Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 06-07-2021

TUESDAY 6th July, 2021

No. 106413

TIP hotline launched for Spanish/Portuguese speakers

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CARICOM abated ‘heat’ between Guyana, Venezuela SEE PAGE

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―says outgoing Chairman

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali (third left) attending the 42nd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community virtually on Monday. The President was accompanied by, from right: Tourism Minister, Oneidge Walrond; Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony; Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd; Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha; Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud and others (Office of the President photo)

LaRocque recommits to restructuring CARICOM Secretariat

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Two new pump stations for Black 14 Bush Polder

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Former ‘Top Cop’ lauds police work in Henry boys’ murder

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

LaRocque recommits to restructuring CARICOM Secretariat as finances decline by 25 per cent ¯

OUTGOING Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Ambassador Irwin LaRocque has recommitted to restructuring of the organisation’s Secretariat, located here in Guyana, at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

In a statement to commemorate CARICOM Day 2021 on Monday, July 5, 2021, LaRocque pointed to the resource constraints, highlighting the fact that during his 10-year stint at the helm of CARICOM, the secretariat “has had to do more with less.”

“The financial resources available to the secretariat have declined by 25 per cent, due largely to a decline in donor resources,” LaRocque said.

The Dominican national explained that the dwindling of financial support resulted in an expected decline in the staff headcount of the secretariat.

At the same time, however, LaRocque said that the demand and output of CARICOM and its secretariat have not declined; rather, these demands have increased. “...due to the dedication of staff and introduction of greater efficiencies in the manner in which we work; this is part of the reform process of the secretariat,” LaRocque said.

He also referenced a 2012 assessment of the secretariat’s systems and processes which had resulted in proposals for a redesign and restructuring of the agency’s business operations. LaRocque, whose two-term tenure comes to an end in August, said that some of the recommendations highlighted in the final assessment report have already been implemented.

“The objective is to make the secretariat more efficient, strategic, agile and effective,” LaRocque emphasised.

In January 2012,

Outgoing CARICOM Secretary-General, Irwin LaRocque

Landell Mills Limited released a report titled, ‘Turning around CARICOM: Proposals to restructure the Secretariat.’

go on to prosper. “These changes need to be accompanied by significant early results which are widely perceived as beneficial,”

time horizon; a credible reorganisation and strengthening of the CARICOM construct, including the Secretariat and CARICOM

more realistic about the insurmountable constraints of geography, lack of size and complexity faced in developing a successful regional construct in the Caribbean,” the report said.

It noted that while the constraints impose limitations on what can be done and the speed at which it can be done, the fundamental challenge is to address the plethora of weaknesses in the CARICOM construct to make it a more progressive organisation.

WEAKNESSES As far as the actual weaknesses go, the report said that these include the “often ill-disciplined way CARICOM conducts its business, the increasingly loose structure binding CARICOM’s organs and institutions, and the longstanding and growing difficulties in the Secretariat

In 2012, a comprehensive report specified that the CARICOM Secretariat was in crisis and recommended a full restructuring

In the report, the authors, Richard Stoneman, Justice Duke Pollard and Hugo Innis outlined that CARICOM was already “in a fight for survival.”

The report indicated, however, that with fundamental changes in its operations and structures, CARICOM can still turn around its reputation and

the report said.

The report also highlighted the requirements for a positive outcome, which it specified, would include the full and unequivocal support for member states; targeting the delivery of a narrow range of specific, practical and achievable benefits over a reasonably short

institutions, focused on the management of implementation.

The report said that it is essential that the Region settle on clear priorities as to what measures it can and cannot take. “For CARICOM to be turned around successfully, both stakeholders and interested parties need to become

itself.”

According to the report, CARICOM’s difficulties are significantly multiplied by the continuing economic crisis being faced by the Region. More specifically, the report said that CARICOM’s Secretariat has lived from “hand-to-mouth in budgetary terms” for the decade preceding 2012.

It was explained that the “saving grace” for CARICOM is that there remains, by and large, a well of commitment both to it, and to regional integration as a principle, if not in practice.

Further, the report said that the influences of a rapidly changing world are beginning to test that commitment in some of the more “geographically peripheral” member states. “The same is true throughout the Region as a result of increasing disillusion between the perceived promises of CARICOM and the reality.”

The 2012 report advised too, that an important way of tackling growing disillusion head-on is for the relevant authorities, both CARICOM and its respective member states, to be much clearer about both the benefits CARICOM is offering, and when these can be delivered.

“We were, for example, under the misapprehension during our initial visits to member states, that the goal of the Single Market was free movement of goods between CARICOM member states in exactly the same way as there is free movement in the European Union,” the authors of the report said.

It was related too that once the necessary agreements, infrastructure and plans are in place to meet the needs of CARICOM, there should be a major relaunch aimed, in particular, at the general public in member states and at the international community.

It is hoped that the implementation of even more of the report’s recommendations could be realised under the tenure of incoming CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Natalie Barnett, a Belize national who would not only be the first woman to hold the Secretary-General post, but the first Belizean as well.

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CARICOM abated ‘heat’ between Guyana, Venezuela _

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

says outgoing Chairman

By Navendra Seoraj

VENEZUELA’S ‘threatening’ posture in the ongoing border controversy with Guyana had increased tensions among the countries earlier this year, but outgoing Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith Rowley, believes that the bloc’s principled position on the matter contributed significantly to the ‘heat’ being abated.

From all indications, Venezuela early this year seemed bent on arbitrarily laying claim to Guyana’s territory, with its naval forces intruding on Guyana’s maritime space.

Increased activity by Venezuela’s naval vessels and other forces in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) started after Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro issued a decree claiming Venezuela’s sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights over the waters and seabed adjacent to Guyana’s coast,

west of the Essequibo River.

Despite outright condemnation of Venezuela’s latest claims and global recognition of Guyana’s sovereign rights over the contested area, a naval vessel attached to the Bolivarian Republic, just days after the issuance of the decree, entered Guyana’s territory and abducted 12 fishermen, who have since

been released.

Heads of Government of CARICOM had noted, with satisfaction, that the cumulative effort of the Region contributed to the unconditional release of the fishing vessels and crew.

Using the collective effort of the member states in this matter and as a basis for showing the strength of

CARICOM, Dr. Rowley at the opening of the first day of the 42nd Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government, said the unequivocal, principled position the bloc took in smouldering the controversy between Guyana and Venezuela earlier this year went a long way in bringing “us to a place where the heat has been abated.”

In March 2018, Guyana had filed its application in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking an affirmation of the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the international boundary that it established. The ICJ ruled on December 18, 2020, that it has jurisdiction to hear the border controversy case.

Guyana is seeking to obtain a final and binding judgement that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid, and that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela.

Venezuela has been saying for the longest while that it is not interested in having this matter resolved by the court.

But CARICOM and other international stakeholders believe that the ongoing judicial process will bring a peaceful and definitive end to this matter, especially if Venezuela participates in the process.

A peaceful conclusion to its border controversy with Venezuela remains Guyana’s aim, but with the opposing state insisting on aggression,

Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has affirmed that his nation will not cower in the face of threats against national security.

“As President of our beloved country, my single most important responsibility is to keep the Guyanese people safe. It is the first thing I think about when I wake [up] in the morning. It is the last thing on my mind at night. And my working day is consumed by it.

“But I want no mistake made about it: my government is doing all in its power to vigorously protect our people’s health and our country’s territorial integrity. Just as we will not relent in the battle against COVID-19, so will we not bend to threats to our national security…we may be a small country, but we are a proud people. We have no military might, but we have moral and legal rights. We pick fights with no one, but we will resist threats from anyone,” President Ali said during a recent address to the nation.

TIP hotline launched for Spanish/Portuguese speakers

IN keeping with Guyana’s commitment to combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP), the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, on Friday, launched the 592STOP (Stop the Trafficking in Persons) campaign and its 24-hour Spanish hotline.

The hotline will allow Spanish/ Portuguese speaking persons to make TIP reports.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, who spearheaded the launch during her outreach to Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), emphasised government’s zero tolerance approach to TIP. She encouraged persons to use the TIP hotlines to report all cases of trafficking which complements the existing hotline that caters for English-speaking persons.

Noting that TIP remains a heinous crime against hu-

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud

manity, she encouraged persons to be vigilant and to recognise trafficking in all its forms. She highlighted that persons must ensure that they listen to the stories of others so as to understand the various experiences that are a part of this social ill.

During this month, the ministry will facilitate a “Through My Lens” initia-

tive which will provide a platform for survivors to tell their stories and the devastating impact of trafficking on their lives.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department, last Thursday, disclosed that the Government of Guyana has fully met the minimum standards for the elimination of TIP. In a comprehensive document,

Some of the residents who attended the launch

it was acknowledged that the government demonstrated serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period.

As a result, Guyana has re-

mained on Tier 1 of the TIP index.

Members of the public are encouraged to report all suspicious TIP activities to

the ministry’s TIP hotline numbers: 227-4083, 623-5030 or 624-0079 (Spanish hotline).

Persons can also visit the TIP Guyana Facebook page.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Afghan troops flee country after Taliban clashes

More than 1,000 Afghan soldiers have fled to neighbouring Tajikistan after clashing with Taliban militants, officials have said.

The troops retreated over the border to “save their own lives”, according to a statement by Tajikistan’s border guard.

Violence has risen in Afghanistan and the Taliban have been making significant gains, particularly in the north of the country, in recent weeks.

The surge comes as the US, UK and allies withdraw after 20 years.

The vast majority of remaining foreign forces in Afghanistan have left ahead of a September deadline. There are concerns that the Afghan military, who were supposed to take over security in the country, will collapse.

Under a deal with the Taliban, the US and its NATO allies agreed to withdraw all troops in return for a commitment by the militants not to allow any extremist group to operate in the areas they control.

But the Taliban did not

agree to stop fighting Afghan forces, and now reportedly control about a third of the country. The retreat is the third time Afghan soldiers have fled to Tajikistan over

the past three days and the fifth case over the past fortnight. In total, nearly 1,600 soldiers have crossed the border. The latest group of Afghan troops sought refuge

on Monday.

Zabihullah Atiq, a parliamentarian from Badakhshan, said the troops had used various routes to flee. Tajik border guards said Afghan

are bracing themselves for a potential influx of refugees if the fighting continues to intensify.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told the BBC

This group of Afghan soldiers fled to Tajikistan in June (BBC photo)

early on Monday morning after fighting with militants during the night, Tajikistan’s National Security Committee said.

Badakhshan and Takhar provinces, which border Tajikistan, have seen a rapid Taliban advance.

“The Taliban cut off all the roads and these people had nowhere to go but to cross the border,” one senior Afghan official told Reuters

soldiers were being provided with shelter and food, but further details were not available.

President Ashraf Ghani insists that Afghan security forces are fully capable of keeping insurgents at bay, but there have also been reports of more soldiers seeking refuge in Pakistan and Uzbekistan to escape the fighting.

Neighbouring countries

the group was not responsible for the recent increase in violence. He insisted that many districts had fallen to the Taliban through mediation after Afghan soldiers refused to fight.

For the people of Afghanistan, it is a worrying time, says Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s chief international correspondent. The Taliban, who have been accused of various human rights and cultural abuses, support Islamic punishments - such as public executions of convicted murderers - as well as banning television, music and cinema, and disapproving of girls over 10 going to school.

