Kaieteur News

Biker dies after riding overboard

Dead: Dinesh Williams

A26-year-oldmanofidentifiedasDineshWilliamsdied onSundayafterlosingcontrolofhisbikeandrodeoverboard. He was pinned under the water by the motorcycle in a trenchalongHiberniaBackStreet,EssequiboCoast,Region Two. Williamsreportedlylosthislifearound07:30hrswhile hewasreturninghome.ReportsarethatWilliamslostcontrol of his motorcycle as he approached a turn in the street. He ended-upridingoverboardwherehewaspinnedbeneaththe water

Somebelievethathemighthavedrowned.Hewaspulled from the trench motionless and rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital where doctors confirmed that he was dead. His relativessaidthathisdeathhascreatedavoidthatcannotbe filled. FriendsdescribedbyFacebookPostsasa“GreatPal” whowouldneverpassanyonebywithoutgreetingthem.

Guyana ranks 6th in World for ocean plastic pollution - study finds

A study conducted by Utility Bidder has revealed alarmingstatisticsregarding plastic pollution, with Guyana emerging as the sixth-largest contributor to oceanplasticwasteglobally

The study, titled “Plastic Polluters,” examined various factorscontributingtoplastic pollution, including the amount of plastic waste entering oceans per person annually and the level of mismanagedplasticwaste

In the past, convenience and cost-effectiveness have often taken precedence over e n v i r o n m e n t a l considerations, leading to detrimental consequences While initiatives such as plastic bag charges and incentives for reusable products have been introducedtoaddressplastic pollution, the problem persists, with certain countries standing out as majorcontributors.

The Philippines topped the list, disposing of 3.30kg of plastic waste into the ocean per person annually, followed by Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago Guyana, however, ranked at number six on the list, with 1 59kg of mismanaged plastic waste entering the oceanpercapitaeachyear

Mismanaged plastic waste, defined as waste that is littered or disposed of in uncontrolled landfills, significantly increases the likelihood of pollution

reaching the ocean G u y a n a ’s r a n k i n g underscores the urgent need for enhanced waste management strategies to mitigate environmental damage.

Amongthetopcountries with the most mismanaged plastic waste per person annually, Guyana placed sixth,with25.20kgofplastic wasteendingupintheocean percapita.

Comoros leads the ranking, with nearly 70kg of waste per capita. Despite being home to vibrant coral

reefs, Comoros faces a significantthreatfromplastic pollution, prompting the implementation of measures such as the ban on nonbiodegradable plastic bags Following closely behind is Trinidad and Tobago, which annually mismanages 5243kg of plastic waste per person In response to this alarmingsituation,initiatives likethe‘TideTurners’appby the United Nations Environment Programme aim to empower individuals to track and reduce their plastic consumption

Suriname rounds out the top three, with an annual mismanagement of almost 40kg of plastic waste per person Efforts such as the ‘Run Out of Waste’ day demonstrate Suriname’s commitment to raising awarenessandaddressingthe challenges posed by plastic pollution

The revelation made in the study highlights the pressing need for comprehensive measures to addressplasticpollutionand s a f e g u a r d m a r i n e ecosystems.

Moreover,thestudyalso outlined practical tips to reduce plastic waste, emphasising the importance of individual efforts in combating this global c h a l l e n g e Recommendations included investing in reusable bottles and cups, utilising bulk buying options, and minimising chewing gum consumption, which often containsplastic. As countries grapple with the devastating effects of plastic pollution on marine life and ecosystems,

concerted efforts at both individualandgovernmental levels are essential to curbing this environmental crisis.

Additionally, James Longley,ManagingDirector atUtilityBiddersaid,“There are many easy steps we can take to reduce our plastic waste in our day-to-day lives.Oneoftheseisthrough the use of reusable water bottles and cups. Around 1,500 plastic bottles are thrown away every second and only one in 400 coffee cupsareefficientlyrecycled.

Utilising reusable cups can also save you money, with many places having bottle-filling stations and coffee shops often offering discounts for those with reusablecups.Itshouldonly have enough reusable cups for your needs, over-buying these can harm the environmentfromemissions and waste from production processes.Plasticbagsresult in around 250 marine animals being killed each day, suffocating on these bags that are polluting the oceans. Utilising reusable bagsisanidealwayofonce again reducing this excess waste.Thiscanalsosaveyou moneyinthelongrunasyou won’tneedtopaytheplastic bag charge when shopping. Keepthese‘bagsforlife’by yourfrontdoororintheboot of your car so you don’t forget them on your shoppingtrips.”

EDITORIAL

Exxon press conferences

ExxonMobilcanbecountedontoholdwhatitcallspress engagements We at this publication thinks that engagement is fitting, given that Guyana is tied to the companyinwhathasallthesignsofaforcedmarriage. Like a marriage, Guyana is hitched to ExxonMobil for better or worse. Take the pulse of Guyanese left hanging and he or shewillconfirmthatithasbeenfortheworse. Nonetheless, ExxonMobil holds these so-called press engagements and presents a bright, smiling face to still hopeful locals about whatthisoilwealthcouldmeanforthem.

The press engagements have been nothing but fun for a handful of Guyanese, and an ordeal for the rest of Guyana. The few are those with an inside track to the oil money, while many are the ones discarded to crawl around, and peering about, for any loose change to which they can help themselves. This is what ExxonMobil calls the intricate balancing act of taking care of the ever-nervous investor class,butwithaneyetosomerevenuestreamforGuyanese. According to the company’s spokespeople, local and foreign,theoilmoneycomingtoGuyanesenowisgoodbut justwaitafewmoreyearsandbankscannothandlethecash set to roll into this country This is the pleasant side of ExxonMobil’s press engagements, with drumroll, eyeroll, andtherollingoffineHavanacigarstoblowsmokeintothe eyesoflocals. Therevenuehasbeennomorethanatrickle.

Pressengagementswillnotbepressengagementsworth the name if there was not the edgy to grace the occasion. Why is Guyana not getting more? Why is ExxonMobil grabbingalmostalltheprofits(onthetable,aswellasthose on the sly side) for itself? What would the world be if there was no space made to accommodate disagreeable people? FromanExxonMobilpointofview,thispaperhasstakedits claim to the top of the ladder as far as the disagreeable people in the press crowd are concerned. It has to come prepared to answer the same questions repeatedly because they have not been answered fully to date. Questions about its barbaric contract and more questions about what kind of practicesoccurwithbillionsinexpenses. Whydotheyhave to be kept secret from the people paying them? What is so sacred about these expenses that must be hidden away from pryingeyes,asthoughtherearesomereligiousartifacts? If it is not unamerican in America to seek value for money spent, then it should not be unamerican in Guyana to check on what the company is doing to verify that same value is being received. Though there is continuing debate about whatconstitutesbeingGuyanese,andtheassociatedvalues, hidingexpensesfromthepeoplewhohavepaidforringside seats certainly qualifies to be un-Guyanese. The people speaking for ExxonMobil should not spend their time at press engagements ducking from and dissembling over questions involving billions of American dollars. It is the same unacceptable story with how many new billions of barrels of oil ExxonMobil has discovered but hide from Guyanese.

The Guyanese people are due straight answers, and press engagements are the best forums for getting them The straight answers that belong to this country’s citizens as a matter of right have not been provided by any of ExxonMobil’sspokespeople Instead,Guyanesehavehadto be content with the circular, what seesaws and shifts them around,andwhatleavesthemindeeperdarkness Tobeblunt, what ExxonMobil has put out as press engagements have come to represent nothing but American circuses, with its usual complement of a ringmaster, a juggler or two, and a set of men walking about on eggshells A trillion-dollar oil patrimony should not come to this clownish state The podium has become both a propaganda stage and an investor convention that is more focused on the calculations of ExxonMobil’s stakeholders In order that all Guyanese appreciate what they are getting with ExxonMobil’s press engagements, they must get this The ExxonMobil press engagements are held weekly at Freedom House, with Guyana’sBharratJagdeoasExxonMobil’schiefspokesman

NBS seems reluctant to update customers status after repayment

DEAREDITOR, thefeesfromthebeginning,I banking system continues to continues to show that I It is often said that the was told thatI have to pay an show thatIamstillindebted haveamortgage with NBS. greatest sin is to be poor and additional $20,000 for toNBS. This is frustrating It to uplift your life, you need “cancellation of the I contacted NBS and was seems that NBS after having to borrow from the banks. mortgage” Reluctantly, I told that the cancellation the best of its customers in Borrowing from banks is paidthesame. documents were with their the form of interest and fees, easier said than done. On the In the meanwhile, I law firm. I contacted the law care less about updating the 10thofNovemberlastyear,I applied for a commercial firm and was assured that customers’ status as a nonrepaid my last mortgage loan from IPED, NBS not they had done their part in debtor to NBS in the installment to the New offering loans in this my “mortgage cancellation” interconnected banking Building Society (NBS) category That loan has been sincethe8thDec2023. system.

Breathingasighofreliefand approved but I cannot get it A visit to IPED on Yours respectfully, thinking that I was over with since the interconnected Monday 18 March 2024, it Disgruntled customer

Roundabouts too narrow

DEAREDITOR, Vehicles are much larger Works Ministry et al. Please pavements further prove my The traffic roundabouts and with significantly spare the usual response of point. linking key roadways were a increased traffic flows, one motoristsneedtoslowdown, The monuments in the welcome addition to traffic would have thought that take their time and learn to roundabout centres are a management.Itsoonbecame much of the wasted space use the roundabouts. Most greatideabutthoselocations obvious during their and concrete adjoining are already doing that thanks should not be as large a mini construction and more so structures to direct flow to Ministry’s excellent parkforrecreation. after,thatthecentersofthese would be utilized. The fact publicawarenesseffort. The fact that traffic is roundabouts are too large. that there are traffic jams at There’s too much wasted always backed up at these Nottomention,somearenot t h e s e r o u n d a b o u t s space in the roundabouts’ key junctions during critical very round (See the Sheriff demonstratethattheyaretoo ‘centres and that’s simply times shows that the Street, Kitty roundabout). I narrow for the average common sense. Even welcomed concept was actually bet several friends vehicle to navigate safely, making the lanes 2 ft wider poorly executed. You don’t that not only would there be muchlessheavy-dutytrucks. would ease the congestion need to be a rocket scientist trucks overturning with Articulated lorries are even andmotorists’mentalfatigue tofigurethisout,justaskany serious congestion during worse with them using both (In this case, wider is better). motorist. peak flow hours I was lanestosafelypass. Maybeeventhreelanesanda Fixthem...please(Alittle proven right and collected a I’msurecomplaintshave n a r r o w e r p a v e m e n t widerwouldbenicer!). case of Malta (Thanks to already reached the powers encircling the centres. The Yours respectfully, BanksDIH!) that be within the Public tiremarksontheedgesofthe Paul McAdam

From communism to autocracy’

DEAREDITOR, engaged in a most forceful Jagdeo wants to know who counteringdiscrimination.

ThePeople’sProgressive questioning of the PPP complained to the UNHRC As I understand it, under Party (PPP) of Cheddi Jagan government and it is widely rather than outlining how his a simplified procedure, two fell afoul of the West in the believed that Guyana’s government intends to documents are exchanged, era of containment of representative at that seriously address the namely a list of issues prior communism, and the current meeting was unable to importantissuesraised. toreporting,drawnupbythe leadership appears set to sensiblyrespond. Firstly, it is true that the Committee; and replies by suffer a similar fate in the Helfer raised some weak performance of the State that constitute the current global struggle t r o u b l e s o m e b u t Guyana representatives in State’s report. Prior to the between democracy and fundamental issues that have response to these specific meeting at which the State autocracy. The Jagans found to do with democratisation issues does suggest that she Party’s report is to be itdifficulttopivotawayfrom that confirm the formal may have been taken by reviewed, the Committee communism and the present designation of Guyana as a surprise, and from my forwards to it a list of issues, leadershipismoreconcerned growing autocratic state. For u n d e r s t a n d i n g , t h e indicating the topics relating with holding power than example, the decades-long committee is not intended to to the implementation of the buildingafunctioningliberal non-confirmation of operate in that manner The Covenant on which the democracyinGuyana. substantive heads of the UNHRC is the body of Committee wishes the State

