Almost six years after the tragic deaths of Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry, two men will soon stand trial in the Berbice High Court.
On Wednesday, the courtroom was virtually alive with anticipation as Anil Sancharra, known as “Dan pole” and “Rasta,” of D’ Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, and 30-year-old Vinod Gopaul, nicknamed “Magga” from Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, appeared before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall.
The court hearing revealed two counts of murder for each defendant, accusing them of the brutal murders of Joel and Isaiah between September 5 and 6, 2020, in Berbice.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards announced plans to call 45 witnesses, including 16 police officers and Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, to build the case.
A 12-member jury was selected to listen to the evidence and determine the defendants’ guilt or innocence.
Represented by Dr. Dexter Todd’s Associates law firm, Sancharra and Gopaul face a challenging trial ahead.
The proceedings will continue on Thursday, with several witnesses expected to testify, bringing the case one step closer to justice for the victims.
Chris Green believes his local knowledge could be a huge advantage for the Desert Vipers in this year’s ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL).
The off-spinning all-rounder, who has been appointed Vipers captain for the tournament, has eight years of playing experience in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
And that includes three years with the Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence Stadium, the home of the GSL in July and August.
Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast, Green offered his thoughts on the conditions expected when he said: “I think New Zealand are playing five one-day games there before us against the West Indies so I think it will be a very used square, typically dry.
“For night games (at Providence), they become toss dependent. It is important to bowl first, bowl well, and then, typically, the dew comes in, making it somewhat easier to bat (in those conditions, with less swing and a damp ball that becomes hard for the spin bowlers to grip).
“Spin plays a huge part of the game, particularly through the middle overs. For the stats people out there, you look at overs seven to 14 or 15 in the Caribbean T20 tournaments and domestic cricket and it is usually when the game comes to a standstill and spinners take over.
The power play and backend (of the inning), because of the power they (West Indies players) possess and the attacking nature of the game, that is where the huge spikes in run-rate come with boundaries and sixes.
“Every now and again there are those 220-240 run wickets there (in Guyana). For day games it is hot and the conditions are very sweaty. I am hoping there is no rain, we get uninterrupted cricket and we can entertain the crowds that are there and the fans following along from afar as well.”
Desert Vipers come to GSL on the back of winning the ILT20 for the first time this year (Photo: CREIMAS/ILT20)
And what about swing for the faster bowlers? Green said it was always a possibility given conditions in Guyana, whether matches were played during the day or at night.
“Even in the day, because of the humidity in the Caribbean (the new ball tends to swing, in my experience),” he said.
“Even as an off-spinner a lot of my arm balls move a lot more in the air. It happens during the day and particularly during the night – the ball does definitely swing.
“Having Jason Behrendorff and Ramon Simmonds, those two left-handers who utilise it (swing), plus a number of others will be a huge, huge help for us, to impact the game at different stages.
“So, hopefully it swings, hopefully it spins and hopefully balls get whacked out of the park (by us) as well.”
Green added that having the trio of swing and seam bowlers from the UAE, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Sanjay Pahal and Matiullah Khan, could prove to be highly effective in the GSL.
“That trio of local (UAE) players are guys that I have not come across yet or played with or against and that is something that I am really looking forward to,” Green said.
“One of the huge positives of playing global T20 tournaments is you get to meet so many different people with so many diverse backgrounds and stories. Everyone has their (own) individual story of how they got there, why they are there and what they are playing for.
“Those guys are playing some great cricket that I have been following through socials and cricket websites. I am really excited to see their skill sets up close and personal, and hopefully they can impact the game like they have been doing for the Vipers over the last season.”
And what about the team’s prospects in what promises to be a cut-throat tournament also featuring the hosts and defending champions the Guyana Amazon Warriors, the Lahore Qalanders from the Pakistan Super League, the Perth Scorchers from Australia’s Big Bash League and the San Francisco Unicorns from Major League Cricket in the United States of America?
“I think (we should be) incredibly optimistic,” Green said. “Looking at our squad, I think we have got a really good, balanced group.
“You look at our top-order batters and power batters at that top and in the middle-order and what they can do. I think we have got a good group of middle-order and lower-order players that can navigate spin and hit, and get us to big and formidable totals, whatever they may be. In Guyana, that could be 120, it could be 180, it could be 200-plus.
“And then I think we have got a really good mix of fast bowlers, skilful bowlers, and obviously spin bowlers that complement each other well. So (in one sense) my job is going to be very difficult trying to figure out who is best to use at different times. And (Head Coach) Azhar (Mahmood) and myself and the management have got probably a really tough job to pick our best 11 as well.
“But you need that competition for spots. So, I think anytime that is in the scenario, then there is an excitement about it. And I think also looking through that list, we have got good people as well.
