Guyana Times - Tuesday, May 7, 2024

PPP Congress lauds int’l community's support for

GDF, Nigerian defence college team discuss mutual areas of interest

Caribbean Member States urged to improve access to information

Teen stabbed to death during argument

Arrival

East Indian immigrants who settled in Region 2 remembered

A calf (young whale) who was stuck on the No 63 Beach, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) was assisted by members of the Guyana Police Force and residents of the nearby community and wildlife experts, along with a veterinarian and members of the No 66 Fisheries, to guide itself safely back into deep waters in the Atlantic Ocean (GPF photos)

CXC, CAPE exams

With support, “you are destined for greatness” – CXC Registrar to students

…Pres Ali extends best wishes to students

Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) May/June 2024 examinations and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) kickstarted on Monday May 6, across the country. While it is unknown at this time how many

jects being offered are Biology, Chemistry, English A, English B, Human and Social Biology, Information Technology (Gen.), Mathematics, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Social Studies and Spanish, among others.

Guyanese students are sitting the exam, sub-

Following the announcement of the dates for these

examinations, a number of stakeholders have come to the fore expressing great concerns with the dates.

This includes President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who via social media post extended best wishes to the 2024 cohort, as Guyana aims to top the Caribbean for the sixth consecutive year.

Meanwhile, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr. Wayne Wesley wished the candidates all the best in their examinations while reassuring them that the Council’s number one priority is the health and safety of all candidates and stakeholders.

“With the support of family, friends and teachers and educators you are destined for greatness. On behalf of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) I encourage you to be cool, calm and collected demonstrating your confidence. You have been prepared to advance the economic competitiveness of the region, you will do

well,” Dr. Welsey said via video message.

CXC/CAPE result 2023

In a monumental record, Guyana topped the Caribbean for the fifth consecutive year at both at the 2023 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

Alex Muntaz of the Anna Regina Secondary and Naresh Jagnanan of Queen’s College have been named the Most Outstanding Students overall in the Region at

CSEC and CAPE, respectively.

Muntaz had clinched 23 Grade Ones and four Grade Twos at the examinations while Jagnanan scored nine Grade Ones and one Grade Two at CAPE.

Across the Region at CSEC, Siddiq Gafar of the ISA Islamic School is the Most Outstanding Student in Business; Nailah Rahaman from Queen’s College is the Most Outstanding Student in Humanities; and Abigail Stephanas from Queen’s College is Most Outstanding Student in Science. Muntaz also copped the Most Outstanding Student in TVET subjects.

Virendra Dookie of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan is the country’s Second Most Outstanding Student at CSEC.

At CAPE, Jagnanan is also the Most Outstanding Student in Business Studies, and Joshua Gulab of Queen’s College is the Second Most Outstanding Student for CAPE.

Across the country, a to-

tal of 12,118 students sat the CSEC examinations, an increase from 10,368 in 2022. There were 75,764 entries. Overall, the pass rate was 65 per cent for 2023, a decline from 68.5 per cent in 2022. Meanwhile, a total of 701 students from 12 secondary schools and four private centres sat the CAPE exams. There are 17 examination centres in Guyana. From 671 entries in 2022, this increased to 701 across units in 29 subject areas.

CXC Registrar and CEO, Dr Wayne Wesley

President Dr Irfaan Ali

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Tuesday, May 7 – 03:30h-05:00h and Wednesday, May 8 – 04:00h-05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, May 7 –16:05h-17:35h and Wednesday, May 8 – 16:50h-18:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Light rain showers are expected in the early-morning to early-afternoon hours, with sunny conditions prior and after. Partly cloudy skies and light rain showers are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 16:09h reaching a maximum height of 2.74 metres.

Low Tide: 09:42h and 21:55h reaching minimum heights of 0. 34 metre and 0.50 metre.

Venezuela border controversy PPP Congress lauds int’l community's support for Guyana

…takes firm stand against Venezuela’s efforts to encroach on Guyana’s territory

The just concluded People’s Progressive Party (PPP) 32nd congress adopted a number of resolutions, including one expressing support for the government’s handling of the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy and condemning Venezuela’s efforts to claim Essequibo.

In a statement following its conclusion, the congress expressed strong condemnation for Venezuela’s tactics and their apparent disregard for the several agreements and conventions, including the Argyle Agreement that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed last year with President Dr. Irfaan Ali, which saw both countries agreeing to refrain from further provocations.

“This 32nd Congress of the People’s Progressive Party strongly condemns the actions of the Maduro regime in attempting to violate our sovereignty and territorial integrity and supports the Government of Guyana in defending our national territory by all and any means necessary.”

“Additionally, this Congress expresses its total and unqualified support for the wise, calm and mature leadership of the Government of Guyana in maintaining a climate of peace in our country and the region as a whole,” the party said.

It was pointed out by the congress that the boundaries between Guyana and Venezuela were fully and finally settled by the Arbitral Award of 1899 and conclusively demarcated under that Award in 1905.

“The Arbitral Award was

recognised by all parties as a ‘full, perfect and final’ settlement of the boundaries between Guyana and Venezuela. Guyana remains faithful to the 1899 Arbitral Award and the Geneva Agreement and opted to utilise the mechanism provided for in the Geneva Agreement to have the matter referred to the ICJ for peaceful resolution, in accordance with International Law.”

“Venezuela, in clear violation of the letter and spirit of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the Geneva Agreement, has taken steps to annex the Essequibo region of Guyana comprising two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory, despite the fact that the matter is currently before the ICJ,” the party also said.

According to the congress, not only has Venezuela been violating the Arbitral award, but also the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) provisional measures, which were issued last year with the intention of restraining both Venezuela and Guyana from taking any steps to escalate tensions until the matter is heard and determined by the ICJ.

“Further, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his counterpart President Nicholas Maduro have entered in good faith, an accord in Argyle, St. Vincent, not to take any further steps to escalate the controversy. Guyana has scrupulously obeyed the ICJ’s Provisional Measures and has done nothing which would conflict with the Argyle Declaration.”

“Venezuela, on the other

hand, in breach of the letter and spirit of the Provisional Measures of the ICJ and the Argyle Accord, recently enacted laws in its Parliament purporting to incorporate Essequibo as a state of Venezuela. These, and other actions of Venezuela, along with its bellicose threats of invasion, are in violation of international law, norms and practices,” the congress also said.

In the wake of Venezuela’s violations, international organisations including the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States (OAS), and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have all condemned Venezuela’s actions, and called on the country to comply with international law.

Many governments, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Brazil, and those of the Caribbean Region have issued similar statements. In its statement, the congress expressed gratitude to all of these governments and organisations.

“This Congress extends its deep gratitude to the international community and friendly countries, including, the United States, Britain, Canada, France, European Union, CARICOM and OAS Member States in lending support and solidarity to Guyana on this matter of existential importance,” the congress said.

The controversy surrounding the territory was settled through an Arbitral Award in 1899, which both countries agreed to and accepted. However, when Guyana was on the verge of gaining its independence from Great Britain in the early 1960s, Venezuela’s claims to two-thirds of its territory resurged.

The matter was eventually taken to the ICJ, where it currently awaits a ruling. However, Venezuela in December 2023 moved a referendum to annex twothirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory. The ICJ has issued interim measures restraining Venezuela from taking further steps in this regard.

(G3)

A section of the attendees at the PPP’s 32nd Congress

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Education: cooperative partnership between parents & educators

Education provides one of the main planks for the pursuit of an enhanced life and lifestyle. The ability to read is critical to a student’s success, as well as to lifelong earning potential and economic security.

In spite of the many and various challenges facing Guyana in the delivery of services in the various sectors, when one focuses on the education sector, one can see marked success in the programmes initiated by past and present Governments to deliver quality education to all of Guyana’s children and provide equitable opportunities for all in the pursuit of upward mobility.

A primary initiative in the education system, which has created success in the education sector, is the establishment of the Multimedia Centre at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), with one of the centre’s main activities being the production and broadcast on television of educational programmes. The Learning Television Channel is dedicated to broadcasting programmes throughout the country via the use of satellite communications technology. Broadcasting commenced in 2011, and has proven a great success story.

Additionally, organisational capacity and managerial capability have been enhanced, strengthening the management of the education sector and central ministry.

Focus has been placed on achieving improved educational outcomes through a continuum of policy reviews, initiation of new programmes and initiatives, promoting improved performance management, and monitoring mechanisms geared to ensure that the goals of the Education Strategic Plan are achieved.

Teacher training has also been enhanced with the introduction of the Associate Degree in Education (ADE), for which thousands have enrolled and concluded training at the Cyril Potter College of Education, along with other teachers in training.

Teachers have been benefiting from continuous development programmes, especially in special training for Maths and English teachers who participate in the non-graduate programmes.

Efforts to support the advances made in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the school and post-secondary levels have also borne fruit, as well as in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT), where teachers receive basic training in the use of computers, with a project of equipping computer labs completed. As such, there have been great strides made in ensuring professionalisation of the teaching force.

In the student community, remediation programmes to facilitate improved Maths and English scores are an ongoing facet of quality education.

There have been stringent efforts to promote childfriendly schools, including enhancements to the school buildings; sanitation blocks; health, nutrition and counselling services; revitalising the PTAs; community outreaches; student council, and inclusive education. These elements facilitate the realisation of child-friendly schools.

However, irrespective of the efforts of Government, the development of Guyana’s children needs a cooperative partnership between parents and educational mentors, so parents need to recognise that their support and participation are integral to the holistic development of their children, so that they can emerge as rounded adults primed to engage and overcome the challenges of adulthood.

Vampire facials, under-eye fillers, ‘prejuvenation’: how did cosmetic tweakments get so extreme?

By GeorGina Lawton

Everyone goes through it: a reckoning with one’s own mortality in the mirror, poking at eye bags and tugging at folds of loose skin. Am I looking a bit rough? It’s part of the human condition to fear ageing, but among millennials and Gen Z there seems to be a heightened anxiety around growing older, coupled with an increasingly casual attitude towards getting fillers and Botox compared with previous generations.

Almost half of millennial women polled by the BBC in 2019 said they believed that having a cosmetic procedure was akin to having a haircut. I can say from experience that it is not. Like many, I have fallen victim to negative anti-ageing rhetoric. After months of staring at my tired face on Zoom calls during lockdown, I felt as if my hot years were slipping through my fingers. When the world opened up, I found a doctor to “restore” my hollowed-out under-eyes with 1ml of filler. I was barely 28. I spent £700 on two rounds of filler with a trained doctor, who placed it into my upper cheek, instead of directly under my eye, to reduce the risk asso-

ciated with under-eye treatments. But even though I paid top whack and went to the renowned Harley Street, my face did not take as well to the second round of filler, and it has left a visible dent under one of my eyes that I now obsess over in photos. Despite this, getting more “tweakments” has still crossed my mind. Recently, after a period of prolonged stress, I became paranoid that it was showing on my face. “I’m getting Botox,” I told several friends, convinced I was developing forehead lines. But I didn’t cave in and I’m glad, as once I started looking after myself again, they disappeared.

Beauty tweakments such as dermal fillers and Botox are increasingly favoured by younger people. In 2022, 27 per cent of US patients receiving Botox were 34 or younger, compared with 21 per cent in 2015, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The idea is to stop wrinkles before they start, with some calling it “baby Botox”, or “prejuvenation”. On TikTok young people are lauded for incorporating these treatments into their skincare routine, with many equating it with self-care. Anecdotally, around a third

of my female friends, all of us barely out of our 20s, have hopped on the trend. One got Botox largely for her wedding. Another has been getting filler touch-ups in her lips and cheeks since her late 20s.

So why are we all so desperate to pretend we’re not growing older? There is a collective and largely premature fear of ageing. For my generation, being perpetually online and scrolling through the lives of others must also be a factor. It keeps us locked into a constant state of comparison. Then, the stream of bad news on war and the climate crisis is making us all depressed, anxious and nervous about dying. And in a time of economic uncertainty, millennials and Gen Z are also unable to tick off traditional checkpoints of adulthood, so the idea that many alter their appearance to turn back the clock makes perfect sense to me. For women, our looks are aesthetic capital after all –and being beautiful can unlock social and professional success.

But these treatments often don’t come with warnings; it’s up to the consumer to research potential pitfalls. Botched cosmetic procedures among young peo-

ple are on the rise, with too many treatments taking place in unregulated beauty salons and carried out by unqualified practitioners. Last month, three women in the US contracted HIV from “vampire facials”, cosmetic procedures intended to rejuvenate the skin, when an unlicensed New Mexico medical clinic reused needles that should have been disposed of. It caused understandable alarm worldwide as the first such case of transmission via a needle during cosmetic surgery.

The pursuit of youth keeps many of us in a chokehold. And while I’m all for female personal agency when it comes to cosmetic treatments, looking young is not a panacea for all life’s woes. One friend who loves fillers said to me recently: “I can’t stay 28 for ever, but the aim is to look 28 for ever.” I’m trying to reject the message that it’s wrong for women to look their true age. It can be hard to tune out the noise, but the alternative may mean a future marred by self-doubt, expensive treatments or even regret. I think I’ll stick with the eye bags. (The Guardian) (Georgina Lawton is the author of Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity and the Truth About Where I Belong)

Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh on Monday visited the Qatar-based Urbacon Concessions Investments W.L.L (UCI) floating power plant, which docked at Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). When connected to Guyana Power and Light interconnecting transmission line, it will provide 36 mega watts (MW) to the national grid (NCN Berbice photo)

The Coolie Depots of Calcutta

By Ravi Dev

After the 1839 enquiry into the brutal treatment meted out to the first batch of Indian indentureds at Gladstone’s Vreed-enHoop plantation, there was a halt to further shipments – but they were resumed to Mauritius in 1842. New arrangements were mandated by the Government of India to better regulate and control the trade in coolies under the rubric of protecting their rights. One of these was the establishment of depots near the Calcutta docks to house the Indentureds as the required numbers were accumulated to fill the chartered ships.