The PPPgovernment has judiciary, corruption in the eighteen independent Party to provide further had an abysmal record of Guyana Police Force and the experts nominated by their specific information The dealingwithissueshavingto absence of investigation into governments for a four-year State Party is to submit its do with democratic renewal allegations against the Vice term to monitor the responsesbyaspecifieddate and perhaps this helps to President himself, the implementation of the prior to the meeting with the explain why at the first selectivepublicprocurement International Covenant on Committee. a p p r o p r i a t e p u b l i c of contracts, harassment of Civil and Political Rights. Secondly, the New York opportunity afforded it after journalists, the US visa AllStatesPartiesmustreport identifier is a clear reference Vice-President and General revocation of a permanent on the measures they have to the possible influence of Secretary of the PPP Mr secretaryetc.,etc. adopted relating to the rights Rickford Burke and the Bharrat Jagdeo, at Babu Professor Helfer’s described in the Covenant, Caribbean Guyana Institute Jaan, threatened the political intervention raised the ire of and on the progress made in for Democracy (CGID) and opponents of his party with Jagdeo, who according to the enjoyment of civil and is merely hype to satisfy the dire consequence as the reports claimed that Helfer’s political liberties Its faithful. Professor Helfer is countryproceedstothe2025 p o s i t i o n h a d b e e n thematic pillars in the currently Sr Professor of general and regional ‘contaminated’ by the Caribbean are increasing Law at Duke University and elections, during discussion oppositionPeoples’National implementation of the has taught, researched and on Guyana at the 140th Congress (PNC) in and human rights mechanisms, lectured on a wide range of Session of the United around New York, that he integrating human rights in issues in international law, Nations Human Rights was not speaking on behalf sustainable development, international human rights, Committee (UNHRC), the of the US government that strengthening the rule of law international courts and United States representative, had not raised these matters and accountability for tribunals, treaties and Professor Laurence R with his government, and in human rights violations, and internationalorganisations, Helfer of New York, typical autocratic style, enhancing equality and (Continued on page 5)

It is NIS’s job to monitor and keep proper records of employee contributions, don’t blame the victims

DEAREDITOR, he miss the Zainul case, a runaround for 28 years, A letter by a NeilAdams Toolsie Persaud worker who r e c o r d s w e r e n o t (“NIS is a bedrock for sued NIS for his benefits?

computerized long ago. And Guyanese who attained the (“Justice Younge orders NIS his company, Bermine, was age of retirement,” Mar 23, to pay Toolsie Persaud closed down long ago. So 2024, KN), started well Limited staffer,” Nov 29, how does Mr. Adams expect sayinghowNISis“ascheme 2023). Although Mr. Zainul mycousintofindrecordsfor that is meant to be a provided an abundance of a y e a r ’ s m i s s i n g sustenance to us so that we evidence including pay slips contributions? My cousin can live a life of comfort for the years, NIS did not p r o v i d e d s o m e when we would have have records, NIS refused to circumstantial evidence and reachedourtwilightzone.” pay him. That’s why he sued got the former Personnel He was going good until in Court. Instead of paying Manager and a worker he he ended by blaming all the up, our working-class supervised to vouch for him victims of NIS, when he said Government filed an appeal that he worked that year, but “Some workers cannot show against paying this poor man the Board rejected that. If proof of contributions and waiting 12 years for his they would not pay Mr for which the NIS cannot paymentduetohim. Zainul as ordered by the show record of their The Judge essentially Judge, why would Mr. contributions. This has been said it is the NIS job to Adams think if you keep a sore point between monitor and keep proper proper records, NIS will pay contributor and the NIS. The records, and that most of the you?

NIS insists in the worker N I S ’s c o n t r i b u t i o n I don’t know if NIS is providing evidence of his statements are largely now operating under contribution while the inaccurate and incomplete. political considerations, but worker is adamant that they The NIS Act places the for the Government side to h a v e p a i d i n t h e i r responsibility on NIS to do say if they pay Zainul, NIS contributions and must be i t s j o b m o n i t o r i n g will be bankrupt as others compensatedforit.” contributions So, Mr would make similar claims

Adams said, “Now Adams trying to blame too, is untenable. My cousin herein lies the perennial workers for not checking has asked the President and problem which in many contribution statements for Minister of Finance for their cases is the fault of the accuracy, is in essence, intervention but he has not worker…The NIS cannot go excusing the incompetence heardbackfromanyone.Mr on hearsay evidence, cold, at the NIS and Ministry of Adams, get real, and think hard copy evidence is proof Finance who is in charge of deeply before you fire off of your claim, and any other them. letters! There are too many sourceisonshakyground.” Now, workers can see victimsofNISoutthere!

Unless Adams is contributions online, but for Sincerely, carrying water for the NIS people like my 88-year-old Dr Jerry Jailall and Ministry of Finance, did cousin being given the Civil SocietyAdvocate

Guyana’s profile on international stage being further enhanced

DEAREDITOR, statesmen in their own right. leader Yasser Arafat and Guyana’s profile as a Blair was one of the longest Israeli Prime Minister significant player on the serving Prime Minister of Yitzhak Rabin to shake international stage is being Britain in recent history and hands following the signing further enhanced with the was famous for the role he of the Oslo Accords at the visits of two former world played in support of the White House. Rabin was leaders, Tony Blair of Great United States invasion of subsequently assassinated in Britain and Bill Clinton of IraqinMarch2003. 1995 for his role in the theUnitedStates. Bill Clinton was known signingoftheaccord.

B o t h m e n w e r e for his role in getting two Sincerely, accomplished leaders and arc-enemies in 1993, PLO HydarAlly

From communism to autocracy’

From page 4 know what Jagdeo made of the humiliating andinternationallawinU.S.courts. trip he and the president were ‘invited’ to

He is Permanent Visiting Professor, makeWashington earlier in their regime, and Center of Excellence for International all the associated lamentations before and Courts, University of Copenhagen; Co- since then of the need for greater inclusion, Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of equitability, and creation of a functioning International Law; Co-Director, Center for democracyinGuyana.

International and Comparative Law, Duke Studies have provided convincing University; author, co-author or editor of six evidence that the impressionable years are books and author or co-author of more than indeed important for the development of 100 other publications on international law, political orientation, and that there is a great international human rights, international dealofstabilityincitizens’politicalidentities courts, international organizations, and and engagement in later life. internationallawinU.S.courtsandhasmade (https://academic.oup.com/editedmore than 200 academic and professional volume/41327/chapter/352327025).

presentations on these topics Guyana’s population is still being socialised (https://view.officeapps.live.com/). in arguably the most complex and largely

When bodies like the UN speak of autocratic political environment in the persons being independent experts, it is CommonwealthCaribbean. DesmondHoyte unlike Guyana where the first stop to find was the most cosmopolitan of Guyana’s such people is usually Freedom House, presidents, yet he took years to grasp the true Congress Place and their associates. The natureofGuyanesesocietyandpivotaway,at professional standing of people such as least conceptually, from his traditional Helfer is such that they are most unlikely to beliefs.

compromise it for the CGID and the PNC! For the PPP or the PNC, being in Given the process outlined above, Professor governmenthasnotandwillnottranslateinto Helfer could not have hoodwinked all the optimal national management. Such will other members of the Committee, some of always be as Janet Jagan rightly perceivedwhom voiced similar concerns. Indeed, with doing the best you could in the context of their collective knowledge and experience, holding power She prioritised and was just think what their stance implies about the content with holding power but in this era, currentregimeinGuyana! thiswillnotdo!

Thirdly, if these matters have not been Regards, raised by the US government before, I do not Dr Henry Jeffrey

Senegal election: Voters choose new president after political crisis

(BBC NEWS) People in Senegalhavebeenvotingfor a new president in a delayed election after weeks of politicalunrest.Longqueues of voters were witnessed across the country as they flocked to choose from 17 presidential candidates After he voted, outgoing President Macky Sall warned candidates against making premature claims of victory

The election had been due to take place last month but Mr Sall postponed it, triggering deadly opposition protests and a democratic crisis.

Seven million people were eligible to vote in the mainlyMuslimWestAfrican nation, which had until then been praised as a bastion of democracy in the region.

Seven million people, some seen here queuing in Ndiaganiao, are eligible to vote.

Polling stations are now closing after a largely calm day of voting as most people are returning home to prepare to break their fast, released from jail just 10 backing Mr Faye.A25-year- complaints from a polling On Friday, former watching to see if the which happens at sunset days ago, after being oldvoterinNdiaganiao,who centre in the town of Keur President Abdoulaye Wade election process goes some during the Muslim fasting detained sinceApril 2023 on only gave her first name, Massar, about 20km north- andhisPDSpartythrewtheir way to restoring Senegal’s monthofRamadan. charges of insurrection, Mbissine, told the BBC: east of Dakar, because some support behind Mr Faye, now-bruised reputation Among those in the which he said were “This election is the election people were not been able to after his own son, Karim Speaking to the BBC earlier

runningforSenegal’stopjob politically motivated His of the youth. If I had one voteastheyhadoldIDcards, Wade, was forced to thisweek,PresidentSallsaid is the governing BBY ally, opposition leader [piece of] advice for other even though their names withdraw over his dual that he had “no apology to coalition’s candidate, former Ousmane Sonko, was also young people, it would be to wereonthevoters’roll. F r e n c h - S e n e g a l e s e make” for postponing the Prime Minister Amadou Ba, freed from prison following come and vote. That’s the The new cards note that citizenship. election, which was 62.After casting his ballot in an amnesty intended to calm only way we can help Keur Massa is now its own For the first time in more originally due to be held on the capital, Dakar, he said he tensions. He voted in his ourselves.” votingdistrictandnotpartof than a decade, a female 25 February “I have done was “very confident” of a southern stronghold of At the same polling Pikineasitwasuntil2021.A candidate is in the race.Anta nothing wrong,” he said, first-round election victory Ziguinchor, saying they station, 84-year-old Diégane BBC team in Keur Massar Babacar Ngom, 40, leads the adding that the decision to His main challenger, expected a “dazzling Gueye, who walked with the says the military police have ARC party Results are delay the vote was not taken Bassirou Diomaye Faye, victory”. assistance of a cane, said: “I beendeployedastensionhas expected within days and a unilaterally, but was because e x p r e s s e d s i m i l a r Popular with young came to vote because today risen outside the polling second round is likely, of electoral concerns raised confidence after voting, people, he is not allowed to is an important day for our station at a school in the because of the large number bymembersofparliament. along with his two wives, in stand because of a series of nation. There is a lot at stake town The electoral of contestants. A candidate “Alltheactionsthathave

h i s h o m e t o w n o f charges he says are trumped and that’s why we should commission has now said it needs more than 50% of the been taken have been within

Dakar The 44-year-old was

Ndiaganiao, which is about up He and his now- care.” will try to resolve the vote to be declared the theframeworkofthelawand 100km (62 miles) from disbanded Pastef party are There have been situation. winner The world will be regulations.”

Our local artistes and Guyanese in general will have a bright future from 2025 onwards

DEAREDITOR, they will not be allowed that promise I am making that I that their own people are the We will work with the for themselves to enjoy Increasingly, I am power intend to keep. Local artistes best and must be treated as Americans and other However, they will not be beginning to come to grips We must be patriotic and will be paid handsomely as such. countries in the world that allowedtoexploitustheway with the idea that I may have believeinourselvesifweare foreign artistes performing We will place great have invested in Guyana. thePPPisdoingit. a prominent say in who will to enjoy the abundance of in Guyana. Further, we have emphasis in marketing our They will benefit from the Our local artistes and be the next president and wealth Guyana possesses. l a r g e G u y a n e s e artistes globally I wealth of our country while Guyanese in general will prime minister of Guyana in Wemusthavethefinalsayin communities in the US, understand why the “foreign we benefit from them to have a bright future from 2025. how Guyana will transform Canada, Europe and the mindedness”seepedintoour make ours as modern and 2025onwards. It has now become most for the better and to the Caribbean. Our artistes will psyche generations ago. Our powerfulastheirs;Iamnota This is a promise we evident that the PPP will be benefitofall. Patriotismand travel to perform and will be political leaders were never communist. I live in the UK; must keep. As a matter of removed from office. The loveforowncountryaretwo well supported by their interested in giving Guyana I have been to America and principle, Afro-Guyanese international community has constant ideals we must fellow Guyanese in the to the people Cultural countries in Europe will have to put aside their its role to play in regime embrace and we must be diaspora and they will be underpinnings and social Wherever I go, I see how the own problems with each change They have an unshakeable in protecting paid the huge sums problems caused us to see White people invest in their other and get rid of the selfinterest in the politics of the them. international artistes are our fellow countrymen and own. We can say what we hate, selfishness and their now fastest growing Take for example our getting. women as devalued, want to say about them and wickedways. economy in world but the localartistesandentertainers The US and other first worthless and inferior We how they treat other Sincerely, Guyanese people will not let and people in the arts, look world countries are where have the wealth and we will countries but whatever they Norman Browne the US or Europe decides how they are treated in they are because of their become a first world country do, they build their own Social and Political who our leaders should be; today’s Guyana. This is a patriotism, pride and belief afterthedemiseofthePPP. infrastructure and economy Activist

ExxonM confident it has rights to Hess 30% shares in Stabroek Block - says it wrote the contract for project

American oil giant, ExxonMobil Corporation is convinced that its interpretation of intent in an oil contract signed with Guyana in 2016 will prevail in a landmark arbitration case against Chevron Corporation – Bloomberg reported.

Exxon’s Guyana subsidiary is the operator of theStabroekBlockandowns a 45% interest in the block.

ExxonMobil, and its Chinese block partner CNOOC who have a 25%

interest in the block, have both moved to arbitration to assert their rights over Guyana’sgoldenoil-field. This is as a result of Chevron’s US$53 billion t a k e o v e r o f H e s s Corporation (the thirdpartner in the Stabroek Block). Buying over Hess Corporation would give Chevron access to Hess’ mostvaluableasset–a30% interest in the Stabroek Block.