“They are uncertain about uncertain about their own lives and the futures of their families,” she says.

Zahra, a 25-year-old res-

ident of Kabul, is among those concerned about the future.

“People are expecting a wider than ever war. A lot of people in Kabul fear that the Taliban might reach us at any time,” she told BBC OS on World Service radio.

Jamshid, a student at Kabul University, said he did not plan to stay in the country if the Taliban took power.

There are also growing concerns about how to protect diplomatic missions in Afghanistan.

Russia on Monday announced that it had temporarily suspended operations at its consulate in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif because of the deteriorating security situation. Envoy Zamir Kabulov said Afghan troops had surrendered too many districts, making the situation unstable.

Turkey and Iran have also suspended operations in the city, moving diplomats to Kabul, according to reports.

US-led forces ousted the Taliban from power in Afghanistan in 2001. The group had been harbouring Osama Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda figures linked to the 9/11 attacks in the US that triggered the invasion.

However, it has gradually regained enough strength to seize territory again.

The Taliban entered direct talks with the US in 2018, and President Joe Biden has said the American pull-out is justified as US forces have made sure Afghanistan cannot become a base for foreign jihadists to plot against the West again.

However, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the BBC he believed the Nato and US military mission there had failed in defeating terrorism and extremism.

He called on both the Afghan government and the Taliban to “sit down and talk as soon as possible for peace”. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Cuba braces for Tropical Storm Elsa People in Cuba are bracing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa which is forecast to bring heavy rain to central parts of the island.

A hurricane warning has been issued for Cienfuegos and Matanzas provinces and residents have been told to beware of flash floods and mudslides.

More than 100,000 people have been evacuated.

At least three people have been killed as the storm passed over the Dominican Republic and St Lucia in past days.

Elsa is expected to move across central and western Cuba later on Monday with conditions expected to worsen in the coming hours, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Elsa is forecast to move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida on

The Dominican Republic was battered by Elsa on Saturday (BBC photo)

Elsa was a major test of Barbados’ telecommunications infrastructure Unlike other weather systems affecting Barbados in recent times, Hurricane Elsa was a major test of the island’s telecommunications infrastructure.

This was expressed by FLOW’s Senior Manager, Communications, South Caribbean, Marilyn Sealy, during a press conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, to discuss matters relating to the aftermath of Hurricane Elsa, which seriously affected the island on Friday, July 2.

According to Sealy, though FLOW was still able to keep the majority of its services intact over the course of the hurricane, significant parts of its coverage were still impacted.

“This Hurricane Elsa was a major test for our telecoms infrastructure; I am happy to say that we were able to keep our infrastructure sustained and keep our network up throughout the course of Hurricane Elsa. As you can imagine, a lot of our customers would have turned to their mobile phones to touch base with their families and their friends, and as a result we saw a significant spike in mobile traffic.”

“Our fixed network is stable, however 39 cell sites are off air, mainly across St George, St Philip and the lower Bridgetown area, largely due to power outages,” she said.

Sealy added that generators were currently in use at some of the sites.

“We have a total of 98 sites, and out of those 98 sites we have 20 currently offline. The parishes that are impacted are; Christ Church, St Andrew, St George, St James, St John, St Joseph, St Lucy, St Michael, St Peter, St Philip and St Thomas.

Digicel’s Romel Sargeant (Barbados Today photo)

Damage assessment teams are still touring several areas around the country in order to outline the best way to restore service to all customers as soon as possible, she said. Digicel’s Romel Sargeant said that the telecommunications company was still facing some challenges in the aftermath of the hurricane.

“We also have in our Home Entertainment areas, majority of them are off due to power, but if you have power in the area and service is still offline, I would ask you to contact us via WhatsApp, at 826-5372, if you have reported areas still offline despite having power.”

(Barbados Today)

Tuesday and Wednesday, the NHC said.

In Miami, the demolition of a partially collapsed apartment block was brought forward due to the approach of Storm Elsa.

On Friday, Elsa became the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before weakening to a tropical storm.

At least two people died on Saturday when walls collapsed in high winds in the Dominican Republic on Saturday.

The victims were a 15-year-old boy in Barahona, in the south of the country, and a 75-year-old woman west of the capital, Santo Domingo.

On the Eastern Caribbean island of St Lucia, one man also died, according to Prime Minister Allen Chastanet. In Barbados, hundreds of homes have reportedly been damaged. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Guyana and CARICOM THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is observing its 48th anniversary.

The CARICOM Secretariat is situated in Georgetown, Guyana, which is a signal honour for us as a people and as a country.

The body was officially formed on August 1, 1973 with Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados as signatories to the Treaty of Chaguaramas which founded the Community and gave it legal status.

The Caribbean Community was formed after the collapse of the Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA), which in some respects provided the economic framework for the new regional grouping. CARICOM currently consists of 20 member states, of which 15 are full-fledged members and five enjoy Associate Member status.

There can be no doubt that the body has come a long way since its formation 48 years ago.

To say that much has been achieved over the decades since the formation of CarICOM

would be an understatement. The Region has today become a key player on the international stage, both in terms of trade and diplomacy. Trade, both within the Region and with non-CARICOM partners has increased substantially and our economies, despite our vulnerabilities to natural disasters, continue to remain strong and resilient. The solidarity given to Guyana by CARICOM in the border controversy with Venezuela is particularly noteworthy.

Guyana’s President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, in his message to mark the occasion has hailed the progress made by CARICOM over the decades and pledged Guyana’s full and continuing support to the integration movement.

It is to the credit of CARICOM and other democratic forces that our democracy which was under threat by the previous APNU-AFC regime was thwarted. It is not the first time that CARICOM had cause to intervene in our domestic electoral politics.

In the aftermath of the 1997 national and

regional elections, the then PNC opposition instigated violence and protest actions on the spurious grounds that the elections were not free and fair. The actions taken by the political opposition threatened the peace and stability of our nation; it was not until the intervention of CARICOM that a peaceful resolution to the political impasse was brokered, despite the fact that the PPP under the Janet Jagan presidency had won a clear majority of the votes in free, fair and certified elections. However, the PPP/C in the interest of peace and stability agreed to a truncated term in office by nearly a third of its elected mandate.

CARICOM has today evolved into a strong supra-national institution which permeated our national existence in several ways. We take for granted the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), which replaced the General Certificate of Examinations (GCE) and the several other regional institutions such as the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and the Caribbean Development Bank

(CDB).

More recently, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) came into prominence thanks to its hallmark rulings in several cases pertaining to the December 2019 no-confidence motion and more significantly, the ruling in respect of its jurisdiction to hear an appeal on a ruling from our Court of Appeal and which eventually led to a declaration of the elections in favour of the PPP/C. The integration movement is still evolving and more remains to be done in terms of a single market and economy and in the area of free and unfettered movement of nationals from participating countries.

No one can deny, however, that as a regional integration movement, it has had over the decades a transformative impact on the lives and well-being of our citizens.

We are better off today as a Region which historically evolved out of a plantation economy and where we share common cultural and sociological characteristics.

COVID-19 vaccines are effective despite variants of concern ― PAHO Director reassures countries

PAN American Health Organisation Director Carissa F. Etienne has provided reassurance about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, despite circulation in the Americas of new variants of the SARSCoV-2 virus that causes the disease.

“So far, PAHO has found that the impact of variants of concern on the effectiveness of vaccines for COVID-19 has been minimal,” Dr. Etienne told reporters.

However, variants increase the need to improve access to vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean, she added. “Very few places are benefiting from the full potential of vaccines, as there is a huge access gap in our region,” she said. “This is unacceptable, and the emergence of variants makes it even more urgent that we accelerate supply to the places with the highest transmission.”

She added that PAHO

has been tracking COVID-19 virus variants since June 2020, when it created the Genomic Surveillance Regional Network. The network has shared more than 52,000 viral sequences from Latin America and the Caribbean, and continues to monitor variants of concern in 43 countries and territories that have detected the Alpha variant.

So far, 18 countries have reported cases of the Beta variant; 29 countries have reported cases of the Gamma variant, and 14 have reported cases of the Delta variant, including Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Chile, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mexico, Puerto Rico, USA, Barbados, Peru and Sint Maarten, Dr. Etienne detailed.

Turning to the continuing increase in COVID-19 cases in Latin American and Caribbean countries, Dr. Etienne said that countries in the Americas last week alone

reported 1.1 million new COVID-19 infections and 30,000 deaths, bringing the total case count to more than 72 million, and deaths to nearly 1.9 million.

“Disruptions to essential health services are still widespread across the region, with 29 countries reporting disruptions to almost half of all services,” Dr. Etienne said. “Despite this worrisome picture, just one in 10 people in Latin American and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The public health impact of vaccination is undeniable, and we are seeing it in places with high coverage. As more people get vaccinated, fewer fall severely ill. Eventually this will have an impact on transmission, keeping us all safe.”

She also addressed the fresh challenges presented by new seasons in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Now may not be the ideal

time for travel, especially in places with active outbreaks or where hospital capacity may be limited,” she warned.

Countries facing hurricane season should bolster “coordination among the public health, civil protection and emergency teams that could be called on to act in the event of a storm.”

She urged countries to use effective alert systems, and consider outfitting hospitals and expanding shelters to reduce the potential for transmission, including among family members, since social distancing and proper ventilation will become difficult in the context of a storm.

In the Southern Hemisphere, where influenza season has started, countries should bolster surveillance systems to monitor the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, and focus on the proven public health measures such as washing hands and wear-

PAHO Director, Carissa F. Etienne

ing masks. She noted that more than 13 countries have started seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns and over 80 million people have already been protected. “But we still have a lot to do to limit transmission of COVID and other respiratory diseases,” Dr. Etienne said.

The PAHO Director also thanked the United States for its donations of vaccines to Latin America and the Caribbean, saying she hoped other countries follow suit “so that we can expand access to vaccines as soon as possible.”

(PAHO)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Most COVID-19 rules set to end in England ― Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Face masks will no longer be legally required and distancing rules will be scrapped at the final stage of England’s Covid lockdown roadmap, Boris Johnson has confirmed.

The rule of six inside private homes will be removed and work-fromhome guidance abolished as 16 months of on-off restrictions on daily life end.

The PM said he expected the final step would go ahead as planned on 19 July.

This will be confirmed on 12 July after a review of the latest data.

Further updates on school bubbles, travel and self-isolation will follow in the coming days, Johnson told a Downing Street news conference.

He said that even after the removal of the legal requirement to wear a face covering, he would continue to wear one himself in crowded places “as a courtesy”.

Johnson said the ability to end a vast majority of legal restrictions in England was thanks to the success of the vaccine rollout in weakening the link between cases and deaths.

But he warned cases were predicted to rise to

50,000 a day later this month and that “we must reconcile ourselves, sadly, to more deaths from Covid”.

The prime minister explained: “If we don’t go ahead now when we’ve clearly done so much with the vaccination programme to break the link... when would we go ahead?”

He added: “We run the risk of either opening up at a very difficult time when the virus has an edge, has an advantage, in the cold months, or again putting everything off to

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

next year.”

