home. I wasn't yet deeply engaged, but I observed.
Our home was one of many small but important meeting places where ideas were exchanged, strategies debated, and bonds of solidarity quietly forged. It was in these intimate, often impromptu gatherings that I firstencounteredthespiritof political organising and thequietforcethatwasBaba Eusi Kwayana.Like Marcus Garvey before him, Baba Eusi played a profound role in awakening Black consciousness and deepening ourunderstandingofAfrican identity
But he did not merely speak of Africaâhe taught it, lived it, and demanded that we recognise our rightful place within its vast and dignified legacy. Through his writings, speeches,anddailyexample, he challenged us to reflect deeplyonwhowewere,who we might become, and the historical forces that shaped oursenseofself.
Yet his vision went far beyond awakening It extended to building. Long b e f o r e t e r m s l i k e âcooperative economicsâ becamecommonplace,Baba Eusi championed themânot asjargon,butasawayoflife.
He believed in the enduring power of villagesânot just as geographic communities, but as cultural, economic, social, and spiritual ecosystems. In them, he saw theseedsofself-relianceand communaldignity His advocacy for village industries and cooperative practices was no abstraction. It was a practical and principled response to the structural legacies of colonialism, and a working blueprint for local empowerment.
In my adult years, our paths crossed again when I became active in the Working People's Alliance (WPA). From that point on, I wascontinuallystruckbyhis vast knowledge of human affairs, quiet intellect, deep dignity, respect for othersâand above all, his humility
L o n g b e f o r e t h e formation of the WPA, Baba Eusi had already laid significant groundwork through earlier movements.
He founded the African Society for Racial Equality (ASRE), and later, the African Society for Cultural Relations with Independent A f r i c a (ASCRIA) organisations rooted in cultural pride and political self-determination. In 1974, ASCRIA merged into the WPA, further solidifying his role in shaping a broad-based movement for justice and transformationinGuyana.
Within the WPA, his influence was unmistakable. His writings comprising numerous books, pamphlets, and articlesâformed a core part of the movement's intellectual foundation. So
prolific was his output that Nigel Westmaas and other W P A c o l l e a g u e s affectionately referred to himasâthePen.â
Itwasafittingtributetoa man whose words were as powerfulashisactions.
For me, this tribute is not only a personal honour but a historical duty As I sat to write, I quickly realised the task's magnitude The breadth of Baba Eusi's life and contributions could fill volumes Fortunately, several published works have captured the spirit and accomplishments of the man wehonourtoday
One such piece is âThe Year 1953 and the Shaping of the Soul of Guyanaâ (Stabroek News, July 1, 2019)byDavidComissiong. Itprovidesimportantcontext for understanding the events that shaped Baba Eusi's remarkable characterâand why he became one of Guyana's most influential and, at times, controversial politicalactivists.
That article highlights t h e h i s t o r i c 1 9 5 3 electionsâthefirstinBritish Guianaunderuniversaladult suffrageâand names Eusi Kwayana (then Sydney King) among the original members of the PPP, alongside Cheddi Jagan, Forbes Burnham, Martin Carter, Janet Jagan, Fred Bowman,AshtonChase,and Rory Westmaas. It was a p i v o t a l m o m e n t i n Caribbean history, when a newly elected socialist administration stood at odds withtheoldimperialorder
Baba Eusi Kwayana was born on April 4, 1925âless than a century after the abolition of slavery in
I call upon the opposition...
From page 5 commissioners Messrs
Guyana and the British West Indies (1834), and just eight years after the end of Indian indentured labour in 1917. He would have grown up surrounded by the stories and lived realities of those who came before him, shaped by generations of struggle and survival. The social and political upheavals of the 1930s, including widespread riots across Guyana and the British West Indies, followed by the global disruptions of World War II, must have further sharpened hispoliticalconsciousness.
That growing awareness propelled him to the forefront of activism in 1953 when,attheyoungageof28, he was named among eight individuals recognised as 'shapers of the soul of Guyana.â
A remarkable feat in its own rightâbut made even more so by his appointment a s M i n i s t e r o f Communications and Works in the newly elected government.
Today, as we mark his 100th birthday, he remains the last surviving member of that historic Cabinet a living link to one of the most significant moments in our nation's journey. Yet the full measure of his legacy stretches well beyond politics.
I've been reliably informed that he was instrumentalinincludingthe poetry of his friend and comradeMartinCarterinthe English Literature syllabus fortheGeneralCertificateof Education (GCE) examsâa legacy that continues through the Caribbean Examinations Council
(CXC), where Carter's âThis Is the Dark Time, My Loveâ remains on the syllabus for EnglishB.
As an educator, Baba Eusimadeanindeliblemark.
In 1956, he founded and served as principal of County High School in Buxton, later renamed Republic Cooperative High School.
Interestingly, a Google search yields no record of this institutionâa gap our historians may be inspired to address.
InthearticleâWeDecide Our Own Heroes:ADefense of Eusi Kwayana and Walter Rodneyâ, we find this powerful testimony from Rodneyhimself:
âWe take great pride in the presence in our ranks of Eusi Kwayana... He is not just an intellectual or political figure, but as a human being, a person of tremendous quality an individualwhohasremained uncorrupted, uncorruptible within a context of corruptionandsqualor.Heis a tremendous example to those of us who are younger than he is⌠[he] moved through the various epochs of struggle, against first colonialism and then against one or another form of racist distortion in our history, and is still as young, as fresh as ever in his presentation of a n a l y s i s o n t h e contemporary situation and forthefutureâ.
These words speak to Bro Eusi's unwavering commitment to principled struggle, and his lifelong dedication to ending racial injustice and building an inclusivesociety He has been many
things playwright, poet, e d u c a t o r, p o l i t i c a l songwriter, grassroots organizer He stayed at the crease and made a c e n t u r y n o t w i t h boundaries or sixes, but with steady,enduringwork.
As a writer, his book A New Look at Jonestown: Dimensions from a Guyanese Perspective is a vital lens through which to understand the Peoples Templetragedynotjustasan isolated event, but as part of a broader post-colonial context. As reviewer Laura Johnston Kohl observed, it's a must-read for those seeking to grasp both the local and global dynamics that made such a tragedy possible.
Ofcourse,hislifehasnot been without controversy W e r e c a l l t h e misinterpretation of his proposals on national unity, particularly the accusation that he advocated for racial partition.
But such distortions are often wielded by those with vested interests in division. Baba Eusi's record of crossracial and cross-party cooperationspeaksforitself. I could go on. But I close with this: a callâperhaps already made for the highest recognition to be bestowed upon Baba Kwayana.
He has contributed tirelesslytoeverydimension of national life: political, social, economic, and cultural.
His impact stretches beyond Guyana, resonating with freedom-loving people theworldover
Regards
Keith Scott
'Service and Protection...
Vi n c e n t A l e x a n d e r, Desmond Trotman, and Charles Corbin must now take a stand. Continuing to participateinadysfunctional system only legitimizes its failures. The time has come to halt GECOM's operations andbringthesecriticalissues
before the National Assemblyforresolution. Therefore,Icalluponthe oppositioncommissionersto resign immediately This is n e c e s s a r y t o f o r c e meaningful reformâor else
they risk being complicit in propping up a broken and politically compromised institution.
The future of Guyana's democracydemandsnothing less.
Sincerely
Lelon Saul
From page 6 whoaretoobusyfillingtheir pockets or accepting big salarymerelyforshowingup in their offices â on the days theydecidetodoso. Murder cases are the only ones that truly gain the attention of police. They cannot avoid investigating a homicide â but then their ineptitude coming from lack of proper practice across the spectrum of their duties kick in. Their attention to other cases will depend upon whether officers involved are incentivised to act Apparently, there is no real risk of sanction when they fail to act or act way below any reasonably expected
standard. I am personally aware of a case involving larceny of truck parts valued at close to $1M by a man employed to drive the truck from which the parts were removedwithouttheowner's p e r m i s s i o n â a straightforward case of larceny by bailee â in which all that has been done in 2 years is arresting the perpetrator only after direct complaint was made to the CrimeChief.
The Crime Chief
assigned a Detective Inspector who promptly arranged the arrest of the man several months ago. Since then, the police have lied saying that a file was
sent to the office of the DPP
Nothing further on record has been done â I make this assertion as an attorney with some insider access â and nowitisveryeasytowonder just why not? Where is the Service and Protection for those who do not pay more than their taxes due to the GuyanaRevenueAuthority?
If the Guyana Police Force operated as a truly professionalbodyinkeeping with its motto to serve and protect the citizens of Guyana, those two young Lindeners would have still been alive today May their soulsrestinpeace. Yours truly Ronald Bostwick
(BBC NEWS) The UN's secretary-general says "aid has dried up [and] the floodgates of horror have reopened" in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has blocked the entry of all goods and resumed the war against Hamas.
"Gaza is a killing field, and civilians are in an endlessdeathloop,"AntĂłnio Guterres said on Tuesday. Hiscommentscomeafterthe heads of six UN agencies appealed to world leaders to act urgently to ensure food and supplies reached Palestiniansthere.
Israel's foreign ministry insisted there was enough food in Gaza and accused Guterres of "spreading slanderagainstIsrael".Israel blockadedGazaon 2 March, after the first stage of a ceasefire expired Hamas refused to extend that part of the truce, accusing Israel of r e n e g i n g o n i t s commitments.
Israel then renewed its aerial bombardment and ground offensive on 18 March and these have since killed 1,449 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The Israelimilitaryinsistsitdoes not target civilians. In his address to journalists, Guterres said Israel, as the occupying power, had o b l i g a t i o n s u n d e r international law to ensure that food and medical supplies get to the population "The current path is a dead end â totally intolerable in the eyes of international law and history,"hesaid.
Responding to the comments, Israel's foreign ministry said there was no aid shortage in Gaza.
"As always, you don't let thefactsgetinthewaywhen spreading slander against Israel," spokesman Oren Marmorsteinsaid.
"There is no shortage of humanitarianaidintheGaza Strip-over25,000aidtrucks have entered the Gaza Strip in the 42 days of the ceasefire," he added Guterres's comments followed a joint statement issuedbysixUNagencieson Monday that said world leaders must act urgently to make sure food and aid supplies get to Palestinians in the Strip. Gazans were "trapped, bombed and starvedagain",thestatement said. "The latest ceasefire allowed us to achieve in 60
d a y s w h a t b o m b s ,
UN Secretary General,
obstruction and lootings prevented us from doing in 470 days of war: life-saving supplies reaching nearly everypartofGaza,"itsaid.
"While this offered a short respite, assertions that there is now enough food to feed all Palestinians in Gaza arefarfromtherealityonthe ground, and commodities arerunningextremelylow."
The statement was signed by the heads of: OCHA - UN's Office for the C o - o r d i n a t i o n o f Humanitarian Affairs; Unicef - UN's children's agency; WFP - World Food Programme; WHO - World Health Organization; Unrwa - UN agency for Palestinian refugees and UNOPS - UN OfficeforProjectServices.
Because of the blockade, all UN-supported bakeries have closed, markets are empty of most fresh vegetables and hospitals are rationing painkillers and antibiotics.
The statement says that Gaza's "partially functional h e a l t h s y s t e m i s overwhelmed [and] essentialmedicalandtrauma supplies are rapidly running out." "With the tightened Israeli blockade on Gaza now in its second month, we appealtoworldleaderstoact â firmly, urgently and decisively â to ensure the basic principles of international humanitarian lawareupheld.
"Protect civilians. Facilitate aid. Release hostages. Renew a ceasefire."
The two-month pause in fighting saw a surge in humanitarian aid let into Gaza, as well as the release by Hamas of 33 hostageseight of them dead - in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinianprisonersheldby Israel. On Tuesday, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said at least 58 people had been killed in the territory overtheprevious24hours.
Israeli strikes overnight killed 19 people, including five children whose home in the central town of Deir alBalah was hit, according to the Hamas-run Civil
Defence agency Another 11 people were reportedly killed in two separate strikes in the northern town of Beit Lahiaandanareanorth-west ofGazaCity
M e a n w h i l e , t h e
Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) said a secondPalestinianjournalist had died of the wounds followinganIsraelistrikeon Monday.
A h m e d M a n s o u r sufferedsevereburnswhena media tent in the southern city Khan Younis was hit, also killing his Palestine Today colleague Helmi al-
Israel has blocked all goods from entering Gaza for more than a month
Faqaawi.TheIsraelimilitary said the strike targeted a third journalist, Hassan Eslaih, whom it accused of being a "Hamas terrorist".
The PJS said Eslaih was in a critical condition following theattack,alongwithseveral other journalists. The war was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken back to Gaza as hostages. More than 50,810 Palestinianshavebeenkilled in the Israeli offensive since then, according to Gaza's healthministry
One of the deceased bandits in the botched supermarket robbery on Hadfield Street has been identified as 15-year-old Tyrese Adams of Pineapple Street,EastRimveldt.
His accomplice 22-yearold Orwin Garraway of 595 East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme also lost his life in the said robbery They were shot dead by the security guardonduty
In a statement to the media the Guyana Police
Force disclosed that enquiries indicate that four
identifiable males armed with handguns, attempted to rob the Jai Jai Supermarket managedby31-year-oldGan Zhang at about 19:30hrs
T u e s d a y T h e supermarketâs bottom flat consistsoftwocashierboots on the eastern and western sides, and is secured by one armed security guard on a 12hrsbasis,whowasonduty atthetimeoftherobbery He was armed with a 9mm pistol and 15 round of matchingammunition,when two of the suspects entered the establishment They
were both dressed in darkcoloured clothing, with black ski masks covering their faces and armed with handguns.