On Friday, Exxon’s Senior Vice President Jack

Williams stated that the company has a ‘strong feeling’ that they are right about the interpretation of theoilcontract.Henotedtoo that Chevron also have strong feelings that they are rightaswell–tothisend,he stated that it will be an interesting arbitration Chevron is contending that joint ventures are quite common in the oil and gas industry,notingthatthefirst refusal provision does not apply to its transaction with Hess.“Butwedidwriteit,so

and knows its provisions

wehaveaviewofwhatwas intended, ” Williams underscored Exxon is focused on the arbitration case in the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris,Williamssaid.

Guyana’sStabroekblock isexpectedtoyieldasmuch as1.2millionbarrelsperday by 2027. Production from the Stabroek Block developments sits above 600,000 barrels per day (bdp) – with Exxon having the Liza 1, Liza 2 and the Payara projects online. The

oil companies have embarked on an aggressive drilling campaign in the Stabroek Block targeting three other developments: Yellowtail, Uaru and Whiptail projects. It should be noted thatYellowtail and Uaru have already been approved, while Whiptail is under review awaiting government approval any daynow

The heavily criticised Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with Exxon was signed in 2016 under the previous administration.

The 2016 deal gives Guyana an industry-low 2% royalty Presently, Guyana shares revenue with ExxonMobil after the companydeducts75percent towards the cost incurred to develop the resources in the StabroekBlock.

This arrangement, with thelackofring-fencing,sees Guyana paying for projects that are yet to commence production activities. Each month bills from future producingdevelopmentsare

addedtothelistofexpenses to be cost recovered by Exxon.After the 75 percent is deducted to pay back the oil company, Guyana then shares 50/50 of the 25 percent remaining with Exxon as profits This amounts to 12.5 percent of profitsfromtheoperations.

Also, under the signed deal, Guyana has agreed to, under the taxation provisions, to pay ExxonMobil’s share of Corporation and Income Tax.Assuchitwouldmean, that Guyana foregoes each year, billions of US dollars. O n t o p o f t h i s , documentation to this effect is then provided to the USbased company allowing it to not have to pay any taxes in its home country for its earningsoverseas.

Since the deal was made public, there have been many calls by civil society for the administration to bring ExxonMobil Guyana backtothetabletocarveout a better or more even deal which will garner more benefitsforthecountry

ERC remembers

Victims of Slavery, Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

TodayMarch25issetasidebytheUnitedNations(UN)in recognitionoftheInternationalDayofRemembranceofthe VictimsofSlaveryandtheTrans-AtlanticSlaveTrade.

ThedayhonoursthosewhoperishedbecauseoftheTransAtlantic Slave Trade which remains one of the darkest chapters in human history, characterized by cruelty, exploitation,anddehumanizationonanunprecedentedscale.

The Ethnic Relations Commission in a statement said “as wereflectontheimpactofslaveryandtheTrans-AtlanticSlave Trade,wemustalsorecognisetheresilienceandstrengthofthe survivorsandtheirdescendants Theirstoriesofperseverance andresistanceinspireustoconfrontthelegacyofslaveryand striveforamorejustandequitablefuture”

The ERC reaffirms its commitment to promoting understanding, reconciliation, and healing in our society “Through education, dialogue, and commemorative events likethis,wehonourthememoryofthevictimsandreaffirm our collectiveresolve to combatracism,discrimination,and allformsofoppression.

As we observe this International Day of Remembrance, let us also recognise the importance of addressing the consequencesofslaveryandtheTrans-AtlanticSlaveTrade. By acknowledging the past and working together towards reparativejustice,wecanhonourthememoryofthevictims and ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten,” the statementconcluded.

Theresultshavebeendoingthetalking

Sometimes you wonder education. Much less to say completing their secondary

The government should No one wants to hit the whether the President is that, let the results do the education. Only about 42% not delude itself into government for its initiative operating in an alternative talking. of a cohort is completing the thinking that it brought in providing greater access universe. The things that he For a long time now, the final grade in primary-tops COURSERA to Guyana to programmes offered is quoted as saying are at results have been doing the schools – a primary school

Any person, with access to online by international times so mind boggling that talking. Guyana still has an withasecondarydepartment the internet, including education institutions. But theydefycredibility unsatisfactory rate of passes up to Grade 9. In the general throughasmartphone,could the fact remains is that this Take for example, what at the secondary school secondary schools, only half haveforyearsnowsignedon does very little to alter the w i l l b r i n g a b o u t he was reported to have said entrance examination of the students of any given to programmes offered by reality that our education transformation. at a recent event The (NGSA) and at the cohort will survive. This COURSERA. Perhaps, it is systemisinacrisis. (The views expressed in Guyana Chronicle of Caribbean Secondary should have elicited a now either free or cheaper Talking about first world this article are those of the Saturday 23rd March 2024 Education Certificate declaration of emergency in when done through the and first-class education a u t h o r a n d d o n o t quoted the President as (CSEC) examinations education.

Guyana COURSERA does not alter this fact. Only necessarily reflect the follows:“Threeyearsago...I Perhaps the President needs According to the World platform. serious changes in the sector opinions of this newspaper.) said that we will deliver first to be reminded about the Bank, while students in world, first-class education numbers.

Guyana receive 12 years of inthiscountry Butthatisnot At the National Grade schooling, because of the all that we said. We said that Six Assessment (NGSA) poor quality of the we will deliver first-class, more than 60% of the education, the learning is first world education students failed to pass only equivalent to 6.7 years accessible to every citizen of Mathematics In English, of education in topthiscountry.” more than three out of every performing education

He was also quoted as ten students failed. It was a systems. In other words, we saying that, “Today we can similar situation in Science are graduating students with c e l e b r a t e t h e andSocialStudieswithmore a sub-standard education accomplishment of this than 4 out of every ten relative to international vision ” By that the studentsfailing. standards. President probably meant What is not being told is The President must face that the people of the just what percentage of reality Offering citizens countrycouldgoonlineand students failed overall when access to programmes access first world education the subject scores are offered by online education courses combined.Justlookingatthe p l a t f o r m s s u c h a s

Butthatcanhardlybean performance in individual COURSERAis not the same achievement of the subject areas, it is evident as delivering a first world or government Because that more than half of our first-class education. Such courses offered by online students would have likely offerings are remedial education platforms such as failed to secure 50% of the education and do precious Coursera have long been totalmarks. little to correct the available to students from Isthistheevidenceofthe deficiencies in our school Guyana, at a cost. If the ‘delivery’ of a first-class system. government is saying that education?

The bottom line is that these programmes with At CSEC in 2023, the Guyana has a substandard certification are now free, overall pass rate was 65%. education system, not a first then it can rank this as an But this masks the fact as to world or first-class system. achievement. just how many students are And the only reason why

But making courses matriculating – having 5 or there is such a large market, provided by first world more passes including relatively speaking, for educational institutions MathematicsandEnglish. programmes offered by accessible to Guyanese is The crisis in local online education platforms different from saying that education extends beyond such as COURSERA is Guyana is delivering first examination results. Most of because of the failures of the world and first-class our students are not formaleducationsystem.

Dem Boys Seh...

Politicians should stay outta de corporate Boardroom

Dem politicians tink dem is big shot family business where yuh hire yuh cousin now? Dem boys seh it look like dem forget just because. We talking ‘bout serious how fi stay inna dem own lane. Dem now corporations here, not play-play ting. We wanttopryintodecorporateboardroomlike needdibestminds,notdibestbuddies. sehdemowndeplacepersonally Butisdeprincipledatmatter Deperson

Listengood,politicians!Yuhjobisfirun may be the best but what about de process. di country, not di corporation. Yuh ain’t de Wah happen to advertising positions so dat boss of dem boards, so why yuh trying fi yuhsureyuhchoosefromdebest. play bossman now? Dem boards got dem Remember when dem politicians directors fi a reason, and it ain’t fi pander to meddleinbusinessisproblems. politicians’whimsandfancies. Ifyuhwanhelp,denfocusponfixingdi

Ifyuhwanrunacorporation,dengostart country, not poking yuh nose where it don’t oneyuhselfandappointwhoyuhplease.But belong. And nah turn de Foreign Service until then, leh di board do dem job. Yuh intopasture. hear? Dem directors know wah dem doing. So, to all dem politicians out deh, dem Dem spend nuff time studying di company, boys seh dis: stay outta dem corporate crunching numbers, and making big boardrooms! Stop meddling and leave di decisions. Dem nah need no politician boardtododemwork. breathing down dem necks like a pesky IfpoliticianwantplayCEO,demshould mosquito. start dem own company But until den, stick

And anodda ting, why politicians feel to yuh day job and let di professionals like dem could just plonk dem buddy pon di handledibusiness.Enoughsaid! CEO chair? Dem boys seh dis ain’t no Talk half. Leff half.

From Calabria with love

For the longest while, whenIheardthewordMafia, the thought was of Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather Beforethatblockbuster,there was the Boston and Irish MafiaintheJohnF Kennedy WhiteHouse Thencamethe Jewish Mafia and the Red (Russian)Mafia Imademy waybacktodearoldGuyana, and there it was the PPP Mafia.

It belongs in that fold, couldhavelaidclaimtobeing a regional founder member since the arrival and ascendancy of one sinister andnotoriouspoliticalfigure Guyanesehavebeentryingto copewiththattoughreality

It is a love-hate relationship, part Robin Hood, and all the thick darkness that goes on in gangster hoods Politicians make the best of hoodlums

After all they can

commandeer the best camouflage of all: the power ofthestate,thepowertobend people,policies,andpractices tosuittheircriminalwill

Thisisthemeltingpotthat isGuyana Politicalkingpins are at the criminal helm, but their mugs and bios do not appearonWantedposters,or Rogues galleries The possession of power sees to layers and layers of such protectivegloss.

As if this crushing criminal melting pot still leaves room for more criminal elements, there is nowannouncedthearrivalof ‘Ndrangheta of Calabria, Italy well embedded in Guyana Guyana is in for it The dirty pages of history remind all Guyanese about howmuchsunny,sleepy,and tricky Guyana has become a magnet for the foreign criminally minded, the

criminal veteran, and the criminalinwaiting Looking backwards, there was the American, Jim Jones, who took his crimes all the way into the deep interior, where they exploded into world headlines, and left Guyana withabadname.

Instead of the Kaieteur Falls, Guyana became most readily identified with Jim Jones. There was another notorious American, a man wanted by the FBI, who not only took up residence here, butwasgivenfreereintorun amok He had the inspiring nameofRabbiWashington:a title revered by Jews; a Founding Father’s name etched in American immortality

Amafia like government at the time turned him loose on Guyanese found to be offensive Thetimeschange but the governments stay the

same. I would argue that theygetworse.

Notlongafter,therewasa ‘Wanted’ Trinidadian by the name of Malik, who decided that Guyana was the best place for a criminal sleeper Then, there have been other overseas based persons who came here and wreaked havoc They had the distinctionofbeingGuyanese born.

It seems that the crooked and the criminal from near andfarstudytheiroptionsand concludethatGuyanaistheir best prospect for a safe harbour Hence, all the way from Calabria, the ‘Ndrangheta’ came seeking andfindingrefugeinGuyana Having a better idea than most about how this country works (and the criminal mindset of people with palpablepower),Iputthison thetablefortheconsideration ofallGuyana:wasitacaseof thismanfindingcovertrefuge all on his own, or did he benefit from being secretly offered a quiet kind of asylum?

The Mafia, either from Mulberry Street, New York City or Sicily or Calabria (or Vatican City), has a ton of money It can buy anything and anyone to make matters goitsway Moneyisthecoin

of this realm, the allpurpose and allpowerful asset that makes from ranking politicians to top public servants dance to its command

A passport arranged, a placetolielow,aconnection tothepeoplethatmovethings and products and procedures around, and then out of this country. Itbogglesthemind, atleastitdoesmylimitedone, thatamanfrom‘Ndrangheta’ could smartly and serenely take as an address, one on Duke Street, Kingston of all places

Look what and who are there It is brazenness taken to a fearsome level I am thinking that this fella from the ‘Ndrangheta’ could have just as well been a terrorist cellfromplacesalittlefarther alongfromItaly

How do situations like these take a firm footing in thiscountryisbeyondme If and when people like me sneezearoundhere,agentsof the PPP Government jump outoftheirskinandgetready forwar Yet,amanwantedby i n t e r n a t i o n a l l a w enforcement entities, could exist so smoothly, so freely, andsohappilyinthisland

This was more than operating in plain sight It

was of someone probably being given the opening and space required to perform as he pleases On the other hand, and by the regular political standards of today, Guyanese who do not hide who they are and what they stand for are made into examples: vilified, disqualified,andcrucified R e a l c r i m i n a l s representing clear and constant danger are coddled or given a greenlight to function as they please Meanwhile conscientious citizens,whoseonlycrimeis civil disagreement and disobedience, are hung in effigy by the PPP Government, its big crabs, anditslynchmobs Itshould not surprise any Guyanese anymore as to why foreign criminal operators look at Guyanaasbeingsoinvitinga restingplace Theyrecognize likeminded plotters in the nationalgovernment

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

Guyana and Suriname to mobilise funding for Corentyne River bridge

President Irfaan Ali and President Chandrikapersad Santokhi of Suriname convened in Soesdyke, Guyana on Saturday to discuss progress on the proposed bridge over the Corantijn/CorentyneRiver.