Self-isolation orders for those who test positive would continue, Johnson said, but he suggested there would soon be new rules for fully-vaccinated contacts.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs he would probably make an announcement regarding a new regime for close contacts on Tuesday.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in charge of their own coronavirus rules.

The Scottish government has said it may con-

tinue to require masks in certain settings even after 9 August, when it is hoped the final curbs will end.

Ahead of a review on 15 July in Wales, ministers said people would need to learn to live with Covid. Rules in Northern Ireland have just eased, with another review due on 8 July.

The final stage of England’s roadmap, step four, was delayed last month to no earlier than 19 July amid surging virus cases linked to the Delta variant.

PNC extends CARICOM Day greetings

THE People’s National Congress greets the Governments and citizens of the Caribbean Community on the 48th celebration of CARICOM Day. We recall that the four visionary Prime Ministers – Errol Barrow of Barbados, Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Michael Manley of Jamaica and Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago – signed the Treaty establishing the Caribbean Community on 4th July,1973, in Chaguaramas.

The four founders recognised the need to work together to advance the principles of economic in-

tegration, foreign policy coordination and functional cooperation for the benefit of their citizens. They envisaged greater inter-state cooperation for the Region’s development. The Caribbean Community, 48 years later, has a duty to work towards the full realisation of that vision and the fortification of that foundation.

The People’s National Congress extends sympathy to persons affected by the damage caused by the recent hurricane in Barbados and the disastrous flood in Guyana and deaths caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Mr Johnson said step four should proceed on that date, subject to the 12 July review.

Announcing what the next stage of the pandemic will look like in England, he confirmed: an end to limits on attendance at weddings and funerals; table service rules at bars and restaurants and venue checkin requirements will be scrapped; limits on named care home visitors will be lifted; council powers to enforce rules will expire; and large-scale events will not legally require certification.

It means nightclubs will reopen for the first time since the pandemic began, while drinks at the bar will return in a boost to the hospitality industry.

Social distancing requirements, including the 1m-plus rule, have prevented many venues from operating at full capacity during the pandemic.

Face coverings are currently required, for those without an exemption, on public transport and in shops as part of regulations backed by law.

The prime minister said that while COVID certificates to prove vaccination or test status would

not be legally mandated, businesses could choose to require them.

Responding to Johns o n ’s a n n o u n c e m e n t , Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said “lifting all protections in one go, when the infection rate is going up, is reckless”.

“A balanced approach or proper plan would say keep protections,” he added, suggesting the use of masks in enclosed spaces and on public transport.

Speaking alongside Johnson, England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty outlined the three scenarios where he would continue to wear a face covering in the context of rising case numbers.

“The first is any situation which is indoors, crowded, or indoors with close proximity with other people... the second situation I’d do it is if I was required to by any competent authority... and the third reason is if someone else was uncomfortable if I did not wear a mask,” he said.

Prof Whitty warned this coming winter “may be very difficult for the NHS”, as chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the link between cases, hospital admission and death had been “weakened, not broken” by the vaccines.

On the vaccine rollout, Johnson said the gap between first and second vaccine jabs for the under-40s will be shortened from 12 weeks to eight.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will announce more details on Tuesday about how schools will manage isolation in future, the prime minister added.

But he confirmed pupils will no longer be sent home en masse within so-called school bubbles.

A further 27,334 cases were reported across the UK on Monday, alongside another nine deaths within 28 days of a positive test. (BBC)

Cosby defends TV wife who celebrated his release

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Bill Cosby’s onscreen wife is at the centre of controversy after tweeting her support for him when his sexual assault conviction was overturned.

Phylicia Rashad, who starred in The Cosby Show, tweeted on Wednesday that “a terrible wrong has been righted”.

The tweet was then removed. A follow-up post said she “fully supported sexual abuse survivors coming forward”.

Cosby has defended Rashad after Howard University, where she is a dean, said her first tweet “lacked sensi-

tivity”.

T h e u n i v e r s i t y, based in Washington DC, issued a statement that read: “Survivors of sexual assault will always be our first priority.

“While Dean Ras h ad h as ack n ow ledged in her follow-up tweet that victims must be heard and believed, her initial tweet lacked sensitivity towards survivors of sexual assault.

“Personal positions of university leadership do not reflect Howard University’s policies.”

Rashad played Clair Huxtable in hit 1980s TV series The Cosby

Show.

In 2018, Cosby was found guilty of drugging and molesting ex-basketball player Andrea Constand.

But the 83-year-old left prison last week after serving more than two years in jail when his conviction was overturned by Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court.

The judges said there had been a “process violation” by the prosecution, but admitted their ruling was unusual.

In response, Rashad tweeted: “Finally. A terrible wrong is being righted - a miscarriage of justice is corrected.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Rashad has also starred in recent TV series including Empire (BBC image)

She faced criticism on social media, with some saying she shouldn’t stay in her post at Howard University, which appointed her dean of its recently re-established College of Fine Arts last year.

On Friday, CNN reported that she had sent a letter to students and parents, offering a “most sincere apology”.

In it, Rashad reportedly said she plans “to engage in active listening and participate in trainings to not only reinforce university protocol and conduct, but also to learn how I can become a stronger ally to sexual assault survivors and everyone who has suffered at the

hands of an abuser”.

But Cosby backed his former co-star ’s original comments and criticised the university’s stance in his own statement.

“Howard University you must support ones Freedom of Speech (Ms Rashad), which is taught or suppose to be taught everyday at that renowned law school, which resides on your campus,” he said.

Cosby compared the media to those who stormed the US Capitol in January, and claimed that his conviction was not overturned on a “technicality.”

“Those same media insurrectionists are trying to demolish the constitution of these

United State of America on this Independence Day,” Cosby wrote. “No technicality - it’s a violation of one’s rights and we the people stand in support of Ms Phylicia Rashad.”

Dozens of women have publicly accused Cosby of sexual assault, but he was only tried criminally for the incident involving Ms Constand. His conviction in 2018 was widely seen as a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement.

Upon his release, Cosby tweeted: “I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence.” (BBC)

Cosby and Rashad pictured together in 2011(BBC image)

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Rising Delta virus, absent ‘Brits’ dampen Europe’s tourism hopes

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

While not a complete washout, the summer tourism season vital to southern Europe’s economies will be less than sizzling as the Delta coronavirus spreads and travel hurdles keep British and other sun-seekers at home.

A European Union COVID-19 travel certificate launched on Thursday may help some make trips but arrivals to tourist hotspots from Portugal to Croatia are set to remain well down on normal levels, putting businesses and hospitality jobs at risk.

“The recovery of tourism in Portugal has come to a halt,” Raul Martins, head of the country’s AHP hotel association said of new travel restrictions from Britain and Germany, normally lucrative markets for Portugal’s beaches, restaurants and clubs.

The fast-spreading Delta variant of coronavirus is pushing a rise in cases in the Algarve’s tourist magnet Albufeira and is to blame for over half of new infections in the capital Lisbon.

Add to that Britain’s decision last month to strike Portugal from its “green list” of destinations and Germany’s move to curb travel there just ahead of the introduction of EU certificates showing a tourist’s double-vaccination or COVID-free status.

Even before the German decision and a recent Portuguese rule for unvaccinated UK travellers to quarantine, hotels there forecast occupancy rates of just 43 per cent

People sunbathe on the beach on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, June 22, 2021(Reuters photo)

this month and 46 per cent for August. AHP said hotels would be more downbeat if polled now.

Save for a few bright spots, the sector is seeing the same pattern across the entire south of Europe: better than the lost summer of 2020, but barely half the activity it would normally expect before the pandemic.

In Greece, where tourism makes up a fifth of the economy, the central bank this week cited concerns over new variants as it cut forecasts for 2021 tourism revenues from 50 per cent to 40 per cent of those in 2019, when it welcomed a record 33 million visitors.

Grigoris Tassios, head of Greece’s Hoteliers Association, said the average occupancy rate at hotels across the country was currently 35-45 per cent, a rate he saw persisting through early July.

“Bookings have frozen

clearly because of the uncertainty over COVID and particularly the Delta variant lately,” he said.

Spain is a shade more optimistic, raising its estimate for this year’s tourist numbers to 45 million visitors - about 54 per cent of 2019 levels - from the 42 million it predicted a month ago.

The tourism ministry on Wednesday was particularly upbeat about the German market, expecting the number of German tourists to reach 3.8 million this year, a strong 77 per cent of 2019 numbers.

Mallorca and Spain’s other Balearic islands are meanwhile reaping the benefit of the June 30 move by the UK to allow Britons to travel there without having to quarantine upon return: air bookings there stand at 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

“Since restrictions for UK tourists were lifted, they are back. In the first 24 hours, we

had reservations equivalent to 10 days of 2019,” said a spokesperson for Spanish chain Melia Hotels (MEL. MC).

SAVING THE SUMMER In the northern European countries which provide the sun-seekers, holiday industries are lobbying governments to find safe ways to make more destinations available - and quickly.

Britain’s plan to restart travel in May after over four months of lockdown has to date hugely disappointed tour operators, with only a limited number of smaller destinations currently on its “green list” of quarantine-free travel.

“This is not the meaningful restart of international travel that the industry desperately needs,” said a spokesperson for ABTA, the UK industry body representing 4,300 travel brands.

It is urging the government to make good on proposals to relax quarantine rules for fully vaccinated individuals visiting countries on the “amber list” like Spain and France.

“But this needs to happen soon so businesses can save what remains of the peak summer season, crucial weeks which represent twothirds of travel companies’ income,” said the spokesperson.

A major headache for the UK industry is coping with sudden rule changes in destination countries - Malta, for instance, banned British visitors who are not fully

vaccinated on Tuesday.

Germany’s travel sector is also demanding clarity after the move to declare Portugal a “virus-variant zone”, a measure that implies a 14day quarantine for travellers.

Industry leaders warned the government this week any steps to include countries like Greece and Spain in that band would be devastating.

“This current debate about further possible changes is needlessly disconcerting people and damaging confidence,” said Thomas Bareiss, the government’s federal tourism commissioner.

Some remain upbeat.

Tomas Dvorak, economist at Oxford Economics, said southern Europe could still recoup by the end of the year around 85 per cent of its 2019 levels if vaccine campaigns continue to step up and bring overall infections down.

Another optimistic note is the amount of Americans appetite for a European holiday this year - United Airlines (UAL.O), for example, said recent bookings for southern Europe for the next 60 days have actually exceeded 2019 levels.

But a McKinsey report this week painted a stark picture of the wider damage to the region’s economy, with a full recovery of foreign tourism in some cases not likely before 2024-2025.

It estimated Portugal would lose some 52 billion euros of revenues between 2020-2023 - the equivalent of a quarter of its total 2019

GDP - with up to 600,000 jobs potentially affected.

In Spain’s case, it said international tourism might not recover till 2025, putting a massive 4.4 million direct and indirect jobs at risk. It saw Italy benefiting from a more resilient domestic tourist market to recover earlier in 2024.

While a U.N. study this week welcomed the EU COVID-19 pass as a rare example of countries harmonising arrangements on travel, it will not be enough to rescue the European summer.

Capital Economics argued it did not remove constraints for those not fully vaccinated - meaning many travellers including children will still need to undergo COVID-19 tests - and that specific travel rules were still set by national governments.