The first depot was built at Bhowanipore for Mauritius but was initially also used for British Guiana, Trinidad and Jamaica when shipments to the Caribbean resumed in 1845. Later, separate depots for men and women destined for the Caribbean were established in the Garden Reach area of Calcutta near the Kidderpore Docks, west of Bhowanipore. The Demerara Depot was at 61 Garden Reach and Trinidad’s, Jamaica’s, Suriname’s, Guadeloupe’s and Martinique’s were nearby.

The prospective emigrants would have been recruited by the

Arkatis, sequestered in inland sub-depots and then transported in batches via railways to Calcutta under the watchful eyes of the guard or “daffadars” (guards). Some of them would have registered in the areas of recruitment by a local magistrate. But others who did not want their relatives to know they were leaving – like my great grandfather Rambishun from Ishmailpur near Patna -- or who were being spirited away would have been registered elsewhere. Rambishun was registered at Barrackpore near Calcutta over 500 km away from Patna.

And it was in the depots that the homogenising of the emigrants – drawn from the vast area west of Bengal and concentrated in the Bhojpuri belt of modern western Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh –into “coolies” to labour in the plantations began. They were inspected by a doctor to weed out those who were unsuitable for labour; given new clothes that made them appear like inmates; fed together in lines but separated into women and men’s buildings for sleeping – fixed cots on mud floors. The eating together presented a major challenge since caste rules up to then precluded this commensal practice. One attempted circumvention of this objection was to have the food cooked by Brahmin emigrants. They were closely guarded as during their transportation to and at the depot to prevent absconding. There was an “isolation” hospital at each depot to restrict contagious diseases.

The food that would be served on the ships – like biscuits – were gradually introduced during the wait that could sometimes last for months. The transgression of caste prejudices was further broken down in the forced consanguinity of the depos and there were significant numbers of “depot marriages” or liaisons.

& Engineers (GRSE” – which replaced the Guyana depot - -in 2023 built the MV Ma Lisha ferry that transports Guyanese between Georgetown and Region 1. Compare the quarters of the coolies (Background in feeding pic) and the agent’s quarters.

GTA hosts tour for North American media representatives

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) with support from tour agency, Wilderness Explorers, hosted a familiarisation tour for media representatives from North America, allowing them to experience Guyana’s breathtaking landscapes and adventurous activities.

The gesture is part of the government’s aim to showcase Guyana as a prime ecotourism destination, as well as foster meaningful connections between the media representatives and the lo-

cal communities. According to the authority, the foreign media workers will create content suitable for their audiences to further promote the country.

The GTA said from April 25 to May 2, the group was engaged in authentic, immersive experiences at

Waikin Ranch, Caiman House, Yupukari Village, Karanambu Lodge, Rock View Lodge, Atta Rainforest Lodge, Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and the Kaieteur Falls.

Meanwhile, the GTA had announced January, the appointment of market representation firm, Emerging

Destinations to promote Guyana in the North American travel markets, specifically in the United States and Canada.

The United States and Canada are Guyana’s core markets in North America, where travellers seek authentic nature, culture, and adventure-based experiences. The market representatives will work year-round to raise awareness and establish Guyana’s presence in these locations, increase demand, and strengthen the direct connections between international tour operators, travellers, and the Guyanese travel trade.

It was a stroke of irony that the “Garden Reach Shipbuilders

Page Foundation

1. 3x x 3y =

(A) 9xy

(B) 3xy

(C) 9x+y

(D) 3x+y

2. If 20a - 16 =12(3-a) , then a =

(A)5/8

(B) 13/8

(C) 21/16

(D) 5/2

3. If x is an integer which satisfies the inequalities

4 < x - 2 <8, then the smallest possible value of x is

(A) 4

(B) 5

(C) 6 (D) 7

4. The sum of two numbers, x and y , is 18, and their difference is 14. Which pair of equations below describes the above statement?

(A) 4

(B) 5 (C) 6 (D) 7

CSEC MATHS

5. The distance around the edge of a circular pond is 88 m. The radius, in metres is

Orchids

By Hazel SimmonS-mcDonalD

I leave this house box pieces of the five-week life I’ve gathered. I’ll send them on to fill spaces in my future life. One thing is left a spray of orchids someone gave from a bouquet one who makes a ritual of flower-giving sent. The orchids have no fragrance but purple petals draw you to look at the purple heart. I watered them once when the blossoms were full blown like polished poems. I was sure they’d wilt and I would toss them out with the five-week litter. They were stubborn. I starved them.

Identify Title: Poet:

Speaker/persona:

(A) 88 π (B) 176 π

(C) 88/ π (D) 88/2 π

Item 6 refers to the circle below with centre O and circumference of 20 cm.

7. If the length of a rectangle is doubled, by what number must the width be multiplied in order that the area remains the same?

(A) 3

(B) 2

(C) ½

(D) ¼

Item 8 refers to the trapezium below.

8. The area of the trapezium is (A) 24 cm2

(B) 28 cm2

(C) 30 cm2

(D) 36 cm2

9. The median of the numbers: 1, 1, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8 is (A) 7

(B) 6.5

(C) 6

(D) 5.4

10. If the mean of four numbers 4, 8, x and 12 is 10, then x is

(A) 4

(B) 10

(C) 12

(D) 16

They would not die. This morning the bud at the stalk’s tip unfurled. I think I’ll pluck the full-blown blooms press them between pages of memory. Perhaps in their thin dried transparency I’ll discover their peculiar poetry.

Type of verse: Metre: Rhyme scheme: Theme: Mood: Poem type: Literary Devices

Simile: Like metaphors, similes also compare two different things to point out their similarities. However, the difference between similes and metaphors is that similes use the words “like” or “as” to soften the connection and explicitly show it’s just a comparison.

Motif: A motif is a repeated element that has symbolic significance to a story. Sometimes a motif is a recurring image. Sometimes it’s a repeated word or phrase or topic. A motif can be a recurrent situation or action. It can be a sound or a smell or a temperature or a colour. The defining aspect is that a motif repeats, and through this repetition, a

motif helps to illuminate the central ideas, themes, and deeper meaning of the story in which it appears.

Motif vs symbol: Both motifs and symbols are used across artistic mediums: Painters, sculptors, playwrights, and musicians all use motifs and symbols in their respective art forms. And while they are similar literary terms, “motif” and “symbol” are not synonyms.

Satire: Satire is so prevalent in pop culture that most of us are already very familiar with it, even if we don’t always realise it. Satire is an often-humorous way of poking fun at the powers that be. Sometimes, it is created with the goal to drive social change. Satire can be part of any work of culture, art, or entertainment – it has a long history, and it is as relevant today as it was in ancient Rome.

Situational irony: Irony: it’s clear as mud. Theorists quibble about the margins of what constitutes irony, but situational irony is all around us – from humorous news headlines to the shock twists in a book or TV show. This type of irony is all about the gap between our expectations and reality, and it can make a memorable and powerful impression when we encounter it.

Suspense: No matter what type of story you’re telling, suspense is a valuable tool for keeping a reader’s attention and interest. Building suspense involves withholding information and raising key questions that pique readers’ curiosity. Character development plays a big role in generating suspense; for example, if a character’s desire is not

fulfilled by the end of the book, the story will not feel complete for the reader.

Symbolism: An object, concept, or word does not have to be limited to a single meaning. When you see red roses growing in a garden, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think literally about the rose – about its petals, stem, and thorns, or even about its stamen and pistil as a botanist might. But perhaps your mind goes elsewhere and starts thinking about topics like romance, courtship, and Valentine’s Day. Why would you do this? The reason, of course, is that over the course of many generations, a rose’s symbolic meaning has evolved to include amorous concepts.

Verisimilitude: Verisimilitude (pronounced ve-ri-si-mili-tude) is a theoretical concept that determines the semblance of truth in an assertion or hypothesis. It is also an essential tenet of fiction writing. Verisimilitude helps to encourage a reader’s willing suspension of disbelief. When using verisimilitude in writing, the goal is to be credible and convincing.

Vignette: A writer’s job is to engage readers through words. Vignettes – poetic slices-of-life – are a literary device that brings us deeper into a story. Vignettes step away from the action momentarily to zoom in for a closer examination of a particular character, concept, or place. Writers use vignettes to shed light on something that wouldn’t be visible in the story’s main plot. (Adapted from masterclass.com)

Exxon ramping up oil production at Liza 2 & Payara …as shutdown for gas installation also provides

debottlenecking window

In the first quarter of this year, the Liza Phase Two and Payara projects in the Stabroek Block produce 242,000 and 214,000 barrels per day respectively. But with the plans that ExxonMobil has for debottlenecking both projects, production is expected to ramp up to much more.

During a recent press conference, ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge had announced that the Liza Destiny and Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels would be shut down in July-August, to facilitate installation activities for the Gas-toEnergy project.

During this shut down, Routledge revealed that debottlenecking activities would also be done on the Unity FPSO- that is, modifications to allow the vessel to produce above 250,000 barrels of oil per day.

When the vessel was first commissioned, it had a target capacity of 220,000 barrels per day.

“Part of the Unity shut down is actually going to include some additional debottlenecking work. We think we could actually produce above 250,000 barrels per day. Studies have demonstrated that that

can be done,” the executive said.

“So, in that shut down, when we’re installing the risers, we’ll also be doing some debottlenecking, some additional modifications, some other planned maintenance work that we would have done a little later. We’ve accelerated forward. Integrity activity. So, there’s other work in that shutdown that will also be beneficial to the production capacity.”

When it comes to the Prosperity FPSO, which services Exxon’s third Payara project, the compa-

ny is also eyeing the possibility of increasing production there. Routledge explained that they are going through reviews with government ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“So, in Payara specifically, the FPSO itself is actually very similar to the Liza Phase Two Unity FPSO. So, all the studies that we’ve done would indicate a similar capacity, of 250,000 barrels per day with the existing facilities

and relatively minor modifications that would not require any shut down.”

“And so, we’re working through reviews with the government agencies. The studies have been done. The EPA. The MNR. To ensure that everybody has that opportunity to test and be comfortable, that it is safe to increase to those levels. We anticipate in the next month or two, we’ll complete those reviews. And if that is satisfactory, we’ll make that adjustment.”

Routledge noted that even with the modifica-

tions that have already been done, the reservoirs are performing exceptionally well. He further assured that debottlenecking is a standard industry practice.

“This is a very normal practice, as we’ve said before, where we look at facility performance, we understand where are the limitations in the equipment at any point in time. We do the right studies and understand. For example, we may have a valve which is the limitation. Can we change the trim in the valve to allow fluids to flow more safely.”

“If its coolants or heaters which are the limitations, can we put additional plates and bundles into those coolants to enhance the capacity of it. These are normal, engineering steps we would do to analyse, what is the limiting factor. And can we increase the capacity in a safe way,” he said.

Meanwhile, he assured that safety is always a factor and in fact, it is the workers on board who make the final determination on increasing production and whether it is safe to do so. Further, he reminded that extensive reviews must be done, including by independent parties

such as the government.

“It’s always safe. The production levels we produce oil at, we always start with safety in mind. Our first priority is always the safety of the people on board. Protecting the environment. I go out and I spend time with the crew on board. And reinforce that message.”

“They’re the ones that will ultimately make the decision that they’re comfortable to increase production. And its only after an extensive engineering study, reviews by the independent parties including government agencies and the crew on board, they’ll make that decision.”

Exxon’s plans to boost production figures will be further buttressed by the Yellowtail and Uaru developments, which are already underway and are anticipated to contribute 250,000 barrels of oil each following their respective start-ups. Meanwhile, Exxon has already received approval for their sixth project, Whiptail.

In addition to at least these six projects offshore Guyana that Exxon anticipates will be online by 2027, it is also eyeing the possibility of having 10 FPSOs operational by 2030. (G3)

The Liza Unity FPSO is due for modifications in a few months

Lethem man arrested for abusing wife found dead in Police lock-ups

Aman, who was arrested for domestic violence, was on Monday found dead in the Lethem Police Station, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) lockups.

Dead is 37-year-old Carl Benedict also known as Paul Benedict, of St. Ignatius Village, Lethem.

On Monday, the Police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) launched an investigation into the apparent suicide which occurred sometime between 05:00h and 07:45h at Lethem Police Station.

Police said that Benedict and his wife have been together for 18 years however, during their relationship, she was subjected to constant physical abuse. These incidents were reported to the police at Lethem Police

Station, and the father of five was charged and taken to court.

On May 16, 2023, he was found guilty of one of the charges and was fined $10,000.

On Sunday, Police in Lethem received a call from a concerned resident reporting that Benedict was assaulting his wife.

Ranks responded to the report, and he was arrested and escorted to the Lethem Police Station. Police said that at the station, his clothes were removed, and he was placed in a cell by himself with only shorts, while his wife’s statement was being taken. She was also issued with a medical

certificate and escorted to seek medical attention for her injuries.