Accompanied by their respective Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Public Works, both leaders reviewed the technical and financial aspects of the project following months of intensiveconsultations.

Inajointstatement,they highlighted the importance of the bridge in enhancing connectivity within South America, aligning with broader regional integration goals and trilateral cooperation between Suriname, Guyana, and Brazil.

The recent trilateral summit in Guyana saw positive feedback from Brazilian President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva regardingthebridgeproject.

Acknowledging the historical ties between their

nations,PresidentsSantokhi and Ali highlighted the potential for Suriname and Guyana to emerge as key players in regional energy and food security. They anticipatethatthebridgewill foster people-to-people connections, bolster agricultural cooperation, facilitate trade and investment, and boost t o u r i s m , t h e r e b y contributing to economic growth and prosperity for bothcountries.

The Presidents tasked their respective ministerial teams with advancing discussions on pricing, technical details, financing, a n d o p e r a t i o n a l arrangements to ensure a ff o r d a b i l i t y a n d concessionality

Additionally, experts from both countries will collaborate on developing the necessary political and legal framework, initiating the tendering process, and drafting agreements for the joint management of the bridge.

Notably, a timeline has

The two heads-of-state and their teams during the meeting on Saturday

been established for completing these activities, with the ministerial teams responsible for overseeing negotiations,gatheringdata, and providing regular progress updates to both governments President Santokhi and President Ali agreed to convene the Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform (SDCP)inearlyMay2024to broaden consultations on other strategic areas of mutualinterest.

UNRightsCommitteeraisesconcernsovernon appointmentof

ViceChairmanoftheUN Human Rights Committee, José Manuel Santos Pais raised concerns about the prolonged absence of a substantive Chancellor of the Judiciary and Chief Justice when Guyana came under review at the United Nations Human Rights Committeelastweek.

The Vice Chair had several questions for the Guyana delegation which was led by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and

substantiveChancellor,ChiefJustice

Governance,GailTeixeira.

He noted that “Several Presidentshadkeptjudgesin “acting” positions, negatively affecting their employment and security of tenure Delays in the appointmentofjudgesledto asignificantbacklogoflegal cases How was the independence of judges and prosecutorsensured?...How was the State party strengthening public confidence in the judiciary and the Direction of Public

Prosecution?”

He added that “The entire Judiciary is therefore under some degree of influence and control by the Executive President of Guyana and the Parliament entailingthepoliticizationof the Judiciary and delaying the appointment of Judges, leading to a significant of cases in both criminal, especially at pre-trial stages andcivilcourts.”

There has been a more than 20-year impasse on

judicial appointments with the last substantive Chancellor being Justice

Desiree Bernard and Justice

Carl Singh, the last Chief Justice.

The current Chancellor, Yonette CummingsEdwards and Chief Justice Roxane George have both been acting in their respective positions for a numberofyears.

The opposition had complained that President, Dr Irfaan Ali, assumed office on August 2, 2020, andfromthentopresent,the Head of State has failed to initiate any process contemplatedbyArticle127 of the Constitution to make permanent appointments to thetwooffices.

Butinresponse,Minister Teixeira told the committee

the Chancellor and Chief Justice are appointed by agreement of the President Leader of Opposition and that the parties have been unabletoreachanagreement forsometime.However,she said acting appointments in theJudiciaryisnothingnew She said too that the current formula of acting appointments has not resulted in a lack of independence on the government’spart.

“It is not a recent occurrence, the former chancellorandChiefJustice after the amendment was made in the constitution suffered the same fate and therefore,wehavetoreview these political interventions in the constitution which was meant to build greater harmony and a better working relationship between the President and Opposition Leader,” Teixeirasaid.

Meanwhile, at a previous forum Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC emphasised that the appointment process for the substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice must be initiated by the President.

“What is important is the President who must initiate

the process of the appointmentandthensecure the Opposition Leader’s agreement.”

He noted that as soon as Government embarks on a widespread constitutional reform process, it will seek to upgrade archaic pieces of legislation embedded in Guyana’sConstitution.

According to Nandlall, one of the issues the government is hoping to remedy is the longstanding deadlock between any one sitting government and the opposition over the appointmentsofachancellor and a chief justice. Guyana has been without a substantivechiefjusticeand chancellor for over two decades.

Before her ascension to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in 2005, JusticeDesireeBernardwas the last confirmed Chancellor of the Judiciary, and Justice Carl Singh the lastChiefJustice.

Justices Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Roxane George were appointed in 2017 to act in the capacity of chancellor a n d c h i e f j u s t i c e respectively by former President,DavidGranger

Chancellor (ag) of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George

‘Weak Govts allowing corruption, transnational crimes to flourish’

Weak governance which is often present in developing countries is the perfect environment for

transnational crimes and corruptiontoflourish.

This in turn allows criminals to make use of

legitimate structures and financialinstitutionstowash theproceedsoftheircrimes. These were some of the

- RSS Executive Director

things highlighted by the Executive Director of the Regional Security System Council(RSS),Commodore

ErringtonR.Shurlandinhis remarks, at the Ministers’ Meeting of the RSS on Friday at the Princess RamadaHotel.

H e s a i d t h a t , “Transnational crimes are enabledbyweakgovernance which, allow corruption to flourish. Corruption broadly refers to dishonest behaviours by those in position of authority It includes the giving or accepting of bribes or inappropriate gifts, double dealing, under the table transactions, manipulating elections, diverting funds. Laundering money and defraudinginvestors.”

Shurland explained that, “Transnational crimes are normally committed by transnational crime groups. UN organisation against transnational organized crimes defines an organized criminal group or OCG as a structured group of three or more persons existing for a period of time or acting in consort with the aim of committing one or more seriouscrimesoroffencesin order to obtain directly or indirectly a financial or materialbenefit.”

Headdedthatinessence the groups are motivated by financial gain like any other business and are, “seeking

out opportunities with high profitsandlowrisksorcosts. Effective financial management, ion regulatory and legal frameworks are critical to any business. Organizedcrimegroupsand legal businesses share a dependence on financial institutions, quality of government and the rule of law or maybe the lack thereof.” Furthermore, he said the cost of these crimes ultimately paid by the most vulnerable members of the global community predominantly those in developingstates.

The Executive Director explained to those present that, organised crimes groups make use of legitimate structures and financialinstitutionstowash theproceedsoftheircrimes. He said in developing states these crimes and corruption are co-dependent thereby contaminating the entire economy “Transnational crimesthereforecannotexist without corruption Weak systems of governance are n o t u n c o m m o n i n developing states, weak institutions create an environment for corruption to flourish, leading to poor enforcement, lack of transparencyand

Continuedonpage22

Executive Director of the Regional Security System Council (RSS), Commodore Errington R. Shurland

GrassfireripsthroughCummingsLodge

-residentsurgedtostayindoors

Residents of the Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara have been advised by the Guyana Fire Servicetostayindoorsasagrassfireragedthroughthe area.

In a release via its Facebook Page on Sunday, the GuyanaFireServicesaiditiscurrentlybattlingalarge grassfirewhichhasengulfedtheareainsmoke.Persons residingintheareaswereadvisedtoadheretoanumber of precautionary measures in order to stay as safe as possibleuntiltheblazeisextinguished.

The measures included staying indoors if possible andclosingallwindowsanddoorstokeepsmokefrom enteringthehome.Secondly,ifpersonswereusingair (AC)conditioning,itwasbesttosettheACtocirculate indoor air to prevent bringing smoke inside the building.

GFS also advised persons to avoid outdoor activities: “limit your time outdoors, especially if you have respiratory issues. Use a mask if necessary.” Additionally, residents should, “Stay informed (and) followlocalnewsandadvisoriesfromtheFireService for updates on the situation. Seek medical help if needed:Ifyouexperiencedifficultybreathingorother health concerns due to smoke exposure, seek medical attentionpromptly.”

Citizens have been advised also to report grass or wildfiresimmediatelyandtoensurethatpropertiesare adequately prepared for fire prevention by clearing away dry vegetation, removing flammable materials from surroundings, maintaining defensible space, and havingfireextinguishingtoolsreadilyavailable.

Watertenders#105,115andwatercarrier#16along with sixteen (16) firefighters are working tirelessly to put out the blaze and the GFS promised to inform citizens as soon as the fire is fully contained and extinguished.

Residents have been advised to stay indoors

Firemen battling the blaze

New Oil and Gas Institute to rollout specialised audit training for Guyanese

The Institute of Professional Petroleum Accountants of Guyana Inc. (IPPA-Guyana) established onlyfourmonthsagolocally is gearing to rollout a specialisedOilandGasaudit trainingforlocals.

Withtherapidgrowthof the petroleum industry in Guyana, the country has been struggling to keep up with the accounting requirements outlined in the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed withExxonMobilanditsCoVenturers, Hess and CNOOC The contract stipulates that Guyana has two years, from the end of each calendar year, to conduct audits of the oil companies’expenses.

The Guyana Revenue Agency(GRA)thatistasked with overseeing the process hascomplainedofthelackof skilled professionals to complete audits Last August, the Agency said its Petroleum Unit required 65 persons for the job, but merely had 31 on roll Recognising the need for localstobecomecertifiedto conduct and complete thorough reviews of expenses incurred by the oil and gas companies, Guyanese scholar, Tameshwar Lilmohan BA, MBA, APA, CPA, FCCA, CFE,LLB-HonsandLLMis a mission to train as many Guyaneseaspossible.

“The oil industry got ahead of us. We didn’t get our structures in place, we didn’t get our laws in place and different structures, whether it is physical structure, management structures, accounting structures so others, people fromoverseasandelsewhere are running the show…we need to put in structures,” Lilmohan told a group of about 20 persons on Saturday IPPA held an information session and registration drive at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, High Street, Georgetown where interestedindividualshadan opportunity to learn more

abouttheprogramme.

Lilmohan,oneofthekey founders of IPPA-Guyana explained that students will be engaged in a specialized programme accredited by the Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies (COPAS). This is a nonprofit organization, set up over 50 years ago in the United States after the country recognized the need to standardize procedures, principles and practices on accounting in the petroleum industry It comprises various players in the petroleum accounting industry Approximately 24 petroleum societies in the United States and Canada are under the umbrella group,COPAS.

Itwasgiventheauthority to draft programmes for students and members COPAS is not only a think tankgroupbutisfocusedon training its members to become regulated auditors. On completion of the programme, graduates will become an APA-accredited petroleum accountant. The courseisexpectedtolastfor one year, after which students will be tested in a three hours examination. To participateintheoilandgas audit training, participants will require a four-year degreeinanyfield,12hours accounting credits and one year experience in the petroleumindustry

The Institute has designed a course with COPAS to help students without the accounting credits to qualify Additionally, IPPA-Guyana has committed to providing students with the apprenticeshipneededinthe oil and gas sector The attachment will be simultaneous with the training programme to ensure students meet the criteria for writing the examination. To find out more about the oil and gas audit training, persons can contact tele: 592-681-2717 or Whatsapp +1 647- 7033 6 0 2 o r e m a i l : ippaguyana@gmail.com.

Persons interested in the oil and gas training gathered at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, Georgetown.

Magistrategrantsextensionasdefenceseeks moretimeinIanMekdeciaccidenttrial

Senior Magistrate Leron Daly is yet to rule on the admissibility of CCTV footage in the trial concerning the accident that led to the death of National squash player, 27-year-old IanMekdeci,backin2022.

The trial resumed at the Georgetown Magistrates’ CourtsonFriday,March22, for 39-year-old Roberto Narine, who was charged in relationtothefatalaccident.

The charge alleges that on May 1, 2022 at the intersection of Sandy Babb Street and Vlissengen Road Kitty,Georgetown,hedrove inamannerdangeroustothe public, thereby causing the deathofMekdeci.

The initial deadline in

Februaryforsubmissionsby the defence lawyer, Siand Dhurjon has passed

However, on Friday, the defence attorney made a requestforadditionaltimeto filehissubmissions,andthis was granted by Magistrate Daly As such, she adjournedtoMay14,2024.

During the hearing on February 14, there were objections regarding the admissibility of CCTV footage capturing the accident. Narine’s defence counsel Dhurjon, contended that the footage acquisition process, involving transfer from a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) to a flash drive and subsequently onto a disc, raised procedural

concerns.

Responding to the defence’s objections, Special Prosecutor Latchmi Rahamat,insistedonwritten submissions, contending thatthedefence’sproposalto play the video, followed by cross-examination of the prosecutionwitnessandthen raising objections was not the appropriate procedure to follow

She reminded the court that the defence was misapplying the best evidence rule She emphasised that, based on the court’s own knowledge, thisisthestandardprocedure employed by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Video Analyst Unit in presenting evidence in criminal cases acrossthecountry

This publication had reported that most cases handled at the magistracy level as well as the high court, prosecutions especially in cases like murder,usedCCTVfootage to prove its case The extraction and presentation of such footage to the court havefollowedastandardised process adopted by the GPF VideoAnalystUnit.Assuch, given the prevalence of this practice,thecourt’sresponse to Dhurjon’s objection regarding CCTV footage admissibility holds

Ian Mekdeci

significantimplications.The decision could potentially impact individuals currently held on remand for murder and even those previously convicted based on similar evidentiarygrounds.