Still, staff at Paris’ Orly airport reported on Thursday that the QR code of the passes cut down the number of document checks needed for boarding and many passengers were comfortable with the idea of presenting evidence of their vaccinations.

“We travelled a lot for work in other continents for which compulsory vaccines were needed, yellow fever and others,” said pensioner Laurence Filippi, travelling with partner Freddy.

“It was an obvious thing to do for us. We’ve been vaccinated since January.” (Reuters)

The trials led unions to renegotiate working patterns, and now 86 per cent of Iceland’s workforce have either moved to shorter hours for the same pay, or will gain the right to, the researchers said.

Workers reported feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout, and said their health and work-life balance had improved.

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, said: “This study shows that the world’s largest ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success.

“It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks - and lessons can be learned for other govern-

ments.”

Gudmundur D. Haraldsson, a researcher at Alda, said: “The Icelandic shorter working week journey tells us that not only is it possible to work less in modern times, but that progressive change is possible too.”

Spain is piloting a four day working week for companies in part due to the challenges of coronavirus.

And Unilever in New Zealand is also giving staff a chance to cut their hours by 20 per cent without hurting their pay in a trial.

In May, a report commissioned by the 4 Day Week campaign from Platform London suggested that shorter hours could cut the UK’s carbon footprint.

(BBC)

Four-day week ‘an overwhelming success’ in Iceland Trials of a four-day week in Iceland were an “overwhelming success” and led to many workers moving to shorter hours, researchers have said.

The trials, in which workers were paid the same amount for shorter hours, took place between 2015 and 2019.

Productivity remained the same or improved in the majority of workplaces, researchers said.

A number of other trials are now being run across the world, including in Spain and by Unilever in New Zealand.

In Iceland, the trials run

by Reykjavík City Council and the national government eventually included more than 2,500 workers, which amounts to about one per

Workers reported feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout, and said their health and work-life balance had improved, researchers say (BBC photo)

cent of Iceland’s working population.

Many of them moved

from a 40 hour week to a 35 or 36 hour week, researchers from UK think tank Au-

tonomy and the Association for Sustainable Democracy (Alda) in Iceland said.

10

Former ‘Top Cop’ lauds police work in Henry boys’ murder

FORMER Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud has lauded the work of the Guyana Police Force in working to find the perpetrators of the gruesome murders of 16-yearold Isaiah Henry and 18-year-old Joel Henry.

The mutilated bodies of the teenaged cousins were found at the backlands of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice, last September.

Persaud, in a missive to the media, projected that public criticism will arise, based on the fact that the cases were built primarily on confessions and limited forensic evidence. He sought to remind the critics, however, that during the seven days that followed the discovery of the bodies, the police were prevented from properly processing the scene where the bodies of the boys were found. This was largely owing to a series of violent protests that erupted following the murders.

“That, therefore, would have likely destroyed valuable forensic evidence that may have existed,” Persaud

posited, adding: “The circumstances outlined also behove me to recognise the outstanding work of the detectives involved in the investigation, and their leadership, as well as to encourage the Guyana Police Force to work assiduously in closing the trust gap between the organisation and the various communities of Guyana.”

the responsiveness of communities to leaders who have ulterior motives.

In his letter, Persaud also pointed to the role of local politicians as it relates to an escalation in the violent protests which ultimately hindered investigations into the murders of the Henry boys.

“A lingering question in the minds of many is

sification of the violence,” Persaud indicated.

As a matter of fact, shortly after members of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) party visited the communities of the Henry families, violence escalated, prompting founder of Heal Guyana, Sharon Lalljee-Richard, to call out former President,

The late Isaiah and Joel Henry

Persaud said that experiences around the world and in Guyana have revealed that public trust in the police serve to reduce

what was said to the relatives and sympathisers of the Henry families by the politicians when they visited that caused the inten-

David Granger, and current Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, for demonstrating what it called “duplicitous behaviour”.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Former Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud

DOUBLE STANDARDS The local non-profit organisation, which is known for promoting peace and goodwill across the country, called out the Opposition leaders for their “Double standards” when it comes to race relations and violence in Guyana.

Lalljee-Richard, in her response to the incident, recognised that after just five years of “passionately promoting social cohesion”, the former government officials “took it upon themselves to utter irresponsible words, which served to instigate an outburst of violence among protesters who were demonstrating their discontent over the brutal murders of Isaiah and Joel Henry”.

The People’s National Congress (PNC) had said that Granger and Harmon visited the Henry family to extend sympathy to the bereaved parents on the murder of their sons, Isaiah and Joel Henry, and expressions of comfort and condolences were made privately, indoors, to the boys’ parents and relatives and, in no way, could be interpreted as ‘racial polarisation and attacks’.

Granger, during the visit, was quoted in the media as saying, “We have to establish some self-defence in our society to protect our children, protect our women, our young people.

Unless we protect ourselves, nobody is going to protect us.”

WHAT WAS THE THREAT This statement, referenced by Persaud, prompted the question of what the residents needed to protect themselves from. “President Granger demitted his office as President of

Guyana, which he held for five years, one month prior to this incident. What, therefore, was the threat that the residents of the community needed to defend themselves against?

Why did he not establish a mechanism to protect them from such threat while he was in office?” the former ‘Top Cop’ queried.

He pointed, too, to the fact that as former Commissioner of Police until his retirement in 2018, he attended the weekly National Security Committee meetings that were chaired

by President Granger himself, and that at no time did an issue of security of any community in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) arise. “Consequently, no security threat was defined, and no action plan was developed in the absence of such need,” Seelall Persaud posited.

Further, he said that “Narratives such as race hate and communal conflicts were peddled after the former President’s visits. These narratives ignored facts, and sought to justify the violence.”

Persaud also pointed to the plea of the father of one of the deceased Henry cousins who dispelled assertions that the community was experiencing any such race hate or communal violence.

The former ‘Top Cop’ also questioned whether the violent protests were just a “Continuous trend of election-related violence in which the murders of the Henry cousins were used as a platform to express emotions relating to the outcome of the 2020 elections.” “I allow you to draw your own conclusions in your own time,” Persaud said.

Jabillo-1 well in Canje Block comes up dry 11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

¯

will be plugged, abandoned, as attention turns to Sapote-1 well

By Navendra Seoraj EVEN as the prospects remain promising at the Canje Block, offshore Guyana, the latest well drilled there by ExxonMobil, Jabillo-1, came up dry after being drilled down to 6,475 meters.

Westmount Energy, a holding company for a group of subsidiaries which operate in the oil-and-gas-related industries, reported that it has been informed

by JHI Associates Inc. that the Jabillo-1 well on the Canje Block reached its target depth without encountering commercial hydrocarbons.

The Jabillo-1 well was drilled down to 6,475 meters in 2,903 meters of water by the Stena Carron drillship.

Considering the outcome of this operation, the well will be plugged and abandoned, as operator, ExxonMobil, turns its attention to the largest prospect to date at the Canje Block, the Sapote-1 well, located about 100 kilometers away from Jabillo-1.

According to Westmount Energy, Sapote-1 is located closer to Exxon’s upper cretaceous discoveries in the Stabroek Block.

It is described as an independent multi-layer prospect, which will evaluate several upper cretaceous targets.

It is anticipated that Sapote-1 will be spudded in mid-August, using the Stena DrillMAX drillship, with

A pictorial representation of ExxonMobil’s operations offshore Guyana, in the various blocks (ExxonMobil’s photo)

results due to follow in October.

While the operator of this project is ExxonMobil, which holds a 35 per cent interest in the Canje Block, the other shareholders are Total, with 35 per cent; JHI Associates, with 17.5 per cent; and Mid-Atlantic Oil and Gas Inc. with 12.5 per cent.

Considering the positive prospects of the Canje Block, experts believe it might become more lucrative than the Stabroek Block, where 20 discoveries have so far been made.

According to Rystad Energy, ExxonMobil, in addition to the Canje Block, will be “firming up” resources in the south-eastern part of the Stabroek Block, where deeper plays have been observed underneath the existing

discoveries.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers), with current discovered recoverable resources estimated at more than nine billion oil-equivalent barrels.

ExxonMobil’s first offshore Guyana project at the Stabroek Block, Liza Phase One, began producing in late 2019, well ahead of the industry’s average for development time. Liza Phase Two remains on track to begin producing oil by early 2022.

Liza Phase Two will produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day at peak rates, using the Liza Unity FPSO. Late last year, the oil giant, following an agreement with the Government of Guyana, decided to proceed with the Payara field development offshore Guyana.

Payara is ExxonMobil’s third project in the Stabroek Block, and is expected to produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day, after

start-up in 2024, using the FPSO vessel. The US$9 billion development will target an estimated resource base of about 600 million

oil-equivalent barrels.

According to Westmount Energy, Guyana, with its positive prospects and vast potential, remains one of the few areas of “blue-chip” interest in high-impact exploration. Investopedia defines bluechip stocks as secure investments, because they pay out dividends, as well as consistently and steadily grow over time.

It was reported recently that Guyana’s ro l e i n t h e g l o b a l petroleum industry could be bigger than it appears on the surface, as an analysis done by global energy research and consultancy group, Wood Mackenzie, shows that the country is among five nations which will produce most of the remaining deep-water oil resources.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Agri-food systems must be more appealing to youth

A NEW UN report on youth and agriculture underscores the urgent need to make agri-food systems more appealing to young people to secure the future of global food security and nutrition.

Launched on Monday, ‘Promoting youth engagement and employment in agriculture and food systems’ is a report by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)’s High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) on food security and nutrition.

The panel provides independent, scientific analyses and advice to the CFS, an inclusive international and intergovernmental platform for all stakeholders to work together on food security and nutrition for all. The CFS is hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

“Employment and engagement of young people in the agri-food systems is crucial for the future of global food security and nutrition, across all its dimensions,” said FAO’s Director-General, QU Dongyu, at the opening of the virtual event.

The Director-General drew attention to the recently launched World Food Forum (WFF), which is providing a platform for events, dialogue and outreach. The WFF flagship event is set to take place on 1 October, 2021 and aims to drive awareness, foster engagement and advocacy, and mobilise resources in support of agri-food systems transformation through youth-led action.

“We want to enable young people to be the drivers of the change they wish to see in the

world,” Qu said. “Young people are also highly concerned about transforming our global agri-food systems to be more

UN report ¯

almost 88 per cent of the world’s 1.2 billion youth live, particularly in Africa, where over 70 per cent of youth sub-

Paul Nyota, a member of the FAO-trained Mkulima Youth Group watering buds at a farm in Kiambu, Kenya

sustainable, more resilient, more inclusive, and better for the health of people, animals, plants and the planet. Today’s CFS HLPE report is an essential input into these youth-led discussions, and I encourage all of you to participate in the World Food Forum.”

The Director-General spoke alongside Thanawat Tiensin, CFS Chairperson and Permanent Representative of Thailand to FAO, and Martin

Cole, CFS HLPE Steering Committee Chairperson.

REPORT’S KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Unemployment rates for youth are three times higher than for adults in all regions of the world, and a vast majority of unemployed youth are young women.

Agri-food systems, if made more appealing and equitable to youth, are a large, untapped

reservoir of employment opportunities. Particularly in the Global South, agri-food systems are already the largest employer of young people.