“So, hopefully you will see us playing with smiles on our faces, hopefully see us winning more games than not. And that means you will hopefully see us in a final at the end of it with a crack at winning another trophy for the Vipers, because that is the ultimate goal.” (Desert Vipers)
Desert Vipers Squad for GSL2026: Chris Green (AUS) – Captain, Jason Behrendorff (AUS), Daryl Mitchell (NZ), Bevon Jacobs (NZ), Shadab Khan (PAK), Vriitya Aravind (UAE), Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (UAE) , Matiullah Khan (UAE), Sanjay Pahal (UAE), Andries Gous (USA), Kyle Mayers (WI), Khary Pierre (WI), Ramon Simmonds (WI) and Zachary Carter (WI)
“ Catches win matches” is probably one of the oldest and most overused clichés in cricket. But it couldn’t have been truer on Wednesday. Punjab Kings (PBKS) dropped three catches and missed a stumping; Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) dropped two but held onto most of the important ones.
The final result? SRH, despite a maiden Cooper Connolly century, marched on to defeat PBKS by 33 runs and displace them at the top of the points table.
Travis Head (38 off 19) and Abhishek Sharma (35 off 13) got SRH off to a flying start. Heinrich Klaasen (69 off 43) and Ishan Kishan (55 off 32) made use of the missed chances, smashing quick fifties, while fit-again Nitish Kumar Reddy provided the finishing touch with 29 not out off 13 as SRH finished on 235 for 4.
SRH had never lost defending a 220-plus target in the IPL and that stat remained intact. Connolly – who had two lives – smashed his maiden century in any format, finishing unbeaten on 107 off 59 balls, but got little support from the rest as PBKS were handed a third straight defeat.
With the win, SRH are now leading the table with 14 points, while PBKS remain on 13. (ESPNcricinfo )
The Caribbean’s most lucrative tapeball tournament is set for a tactical shake-up as VNet Technologies Inc. partners with FL Sport to debut the ‘TrackPoint Time Out’ in its upcoming fourth edition.
Named after VNet’s flagship asset tracking and fleet management service, the feature will grant teams a 90-second strategic window at the conclusion of the eighth over in each innings.
This high-stakes pause is designed to allow captains and coaches to recalibrate and finalise their blueprints for the final two overs, which often determine the outcome of the fast-paced T10 format.
Safraz Sheriffudeen, Chief Executive Officer of VNet Technologies, noted that the partnership feels like a homecoming as the company’s connection to the event dates back to the inaugural year, when they competed as the V-Net Vipers, reaching the final at the National Stadium, Providence, before falling to Eccles All-Stars.
Sheriffudeen expressed pride in supporting the tournament’s evolution after witnessing its rapid growth nationwide.
TrackPoint is a state-of-the-art, simple-to-use asset tracking and fleet management service that provides an enhanced experience through a user-friendly interface for detecting and monitoring your vehicle’s whereabouts and activities.
The system encourages optimisation, enabling the user to identify solutions to cut costs and improve response time, security, and customer service.
Tournament director John Ramsingh welcomed the integration of the Track Point brand, suggesting that the timeout adds a sophisticated layer to the competition.
“This new feature will add a competitive touch to planning and execution,” Ramsingh said. “In a format as rapid as T10, having that moment to breathe and strategise could be the difference between winning a national title and going home early.”
The stakes for the 2026 Blast have never been higher, with organisers announcing a significantly bolstered prize pool. In a move to reward consistency, every team reaching the quarter-final stage or beyond is guaranteed a cash payout.
Financial incentives begin at $25,000 for losing quarter-finalists and rise to $500,000 for zonal winners. The ultimate prize at the National Finals stands at a staggering $2,000,000 for the champions, with the runners-up taking home $1,000,000.
Beyond the domestic rewards, the four teams that qualify for the national finals will earn the distinction of representing Guyana at the upcoming Global T10 Tapeball Blast.
Registration is scheduled to go live this Friday, May 8, and officials are urging interested squads to act immediately to secure a spot in the 80-team, straight-knockout competition.
The entry fee is set at G$35,000 per team.
To ease the process, Singh clarified that teams do not need to submit their full player lists at the time of registration. Instead, a phased approach will allow squads to be finalised closer to their specific zonal start dates.
The tournament is scheduled to bowl off on the weekend of August 8–9 in Berbice with a 16-team cap.
The action will shift to the East Bank/West Demerara and Essequibo zones before a brief hiatus to accommodate the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Following the CPL conclusion, the tournament resumes in Georgetown and the East Coast, culminating in the national grand finale on October 11.
For the first time, the final will be hosted at the brand-new Anna Regina National Stadium in Region Two.