However, at about 07:45h on Monday, the ranks entered the lockups and discovered Benedict dead.

He was transported to the Lethem Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by a doctor. A post-mortem examination will be conducted shortly, Police said.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide, please call the 24-hour suicide prevention helpline at 223-0001, 223-0009, 6234444 or 600-7896 and speak with a professional counsellor.

With support, “you are destined for...

Stable performances were noted in English Language, Mathematics, Technical Drawing, Caribbean History, and Economics.

Declines were seen in Biology: from 82 per cent to 72 per cent in 2023; while Human and Social Biology saw a dip from 73 per cent to 63 per cent, and Physical Education and Sport saw a dip from 98 per cent to 88 per cent. In addition, Portuguese recorded a decline from 76 per cent last year to 62 per cent this

year. Pass percentages for the year are as follows: 70 for English Language; 63 for English Literature; 34 for Mathematics; 60 for Additional Mathematics; 97 for Agricultural Science (double award); 55 for Physics; 66 for Integrated Science; 58 for Chemistry; 72 for Principles of Business; 69 for Principles of Accounts; 63 for Economics; 84 for Religious Education; 53 for Social Studies; 65 for Visual Arts; 64 for Caribbean History;

98 for Theatre Arts, and 88 for Music.

For the TVET subject areas, there was a pass rate of over 65 per cent. In modern languages, French is 55 per cent, Spanish is 51 per cent and Portuguese is 62 per cent. However, for CAPE, a slight ‘dip’ in the overall performance was reported, at 90.85 per cent.

An improved performance was recorded in Accounting Unit One, from 80 per cent to 90 per cent; Agricultural Science, from

76 per cent to 91 per cent; Applied Mathematics, from 88 per cent to 100 per cent; Economics, from 81 per cent to 90 per cent; Electronic and Electrical Technology, from 80 per cent to 85 per cent; Geography, from 95 per cent to 100 per cent; Pure Mathematics Unit One, from 65 per cent to 88 per cent; Pure Mathematics Unit Two, from 80 per cent to 87 per cent; Chemistry, from 86 per cent to 88 per cent; and Literature, from 95 per cent to 97 per cent. Caribbean Studies and Communication studies –both compulsory subjects –each recorded over 90 per cent.

Stable performances were reported in: Geography, Unit Two; Law, Unit One; Management of Business, Unit One; Physics, Unit Two; Spanish, Unit Two; PE and Sports, Units One and Two; Building and Mechanical Engineering, Unit One; and Green Engineering, Unit Two. (G1)

Hitting… …the floor

It’s really funny to your Eyewitness that some folks have their buktas and drawers in knots cause they think it was infra dig for Pressie to make those dance moves at the PPP Congress. Really?? So it was OK for British royalty to dance the night away cause it was all waltzes and minuets? Wellthose royals also loved their country dancing – especially Irish jigs – which had some pretty nifty footwork! But that’s not the point, is it?? The point is Pressie dance moves moves youths of all stripes -and this is scaring the bejusus of those seeing the PPP walking away with the 2025 elections like a moonwalk… oppps!...cakewalk!!

Let’s face it…the youth votes are the largest demographic in our country – and whichever party takes a chunk outside the “traditional” constituencies, they’re gonna hit the jackpot come next November. The PPP’s already given the Amerindian voters the full court press – not only by the development programs being executed in all their regions and sectors of their economy – but also giving them real political power. Did you see the number of Amerindian delegates at the Congress in proportion to their overall numbers??

That just shows you how many party groups they have – since this is the criteria for sending delegates!! They were able to elect at least ten members of the Central Executive Committee. And your Eyewitness ain’t talking about those” non-voting” ones – but those who would have to be courted for party decisions to be made. And in non-socialist countries – as well as socialist ones – it’s what the party says that gets done when they’re in government!!

So Pressie’s dance moves are gonna have a dramatic effect on the voting demographics next year. He’s already shown he can defend our honour against snotty furriners who wanna talk down at us. He’s already shown that he can deal with the economic questions that our oil revenues have thrown up to grease our developmental plans. And what he’s showing with his willingness to express his youthful enthusiasm in meeting the people –and now dancing with the people – is demonstrate that he’s the complete opposite of David Granger - who was so stiff and out of place that he took time out to chastise youth from his constituency from hanging out at a beer garden in Plaisance!!

Being a young man who was given not one – but TWO - ministerial portfolios when he was just twentynine, Pressie knows from his lived experience – as they say nowadays – that you can boogie and get things done at the same time!! Wasn’t he the one who unfurled the first PPP housing drive that was the largest ever accomplished in the Caribbean??

Hey!! The man just danced his way into the nation’s hearts!!

…the extremes

Folks don’t realize that Roysdale Forde’s been working away pretty assiduously at making a name for himself –and not so coincidentally – getting his hands of the ship of state’s steering wheel!! Does anyone realize that since he claimed he was brought aboard by Desmond Hoyte, this had to’ve been over 21 years ago?? But suddenly in 2018 he was appointed to be a senior Poobah of one of the Masonic lodges in Georgetown!! With the English head flying in to anoint him – or whatever else they do in the secret conclaves!!

Well, we know these Masonic Lodges - with their secret handshakes and kabbalistic rites make members – from that elite set of red people - into blood brothers and such like, don’t we?? So he was made Senior Counsel by the Sanctimonious Gangster in 2019 - when in the decade before he hadn’t done squat when the doo-doo was hitting the fan for the PNC.

So how gar does these Masonic connections go?? Army? Public Service?

…the peace button??

Hamas suddenly announced it was accepting a ceasefire even as the Israelis are getting ready to launch their attack on Rafah!! So will Netanyahu take the bait –or will be continue with his nihilistic bombardment and genocide??

Dead: Carl Benedict, also known as Paul Benedict

GDF, Nigerian defence college team discuss mutual areas of interest

Avisiting delegation from the National Defence College of Nigeria met with Guyana Defence Force Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier

Omar Khan, recently whether areas of mutual interest were up for discussion.

In a social media post, the GDF said that Khan welcomed the Director of the Department of Academic Research and Analytical Support (DARAS) of the National Defence College of Nigeria, Commodore Olukayode Akinwumi Oshatunberu, for a courtesy call at Defence Headquarters.

Accompanying Commodore Oshatunberu was a group of senior officers who were undergoing their Staff Course at the Defence College. The engagement provided an opportunity, the post stated, for fruitful discussions and exchange of insights between the visiting delegation on mutual areas

of interests with a view of fostering greater bilateral partnerships.

Also present during the visit was Colonel General Staff, Colonel Kenlloyd Roberts, Staff Officer Special Duties, Commander Sean

Harmon, and Staff Officer One General Nine, Major Edmond Blair.

“The Guyana Defence Force continues to foster bilateral partnerships with friendly nations,” the post said.

GDF Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan with National Defence College of Nigeria Commodore Olukayode Akinwumi Oshatunberu

Meeting between the GDF and the visiting Nigerian delegation

“We want to completely eliminate malaria”– Health Minister

As of last year, Guyana recorded a total of 21,729 cases of malaria which was an increase when compared to 20,800 recorded in 2022. In this regard Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony has said that much effort is being placed to have malaria completely eliminated in Guyana.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for workers who completed several cohorts of courses in project management, policy management, advocacy for global health amongst others, Dr. Anthony spoke of the ministry’s plans to completely eliminate malaria. Whilst congratulating the individuals who participated in the various programs, he highlighted that in an effort to standardise health care, the ministry in collaboration with various US based institutions such as Harvard and Northwell have been developing guidelines for various diseases such as diabetes and malaria. In this regard Dr. Anthony noted that the ministry in collaboration with Harvard University has been working together in an effort to eliminate malaria, starting with Region

Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo).

“We have a partnership with Harvard, they have been working with us on doing things in malaria vector control and so fourth and we will be extending that partnership because we want to work with them on the elimination of malaria starting with Region Nine. So, we have a program, we will start with region nine then branch off into the

other regions,” he said.

It was noted that most malaria cases mostly found in gold mining areas and to tackle this the ministry plans to provide gold miners and persons working at mining sites with training in diagnostic testing and also distributed rapid test kits across the various administrative regions. Last month, the health ministry launched a mass net distribution campaign in Aishalton, Region Nine.

Teen stabbed to death during argument

A16-year-old was stabbed to death on Monday following an argument with a man in Kitty, Georgetown.

Dead is Benjamin Seaford.

Police said that the teen of Public Road, Kitty was fatally stabbed at about 00:45h on Monday at Gordon Street, Kitty, by a 22- year-old man.

Inquiries revealed that the teen and the suspect, both of Public Road Kitty, were at the corner of Lamaha and Gordon Streets, where the argument ensued.

According to Police, the suspect pulled a knife from his left side pants waist and dealt the teen stabs

about his body. Reports are that after being stabbed the teen ran in a western direction on Gordon Street and collapsed about 100 feet from the intersection and the suspect then made good his escape.

The police and Emergency Medical Technicians were sum -

moned and the teen was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was pronounced dead. The body was taken to the Memorial Gardens funeral home awaiting post-mortem examination. Police have since launched an investigation and are searching for the suspect.

The campaign focused on distributing long lasting insecticide treated nets to curb the spread of mosquito borne diseases particularly in mining zones and epidemic areas in Regions One (Barima-Waini); Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); Nine and Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice). The minister said that with efforts like these and less malaria cases will be recorded in Guyana.

Transform Meanwhile he also spoke of efforts to transform the healthcare environment and improve the standard of care in the country, adding that gov -

ernment will continue to provide programs like the E-Learning Program to ensure healthcare providers are constantly learning and are equipped with the skillsets and knowledge that will bolster patient care in Guyana. Additionally, the minister noted that over the past two years the government has allocated $300 million to enhance healthcare facilities across the country, as of this year the government has allotted a total of $500 million this year to each region to further enhance healthcare facilities. Similarly, a total of $5 billion has been allotted to aid in purchasing medi-

al equipment. He also said that a total of eight new hospitals are currently being constructed across the country with construction works set to commence on another five later down in the year. These initiatives highlight the government’s commitment to transform the health sector in Guyana. Guyana’s public health sector received a whopping $129.8 billion, the largest ever budgetary allocation to this sector, as the government seeks to train more nurses, build more modern health facilities and tackle chronic diseases that affect thousands of people annually.

Chevron arbitration to go into 2025, Exxon CEO tells CNBC E

xxon CEO Darren Woods said Monday that the dispute with Chevron over Hess Corporation’s oil assets in Guyana likely will not be resolved until 2025.

“My view is it will go into 2025,” Woods told CNBC’s David Faber at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference in Los Angeles. Hess had previously indicated that the case could drag into next year.

“This is an important arbitration obviously not only for Exxon Mobil but for Chevron and Hess,” Woods said. “What we need to do is take our time to do what’s right to make sure that we do all the due diligence and we get to the answer — the right answer.”

Exxon is claiming a right of first refusal on Hess’ assets in Guyana under a joint operating agreement that governs a consortium that is developing the South American nation’s prolific oil resources. The oil major filed for arbitration in March at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

Woods said the panel of arbitrators is still being selected and then the process will go into discovery. The CEO has repeatedly expressed confidence that Exxon will prevail in the

dispute, saying the company wrote the agreement that governs the consortium.

Chevron has rejected Exxon’s claims that the agreement applies to its pending all-stock deal to acquire Hess, valued at $53 billion.

The arbitration court will ultimately decide the timeline of the proceedings, but Hess has asked the panel to hear the merits of the case in the third quarter with an outcome in the following quarter. Chevron CEO Mike Wirth told analysts during the company’s first-quarter earnings call in April that this timeline should allow the parties “to

close the transaction shortly thereafter.”

“We see no legitimate reason to delay that timeline,” Wirth said.

If Exxon prevails in the case, Chevron’s deal with Hess would break up. Woods has said Exxon is not making a play to buy Hess, but wants to defend its right in the interest of shareholders and find out what value is being placed on Hess’ Guyana assets. Hess has a 30% stake in an oil patch called the Stabroek block off the coast of Guyana. Exxon leads the project with a 45% stake while China National Offshore Oil Corp. maintains 25% stake. (CNBC)

CEO of ExxonMobil Corp, Darren Woods

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Caribbean Member States urged to improve access to information

Caribbean Member States must strive to improve access to information and strengthen government information systems, as take of a proactive approach to sharing government information with the public and traditional media.

This is the sentiment expressed by Jamaica’s Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Information, Robert Nesta Morgan, who recently concluded a visit to Guyana in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day.

Morgan who was at the time speaking at a 2024 Media Awards & Cocktail Reception last Friday, told the gathering that the Caribbean region should take the opportunity to initiate discussions that will further strengthen regional relationships on matters such as neutral cooperation between corresponding departments of state media, mass communication and public relations.

He believes that this can be done through the formation of CARICOM Information Ministers forums, which will serve as a platform for strategic dialogue, collective action, negotiations, and harnessing the power collective voicing for the purpose of equity, justice and fairness in the digital age.

According to the Jamaican Minister, the most powerful antidote to dishonesty is transparency, and governments that give information to the public do not suffer from the ailment of misinformation.

“Governments within the Caribbean should operate transparent information eco-systems which respect the right to access by civil society, media organisations and the public in general. Investigative journalism should be free from interference whether from government, non-government actors and other silent parties,” Morgan said.

The Minister added that Governments must also make the necessary investments to develop and

improve public media infrastructure to provide broadcasting.