Yet, they often do not provide decent and meaningful work or adequate livelihood opportunities, nor maintain a balance between the needs and rights of different generations.

In his remarks, the Director-General noted the importance of focusSing actions in developing countries, where

sist on $2 per day or less.

The report stresses that youth engagement and employment in sustainable agrifood systems is simultaneously a goal to be realized and a means for the radical transformation of agri-food systems, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and of economic well-being.

Welcoming the report, CFS Chairperson, Tiensin, underscored CFS’s call for the de-

velopment of systems, policies and programmes that engage more youth in agriculture and agricultural professions. “It is not enough to say youth are the future of humankind. We have to intentionally take steps to make their engagement in food systems meaningful. This report gives us a roadmap for this.”

For his part, CFS HLPE Steering Committee Chairperson, Cole, said “The report provides the scientific basis for a new CFS workstream that will result in a policy product offering guidance on the kind of policies, programmes and investments required to increase youth employment in agriculture and food systems.”

The report puts forward recommendations such as improving youth-focused social protection programmes, labour laws and regulations, and young people’s access to resources (land, forests, fisheries etc), finance, markets, digital technologies, knowledge and information. Supporting youth-led start-up initiatives is also important, and requires a supportive policy environment.

Policies and initiatives to protect and strengthen youth engagement and employment in agri-food systems also need to be anchored in rights, equity, action and recognition.

The redistribution of resources, knowledge and opportunities for youth innovation and engagement in the development of context-specific employment and labour policies can contribute to creating jobs for the youth, as well as directly supporting transitions to sustainable agri-food systems. (FAO)

Chiung Mouth villagers get chainsaw, two sewing machines MINISTER of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, has handed over a chainsaw and two sewing machines to the village of Chiung Mouth, Region Eight, to aid in its development.

Minister Sukhai said the equipment, valued over $500,000 must be used by all villagers.

“Mostly women tend to be the ones who gravitate towards sewing, but that is stereotyping the activity. The machines are available for anyone who has

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai

the interest in learning how to sew. It could be male or female, young and old. But of course, you have to have some lead persons who will be able to manage the use,” the minister said.

She noted that the chainsaw will allow the village to better maintain the surroundings, especially the roadways.

The minister also urged the village council to ensure the equipment is properly maintained for longevity.

Meanwhile, Toshao, Denis

Williams, thanked Minister Sukhai for the timely donations, noting that the village will put the equipment to good use.

“I am very happy for this equipment and therefore we will use them to do the maintenance, to sustain the development for our community. We have some projects to be done,” he said.

Minister Sukhai said the delivery of the equipment is yet another promise fulfilled by the Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali-led Government.

Equipment handed over to Chiung Mouth village

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

The Court of Policy: Guyana’s Oldest Political Institution

By Tota Mangar

THE Court of Policy was for centuries a dominant governmental institution in colonial Guyana. As a matter of fact, this body could be safely regarded as the oldest political institution in the country.

The Court of Policy has its origin in the Dutch designated Council of Policy and Justice [Raad van Politie and Justice] in 1718, the year when the constitution of the Essequibo Council was significantly altered.

That institution attended to the affairs of the Dutch colony of Essequibo in its initial stage and it comprised the Dutch Commandeur, the Secretary and two managers of plantations owned by the Dutch West India Company.

In 1739 the seat of government was removed from ‘ Huist Nabi’, Cartabo point to Flag Island now popularly known as Fort Island and the Court of Policy and Justice was expanded to six members to include representatives of private plantations as well as those of the Dutch West India Company.

CHANGE Further constitutional change took place with the opening up of Demerara for cultivation by Laurens Storm Gravesande.

In particular the year 1750 witnessed the appointment of Gravesande as Director-General of EssequiboDemerara and a separation of the Council of Policy of Essequibo and Demerara from the Council of Justice. With the considerable rise in importance of the younger colony, Demerara, a decision was taken to have separate Councils of Policy for each colony in 1772. This situation prevailed until 1787 when

The Court of Policy was for centuries a dominant governmental institution in colonial Guyana (Guyana National Trust photo)

there was once again a single Council of Policy for the two colonies. By this time the institution consisted of the Director- General of the united colonies, four official members and four unofficial members. The unofficial section was essentially representatives of the powerful planter class.

The Director -General as President had the casting vote.

The Dutch colonies of Essequibo- Demerara and Berbice were finally ceded to the British through conquest in 1803. Formal cession was acknowledged by the 1814 Treaty of Paris and in 1831 the three colonies were united into the colony of British Guiana.

As a consequence the British inherited the Dutch system of government- a system which was to remain in force for a very long time. Interestingly enough, such a situation was allowed to persist through Article One of the 1803 Capitulation Treaty which stated that the ‘colonists were to retain the existing laws, customs and political

institutions’. No doubt it was the very nature of the inheritance that assured planter class dominance of political power and which led to our constitution being referred to as ‘ unique in the Empire ‘.

DOMINANCE It therefore meant that the Court of Policy continued to be in existence in a unified British Guiana and following emancipation in 1834 this important body was made up of the Governor and five officials and five unofficials. The official members were the Chief Justice, the Attorney- General, the Colonial Receiver- General, the Immigration Agent- General and the Government Secretary. At the same time the five unofficial members came exclusively from the planter class through a system of indirect elections. In actuality these members were nominated by the College of Electors or Keizers, a body dominated by the plantocracy due to the extremely high property qualification for the franchise. As in the

case of the Director-General during the Dutch era, the Governor presided over the Court of Policy. He had the casting vote and this seemed to ensure a government majority. But significantly, this majority was more apparent than real especially when one recognises the fact that some of the official members had vested interests in the plantations or were serving as advisors to influential members of the plantocracy from time to time.

In any event, The Court of Policy as a political institution was the legislative body since it had the power to ‘ make, ordain and establish laws for the order, peace and good government of the colony ‘. Members of the Court of Policy along with the planter-based College of Financial Representatives formed the Combined Court which was the institution which exercised control over the colony’s financial affairs.

REFORMS The high degree of power enjoyed by the plan-

tocracy inevitably led to abuses, controversies and even political stalemate in the late nineteenth century and all of these contributed to the numerous calls for constitutional reforms. In particular pro-reform administrators, and a number of complementary factors including a tolerant and responsive Colonial Office, a depressed sugar industry, economic diversification, village development, a keen and vibrant reform group, a demanding and sympathetic public, a growing middle class, a somewhat radical and professional class, an adventurous group of prospectors and a partly encouraging press all contributed to constitutional change in 1891.

In the main some of the material changes which were embodied in the 1891 Constitution Bill were the enlargement of the Court of Policy to sixteen members- the Governor and seven official and eight unofficial members, the abolition of the College of Electors, direct election of the unofficial section

of the Court of Policy in the respective constituencies, the widening of the franchise, an additional property qualification for electives of the Court of Policy, the right of the Governor to dissolve the Court of Policy at any time and a specified quorum.

These were significant developments as within years of the 1891 Constitutional change interest groups other than the highly influential planter class, as for example, merchants, barristers, doctors and other professionals began to gradually and successfully challenge planter class candidates at elections.

There was a major review of the constitutional system of British Guiana when Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, Major E.F.L Wood, visited the colony in 1922 as part of his extensive investigation of Government of the British West Indies. This was followed, four years later, by a Parliamentary Commission visit and its Snell- Wilson Report which criticised the division of the legislature into the Court of Policy and the Combined Court thus; ‘ This peculiar constitution is the result of the accident of history and not of logic or sound theory... there is much to be said for merging the functions of the two bodies into a single Legislative Council ‘.

In the end the Court of Policy sat for the final time on the 17th of July 1928. This body was effectively terminated with the implementation of Crown Colony government by Great Britain in July, 1928 over two hundred years after its Dutch birth. Its replacement was the new Legislative Council.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Two new pump stations for Black Bush Polder -- Agri. Minister tells residents -- gauges to be installed within the next two weeks in main canals to monitor water levels

BLACK Bush Polder, one of the areas most severely affected by the ongoing flooding in the country, will soon benefit from two new pump stations to assist with drainage and irrigation.

This was disclosed by Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, during a recent outreach there.

During a series of meetings last Saturday in Johanna, Mibicuri, Lesbeholden and Yakusari, Minister Mustapha made the pronouncement and told residents that these projects are currently being advertised.

“Two new pump stations will be built in Black Bush Polder. Those projects are currently being advertised,

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha

so within another 12 to 14 months, Black Bush Polder will have two brand new pump stations. One will give you irrigation water and the other will give you drainage.

These pump stations form

part of the government’s overall developmental agenda for agriculture in the region. Agriculture is very important to us and so is Black Bush Polder,” Minister Mustapha said.

Although water levels in the farming and residential areas have dropped significantly, areas in the backlands, like the Cookrite savannahs that are designated cattle pastures, remain flooded.

The minister also told residents that his ministry, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is working to have those areas drained as soon as possible. He told residents that the water have to pass

through the main canals and that a careful system has to be put in place to ensure areas in the front lands do not become flooded once more.

He also told residents that water level gauges will be installed in the main canals to ensure water levels remain low to avoid overtopping and further instances of flooding in the residential and farming communities.

“There is a lot of water in the backlands in the cattle pasture. That water still has to pass through the main canals. We’ll continue to put systems in place. We have additional pumps at Number 43 Village. The technical officers are also working to develop a system to drain the

backlands without flooding the farming and residential areas in the front lands. Like I mentioned before, all the water has to pass through these canals and we have to be very careful. The forecast has predicted that we’ll be having more rains, so we have to ensure that the main drains are low. I’ve instructed the NDIA to install gauges in the drains so that residents can know and monitor the water level in these canals.

These gauges will be installed within another two weeks. People should not keep water in these drainage canals as a reservoir because when it overtops, persons in the residential and farming areas will be flooded,” Minister Mustapha said.

Furthermore, Minister Mustapha said that his ministry intends to establish an independent drainage canal for Johanna. He also told residents that in the long term, the government intends to

establish a drainage structure similar to the one located in the Hope Canal, in Black Bush Polder.

“When we were in government, prior to 2015, we had started that project. We’d already started some work. NDIA has been working to resuscitate that structure. We are also looking to establish a bigger structure because Black Bush Polder is a very critical area for agricultural development in Region Six. We have to ensure that we put systems in place for the long-term, so when we have heavy rains, areas like Johanna wouldn't be easily flooded. We have to have a structure similar to what is at the Hope canal.

All these main drains will be linked to that structure so that the excess water can drain into the Atlantic. We are looking at it. We have to get funding for it,” Minister Mustapha said.

Man’s finger severed while attempting to buy ‘ganja’

A 36-year-old labourer of Little Africa, Corentyne, Berbice, Collin Smartt also known as “Rastaman,” is now nursing injuries after he was chopped about his body while attempting to purchase marijuana.

According to a police report, Smartt ventured to Number 79 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, to purchase the substance from two known suspects, a male and female, whom he alleges to be drug dealers.

The victim reported that upon his arrival he was asked for $160 which he had owed from a previous transaction, and as a result, an argument ensued between the victim

and the two suspects.

It is alleged that during the argument the male suspect armed himself with a cutlass and dealt the victim one chop to his right hand, severing his index finger and causing damage to his middle finger, while the female dealt the victim several lashes to his back with a piece of wood.