The tournament MVP is set to receive $150,000 and a motorbike, while the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker will each walk away with $100,000 and a new television.
Students of the Sophia Primary School are now benefiting from a modern and more spacious learning environment following the commissioning of a new wing on Wednesday, aimed at improving comfort and reducing overcrowding in classrooms.
The new facility forms part of ongoing efforts to expand access to quality education across Guyana.
Delivering remarks at the ceremony, Minister of Education, Sonia Parag, urged students to take responsibility for maintaining the space and making the most of the opportunity provided.
“You are the ones who have to leave the legacy for the next generation. Therefore, you have to treat this facility with care and with consideration,” she said, cautioning against damaging school property.
“That means that you don’t deface the walls, disregard the property that will ensure that you get an education,” Parag told the students.
The new wing commissioned at Sophia Primary school
She emphasised the importance of a supportive and respectful school environment, reminding students to be mindful of their actions. “It’s very important that we care what we have and our environment…so every time you are playing ensuring that you keep in the back of your mind that you are not destroying what you have,” Parag said.
Highlighting the role of leadership within schools, Parag noted that strong guidance is critical to student success. “Leadership matters in a school. If you don’t have good leadership or if you have weak leadership, you will have a weak school,” she said.
She also acknowledged the challenges posed by modern distractions, particularly technology and social media, noting that educators and parents must adapt. “This is a different time…they are competing with so many things, one of them being technology…one being social media. So it is important that we change how we manage, how we lead because technology is not going to go away but how do we manage it in such a way that we bring out the positives of it,” Parag explained.
Encouraging students to take personal responsibility for their education, Parag added, “What you will learn in these classrooms is 50 percent of what you need to know. The other 50 percent is on you…it means when your teacher is teaching you pay attention.”
The newly commissioned wing is part of a broader national push to strengthen the education sector. In the past five years, she said over 100 schools commenced building and will be completed giving access to thousands of children across the country.
With the additional space, students will no longer be overcrowded, allowing for a more conducive learning environment. “You have gotten a whole new facility…so that you can be in a learning environment with space but how do you have to keep that environment…violence and bullying we have to keep our spaces safe,” Parag said.
Venezuela has told the United Nations’ top court that it does not recognise its authority in the ongoing border controversy with Guyana over the resource-rich Essequibo region, as hearings continue in The Hague.
During oral arguments on Wednesday, Venezuelan representative Samuel Moncada informed judges that his country does not accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), maintaining a long-standing position that the dispute should not be settled by the court.
The case centres on a vast territory of about 160,000 square kilometres west of the Essequibo River, an area largely covered by rainforest but also believed to hold significant offshore oil and gas reserves.
Guyana brought the matter before the ICJ in 2018, seeking a final ruling to affirm the validity of an 1899 arbitral award that established the boundary between Venezuela and what was then British Guiana.
However, Venezuela has rejected that ruling, arguing it was flawed and imposed during the colonial era. Its representatives told the court the issue should instead be resolved through direct negotiations between the two countries.
Earlier this week, Guyana argued that Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo region—amounting to more than two-thirds of its territory—poses a serious threat to its sovereignty and development.
The ICJ, which adjudicates disputes between states, is expected to take several months before delivering a final judgment. While its rulings are legally binding, enforcement depends on the United Nations Security Council.
The case represents a critical moment in the decades-old controversy between the neighbouring South American nations, particularly as global attention grows over the region’s vast natural resource potential. [Extracted and modified from Reuters]
Police have launched an investigation following the discovery of a quantity of cannabis during a riverine patrol in the Essequibo River on Tuesday morning.
The incident occurred around 08:30 hrs in the vicinity of First Avenue, Bartica, when ranks intercepted a wooden vessel carrying four occupants.
According to reports, during the operation, a 33-year-old welder of Bartica Housing Scheme was observed throwing three bulky black parcels overboard into the river. The parcels were quickly retrieved by officers and opened in the presence of the vessel’s captain and other occupants.
Inside, police found leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis.
All four individuals were arrested and taken to the Bartica Police Station along with the suspected narcotics. The substance was weighed in their presence and amounted to 362 grams before being lodged.
The 33-year-old suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has confirmed that one of its patrols came under hostile fire on Tuesday afternoon while conducting border security operations along the Cuyuni River in Region Seven.
In a statement, the GDF said the patrol, escorting civilian vessels, was engaged in two separate incidents at approximately 16:10 hrs and 16:50 hrs at known locations along the river. On both occasions, ranks responded in keeping with operational procedures and successfully manoeuvred out of the area without any injuries.
The military emphasized that it continues to maintain a sustained operational presence along Guyana’s western border and remains committed to safeguarding the country’s territorial integrity and protecting border communities.