He noted that this coupled with strong media policies, regulatory standards and guidelines can aid in the preservation of free press.

“We’re in a digital age so consideration must be given to building out differentiation strategies… We can make the necessary investment and involve ourselves to build out the proper tools to equip our people to be able to navigate and understand the world that we live, in 2024 and beyond,” Morgan added.

Commitment to press freedom

Guyana recently took part in the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) World Press Freedom Day Conference at the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral, Santiago, Chile.

The three-day conference, the Guyana Government emphasised its dedication to the fundamental democratic principles of press freedom and access to information.

This was made known by Gordon U. French, Public Affairs Liaison in the Department of Information and Public Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister, who joined over 2,500 media workers, policymakers, environmental activists, and non-governmental organisations to discuss the current challenges and opportunities in environmental reporting and the broader media landscape.

“The discussions at the conference are crucial, occurring at a critical juncture amidst our Guyana’s global leadership and commitment to environmental protection and climate change mitigation. Therefore, it is essential that we remain vigilant and informed about the latest developments, focusing on emerging global issues to help strengthen the foundation of fundamental rights and freedoms already enshrined in Guyana,” French stated.

Based on initial discus-

sions at the conference, there are increasing calls for Governments to collaborate with journalists and other stakeholders to develop public policies to combat misinformation and fake news campaigns, not only regarding the environment but especially as the world prepares for a ‘super election year’ in 2024.

“In Guyana, we are increasingly recognising the global conversa-

to lead local discussions on AI, representing a commitment to confront the challenges of AI and fake news head-on.”

There is a global push for ensuring that the governance of digital platforms foster the transparency of technology companies, their accountability, due diligence, user empowerment, and content moderation and curation based on international human rights’

tion surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications for the proliferation of fake news. This presents challenges for our journalists and government as we endeavour to safeguard our environment and the rights of citizens. President Dr. Irfaan Ali has taken decisive steps

standards, as indicated in UNESCO’s Guidelines for the governance of digital platforms.

The event offers an excellent opportunity for all stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to promoting and ensuring freedom of expression worldwide.

Govt committed to investing in journalism – McCoy

The practice of journalism has grown incrementally over the past two years, increasing human resource and different voices in the media fraternity.

This is according to Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy.

According to McCoy, the Guyana Government is commitment to investing in the field of journalism, through the provision of training and ramping up of human resources.

He explained that the administration’s efforts are aimed at bridging the many skills and learning gaps that must be quickly addressed that allow practitioners and the fraternity as a whole to grow and flourish hand in hand with the country.

This, McCoy added, also coincide with efforts to provide the opportunity for youths eager to join the field.

“I have seen very conscious efforts by our young journalists trying to be on the right track, going after information aggressively. In this government I say without any contradiction, you have one of the most accessible Cabinet in the history of this country where anyone of us can be approached… And I would like to see our journalist take more advantage of that,” McCoy said.

Further, he acknowledged the challenges journalists encounter in seeking and disseminating information on contemporary issues, such as supply-chain problems, climate migration, and politics.

According to him, journalists exercise their right to

practice freely without fear or favour, and advocate for the visibility of many issues, since they’re crucial for promoting peace and democratic values worldwide.

He lamented that, while media plays a pivotal role in society, by disseminating facts for public consumption and helping citizens in Guyana stay informed, es-

tablish opinions, make informed choices, and participate meaningfully in society, there is much to be done as it regards to upholding international media standards.

“We still have work to do in respect of many things as a people and as those who are practitioners in the media to always be mindful that there are universal principles and ethnics that we must aspire to reach and to be able to sustain and maintain in ways that we become a model for the world and we’re admired for the things that we do and the way that we operate,” he added.

Media Academy

In observance of World Press Freedom Day 2022, the Guyana Government launched the country’s first Media and Communications

Academy which aims to empower and further professionalise local media workers. The launch was done at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) during a national conference and symposium organised by the Guyana Government to commemorate the day which was observed under the theme “Journalism under Digital Siege”. Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs Kwame McCoy told media practitioners at the time that every single Guyanese media practitioner including those in the diaspora will have access to the courses offered by the academy. Moreover, he noted that the classes will be paid for by the Government. (G1)

Jamaica’s Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Information, Robert Nesta Morgan

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy

Guyana expresses solidarity with Brazil following devasting floods

…as death toll climbs to over 80, hundreds still missing & 120,000 displaced

In the wake of devastating floods in Southern Brazil that have claimed the lives of over 80 and displaced over 120,000, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has extended a message of solidarity and sympathy to Guyana’s neighbor to the south.

In an official letter to Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, President Ali noted that Guyana stood behind Brazil in its time of need and that the country was deeply sad-

dened at the loss of lives and the devastation wrought by the severe flooding.

“On behalf of the Government and people of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, I wish to convey profound sympathy to the Government and people of Brazil in the wake of the recent heavy rainfall and flooding which occurred in the State of Rio Grande do Sul.”

“We are deeply saddened at the news of the loss of lives, the displacement of people and the widespread destruction caused by severe flooding in that region,” President Ali conveyed in the letter.

Expressing solidarity with the people of Brazil, who in addition to the official death toll are still to account for hundreds of people who are currently missing, President Ali paid tribute to the resilient spirit of the Brazilian people.

“I therefore, wish to express solidarity with the people of Brazil during this difficult time. I am confident

that the determined and resilient spirit of the Brazilian people will triumph over this unfortunate tragedy. Please accept, excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration,” President Ali added.

There have been a series of floods in the Rio Grande do Sul state, leaving 276 persons injured, 111 missing and 121,000 displaced. These statistics were provided by the Civil Defense agency in the state on Monday. Additionally, over

850,000 persons in 345 municipalities were affected by the disaster, which also destroyed homes and infrastructure such as roads and bridges. As a matter of fact, over 60 roads have either been totally or partially blocked because of the flooding. In addition, the Guaíba River water level rose again on Sunday morning to 5.33 centimeters, making it the highest water level in history. Waters from this river have flooded the historic

center of the regional capital of Porto Alegre, a city of 1.3 million inhabitants.

Then there is also the city’s international airport, which was closed on Friday night as the flood had reached its runways. According to reports from out of Rio Grande do Sul, the airport remains closed.

The Brazilian President had also visited Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday to survey the affected areas and oversee the emergency response efforts. During his visit, the

head of state made it clear that all levels of government have been mobilised to work together during the emergency.

"I am a man who believes very much in God. And I put my team of ministers at the disposal of this journey. I also called the representatives of the other powers. It was necessary to see closely, as we are doing here, to understand the scale of what happened and to help the population of the South," Lula said afterwards. (G3)

President Dr Irfaan Ali

On Sunday, the Elite Kayaking and Nature Tours hosted its Inter-schools Kayaking Competition at the Watooka Guest House, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) (GTA photos)

Scenes from the devastating floods

Arrival Day 2024

East Indian immigrants who settled in Region 2 remembered

The pivotal contributions of the East Indian immigrants who settled in Region Two, (Pomeroon-Supenaam) were celebrated on Saturday during an enlightening and colourful cultural programme.

The event, which was held at Cotton Field village, where they had settled, was organised by the Regional Democratic Council's event committee.

The programme featured bhajans, hymns, poems, dances, reflections and qaseedas. The Guyana and Indian flags were hoisted in the section where the East Indian Settlement Monument was erected to remember them.

Retired headmaster and educator, Maydha Persaud, in reflecting on the rich history of the settlement, told the gathering that he lived on a logie with his parents

for eleven years.

"I thanked God for that home because that is where I became the best reader and good in literature. That was my first teacher and you know how it is when my mother used to get newspa-

per and paste it on the wall and there I used to lie on my belly and read." Sir Persaud said

Meanwhile, Head of Chancery and second secretary of the Indian High Commission in Guyana,

Saman Singh, the said that the programme is important since it’s a reminder of ancestors who came from India and left their legacy.

Additionally, on behalf of the High Commissioner of India and the people of India, Singh extends a Happy Arrival Day to the people of Region Two.

Also attending the cultural programme were Regional Chairperson, Vilma De Silva, Regional Executive Officer, Susannah Saywack, and Police Commander of Region Two, Superintendent Khemraj Shivbaran among others.

A monument was recommissioned in 2021 in commemoration of the first group of East Indian immigrants who arrived in the region.

35 persons employed, Chicken n Burger Delight opens in Region 2

…$95M

invested in new branch

Anew branch of the fast-food franchise, ‘Chicken N Burger Delight’, has been officially opened at Richmond Public Road, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and is set to provide employment for about 35 people.

The new branch was opened on Friday last and is the third branch of this franchise. The other ‘Chicken N Burger Delight’ was opened in December 2019, at the Vreed-en-Hoop junction, Region Three (Essequibo Islands -West Demerara) and the second branch in Leonora Village, WCD.

Speaking at the opening on the new branch, Managing Director of the Franchise, Chetan Puran said that some of $95 million was invested into the business expansion to Essequibo Coast.

He also noted that to fa-

cilitate the daily operations of the business, 35 local residents along the Essequibo Coast have been enlisted, bringing the total employment count across the three branches to 120 individuals.

"Chicken and Delight are proud to add to the little changing landscape in Guyana... Chicken and Burger Delight don't just come in neighborhood and establish they add value to

the community and the entire Essequibo. We are committed to work with the residents for job opportunities and the other sectors... we committed to purchase chicken from local residents to benefit resident of this region,” he said Aware of Region Two's upcoming developments, Puran assured that the new outlet is well-equipped to meet market demands while prioritising local employment.

Also providing brief remarks at the opening ceremony were former Mayor of the Anna Regina Town Council, Rajindra Prabulall, and other members of the Puran family who are also business owners.

Regional Chairperson, Vilma De Silva; second secretary of the Indian High Commission in Guyana, Saman Singh; Regional Executive Officer, Susannah Saywack; and Police Commander of Region Two, Superintendent Khemraj Shivbaran among others

Some items on display which were contributions from the East Indian immigrants to Guyana’s culture

Managing Director of the Franchise, Chetan Puran

2024 Media Games Champions: Jemima Holmes (Captain) – Guyana Times; La’Wanda McAllister –Guyana Times; Feona Morrison – Guyana Chronicle; Paul Vanvield – Evening News; Victor Vanvield –NCN; Ryan Sookram – NCN; Shemar Moore Gray – Radio Guyana Inc; Duncan Saul – Stabroek News; Michelangelo Jacobus – Stabroek News; Avenash Ramzan – Newsroom; Kester Pompey – NCN; Stephan Sookram – Chronicle; Esan Griffith; Christopher Campbell (Office of the Prime Minister photo)

NCN and Office of the Prime Minister

GTA seeking to enhance customer service for Upper Corentyne businesses

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is seeking to improve customer service at businesses operating along the upper Corentyne.

This is as the agency seeks to lift the quality of service being offered to customers by various providers who encounter visitors; local or foreign.

The GTA on Thursday in Skeldon Corentyne, rolled out its training programme to enhance customer service standards.

One of the areas of focus is the Upper Corentyne inclusive of the town of Corriverton which borders Suriname.

Training and Tourism Development Officer of GTA, Chetnauth Persaud said the overall aim is to enhance the quality of service being offered throughout the entire region.

“This is one of the first set of training in Corriverton, we wanted to do this one first. It has to do with tourism; introduction to tourism and customer service.

We also discussed cultural differences. We are doing this as an introduction programme so that we can feel the need for what is hap-

pening in the Corriverton area because we want to know what are the next programmes that we should bring,” he explained.

Over 25 persons participated in the sessions which were held at City Inn Hotel in Corriverton.

The customer service

training programme provided information on visitors’ trends and also provided statistics enabling providers to make informed choices.

“We covered tourism; types of tourism, what is happening in the tourism industry in terms of state. So, we compared stats from 1996, to 2022, and 2023, so that persons can get an understanding of visitor arrival to our country. We also talked about customer service; what is expected of the industry when it comes to customers and dealing with customers that are coming into Guyana, we also talked about the cultural mix that is happening in our country, whether it is persons that are coming to live or new cultures that are coming into our country.”

Similar programmes have been implemented for providers in the New Amsterdam area.

Meanwhile, Persaud said the work of the GTA is positively impacting on the community.

The GTA, he said has seen a positive change in the way tour guides and operators operate.

“We see more and more people want to do things the right way and do it more professionally. We are seeing more businesses whether it be hotels, interior lodges, resorts or tour guides and operators want to be registered and become licensed by the Guyana Tourism Authority.”

According to the GTA training officer, Corriverton has been included because the same training need which was seen in New Amsterdam also exists on the Upper Corentyne. He noted that in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) similar programmes are done in the Anna Regina area and also in the Pomeroon. As it relates to Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) the training is done centrally in the Bartica area, while in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Linden is the central area. (G4)

35 laser surgeries, over 100 patients treated by visiting American ophthalmology team

More than 100 patients, who are diabetic and would have developed complications in the eye received treatment last week at the National Ophthalmology Hospital (NOH).

An American team, which included two ophthalmology specialists, completed a five-day visit to provide surgical care to patients, most of whom were diabetic with complications. The team included two retinologists and three surgeons.

During the five-day visit in the last week of April week, the team conducted 35 laser surgeries on the retina for patients with diabetic retinopathy.

Medical Director of the NOH, Dr. Vineshri Khirodhar said that Guyana has a large population of persons with diabetes and explained that many of them would experience blurred vision or experience difficulty seeing well and are unaware of the cause.