The objections had prompted Senior Magistrate Daly to instruct both parties to present their written s u b m i s s i o n s f o r consideration, facilitating a decision on the trial’s progression The defence was expected to make submissions by late February; however the deadline had since been furtherextended.

Narinewaschargedwith two offences: driving under the influence and causing death by dangerous driving. Last April, the DUI charge

Charged: Roberto Narine

was thrown out. According to reports, Narine’s Jeep #PTT4136hadcrashedinto a car that Mekdeci was travelling in, around 02:10 hoursonthedayinquestion.

Thecarwasatthetimebeing driven by Mekdeci’s friend Sheik Baksh, and they were reportedly heading west along Sandy Babb Street. When they arrived at the intersection at Vlissengen Road,thetrafficlightattheir end was green and Baksh proceededtodriveacrossbut as he was doing so, a jeep, allegedly driven by Narine and heading north along VlissengenRoadjumpedthe red light and crashed into them.

As a result of the accident, both Baksh and Mekdeci were severely

injured. An ambulance was called and they were both rushed to GPHC where Mekdeci died while receiving treatment. Police had arrested Narine and when they conducted a breathalyzertestonhim,the results showed that his Breath Alcohol Content (BAC) was 161 and 151 percent,wayabovethelegal limit.

However, Narine’s DUI charge was thrown out last year by Magistrate Clive Nurse after he upheld Dhurjon’s no-case submission that an unauthorized officer conducted a flawed breathalyzer procedure on Narine using a device unapproved for the said purpose.

Foolish for Govt. to ignore the size of its oil reserves

…says Jagdeo must be laughing stock of ExxonMobil - Opposition

In its wild rush to accelerate the production of oil in the prolific Stabroek Block, the Government of Guyana (GoG) has charged ExxonMobil,theoperatorof the block to focus less on appraisingthewellstobetter understand the quantity of petroleum found and to instead concentrate on monetizingtheresources.

This policy, as communicated to the nation by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, is “absolutely foolish” according to the Opposition. OnSunday,the Office of the Opposition Leader said the deficiencies of Jagdeo, who functions as government’s “oil czar” continues to be exposed and pose growing risks to the country’s financial, e c o n o m i c , a n d environmentalwellbeing.

Thepoliticalgroupnoted thatJagdeoathismostrecent press conference explained that it was “nonsense” to know the reserves without movingtoproduction.

The Vice President had said, “Knowing reserves without converting it into production is nonsense becausewealreadyknowwe have 11 billion barrels of reserves and it will keep growingbutwhat’sthepoint about knowing any, about reserves”.

Jagdeo was responding

toanearlierstatementissued by the Opposition, in which it argued that keeping Guyanese in the dark on oil reserves is disrespectful and unacceptable.

The Opposition had also called for government to

industry”. “In his ploy to brush aside these demands, Jagdeo uttered some of his most outrageous comments yet on the oil industry…To paraphrase him: it is nonsense to ask about oil reserves, as the focus must

“Assessing reserves and producing oil are not mutually exclusive processes. Decisions to produce oil depend on the quantity, quality, and accessibility of reserves. To know these and other parameters about reserves- and the oil reservoirs that contain them- requires appraisal. Companies do not make massive investments in oil production based only on wildcat wells. So, for the VP to try to encourage Exxon to bypass the appraisal stage must be the butt of jokes in the Headquarter of the oil company both in Georgetown and in Houston.”- Opposition

release the projected cash flow from the five projects sanctioned to date in the Stabroek Block, as this would arm citizens with the knowledgeoftheextentand rateatwhichExxonMobilis expected to recoup its investments.

The Opposition said Jagdeo deliberately misinterpreted the statements but went on to expose why he is “dangerously unfit to be anywhere near the

be on production He added that while the company doessubmitupdateddataon reserves, that is of no interest to him because his focus is so much on production that he is even trying to get Exxon to skip drilling appraisal wells and other such things,” the Oppositionreasoned

The political group argued that this latest absurditybytheVPexposes thecrisisinwhichGuyana’s oil sector finds itself. The

Opposition pointed out that asanation,knowingthetotal oilreservesisvitaltoplanfor the long-term future of the economy and plan for the

the country’s long-term energy security, assessing the potential for future natural gas production, plan fortargetsandcommitments

long-term viability of the Natural Resources Fund (NRF).

This information is also important to guide in drafting a national oil extraction policy, if necessary, and to quantify projected workforce and local content needs in the sector

The Opposition added, thattheupdatedreservesare also important in planning

underNetZero,andplanfor the exhaustion of oil reserves.

It explained, “Assessing reserves and producing oil are not mutually exclusive processes Decisions to produce oil depend on the quantity, quality, and accessibility of reserves. To know these and other parameters about reserves (and the oil reservoirs that contain them) requires

appraisal.

Companies do not make massive investments in oil production based only on w i l d c a t w e l l s . ” Consequently, the Opposition said that for Jagdeo to try to encourage Exxon to bypass the appraisal stage must be the butt of jokes in the Headquarter of the oil c o m p a n y, b o t h i n GeorgetownandinHouston.

The political group believesthatthegovernment hasnointentionofreleasing information on reserves to the public in spite of its obligations under the constitution and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

It said, “At the moment, thecountryisatthemercyof the glaringly limited capabilitiesofoneman.Itis a high-risk situation given the billions of US-dollars involved and the legitimate aspirations of the Guyanese people.”

The Opposition added that to safely and sensibly manage the oil sector, the Coalition government will establish a Petroleum Commission with the competent professionals; in the meantime, it said it will continue to press for the protection of Guyana’s naturalendowment.

Govt.estimates$750Mtorepair

HarbourBridgepontoons

The government has estimated that it will cost over $750Mtorepairsome30pontoonsattheDemeraraHarbour Bridge(DHB).

According to an advertisement in the daily newspapers, the Ministry of Public Works is seeking contractors to rehabilitate 28 regular pontoons at an estimated cost of $639M and two large ones at an estimated cost of $111.3M. The ministry is also looking for persons to supply the DHB with30010-footdeckplates.

Millionsofdollarsarespenteachyearformaintainingand repairingoneoftheworld’slongestfloatingbridges.In2021, itwasreportedthatalmost$1billionwasspentontheharbour bridgeforaperiodoffouryears-from2018to2021.

Mostofthemoneywasspenttorepairthestructuredueto damage caused by accidents. In 2020, according to media reports $263 million was expended on the bridge in 2019, $190Mand104millionwhilein2018thecoststoodat$367 million.

Reports in 2021 revealed that statistics provided by the DHB back then suggested that in 75 percent of marine accidentstheywerecompensated while95percentofthose responsibleforvehicularaccidentshadfinancedtherepairs.

The Demerara Harbour Bridge

Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton

WANTED

One live-in Caretaker to take care of plants and keep surroundings clean. Call: 2332053,705-6937, 233-2923.

Handyboy needed. Must be willing to work and be a team player. Call: 661-1000.

Lorry driver needed. Must be experience and have a valid lorry licence. Call: 661-1000.

Porter needed for truck. Call: 661-1000.

Workers to work on cash crop farm. Salary $ 6500 per day. Call: 679-7552.

1 Truck Driver and 2 Porters needed. 5 day, Mon- Fri. Call: 223-9677.

Sales Representative, canter Drivers & Porters to work in warehouse. Call: 673-7373.

Urgently want to purchase at least half acres land, commercial plot. Call: +1(868) 620-5742.

One excavator Operator and Handy boy needed. Living accommodation and meals provided. Call: 627-5043/ 639-1315.

One Typist/ Clerical Assistant. Apply at St John Association, 110 Cowan Street Kingston, Georgetown. Call: 225-9082.

Urgently needed dried carilla bush (any quantity). Call: 609-8281/ 693-3003.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, sproiler, crashbar, low mileage PTT Series (first owner). Contact: 649-0956.

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Nissan X-Trail 2008 $2.3 Neg and Mitsubishi 3 stage Crone canter 4m51 Engine Manual $3.5 Neg. Call 6718845 or 638-4755.

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VACANCY

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, Car/ Van licence. Call: 615-9132, 645-8443.

Male & female needed to work in the Interior, ages 18 years and older. Call: 6998486.

Experienced able-bodied Canter Driver needed, flexible hours. Call: 699-8486.

Vacancy for Carpenter & Masons, $7,000 - $8,000 per day. Call: 650-1394.

One Painter needed. Call: 615-9132/ 645-8443.

One Plumber needed for Eccles. Call: 645-8443/ 6159132.

Plumber needed, knowledge of installation for heat exchanger & pool equipment will be an asset. Call MEP Consulting: 625-8764.

Waitress/ Room Attendant to work shift in bar at Soesdyke, EBD. Call: 644-6551/ 661-3608.

Receptionist, Deskstaff, Room & Laundry Attendant & Security Guard needed at 233, South Road Lacytown. Call: 225-0198.

Ukraine war: Two Russian landing ships hit off Crimea, officials say

(BBC NEWS) Ukraine says it has hit two landing ships, a communications centre and other infrastructure used by Russia’s Black Sea fleet off annexed Crimea.

An announcement by the Ukrainian general staff said the Yamal and Azov ships had been destroyed. The

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SERVICES

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One Rav4, 4 wheel drive, fully Ac etc ideal for interior (Bush) work. Price$2.2M. Call: 621-5140.

For sale- Condemn oxygen cylinders 5ft length x 9 inches diameter Call: 6210416 Mon-Fri (8am-5pm).

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LAND FOR SALE

Prestige realty, 1Land 50 x100 for sale in gated community in Republic Gardens. Call: 655-7405 / 694-7817.

Russian-installed governor of the port of Sevastopol said 10 Ukrainian missiles had been shot down. Russia also launched a missile and drone attack on the capital, Kyiv, and the region of Lviv early on Sunday. In an announcement, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-appointed mayor of Sevastopol, said damage had been caused to residential buildings and transport infrastructure as a result of the “massive” attack. He asked residents not to publish information or any images.

UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps praised the attack on the Russian ships, calling it a “historic moment for Ukraine”. “In plain English, it means that Putin can no longer exercise safely in the Black Sea, even though the Russian Fleet has operated there since 1783,” Mr Shapps said. He added that the world “cannot afford” for Ukraine to lose this war, and that the UK’s support for Kyiv in the face of Russian assaults “will remain undimmed”. The BBC has not been able to verify the Ukrainian claim to have damaged the Russian landing ships, which are used to land troops and equipment straight to shore without the need for a pier or dock.

On Sunday morning, Kyiv residents took shelter in metro stations as the attack began

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Prestige

at 05:00 (03:00 GMT). Officials said their defences had shot down 18 Russian missiles and 25 drones there. There was only minor damage. About 20 Russian missiles and seven drones targeted “critical infrastructure” in the western region of Lviv. No damage has been reported.

One of the cruise missiles entered the airspace of neighbouring Poland, a Nato member, the armed forces announced. “The object entered Polish space near the town of Oserdow and stayed there for 39 seconds. During the entire flight, it was observed by military radar systems,” the armed forces said in a statement.

“If there was any premise indicating that this object was going in the direction of any targets located in Poland, of course, it would have been shot down and more adequate measures would have been taken,” Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. There has been an increase in aerial attacks by both sides in the past few days, even as Russia makes slow progress in taking some territory in the east of the country. On Friday, Russia fired dozens of

missiles at Ukraine, hitting a dam and leaving a million Ukrainians without power

And Ukraine has been hitting targets in Crimea more regularly. In particular, Ukraine has repeatedly hit the Black Sea fleet - seen as the best of Russia’s navy.

Satellite images last year showed many of the Crimeabased warships had left the peninsula for the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Last month, the Russian landing ship Caesar Kunikov was sunk off the coast of Crimea, according to Ukraine’s armed forces. Its sister ship Novocherkassk was hit while in port in Feodosiya in December last year. In one of the biggest strikes on the Black Sea fleet, last September Ukraine attacked naval targets and port infrastructure, using as many as 10 missiles and three unmanned boats. It caused a large fire at a Sevastopol shipyard. Ukraine’s biggest scalp in naval warfare has so far been the sinking of Russia’s flagship Black Sea missile cruiser, the Moskva, in April 2022.

Ukraine has also targeted the Kerch bridge several times, as it is an important resupply route for Russian forces occupying parts of the country’s south.

‘Weak Govts allowing corruption...

From page 14 accountability, and compromised adherence to the rule of law, thus reducing organised crime groups risks and increasing their profits.”

Meanwhile, also speaking at the event Minister of Home Affairs and outgoing Chairman of the RSS, Robeson Benn urged the agency to ‘up its game’ to effectively respond to the increasing density of transnational organised crimes and other immoral activities challenging the region’s stability. In his presentation, Minister Benn noted that the global COVID19 pandemic created an environment for the rapid evolvement of organised transnational crimes, thereby creating a more complex challenge for the security system.

“It seriously challenges the capability, the responsiveness, and the assets and support that are normally present and available to the Regional Security System, governments and security forces in the region,” he said. “While we speak of transnational organised crime evolving rapidly over the last few years, we need to pay attention to what the RSS will be in three years…To

determine where the RSS will be about these challenges, how these challenges will evolve, and how we will respond,” the minister underscored.