Theywenttothecashiers on either sides of the supermarketandoneofthem pointed his weapon at the male cashier, demanding he hands over the money His accomplice proceeded to ransack the other cashierâs booth. âThe armed security guard emerged from inside the supermarket and confronted the bandits, both of whom started running in
President Irfaan Ali announced on Wednesday that, beginning this year, the government will pay the full examination fees for all students writing their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
The Head of State made the announcement during a public meeting in Region Three, which was held at the West Demerara Secondary School. âAs I speak to younow,parentsarepreparingtopayfortheir childrenâsCXCfees.Youarealreadyputting aside the money, right? Well, I have good news for you, with effect from this yearâs CXC,thegovernmentwillpayinfull,thecost for at least eight subjects for every single child in the public and private school system,âhesaidonWednesday
President Irfaan Ali
âThese are the policies that we are embracing, this is the future that we are creating. We donât need an event for us to invest in the people and their future; we are notaseasonalpresenceinyourlives.âPriorto the Presidentâs announcement, a parent would pay around $45,000 for eight CSEC subjects.
an attempt to exit the supermarket One of the suspects fell to the ground inside the supermarket, whiletheotherranoutofthe supermarketandfellontothe roadabout15feetwestofthe supermarket,âpolicesaid.
The guard recalled that when he exited the supermarket he observed there were two other suspects who were standing outside the supermarket, theystartedrunningwestand made good their escape There were two blue and black Haojue motorcycles onemissingitsnumberplate and the other bearing registration CP 623, parked in front of the supermarket with the keys still in the ignition.
Emergency Medical
Te c h n i c i a n s w e r e summoned to the scene and Dr Kellman of the Guyana Public Hospital Corporation pronounced both suspects dead. While processing the scene police discovered one Glock 17 with eight matchingroundsnexttoone ofthesuspects.Additionally, therewerethirteenlive9mm spent shells, one live 9mm round of ammunition, and three fragments were found inside the supermarket,
while one 9mm spent shell and three fragments were foundontheroadinfrontof thesupermarket.
Thepolicedisclosedthat upon examination of the remains it was discovered that Garraway sustained suspected gunshot wounds in his right and left ribs, hands, nose and right shoulder, while Adams sustained suspected gunshot wounds in his upper right shoulder,stomach,oneinhis lowerbackandlefthip.
The spent shells as well
evidence bags and lodged withtheballisticssectionfor analysis.There were several persons questioned and footage from cameras attached to the supermarket were reviewed and extracted.
The other suspects remain at large as checks madeforthemprovedfutile. ThebodiesofGarrawayand Adams were taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting postmortemexaminations.
Meanwhile,Adamsâaunt in a post on her Facebook page said she was writing withabrokenheart.âRestup my nephew, God got you
regardless,youwasnâtnopie but your family still loves you.Ifonlyyouusetolisten, just listen but God knows best.â
Inavideoclipcirculating on social media his father who appeared visibly distraught said that, âThey just kill meh big son, they justkillhebaii.Eventhough h e d o e s d e h p o n stupidnessâŚkill he. He and he friend they go fuh rob a Chinee jus now Well duh is howlifeisgoâŚYessI.â A residen
publication that she lived in the area withAdams and he was young enough to be her son. She said she was aware that the young man at one time attended the Lodge Secondary, but she was not aware of when he stopped. âIâm an outsider grow up in thesameareahecouldbemy son. He lost his mom at a very early age and he faced so much, as they say when mom gone, kids are aloneto face this cold, cold world he iswrongyesbutGodknows best and when your family washmouthonyouhmmall his struggles are over,â she said. Attempts to make contact with family membersprovedfutile.
âNon-Renewal of Legal Officerâs contract a political spiteâ
The Working Peopleâs Alliance (WPA), on Wednesday, criticised the recent decision by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) not to renew the contract of its legal officer,KurtDaSilva.
According to the WPA, the non-renewal is essentially out of âpolitical spiteâ and raises concerns over GECOMâs ability toconductimpartialelections.
In a statement, the WPA condemnedthedecision,statingit wasâyetanotherlethalnailinthe coffin of democracy and fairness at that pivotal constitutional body.â The WPAalso accused the Chairperson of being impartial bysidingwiththePeopleâsProgressiveParty Civic (PPP/C), asserting that she âhas gone againstherownjudgment.â
Executive member of WPA, Dr. David Hinds
GECOMâs Chairperson, Justice (Retâd) ClaudetteSingh.
TheWPAraisedfurtherconcernsthatthe legal officer should not be âdismissedâ for giving his opinion to the court about this yearâselections.
âHavingpreviouslygivenMr DaSilvaa high passing grade, she now joins the PPP commissioners in dismissing him. This is a blatantcaseofgettingridofanemployeenot because of bad performance, but out of politicalspite,âWPAstated.
On Tuesday, GECOM voted against the renewal of Da Silvaâs contract, following a disputeregardingaresidencycase.Thevote saw three government-nominated commissioners Clement Rohee, Sase Gunraj, and Manoj Narayanâoppose the renewal. The decision was supported by
GECOMâs opposition-nominated commissioner, VincentAlexander, had said Singh justified her decision by stating that Da Silvaâs legal opinion could âpotentially upset GECOMâs work,â including the possibility of delaying the upcoming election.
The WPA questioned, âSince when has the upsetting of a timetable been more importantthanthelaw?âThepoliticalparty continued, âThis recent decision represents nothing short of tyranny of the majority Undersuchcircumstances,GECOMcannot bereliedontoconductimpartialelections.â
By the time I reached the fourth cup of chamomile tea don't judge me, it's calmingâI had only just begun to untangle the tangled philosophical, political, and possibly metaphysical mystery of what the PNCR really wants
when it talks about âverifyingthevoters'list.â
I mean, âverificationâ sounds harmless enough, like confirming your reservationatarestaurant,or checkingtoseeifyourdateis reallyaGemini.Butwiththe PNCR, you always get the sense that there's more
happening below the surface, like a duck that looksserenewhileitsfeetare flailing violently below the water
Let's get this straight. If the PNCR wants to verify whetherpeoplearealive,I'm with them there. That seems like a noble cause. I too have often wondered whether some of my neighbors are alive or just exceptionally quiet introverts. In fact, I've begun to suspect my uncle Leopoldhasbeendeadfor17 years but still collects pension.
And now, in the midst of thisgreatnationalexistential crisis comes the burning question: why should GECOMbesaddledwiththe task of verifying whether voters are dead? I mean, are we expecting GECOM to set u p a O u i j a b o a r d department? Let's be honestâdead people can't vote Not with all the
scrutineers, party agents, polling clerks, and nosy neighbours stationed at polling places like hawks on RedBull.Thesystemisbuilt with enough layers of surveillance to make even theCIAblush.
And isn't that what the Claims and Objections period is for? To sift out the dearly departed. That's the whole point of it! A public process, open to allâwhere political parties, vigilant citizens, and the occasional nosy auntie can help clean the list. So why is the PNCR now acting like the kid who showsupatgroupworkwith no homework and expects the teacher to do it for them? If they believe in the resurrection of voters, then maybe they should start by doing a little fieldwork of their own, rather than outsourcing their chores to thesamefolkswhomadethe Kool-Aid they now claim mightbelacedwithpoison. But the PNCR doesn't stop with the dead. No, they also presumably want to verify whether voters âlive in Guyana. â Which immediately sends us t u m b l i n g i n t o t h e philosophical abyss. What does it mean to âliveâ in Guyana? Is it about physical presence? Does merely having a Guyanese passport or birth certificate make you Guyanese enough to vote? What if you live in Bartica but you are spending more time with the grandchildren in New York than you are in
Guyana? How do you, in other words determine residency?
And then, if that wasn't enough, they also want to verify whether voters live at the addresses stated. Some persons in Guyana âespecially some men, have more than one homes⌠if you know what I mean. Some people rent a place to be nearer to work while they really live elsewhere. Some people don't know where theylive.Howthendoesone define and determine residency?
So, let's strip this down. The PNCR wants to know if voters are alive (good), if theyliveinGuyana(murky), and if they live where they claim (possibly the stuff of Greek tragedy). But here's thecatch:asidefromthefirst one, all the others are essentially about residency
And here comes the twistâthere's no residency requirement for voting in Guyana. None. Nada. Not even a whisper. So, what is the point of wanting to establishresidency?
The Constitution the t h i n g p o l i t i c i a n s occasionally dust off when convenientâclearly allows Guyanese citizens to vote once they are 18 and registered.Itdoesn'tsaythey have to live in Kitty, or Kwakwani, or even be able to find Guyana on a map after ten years of living in Toronto. If you're Guyanese, andyou'relegallyregistered, you can show up, vote, and
Dem boys seh pressure does buss pipe,butsometimesitdoesbuss egotooâevenTrumpown.
De man bin puff up he chest and drop 10% tariff pon everybody like rain in rainy season. And Guyana get hit with a 38% tariff. But guess what? He now suspend mostofdemtarifffuh90daysâexceptfuh China, who now getting lash with a 104% tariff! Dem boys seh da is not just a slap, da isakungfukick.
Butlehwebreakitdownfuhy'all.Dislil pause fromTrump come not because he like we smile or he suddenly get soft. Nah. Is because some people decide not to roll over like puppy when America bark. Dem fight back, dem push back, and now Uncle Sam dehponpause.
So wah does da show? Simple. When yuh stand up to pressure, yuh don't just get respect â yuh might actually get results. ButGuyana?Demboyssehwestilldehpon we knees polishing Uncle Sam boots like is Sundayservice.
All Trump had to do was wave a tariff and everybody in dis govament start panic
leave.
And the PNCR should know this. After all, it was part of the very effort that embedded this right into the Constitution So, either they've developed political amnesia (which is likely) or they're doing that thing politicians do, where they pretend not to remember the rules when the game isn't goingtheirway
L e t ' s a l s o n o t forget because, unlike certain political entities, we do rememberâthat in 2015, when the PNCR was enthusiastically marching toward the gates of power a wholecontingentofdiaspora voters flew in to cast their ballots. Some came from Brooklyn, others from Barbados, and at least one man swam from Suriname with a laminated ID card in his trunks. There were even Guyanese who hadn't been back since Jagdeo had hair And no one said a word about âverifying residencyâ back then. It was patriotic. It was romantic. It was democracyinaction.
So, what's changed? Is it that the PNCR has had a revelation some sudden Pauline conversionâabout the importance of electoral integrity? Or is this a subtle, not-so-subtle attempt to introduce, by the back door or through the skylight, a residency requirement for voting?
Now, if they do want to go down this road, I must warn them: it's a long and winding one, filled with potholes, dead ends, and constitutional lawsuits Because if we start asking whether people reside in Guyana to determine their eligibility to vote, we're not talking about voter verification anymoreâwe're talking about voter exclusion.
What next? Will we ask for proof that they've been to the market recently? Will there be a pop quiz on the latest news from Kaieteur News? A smell test to see if their clothes smell like real Guyana sweat?Will there be arequirementthattheyknow how to suck mango without
using their hands? Frankly, I don't think the PNCR has thought this through Or worse, they have thought it through, and they're hoping the rest of us haven't. Either way, the implications are serious. So, my dear PNCR, before you gallop down this verification road, maybe stop and ask: Do we really want to go there? Because the road you're on doesn't leadtoelectoralintegrityâit leads to disenfranchisement, cynicism, and possibly a constitutionalchallengewith a side of international embarrassment. And trust me, nobody wants to be on that road. Not even uncle Leopold. And he'sstillnotsureifhe'salive.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
likewhenamancoughduringCOVID.
And all dis fuss over trade surplus â which ain't even real-real, because is Exxon shipping out de oil like it expire next week. TekoutdeoilandGuyanadehbackindered likeschoolexercisebook.
So dem boys seh if de oil is de problem, leh Exxon go sell it in Iceland. Or better yet, leh govament buy it and sell it elsewhere other than inAmerica. But nah, we too busy playing nice while America deh playing hardball.
Dem Canadians? Dem show spine. Cut back pon American goods, hold back from crossing border fuh Disney and Denny's. AndTrumplisten.Buthere?
WestillhustlingvisalikeisBlackFriday deal.
So dem boys seh dis 90-day break prove something â if yuh stand up, even Trump doesblink.Butnotwe.Wegonwaittillde90 daysdone,andwhenheslaponmoretariffs, wegonstartcryfuhhelpagain.
Dem boys seh spine nah come in aid package.Yuhgottagrowit. Talk half, leff half.
President Ali was q u i c k w i t h soothing words, helpful ones for the occasion. Agrim one it is in Linden, two really Two are dead from police bullets. Whatever the words of comfort offered, the reassurances given by whomever, nothing can bring back the dead of Linden. To the families mourning their pain, a little whisper of condolence: pain and rage are justified; there is something called justice. No matter how much it is denied, it always rises to conquer President Ali promised t h i s a n d t h a t a n d thoroughness. I heard that dreadful word again: transparent. And others: a full investigation, getting to the bottom of what happened, and much along those lines. Good for the President,butnotsowellfor the Guyana Police Force (GPF) The memo containing President Ali's comforting commitments apparentlywasnotdelivered
to GPF officials in Linden. Two deaths at the hands of members of the GPF in less t h a n r e a s o n a b l e circumstances (way less), and a witness and legal counsel are made to wait for twohours. Ihatetosaythis, considering the tenseness of circumstances, but all that President Ali so solemnly committed to has already startedtoripattheseams.
To force a witness to endure the ordeal of a twohour wait is more than unconscionable It is degrading to the family, disrespectful to the community, and damning to the memory of the recently dead. Dead in the worst manner, and by hands that now look worse with every passing moment. With two deaths, not one, from GPF gunfire, the least that the GPF could have been ready to do was show some distinctive professionalism. And more than that, some care, as called for by the h o r r i d n e s s o f t h e circumstances I could understand a few minutes,
thougheventhatseemstobe too much of a concession, consideringthattwomenare dead, and a community is beside itself in rage. Public rage. Justified rage, as it feelstargetedandvictimized repeatedly,asthoughLinden is an undeclared GPF practice shooting range with human beings used as the bulls-eye, and not cardboard creations.