She said patients who have been diabetics for over 10 or 12 years may experience something called diabetic retinopathy.

“Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of high blood sugar for a long period and basically what this is bleeding at the back of the eye; bleeding of the retina. Hence, it is called dia-

betic retinopathy. Most of these patients in our access or care for this particular issue it is a bit difficult because we don't have a lot of retinologists around.”

Medical Director of the National Ophthalmology Hospital also said to do 35 laser surgeries within the four days of surgical work was quite an achievement noting that one procedure would take between 45 to 50 minutes.

Apart from diabetic retinopathy surgeries, 40 cat-

would have cleared out that long backlog of patients we had many years ago. The primary objective for this team was to provide retinal surgeries for us.”

The team’s visit was coordinated by Pastor Andy Girwarnauth of the Association of Bible Churches. It was the third consecutive year they have been visiting.

“Their success rate is excellent and so far we have not had any issues with patients. But like I said

aract surgeries were also done by a member of the team.

“The team was here last year and they would have done approximately 100 cataract surgeries but we don’t have a lot of cataract patients now because we

each patient has their own unique and individual complications. So, as you look at different patients, you have to provide different techniques for them; different laser techniques that is,” the medical director pointed out.

The team is expected to visit again next year to provide more assistance in the retinal department.

Meanwhile, a retina doctor was expected to take up an appointment at the National Ophthalmology Hospital and is expected to provide after care for the 35 patients.

“We have to follow them up next week and then after that within a month and then within two to three months. So it is not that we do lasering and we leave them and that’s it; we have to follow it up to make sure that 1: the technique is okay and it is doing what it has to do and 2: that they don’t develop new bleeding in different sites of the retina because that can happen too.”

New patients, Dr. Khirodhar said will be screened by the new retina doctor and then make a decision on whether they need laser surgery, vitrectomy

surgery, or an injection into the retinal area of the eye.

“The injections are not for everybody. We have to carefully determine individually for patients whether they are candidates for Avastin injections or candidates for laser treatment.”

Apart from the 35 patients who received laser treatment to the retina, there were thirty patients who received Avastin intra-retina injections.

“The injections are specifically designed for patients that would have just started to show early signs of bleeding that doesn’t require lasering, that are more terminal. It is injected carefully under sterile conditions. It is not very painful because we would numb the eye so when the injection is given the patient doesn’t really feel anything,” the medical director further explained. (G4)

GTA Training and Tourism Development Officer Chetnauth Persaud with a participant

The visiting team along with support staff at the National Ophthalmology Hospital (NOH)

A doctor performing surgery at the NOH

"UNC needs new blood and fresh faces" – MP to challenge Bissessar

She is the lone female to call for internal elections in the United National Congress (UNC), a year before a general election in which the party will seek a national mandate to govern T&T. For Anita Haynes-Alleyne, it is clear the future is not with political leader Kamla PersadBissessar. In this exclusive interview with Guardian Media, she tells us why.

Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne has not spoken to United National Congress (UNC) political leader Kamla PersadBissessar since March 1. That’s more than two months of no dialogue between the two women.

On her end, however, Haynes-Alleyne insists there is no strained relationship.

“I would hope not,” she said when asked if the relationship between herself and Persad-Bissessar had been strained.

“Ordinarily, it is not to say we are in constant communication. But I would hope that if indeed there is something that ought to be resolved, I remain open and willing to have any conversation. On my end, there is no strained relationship. I can say that.”

The last time HaynesAlleyne spoke with PersadBissessar was March 1 during Private Members’ Day in Parliament.

However, her relationship with the Opposition MPs and the party’s executives remains cordial.

In the last few weeks, Haynes-Alleyne was one of five sitting MPs who called on the UNC to hold its internal elections when they are constitutionally due in June.

The other MPs are Rushton Paray, Dinesh Rambally, Dr Rai Ragbir and Rodney Charles.

In a statement, the UNC responded to the MPs’ calls, stating the internal elections would not be delayed and the party would adhere to its constitution.

Having closed off the party’s nomination day for persons seeking to run for office in next year’s general elections, Haynes-Alleyne felt the date for the party’s internal elections should have already been announced by Persad-Bissessar to start preparing the UNC for the 2025 general election.

“What appears to me is that persons are campaigning in the internal election without the internal election having been called.”

As it stands, she said, some people in the party have already chosen a side.

“And I think that is premature. Until an election date is announced there is no need to back an individual or individuals prior to people vying for a position. That is where the confusion lies.”

She said several UNC MPs have issued press releases stating they would throw their support behind the political leader.

Haynes-Alleyne noted that words such as dissidents, troublemakers and

Flight with over 200 Indians denied entry into Jamaica departs

The 253 foreigners who arrived in Jamaica on Thursday but were refused entry by immigration officials based on security concerns, is scheduled to depart the island in short order.

According to a news release from the Ministry of National Security on Monday, arrangements are in place to supervise the departure of the Germanregistered aircraft USC GmbH. The Ministry noted that despite arriving on the island legally, and having received the requisite approvals for operation from the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, the passengers, who are reportedly Indians, were refused entry by immigration officials, based on security concerns uncovered during their processing at the airport.

It was uncovered that upon landing in Jamaica, two passengers were on the flight that did not appear on the submitted passenger manifest. This reportedly prompted further investigations by The Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) in collaboration with the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

PICA reportedly later shared that based on en-

hanced checks, the decision was taken not to grant the passengers leave to land in Jamaica.

However, according to the news release, “given the duration of the flight, as well as civil aviation regulations for the minimum rest period, before clearance is given to safely operate, it was deemed impractical to detain the passengers in the plane or at the airport.” The release noted that as a result, and due to previous reservations made at a hotel in Kingston, the travellers and airline crewmembers were allowed to leave the airport on humanitarian grounds.

They were reportedly escorted to the hotel by law enforcement and immigration personnel.

The passengers remain accounted for and were on

Monday at the Norman Manley International Airport as they await their departure, the release said.

The Charter Company will reportedly stand the cost of their accommodation and return.

The Ministry of National Security stated that local authorities routinely screen passenger flights for security threats, and possible breaches of law and/or regulations.

“In this instance, while the Ministry was alerted to the operation of the flight based on what appeared to be anomalies and missing details from its initial permit application, the necessary supporting documents were later supplied to satisfy the requirements for obtaining a permit to operate to Jamaica.” (Jamaica Observer)

underminers were used to describe the five MPs who exercised their rights for the party’s internal election to be called.

Last Tuesday, HaynesAlleyne sat down with the T&T Guardian at her Gasparillo office to speak about the firestorm she has found herself in for openly talking out.

She also came under attack from Persad-Bissessar at the party’s 35th anniversary last Saturday, for not being in Parliament when the Government MPs voted to extend the deadline for the Auditor General’s report.

At that function, angry UNC supporters called on the political leader to fire the five dissident MPs.

Haynes-Alleyne had sent an excuse for leave of the House that day.

Though she has become immune to the jabs and name-calling, HaynesAlleyne said what has been unfolding lately has been a bitter pill to swallow, given her commitment and loyalty to the party.

“I am not a controversial person. I am an outspoken person. It has been somewhat difficult in terms of when you enter Parliament, when you enter other UNC spaces, if persons would speak with you or if they would not.”Haynes-Alleyne said she did not attend the party’s 35th-anniversary celebration in Chaguanas after getting wind that the atmosphere might have been tense.

She remembered getting dressed to attend the event, only to be told by UNC activists that there may be “an attempt to make the atmosphere very uncomfortable. So I thought about it ... and say if my presence there would take away from the significance of the anniversary. I would not wish to do that”.

It was a decision she did not regret, given what played out.

Haynes-Alleyne also took umbrage to PersadBissessar’s scathing attack on her work ethic and had to issue a statement that it was an unfortunate situation.

Persad-Bissessar, she said, also implied that the actions of the five MPs were sinister.

“And it was put in the public that this was some collusion meant to weaken the party. I found that to be such a deliberate divisive line. These points of parliamentary attendance or attempts to undermine ... and who is a PNM agent I think those things diminish the conversation.”

When Haynes-Alleyne applied for leave last Friday, she had no idea that the motion was on the cards, stating that “they know that... anything else is just mischievous.”

Seeking Tabaquite again

Last month, HaynesAlleyne filed her nomination papers to be screened for the Tabaquite seat.

Asked if she was optimistic of her chances, HaynesAlleyne said she is keeping her fingers crossed.

“Reasonably speaking, I think the results of the internal election will determine whether or not I feel I can be fairly treated.”

If she is not given the nod, Haynes-Alleyne said she considers herself to be highly employable and would find her niche. However, she would not turn her back on the principles of the party.

Asked if she would vie for a position on the national executive, she responded: “I am certainly looking into it. I have not made a hard and fast decision on which position but I do think I have something to offer. I do have the interest of the organisation at heart. I believe we can offer a type of politics ... a breath of fresh air to the population. I believe the nation is looking out for some kind of hope and inspirational change ahead of 2025.

She made it clear that she had no aspiration of challenging Persad-Bissessar for the leadership post.

“For me, at this time I would be hesitant to do so because personally, I got married at the end of last year. I am at a season of my life that I do not believe that at this point, I would have the time and commitment,” she said.

Haynes has worn many hats at the party. In 2017, she was appointed an opposition senator. She also served as UNC PRO and now MP.

Over the years, she was considered a loyal and dedicated soldier to the UNC. Now she feels the party needs new blood and fresh faces to move forward.

Asked if PersadBissessar is capable of bringing home victory for the party in the upcoming general election, HaynesAlleyne MP said that question should be put to the party’s membership.

“When the election is open, let us have a real contest. Let us have real people coming forward to say this is

the idea that I have to improve (the party) and whoever wins, wins. It is not an attack. It is not undermining. This is a political space. And if you don’t win you consolidate and you move on.”

She said for the longest while, the UNC has avoided telling its members and the population what they intend to do differently to build and strengthen the party’s internal organs to beat the PNM.

“We can talk about the achievements of the UNC but yet still that does not translate into an election victory. In a political party, you must be prepared to discuss publicly how you intend to improve your organisation and by extension how you intend to improve the nation. Those things should go together. For me now, I think the atmosphere could be better. We need to prioritise policy over propaganda.”

Haynes-Alleyne said the UNC has to open its eyes, especially after its 7/7 tie with the PNM in last year’s local government election.

“While inroads would have been made in some UNC corporations, the party has to be very honest with itself that with all the difficulties facing the PNM the results at the end of the day in 2023 were 7/7. What I saw was an insistence that we won the local government election. I have never made that assertion not because I want to challenge and chastise the party but because I want us to win in 2025.”

She said the UNC has to change the way it has been thinking and operating to return to power.

“As it stands, we are in Opposition. So you must be saying that you are offering something that will change the minds and hearts of persons in T&T who did not see it fit to support the UNC. Everywhere I go I hear people say what is the difference...PNM and UNC... is the same thing.”

The UNC, she said, cannot continue to bury its head in the sand and “can do with some introspection”.

Leading up to her September 2023 wedding, Haynes-Alleyne extended an invitation to PersadBissessar, whom she looked up to as her political guru and mentor. PersadBissessar did not show up at the wedding ceremony but sent her apologies. However, her colleagues attended to make her special day memorable.

“My dad would have told me a long time ago that it is easier in life not to assume that somebody is doing something to you but they are rather doing something for themselves.”

Unable to say why the political leader could not make it, Haynes-Alleyne said she did not believe it was “a personal slight”.

(T&T Gurdian)

Anita Haynes-Alleyne

CDB launches US$43M project to rebuild school, strengthen education system in The Bahamas

The Bahamas –

The Bahamas’ education system is to undergo a significant transformation through the USD43 million Bahamas Education Sector Transformation (BEST) project launched by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas at the Grand Lucayan Resort Convention Centre in Grand Bahama on Monday, May 6, 2024.

Funding will go towards constructing a new state-of-the-art comprehensive school in East Grand Bahama and rehabilitating and retrofit-

ting the East End Primary School which was damaged by Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

Since the hurricane, students in East Grand Bahama have faced commutes of up to 100 kilometres. The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted the local education system, causing learning losses and exacerbating existing inequities in access to technology. The new and refurbished climate-resilient schools will be designed to improve student achievement, increase access and completion rates, and enhance community life.

The BEST project goes beyond building schools.

The Ministry of Education will also benefit from enhanced data accessibility and information technology processes and improved staff recruitment and development programmes.

CDB Acting Vice President, Operations, Mrs. Therese TurnerJones, said the project will uplift the learning environment, improve teaching methods, and strengthen the education system's governance.

“The CDB is proud of its partnership with The Bahamas. Education is key to making sure all Bahamians have a better than fighting chance of competing in the global

Singapore shipyard group awarded contract for Guyana-bound FPSO

The contract involves the installation of modules onboard FPSO Errea Wittu.

Seatrium Limited has secured a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) topside integration contract from Offshore Frontier Solutions Pte. Ltd., a MODEC Group company.

In a statement, Seatrium said the agreement will cover the installation and integration of topside modules aboard FPSO Errea Wittu, as well as the completion and commissioning support for MODEC.

FPSO Errea Wittu will be deployed in the Uaru

Field, Stabroek Block, which is around 200 kilometres offshore Guyana. Its projected production capacity is 250,000 barrels of oil per day, with a water injection capacity of 350,000 barrels of water per day, gas production of 540 million cubic feet per day, and a storage capacity of two million barrels of oil.

