Black Immigrant Daily News

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has formally accepted an invitation to attend the state funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II.

The White House said Sunday that the president will be accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden. The service will be held on Sept. 19.

Earlier in the day, Biden remembered the words of comfort that the late monarch had provided to the United States following the Sept. 11 attacks more than two decades ago.

“Grief is the price we pay for love,” said Biden, quoting part of the Queen’s message to America during remarks on the 21st anniversary of the attacks.

Speaking at a commemoration at the Pentagon, Biden said the queen’s words remain as poignant as they did 21 years ago but the weight of loss also remains heavy.

“On this day, the price feels so great,” Biden said.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

DONCASTER, England — British horse racing has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II as the late monarch’s favourite sport returned after a pause following her death.

Two minutes of silence were held at Doncaster on Sunday. A video was then played on the big screens of the queen at various races through the years, along with some of her greatest triumphs as a racehorse owner.

Horseracing was the big sporting fascination of the queen, who became one of the biggest faces of the sport both in Britain and globally and had more than 1,800 winners.

“No one person ever has, or ever will, do so much for so long for horse racing, than did her majesty the queen,” narrator Brough Scott, a former jockey turned TV presenter, said during the video. “The sport worldwide will forever be in her debt.”

It was followed by a long ovation from the jockeys and officials who lined up for the tribute ceremony.

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EDINBURGH, Scotland — Queen Elizabeth II’s flag-draped coffin has arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the British monarchy’s residence in the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh.

The arrival followed a slow, sombre and regal procession through the Scottish countryside on Sunday. Mourners had packed city streets and lined rural roads to take part in a historic goodbye to the monarch who reigned for 70 years.

The hearse drove past piles of bouquets and other tributes as it led a seven-car cortege from Balmoral, where the queen died Thursday at age 96, for a six-hour trip through Scottish towns to the palace in Edinburgh. The late queen’s coffin was draped in the Royal Standard for Scotland and topped with a wreath made of flowers from the estate, including sweet peas, one of the queen’s favourites.

Members of the Royal Regiment of Scotland carried the coffin past the queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne, and into the throne room. It will remain there until Monday afternoon so residence staff can pay their last respects.

King Charles III and his Queen Consort Camilla will travel to Edinburgh on Monday to take the coffin to St. Giles Cathedral on the city’s Royal Mile. The coffin will remain there for 24 hours before being flown to London on Tuesday.

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A young Bosnian girl is remembering Queen Elizabeth II for her love of dogs and her kindness.

Asya Isovic, 12, says she will never forget the day she found a letter waiting for her at home in Sarajevo that was sent on the queen’s behalf.

Isovic had made a card decorated with a drawing of a Queen’s Guard with three corgi dogs and mailed it to the Queen along with “some poems and a couple of more things”.

She did not expect a reply, but one signed by the queen’s lady-in-waiting had arrived. The letter said the Queen “was touched by your thoughtfulness and really appreciates the time and care taken to create your card and gifts.”

Isovic said she hoped the royal family will find a way to cope with the loss. She also hoped that King Charles III “will take care of the (late Queen’s) corgis”.

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LONDON — King Charles III’s son William, the new Prince of Wales, has told the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, he will serve the country “with humility and great respect”.

William was given the title when his father, the previous Prince of Wales, ascended to the throne f

William told Drakeford that he and his wife Catherine have a “deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey, including during the earliest months of Prince George’s life.”

He said the couple would travel to Wales “very soon” and want “to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them.”

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BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a message of congratulation to Britain’s King Charles III on his accession to the throne, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday.

“I am willing to work with King Charles III to enhance mutual understanding and friendship … and strengthen communication on global issues, so as to benefit the two countries,” Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.

The Chinese president also commemorated the 50th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations. The message comes amid strained relations over trade, human rights and China’s crackdown on the democratic opposition in the former British colony of Hong Kong.

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King Charles III has been formally proclaimed the monarch in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The moves Sunday in the rest of the United Kingdom came a day after the same proclamation was made in London at a pomp-filled accession ceremony steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism.