My question is, who had tobewaitedon,andforwhat for so long? Why wait to take a statement? Not over some run-of-the-mill burglary, or about a regular street tussle But that unpardonable delay of two hours to take the statement of a witness. I don't know if the objective was to deter Or to 'stress out' so there is a copout from sharing what happened,aswitnessed. Or, to make the facts grow cold by that lengthy wait that has so much to it, that only the worst motives could be attached. Has the GPF gotten so accustomed to conducting itself like this that, though unreasonable
andunjustifiedonthefaceof it, such has become part of its practiced routine? The foremost objective had to be to gather on paper the facts, according to the witness, while they are still warm to the touch, because they are freshinthememory
There is a thunderous cacophony in a community that could get out of hand within minutes, and within the confines of a Linden police precinct, there is delay and delay and delay
What the President promised suddenly appears to lack substance My difficulty is to reconcile what he came out quickly with, and what happened to that witness just as quickly
Guyanese have been eyewitnesses to too much of this too frequently in the distant past and more recently The constant is how the GPF is marshaled and misused to thwart justice; could this be what was already in the works, took wing so swiftly in Linden?
Against my will, against my better judgement, I seek to give President Ali every benefit of the doubt. First, that he is genuinely upset by the two police killings Second, that he is bent on getting to the truth from a gatheringofalloftherelated facts and circumstances
Third, that what follows from the first moment would meet every standard of fairness and justice. And fourth, that there would be some mechanism put in place for greaterGPFrestraint,sothat these shootings and killings by its members do not registerthewaythattheydo.
T h a t i s , s e e m i n g recklessness in some places and some situations, while there is commendable restraint in other settings involvingothercitizens.
When the GPF could dispatch a SWAT team to Dartmouth that ended up shooting an unarmed man dead in his bed, it has to do better than that disgraceful two-hour wait by counsel and witness. Compelling urgency so mandated
When senior people helicopter here and there routinely, then one had to be found to send GPF personnel to Linden. When national leaders engage in verbal violence against citizens almost weekly, some members of the GPF take that as a signal and deal intheirownviolence. When the GPF is seen as a lethal extension,aphysicaltool,of that verbal violence, then that helicopter had to be found to give PresidentAli's olive branch some sheen of credibility, and regard for
what was clearly an emergency situation. If not, he rings hollow and is artificial.
Lindeners will believe, w i t h c o n s i d e r a b l e justification, personally speaking, that they are easy targets and targets of relatively lower value relative to the management and dispensation of law and order in Guyana today Somebody at the highest leadership level should have thedecencyandcompassion to provide the grieving families with a proper explanation of that interminable two-hour wait. ThoughIbelievethatthereis no suitable explanation that could be offered, I still nominate President Ali or Commissioner of Police, Mr Clifton Hicken. In fact, bothofthemshouldweighin about what happened and why I regret having to say this,butallthatPresidentAli committed to delivering fromthefirstmomentonthe two GPF killings in Linden arecrumblingattheedges.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Drivers who contest or fail to pay their etickets could face serious consequences, including arrest, conviction and licencesuspension,Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall hasnoted.
The new e-ticketing system for traffic offences, which was launched on M
y recorded a number of traffic violations The system efficiently tracks and addresses traffic violations, with tickets being sent
Attorney General (AG)
Anil Nandlall
and wearing of seatbelt. He said if drivers do not pay their tickets or appear in court to contest them, the case will proceed in their absence.
Anarrestwarrantmaybe issued, and the case can be heard ex parte, meaning the driver can be convicted without being present. In addition,thedriverâslicence may be suspended and will
outstanding ticket is paid, saidNandlall.
âThe database will generate tickets only in relation to the registered owner of the vehicle, so if you the registered owner gives someone else to drive yourvehicleyouwillgetthe ticketnotthedriver,because the database does not have thedriver init,sowhenyou get the ticket, you will have to go to the court to explain
that you are not the driver and who the driver was and that driver will also be namedasadefendantandhe willbeissuedwithaticketas well.â
The fine for a speeding ticket is $7,500 while a seatbelt offence is $5,500. Nandlall is urging drivers to complywithtrafficlawsand address their tickets promptly to avoid severe legalconsequences.
, WhatsApp,email,registered post,andhanddelivery
During his weekly programme, Issues in the
compliance of speed limits
The prefabricated building that the school intends to utilize from September
The reconstruction of Maeâs Schools, located in Subryanville, Georgetown, will begin in September, coowner Judy Sugrim told Kaieteur News on Tuesday
It is expected thatThe reconstruction of Maeâs Schools, located in Subryanville, Georgetown, will begin in September, coowner Judy Sugrim told Kaieteur News on Tuesday
It is expected that the
rebuilding process will take approximately two years to becompleted.
Fire, determined to be electricalinnature,flattened Maeâs Schools on March 5, 2025. The school was not insured.
Initially, the owners indicated that the Georgetown International Academy (GIA) agreed to accommodate 350 students while various other alternatives were being explored for the remaining studentstoensuretheycould resumeclasses.
H o w e v e r , t h a t arrangement reportedly did not materialise, and 90 % of thestudents,includingthose inthepre-kindergartenlevel, are being housed in airconditioned tents on the Mayor and City Councilâs groundoppositetheschool.
Continued on page 13
Thefamilyofan83-yearold man who went missing followinghisdischargefrom the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) three months ago fearshemaybedead.
Frompage12
Theremaining10%ofthestudentsarebeing taughtonline.
Sugrim explained that from September, whiletheschoolisbeingrebuilt,studentswill be housed in a temporary prefabricated buildingonthelawnsoftheMayorandCity Councilâsgroundoppositetheschool.
Meanwhile, students who are scheduled to write the National Grade SixAssessment (NGSA) will sit their exams at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT) at the University of Guyana. Those sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) will sit their exams at the Rajiv Gandhi University of Science and TechnologyinCummingsLodge,EastCoast Demerara(ECD).
Sugrim disclosed that following the Easter holiday, some of the secondary and upperprimaryschoolstudentswillbehoused
in a concrete building that shares the same land with the old Maeâs school The remaining students will continue to attend classesundertheACtents.
A teacher from the primary level told KaieteurNewsthatthestudentsweredeeply affected by the fire and that during the first weekoftheirreturn,theywereextremelysad.
âThe first week they were still in mourning, they would just look over there, seetherubbleandfeelabitsad,âtheteacher said, while noting that the students are adjustingwell.
However, a teacher from the secondary departmentsaidthatsomeofthestudentsare still adjusting to the environment, while others are traumatized from the unfortunate event.Theteacherdisclosedthatthestudents whoaretraumatizedarebeingcounselled.
Notwithstanding, the students are pushingaheadwiththeirstudies.
The missing man, GordonJoseph,referredtoas âMr Whitesâreportedlywent missing in early January He was constantly on the street duetostruggleswithcocaine addiction,hisfamilystated. His son, 55-year-old Gordon Branch, explained that he had become accustomed to his father spending time on the streets and no longer bothered him about it. In early January, Branchtookhisfathertothe hospital due to health concerns. Because of his busy schedule, Branch provided the necessary information,andJosephwas admitted However, when Branchâs relative inquired about his father âs
whereabouts days later, Branch informed them that Joseph was likely still in the hospital.However,theylater discovered he had been discharged.
âItâs a normal thing with mydad,âBranchsaid. He continued, âWhen he gets discharged, he goes to thestreet.âSinceJosephhad been in and out of the hospital in the past, Branch did not immediately search for him, assuming he had
returned to his usual spot on thestreet.
However, when relatives began inquiring about Josephâs whereabouts after hearing rumors of his death, Branch became concerned. âI didnât think my dad had died,â he said. Concerned, Branch searched the areas his father frequented However,hewasnowhereto beseen.
Branch then visited the hospital,whereregistrystaff confirmed his father had been admitted but was discharged. He was advised to check the morgue, but when he did, Josephâs body was not there. Branch then filedamissingpersonreport withthepolice.
The family is now left with more questions than answers, hoping for any information about the whereabouts of the elderly man,whosehealthandwellbeingremainuncertain.
ByChristalYong
A13-year-old gradeeight student, late last month, was allegedly beaten and forced to drink bleach bythreeclassmatesinawashroom at the Wakenaam Secondary School.
Kaieteur News understandsthat before the incident on March 31, the three school girls had been bullying the victim for some three years.
Theirbullyinghadcausedherto get into trouble at school, culminating in the most recent event where she was physically harmed.
Speaking with this publication, thevictimexplainedthatontheday of the incident, she ventured to the girlsâwashroom,butdidnotnotice who was following her She said she wasnât concerned about the other students at the time and simply went about her business, unawareofthedangerthatawaited her
The young girl explained that while exiting the washroom, the threegirlsblockedher
âAfter they blocked my way, I saidâexcuseme,pleaseforapass,â andthegirl shewasinthemiddle
andshedidnâtmoveandthenItried pushing her out to get a pass, she didnâtmoveandthenshechuckme back into the wall, and then after shechuckedmebackintothewall, shestartslappingmeup,butIdidnât know what I doâ the teen told KaieteurNews.
She continued, âShe hit me in my head and then in my stomach, whenshehitmebystomachIgeta
and opened my mouth and it had a two-gallon bleach underneath the sink,andshepickedupthebleach, she throw the bleach into my mouth, and she forced me to swallow the bleach,â the teen recalled.
The student further explained thatafterthebulliesheardteachers outsideofthegirlsâwashroom,they lethergo.However,thebullywho
Afterward, she went home and toldher38-year-oldmother,Kavita Persaud,aboutwhathadhappened. The mother then went to confront thebulliesâparents,butshewasmet withangeranddismissal.
âI went to one of the girlâs parents and I said meh donât want noproblem,Ijustcomeforfindout, ingrade6,youdaughter(oneofthe bullies) give mah daughter a hard
âI feel scared because she (bully) threatened me, and thatâs what I am very scared about and I need justice, because my family is poor and we are not that wealthy and to be honest, I feel mostly scared to even go out anywhere.â - Victim
hard knock, she hit me hard, after she hit me in my stomach, I got weak,andIfalltotheground.â
Thevictimclaimedthatthesaid bullyinstructedthetwogirlstohold herdown.
âThesegirlsholdmedown,and theothergirlcameovermeandshe startslappingmeupmore,aftershe start slapping me up now, she hold mymouth,sheforcefullysqueezed
instructed the two girls to hold the victimdownthreatenedhersaying, âyou only tell anybody about this, Iâm going to hurt you badly.â The bullythenleft.
Thevictimattemptedtospitout the remaining bleach from her mouth, quickly cleaned herself up, and returned to class, remaining silent out of fear that she might be harmedfurther
life, Form One, they leave my daughterinamessofalife,andnow yâall in Form Two, now why yâall accusing mah daughter,â the mothertoldthispublication.
On April 1, 2025, the mother wenttoschooltoenquireaboutthe issue.
The mother related, âI said miss,Iwilllikeforyâalltogetthem studentsthis(and)letwegetatthe
bottom of this matter because me nahgontakeitthisway,Iamangry aboutit.Whenwegettothisoffice, youknowwhenthesechildrentalk and the two teachers donât want to listentomydaughter.â
Persaudalsomentionedthatthe bullies claimed that the teachers sent them to follow the victim into thewashroom.
Nevertheless, after discussions were held with the teachers, the mother related that her daughter whowasintheclassstartedtofroth from her mouth. As such, she was rushedtoWestDemeraraRegional Hospital, where she was admitted forfourdays.
Themotherrelatedthatthiswas caused because her daughter consumedbleachonMarch31. As a result, Persaud informed this
investigationhadbeeninitiatedinto thematter
Shealsostatedthatherdaughter will be transferred to another school,asshenolongerfeelssafeat Wakenaam Secondary School Persaud is demanding justice for herdaughter
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Ministry of Education regarding the issue were unsuccessful.
A harrowing video footage, which showed the aftermath of the shooting of 21-year-old Ronaldo Peters, revealed that he was still moving even after being dumpedintoatintedminibus byPoliceSergeantKendall.
Peters was shot by Kendall, who is attached to the Wismar Police Station. He was taken to the MacKenzie Public Hospital, where he died while receiving treatment. Police, in an initial statement, said Peters was wanted for questioning in relation to a report of an alleged rape of child under 16 years, which occurred sometime between 1stDecember2024and31st January2025.
Ronaldo Peters was dumped in the back of the bus, along with the two other ranks
cop accused
the Police Office for Professional Responsibility
However, relatives and Lindeners have discounted the policeâs version of the shooting. On Wednesday, a video surfaced showing Petersbeingdumpedintothe back of the bus. The video showed that two other ranks were in the back of the vehicle with him. Kaieteur News observed that Peters wasstillmovingwhileoneof theranksheldontohispants waist. The other rank was seen slamming the bus door in an attempt to block the view of persons who were standing outside. The video also captured Sergeant Kendall dragging Peters to the bus before entering the front passengerâs seat, then slammingthedoorasthebus drove away At the time, he was armed with a gun in his righthand.
Sergeant Kendall, armed with the gun, jumping into the front seat of the tinted bus.
Police had said that Peters was seen on Monday at Shabba Bar in One Mile, Wismar, Linden, and as a result, Sergeant Kendall and a party of ranks went to that location. The Sergeant was armed with a 9mm service
pistol, and another rank was armed with a .38 service revolver These ranks were fully dressed in uniform, police said. Upon seeing the ranks, Peters, it is alleged, began to run and attempted to jump a nearby fence, police reported. It is further alleged by the Sergeant that hemanagedtopullPetersoff thefenceand,intheprocess of subduing him, his service pistol,whichwasinhisright hand, went off and Peters washit.Hewasimmediately
escorted to the Mackenzie Public Hospital. However, he succumbed while receivingtreatment.