"We are pleased to be working with our long-standing customer, MODEC, on yet another FPSO topsides integration project, solidifying our position as the industry leader in FPSO Conversions,” said Marlin Khiew, executive vice president, Oil & Gas

(Americas) at Seatrium.

“Leveraging our deep engineering expertise, international yard footprint, and strong track record, Seatrium provides innovative, reliable, quality, and value-added offshore and marine solutions for our esteemed customers,” he added.

Prior to this, Seatrium was also granted integration work for FPSO Bacalhau, which will be operating in the Bacalhau field in Brazil. Its unit, BrasFELS Shipyard, also secured the contract for topside module fabrication for FPSO Raia in Brazil.

(Singapore Business)

labour market. No child, whether he or she is on Sweeting Cay, High Rock, West End, or Freeport should be deprived of learning. Education is the single most important investment a government can provide to its population. No one should be left behind. This means including special needs in the education strategy, making use of technology, and ensuring that teachers are equipped to do their jobs,”

Mrs. Turner-Jones said.

“The Bahamas has special challenges in that the population is spread across many islands with small populations. This requires additional resources to cope with the needs of children in remote areas who are entitled to good educa-

tion. We are here to help the Ministry of Education work through these problems and arrive at ways to resolve them in the interests of giving every child a chance," Mrs Turner-Jones added.

Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Hon. Philip Davis, said the BEST project would help to make the Bahamian education system more inclusive, resilient and gender-responsive.

“By investing in infrastructure, curriculum development, teacher training and technological innovation, we will create an environment where every learner can thrive and reach their full potential. BEST is an investment in quality education for all

66-year-old

learners,” Prime Minister Davis said.

The BEST project launch is among a series of activities being carried out by a CDB team currently on mission in the Bahamas. During the visit, the Bank representatives will also visit sites of ongoing interventions including the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) Enhancement Project and the Bahamas Water Supply Improvement Project. Additionally, the CBD team will meet with officials to discuss future support for Skills Development and Technical and Vocational Education programmes to enhance employability and workforce readiness in The Bahamas. (CDB release)

T&T woman set on fire in home invasion

Investigations are continuing into a violent home invasion and robbery in which a 66-year-old woman was set on fire.

The incident occurred at about 1.35 pm on Saturday.

According to a police report, the victim was at her home at Kelly Street, Piarco when a black motor vehicle, make, model and registration unknown, stopped in front of her gate.

The report said a"welldressed female of African descent" was pretending to look for places to rent.

The victim approached her gate and the female assailant pulled out an object resembling a firearm and announced a robbery.

The victim was then forced into her home by the woman. Two men came out of the car and entered the house as well. The suspects then ransacked the home and demanded cash and jewelry.

One of the male suspects threw a liquid onto the victim’s chest and lit it. The suspects then continued to ransack the home taking and $4,300 in cash. The suspects then escaped.

The victim’s neighbours contacted the EHS who arrived shortly after and took her to the Arima Health Facility where she was treated and later discharged. (T&T Guardian)

Iraq hangs 11 convicted of ‘terrorism’

Iraqi authorities on Monday executed by hanging 11 people convicted of “terrorism”, security and health sources told AFP, the second such group put to death since late April.

A security official confirmed on condition of anonymity that the executions took place at Al-Hut prison in the southern city of Nasiriyah in Dhi Qar province, where 11 other people likewise convicted of “terrorism” were executed last month.

Under Iraqi law, terrorism and murder offences are punishable by death, and execution decrees must be signed by the president.

The execution on April 22 of 11 people convicted of “terrorism” sparked concern among rights groups, with Amnesty International condemning an “alarming lack of transparency”.

Al-Hut is a notorious prison in Nasiriyah whose Arabic name means “the whale”, because Iraqis be-

– security, health sources

lieve that those jailed there never walk out alive.

The security official said the 11 executed on Monday had been convicted in line with Article 4 of Iraq’s anti-terrorism law.

A health official in Dhi Qar said his department received 11 bodies of men to be handed over to their next of kin, and that all of them were Iraqi nationals.

But the security official and the health official were unable to say on what specific charges the 11 had been executed.

It was also not clear if they had been convicted — like the previous group last month — on the basis of their affiliation to the Islamic State group or AlQaeda.

Iraqi courts have handed down hundreds of death and life sentences in recent years for people convicted of membership in a “terrorist group”, an offence that carries the death penalty regardless of whether the defendant had been an ac-

tive fighter.

Iraq has been criticised for trials denounced by rights groups as hasty, with confessions sometimes said to have been obtained under torture.

In late January, UN experts looking into capital punishment in Iraq expressed their “deep concern at reports that Iraq has begun mass executions in its prison system”.

The independent experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on its behalf, mentioned in their statement executions carried out late last year in Al-Hut prison. The statement said that “13 male Iraqi prisoners — previously sentenced to death –- were executed on 25 December 2023”, calling it “the largest number of convicted prisoners reportedly executed by the Iraqi authorities in one day” since November 16, 2020, when 20 were executed. (AFP)

CDB Acting Vice President of Operations, Therese Turner-Jones speaks with students from the St Georges High School at the launch of the CDB-funded Bahamas Education Sector Transformation (BEST) project at the Grand Lucayan Resort Convention Centre in Grand Bahama on Monday, May 6, 2024

Regional

Brazil floods: Lula seeks state of emergency after 85 dead in rain-ravaged south

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva asked Congress on Monday to recognise a state of public calamity for the heavy rains that have killed at least 85 persons in the country's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul.

More than 130 persons are still missing after flooding that has affected more than two-thirds of the nearly 500 cities in the state, leaving about 150,000 displaced, the state civil defence authority said.

Floods have destroyed roads and bridges in several cities triggering landslides and leaving a path of destruction.

Lula's measure asks Congress to declare a public calamity in the state, which would authorise extra government spending with no need to comply with a spending cap stipulated by fiscal rules approved last year.

Expenses and tax waivers related to the state's recovery will also not be counted in the government's fiscal result under the mea-

sure.

"We don't have an estimate yet of what will be necessary," said Planning Minister Simone Tebet.

"Only when the water recedes will we see the immense extent of the damage in the state...," she added.

Flavio Rosa, 72, from the small city of Canoas says it is the first time he has seen destruction of this scale in Rio Grande do Sul caused by the rains, which are a common annual occurrence in this part of Brazil.

"I've seen other floods, but nothing like this," Rosa said.

Weather conditions improved on Monday, but showers are expected to return at lower volumes this week and could pick up again between May 10 and 15, according to local weather forecaster MetSul Meteorologia.

"The hydrological and meteorological scenarios are not at all favourable in the short and medium term," it said. "Despite improvements in parts of the state, some areas will re-

main under severe conditions for a very long time."

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite has emphasised that the death toll could still substantially increase as rescue workers gain access to more regions.

Businesses have been severely hit, with meatpacker lobby ABPA saying 10 pork or poultry plants were fully or partially halted.

Oil regulator ANP temporarily lowered mandates for the blend of biofuels into gasoline and diesel in the state as local ethanol and biodiesel supply was affected. Petrobras' Canoas refinery was still supplying fossil fuel, it said.

State capital Porto Alegre's Salgado Filho International Airport, one of Brazil's busiest, had its operations suspended indefinitely, operator Fraport said.

Railway operator Rumo said train circulation in the state was partially interrupted due to the extreme weather and damage to assets is "still being duly measured". (Reuters)

US sanctions Colombian maritime companies over alleged migrant smuggling

The US issued visa sanctions against executives of several Colombia maritime companies allegedly linked to migrant smuggling through the Colombia-Panama border, a senior US official said on Monday on a call with reporters.

The announcement was tied to a meeting of Western Hemisphere officials in Guatemala focused on both supporting migrants and increasing enforcement in the region under an agreement known as the Los Angeles Declaration.

The sanctions target ferry operators "ruthlessly smuggling" migrants who intend

to cross from Colombia to Panama through a dangerous jungle known as the Darien Gap, fuelling "a humanitarian and ecological crisis," the senior official said.

The Darien Gap has been a major transit route for migrants from around the world who plan to seek humanitarian entry into the US or cross the US-Mexico border illegally. More than half a million migrants passed through the Darien Gap in 2023, according to Panamanian Government statistics.

Despite a 2023 agreement between the US, Colombia and Panama to crack down on crossings through the jungle, crossings have remained

high this year, with 37,000 transiting in March.

Many migrants take ferries from the Colombian town of Necocli to the jungle as part of the journey.

The regional migration meetings in Guatemala will span Monday and Tuesday, with countries expected to announce commitments related to migration efforts at the conclusion.

Immigration has emerged as a top concern of voting-age Americans in the run-up to the November 5 presidential election that will pit Democratic President Joe Biden against Republican former President Donald Trump. (Reuters)

President Milei denies ordinary Argentines paying for austerity cuts

Argentine President Javier Milei has denied that it is ordinary Argentines who are paying for his radical austerity measures.

In a BBC interview, Milei, who campaigned with a chainsaw to symbolise his desire to slash public spending, insisted that the political class were paying for his huge cuts, not the people.

The right-wing economist was voted in after years of high Government spending and high debt.

Inflation is now starting to fall after it initially soared when he took office in December, but it remains the highest in the world annually.

The President's critics argue millions of Argentines are paying the price for his austerity programme.

In the five months since he was sworn in, he has slashed public sector jobs, energy and transport subsidies, and the

value of the currency so people's money is worth less than it was.

Since he became President, he has maintained his radical rhetoric about the economy, but has toned it down on other issues.

He refused to repeat his past criticism of China, one of Argentina's biggest trading

partners, a nation which he labelled an "assassin" during his presidential campaign. As far as economics is concerned, he has made cutting inflation, which stands at 287 per cent annually, his clear priority, arguing that "the most regressive tax that most afflicts people is inflation".

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Panama's Mulino wins presidency with support from convicted former leader

Panama's former Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino on Sunday stormed to victory in a presidential poll dominated by his old boss, the popular ex-leader Ricardo Martinelli, who buttressed his campaign despite being holed up in Nicaragua's Embassy.

Mulino, 64, was one of the favourites for the presidency after he stepped in to replace Martinelli on the ballot when the former president was barred from running due to a money-laundering conviction.

"Mission accomplished…," Mulino told his supporters to loud cheers and applause. "To Ricardo Martinelli, friend, mission accomplished as well."

Mulino said his Government would be pro-investment and pro-business and said the Central American country

would honour its debts, but also vowed to not forget the poor.

"I promise to the country at this time to put together, to establish, a government of unity as soon as possible," Mulino told electoral officials earlier as they video called him to confirm he had won the presidency.

Mulino, a former lawyer, was declared winner having secured about 34 per cent of the ballots tallied with over 90 per cent of the total vote counted. Ricardo Lombana, who trailed in second place with about 25 per cent of the vote, congratulated Mulino on his victory. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Barbados urges global financial reform for climate crisis

Minister in the Finance Ministry, Ryan Straughn, has continued the call for the reform of the international financial architecture in order for small and developing states to properly access financing to facilitate mitigation against the climate crisis.

Straughn made the call last week as he joined senior Government officials from

across the globe in Paris, France, at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Inclusive Forum on Carbon Mitigation Approaches Ministerial Dialogue (IFCMA), titled “Optimising Global Climate Action through Data, Policy Advice and Increased International Cooperation”.

“It is important for the world to understand that vul-

nerability is an important element to the stability of small countries like Barbados. And therefore, as we advocated under the Bridgetown Initiative, we really do need some urgent and decisive reform, not just to the international financial architecture, but really in terms of how the globe cooperates to achieve this very important objective,” Minister Straughn said. (Excerpt from Nation News)

A drone view of boats with volunteers searching for people isolated at houses, in the flooded neighbourhood of Mathias Velho in Canoas, at the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, May 5, 2024 (Reuters/Amanda Perobelli photo)

Presidential candidate Jose Raul Mulino celebrates with his supporters after Mulino was declared the winner of the presidential election based on preliminary results by the electoral authority, in Panama City, Panama, May 5, 2024 (Reuters/Daniel Becerril photo)

Argentine President Javier Milei

Around the World

IOIL NEWS

India's Reliance renews bid for US oil licence

ndian oil refiner Reliance Industries has resubmitted a request to the United States for an authorisation to import crude oil from sanctioned Venezuela, three people close to the matter said, and resume oil trade between the South American Nation and the once secondlargest destination for its oil.

French oil producer Maurel & Prom separately on Monday said the US on Friday granted it a licence to conduct oil and gas operations in Venezuela for the next two years.

The US in April did not renew a general licence for Venezuela to export oil and fuel to its chosen markets, and gave 45 days to companies to wind down transactions. But the US had said some individual authorisations to foreign firms seeking to do oil business with Venezuela would be issued.

After the easing of sanctions in October, Reliance and other Indian companies that have business in the past with Venezuela previously applied to the US Treasury for individual authorisations. Those were not granted.

Indian refiners, however, resumed Venezuelan oil purchases through intermediaries. Since October, Reliance has chartered at least one supertanker to buy crude from state-run oil company PDVSA. It also received Venezuelan oil cargoes from third parties, according to internal PDVSA documents viewed by Reuters.

Before US oil sanctions were first imposed on Venezuela, Reliance was the second largest individual buyer of Venezuelan crude after China's CNPC.

Reliance did not reply to a request for comment. The US Treasury Department declined to comment.