After these elements have been examined, the RSS could seek more support, share knowledge and expertise, and commence training of security forces at all levels. It can also find ways to create more synergies between its member-states and partner states about transnational crimes and violence in the region.

Minister Benn added that the RSS must also pay more attention to the diversification of its security forces by involving more women and focusing on youth crime and violence against women and children.

“The issues of corruption, professionalism, integrity – in all of our undertakings-, and forces in the region have to be prioritised,” he said. Minister Benn championed the need for a common architecture among security forces to respond seamlessly to crises affecting memberstates, placing special focus on the multi-dimensional crises in Haiti. Pime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and

incoming Chairman Terrance Drew making his point at the summit Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and incoming RSS Chairman, Terrance Drew also shared similar sentiments, noting that an unstable Haiti, will result in an unstable region.

He also commended Guyana for taking on the chairmanship even while being the newest member. Representatives from international partners including the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU) delivered remarks, echoing their continued support towards the quest for a safer and secure region.

The event was attended by ministers responsible for security from member states, including Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In September 2022, Guyana formally joined the RSS following President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s signature of the Instrument of Ascension after which, Minister Benn assumed chairmanship in 2023. During the meeting, themed ‘Strength through Unity,’ a range of major issues will be discussed.

Vacancy for domestic maid includes cooking in Georgetown and an evening man for cleaning yard & wash cars. Call: 653-4537.

Govt. to spend $109M on another water well at Onderneeming

The government through the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) would be spending approximately $109 million to drill anotherwaterwellattheOnderneeming,EssequiboCoast.

Sixcontractorshavesubmittedbidstoexecutetheworks attherecentopeningoftenders.

The drilling of wells, and setting up of water supply systems across the country is aimed at increasing treated watercoverageto90percentonthecoastby2025.

Kaieteur News had reported that during this year’s budget presentation, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with the Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singhthatgovernmentspentatotalof$16.8billionlastyear to improve water quality and supply systems across the country

This year, government has budgeted $22.5 billion for furtheradvancementsinthewatersector

Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids:

Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

Supply and delivery of neonatal supplies.

Guyana Water Inc.

Supply and installation of transmission along Timehri.

Supply and installation of transmission mains along Friendship Housing Scheme.

Supply

Supply and installation of mains from Vriesland and Wales Pump Station to Wales Water Treatment Plant.

Supply and installation of raw water mains from L'oratoire Well Station to Lust-en-Rust Water Treatment Plant.

Palestinians describe bodies and ambulances crushed in Israel’s ongoing raid at Gaza’s main hospital

(AP) - Palestinians who tank would fire a shell,” he catastrophichunger. fled an ongoing Israeli raid told The Associated Press. Aday after standing near of Gaza’s main hospital “It was to terrorize us.” some of the estimated 7,000 described mass arrests and Israeli jets on Sunday aid trucks waiting to enter forced marches past bodies launchedseveralstrikesnear Gaza and calling the in interviews on Sunday, Shifa Hospital, which starvationa“moraloutrage,” while the United Nations largely stopped functioning U N Secretary-General said Israel is now blocking following the November António Guterres urged an its main agency helping raid After claiming that immediate humanitarian Palestinians from sending Hamas maintained an cease-fire, the release of food aid to the enclave’s elaborate command center hostages held in Gaza and devastatednorth. there, Israeli forces months Israel’s removal of

Israel’s military says it ago exposed a single tunnel “obstacles” to allow a flood has killed more than 170 leadingtoafewunderground of aid delivery “Looking at militants and detained about rooms. Gaza, it almost appears that 480 suspects in the raid on Hardly any aid has been the four horsemen of war, Shifa Hospital that began delivered in recent weeks to famine, conquest and death Monday, calling it a blow to northern Gaza and Gaza are galloping across it,” Hamas and other armed City, where Shifa is located. Guterres said in Egypt, emergency department in the hospitals. It accused Benjamin Netanyahu rejects groups it says had regrouped The isolated area suffered adding that nothing justifies b e c a u s e m i l i t a n t s Hamas of using hospitals as pleas from the United States thereasthewarnearsthesix- widespread devastation in the collective punishment of “entrenched” themselves shields.Thewarhaskilledat and others to avoid a major month mark. The fighting the early days of Israel’s Palestinians. there, and set up an least 32,226 Palestinians, ground operation there, highlights the resilience of offensive launched after the Gaza’s Health Ministry alternative site for seriously according to Gaza’s Health calling it essential for Palestinian armed groups in Oct. 7 Hamas attack that said that five wounded wounded patients Abed Ministry It doesn’t defeating Hamas Israeli a heavily destroyed part of triggered the war As of Palestinians trapped at Shifa Radwan, who lived about distinguish between Defense Minister Yoav Gaza where Israeli troops Sunday, Israel has told the Hospital died without food, 200 meters (yards) from the civilians and combatants in Gallant said that he was have been forced to return U.N. agency for Palestinian water or medical services. hospital, said Israeli forces its toll, but says women and traveling to the U.S. on after a similar raid in the refugees it will no longer T h e Wo r l d H e a l t h stormed all area buildings, children make up around Sunday at Washington’s war’s earliest weeks approve agency food Organization’s director- detaining several people and two-thirds of the dead invitation, with a goal of KareemAyman Hathat, who convoys to northern Gaza, general, Tedros Adhanom forcing the rest to march Among the latest killed were preserving “our ability to lived in a five-story building UNRWA chief Philippe Ghebreyesus, described south. He saw bodies in the at least seven people, obtain air systems and about 100 meters from the Lazzarini said on social conditions as “utterly streets and several flattened including three children, munitions” for the war and hospital, said he huddled in media. “This is outrageous inhumane.” homes. whenanIsraeliairstrikehita maintaining critical ties with the kitchen for days while and makes it intentional to Jameel al-Ayoubi, “They left nothing house in Rafah overnight, Israel’s top ally The Hamasexplosions sometimes o b s t r u c t l i f e s a v i n g among thousands sheltering intact,”hesaid. according to health led Oct. 7 attack across causedthebuildingtoshake. assistance during a man- atShifawhenthecurrentraid Israel’s military early authorities. And an airstrike southern Israel killed about EarlySaturday,Israelitroops made famine,” he said. The began, said tanks and Sunday also stormed al- near Deir al-Balah late 1,200 people, mostly stormed the building and agency, Gaza’s biggest armored bulldozers plowed AmalandNasserhospitalsin Sunday killed at least 10 civilians, and took scores forced dozens of residents to humanitarian provider, is into the hospital courtyard, the southern city of Khan members of a family hostage. leave. He said men were repeatedly accused by Israel crushing ambulances and Younis amid “very intense including two children, Hamas still holds an forced to strip to their of having links to Hamas. civilianvehicles. shelling,” the Palestinian accordingtoanAPjournalist estimated 100 hostages and underwear and four were Israel’s government didn’t He saw tanks drive over Red Crescent Society said. who saw the bodies at a the remains of 30 others. detained The rest were immediately respond at least four bodies of people Israel’s military announced hospital. Mostoftherestwerefreedin blindfolded and ordered to Experts have said famine is killed in the raid. Israel’s operations in Khan Younis Israel says it has killed exchange for the release of follow a tank south as blasts imminent in northern Gaza, military said Saturday it had t a r g e t i n g H a m a s more than 13,000 militants, some Palestinian prisoners thunderedaroundthem. where more than 210,000 evacuated patients and infrastructurebutsaidtroops without providing evidence. inNovember

“From time to time, the people suffer from medical staff from Shifa’s weren’t currently operating It blames civilian casualties The United States, Qatar on Hamas, accusing it of and Egypt are trying to embedding in residential broker another cease-fire areas. and release. Over the border

Morethan80%ofGaza’s from Gaza on Sunday, Jews population of 2.3 million celebrated their most joyful have fled their homes, with of holidays, Purim, the most seeking refuge in the biblicalstoryofhowaplotto southernmost city of Rafah, exterminate Jews in Persia which Israel calls the next was thwarted as an target of its ground affirmation of Jewish offensive Prime Minister survival.

Palestinians inspect the damage of residential buildings after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Palestinians inspect the damage of residential buildings after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Sainz wins Australian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen retires

(BBC Sport) - Carlos Norris in the first pit-stop penalised the Spaniard 20 wrong”.

Sainz led Charles Leclerc to period.Theraceendedunder seconds, dropping him to It was a difficult end to a a Ferrari one-two in the a virtual safety car after a eighth place, and gave him sobering day for Mercedes, Australian Grand Prix as crashforGeorgeRussell. three penalty points on his on which their status as alsoM a x Ve r s t a p p e n ’ s Chasing Fernando licence for what stewards rans was apparently domination of Formula 1 Alonso’s Aston Martin for saiddriving“inamannerthat confirmed - Lewis Hamilton stalled. Sainz swept by the sixth place, the Mercedes was at very least ‘potentially retired after 16 laps with an world champion’s Red Bull driverlostcontrolatTurnSix dangerous’ given the very enginefailure. into the lead on the second onthefinallapandsuffereda high speed nature of that Norris led Oscar Piastri lap before the Dutchman crash, the car coming to rest pointofthetrack”. to a McLaren three-four retired with a brake failure on its side, held up in the air Alonso admitted slowing ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio afterjustfourlaps. by landing on its left-front too early and then Perez, anonymous on a day The Spaniard then wheel.Russellwasunhurt. accelerating again before on which he was unable to controlledtheraceasLeclerc Alonso and Russell were braking, but said he got the capitalise on Verstappen’s passed McLaren’s Lando called to the stewards, who manoeuvre “slightly retirement.

The Florida Softball Cup was a tremendous...

From page 29

many other ways to make the tournament a reality for the 17thedition.

“I would also like to express immense appreciation and thanks to our local community for their vital role in making this tournament an overwhelming success. The generosity of our sponsors and dedication of our volunteers was the cornerstoneforwhatwewereabletoachieve.Ican’texpress enough gratitude for their support. I must take a second to acknowledge our friends in the Media for their coverage. Our commentators who did a fantastic job and all the folks that liked, shared and provided feedback on Social Media, youallplayedapartinouraccomplishment,sosoakinginall the success and at the same time acknowledging lessons learned, we are filled with excitement to host the next Florida Cup, which we promise to be nothing short of spectacular,” Basdeo stated. For this year’s showpiece, 17 teamsfeatured.

Monday March 25, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Passionandromanceareinthe air, so make the most of the great atmosphere! Everyone seems to be in a festive mood. You feel close to others and feel profound gratitude for the lovedonesinyourlife.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

You may receive some upsetting news from a family member today It could have you reeling for a moment, but whenyoutakethetimetothink about it some more you'll realize that things aren't as troublingastheyfirstseemed

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Youmustweighyourphysical limitations with your desire to get everything done, Gemini. You run the risk of wearing yourself out and getting sick justasyoufinishyourtasks.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Today you could realize that a friend is actually your soul mate, Cancer You've been spendingalotoftimetogether attending social events, and you've come to realize how much you look forward to eachother'scompany

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

You may feel at odds with the rest of the world now, Leo, as you yearn for some quiet time alone. See if you can find a balance between spending time with your family and timealone.

VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)

Youhaveawarmandsensitive nature, Virgo, and today you could be feeling especially tuned in to the feelings of others. Romance is very much on your mind, as are all things sensual.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Thismaybeatrickyday,Libra, as you feel the pull of conflicting demands and desires. On the one hand, you feel obligated to your career and fulfilling the demands of youremployer

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

It doesn't seem fair that your workload has increased these last few days Never mind that youstillhaveallofyournormal tasks to do, your boss expects youtofinalizeanewbudgetand writeaproposalaswell?

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

You've been extremely busy these past few months, working extra hours at the office, then going out with friendslateatnight.Thissortof behavior is known as "burning the candle at both ends," and it rarelyhasahappyending.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Expect today's planetary energies to raise your social consciousness, Capricorn. You may be distracted with thoughts of the homeless person you saw today, or the television special you saw on babieswithAIDS.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

You may be asked to swallow your pride and give in to someone else's will today This will be difficult for you to do. Try to concentrate on your good reasons for obedience, and work out your frustration bytakingabriskwalk.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

The planetary energy makes this a good day for contemplation rather than action, Pisces. If you feel the urgetobuy,don't.

Sainz in total control

In front of a record Melbournecrowdof132,106 - and a weekend high of 452,055 - Sainz was in imperious form, just 16 days after having surgery to remove his appendix that forced him to miss the Saudi ArabianGrandPrix.

The 29-year-old - who has been describing the “ w e i r d ” f e e l i n g o f “everything in the inside just feels like it’s moving more than normal” after his operation - tracked Verstappen around the opening lap And after Verstappen made a mistake at Turn Three on the second lap, Sainz was able to pass the Red Bull down the curving ‘straight’ to Turns Nine and 10 Verstappen immediately came on the radio to say he had “lost the rear-weird”,andbeforelong itwasapparentwhy

Alaplater,hesworeover theradioandsaid:“Thecaris loose.” And a lap after that smoke started to pour from hisrightrearwheel.