In Belfast, bells chimed and a bugler played before the proclamation was read. It was followed by a 21-gun salute and a military band playing the anthem, “God Save the King.” In Wales, a regimental mascot goat accompanied the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Welsh regiment at the ceremony at Cardiff Castle.

Earlier, proclamations were held in other parts of the Commonwealth — the group of former British Empire colonies — including Australia and New Zealand.

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Sports

Barbados Royals batsman Quinton de Kock in action in the Hero CPL. Photo courtesy Barbados Royals

BARBADOS Royals maintained their perfect start to the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament with their fifth straight victory on Sunday.

Royals defeated Jamaica Tallawahs by eight wickets with one ball to spare at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia.

Tallawahs posted 156/8 in 20 overs with captain Rovman Powell cracking 52 off 31 deliveries, an innings which included five fours and three sixes.

Raymon Reifer and Amir Jangoo contributed to the total, scoring 41 and 30 respectively.

Left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy showed his class for the Royals with 3/24 in four overs and fellow pacer Jason Holder took 2/24 in four overs.

In response, opener Quinton de Kock (64 not out off 53 balls) steered the Royals to 157/2 in 19.5 overs. The left-hander struck seven fours.

Corbin Bosch continued his prolific form with 56 off 49 balls (three fours, two sixes).

Summarised Scores:

JAMAICA TALLAWAHS 156/8 (20 overs) – Rovman Powell 52, Raymon Reifer 41, Amir Jangoo 30; Obed McCoy 3/24, Jason Holder 2/24 vs BARBADOS ROYALS 157/2 (19.5 overs) – Quinton de Kock 64 not out, Corbin Bosch 56. Royals won by eight wickets

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By Rupa Seenaraine

An aspiring High Court Judge and an avid reader, 11-year-old Sameera Williams on Friday learnt that she had secured a place at Queen’s College, after excelling at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations of 2022.

A vividly shocked expression appeared on her face when the proverbial beans were spilled by Education Minister Priya Manickchand at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Friday. Sameera has secured 508 marks at the NGSA, and has landed herself a place at this prestigious national institution of learning.

What, however, was uncovered was an awe-inspiring story of how Sameera managed to overcome a monumental setback this year in order to sit the exams. Little Sameera hails from Georgetown, and attended the Winfer Gardens Primary School. Earlier, in February, she was taking karate classes at the YMCA at Thomas Lands, but while on the road with her sister, she was tragically involved in an accident.

Sharing this experience with this publication on Saturday, her mother Bibi Shalima Ibrahim explained that her daughter had severe head injuries, and had to be hospitalised. For two months, she was away from the physical classroom, and that was a critical time in her preparation for the secondary entrance examination.

“She was crossing the road when it happened. Because of the shock, she was critical for a few days, and they were even thinking about surgery. It was the worst possible thing that could have happened. She just got a small injury on her back, but her head injury was serious. That is why I’m thanking God that she recovered well,” her mother explained.

She added, “After the accident, she couldn’t have done late studying. What I would advise any parent is to don’t wait until the last moment to prepare. She was away from school five months before the examination. The doctor said that since it was a serious head injury, she could not be stressed, so I never pushed her after. There were also no late studies.”

After this incident, Shalima relayed, the doctors were concerned for her daughter. In recovery, there was no pressure, but she allowed Sameera to operate on the level at which she was comfortable.

Sameera with her mother, Bibi Shalima Ibrahim, (centre) and Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Friday

Leading up to the examinations, the Education Ministry had offered to place Sameera amid concerns over her health and the challenges of missing contact time in her class.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand commented, “I offered her mother that she doesn’t have to write the exam, we will place her, and Sameera chose to write the exam.”

“For me, I didn’t care how she did. Just writing that exam placed her in a position of winning, because she showed how interested she was in education,” Minister Manickchand has said.

Fast-forward to this week, the proud mother, Shalima, said she is overjoyed at this outcome. When asked how this feat was achieved, she explained that preparation for the examination started since the Grade Three level.

“I felt very thankful and grateful after what we went through. Overall, I knew she would have done great. She was preparing since Grade Three, and because her other two sisters got the Bishops’ High and Queen’s College, she knew she would be preparing for Queen’s,” her mother has said.