Petersâ body was examined, and one circular woundwasseenonhislower right abdomen. The body was taken to the Pensioners
Mortuary, awaiting postmortem examination Investigations are ongoing. The Sergeant is presently under close arrest and has beenescortedtoTSU,while
has commenced an investigation.
Lindenprotest
The shooting of the man resulted in protest action on
Tuesday Residents, disputing the policeâs claim of an accidental shooting supported by surveillance footage, deemed it murder
TheangeroverPetersâdeath quickly escalated, and duringastandoffwithpolice and residents, another man, 32-year-oldKeonFogenay,a father of four, was shot and killed by police. Residents blocked roads with burning
tyres,leadingtoclasheswith police who used rubber pelletsandteargas.
Some protesters alleged live rounds were fired, killing Fogenay, who, accordingtohisbrother,was merely passing through and not participating in the protest.Fogenaydiedfroma head wound, further inflaming tensions and leading to protesters attacking and forcing police toretreat.
Linden Mayor, Sharma Solomon, condemned the killings,callingPetersâdeath murderandcriticizingthe
Continued on page 22
million
One of the guns that was found
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Tuesday destroyed 176 kilograms of weed, valued $26,996,800 during a joint service patrol and eradication exercise at Canje River, Berbice.According to a report issued bypolice,thesearchinitiallybeganatEqura, CanjeRiver,wherenothingillegalwasfound.
However about 200 yards east of the camp, ranks found one 12-gauge shotgun, two (2) live12-gaugecartridges,andonespentshell. âAlso, at Petty, Canje River, the team discovered a cultivated cannabis plot
The marijuana that was destroyed
consisting of approximately 20,000 suspectedcannabisplants,rangingfromthree tofivefeetinheight,âpolicesaidinthereport.
Ranks then searched a camp that was on the site and found four live 12-gauge cartridges.
Police added, âThe (suspected) cannabis plantsandcampweresubsequentlydestroyed byfire.Asuspectisincustodyassistingwith investigations. The firearms, cartridges, and spentshellsweremarked,sealed,andlodged atastation.âInvestigationsareongoing.
The Christianburg Wismar Secondary School in Region 10.
School Facebook page)
ThenewChristianburgMultilateral School,whichthegovernmentplansto construct in Linden, Region 10, will costatleastGY$2.5billion.
This is according to the recent tenderopening,whichrevealedthatout of seven shortlisted bidders, only two moved forward to the procurement process.
According to information provided by the National Procurement and TenderAdministrationBoard(NPTAB) office, the two bidders are Shandong High-Speed Dejian Group Company
Limited who submitted a financial proposal of GY$2,572,719,583, and Power China Jiangxi Power
Construction Company Limited who
bid
US$139,626,315fortheproject.
Notably, both bidders originate from China and are no strangers to the countryâsconstructionindustry
Theprojectisbeingfundedthrough aWorldBankloan.InDecember2024, theEducationMinistryissuedatender, requestingbidsfortheproject,atwhich
Continued on page 22
The 66th annual national convention of the
AssociationofTheNewTestamentChurchofGod (Guyana)opensThursdayeveningattheNational CulturalCentre,HomestretchAvenue,Georgetownunderthe theme âOne Church, One Vision: Empowered by the Holy Spirit.â
The four-day event begins at 18:30hrs on Thursday, 15:00hrs on Friday, 15:00hrs on Saturday and 9:30 am on Sunday
Featured presenters will include National Overseer of Guyana, Bishop Clive Nurse; Caribbean Field Director, Bishop Ishmael Charles; Dr Kenroy Burke, Administrative BishopandNationalOverseeroftheNewTestamentChurch of God, Barbados; and Bishop Matthew Hepburn, Overseer andAdministrativeBishopofStKittsandNevis.
Noted Guyanese and Caribbean award-winning Gospel artiste, Samuel Medas, is also scheduled for a special appearanceonSaturdayafternoonduringtheYouthFestand the NTCOG youths are eagerly anticipating the show, recallinghissizzlingperformancelastyear
For the duration of the 66th annual convention, business menandwomenfromvariouslocalchurcheswillhaveitems ondisplayforsale.
Thirty-six-year-old
Kenard Persaud was on Wednesday remanded to prison for an attempt to commitmurdercharge.
Persaud of Tiger Bay, Georgetown, appeared before Acting Chief MagistrateFaithMcGustyat theGeorgetownMagistratesâ Court.
He was not required to plea to the charge which alleged that on March 6, 2025 on Croal Street, Stabroek Georgetown, he attempted to murder Leon AlexanderBarton.
The prosecution stated that the accused, while on video, admitted to chopping the victim causing him to be hospitalised It was also stated that the victim is on lifesupport.
Magistrate McGusty remanded Persaud and the matterwasadjournedtoMay 7,2025.
Kenard Persaud at the Georgetown Magistratesâ Courts posting bail
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs
Anil Nandlall said he supports the Guyana Elections Commissionâs (GECOM) decision not to renew the contract of Legal OfficerKurtDaSilva. Nandlall, speaking during his weekly âIssues in the Newsâ programme on Tuesday, said he was ânot surprisedâ by the decision. He said DaSilvaâs legal
position could have caused âtremendous public damage tothiscountry.â
The three government commissioners, Clement Rohee, Sase Gunraj, and Manoj Narayan, voted against the renewal of DaSilvaâscontract.Thevote wassupportedbyGECOMâs Chairperson Justice (Retâd) Claudette Singh, who recently gave DaSilva a 98/100 on his appraisal.
commissioners Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin, and Desmond Trotman walkedoutofthemeetingin disapproval.
The controversy surrounding DaSilvaâs contract renewal stemmed fromhislegalrepresentation in a court case filed by Peopleâs National Congress Reform (PNCR) member CarolSmith-Joseph.
Smith-Josephchallenged the voter registration
process, specifically questioning the verification of addresses provided by registrants. She argued that checks of some addresses revealed empty lots or abandonedhomes.
DaSilva, appearing in court, opposed SmithJosephâs suggested verificationmethods,stating they would reimpose an unconstitutional residency requirement for Guyanese citizens However, he
proposedcreatingaseparate voter list for the general and regional elections, requiring separate ballots, but emphasisedthatanychanges shouldbemadeinalignment with the constitution. As such, GECOMâs CEO, Vishnu Persaud, criticised DaSilvaâs stance and ultimately denounced his submissions.
Nandlall weighed in on the legal officerâs conduct, describing it as problematic.
âThis lawyer went to court and argued a case and put forward a position contrary to the instructions of his clientandcouldhavecaused tremendous public damage to this country and could have put this country into a constitutionalcrisis.â
Nandlall expressed that DaSilva should not have taken a position opposing GECOM,explaining,âWhat hecannotdoistellthatclient that I will represent you and gotocourtanddosomething different Worst yet,
represent the cause of the otherside.â
Nandlall also criticised DaSilvaâs arrogance during the courtâs proceedings, adding,âItriedseveraltimes during the hearing to guide theyoungmanandhewasso aloof and arrogant, so I am not surprised that they did notrenewhiscontract.â
In response to the oppositionâs disapproval of GECOMâs decision, Nandlall asserted that they wouldhaveactedsimilarlyif t h e i r l a w y e r h a d misrepresentedthem.
He further emphasised the necessity of acting on instructions from GECOM, stating, âThis legal officer also is not a lone ranger He hastoactontheinstructions of GECOM and people who can understand that they have to act on the instructionsoftheauthority, then they have no place in working for that authority o r w o r k i n g i n a n organisation.â
A 63-year-old man was on Wednesday placed on $20,000 bail, when he appeared at the Georgetown MagistratesâCourttoanswer to an assault, causing actual bodilyharmcharge.
Orwin Drakes of Lot 2427 North Ruimveldt was charged with assaulting Valoma Simpson on March 10,2025atthesaidaddress. Drakespleadednotguilty tothechargewhichwasread to him by Acting Chief Magistrate,FaithMcGusty Drakesâ attorney requestedreasonablebailfor his client and reassured the courtofhisinnocence.
In addition to granting bail, Magistrate McGusty also placed Drake and Simpson on a peace bond. Theyarescheduledtoreturn tocourtonApril16,2025.
sources tell Al Jazeera at least 35 killed and dozens of others wounded in Israeli attack on Gaza City.
Aljazeera - At least 35 people have been killed and dozens of others were wounded in an Israeli attack on a residential block in Gaza City's Shujayea neighbourhood, medical sourcestoldAlJazeera.
The Gaza Health Ministry said it expected the death toll from Wednesday's attack in northern Gaza to rise, as civil defence teams and residents dug frantically to locate dozens of missing residents believed to be trappedundertherubble.
The Israeli military said the raid targeted a senior Hamas fighter, but did not give his name, claiming that it had taken several steps to reduceharmtocivilians.
Ayub Salim, 26, a
resident of Shujayea, toldAl Jazeera that some victims were âtorn to piecesâ by the attack with âmultiple missilesâ that sent shrapnel flying.
âDust and massive destruction filled the entire place We couldn't see anything, just [heard] the screams and panic of the people,âhesaid.
R e p o r t i n g f r o m
Shujayea, Al Jazeera's Ibrahim Al Khalili said civil defence forces and local residents had come together topulltrappedciviliansfrom undertherubble.Mostofthe victims had come to live in the block after being âforciblydisplacedâ,hesaid.
Mahmoud Basal, a civil defence spokesperson, said
that it was very difficult to reachtheâdozensofpeopleâ trapped under the rubble as rescuers lacked the appropriate equipment as a result of Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory, adding that more than 60 peoplewerewounded.
Reporting from Deir elBalah, Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary said a doctor at Gaza City's al-Ahli Arab Hospital had told her that m e d i c s l a c k e d t h e medication to treat âburnedâ victims. The hospital is in urgent need of blood supplies.
Paramedics, already struggling with a lack of fuel and medical supplies, had been unable to reach people in Shujayea because of the
scale of destruction, with rubble on the roads preventing them from reachingthoseinneed.
Israel resumed its aerial bombardment of Gaza on March 18 after a nearly twomonth truce with Hamas, and later expanded its ground assault across the territory More than 1,400 people have been killed since Israel resumed its assault, according to P a l e s t i n i a n h e a l t h authorities.
Mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States have soughttoresumetalksovera ceasefire extension, but withoutsuccess.
I s r a e l i m i l i t a r y spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that its latest
operations in Gaza had eliminated âgunmenâ and destroyed weapons in Shujayea, destroying âtunnel openings and infrastructureâinRafah.
Palestinian medical sources said the attacks, which were carried out amid a worsening hunger crisis as Israel blocks aid supplies into Gaza, targeted homes, shelters, and displacement camps.
Medical sources told Al Jazeera that at least 10 other people were killed in attacks across Gaza on Wednesday, raising the daily death toll to atleast45people.
Hamas, the armed group that governs Gaza, said that âongoing massacres against our people, with American support, are a stain on the international community's faceâ, slamming the âtimidâ response of Arab and Muslimnations.
Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, described the attacks as âbarbaricâ. âThe way these attacks are conducted underlines that Israel wants to ethnically cleanseGaza,âhesaid. Since late March, Israel has ordered people away from the edges of Gaza to create what it describes as a âsecurity zoneâ. Residents f e a r t h e a i m i s t o permanently depopulate swathsofterritory
Israellauncheditswaron Gaza in October 2023 after Hamas led an attack on southern Israel, killing at least 1,139 people and seizing some 250 captives, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israel statistics.
Israel's assault on Gaza has killed more 50,800 Palestinians, Palestinian authoritieshavesaid.
SANTO DOMINGO,
April 9 (Reuters) - A devastating roof collapse on Tuesday at a popular nightclubinthecapitalofthe Dominican Republic has now claimed at least 124 lives, authorities said on Wednesday,asthesearchfor survivors turns increasingly grim.
Throughout the night on Wednesday, families waited outside the wreckage of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, anxious for information about their missing relatives and sharingphotoswithpolice.
More than 150 people wererescuedfromtherubble
on Tuesday Since that
authorities have not pulled outanysurvivors.
Juan Manuel Mendez, head of the country's emergency operations center, said rescue workers expected to need another 24 to 36 hours to complete their search Emergency crews deployed heavy machinery toexpediterecoveryefforts.
The tragedy unfolded during a concert by popular Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez. The event, whichhaddrawnpoliticians, athletes and other prominent figures, turned into a nightmare after midnight as
theroofsuddenlycollapsed.
Perez was one of the victims His body was recovered on Wednesday morning Pitcher Octavio Dotel and slugger Tony Blanco, both former Major League Baseball players, werealsokilled.
Another victim was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the northern Monte Cristi province, President Luis Abinader said. Cruz was the sister of former MLB player Nelson Cruz, a seven-time All-Star
The son of the public works and communications minister also died in the disaster
of the
Jet Set nightclub in Santo
Dominican Republic, April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Erika
Trinidad ExpressPrime Minister Stuart Young has confirmed that the United States has revoked Trinidad and Tobago's licence to develop the Dragon Gas Field with Venezuela.
Speaking at a press conference in Port of Spain on Tuesday afternoon, Young said the revocation of the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) licence was not unexpected and that he has requested a bilateral meeting with SecretaryRubio. According to Young, Rubio had made it clear that US foreign policy is not aimed at harming Trinidad and Tobago, particularly in
relation to its energy diplomacy and efforts to ensure regional energy security
âWe are not going to harmTrinidadandTobago,â Young quoted the Secretary of State as saying during theirengagement.