Smartt reported the matter and was escorted to the Skeldon Public Hospital where he was seen and examined and later transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he is now a patient. The police say that an investigation is in progress.

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Nandlall gets warm welcome at NY mandir

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

ATTORNEY-GENERAL Mohabir Anil Nandlall was given a very warm welcome by the Maharishi Dayananda Gurukula in Jamaica, New York, at noon on Sunday, America’s Independence Day. He was given a standing ovation as he entered the mandir and was garlanded by two youths. Although the mandir’s service normally ends before noon, the congregation waited to hear from the Attorney-General, who spoke extemporaneously for almost half an hour.

ney-General brought greetings from President Ali. He noted that the President led from the front in almost every area. He thanked the diaspora for the role they played in supporting the PPP’s election campaign and in combating the attempted election-rigging.

Nandlall spoke in glowing terms of Guyana’s future despite the setbacks of COVID-19 and the devastating floods. He lamented the loss of lives from COVID and the countless animals that perished in the floodwaters.

hotels, flood relief, law re- of gratitude to the Attorform, home ownership, etc. ney-General for helping He assured the audience to guide Guyana on the that economic benefits will go to all Guyanese, irrespective of race, gender, religion and region.

“The PPP/C government adheres to transparency and accountability. We respect the constitution and abide by the rule of law,” he said, noting that “Never again, should we allow any political party to attempt to steal an election.” He stressed that Guyana’s democracy is fragile and appealed to Guyanese in the diaspora

Attorney-General Mohabir Anil Nandlall addressing the gathering at the Maharishi Dayananda Gurukula in Jamaica, New York

It was a fantastic, most impressive programme, much talked about by the huge audience.

The Attorney-General was escorted to the front of the mandir by religious and Hindi/Sanskrit scholar, Dr. Satish Prakash and was introduced by community advocate and intellectual, Dr. Tara Singh.

“Hon. Nandlall received very enthusiastic applauses [sic] that were reminiscent of the type accorded to rock stars. This day is also historic in the sense that two leaders in our community occupied one platform to greet one another and issue their felicitations. Dr Satish Prakash is one of the leading lights of Hinduism in the West, and the Hon Anil Nandlall is considered one of the leading lights in the legal profession in the Caribbean,” said Dr Singh.

The audience paid rapt attention as the Attor-

He lamented that the high cost of electricity has been a major obstacle to manufacturing and industrialisation. He stated that Guyanese are paying some five times higher rates per unit of electricity than Guyanese in America. He noted that the high cost of electricity has been inflicting a higher financial burden on home and commercial consumption. He said it is incomprehensible that the coalition scuttled the Amaila Falls project which would have brought down the cost of electricity. He stated that the PPP government is moving quickly and significantly to reduce energy costs.

The Attorney-General also spelt out a menu of measures being undertaken by the Irfaan Ali-led administration for advancement of the country. These include the gas-to-shore project, online scholarships, construction of top brand name

“to constantly be vigilant to protect your democracy.”

Nandlall made a passionate plea for the diaspora to continue supporting their efforts in development and urged them to consider investing in Guyana.

At Dr Satish Prakash’s request, backed by popular congregational demand, the Attorney-General melodiously sang a popular Hindi bhajan. Many in the congregation sang with him. He received a loud applause.

Several bhajans were sung in his honour, much to his delight as he clapped along.

The Attorney-General’s remarks were interrupted several times by loud applause. He quoted from the Hindu scriptures without reading any books or notes.

He related well with the religious gathering.

The leadership of the Gurukula and its members and attendees expressed their deep debt

visionary path to progress and prosperity and gave an advanced invitation to

attend the opening of the Guyana Gurukula at Uitvlugt later this year.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Troy Resources in joint venture with Barrick Gold Corp

AUSTRALIAN-owned gold-mining company, Troy Resources, has signed a new joint venture with Barrick Gold Corporation, to target tier-one gold finds in the southern part of its Karouni gold project in Guyana.

Barrick Gold Corporation is a Canadian mining company that produces gold and copper with 16 operating sites in 13 countries. It is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.

The deal sees Barrick expending some US$1.2 million into Troy Resources for a 4.9 per cent stake in the company.

Barrick, through the completion of exploration milestones and a pre-feasibility study (PFS), can earn up to 51 per cent of the Karouni project. The company’s main target is the Potaro, a new target under sand cover about 25km from Troy’s operating Karouni gold plant.

It was disclosed that the gold company could earn an extra 19 per cent interest in

the joint venture by completing a feasibility study. Additionally, if a decision is made to proceed with development and the construction of a mine, Troy has the option to require Barrick to provide its share of the financing for the project, for a further 10 per cent ownership interest.

Barrick will be the operator of the JV project and will receive a management fee of five per cent of all expenditure incurred.

It was further indicated that Troy retains 100 per cent of its northern exploration tenements around its Smarts open pit and proposed underground mine, recently granted approvals by the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission.

The northern area also includes highly prospective and underexplored targets such as Upper Itaki, Gem Creek and Kaburi Hills.

Troy acquired Kourani in 2013, and since July 2017, has produced more than

150,000 ounces of gold from the Smarts and Hicks open pits. The 288,000 ounce underground resource below the Smarts open pit has an average grade of 3.3 grammes per tonne and is expected to become the primary source of feed for Troy’s Kourani mill. The company is in the final stages of concluding a pre-feasibility study for what will be the first underground mine in Guyana.

Meanwhile, Barrick’s CEO, Mark Bristow, noted that the company’s commitment to working with Troy Resources on the project, stating, “We look forward to combining Barrick’s technical and financial resources with Troy’s established in country team and knowledge, to advance exploration over the project tenements with the aim to deliver new world-class gold discoveries.”

Ret’d police officer reportedly robbed of firearm at creek

A RETIRED officer of the Guyana Police Force was on Sunday reportedly robbed of his 9mm semi-automatic pistol and magazine with 10 live 9mm rounds after visiting the Dakara Creek, Wismar, Linden, with relatives, for a swim day.

According to a police report, the 59-year-old male parked his silver-grey Toyota Allion motorcar bearing registration number PPP 1014 and left his

firearm in the glove compartment of the vehicle, while his relatives left their belongings on the seats and other parts of the car.

He allegedly then secured the car and they all made their way to the creek which is located some 75 feet down a hill, causing the driver to lose sight of the vehicle. Upon their return, they noticed the small window attached to the right side rear door was broken and the right

side passenger door partly opened.

The party then discovered the firearm and rounds missing, along with one Samsung A30 cellphone valued at $65,000; one black ‘Kool Pad’ cellphone valued $20,000; one black smart phone valued $30,000; one pair of reading glasses valued $58,000, $12,400 in cash and important documents.

Police headquarters reported that an investigation is in progress.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

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Simmons bemoans tactical approach in... (From back page) bowling point of view and fielding, it’s been excellent.

On that wicket to keep teams to 160-odd has been brilliant but I think on the batting side we’ve let ourselves down in every game so far except the first game …,” he noted.

Several high profile players struggled for form during the series, including veteran left-hander Chris Gayle who scraped only 56 runs from four innings, to follow up a lean series against Sri Lanka last March where he managed only 29 runs from three innings.

Left-hander Nicholas Pooran also failed for the second straight series while opener Lendl Simmons again lacked consistency.

However, head coach Simmons said personnel changes had not yet been considered.

“It’s something I have to go back and think about.

I haven’t really thought in that direction yet.”

West Indies face Australia in the first game of a five-match series starting in St Lucia on Friday.

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Pugnacious Usuff blasts Regal Legends... (From back page) Latif finished on 78 not out.

The elegant right-hander was then the big winner at the awards ceremony, collecting prizes for the Player of the Final (78* and 2/13), Most Runs in the Tournament (180), Most Wickets in the Tournament (8) and the Most Valuable Player.

Greg Singh, of West Bank Demerara, also playing for NYSCL All Stars, won the prize for the Best Bowling Figures in a match, 4/11 against Florida All Stars, while former Guyana and West Indies Youth player, Zamal Khan, representing Kingsmen, won the prize for the highest individual score, 92, versus Fire Links.

In the Masters (over-45) category, New York League side, Cricket Doctors, came out winners after stopping Corriverton Knight Riders in the final. Another Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) player was instrumental in his side’s success. Surujdeo Ramdeen, who plays for Regal Masters in Guyana,

bowled the Cricket Doctors to the championship with inspirational figures of 3/10 in the final.

The right-arm leg-spinner picked up key wickets to reduce the opposition to eight runs short of victory. His accurate bowling earned him the Player of the Final and Most Wickets of the Tournament (6) prizes.

The occasion was the 25th staging of the Independence Cup, which coincides with the USA’s Independence anniversary. This year’s tournament saw 18 teams participating across three venues in Brooklyn and Queens.

There were eight Open teams, four Masters teams and 6 Legends sides. At the closing ceremony, President of the NYSCL, Eric Ferrier, thanked the teams for their participation, congratulated the winners and was in high praise for the committed sponsors.

Ferrier also pledged another mega tournament in 2022.

Bucks beat Hawks 118-107 to reach first NBA Finals since 1974 THE Milwaukee Bucks reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974 by overcoming the Atlanta Hawks to win the Eastern Conference title.

The Bucks earned a 118107 victory in game six to claim the best-of-seven series 4-2.

Khris Middleton scored 32 points and Jrue Holiday 27 to propel a Milwaukee side missing injured star player Giannis Antetokounmpo to the win.

They will play Western Conference victors the Phoenix Suns in the final.

The first game in the best-of-seven series will take place in Phoenix from 02:00 BST on Wednesday.

Middleton was again key for the Bucks as he scored 16 straight points - and 23 in total - for his side in the third quarter to give them

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Giannis Antetokounmpo (left) missed the last two games for the Bucks but they still managed to win both.

a 91-72 lead going into the final period.

Milwaukee Bucks celebrate winning the NBA Eastern Conference title.

'My team-mates and my coaches, they told me to keep being aggressive,'' said Middleton. ''I love it. Each one of these guys, they work ev-

ery single day. Everybody stays ready. Everybody stays locked in. We all play for each other. And that's all you can ask for.''

Trae Young was back after two games out with a foot injury for the Hawks but managed just 14 points, with team-mate Cam Reddish scoring a team-high 21 points

for the home side.

"I didn't want to go and not play and think to myself all off-season what if I could have been out there and played," said Young.

"It would have hurt me so I just decided to go out and play and leave it all out on the floor."

The Suns will have home advantage for the finals series as they had a better record in the regular season.

It remains to be seen whether two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo will have recovered from a knee injury to play.

"They have a focus and an edge," said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer after his team's win.

"That's put us in a position to keep playing. That's impressive, but we've still got more work to do."

(BBC Sport)

Federer & Djokovic ease into Wimbledon quarter-finals

By Jonathan Jurejko

South Africa Racing Tips Turffontein 08:25 hrs On A High Nite 09:00 hrs Tilleangus 09:35 hrs Now You See Me 10:10 hrs Nordic Rebel 10:50 hrs Black Thorn

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

EIGHT-time champion Roger Federer followed top seed Novak Djokovic into the Wimbledon quarter-finals as both eased through their last-16 matches.