Maurel & Prom's licence allows it to continue production activities under an agreement signed with Venezuela last November. Its licence is the first authorisation issued by the US under the exemptions it offered last month to its reimposed sanctions regime on the South American country.

"It gives us clear visibility for the future," M&P's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Olivier de Langavant said in a statement. The company owns a 40 per cent interest in an oilfield joint venture with PDVSA and has agreed to boost oil output in the field.

The US Treasury and State departments in recent years have received dozens of licence requests from firms interested in investing in Venezuela's energy industry or importing Venezuelan crude or gas. Just a few of those individual requests have been approved, including a key licence to US oil major Chevron. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Fate of Gaza ceasefire uncertain, Israel vows to continue Rafah operation

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Monday agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands and pressed ahead with strikes in Rafah while planning to continue negotiations on a deal.

The developments in the seven-month-old war came as Israeli forces struck Rafah on Gaza's southern edge from the air and ground and ordered residents to leave parts of the city, which has been a refuge for more than a million displaced Palestinians.

Hamas said in a brief statement that its chief, Ismail Haniyeh, had informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that the group accepted their proposal for a ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said later that Hamas' latest truce proposal falls short of Israel's demands, but Israel would send a delegation to meet with negotiators to try to reach an agreement.

In a statement,

deal," said the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

But an official briefed on the peace talks, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the offer Hamas accepted was effectively the same as one agreed at the end of April by Israel.

A US official familiar with truce negotiations told Reuters that Netanyahu and the war cabinet "have not appeared to approach the latest phase of negotiations in good faith".

Netanyahu's office added that his war Cabinet approved continuing an operation in Rafah.

"The war Cabinet unanimously decided that Israel continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to advance the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war," the statement said.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres

urged Israel and Hamas "to go the extra mile needed to make an agreement", his spokesman said.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity said the proposal that Hamas accepted was a watered-down version of an Egyptian offer and included elements that Israel could not accept.

"This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington would discuss the Hamas response with its allies in the coming hours, and a deal was "absolutely achievable".

"We want to get these hostages out, we want to get a ceasefire in place for six weeks, we want to increase humanitarian assistance," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said, adding that reaching an agreement would be the "absolute best outcome".

(Excerpt from Reuters)

China's Xi backs Macron call for global Olympic truce

Chinese President Xi Jingping on Monday called for a global truce during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer after the French President and the Head of the European Commission urged him to use his influence on Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the Chinese leader for his first visit to Europe in five years and held talks with him and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Paris as they sought to show a united front on issues ranging from trade to Ukraine.

Russia to hold nuclear drills following 'threats' from West

Russia has started preparations for missile drills near Ukraine simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons in response to "threats" by Western officials.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said recent statements by French President Emmanuel Macron and the British Foreign Secretary David Cameron constituted a "completely new round of escalation of tension".

Last week, Macron refused to rule out potentially deploying French troops, should Kyiv request them, while Lord Cameron said that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons for

strikes within Russia.

On Monday, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Lord Cameron's "hostile outburst" contradicted previous British assurances that the long-range missiles sent to Ukraine would not be used on Russian territory and meant that the UK was a "party to the conflict".

The Ministry added that the response to Ukrainian strikes using British weapons on Russia could involve targeting any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond.

It also said that Macron's statement on possible deployment of French troops to Ukraine could be considered

French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the sixth meeting of the Franco-Chinese Business Council at the Marigny Theatre in Paris, France, May 6, 2024 (Mohammed Badra/Pool via Reuters)

China has strengthened trade and military ties with Russia in recent years as the US and its allies imposed sanctions on both countries, especially on Moscow since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

as "readiness for direct confrontation with Russia".

Both the British and the French Ambassadors in Moscow were summoned on Monday.

The tactical nuclear weapons drills announced on Monday were ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to TASS news agency.

They were expected to take place "in the near future" and would involve missile formations as well as air and naval forces.

Tactical nuclear weapons are small nuclear warheads and delivery systems intended for use on the battlefield, or for a limited strike.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

China-Russian trade hit a record of US$240.1

billion in 2023, up 26.3 per cent from a year earlier, Chinese customs data shows. Chinese shipments to Russia jumped 46.9 per cent in 2023 while imports from Russia rose 13 per cent.

"The world today is far from being calm. As mem-

ber of the United Nations Security Council and as a responsible country, China urges with France for a truce in the world during the Paris Olympic games," Xi said, speaking through an interpreter alongside Macron during a joint statement.

Suspending armed conflicts under an "Olympic truce" is a longstanding tradition, and Macron has said he would work towards achieving one when Paris hosts the Summer Games from July 26 to August 11 and the Paralympic Games until the end of August. Xi said he supported an international peace conference supported by Russia and Ukraine, appearing to be lukewarm on a peace conference organised by Switzerland on June 16, to which Moscow has not been invited. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Judge warns Trump of potential jail time for violating gag order

The Judge in Donald Trump's criminal trial fined him US$1000 and held him in contempt of court for a 10th time on Monday for violating a gag order and warned that further violations could land the former President in jail.

“I do not want to impose a jail sanction and have done everything I can to avoid doing so. But I will if necessary,” Justice Juan Merchan said at the start of the trial's

12th day before the jury entered. Imprisonment would be an unprecedented step in the historic trial, which stems from a hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 election.

After Merchan's ruling, jurors heard testimony from former Trump employees that could bolster Prosecutors' case that Trump falsified business re-

cords to cover up the hush money payment. As he imposed the fine, Merchan said he considered jail time “truly the last resort” as it would disrupt the trial, pose extraordinary security challenges and complicate the 2024 presidential election, in which the Republican Trump seeks to win the White House back from Democratic President Joe Biden. (Excerpt from Reuters)

People flee the eastern parts of Rafah after the Israeli military began evacuating Palestinian civilians ahead of a threatened assault on the southern Gazan city, May 6, 2024 (Reuters/Hatem Khaled photo)

SUDOKU

DAILY HOROSCOPES

(March 21-April 19)

Put your energy to work for you. Engage in activities that allow you to use your imagination and intelligence. Don’t let someone’s change of plans disrupt your day.

Preparation is necessary if you want to reach your target. Call in an expert if it will save you time and ensure you get things right. Don’t be afraid to express yourself.

(May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20)

Trust your instincts, not what someone tells you. An energetic, informative approach to getting things done will put you in an excellent position to make your dreams come true.

(June 21-July 22)

(July 23-Aug. 22)

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Participation will encourage education and innovation. Actions speak louder than words, and your results will be worthwhile. Romance is favored. Seek out valuable connections.

Don’t disrupt what’s working for you. Tread carefully and protect what matters most. Think before you initiate plans or jump into something that requires a lot of time and effort.

Get moving, play to win and make changes that help you reach your goals. Dream big, and your hard work will carry you to the finish line. The sky is the limit, so don’t waste valuable time.

Take good care of yourself. Make exercise and emotional well-being your priorities. Keep the conversation positive and results-oriented. Nurture what you love.

You’ll gravitate toward people who make you think about your actions. Revisit what and who brings you joy and focus on being happy and content with your life. A change will do you good.

Follow through with your plans. If you wait for someone else to step up and take the lead, you’ll be disappointed with the results. Get involved in events or activities that stimulate your mind.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Don’t feel obligated to explain yourself or your actions. Allow people who have something you need into your circle. Personal growth is favored. Use your time efficiently.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Live within your means and learn from experience. Get the lowdown before addressing issues concerning friends or family. Adjust your spending to fit your budget.

Set goals and work on them until you are happy with the results. Traveling, learning and reuniting with old friends or colleagues will be eye-opening. An offer will require some fine-tuning.

Asensational unbeaten 102 off 51 balls from Suryakumar Yadav on the back of Piyush Chawla and Hardik Pandya's three-wicket hauls, helped Mumbai Indians to their fourth win of the season as they got the better of Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in Mumbai. The win also lifted them out of the bottom of the table to ninth.

A run-fest was promised at Wankhede Stadium with Sunrisers Hyderabad visiting. Who would have doubted this considering the last time SRH and Mumbai clashed, record books were rewritten. Instead, the Mumbai bowlers came to the fore as SRH were restricted to 173 for 8. In reply, the SRH bowlers also got the new ball to move around in hoops and got three powerplay wickets.

But Suryakumar decided to do Suryakumar things as he launched an attack on the SRH bowlers, Marco Jansen in particular, to get things back on track. Tilak Varma played the perfect second foil with 37 not out off 32, adding 143 off 79 balls with Suryakumar to help Mumbai seal the win in 17.2 overs.

Chasing 174 at a venue where scores in excess of 180 have been breached in six out of eight innings coming into this game did not feel like a daunting ask, but the SRH bowlers made life extremely tough for the batters. There were oodles of swing and seam available and initially, the bowers were not able to control the swing. They bowled 18 extras in the first three overs,

but once they found their lengths, batting started to feel like an arduous task.

The ball zipped off the surface, the batters were beaten multiple times, and wickets started to fall. It was the Test match length that got them the wickets. Jansen first struck with a seaming delivery that Ishan Kishan could only edge to first slip. And when it's the Test match length that we are talking about, how can the Australia Test Captain not come into the picture? Pat Cummins bowled a sensational first over, a wicket-maiden that included getting rid of Rohit Sharma through a big topedge. Bhuvneshwar then got Naman Dhir for a nine-ball duck flashing to first slip. Not a single run was

SCOREBOARD

Sunrisers Hyderabad (20 ovs maximum)

Travis Head c Tilak Varma

b Chawla 48

Abhishek Sharma c †Ishan Kishan

b Bumrah 11

Mayank Agarwal

b Kamboj 5

Nitish Kumar Reddy c Kamboj b Pandya 20 Heinrich Klaasen † b Chawla 2 Marco Jansen

b Pandya 17

Shahbaz Ahmed c Yadav

b Pandya 10

Abdul Samad lbw

b Chawla 3 Pat Cummins (c)not out 35 Sanvir Singh not out 8

Extras (lb 2, nb 3, w 9) 14

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 8.65) 173/8

Did not bat:

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan

Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Abhishek Sharma, 5.5 ov), 2-68 (Mayank Agarwal, 7.4 ov), 3-90 (Travis Head, 10.3 ov), 4-92 (Nitish Kumar Reddy, 11.1 ov), 5-96 (Heinrich Klaasen, 12.1 ov), 6-120 (Shahbaz Ahmed, 15.1 ov), 7-124 (Marco Jansen, 15.5 ov), 8-136 (Abdul Samad, 16.6 ov) • DRS

BOWLING O-M-R-W Nuwan Thushara 4-0-42-0

Anshul Kamboj 4-0-42-1

Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-23-1

Hardik Pandya 4-0-31-3

Piyush Chawla 4-0-33-3 Mumbai Indians (T: 174 runs from 20 ovs)

Ishan Kishan †c Agarwal b Jansen 9 Rohit Sharma c †Klaasen b Cummins 4 Naman Dhir c Jansen b Kumar 0

Suryakumar Yadav not out 102 Tilak Varma not out 37 Extras (b 4, lb 10, w 8) 22 TOTAL 17.2 Ov (RR: 10.03) 174/3

Did not bat: Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Anshul Kamboj, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara

Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Ishan Kishan, 1.4 ov), 2-31 (Rohit Sharma, 3.2 ov), 3-31 (Naman Dhir, 4.1 ov) • DRS

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-1-22-1

Marco Jansen 3-0-45-1 Pat Cummins 4-1-35-1

T Natarajan 3.2-0-31-0

Nitish Kumar Reddy 2-0-16-0 Shahbaz Ahmed 1-0-11-0

Suryakumar Yadav smashes 51-ball ton to crush SRH

took on Cummins before reserving special treatment for Jansen. The Supla shot came out multiple times as he went 4, 4, 6 in the seventh over before swatting Jansen over fine leg for a flat six as overs six and seven yielded a combined 38 runs. From 4 off 7, Suryakumar moved to 32 off 14 in no time and all the initial momentum that SRH gained was lost.

Tilak played the role of the second fiddle to perfection even as Suryakumar kept on going. In all, Suryakumar walloped Jansen for 32 runs off nine balls, which included four fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 355.50 reaching his fifty off 30 balls.

There were a few concerned faces in the Mumbai dugout when Suryakumar was seen limping for a bit,

And then with six needed to win, he backed away and went inside out over covers off T Natarajan to seal a big win for Mumbai.

This was Suryakumar's second Indian Premier League (IPL) hundred, and sixth in T20 cricket.

Head rides his luck early It was a weird sort of

in the over, and SRH were away. Jasprit Bumrah took out Abhishek Sharma, caught behind for 11 off 16, but SRH still managed to reach 56 for 1 in the powerplay. Mumbai would have been miffed because they drew 18 false shots in the first six overs, but only got one wicket to show for their effort.

a powerplay with the ball for Mumbai. They didn't bowl badly, but hardly found any luck going their way. Travis Head got going with an inside-edge four past leg stump in the first over off Nuwan Thushara and then one more in the

scored off the bat between overs 1.3 to 4.4 with Mumbai all over the place.