Younghaddescribedthe meeting as âfrank and detailed, â saying he outlined the strategic importance of the Dragon gas project, not only for Trinidad and Tobago but for CARICOM nations that depend on the country's d o w n s t r e a m e n e rg y products.
Young said he brought the news to the population as soon as he was told and
wouldnowbetakingittoBP andShell.
BP, Shell, and the National Gas Company (NGC) had secured licences from the OFAC to explore and develop gas fields straddling the maritime b o u n d a r y b e t w e e n Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
Last May, Young said that T&T was already paying a portion of over US$1 million per year in taxes to Venezuela as part of thedeal.
He said the payments due to Venezuela consisted of royalty, a special commissionoffivepercent, surface tax and social contributions totalling US$1 million, and a confidential signingbonus.
T h e g a s w a s 1 5 kilometres of pipeline away fromTrinidad
The deal now appears to bedead
BP, working on the Manakin-Coquina field, and Shell, with the Dragon field, were positioned to tap into substantial gas reserves in the region, with the potential to bring significant natural gas resources to Trinidad for processing into LNGandpetrochemicals. The licences, granted for two years, had enabled the companies to negotiate with Venezuela and move forward with development plans.
Selling your house lot or unfinished building, give us a call : 216-0671 / 692-8464 or WhatsApp 622-0267.
Press man to operate offset printing machine in Campbellville. Call: 621-5140.
Employment on cruise Boat! Jobs for manager, receptionist, clerk, restaurant helpers, housekeeper, cook & assistants. Call: 757-8231.
Wanted! Workers for packaging pasta and chowmein.
$4,600 /day: $5,400/ night. Workers paid weekly. Call: 611-7839 (GTT)/ 637-0983 (digi).
GLC Transport hiring : Dump Truck Mechanic & Drivers & Part-time parts Sale Position at Farm EBD. Tele : 652-9744 / 752-7511
Cook & Cleaner, must know to cook English & Indian dishes, preferably from Land Of Cannan. Contact: 624-1473 / 223-9888.
One Unregistered Nissan X-Trail 2016 model, Mode Premiere. Call : 649-0956.
1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, crash, low mileage PTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.
Leyland DAF truck for sale. Contact: 676-6165 / 693-9843
Suriname Tours- Easter weekend tour to Suriname. WhatsApp/ Call: 639-2663 / 673-2348 for more info.
Overnight boat cruise to Bartica Regatta. All inclusive of room & food on board. Call to book: 7578231.
4 bedrooms, 3 baths, self contained master house. Fully furnished. Call : 6504000 for more information. WBD, New 2/3 bedroom fully furnished apartments, minutes away from the bridge, includes Gym & Pool. Call: 650-4000.
One (1) painter needed. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.
One clerk for TSI Eccles office English 1, Maths 2. Call: 615-9132 or email application to techserigy@yahoo.com
Kitchen assistant needed. For more info Call: 676-5534 / 618-3696.
Female cleaner for office in Eccles. Call: 645-8443.
Males & Females to work at a wash bay in Campbellville, 8am-5pm. Shift available 10am-7pm. Call: 604-1980/ 669-4676.
Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are hring Sales Representatives. Tel# 226-2621.
Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are hring Factory Workers. Tel# 226-2621.
Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are hring Jr. Accountant. Tel# 226-2621.
Vacancy exists for bodywork men & Arc welder. Call: 7169989.
One skilled Driver to make purchases in G/Town. Contact: 701-4000.
Desk staff, Receptionist, Supervisor, Room Attendant @ 233 South Road Lacytown. Call: 225-0198.
Vacancy for Elderly Caregiver @ Republic Park. Please Call or WhatsApp: 656-1875/ 233-5160/6096952.
One Female clerk$170,000. 5 days a week. Tele : 671-5700.
One male office assistant. $35,000 weekly plus motorcycle allowance, must have a motorcycle. Tele : 6175700.
One receptionist $40,000 weekly, 5 days of work. Tele : 617-5700.
Two female nurses$200,000 monthly.Tele : 617-5700.
One driver, must have atleast eight years of driving experience, $260,000 monthly.Tele : 617-5700. One experience cook, $180,000 monthly & one domestic $150,000, 5 days a week. Tele : 617-5700. One handyman / Gardener, $190,000 monthly.Tele : 617-5700.
Town Clerk (ag) Walter Narine and City Engineer Colvern Venture visited Kitty Market on Wednesday to observe the ongoing work being carried out by the City Engineerâs Department.
The visit highlighted the progress made in the ongoing improvements to the market, which are part of the cityâs efforts to upgrade public facilities for the benefit of the community.
During the visit, both officials took a close look at the renovations, which include infrastructure enhancements
SERVICES
Need a grocery shopper, ship chandler or visa application preparer: USA, Canada, UK ETA. 626-7040.
House plan drawing, Estimates, Grubbing of land and Sand filling K.Lakeram Building Contractor. Call 216-0671 / 692-8464 or Whatsapp 622-0267.
Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 6295526.
For Sale 6 used American made Dental chairs excellent condition contact Mr Vino on 661-3030 or 626-8918
One well equipped mobile food truck. Facilities for cooking, washing, freezing, music & lighting, etc. Call: 227-1813.
Two experienced farmers to work on a farm, $260,000 Tele : 617-5700.
Security officers $5,000 per day for Georgetown / west side, age 20-60 years old. Contact : 685-4398.
Vacancy for a domestic maid and a handy man. Call: 653-4537.
Cashier, $33,000 weekly, 6 days per week. Contact : 617-2822. Located in Vreen en hoop(Supermarket).
Town Clerk (ag) Walter Narine and City Engineer Colvern Venture visited Kitty Market on Wednesday to observe the ongoing work and modernization to ensure the market can better serve residents and vendors alike, City Hall said in a release. They also discussed the projectâs timeline and expected outcomes, including improved accessibility, safety, and the overall market experience for both vendors and customers.
According to the release Narine expressed satisfaction with the progress, noting that
the project is on track and will significantly enhance the marketâs functionality and appeal. Venture for his part, provided technical insights into the scope of the work and assured that the project will be completed to the highest standards, further solidifying the cityâs commitment to improving public spaces and supporting local businesses.
The visit emphasised the importance of maintaining
strong communication between city officials and the public, ensuring that residents stay informed about developments in their community.
Both Narine and Venture praised the hard work of the team involved in the renovations and reassured the public that the improvements would soon bring a modernized, safer, and more efficient Kitty Market.
Apolice rank sustained a gunshot wound in his foot on Wednesday morning, after his
colleagueâs firearm accidently went off. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that the incident occurred at the Beterverwagting Police
Station, East Coast of Demerara (ECD).
Reports indicate that the rank was rushed for medical attention.
From page 18 both local and overseas firms initially applied for the contract. In its tender document, the Ministry stated that Guyana had received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the âGuyana Strengthening Human Capital through Education Project.â
The agency intends to apply part of the proceeds toward payments under the contract for the âConstruction of the New Christianburg Multilateral School.â
This publication reported that the plans to build a new school for the Christianburg students were made in October 2023 when Minister of Education Priya
Manickchand visited Linden. The Minister revealed the plans after a parent raised concerns about the current structure of the secondary school.
This newspaper learned that the current structure âthe Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School will be reconstructed and named the New Christianburg Multilateral. Back in August 2023, the government had signed a US$44 million loan agreement with the World Bank.
The project focuses on the expansion of access to quality education at the secondary level and improving technical and vocational training (TVET). The project will also support the piloting
and national rollout of a new curriculum for Grades Seven to Nine and finance textbooks for Grades Seven to Eleven. It will also see the development of a new TVET sector policy for 2022-2030 and improve the delivery of TVET at secondary and post-secondary institutions.
Two other secondary schools have been built through funding by the World Bank. Those schools are the Good Hope Secondary School and the Westminster Secondary School.
The construction of secondary schools is part of the governmentâs goal of achieving universal secondary education in the country.
From page 15 policeâs escalation of the situation. He also pointed out the controversial history of the officer involved.
The Guyana Police Force stated they fired rounds to control protesters burning
tyres and retaliated against thrown missiles, acknowledging a protesterâs death from their fire and announcing the arrest of ranks and an investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility.
President Irfaan Ali confirmed that the Regional Security System (RSS) would lead an independent investigation and urged calm, a sentiment echoed by visiting businessmen and opposition members.
Three contractors have submitted bids to supply and deliver machinery and equipment to the Essequibo Technical Institute in RegionTwo.
At the recent opening of tenders,itwasdisclosedthat Meditron Inc., Massy Motors Guyana Limited, and General Equipment Guyana Limited submitted bids for the Ministry of Educationproject.
This contract is being financed through a loan fromtheWorldBank
According to the tender document, the government received financing from the World Bank towards the cost of the Guyana Strengthening Human C a p i t a l t h r o u g h Education Project and intends to apply part of
the proceeds toward this contract Kaieteur News had reported that in August 2022, the government signed a US$44 mi
agreement with the World Bank through that project title.
The project focuses on the expansion of access to quality education at the seco
d improving technical and vocationaltraining(TVET).
The project will support the piloting and national rollout of a new curriculum for Grades Seven to Nine and finance textbooks for GradesSeventoEleven.
It will also see the developmentofanewTVET sector policy for 2022-2030 and improve the delivery of TVET at secondary and post-secondaryinstitutions.
Below are the companies and their bids: MinistryofEducation Supply&DeliveryofAgriculturalMachinery &Equipment(EssequiboTechnicalInstitute).
MinistryofHomeAffairs ProcurementofBrand-NewAmbulance.
ProcurementofUniformMaterials,GFS.
ProcurementofVehicleSpares.
MinistryofAgriculture-FisheriesDepartment SupplyofHigh-DensityPolyethylene(HDPE)Tubes fortheBrackishWaterShrimpsProject,Region6.
GuyanaLivestockDevelopmentAuthority ConstructionofFarmersTraining CentreMMAScheme,RegionFive.
TrinidadExpress-Prime Minister Stuart Young has confirmed that the United States has revoked Trinidad and Tobagoâs licence to develop the Dragon Gas FieldwithVenezuela.
Speaking at a press conference in Port of Spain on Tuesday afternoon, Youngsaidtherevocationof theOFAC(OfficeofForeign Assets Control) licence was not unexpected and that he has requested a bilateral meeting with Secretary Rubio.
According to Young, Rubiohadmadeitclearthat US foreign policy is not aimed at harming Trinidad and Tobago, particularly in
relation to its energy diplomacy and efforts to ensure regional energy security
âWe are not going to harmTrinidadandTobago,â Young quoted the Secretary of State as saying during theirengagement.
Younghaddescribedthe meeting as âfrank and detailed,âsayingheoutlined the strategic importance of the Dragon gas project, not only for Trinidad and Tobago but for CARICOM nations that depend on the countryâs downstream energyproducts.
Young said he brought thenewstothepopulationas soon as he was told and
wouldnowbetakingittoBP andShell.
BP, Shell, and the National Gas Company (NGC) had secured licences from the OFAC to explore and develop gas fields straddling the maritime boundary between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
BP, working on the Manakin-Coquinafield,and Shell,withtheDragonfield, were positioned to tap into substantial gas reserves in theregion,withthepotential to bring significant natural gasresourcestoTrinidadfor processing into LNG and petrochemicals.
Thelicences,grantedfor
The non-renewal of the employment contract of Guyana Electionâs Commissionâs (GECOM) LegalOfficer,KurtDaSilva, was largely owing to his conduct in a court matter challenging the verification process of the elections commission.
This is according to a statement issued by GECOM. The statement o u t l i n e d t h a t t h e deliberations on the request of Mr Da Silva to have his employment contract with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) renewed concluded at the Commissionâs Statutory MeetingonTuesday,April8, 2025, with a majority decisionbeingtakenagainst renewal.
GECOM acknowledged that in his performance appraisal, the Legal Officer wasindeedgivenhighscores with a proposal from the Chairman that his employment contract be renewed.
In this regard, however, theCommissionnotedthatit is of crucial importance to emphasise that the performance review period endedonFebruary10,2025, whereas the Legal Officer served in the position until March31,2025.
two years, had enabled the companies to negotiate with Venezuela and move forward with development plans.
Last May, Young said thatT&Twasalreadypaying a portion of over US$1 million per year in taxes to Venezuelaaspartofthedeal.
He said the payments due to Venezuela consisted of royalty, a special commissionoffivepercent, surface tax and social contributionstotallingUS$1 million, and a confidential signingbonus.
The gas was 15 kilometres of pipeline away fromTrinidad.Thedealnow appearstobedead.
Further, subsequent to the preparation of the performance appraisal, GECOM noted that there was the emergence of new circumstances involving the Legal Officer, which ultimately led to the Chairman concluding that there existed a compelling caseforhisemploymentnot toberenewed.
The Commission pointed out that the Legal Officer represented the Chief Election Officer in a court matter based on the provisions of the RepresentationofthePeople (Amendment)ActNo.25of 2022, concerning the verification of the addresses ofapplicantsforregistration.
According to GECOM, thesubmissionsmadebythe
Legal Officer carried extreme potential for the emergence of harmful effectsinsofarasconfidence in the Commissionâs ability toconductcredibleelections is concerned, postponement of the elections beyond the constitutional deadline, which could lead to the aggravation of political conflicts, and consequences associated with legitimacy andgovernance.
The Commission noted that the question that had to beansweredwaswhetherthe Legal Officerâs submissions to the court were made without regard to the consequences, or in error âIn this regard, it was determined that the Legal Officerâs submissions to the court were made without concern for the potential consequences.â
Further,theCommission said that it appears that his s u b m i s s i o n s w e r e supportiveoftheapplicantâs arguments instead of the respondents whom he was authorisedtorepresent.