Djokovic, 34, continued his bid for a record-equalling 20th men's Grand Slam title with a 6-2 6-4 6-2 win against Chile's Cristian Garin.

Federer, who holds the record alongside Rafael Nadal, later won 7-5 6-4 6-2 against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego.

The Swiss will face second seed Daniil Medvedev or Poland's Hubert Hurkacz.

Russia's Medvedev led 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 3-4 when the pair were forced off the outside court two because of persistent rain.

Djokovic will play Marton Fucsovics in the last eight after the Hungarian beat Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev.

The Serb will now contest his 50th Grand Slam quarter-final, with only 39-yearold Federer ahead of him after the Swiss reached his 58th.

Djokovic 'playing with wings' in SW19 Defending champion Djokovic did not need to find

his best level, still having enough quality to beat 17th seed Garin.

Against Fucsovics, Djokovic is likely to be tested more than he was against clay-court specialist Garin on Centre Court.

The chasm between the five-time champion and an opponent who had never won a main-draw match at Wimbledon before this year was simply far too wide.

Djokovic served well and took five of his 12 break points, while the fact the Serb won 63% of the total points played demonstrated the one-sided nature of the match.

"I am delighted to reach the quarter-finals and I'm more delighted to see more fans on Centre Court," said Djokovic, who won in front of a crowd which has increased to 75% of the 15,000 capacity.

In a nervous start, Garin was unable to win a point in the opening two games, with Djokovic breaking again for a 4-1 lead and clinching the opener without dropping another point in his service games.

After Djokovic had to fight off two break points in the second game of the sec-

ond set, the Serb reasserted his authority to put pressure on Garin's serve and claimed the decisive break as he won the final three games.

The 25-year-old Chilean came into the match with a 5-5 win-loss career record on grass and there was never any danger of that tipping in his favour.

Djokovic raced through the third set with two more breaks of serve, wrapping up the victory in one hour and 49 minutes.

The straight-set triumph means Djokovic has not dropped a set at the championships since losing the opener to British teenager Jack Draper in the first round.

"My confidence level is very high after winning the French Open," Djokovic added.

"That was one of the biggest wins under those circumstances, particularly in the second week. It took a lot out of me but at the same time it gave me wings.

"The further the tournament goes, I feel like I am more confident on grass and I look forward to the next challenge."

Federer moves through the gears Sixth seed Federer turns

40 next month but his attitude towards success at the place where he built most of his legacy remains as sprightly as ever.

A lack of court time in the past 16 months, because of a knee injury which required two surgeries, left many wondering how the Swiss would fare this fortnight.

This was another improved display from the former world number one as he reached the SW19 men's quarter-finals for a record-extending 18th time.

The first set was delicately poised when a marathon 11th game was stopped - with Sonego about to try to fight off a fourth break point of the game - because of a rain downpour.

After a 20-minute pause for the Centre Court roof to be pulled over, the Italian 23rd seed restarted with a double fault to hand over the advantage - a cruel blow that left the fans gasping in sympathy.

Federer saved two break points before serving out the opener, then moved through the gears in the next two sets to seal victory.

"I felt after the first set I was able to control things," Federer said. (BBC Spoirt)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Euro 2020 semi-final a 'very special opportunity' for England- Gareth Southgate ENGLAND have a "very special opportunity" to make the country happy when they face Denmark in their Euro 2020 semi-final on Wednesday, says manager Gareth Southgate.

A 4-0 quarter-final win against Ukraine in Rome on Saturday sent Southgate's side through to the last four.

They now return to Wembley - the site of their last semi-final appearance in the men's Euros 25 years ago.

"England matches bring families and communities together," said Southgate.

Speaking to BBC sports editor Dan Roan, he added: "The opportunity to bring happiness and create brilliant nights for our fans, our nation, is a very special one that you have when you play with England.

"They are matches that you remember where you were and some of the nicest messages you get are that people appreciate how the players have been - that they feel they can connect with them - they should be very proud of that."

Victory for England on Wednesday would see them reach the final of a major tournament for the first time since winning the 1966 World Cup. Asked what it would mean to him to reach the fi-

IOC relaxes protest rules for Tokyo 2020 Olympics RULES around athletes protesting at Tokyo 2020 have been relaxed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Athletes will be able to "express their views" before and after competing but cannot do so during events, victory ceremonies and at the Olympic Village.

Any gesture cannot be "targeted, directly or indirectly, against people, countries, organisations and/or their dignity".

It means athletes can take the knee before an event.

They can also "express

their views" when speaking to the media, during news conferences and on social media.

However, any protest is not allowed to be "disruptive", including unfurling a flag or banner during "the introduction of another athlete or team".

"The new guidelines are a result of our extensive consultation with the global athletes' community," said Kirsty Coventry, chair of the IOC's athletes commission.

"While the guidelines offer new opportunities for athletes to express them-

selves prior to the competition, they preserve the competitions on the field of play, the ceremonies, the victory ceremonies and the Olympic Village.

"This was the wish of a big majority of athletes in our global consultation."

The IOC said the consultation process "started in June 2020 and involved over 3,500 athletes representing 185 different NOCs (National Olympic Committees) and all 41 Olympic sports, and ensured fully gender-equal representation". (BBC Sport)

Harry Maguire scored England's second against Ukraine on Saturday night.

nal, Southgate said: "It's what it means to the country really.

"If you're a coach it's a bit like being a parent - you've gone past the moment when it's about you and it's about what you pass on to others."

'Hurt' can inspire England - Maguire Three years ago, England lost 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final against Croatia in Moscow.

And Manchester United defender Harry Maguire said they "need to make sure" there is not a repeat of that result on Wednesday.

"The motivation is there," Maguire said. "Losing the semi-final at the World Cup hurt a lot."

Maguire, who has recovered from an ankle injury

to start England's past three matches, said Southgate's squad have improved significantly since the World Cup. "I think we're in a lot better place than we were," he said.

"The experience of that, we've learnt from it. We've had a lot of big games in that period to improve and a lot of time spent together on the training pitch, friendlies and qualifiers. Every game we play we feel we improve.

"In this tournament, from the first game to the Ukraine game, there's a lot of differences in the principles that we're demanding from each other. Of course we're in a better place now, but we've still got a long way to go.(BBC Sport)

At the 1968 Olympics, American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos protested on the podium against the ongoing civil rights issues in the USA at the time. Australia's Peter Norman, left, wore an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge in support of Smith and Carlos.

Anderson takes 1,000th first-class wicket to help Lancashire get on top ENGLAND fast bowler James Anderson took his 1,000th first-class wicket to help Lancashire skittle Kent for 74 inside a session at Emirates Old Trafford.

Anderson took a wicket in each of his first three overs, then added four more in his 7-19 as Kent collapsed to 34-8 - before more than doubling their score.

Bowling, appropriately enough, from the James Anderson End, the 38-yearold's figures were his best at Old Trafford.

But Kent fought back well to reduce Lancashire to 103-5 by the close.

As well as beating his previous Manchester best of 6-49 against Worcestershire in 2004, Anderson also became the first Lancashire

player to pass 1,000 firstclass wickets since Jack Simmons in 1988. But he remains a long way behind the Old Trafford greats, led by record holder Brian Statham (1,816).

After taking the first five wickets to fall, Danny Lamb wrecked Anderson's chances of taking all 10, by getting the wicket of England batsman Joe Denly.

Lamb took two more to end up with 3-16 but, even

by Anderson's own high standards, this was really his day.

After the loss of day one, play did not get under way until after lunch, at 14:00 BST. But Anderson, making only his second County Championship appearance

James Anderson has taken more first-class wickets for England (617) than he has for Lancashire.

of the summer, soon made up for lost time, with a combination of good line, good length, seam movement and a little swing.

England's all-time top Test wicket-taker was finally taken off after bowling unchanged to take figures of 10-5-19-7 - all seven vic-

tims falling to edges, either caught behind or in the slips.

Anderson's 1,000th victim was South African Heino Kuhn, caught behind by wicketkeeper and captain Vilas, who ended with five victims.

Lamb also weighed in with two more wickets, the first that of 45-year-old Darren Stevens, caught at long-on, as Kent slumped to 51-9.

Stevens ended as top scorer with four boundaries in his 19 off 24 balls, before the best partnership of the innings, 23 between spinner James Logan, on his Kent debut, and New Zealander Matt Quinn.

Kent's total of 74 was the second time they have been bowled out so cheaply,

having also made just 74 in their second innings against Glamorgan in Cardiff in April.

Following a delayed tea interval, Lancashire then made a good start to their own first innings. They got within 10 runs of the Kent total before losing their first wicket, Alex Davies for a typically quickfire 47 off 43 balls, but then quickly slumped from 64-0 to 67-3 in the space of 18 balls.

Vilas became a victim for Logan before Stevens got in on the act by removing Josh Bohannon but Steven Croft (8 not out) and Rob Jones (7 not out) dug in to avoid any damage on a day of 15 wickets in just two extended sessions.

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'I have to give God thanks'

Thompson-Herah grateful to secure spot to Tokyo 2020 after injury scare DOUBLE Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was seriously considering withdrawing from the recent Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA)/Ministry of Sports/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships at National Stadium after her achilles

in tears, yes tears of joy, but I am trying to hold it together,” she told the Jamaica Observer Sunday morning after the 200m final.

“Three weeks ago, I did not know that I would be standing here today making it to another Olympic Games.”

Thompson-Herah, who

Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.

injury flared up in late May. Thompson-Herah, who qualified for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, that starts later this month after placing third in both 100m and 200m, said she feared at one point that she would not be able to defend her titles.

“Honestly, I have to give God thanks; right now I am

has battled the injury for more than two years, thought she had got over it, but said it flared up in late May as she was preparing to compete at the opening Diamond League meet in Gateshead in England.

“It's the same Achilles injury, it just showed up abruptly, a couple days before I was to go to London. I

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday July 6, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Jermaine Lawson-6/3 (Dkaka, 2002) (2) Mehidy Hassan Miraz-7/58 (Dhaka, 2018) Today’s Quiz: (1) What are the best match figures by a WI bowler in a Test against BANG to date?

(2) What are the best match figures by a BANG bowler in a Test versus the WI to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

tested it in training and told coach I am not able to go to London and run, and so we decided not to go. I took a week off from training to get treatment but the pain was still there,” Thompson-Herah said.

Frustrated with the injury after she had worked so hard, she noted she sought intervention from a higher source.

“God is my best friend now, I spoke to God and I said, 'I am hurt, I am not able to train, how am I going to get to Trials and compete?',” she said.

“I don't know what has happened in the last week and half [as] God showed up and I came out and make my second Olympic team and I am just grateful and ready to go to Tokyo,” Thompson-Herah beamed.

Prior to the national championships, she shared that she weighed all her options as she was not sure where it would end.

“My mind was all over the place. Am I going to be well enough to run at trials or should I get an exemption form?” she said.

“But I just really wanted to come out here and compete because I had been in and out of practice and not able to put in the work.”

Thompson-Herah, who ran 10.84 seconds for the 100m and 22.02 seconds in the 200m, said she learned a lot from her five races throughout the weekend.