Martin wins Portuguese...

From page 26 fight for fifth but with three lapstogo,desperationended in frustration as both riders collided and crashed when the factory Ducati rider attempted to retake his positionontheinside.

Acosta looked set for a well-deserved fourth place but he was gifted a podium finish when Vinales crashed onthefinallap.

In just his second MotoGP race, Acosta became the third-youngest podium finisher in premier classhistory

“The bike was perfect. Today there was no problem withthetyres,”Acostasaid.

“We need to improve but look at this podium - it’s not red Ducatis, it’s a red GasGas!”

Meanwhile,thenextbigsoftballtournamentisslatedfor June 28-30. It will be the Independence Cup under the auspicesoftheNewYorkSoftballCricketLeague.

Amir reverses Pakistan retirement ahead of World Cup

(BBC Sport) - Pakistan Cup.

In a post on X, formerly Pakistan. bowler Mohammad Amir It is expected that Amir known asTwitter,Amir said: “After discussing with will miss the start of the will now be named in “I still dream to play for family and well wishers I season with Derbyshire to Pakistan’s squad for a five- Pakistan. Life brings us to declare that I am available to return to international match T20 series at home to the points where at times we be considered for upcoming cricket. New Zealand, starting on 18 have to reconsider our T20WC. I want do this for

Amir, 31, had signed to April. decisions. my country as it comes play for Derbyshire for the Left-arm quickAmir last “There has been a few before my personal f i r s t h a l f o f t h e played for his country in positivediscussionsbetween decisions. Championshipseasonandall 2020, having made 146 myself and the PCB “Donning the green theT20Blastgroupgames. appearances across all three [Pakistan Cricket Board] jersey and serving my

But he will only be formats,butretiredsayinghe where they respectfully countryhasalwaysbeen,and available for six group was “mentally tortured” by made me feel that I was will continue to be, my matches after the T20 World theteammanagement. needed and can still play for greatestaspirations.”

Mohammad Amir (Sky Sports)

Amir joins all-rounder eve of the season, I respect Imad Wasim in reversing his Mohammad’s decision,” international retirement Derbyshire’s head of cricket ahead of the T20 World Cup Mickey Arthur told the in the USA and West Indies club’swebsite. from1June. “Following recent Derbyshirewillnowlook conversations with the for an overseas replacement Pakistan Cricket Board, I for Amir, with their know he had aspirations to Championship campaign set returntointernationalcricket to start on 5 April. “While if the opportunity would this is disappointing on the arise.”

Martin wins Portuguese GP while rookie Acosta earns first podium

(Reuters) - Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin won the Portuguese Grand Prix at theAlgarve International Circuit on Sunday to take the MotoGPchampionship lead, while rookie Pedro Acosta earned his first premier class podium with a blisteringchargeafterstartingseventh.

The 19-year-old Acosta finished third behind polesitter Enea Bastianini after Saturday’s sprint winner Maverick Vinales,whowasinsecondplace,crashedonthefinallapdue towhatappearedtobeatechnicalproblemwiththegearbox.

Martin, last year’s title runner-up, took the championship lead from reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, who crashed out of the race following a collision with six-times MotoGPchampionMarcMarquezontheGresiniDucati.

Martin has 60 points after two races while Brad Binder is second,18pointsbehind.Bagnaiawaspusheddowntofourth in the standings as a result of the crash, 23 points behind Martin.

“I knew what I was capable of. I started fast and I was trying to manage the tyres. Maverick and Enea were super close but at the end I saw a gap and it was enough to fight for thewin,”Martinsaid.

Martinrocketedoffthelinetotaketheleadgoingintoturn one and he immediately set the pace for the race out front, clockingthefastestlapandextendinghisleadoverVinales.

BastianinisatthirdwithBagnaiaandMarquezbehindhim asthetopfiveriderspeeledawayfromtherestofthepack.

‘They just want to play with their teammates and now they’re subject to this sweeping requirement that in order to usecountyfacilities,theyhavetopolicethegenderidentityof theirpeers.

ACOSTA’S CHARGE

Butbehindthem,GasGasTech3’sAcostawasunwillingto sit back and conserve his tyres, first overtaking Red Bull KTM’sBinderbeforesqueezingpastMarqueztomoveupinto fifthwithafastestlapofhisown.

Acosta gave Bagnaia chase and attempted risky overtakes on the Italian and his persistence eventually paid off with five laps to go when he lunged on the inside and shut the door on thetwo-timeschampion.

Tyre management proved to be his undoing in the season opener in Qatar but this timeAcosta looked comfortable with tyre temperature as he pulled away from Bagnaia and Marquez.Acosta’sheroicsforcedBagnaiaandMarquezto (Continued on page 25)

Action in the Lodge (black) and Young Gunners battle in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Georgetown edition

Guiness Greatest of the Streets – Georgetown…

Back Circle rebounds, Gold is Money also victorious

Traditional giants Gold is Money, North Similarly, North Ruimveldt defeated East La Penitence, Back Circle, and North RisingStars1-0tostrengthentheirpositionin Ruimveldt recorded contrasting wins when theraceforquarterfinalqualification. the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Back Circle rebounded from their Georgetown Championship continued on openinglosstodismantleMiddleRoad5-0to SaturdayeveningattheNationalParktarmac, keep their hopes alive of advancing to the ThomasLands. nextstage.

Gold is Money sealed their berth to the In other results, Laing Avenue upset the quarterfinal round, dismantling Tucville 4-1. Stabroek Ballers 1-0, while theAlbouystown On the other hand, North East La Penitence Warriors downed Sophia B 2-0 Also, moved one step closer to qualification for the Unstoppable and Albouystown played to a elimination round following a 1-0 win over scoreless affair, while Lodge All-Stars and MakeItHappen. BentStreetbattledtoa0-0outcome.

MCY&S throws support behind Easter Cup

Guyana U15 wing out in search of Rising Stars 50-Overs title

The Guyana Under-15 face their first Test on Rounds 3 and 4 played at team winged out on Sunday March26 Bethesda, on March 30 and as they seek to claim the The team endured April 1 respectively; will CWI Rising Stars 50-Over weeks of encampment, feature battles against Championship title; with directed at sharpening their Jamaica and Windward action bowling off on skillsets ahead of game Islands.

Monday March 26 against time

Liberta will host Round Barbados;inAntigua. After two solid 50-Over 5’s game as the Guyanese The team endured weeks practice games highlighted will face Leeward Islands. of encampment, directed at by some top individual All matches are set to bowl sharpening their skillsets performances; the team met offat9:30hseachday ahead of game time. After with Guyana Cricket Board Guyana U15 squad: two solid 50-Over practice ( G C B ) p r e s i d e n t Parmeshwar Ram, Justin games highlighted by some Bissoondyal Singh who had Dowlin, Darvir Seegobin, topindividualperformances; anicechatwiththelads. Emmanuel Lewis (V/C), the team met with Guyana Following some words Adrian Hetmyer (C), Cricket Board (GCB) ofencouragementandafinal Rovaldo Pareira, Richard president Bissoondyal Singh boost of confidence, Guyana R a m d e h o

K h u s h who had a nice chat with the will now look to make a S e

S o h a i l lads. strong statement come this Mohammed (W/k), Shamar Sponsored by OES week when action gets Apple, Brandon Henry, Guyana Inc, located at underway Gilbert Griffith, Jathniel R o m e , E a s t B a n k Fortheirfirstassignment NurseandArifKhan. Demerara, an Asset Guyana will play Barbados Standbys Players: Trilok Integrity Management at the Liberta Ground in Nanan,ReyazLatif,Bomesh c o m p a n y, t h e t e a m round 1, followed by

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tained by A

The Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports has pledged its support to the organizers of the Easter ‘Skills Cash and Gold Football Cup Minister Charles Ramson, in his dedication to nurturing grassroots programs across the nation, has partnered with Cool Crew Promotion and the Paradise Sports Club tobolsterthesportwithinthe EastCoast/Berbicedistrict.

The tournament features 16 teams from three associations: Berbice, East Coast,andEastBank.Witha total prize pool of up to $2,000,000 in cash and prizes, the stakes are undeniably high The excitement kicked off on Friday, March 22nd and will runthroughtoApril14.

Matches will be played on March 22, 24 and 31 and April 13 at Golden Grove ground and on March 25 and 30 at Paradise ground. The grand finale is also set for Golden Grove ground on April14.

withmedalsandtrophies. Central Housing and

ian Trinidadians on March 28 at Kumulchan Ramnarace, Hetmyer with Emmanuel the Coolidge Cricket Eron Benjamin and Mickle Lewis as his co-pilot, will Ground. Sharma.

- first match bowls off March 26

Notably, the tournament This tournament owes its Planning, ECS Construction offers an impressive prize existencetothecollaborative and General Supply, Moore structure The champions efforts of Cool Crew and Son Construction, Singh standtowin$500,000and20 Promotion and Paradise and Son Construction, the piecesofGoldchampionship SportsClub,bolsteredbythe Urban Shoe Company, rings, while the runners-up generous support of key R e p u b l i c B a n k , J S willreceive$300,000and20 contributors such as MVP Engineering and Supply, Silver rings in recognition of S p o r t s , I c o n ( I B I S Lucozade Energy, Magnum their stellar performances. Construction Sales and Brand, Professor Emanuel Third and fourth place Rental), the Ministry of Cummings, Curtis Andries, finishers will also be Culture, Youth, and Sports, Park Square, Legal rewarded handsomely, and the Prime Minister’s Entertainment, Chicken securing $150,000 and Office. Additional sponsors King, and Grill King $50,000 respectively, along include Anchor Cement, Enterprise.

Guyana’s

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hon. Charles Ramson Jr. (right) hands over sponsorship to President of the Cool Crew Promotion, Lynton Luke

‘It’s my strength vs your strength when I’m at the crease’ Shepherd on six-hitting and playing in the IPL:

(Cricinfo) - West Indies

embrace that role and I trust againstyou. just doesn’t happen. In that allrounder Romario myprocess.Itdoesn’tmatter Having also operated moment, you look at your Shepherd has established who is bowling, I back with the new ball in the base and see if you’re himself as a regular in T20I myself to clear the rope CPL, do you feel that holding your shape for long cricket and franchise T20 against them because I know you’ve grown as a bowler enough”•AssociatedPress leaguesaroundtheworld. my strength. So it’s my overthelastyearorso? In Baracara you never go In the run-up to the 2024 strength vs your strength I’ve always been to school with shoes on the T20 World Cup in the West whenI’matthecrease. someone who you can give feet because most times you Indies and the USA, coach You bowled a slower different roles to because I get a boat to school. Most of Daren Sammy name- yorker like the ones understand the game a bit the transportation there is by checked Shepherd as one of Dwayne Bravo used to, to more now Bowling with the river There’s no concrete the players who can dismiss Glenn Maxwell in new ball, I know the roadassuch,justmudroads. dominate the tournament Perth in February How challenges [with the field In the first game I played But before that, he will be in did you develop that up]. Basically, I try to swing at school, I got a hundred. I actionforMumbaiIndiansin variation?

thenewballbecauseIknowI was taken to this clubtheIPL.

It’s something I’ve been have the ability But in Tucber Park Club - and Shepherd talks about his working on for a very long different teams, I have introduced to the guy who power-hitting, slower balls, time.ActuallyBravowasthe different roles. The Guyana was running it at the timegrowing up with Shamar onewhotoldmeIhavetoget Amazon Warriors captain, CarlMoore.Fromthereon,I Joseph in Baracara, and the dip on the slower ball to Imran Tahir, told me that never really looked back. reuniting with Kieron make it more effective bowling with the new ball in Moore took me under his PollardatMumbai. Because if you just bowl it the powerplay is an area wing and saw the talent in

Yournextassignmentis like a normal cutter, it will where he needed me. So, me. He started to look after withMumbaiIndians-one slide on on a good wicket, so even during practice, I me off the field as well and of the best franchises in youneedtobeatthebatsman bowled with the new ball made sure I came to training T20 cricket - where you in the air If you beat the more and stuff like that. It every day (laughs). If I don’t will reunite with your first batsman in the air, it doesn’t workedoutformeintheCPL get to training on a day, I West Indies captain, matter how good the wicket becauseIknowonceIgetthe would get a call. He made Kieron Pollard. How is for batting. That slower ball to swing, it creates sure that everything was excitedareyou? ball did beat Maxwell in the problems for batsmen. If okaywithmeevenoutsideof

Yes, Kieron was the one air more likely than on the there’s no swing, then I go cricket. That discipline he whogavemetheopportunity ground. with hard length and play taughtmeoffthefield,Ifeel, [to play for West Indies] in

Romario Shepherd has only played four matches in the IPL so far across two seasons, scoring 58 runs and taking three wickets (Randy Brooks/CPL T20/Getty Images)