âThe following critical factors,whichdemonstrated a breach of professional conduct and failure to represent the interests of the client, were also given due consideration. The primary responsibility of the Legal Officer was to represent his clientsâ interests diligently and faithfully. In this case, the Legal Officer acted contrary to this duty by introducing new arguments contrary to the sworn positionoftheCEOwithout prior discussion or authorization,â GECOM saidinitsstatement
According to the Commission, the behaviour undermined the trust and reliance that was placed in theLegalOfficer
âThe Legal Officer was required to act within the scopeofauthoritygrantedby hisprincipal,inthiscase,the CEO. By acting outside this scope, particularly in favoring the applicant, the Legal Officer violated this fundamentalprinciple.â
WASHINGTON (AP)
â Facing a global market meltdown, President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed off his tariffsonmostnationsfor90 days even as he further jacked up the tax rate on Chineseimportsto125%.
It was seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war between the U.S. and most of the world to a showdown between the U.S. and China. The S&P 500 stock index jumped 9.5% after the announcement, but the drama over Trump's tariffs is far from over as the administration prepares to engage in country-bycountry negotiations. In the meantime, countries subject to the pause will now be tariffedat10%.
The president hit pause in the face of intense pressure created by volatile financial markets that had been pushing Trump to reconsiderhistariffs,evenas
some administration officials insisted his reversal hadalwaysbeentheplan.
As stocks and bonds sold off, voters were watching their retirement savings dwindle and businesses warned of worse than expected sales and rising prices, all a possible gut punch to a country that sent Trump back to the White House last year on the promise of combating inflation.
The global economy appeared to be in open rebellion against 'Trumps tariffs as they took effect early Wednesday, a signal that the U.S. president was not immune from market
pressures By early afternoon, Trump posted on Truth Social that because more than 75 countries had reached out to the U S government for trade talks and had not retaliated in meaningful ways, âI have authorized a 90 day PAUSE,
and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effectiveimmediately.â
Trump later told reporters that he pulled back onmanyglobaltariffsâbut not on China â because people were âyippyâ and âafraidâ due to the stock market declines. He added that while he expected to reach deals, ânothing's over yet.â
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says PresidentTrumpisnotdoing whathisvoterswant.
Thepresidentsaidhehad been monitoring the bond market and that people were âgetting a little queasyâ as bond prices had fallen and interest rates had increased in a vote of no confidenceby investors in Trump's previoustariffplans.
âThebondmarketisvery tricky,â Trump said. âI was watching it. But if you look atitnow,it'sbeautiful.â
The president later said he'd been thinking about his tariffpauseoverthepastfew days, but he said it âcame together early this morning, fairlyearlythismorning.â
Asked why White House aides had been insisting for weeks that the tariffs were not part of a negotiation, Trump said: âA lot of times, it's not a negotiation until it is.â
The 10% tariff was the baseline rate for most nations that went into effect o n S a t u r d a y I t ' s meaningfully lower than the 20%tariffthatTrumphadset for goods from the European Union,24%onimportsfrom Japan and 25% on products fromSouthKorea.Still,10% represents an increase in the tariffs previously charged by the U S government Canada and Mexico would continue to be tariffed by as much as 25% due to a separate directive by Trump to ostensibly stop fentanyl smuggling.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the negotiations with individual countries would be âbespoke,â meaning that the next 90 days would involve talks on a flurry of potential deals Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, told reporters that the pause was because of other countries seeking talks rather than brutalselloffsinthefinancial markets, a statement later contradicted by the president.
âThe only certainty we canprovideisthattheU.S.is going to negotiate in good faith,andweassumethatour allieswilltoo,âBessentsaid.
The treasury secretary said he and Trump âhad a long talk on Sunday, and this was his strategy all alongâ and that the president had âgoaded China into a bad position.â
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick later seemed to contradict the president's account by saying it was âdefinitivelyâ not the markets that caused Trump to pause the tariffs, saying that requests by other nations to negotiate promptedthedecision.
Prior to the reversal, business executives were warning of a potential recession caused by his policies,someofthetopU.S. trading partners were retaliating with their own import taxes, and the stock market was quivering after daysofdecline.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saidthewalkbackwaspartof Trump's negotiating
strategy
She said the news media âclearly failed to see what President Trump is doing here.Youtriedtosaythatthe rest of the world would be movedclosertoChina,when in fact, we've seen the opposite effect. The entire world is calling the United States of America, not China,becausetheyneedour markets.â
The head of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the trade war between the U.S. and China could âcould severely damage the global economic outlookâ and warned of âpotential fragmentation of global trade along geopolitical lines.â
Market turmoil had been building for weeks ahead of Trump's move, with the presidentattimessuggesting the import taxes would stay in place while also saying that they could be subject to negotiations.
Particularly worrisome was that U.S. government debt had lost some of its luster with investors, who usually treat Treasury notes as a safe haven when there's economic turbulence Governmentbondpriceshad been falling, pushing up the interest rate on the 10-year U.S.Treasurynoteto4.45%. ThatrateeasedafterTrump's reversal.
Gennadiy Goldberg, head of U.S. rates strategy at TD Securities, said before the announcement that marketswantedtoseeatruce inthetradedisputes.
âMarkets more broadly,
theirdirectcontrol.
But by unilaterally imposing tariffs, Trump has exerted extraordinary influence over the flow of commerce, creating political risks and pulling the market in different directions based on his remarks and social media posts There still appear to be 25% tariffs on autos, steel and aluminum, with more imports, including pharmaceutical drugs,settobetariffedinthe weeksahead.
The tariffs frenzy of recent weeks has taken its toll on businesses and individualsalike.
not just the Treasury market, are looking for signs that a trade de-escalation is coming,â he said. âAbsent any de-escalation, it's going to be difficult for markets to stabilize.â
John Canavan, lead analyst at the consultancy Oxford Economics, noted that while Trump said he changed course due to possiblenegotiations,hehad previously indicated that the tariffswouldstayinplace.
âThere have been very mixed messages on whether t h e r e w o u l d b e negotiations,â Canavan said. âGivenwhat'sbeengoingon with the markets, he realized the safest thing to do is negotiate and put things on pause.â
The whipsaw-like nature of Wednesday could be seen in the social media posts of Bill Ackman, a hedge fund billionaire and Trump supporter
âOur stock market is down,â Ackman posted on X. âBond yields are up and the dollar is declining.These are not the markers of successfulpolicy.â
Ackmanrepeatedhiscall for a 90-day pause in the post.WhenTrumpembraced that idea several hours later, an ebullient Ackman posted that Trump had âbrilliantly executedâhisplananditwas âTextbook,Art of the Deal,â a reference to Trump's bestselling1987book.
Presidents often receive unduecreditorblameforthe state of the U.S. economy as theirtimeintheWhiteHouse is subject to financial and geopolitical forces beyond
On CNBC, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said theadministrationwasbeing less strategic than it was during Trump's first term. His company had in January projected it would have its bestfinancialyearinhistory, onlytoscrapitsexpectations for2025duetotheeconomic uncertainty
âTrying to do it all at the same time has created chaos in terms of being able to make plans,â he said, noting thatdemandforairtravelhas weakened.
Before Trump's reversal, economic forecasters said his second term has had a series of negative and cascadingimpactsthatcould put the country into a downturn.
âSimultaneous shocks to consumer sentiment, corporate confidence, trade, financial markets as well as to prices, new orders and the labor market will tip the economy into recession in the current quarter,â said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist attheconsultancyRSM.
Bessent has previously said it could take months to strikedealswithcountrieson tariff rates But in a Wednesday morning appearance on âMornings with Maria,â Bessent said theeconomywouldâbeback tofiringonallcylindersâata point in the ânot too distant future.â
Hesaidtherehasbeenan âoverwhelmingâ response by âthe countries who want to come and sit at the table rather than escalate â Bessent mentioned Japan, South Korea, and India. âI will note that they are all around China We have Vietnam coming today,â he said.
Tamesh Deonandan and Danellie Manns, male and female respectively, are the latest to benefit from this joint initiative betweenAnil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA.
Deonandan is a wicketkeeper and a solid batsman and Manns,arightarmlegspinner.
In their short careers so far, Deonandan has already represented his county at the under13and15levelsandhis country at the under13 level, whileMannsgainedselection forhercountyandcountryat the under19 levels Her outstanding performances helped her to gain selection attheWestIndieslevel.They both attending Secondary School.
Atasimpleceremonyheld recently, the aspiring stars expressed gratitude for the cricket bats and promised to continuetoworkhardontheir
cricket âThis initiative will continue to strive to make every community a safer and betterplace Wearepleasedto bepartofthedevelopmentof young cricketers in Guyana. Ouraimistokeepthemoffthe streets and get them actively involved in sports, cricket in particular,âareleasenoted
To date, ninety-six players, male and female, from all three counties of Guyana have benefited
directly from cash, seven gearbags,twotrophies,four arm guards, thirty five bats, four boxes, six helmets, thirty five pairs of cricket shoes, twenty one pairs of batting pads, twenty four thigh pads, one bat grip, thirty seven pairs of batting gloves,
r of wicketkeeping pads and threepairsofwicketkeeping gloves Many others benefited indirectly. In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area benefited fromtwousedbats.
Pomeroon, Leguan and W
Committees and Cotton Tree
ARIES(Mar.21âApr.19)
Itwillbeasthoughyou'reina newandhopefulworldtoday, Aries. The people you meet willbecordialandcaring,and the future will seem like a bright,attractiveplacetolive.
TAURUS(Apr.20âMay20)
Because you tend to brood over everything right now, Taurus,adaylikethiscan'tbe anythingbutbeneficial. Ithasbeendifficultforyouto find satisfaction within the realm of the known world lately
GEMINI(May21âJune20)
Therearedayswhenyoufeel wonderfulwithoutbeingable to attribute the feeling to any real event. Of course, your rationalmindwillsearchfora reasonforyourhappiness.
CANCER(June21âJuly22)
If you're in the arts or sciences, Cancer, sudden inspirationcouldcauseyouto startorcontinueaprojectthat meansalottoyou.
LEO(July23âAug.22)
You will probably be perfectly in tune with the day ahead, Leo. Of course, it's temptingtorunawayfromthe reality and hardships of the moment. But at other times, w h e n y o u ' r e s o compassionate and find it easytolisten.
VIRGO(Aug.23âSept.22)
Don't try to control what happenstoday,Virgo,because you won't be able to fathom what'sgoingon.Howcouldit be otherwise when collective currents are interfering with yourlife.
LIBRA(Sept.23âOct.22)
This kind of strange day doesn't come around often, Libra. It will seem as though you no longer know what you want. Do you have a yen to takeofffortheothersideofthe globe? People won't understandyou.
SCORPIO(Oct.23âNov 21)
Do other countries represent realopeningsforyou?Thisisa question that you will soon have to answer This may be true, but it may also be an illusion that gives you a simplistic explanation for the dissatisfactionyoufeelnowin yourprofessionallife.
SAGIT(Nov 22âDec.21)
You're going to think this is a strange period It isn't, Sagittarius. It's just that today won't be like others. Look around and you will see that people are either depressed or trying to keep up a good façade.
CAPRI(Dec.22âJan.19)
Today, Capricorn, you might get the chance to take a trip around the world to visit fabulous palaces and experienceatimelesslove,and all-getthis-totallyfree!
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20âFeb.
18You will float today, Aquarius. You won't talk, you will be sleepy, and your mood won'tbethebest.OK,perfect! Getbackintoyournovel,take several siestas, and do as little aspossible.
PISCES (Feb. 19âMar.
20)You'recertainlyinastrange mood today, Pisces True, things have been going smoothlyforthepastfewdays butbecarefulnottobefooled.
Die Hard also received one box of red cricket balls each, Cold Fusion Cricket Club thirteencoloruniforms,while RHCCCC received six boxes of balls, fifteen white cricket shirts,onepairofjuniorbatting pads, one pair of wicket keeping gloves, two sets of stumps and bails Other beneficiaries are The Essequibo Cricket Board, the TownofLethem,youthcoach TravisPersaud(oneboxofred cricketballs),maleandfemale teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area, No65 YoungTitanswith30T-Shirts, youths of Just Try Cricket Club, Wakenaam Cricket Academy (one box of white balls), Shamar Joseph, Nehemiah Hohenkirk, Shamar Apple, Leguan Cricket Committee, Tucber ParkCricketClub,Malteenoes SportsClub(ninecricketballs each),KendallâsUnioncricket club with twelve red balls, Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive and JC Chandisingh Secondary Schools with twelve red balls each, Thaddeus Lovell with onepairofcricketshoes,GCC, two boxes of white cricket balls and Bush Lot United Sports Club, one box of red balls
Cricketrelateditems,used ornew,aredistributedfreeof cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana Skills, discipline and education are importantcharacteristicsofthe recipients Talent spotting is beingdoneacrossthecountry andclubleadersalsoassistto identifysame Progressiveand well managed cricket clubs withayouthprogramme,will alsobenefit
Anyone interested to contribute can contact Anil Beharry on 623 6875 or Kishan Das on 1 718 664 0896.
SportsMax-Astunning all-round performance from West Indies captain Hayley Matthewswasnotenoughto prevent her team from falling to a shock 11-run defeat to Scotland in their opening match of the ICC WomenâsCricketWorldCup Qualifier on Tuesday at the Lahore City Cricket AssociationGround.
Matthews was nothing short of heroic, claiming 456 with the ball and then scoring an unbeaten 114 off 113 balls with the bat â an innings made all the more remarkable as she was forced to retire hurt twice duringherknock.
Despite her resilience and brilliance, West Indies were bowled out for 233 in 46 2 overs, chasing
Scotlandâs244.