SKY does SKY

After three overs in which nine runs were scored, Suryakumar said enough is enough. He first

but the big hits never ceased. A Bhuvneshwar slower ball was mowed over long-on before Shahbaz Ahmed was swept twice in two balls. Suryakumar then raced from 82 to 96 in three balls going 4, 4, 6 in the 17th over.

second over off debutant Anshul Kamboj. Kamboj should have had his maiden IPL wicket in the next over when he had Head's off stump splat on the ground, but he over-stepped. Head ended up taking him for 19

Chawla and Pandya turn the tide Kamboj had another chance to send back Head but Thushara failed to hang on to a relatively simple chance at deep third in the eighth over. The 23-yearold finally had luck going his way when a bail-trimmer sent Mayank Agarwal packing. Thereon it was the Chawla and Pandya show that turned the wheel in Mumbai's direction. At 88 for 2 after ten, SRH were placed in a comfortable position, but Chawla changed the course by picking up Head for a 30ball 48. A slog sweep was smashed straight to deep backward square leg before Hardik took out Nitish Kumar Reddy with a shortlength ball that was spooned straight up. Chawla then had Heinrich Klassen playing on as SRH slipped from 90 for 2 to 96 for 5 in 11 balls.

Jansen and Shahbaz Ahmed resisted for a bit, but Hardik had them back in the hut in the 16th over with SRH at 125 for 7 and soon 136 for 8, with Chawla snaring Abdul Samad. That SRH even breached the 170mark was down to Captain Cummins' unbeaten 17-ball 35. Eventually, it wasn't enough. (ESPNcricinfo)

Job done – a win for his team and a century in the bag, it was a good evening for Suryakumar Yadav

Pat Cummins scored some quick runs at the death

Piyush Chawla struck in back-to-back overs

Bhuvneshwar Kumar got SRH's third wicket inside the powerplay

Team Demerara win 1st-ever Caribbean Airlines Village Cricket T10

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, May 6, 2024 – The final of the Caribbean Airlines Village T10 Cricket Tournament was hosted on May 5 at the National Cricket Centre in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Caribbean Village Cricket” launched on March 29 and saw teams from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Guyana vying for victory with St Elizabeth Junction of Jamaica coming in second . The competition was keen and the atmosphere charged. Replying to South East’s 90 for 9, the Demerara team made 91 runs for 7 to win by three wickets. In ad-

dition, they posted 132 runs for 1 against St Elizabeth Junction and restricted them to 111 for 7 to win by 21 runs to secure the title.

Caribbean Airlines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Garvin Medera commented: “We extend hearty congratulations to Team Demerara out of Guyana on their win; and we thank all teams for their participation. The involvement of teams from Trinidad &and Tobago, Jamaica and Guyana was a tremendous showcase of culture through cricket, successfully uniting the Region under the banner of Caribbean culture; and the airline promises an even bigger competition next year.”

Match officials revealed for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

The International Cricket Council

(ICC) has revealed a list of 26 match officials for the first round of matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA, starting June 1.

The list includes 20 umpires and six match referees who will officiate in the ninth edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup. This tournament marks the first time that 20 teams will participate, playing a total of 55 matches over 28 days at nine venues, making it the largest ICC T20 World Cup to date.

The elite list of umpires includes last year’s winner of the David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year, Richard Illingworth, along with Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney and Paul Reiffel, who all featured in the final of the Men's T20 World Cup 2022 between England and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The match referees' team includes Ranjan Madugalle, who officiated the 2022 final, along with the format's most experienced referee, Jeff Crowe.

Crowe holds the record for officiating in most num -

ber of T20Is, having made 175 appearances, while Andrew Pycroft, also part of the elite list, is just one match away from reaching the milestone of 150 T20Is.

ICC General Manager (Cricket) Wasim Khan reflected on the selection of the match officials for the historic event: “We are pleased to announce our team of match referees and umpires for the historic ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

“Within the selected cohort, we have a complement of experienced match officials and other high-performing members who have been recognised for their strong and consistent per-

formances. The throughput from the pathway programme will continue to see the development and emergence of high-quality match officials across the game.

“With 20 teams and 55 matches played over 28 days, this will be the biggest T20 World Cup ever and we are proud of the team we have assembled. We are confident that our officials will perform strongly.

“We wish them all the best of luck for what promises to be a very exciting tournament.”

The match officials for the ICC Men’s T20 World

Linden Foundation School...

Linden Foundation School were phenomenal in copping first in the Male Long Distance Open Relay, with New Silver City Secondary filling the position of second, and Mackenzie High School third.

The duo of Romario Raw and Akeem Walker despite their small appearance, managed to come out on top of the proceedings as they clinched first in the Mixed Event Short Distance, forcing Christopher Hayman and Chelsea Rodney into second place and Timothy

Hercules and Duena Williams into third.

Nicholas Estwick and Derriann Brawait were victorious in the Boys’ and Girls’ Under-18 Individual Short Distance forcing Alpha Stanford and Delessa Charles into second place and Trishana Pierre into third.

Organiser of the event, Deon Anderson in an exclusive interview with <<<Guyana Times Sport>>> expounded on the improvement of results thus to teams practicing.

Anderson said: “We had

some quite surprising performances and I say surprising judging from historical happening from the school in the past competition. We see some schools have really been putting in the work, building arm strength cause we have seen schools that didn’t perform so well in the past competitions, but they are doing quite well this year”.

This tournament would not be possible without sponsorship from ExxonMobil, SLB, the Education Ministry and many more.

Cup 2024:

“Caribbean Village Cricket” is part of the airline’s focus on Caribbean culture; and the tournament served as a unifying force, fostering a sense of identity and pride among the community teams.

The National Cricket Centre grounds came alive with sounds from DJ Stefan, Malick All Stars Rhythm section, and a host of culinary delights including doubles, chow, and slushies. Patrons also had the opportunity to secure themselves Caribbean Airlines merch from D’ Caribbean Shop.

Umpires: Chris Brown, Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Allahudien Paleker, Richard Kettleborough, Jayaraman Madanagopal, Nitin Menon, Sam Nogajski, Ahsan Raza, Rashid Riaz, Paul Reiffel, Langton Rusere, Shahid Saikat, Rodney Tucker, Alex Wharf, Joel Wilson, and Asif Yaqoob.

Match referees: David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft, Richie Richardson, and Javagal Srinath.

Clunis sets new hammer throw national record at USATF Throws Festival

Jamaican hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis set a new national record with a 71.83m throw at the USATF Throws Festival at the University of Arizona on Saturday.

Clunis, who represented Jamaica at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, broke the previous national record of 71.48m set back in 2016 by Daina Levy.

The 28-year-old started her series on Saturday with a 69.51m effort in the first round before producing 71.13m, 70.01m, 70.20m, and 70.38m in the next four rounds.

She then uncorked her national record-breaking throw in the sixth and final round, finishing sixth overall in the competition.

Her best throw prior to Saturday was 71.18m done in Canada last year.

American Brooke Andersen threw 79.92m to win and was followed by China’s Jie Zhao (74.10m) and American Annette Echikunwoke (73.80m).

Elsewhere, 2019 World Championship silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 18.87m to win the women’s shot put ahead of Americans Adelaide Aquilla (18.47m) and Jessica Ramsey (18.34m).

Rajindra Campbell threw 21.69m for second in the men’s equivalent behind American Payton Otterdahl (22.41m). Mexico’s Uziel Munoz threw 21.68m for third.

The men’s discus throw saw 2019 World Championship runner-up Fedrick Dacres produce 64.07m for third behind the American pair Reggie Jagers (64.25m) and Joseph Brown (64.57m).

1

1

Ages 20 to 35 years. Email C.V to rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com. Contact number: 613-0855. Canter Drivers. Ages 30 and over. Must have at least 5 years’ experience. Email C.V to rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com. Contact number: 613-0855.

Skilled Labourers (Road Construction). Ages 20 and over. Email C.V to rbinvestmentinc@ gmail.com. Call between 9 am to 5 pm on 613-0855.

Twenty-six match officials have been named for the first round of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

Nayoka Clunis

KFC Elite League… Management satisfied with GDF, Slingerz first-half performances

Labelled the “Clash of the Titans” by many, the recently-concluded clash between the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) FC and the Slingerz FC was one to watch.

Evidently, many got that memo as probably in excess of 1000 avid Guyanese football fans turned up at the Guyana Football Federation’s National Training Centre (NTC) at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) to witness their first encounter since Slingerz rejoined the league in 2024.

Tempers flared, fouls were called, and referees’ decisions were questioned – but all in all, it was a great game of football featuring many of the country’s top players in action.

In the aftermath of it all, Head Coach of the defending champions GDF, Joseph “Bill” Wilson related that his team’s performance could have been better on Saturday last.

“Well, it could always be better, that’s given. They worked hard, they give what they could give for themselves, but when we sit and we look back for our analysis, we would actually [see] what are some of the things we need to work on,” Wilson told Guyana

Times Sport exclusively. He added, “I could pinpoint now, our finishing in this first round of the league, although we score so many goals, I think that’s something we need to sharpen up on. We’ve been doing it at training, we’ve been working at it. Like everything else, it’s a work in progress.”

On the topic of the first round’s conclusion, Wilson rated GDF’s performance in the first half as great.

The GDF Head Coach explained, “Well, great. To be honest with you, I thought the guys gave a good account of themselves, the whole squad.

I’ve been rotating players in this first half of the league, right, to have fresh energised legs game in, game out to give some young players opportunities and I thought they gave a good account for themselves. I am happy that the team came out on top of this first round, albeit goal average, but I thought we’re improving. We’re going good so far.”

On the other hand, Assistant Slingerz FC Coach O’Neal Heywood revealed that his side came to win against GDF, but were still satisfied with the stalemate result.

Heywood told this publi-

Linden Foundation School champions of 2024 Interschools Kayaking

Consistency and determination were displayed by Linden Foundation School on Sunday, as they managed to prevail on their way to becoming champions of the 2024 edition of the ExxonMobil Interschools Kayaking Tournament at the Watooka Guest House in Linden.

Linden Foundation with their ability to move swiftly through the water, finishing with 71 points, walking away with $400,000. Harmony posed a threat to the title winners but had to settle for second place and $250,000.

2023 Champions Kwakwani Secondary finished third with 56 points, taking home $150,000.

The first event saw Niheem Liverpool coming out on top of his competition, clinching first place in the Under-14 Male Short Distance, followed by Linsdale Fiedtkou coming in second place and Cortez Simmon finishing third.

The Under-16 Short Distance mixed race saw Ricardo Spencer and Ameeka Walker clinching first place with their coordination, as Devon Savers and Alicia Davis came in second, with

Kera Davidson and Ezekiel Jackson in third place.

In the Under-14 Mixed Short Distance, Niheem Liverpool and Alieya Grant won first place. Sisi Sampson and Lyndel McAlmont placed second and third were Nicholi Estwick and Marianna Marcano.

Harmony Secondary managed to come out on top of the competition in the Male Long Distance Open Relay, with Kwakwani Secondary settling for second place and Linden Foundation School third.

cation, “We came to win the game, so that we would go ahead into the second half of the league in front, but we’re satisfied with the draw nevertheless.

“Well, the game that we play, we does possess the ball a lot and we didn’t do that enough tonight. We didn’t have enough ball possession and that’s what end up caus-

ing us to draw the game,” he added.

For a team that just re-entered the Elite League, Heywood rated their first-half performance as excellent.

“Excellent. It was an excellent performance, we didn’t lose no game, we conceded less goals and we’re on same points with the current defending champions. So, it’s satisfactory,” Heywood related to this publication.

The KFC Elite League will continue today, Tuesday, May 7 with a clash between Western Tigers FC and Den Amstel FC at 19:00h, which will mark the conclusion of the first round of Season Six.

The League will, thereafter, take a short break and resume on Saturday, May 18.

(Jemima Holmes)

North Ruimveldt Ravens, Wortmanville Pacesetters bag wins

North Ruimveldt Ravens and Wortmanville

Pacesetters secured their inaugural wins on the third day of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Under-23 Club Championships at the National Gymnasium on Saturday, May 4, 2024, showcasing their shooting skills for jubilant supporters.

The largest margin of victory so far was witnessed as North Ruimveldt Ravens secured their victory against Leonora D-Up. Ravens started their campaign on a high to lead the first quarter against a very strong team with the scoreline reading 29 -5.

The second quarter saw many shots at the basket, but the Ravens continued to prevail as they extended their lead to 43, scoring 14 in

that quarter while at the end of the second quarter, the opposition scored 11 points with their total at 16 points.

The Ravens continued to keep their composure and showed their class, managing to end the third quarter with the scorecard reading 65-28 in their favour. The Ravens scored 22 points in that quarter and their opponents scored 12 points.

Ravens went on to secure the win in the final quarter with the scoreline 84-36 .

Meanwhile, with their lightning-fast play, the Wortmanville Pacesetters pounced on the Black Caimans in the second game despite the Caimans forcing a first-quarter lead with the scoreline reading 11-10.

In the second quarter of the game, Pacesetters, playing up to the hype, managed to conquer the defence

of Caimans as they scored 22 points pouncing their score to 32 points while Caimans were restricted to 7 points and their total 18 points.

A struggle ensued in the third quarter, as the Pacesetters seemed to slow down offensively, scoring 21 points with their score at 53 , while the Caimans scored 27 points to carry their total score at the end of the quarter to 45.

In the final quarter, the Wortmanville Pacesetters sealed the deal as they broke through their opponents’ defence, scoring 23 points for an overall score of 76 points, while the Caimans were only able to muster 15 points for a final score of 60.

The league is sponsored by Wilson Plumbing Services and General Supplies, and supported by the National Sports Commission (NSC).

GDF Head Coach Joseph “Bill” Wilson

Slingerz Assistant Coach O’Neal Heywood

U23 Basketball…

Wortmanville Pacesetters