“After the incident, she didn’t remember it for maybe after a month. Little by little, everything came back. She loved reading. What is important was her rest and food. From the teachers and so on, I got the support,” Shalima expressed.

Williams is the youngest of three daughters. She is a member of the National School of Dance, and is an aspiring High Court Judge. She also likes to write, as it allows her to express herself.

In an interview with this publication, top performer Sameera Williams shared, “It was just so shocking. I felt a shock go through me, but it was a shock of happiness. All my hard work paid off, and I felt so happy…

“I want to be a High Court Judge because I like fairness and honesty. I try to be as honest as I can, and this just matches with my policies.”

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door Audry Wajwakana PARAMARIBO — “Er was een periode in mijn leven geweest waarin ik een paar keer suïcidegedachten had.

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– says felt relieved after checking results

Preparing for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) takes commitment, hard work, and discipline, which led aspiring lawyer Daniel Persaud to excel at the recent examinations.

Persaud, a 16-year-old from Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD), attended Camille’s Academy – a stone’s throw away from his home. He wrote 15 subjects and secured eight Grade Ones and seven Grade Twos – thus making him the school’s top performer.

After much anxiety by the students, the results were released on Monday last, and Persaud is still now processing his successful feat.

“Anxiety rushed through my body prior to opening the results, but I felt relieved after seeing I passed, even though it still feels surreal,” he told this publication.

A smiling Daniel

For the young man, preparation commenced in the early days of Grade 11, ensuring that his school-based assessments were out of the way. For him, this was a strategy to squeeze in extra time to study.

“For the preparation, I was tasked with establishing a study schedule/timetable to accommodate my daily activities; which was easy enough, but sticking to it was proving to be a bit difficult. I grew up loving the sport of cricket, whether it be playing or just watching the professionals on television, it always brought joy. Some other hobbies of mine include going to the gym with my friends,” he explained.

“Approximately three weeks prior to the sitting of my first examination, I had to sacrifice extracurricular activities to allow more time for studying,” Persaud indicted.

Despite covering these grounds, he posited, he was confronted with another challenge: low self-esteem. However, he persevered, and with a little motivation from his friends and home circle, he came out with all passes.

“A major challenge faced was actually personal. I was battling with low self-esteem for a lengthy period of Grade 11, due to me drowning myself in thoughts of not being ready to sit the examination,” he disclosed.

Daniel on his last day of school

Nevertheless, leading up to the exams, he was forced to put on the back burner some of the co-curricular activities that he enjoys – one such being cricket, which is his favourite sport.

Spending time with friends was also limited, and the focus was primarily on excelling at the examinations.

The reaction to his success was not just celebrated by him, but his entire family, friends, and teachers. He detailed that they were ‘over the moon’ upon hearing the good news.

Daniel shared, “My family played a very supportive role throughout my educational journey, by providing everything I needed to persevere. After receiving the results, my family was ‘over the moon’ excited. My grandmother and grandfather had the biggest smiles, and congratulated me. My mom, sister, and stepfather, who are currently residing in the United States, immediately called, and they were overwhelmingly excited and shared how proud they were.”

For him, the next step is to embark on the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) with the end goal of pursuing a career in law.

“I always aspired to be a lawyer, ever since entering the second level of my educational journey; and with this successful performance at CSEC, I feel more confident of achieving this goal. With my drive and determination, I see myself not only as a top graduate of UWI in the field of Law, but as a budding attorney-at-law prepared to ensure justice prevails according to our constitution.”

The Soesdyke student reiterated that his educational foundation was set from a very young age, as teachers from various levels each played a supportive role in ensuring he succeeded. As such, he expressed gratitude to them for their continuous mentoring and guidance during his school life.

Presently, the young man is preparing for his next step in his academic pursuit, but he is also taking things lightly by assisting his grandmother, sleeping long hours, and meeting with friends.

Meanwhile, he advises students who would be preparing for the 2023 exams to stay focused, remain committed, and, most importantly, persevere. “At the end of the day, hard work and dedication pay off…”

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