Electingtobowlfirst,the West Indies had Scotland at 69-3 by the 16th over, with Matthews picking up all threewickets,includingboth Bryce sisters captain Kathryn and wicketkeeper Sarah. But Sarah Bryce (55 off 56 balls) anchored the innings with a fluent knock, before Megan McColl (45), Katherine Fraser (25*) and Priyanaz Chatterji (15 off 10) helped push Scotland to 244alloutin45overs.
Matthews was the standout with the ball, but she received support from off-spinner Karishma Ramharack (2-46) and Aaliyah Alleyne (2-31)
Still,fieldingerrorsandlateorder resistance cost the Caribbean side valuable
momentum heading into the chase.
In response, the West Indies suffered an early setback,losingQianaJoseph for0injustthesecondover But Matthews and Zaida James (45) stitched together a 113-run partnership that appeared to put the Windies incommand.
Matthews played fluently, bringing up her half-century in 56 balls, and was closing in on a century when she had to leave the field for the first time after experiencing discomfort Shereturnedafterthefallof the sixth wicket, only to retirehurtagainon99notout justtwoballslater
When she returned a second time, she completed her century â her fifth in
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews celebrates her century with Shemaine Campbelle.
ODIs â but ran out of partners as wickets tumbled aroundher Themiddleorder collapsed under pressure, with Campbelle (9), Taylor (8), and Gajnabi (2) all falling cheaply. Matthews stooddefiantattheotherend but could only watch as the final wicket fell in the 47th over,leavingherstrandedon 114* and the team 11 runs shortofvictory Scotlandâs bowlers produced a disciplined performance, led by Katherine Fraser (3-50), Chloe Abel (2-31), and Abtaha Maqsood (2-60) Fraser,inparticular,playeda key role in the collapse, claiming three of the final four wickets to wrap up the innings.
James made 45 in a 113-run partnership with Matthews.
Theresultmarksamajor upset and a crucial win for Scotland, who bagged two importantpointsinthegroup stageofthequalifier.
For West Indies, the defeat is a significant setback in their World Cup qualification bid, but they can take heart from their captainâs incredible performance â a shining example of leadership and commitmentinadversity
They will now need to regroup quickly ahead of their next fixture in the t o u r n a m e n t , w i t h qualificationhopesstillalive butnowunderpressure.
Parika Salem Secondary became one of four teams to sweep this yearâs Janet and Cheddi Jagan Memorial Windball.
The Region Three leg of the Janet andCheddiJagan Memorial Windball Cricket tournament concluded in style at the Parika Salem Community Ground, East BankEssequibo,withParika Salem Secondary School sweepingboththeBoysâand Girlsâtitles.
Thehometeamdelivered a dominant performance in
front of a lively and supportive crowd Parika Salem Secondaryâs boys stormed to a commanding 10-wicket victory, while their female counterparts followed up with an equally impressive eight-wicket win over Zeeburg Secondary Theirdoubletriumphmakes them the fourth school this yeartoachievesuchafeat.
In the Boysâ final, the
matchwasplayedonadamp outfield due to the weekendâs unpredictable weather.
Uitvlugt Secondary, having lost the toss, were sent in to bat first. Akesh Mohamed top-scored with a quick 16 runs, while Kevin Suraj added 12 to help their side post 38-2 in five overs.
Parika Salemâs Revaldo Persaud was outstanding
with the ball, finishing with figuresof1-7.
In response, Parika Salem made light work of Uitvlugtâs bowling attack, cruisingto39withoutlossin just2.4overs.
Shazim Mohamed played a fluent knock, scoring 23 runs to seal an emphatic 10-wicket win for histeam.
TheGirlsâfinalfollowed
a similar script. Zeeburg Secondary, batting first, wererestrictedtojust36runs intheirfiveovers.
Parika Salemâs bowlers wereclinical,withAlesaHill starring with figures of 3-4. She was well supported by Reshana Blake, who took 22, and Shomika, who claimed2-6.
Chasing 37 for victory, Parika Salem reached their
target with ease despite losingtwowicketsalongthe way. Navta Calistro led the chargewithatopscoreof13 runs,securingthewinat372.
The tournament was sponsoredbytheMinistryof Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) and the National Sports Commission (NSC), andwasorganisedbySports OfficerA.Munroe.
ByRawleToney
T h e A t h l e t i c s Association of Guyana (AAG) has announced a 42member team for the 2024 CARIFTA Games, the largest delegation the countryhaseverselectedfor the event since its inception in1972.
The CARIFTA Games was commissioned 53 years ago a commemorative championship to mark transition from the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The team will be accompanied by eleven coaches and officials for the competition, which will be heldattheHaseleyCrawford Stadium in Trinidad and TobagofromApril19to21.
This yearâs team nearly doubles last yearâs
, wh
n Guyana sent 23 athletes to St.Georgeâs,Grenada. There, Guyana placed fourthinthemedalstandings
behind Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago,withatotalofeight medals, four gold, three silver,andonebronze.
R e t u r n i n g g o l d medallists Tianna Springer (U20400m),MalachiAustin (U20 400m), andAthaleyha Hinckson (U17 100m) will once again compete in their signature events to defend their titles. The fourth gold medalin2023camefromthe Mixed4x400mrelayteam.
Hinckson, who also picked up a silver medal in theU17200mlastyear,will return alongside Kaidon Persaud,whoexcelledinthe Boysâ U17 800m. Attoya Harvey, who earned bronze inthe3000m,willmakeher
Athaleyha Hinckson will look to add the U20 100m gold to her historic collection.
final CARIFTA appearance thisyear
Severalstandoutathletes from this yearâs National
Secondary Schools Championships will make their CARIFTA debuts, including Ebo McNeil, also a National Junior Table Tennis Champion, who
dominated the 3000m, 1500m,and800mevents.
The full list of athletes includes:
Advanya Glen (1500m U17), Kaymayra Lacon (800m U17), Angel Jeffery (U17 100m, 200m), Shaquan Shepherd (U17 1500m, 400m), Ade Sealey
(U17 1500m, 5000m), Timothy Smith, Jonathan Richards (100m U20), SkylarCharles(100mU20), Bryson Anderson (800m U17), Danangelo Smith (Relay only), Adessa Albert (U20 100m, Long Jump), DavidWilliams(LongJump U17),WaltonAlleyne(200m U20), Tianna Springer (400mU20).
Ebo McNeil (U17 1500m, 3000m), Deuel Europe (U20 Triple Jump, Long Jump), Ethan Cort (Decathlon U20), Kaidon Persaud(U20800m,400m), Afi Blair (Relay only), Nathaniel Samaroo (U17 Shot Put, Discus Throw), Cort Anthony (U20 1500m, 5000m), Ezekiel Millington (100m U17), Devon Easton (U17 800m, 1500m), Jamie Fraser(U20ShotPut,Discus Throw) and Lamar Yaw (Relay only). Guyana will
alsocompeteinseveralrelay events, including the Mixed 4x400m, Female 4x100m (U17 & U20), Female 4x400m(U17&U20),Male 4x100m (U20) and Male 4x400m(U20).
C o a c h i n g a n d Management Staff includes Johnny Greavesande, Kenisha Headley, Dwayne Cater,KariemAaron,Aretha Legal, Timothy Sealy, Vanesa Wickham, and Adessa Albert Twana McCalmontwillserveasthe teamâsSafeguardOfficer President of the AAG, Sheryl Hermonstine and General Secretary James Coles will be the countryâs representative at the North American,CentralAmerican and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Congress, being held in conjunction with the CARIFTAGames.
April12marksthe beginning of a new era in Guyanese cue sports, as the Cue Sports Association of Guyana (CSAG Inc.) teams up with Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey to Cue off the countryâs first-ever National 9-BallChampionship.
Inwhatisbeinghailedas the most significant cue sports event in Guyanaâs history, the championship is poised to elevate the local pool scene by introducing a faster-paced and more electrifying version of the game. Unlike the traditional 8-ball, 9-ball pool is known foritsdynamicshot-making, skillful jump shots, and strategic kicking, qualities that promise to bring a new level of excitement to both playersandspectatorsalike.
The competition, which officially cues off on April 12, will span three actionpackedweekendsandunfold acrossthreepopularvenues: Sunil and Son Pool Bar,
Embassy American Style SportsBar,andSurajSports Bar The grand finale is scheduledforMay4.
The format will see competitors face off in a double-elimination structure, ensuring that only the most consistent and skillful players rise to the top. With over 60 matches scheduled, each game will contribute valuable ranking pointstodetermineyear-end standings a first for Guyanesepool.
âThis tournament is not just about crowning a champion; itâs about raising the bar for competitive pool in Guyana, â said a representative from CSAG Inc âWeâre creating a pathway for local players to develop, gain recognition, and eventually represent Guyana on the international stage.â
Withaprizepooltotaling over$600,000,thestakesare high. The champion will walk away with a lucrative
$200,000, while the runnerup will claim $150,000 Third and fourth-place finishers will each receive $75,000,andthosefinishing fifth through eighth will be awarded$25,000apiece.
Good all-round cricket from Georgetown and West Demerara earned them strong wins yesterday as action in the ongoing DCB U19 tournament continued acrossthecounty
At Transport, Select XI won the toss and elected to Batbutonlymade121allout
in 30 5 overs with contributions from Yannick
Newton who hit three sixes in his 31 and Kishwan Silas (23).
GCA In-form spinner DaveMohabirclaimed3-11, with help from fellow spinner Riyad Latif, who grabbed 3-15, as their team eventuallyracedto122-1. Man
o
the-Ma
ch Romeo Deonarine led with anattractive64(9x41x6)as
Shiloh Adams chipped in with 39 (1x4 2x6), leaving SelectXIâsDhaneshPersaud (1-15)asthemostsuccessful bowler At Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Demerara beat East Bank by 8 wickets after k
opponents for 92 in 29.2 overs.ThepairofDeonarine Dindyal(23)JovindDuncan
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey headlines the tournament as the official title sponsor, with generous support from Web-Source Guyana, Global Imaging Services, Andyâs Auto Spares,MandyMangru,and thehostingvenues.
Man-of-the-match Udesh Seetaram
As anticipation builds, cuesportsenthusiastsacross the country are expected to flock to the venues to witness history in the
(22) emerged as the main scores, as Udesh Seetaram bagged 4-49 with help from NavendraSankar(2-17)and ParmeshwarRam(2-13). WDCA in reply cruised to94-2in14.1oversafterthe duoofSachinBalgobin,who struck 38 with seven fours and all-rounder Kelvin Raymond (35) hammering threefoursandasix.
making. More than just a tournament, the National 9Ball Championship aims to ignite a movement, paving thewayforfuturestarsanda new era of competitive pool inGuyana.
2025 CWI Regional 4-Day Championships Round 7⌠GHE vs.TTRF
Cephas Cooper
Jyd Goolie and Cephas Cooper nailed fifties on the opening day of the final round versus the Guyana Harpy Eagles, despite some collective efforts from the Champâs mixed bowling attack at the Queenâs Park Oval.
The home team did well to finish day one on 214-7, batting first at home against the champs as they will be eyeing a big first innings totalifpossible.
Opener Cooper set the tonewithaneven50finding the fence on 9 occasions, before falling to left-arm Veerasammy Permaul (141).CaptainJoshuaDaSilva
(25)struckthreefours,while all-rounderKharyPierredug in for his 100-ball 38 while Terrance Hinds (19) punchedfourfours.
The hero of the day was Gooliehowever,with57not out as he looks to resume today and help his team stretchtheirlead.
Fast-bowlerKeemoPaul (3-38) had a good opening spell, accounting for the big wicketofJasonMohammed (2) for cheap, while Nial Smith (2-39) and Ronald Alimohamed (1-34) will look to capitalize during todayâssessions. Day 2âs session will continuefrom10:00h.
- Eve Leary set to come alive with Inter-Ward/Village 7-a-side football action Leary
Excitement is building as the 2025 edition of the much-anticipated
Deputy Mayorâs InterWard/Village Cup kicks off on Wednesday, April 23 at the iconic Eve Leary Ground. Thirty-two teams representing some of the most vibrant villages across thecountryarereadytolight up the field in a straight knockout, seven-a-side football competition that promisesthrillingactionand fiercerivalries.
Spread across four electrifying nights and featuring 32 action-packed fixtures,thetournamentwill showcase raw talent, fastpaced play, and community pride, all in pursuit of the grandprizeof$1.1million.
Atstake:Withthirty-two games spread over four nights, there is a lot of
excitement. To secure up to $1,100,000, some of the biggest names will start the race The first-place finishers will receive a championship trophy and $500,000 in cash, while the second, third, and fourth place finishers will receive significant cash incentives of $300,000, $200,000, and $100,000,respectively
Tournament coordinator
Lennox Arthur assured fans that all systems are go: âPreparations are moving along nicely All the teams arelockedinandreadytogo to battle,â Arthur said âWeâre also looking into increasingindividualprizes, sofanscanexpectevenmore exciting updates in the comingdays.â
The list of participating teamsreadslikeawhoâswho o f l o c a l f o o t b a l l powerhouses, with crowd
favouriteslikeFestivalCity, Herstelling, Gold is Money, Z-Tek Family, Sophia, Mocha, Back Circle âAâand âBâ,StabroekBallers,North Ruimveldt, Campbellville, andmanyothersmakingthe cut. Also in the mix are exciting squads from Stewartville, Tucville, Albouystown,Uitvlugt,Den Amstel, Mahaica, Timehri PanthersBeavers,Espanyol, Eagles, Airy Hall, Belle West Stars, Laing Avenue, Talibans, and Uprising, all vying for village bragging rights and championship glory
Matches will follow FIFA regulations, with the exceptionoftheoffsiderule. Games will be played over 30 minutes (two 15-minute halves), with strict penalties forteamsfailingtoappearon time or for misconduct on the field. A red card will
automatically sideline a playerforthenextgame,and any team not present one hour before kickoff risks
disqualification via walkover
Hereâs a snippet of the previously organised event by former National Footballer Lennox Arthur. 32 teams, four nights...Deputy Mayorâs Cup takes center stage from April 23-May 14 at Police ground.