The latest encounters come just one day after a more serious incident in the same region, where a GDF patrol came under gunfire near Black Water while escorting civilian boats from Makapa to Eteringbang. During that attack, a soldier sustained two gunshot wounds to the leg and was later evacuated to Georgetown for medical treatment.
That incident coincided with the start of oral hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the long-running border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela over the Essequibo region.
Authorities have not identified the attackers in either incident. However, similar attacks along the Cuyuni River in the past have been linked to armed groups operating from the Venezuelan side of the border.
Despite the ongoing tensions, the GDF reiterated its commitment to continued patrols and security operations in the area, underscoring its role in defending Guyana’s sovereignty and ensuring the safety of civilians operating along the border.
FL Sport, the organisers of the fourth One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast, is officially urging teams across the country to register early for what is set to be the most lucrative and prestigious edition of the tournament yet.
With registration scheduled to go live this Friday, May 8, officials are warning interested squads to move quickly to avoid missing out on the 80-team, straight-knockout competition.
Tournament Director John Ramsingh noted that in previous years, several teams were left on the sidelines after waiting too long to finalise their rosters.
He clarified that, for this season, teams do not need to submit their full player lists at the time of registration, and registration to teams is open to any zone.
Instead, squad submission will follow a phased approach based on when a specific zone is scheduled to play, allowing teams to secure their spot now and finalise their talent pool closer to game day.
The entry fee is set at G$35,000 per team, and registration forms will be available on the tournament’s social media platforms starting May 8, or via WhatsApp at +592 635 2235.
In an effort to reward performance across the board, organisers have significantly increased the prize pool.
Every team reaching the quarter-final stage or beyond is guaranteed a cash prize, ensuring that even those who fall short of the trophy walk away with a tangible reward for their efforts.
Financial incentives for the 2026 Blast are substantial, with losing quarter-finalists earning $25,000 and losing semi-finalists at the zone level receiving $50,000.
Zonal finalists will pocket $200,000, while zone winners receive $500,000 and the opportunity to compete for a $2,000,000 grand prize at the National Finals.
The national runner-up will earn an additional $1,000,000, and the two losing semi-finalists at the national level will receive $500,000 each.
Beyond the local glory, the four teams that qualify for the national finals will also earn the honour of representing Guyana at the upcoming Global T10 Tapeball Blast.
The tournament is scheduled to bowl off on the weekend of August 8–9 in Berbice with a 16-team cap for the opening leg.
The action then shifts to the East Bank/West Demerara zone on August 15–16, followed by the Essequibo zone on August 22–23.
A short hiatus will follow to accommodate preparations for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in Guyana and the finals in Barbados, ensuring maximum visibility and availability for the sport’s fans and players.
Following the CPL conclusion, the tournament resumes with an extended format for the Georgetown/East Coast Demerara zone.
This final zonal leg will span four playing dates, covering the Round of 32 through to the zone finals on October 3–4.
This structured build-up leads to the national grand finale on October 11, which will be hosted for the first time at the brand-new Anna Regina National Stadium in Region Two.
Individual brilliance will also be handsomely compensated, with the tournament MVP receiving $150,000 and a motorbike, while the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker will each earn $100,000 and a television.
A leading local cardiologist is raising concern over an apparent increase in sudden, unexpected deaths among young adults in Guyana, urging early screening and greater awareness of heart health.
Mahendra Carpen, Head of Medical Services and Cardiology at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, said recent months have seen a troubling pattern of individuals in their 20s to 40s dying suddenly—often in their sleep or while carrying out routine activities.
According to Dr. Carpen, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of these deaths, with many cases linked to what is known as Sudden Cardiac Death.
He explained that sudden cardiac death is typically caused by an electrical malfunction in the heart, leading to an abnormal rhythm that can be fatal. While blocked arteries are the most common underlying cause, other triggers include inflammation or infection of the heart muscle, severe uncontrolled hypertension, enlarged or stiffened heart muscles, and certain inherited conditions.
Dr. Carpen noted that younger populations in Guyana are increasingly presenting with serious heart conditions—not only from blockages, but also from weakened heart muscles and complications arising from uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Lifestyle factors such as smoking are also contributing to the risk.
He is urging the public to pay close attention to warning signs, including chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, and lightheadedness. However, he stressed that more subtle symptoms—such as reduced stamina or increased fatigue during normal activities—should not be ignored.
“Get checked early, and make it regular,” he advised, emphasizing that early detection and management can significantly reduce the risk of fatal outcomes.
Dr. Carpen also serves as Consultant Cardiologist to the Caribbean Heart Institute and Managing Director of Cardiology Services Inc. at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