Dwayne is someone I withthefieldplacement. is more important than what Lucknow [in 2019] I’m have looked up to. He has You are now a regular hetaughtmeonit. thankful for that. To go back been an inspiration to me, for West Indies and a Didn’t your son and play under him at MI and he knows that. Even number of T20 franchises. recently play for Tucber once again is a joy He has before this series against Tell us about your early ParkClubaswell? also been someone who has get just five balls, I have to on. I know how captains try A u s t r a l i a , I h a d a yearsinBaracaravillagein Exactly I don’t think shared a lot of information make use of it. Obviously, to bowl at me and how conversation with him about Guyana. there’s any other club he can with me, both batting- and therolemightchangeifthere bowlers bowl at me. These bowling on these kinds of I grew up in a very small goto(laughs).TucberParkis bowling-wise.Hehasplayed arealotofoversremaining. days, most bowlers go wide wickets and field placing in community-meandShamar always the club for him and so many T20 games and the The way I train and or bowl into the wicket, Australia and stuff like that. [Joseph]grewupinthesame me. Shamar played for the experience is always there. prepare myself before the according to the boundary That’s something I do on a area and went to the same same club with me, and we He always has some game is just to face ten to 12 size, so that’s something I regular basis - talk to him primary school My also have Tremayne Smartt, challengeforyoutoworkon. balls, because I was only preparefor WhenIreachthe before the start of a series upbringing was very humble who has played for West

When I got the call that I facing that many in the crease, I know how I want to and get information from and I believe that’s where I Indies Women, and Nial will be with MI this IPL, I match down the order Most go. him. I had never played in get my discipline from. I Smith, who has played for was very happy to play for times I was ready mentally

What is the key to your Australia before and on the always try to remain humble Guyana in first-class cricket. one of the best franchises in because I was training for six-hitting?

first night after I landed because I know where I Most of them from the club the league and one of the that. In those games where I Sometimes it’s just there, I hit Dwayne up on comefrom. arefastbowlers;I’mtheonly well-knownfranchisesinthe getthosetenor12balls,Itry strength (laughs) and having WhatsAppandaskedhimfor Iknowhowharditwasto allrounder world.That’s something that to get 20-something. That’s a good bat. Sometimes you ideastobowlthere. come up. So every time I’m You and Shamar won the comes with some added the way I prepare before a mishit one and it flies [for You also dismissed putinatoughspot,Itakemy CPL together last year You pressure because you’re in game. I have to capitalise on six].

Shakib Al Hasan with a mindbacktowhereIstarted. have played a lot of club the spotlight playing for a anylooseballthatcomesmy It’s tough - everyone nifty back-of-the-hand In2021Italkedaboutmylife cricket together, but you champion team. But I don’t w a y T h a t w a s a expects us [finishers] to go variation in the BPL story[onvideo]. could potentially go up want to pressure myself too conversation with the coach and hit a six from ball one. recently. We never went to school againsthimintheIPL.Isthis much.Ijustwanttorelaxand [Lance Klusener] and Some days it just doesn’t It’s something I used to with shoes on our feet - 99% the first time you will face work my way into the team. captain [Imran Tahir] at the happen Balls that you do in Under-19s, but after of the kids never went to each other in an official Ifgivenanopportunityinthe CPL. normallyhitforsix,theyjust that it kind of went away school with shoes on their game?

XI, I must be ready for any “I’ve always been don’t go. It’s about you from me and I don’t know feet.WhenIcameoutofthat We have played practice challengethrownatme. someone who you can give slowing down the moment, why I stopped bowling the area and went to secondary games in Guyana and he has Being a middle-order different roles to because I and in that moment, you will back-of-the-hand slower school, in New Amsterdam, bowled to me in the nets and power-hitter or finisher is understand the game a bit know you’re just trying too ball. It was only last year I you had to wear shoes to got me out, but this will be one of the toughest roles in morenow” hard. In that moment, you started bowling it again in school. the first time in an official T20 cricket. How do you In my role - both batting look at your base and see if matches. I was bowling it at “Everyone expects us game. preparefortherole? and bowling - I think the you’re holding your shape the nets, but last year I found [finishers] to go and hit a six Shamar is bowling fast; Yes, it’s very tough and gamesituationdictateshowI for long enough. All of that the confidence to actually from ball one. Some days it he has gotten faster He can it’s something I’ve been play If I go out to bat and I youhavetocalculateinfive- bowl it in matches just doesn’t happen. In that bowl150kphandIhavetobe working on. Before the CPL know it’s boundary time, I ten balls because you don’t Sometimes you can bowl moment, you look at your more careful with him. If he started,[theGuyanaAmazon would have had a look at the have the time like the one down the leg and maybe base and see if you’re gets me out [in the IPL], he’s Warriors team management] gameandI would havea fair opening batsmen do. You bowl one wide [of off holding your shape for long going to tell me about it all told me that [lower down the idea of what each bowler is needtogooutthereandtryto stump]. You need to be enough” day (laughs), so I’m going to order] is where I’m going to trying to do in those hit sixes from ball one. But confident and trust the “Everyone expects us makesurethathedoesn’tget batandthatIwillnotgetalot conditions. When I get out onceyougetitright,youcan process. Shakib is someone [finishers] to go and hit a six me out.And hopefully, I can of deliveries to face. So if I there, it’s about me pushing getyournameuptherefast.I who can use your pace from ball one. Some days it hithimforafew[runs].

The Florida Softball Cup was a tremendous success

- Basdeo

President of the South Florida Softball Cricket League, Anoop Basdeo, is elatedwiththesuccessofthe recently concluded Florida Cup three-day softball tournament.

Teams from Florida, Orlando, NewYork, Guyana and Canada participated in thevariouscategories:Over50 (Legends), Over-40 (Masters) and All-Stars (Open).

New York Softball Cricket League emerged champions with the Legends trophy while Canadian Legends triumphed in the Masters category Orlando All-Stars X1 won the Open. Allreceivedmonetaryprizes alongwithtrophies.

AccordingtoBasdeo,the effort to run off the tournament was collective magnitude of such an event, A m e r i c a n B a s d e o

The next softball tournament will be the Independence Cup under the auspices of the New York Softball Cricket League which is slated for June 28-30.

elevated the tournament to volunteers,theumpires,park He also took the by his fellow executives and hiccups are to be expected. commented. new heights, setting the officials, vendors and the opportunity to express his he lauded the sponsors for H o w e v e r , w e h a d Basdeo also mentioned standard for future Guyana TV Network/FL profound appreciation to all their continued generosity contingency plans in place that Live Streaming with a competitions; special thanks Sport for making it all whohavecontributedin when it comes to softball and folks ready to execute if large number of high-profile to my executive team, our possible,”Basdeodeclared. (Continued on page 25) cricket. called upon. The “Green playersstillplayingthegame

“As the host committee, Team” as I dubbed them passionately, is a firm we [are] extremely happy were just exceptional indication that softball with the success of the throughout the entire c r i c k e t i s g r o w i n g tournament here in South process. exponentially, especially at Florida; all our pre- H e a r i n g t h e mega tournaments like this tournament planning and overwhelmingly positive one. then the execution of those feedback from participating “The Florida Cup this plans,madeforaspectacular teams, spectators, and other y e a r h a s r e a c h e d three days of cricket, so I am league management was unprecedented levels of definitely happy,” Basdeo incredibly gratifying.We are success, making it the most related. readyto do it allover again,” outstanding edition yet. The He continued: “With the the Guyanese-based integrationoftechnologyhas

Milo U18 Schools Football Championship 2024…

Abrams’ & Phillips’ goal-scoring prowess highlights Day 2

Waramuri Top, South Ruimveldt, Ann’s South Ruimveldt Secondary had a great Grove,LeonoraandSantaRosahadabigday game too, with Mark Phillip scoring four in the 2024 Milo Secondary Schools Football goals in a 6-2 win over Marian Academy tournament. The games took place at the Seon Grant added two more goals to secure Ministry of Education and Queen’s College the victory, while Marian scored twice in groundsonSunday response.

Waramuri Top surprised the small crowd Ann’s Grove Secondary also secured a by beating Bishops High at the MoE ground. winondaytwo,withIsanWilliamsandNaron DenzilAbramsandOdelHolmesscoredearly Jerrick scoring one goal each in a 2-0 victory goals for Waramuri, setting the tone for the overCharlestown. match.

Inothermatches,LeonoraSecondarybeat Holmes scored in the 2nd minute while Carmel Secondary 3-1, with Jason Adams Abrams followed up in the 3rd minute with a scoring twice and Tromane Hercules adding fiery shot that hit the crossbar before finding another goal. Santa Rosa Secondary, the thenetonthesecondattempt. defending champions, won 3-0 against East

The first half ended with Waramuri Ruimveldt, with goals from Keshon leadingbytwogoals. Campbell, Darius Williams, and an own goal

The second half saw more goals with from East Ruimveldt. Lastly, Hopetown and Abrams scoring twice more (45th and 52nd) PresidentCollegedrew1-1. and Holmes adding another in the 56th The tournament is generously sponsored minute Bishops managed to score a by Massy Distribution through the Milo consolation goal through Macaiah Defreitas, Brand.ThetournamentwillspanfromMarch butitwasn’tenough,asWaramuriwon5-1. 23toApril28.

Golden Stars, Mahaica register opening wins in 2024 Easter ‘Cash & Gold’ Cup

Mahaica striker (on the ball) launches the attack to Malanie FC as Mahaica wrap up a convincing 2-1 victory

The highly anticipated Melanie one goal short at the Paradise Sports Club, with Easter ‘Skills, Cash, and endofregulartime. generous support from key Gold’ Knockout Football In the other fixture of the contributors such as MVP Cup kicked off on Friday evening, Golden Stars S p o r t s , I c o n ( I B I S evening at the Golden Grove clinched a parallel 2-1 Construction Sales and ground with an electrifying victory against Victoria Rental), the Ministry of doubleheader featuring Kings. Stars initiated their Culture, Youth, and Sports, Melanie Football Club campaignonafortunatenote and the Prime Minister’s versus Mahaica Dominators, when Andrew George Office. and Golden Stars against inadvertently scored an own Additional sponsors VictoriaKings. goal in the 50th minute, include Anchor Cement, Mahaica Dominators granting Stars the initial Central Housing and securedtheiropeningvictory advantage. Kevon Seymour Planning, ECS Construction against Melanie FC, later added another goal for and General Supply, Moore triumphing 2-1. Samuel van the Stars in the 81st minute, and Son Construction, Singh Dijk stole the spotlight with extending their lead to two and Son Construction, the two crucial goals in the goals. Despite Kellon Croal Urban Shoe Company, thrilling 2-1 victory over reducing the deficit for R e p u b l i c B a n k , J S Melanie FC. Van Dijk found Victoria Kings in the latter Engineering and Supply, thebackofthenetinthe28th part of the match, it wasn’t Lucozade Energy, Magnum and 76th minutes, while enough as the final whistle Brand, Professor Emanuel Melanie’s Joel Lallman’s blew with a scoreline of 2-1 Cummings, Curtis Andries, goal in the 50th minute infavorofGoldenStars. Park Square, Legal applied some pressure on the This tournament is made Entertainment, Chicken Dominators. However, the possible through the K i n g , K K Te c h c o m Dominators’ resilient collaborative efforts of Cool Suppliers and Rentals, and defense held firm, leaving Crew Promotion and GrillKingEnterprise.

South Ruimveldt goal scorers (from left) Seon Grant and Mark Phillips

LSG fall short of Royals’ 193 despite Pooran’s unbeaten 64

(SportsMax) - Lucknow Super innings of 82 not out from 52 balls teaminthehunt.

Sanju Samson’s exceptional Super Giants. His innings of 58 Giants fell short of their target laid the foundation for Rajasthan’s Despite their valiant efforts, knockforRajasthanRoyalswasthe played a crucial role in keeping his despite valiant efforts from victory, propelling them to a Lucknow Super Giants found standoutperformanceofthematch, team’s chase alive, but ultimately, Nicholas Pooran and KL Rahul, commandingtotalof193for4. themselves needing 38 runs from anchoring their innings with a they fell short of the target set by resulting in a 20-run defeat against LucknowSuperGiantsfacedan the final two overs Sandeep blend of finesse and power His RajasthanRoyals. Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur in their uphillbattleearlyintheirinningsas Sharma’s tight bowling in the unbeaten82providedthenecessary Nicholas Pooran’s unbeaten 64 Indian Premier League encounter theywerereducedto11for3within penultimate over restricted impetus for Rajasthan’s formidable was another highlight for Lucknow on Sunday Despite Pooran’s the first four overs, courtesy of Pooran’s big-hitting, leaving too total, setting the stage for their Super Giants, as he displayed his unbeaten64andRahul’scomposed Trent Boult and Nandre Burger’s muchforLucknowtoachieveinthe bowlerstodefendthetarget. abilitytoacceleratethescoringrate 58, Lucknow Super Giants were fiery spells. However, Rahul and final over Avesh Khan closed out Despite the loss, KL Rahul’s under pressure However, his unable to chase down the imposing Pooranresurrectedtheinningswith the contest comfortably for return from injury showcased his efforts were in vain as Lucknow target of 194 set by Rajasthan a fifth-wicket partnership of 85 Rajasthan Royals, sealing their class and resilience, offering a Super Giants succumbed to Royals. Sanju Samson’s brilliant runs from 52 balls, keeping their victory. glimmer of hope for Lucknow RajasthanRoyals’bowlingattack.

Nicholas Pooran during his innings of 64 on Sunday