The tournament runs from April 23 to May 14, with the grand finale set to ignite the Police Ground in whatâsexpectedtobeasoldout night of high-octane action.
Football fans are encouraged to come out in theirnumbersandbepartof this pulsating village showdown.
SportsMax - Jamaicaâs Reggae Girlz suffered another heavy defeat to Mexico on Tuesday night, going down 4-0 at the Shell Energy Stadium in Houston in the second of two international friendlies. The resultfollowedSaturdayâs30 loss and capped a challenging week for the Jamaicans, who conceded seven goals without reply acrossbothfixtures. All four goals came in a torrid first half for Jamaica, as Mexico ran riot early Lizbeth Ovalle opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a spectacular strike from a tight angle following acorner Thatsetthetonefor adominantMexicandisplay, with Alice Soto bagging a brace in the 11th and 24th minutes â both composed finishesfrominsidethebox. ScarlettCamberosaddedthe third in the 18th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapsetofireintothetopright corner
Mexicoâs fluid attack
Jamaicaâs backline in the opening half, with Alice Soto and Jacqueline Ovalle prov
y dangerous down the flanks.
Goa
y Schneider made a couple of savestostemthetide,butthe damagewasalreadydoneby thebreak.
Jamaica made five substitutions at halftime in an attempt to regroup, includingtheintroductionof forwards Kameron Simmonds and Kiki van Zanten, and defender Vyan Sampson. The second-half performance was noticeably improved, with the Reggae
Girlz showing greater intensityanddisciplineboth inandoutofpossession. Therewereopportunities for Jamaica to pull a goal back â notably a string of effortsaroundthehourmark. KikivanZantenhadaheader saved in the 66th minute after a good build-up
involving Olufolasade Adamolekun Moments earlier,TrudiCarterhadseen a left-footed shot sail over the bar following a corner Adamolekunalsohadashot fromdistanceblockedinthe 79th minute, while Shaneil Buckley tested Mexicoâs backline late in the game with a right-footed effort from outside the box that driftedwide.
After the match, Coach Deon Burton acknowledged the poor start but found positives in the second-half response.
âI learned that they showed character in the secondhalfafteranotherbad start to the game,â Burton said.âTheycouldhavegone under,buttheydidnât.Credit to them for showing some fightattheend.â
Burton pointed to the halftime message as a turningpoint.
âWesaiditfromthefirst gameâtheintensitywasnât there. Again, I donât know why,Icanâtputmyfingeron it.Butthesecondhalfwasa
different story, and I think we should have really got something out of it. Thatâs whatwewantfromthem.â
He also praised several players who were moved into different positions or brought into the side after Saturdayâsloss.
âThereâs a few we definitely spoke to and marked down,â he said âTheir performance in this second game was much better from their individual standpoint.â
Looking ahead, Burton admitted that while the tour wasnât a success in terms of results, there were encouraging signs to build on.
âWeneedtoworkharder to improve and get better results,â he said. âBut itâs goodhowitendedâwehad alotofterritoryinthesecond half, we pressed from the front and caused Mexico some problems. Just a little more quality at the end and we would have got some goals.Thatâsapositiveweâll takeforward.â
The East Bank DemeraraCricket
Association (EBDCA) officially bowled offthe2025editionoftheR. Dookie Memorial T20 Cricket Championship last weekend, with eight teams registering early wins in what promises to be an electrifyingtournament.
Sandpipers Sports Club, Herstelling âAâ, Herstelling âBâ, Herstelling CTI, Uprising Cricket Club, E
Delroy Williams took a 5-fer against Laluni CC to lead Herstelling CTI to victory
Diamond Sports Club, and NorthSoesdykeSportsClub all recorded victories in the tournamentâsopeninground, held across three premier venues: Canal #2 Ground, Farm Ground, and Laluni Cricket Club Ground. The tournamentwaslaunchedon Thursday, April 3, at the FarmCommunityCentre.
Inanail-bitingopenerat Canal #2, Sandpipers SC edged past Peterâs Hall Sports Club by seven runs. Batting first in a rain-
reduced 15-over encounter, Sandpipersposted105-8,led by a steady 21-run knock from Chris Deonarine, which included two boundaries and a six. Ubai Hussain and Shane Persaud shonewiththeball,claiming 3-18and2-13respectively
Despiteaspirited28-run e
D
Graham,PeterâsHallfelljust short, bowled out for 98 on the penultimate delivery of the match. The victory was anchored by a crucial bowling performance from Javeed Rasheed and MahendraJagnarine.
Herstelling âAâ had a more dominant outing, defeating Demolition Cricket Club by eight wickets. Chasing a target of 106, Ricardo Adams hammeredanexplosivehalfcentury, striking three fours andsevensixestopowerhis team to 109-2 in just 12.3 overs. Anand Bharat was instrumental with the ball, bagging 4-33 to restrict Demolition to 105 all out in 17 overs. Herstelling CTI produced a commanding performance against Laluni Cricket Club in the first match at Farm Ground Zynul Ramsammy starred
Daram Seeram missed out on a fiery century after remaining on 99 for Hibernia Strikers who thrashed Essequibo Legends by 88 runs last Sunday in the continuation of this yearâs Essequibo Softball Cricket League (ESCL) T20,Over-40competition.
The right-handed Seeram struck seven sixes and nine fours as his team amassed a formidable286-3attheexpirationofthe20overs.
Theiroppositions,EssequiboLegends,in response, reached 198 all out in exactly 20 oversatAffianceground.
The rampant Seeram and Deon Wallace put together an enterprising, unbroken 135runfortheirfourth-wicket.
Wallace hit a swashbuckling 71 which comprisedofsevensixesandfourboundaries ashiscontribution.
FaizulMohamedwasalsoamongtheruns withacameo29.
Seepersaud Sankar was the most successfulbowlerforEssequiboLegendsby taking2-47fromhismaximumfourovers.
When Essequibo Legends batted, the inform Imam Gafoor scored a fighting 38
with the bat, smashing a scintillatingcentury(109)to propel CTI to 188-3 from their 20 overs. Laluni, in reply, crumbled for 60 in 11 overs,withDelroyWilliams wreaking havoc, finishing with figures of 5-13 and sealing a massive 123-run victory
In the second fixture, Uprising Cricket Club outplayed Patretwa Sawmills by 53 runs Michael Subadarâs 29 laid thefoundationforUprisingâs 135total.Thebowlingtrioof Anthony Hutson, Miguel Parks, and Mohamed Baksh thendismantledPatretwafor just81runsin11.3overs.
At the Laluni venue, EcclesSportsClubsecureda 5-wicket win over Providence Cricket Club after successfully chasing down 120 Nehemiah Hohenkirk led the charge withatopscoreof46todeny Providence an opening victory In the dayâs final match, North Soesdyke
- EBDCA/R. Dookie Memorial T20 C/ship got underway last weekend
Last weekâs century maker, Zynul Ramsammy
Sports Club defeated RuimveldtSportsClubby24 runs.NorthSoesdykeposted 138-5,thenbowledouttheir opponents for 114, securing their first win of the competition.
Wrapping up the weekendâsactiononSunday, Diamond Sports Club and Herstelling âBâ emerged victoriousintheirrespective
matches, rounding off a thrilling first week of the championship. With a grand prize of $200,000upforgrabsforthe tournament winners and individual awards for Best Batter and Best Bowler, the R. Dookie Memorial T20 Championship is set for several more weekends of high-octanecricketaction.
Independent - Novak Djokovic crashed out of the Monte Carlo Masters in his opening match of the claycourt season as Alejandro Tabilo made it successive wins against the 24-time grandslamchampion.
while Sankar returned with the bat to prove hisall-roundcapabilitybymaking30.
Meanwhile, in the three other fixtures, therewasnogameafterthreeteamsfailedto showup.
DefendingchampionsCaribbeanCricket Club 2 got a walkover from Richmond UnitedwhileQueenstownTigersalsogained maximum points after Reliance Sports Club couldnothavefieldedateam.
The other team that claimed a walkover was Untouchables after Devonshire Castle alsowasano-show
However, the 8-team, round-robin competitionisslatedtocontinuethisSunday with four more matches at various venues across the Essequibo Coast, Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
Thecompetitionisscheduledtoconclude May 25th at a ground to be named. The top four teams after the preliminary round will contestinthesemi-finalsegment.
The champion team will take home a trophy and $100,000, trophy and $50,000 will be awarded to the runners-up side and moremonetaryprizesandtrophiesareupfor grabs.
Djokovic had won 10 consecutivematchesonclay stretching back to last seasonâs French Open and Olympics, where the Serbian won gold at Roland Garros,buthefelltoa6-364defeat.Chileanleft-hander Tabilo, ranked 32 in the world, also defeated the 37year-oldDjokoviconclayat last yearâs Italian Open in Romeandhasnowwonboth meetings against the former WorldNo1.
Tabilohadstruggledthis season, winning just two matches prior to Monte Carlo, but defeated former French Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round to set up a clash with Djokovic. And the 27year-old became just the thirdplayerinhistorytoface Djokovic at least twice and not lose to him, joining Marat Safin and Jiri Vesely, as he converted his second
Tabilo joined a rare club to have a 100 per cent win record against Djokovic after more than one meeting (Getty Images) to
matchpointtowininstraight sets. Djokovic was out of sortsandstruggledbadlyon hisforehandside,making29 unforced errors in total. He had two break point opportunities to get back on serve late in the second set butcouldnottakethem.
Concerningly for
Djokovic,hehasnowlostin his opening match three times at the last four tournaments, following early exits against Matteo Berrettini in Doha in February and Botic van de Zandschulp at Indian Wells in March. Djokovic reached the final of the Miami Masterslastmonth,showing better form, but was beaten
byteenagerJakubMensik76 7-6 to deny him his 100th careersinglestitle.
The Monte Carlo Mastersisoneofthreeofthe highest-ranked ATP tournaments before the second grand slam of the season at Roland Garros, alongwiththeMadridOpen andItalianOpen.
Earlier in the Monte Carlo, there were victories for seeds Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev,AlexdeMinaurand ArthurFils.
Britainâs Jack Draper, who is seeded fifth, faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last-16 on Thursday
BYRAWLETONEY
James Cole, General Secretary of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), is set to formally submit a bid for Guyana to host the 2026 CARIFTA Gamesduringtheupcoming North American, Central American and Caribbean
Athletic Association (NACAC)Congress.
The Congress will take place concurrently with the 2025 CARIFTA Games, scheduled for April 19â21 at the Haseley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago Cole will be accompanied by AAG PresidentSherylHermonstine as both representatives attend the Congress in the Twin IslandRepublic Theduowill advocate for Guyanaâs readiness and renewed commitment to hosting the regionâs premier junior track andfieldchampionship
ThisisnotGuyanaâsfirst attempt to bring the CARIFTA Games to its shores.
In 2019, NACAC announced that Guyana would host the 50th edition of the Games, originally slatedfor2022.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was
rescheduled to 2023
However, the hosting rights were later relinquished after NACAC reopened the biddingprocess.
In January 2020, NACACofficialsvisitedthe National Track and Field Facility at Leonora, West CoastDemerara,wherethey emphasized the need for significant rehabilitation work, particularly on the track surface, to meet internationalstandards.
Althoughtheresurfacing of the synthetic track was successfully completed in October 2023, discussions ultimately broke down, and Guyana missed out on hostingrightsonceagain.
This time, however, the AAG is moving forward with the full backing of the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Culture,YouthandSport.
This support includes formal assurances that Guyana is now in a better position,bothinfrastructural and logistically, to host a successful CARIFTA Games for the first time since the competition began in 1972 At the 50th CARIFTA Games held in Grenada,NACACPresident Michael Sands announced
that bids had been opened the same year in The Bahamas for the hosting of the subsequent three editions.
Hosting rights were awarded to Grenada (2024), TrinidadandTobago(2025), and Barbados (2026) However, Barbados later
Tianna Springer and Javon Roberts carries the Golden Arrowhead at the opening of the 2024 CARIFTA Games. (Newsroom photo)
withdrew its bid due to iss
th facility readiness, prompting NACAC to reopen the biddingprocessforthe2026 edition.
Guyana quickly expressed its renewed interest in taking up the mantle. AccordingtoSands,
to be seriously considered, the AAG must provide a formalletterofsupportfrom the Government of Guyana orarecognizedguarantorof sponsorship Once submitted, the bid will undergo full review and ratification by the NACAC Council. If successful, the
2026 CARIFTA Games would mark a historic milestone for Guyana, becoming the first time the countryhoststheprestigious regional championship that has launched the careers of world-class athletes such as Usain Bolt and Kirani James.
TC
(NSC) has received a shipment of sports uniforms from Canadian company
D8Door & Hardware Inc., which will be distributed to sportsteamsacrossGuyana. Company representative Ricky Mohamed made the simple yet meaningful presentation to Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, at the
NSCâs headquarters on Middle Street, Georgetown, yesterday
Following a cordial exch
nge, Ninvalle expressed his gratitude to the company for their thoughtful and timely donation
collaboration between corporate entities and the Government is essential
for the advancement of sports in Guyana, adding, âA true partnership is needed to meaningfully enhance sports in the country.â He also noted that the uniforms will be distributed equitably to s p o r
s a n d organizations, particularly those in need, helping to provide them with a sense ofidentity
D8 Door & Hardware
Inc. is a Canadian-based
estimating, take-offs, shop
fabrication services to distributors within their industry
The company partners with distributors that lack either qualified staff or the specialized hollow metal shop facilities required to servicetheirprojectscope.