“Coming out here paid off...I still have to monitor the leg and put in the work[as] it's not a lot of time left, but we are working hard,” she ended. (Jamaica Observer)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Bermuda coach surprised by Barbados fragility, expects tougher test against Haiti FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, (CMC) – Bermuda national coach Kyle Lightbourne said he expected a tougher test against Barbados in their CONCACAF Gold Cup prelimi-

“We were expecting it to be a little tighter match than that,” Lightbourne told reporters after the Barbados game with Bermuda 4-1 up at the break..

“I wasn’t expecting the

Barbados’ Hadan Holligan (in yellow) tries to halt Bermudian Willie Clemons’s progress.

nary round match here, but is certain tonight’s game against Haiti will be a much tighter contest.

Bristol City striker Nahki Wells, 31, led the 8-1 Bermuda romp over the Tridents at the DRV PNK Stadium on Friday night with a hat-trick, including the fastest goal in tournament history.

scoreline to be like that. I thought it would be a closer affair.

“They (Barbados) brought some players from Europe but defensively we exposed them. Good for our team and we move on.”

He added: “We know it’s going to be a tougher test against Haiti. We played

them in the Gold Cup last time around when they beat us 2-1.

“We have some players that haven’t played in a while. They got some minutes under their legs so they will be better for it.

“We will be a little bit better come Tuesday, a little sharper.”

Man-of-the-Match Wells, Bermuda’s new captain after more than a year’s absence from the national team, made the breakthrough with the opener after just 17 seconds to set the tone for the rest of the match against Barbados.

Reggie Lambe, Danté Leverock, substitute Kane Crichlow, Zeiko Lewis and a Krystian Pearce own goal accounted for Bermuda’s remaining goals while Barbados replied through captain Hadan Holligan on the stroke of half-time.

Bermuda bowed out of the 2019 Gold Cup at the group stage after suffering 2-1 defeats against Costa Rica as well as Haiti before a 2-0 win against Nicaragua capped an outstanding debut campaign.

Australia’s T20 WC ambitions in ‘focus’ as WI series nears AUSTRALIA fast bowler Mitchell Starc can’t wait to get stuck into a lengthy stint of T20I cricket ahead of the ICC Men's ICC T20 World Cup later this year.

Australia is currently in the Caribbean for five T20Is and three ODIs against the West Indies, with a mooted five-T20I tour of Bangladesh to follow if all goes according to plan.

Australia’s squad is packed full of up-and-comers and Starc says the series presents the chance for them to push for selection at the T20 World Cup. “It’s really exciting with some young guys or less experienced guys on this tour,” he said. “It’ll be a really good opportunity to put their foot forward and take a World Cup spot with 10 T20s in the lead-up, which is fantastic.”

While Australia is short a handful of first-team regulars, the squad is not short

on quality, with cross-format stars Starc and Josh Hazlewood both playing, as well as Aaron Finch (2nd on the T20I batting rankings), Ashton Agar (3rd on the bowling rankings) and Adam Zampa (8th on the bowling rankings).

The T20 World Cup remains the one ICC trophy Australia’s men’s team has not won, and Starc believes the coming 10 matches are a chance for the side to find their rhythm before their title tilt.

"It's a great opportunity for the group to start preparing with a bit more focus on that World Cup," he said of the upcoming T20 campaigns.

"I don’t think I've played 10 (international) T20s in the last four years, let alone in the space of a couple of weeks.

"Personally it'd be nice to get into a rhythm of T20 cricket ahead of the World

Cup. For the guys working on a few things … it's a nice opportunity to put those things on show in conditions that will be quite similar to what we'll face in the World Cup." While Australia's focus will be on winning in the Caribbean, it also provides captain Finch and coach Justin Langer with the chance to hone in on the make-up of their side for the tournament.

“It's great preparation for the World Cup, it's a good chance to try a few things," Starc said. "We'll obviously want to try and win the series but it's also a chance to put a few things in place that we might want to, some combinations or whatnot for the World Cup, so it's going to be a really exciting series.”

Australia face the West Indies in the first of five T20Is on Friday. (ICC Media)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Hat-trick a surprise but Taylor thrilled with series win NORTH SOUND, Antigua, (CMC) – West Indies Women captain, Stafanie Taylor, said Sunday’s hat-trick against Pakistan Women had come as a surprise, as her sole focus had been on restricting runs at the end of the innings.

The veteran off-spinner snatched the wickets of Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig and Anam Amin in the final over as Pakistan plunged from 102 for seven to be all out with two balls left in the innings.

Taylor finished with four four 17, just short of equalling her career-best of four for 12 against South Africa Women in St Lucia three years ago.

“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking wickets,” the 30-year-old Taylor said.

“Runs were more on the

forefront [of my mind] and trying to restrict them to not getting say like 115, because I know that wicket would’ve been kind of hard to bat on.

“So as many [runs as we could restrict] them to, we would have a good chase.”

In reply, the hosts slumped to 17 for three at the end of the third over but Taylor completed a fine allround Player-of-the-Match performance by hitting an unbeaten 43 off 41 balls to rescue her side.

She struck four fours, putting on 41 for the fourth wicket with Chedean Nation (20) and a further 48 in an unbroken fifth wicket partnership with wicketkeeper Kycia Knight who made an unbeaten 24.

Taylor said once the experienced trio of Hayley

Matthews, Deandra Dottin and Kyshona Knight fell cheaply, she knew she was key to any West Indies victory.

“I wouldn’t say [the situation was] panic but yeah, [pressure]. I knew [Sunday] was the day I had to step up,” she pointed out.

“The first two games didn’t go as I would like and I just thought today ‘just get yourself in and once you’re in, you know that you can go big’, and I think that was my plan.”

West Indies eventually secured a comfortable six-wicket win with five balls remaining to complete a 3-0 whitewash – their first series success in their last five dating back just over two years.

“It feels good to be honest, We know we have been

Player of the Match Stafanie Taylor took 4-17 and stroked an unbeaten 43.

out of touch – we lost in England [last year] – but it’s a good feeling to actually come back and win and win

Working on my body is like working on a Masterpiece ‒ Callender AT the age of 38, Roger Callender is the oldest of the athletes selected to represent Guyana at next month’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships, which is scheduled for El Salvador, but that has not kept him from producing one of the most proportionate bodies around.

Callender’s dedication to his body has not gone unnoticed. His transformation is well known in the local bodybuilding circle and he was described as having a “beast of a body”

by President of the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, Keavon Bess, last week. The bodybuilding head also singled him out as a possible medal winner in the U-143 lbs. division.

To the Space Gym bodybuilder and trainer, his dedication is like art and it did not come without hard work or sacrifice.

“Working on my body is like working on a masterpiece….” Callender added that he studied his body for years and analysed how it reacted to varying types of nutrition and training methods.

“I continuously analyse just how everything works in the body, the different foods that would give you different results, what works and what does not work. It's a trial and

ence and biology, he was able to perfect the bodybuilding process when he switched back full time to the sport.

“I always loved bodybuilding and the discipline that comes with the sport. I have assisted and trained a few athletes in the past but it is now my time to shine.”

Roger Callender is one of seven bodybuilders selected to represent Guyana at the 2021 CAC Championships.

error but I always kept building my knowledge.”

In his early 20s, Callender was preparing two bodybuilders for a show and then decided to enter after they prompted him to. He finished third at that event.

He said that being on stage grew his love for the sport even more.

Due to his strength, he decided to give powerlifting a try.

As a powerlifter, Callender was able to win both his weight class and the overall titles in the novice and intermediate championships in 2014.

Powerlifting gave him the strength and, coupled with his knowledge of sci-

INSPIRATION The personal trainer and massage therapist noted that he lives by his mantra of overall health and fitness.

“Health, fitness and a healthy way of life is my

love and my passion.”

Individually, the “100% natural bodybuilder,” has credited his changes to science and his knowledge of the process. He is also encouraged by former twotime CAC gold medallist, Kerwin Clarke, who has been a trendsetter.

“The standards he [Clarke] has set in bodybuilding in Guyana has fuelled me to bring my best package to the stage.”

Callender is one of seven athletes selected for next month’s regional event.

3-0,” Taylor said.

“We haven’t done that in a long time, and a series win to top it off, so this is

a great confidence booster going into the 50-over [phase]. Hopefully we can have a 5-0 in that.”

Former Sri Lankan analyst banned for trying to bribe sports minister A former Sri Lanka performance analyst has been banned from cricket for seven years after he was found guilty of attempting to bribe the country's sports minister.

Sanath Jayasundara was charged with offering "to contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of an international match".

Jayasundara, who was charged in 2019, also tried to delay the investigation.

He has been suspended

by the International Cricket Council's integrity unit.

Alex Marshall, general manager of the unit, said: "Jayasundara's attempt to bribe a minister is a grave transgression, while the efforts to cover up his tracks and the lack of remorse are hugely disappointing.

"We won't tolerate corrupt conduct in our sport and my team will be relentless in preventing such behaviour. This ban should serve as a deterrent for anyone who may be tempted along the wrong path."(BBC Sport)

The victorious Regal Legends Over-50 team

NYSCL/Independence Cup 2021

Pugnacious Usuff blasts Regal Legends to maiden Over-50 title …Latif, Ramdeen rule their divisons REGAL Legends played unbeaten to lift their first New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) Independence Cup title when the annual tournament ended on Sunday in Queens, New York. Also outstanding individual performances from Surujdeo Ramdeen and Richard Latif helped their teams to come out on top when play ended in fading light on the historic day in America.

In the final played at the Roy Wilkins Park, Regal Legends were sent in by Williamsburg and raced to 237-4 from their 20 overs. Opener, Unis Yusuf blasted the top score of 94 before he was bowled in the 18th over, falling six short of a well-deserved century.

The pugnacious knock from the Her-

stelling, East Bank Demerara resident was laced with seven sixes and five fours as he finished the tournament with 215 runs from four innings. Also cashing in on the runs fest were other in-form batsmen, Eric Thomas with 72 not out, and Rudolph Baker with a cameo 29. Thomas chalked up 140 runs from three innings while Baker, who got 85 not out against Rockaway Legends, finished the three-day tournament with 172 runs from his three innings.

In reply, a tired looking Williamsburg Legends laboured to 95-8 from their 20 overs, handing Regal Legends a huge 142run victory. Opener, S. Sackichand threatened momentarily with 27, but the climbing required run rate, but atmospheric heat, tight bowling and excellent fielding were

Simmons bemoans tactical approach in Windies middle overs ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, (CMC) – Head coach Phil Simmons has reiterated the importance of West Indies’ batsmen becoming more tactically aware during the middle overs, following the 3-2 series defeat to South Africa last weekend.

A side packed with power-hitters failed to chase down 169 in Saturday’s final Twenty20 International, and crashed to a 25-run defeat in the decisive encounter at the Grenada National Stadium.

Not for the first time, West Indies’ batsmen excelled in the power-plays but stumbled in the middle overs, leaving Simmons also bemoaning the thought process of his players at that critical stage of the game.

“We’ve got to think a little bit more.

We’ve got to be smarter in our cricket – smarter especially in that seven to 14-over [period],” Simmons explained.

“We’ve just got to think about how we do things, think about the way we’re going to score in those overs and then set things up for the back end, because we’ve been good in the back end but we need to work on the middle section.”

He added: “It’s something we’ve got to look at, especially overs seven to 14.

[We must show] we are getting better at it, we are learning how to deal with it, in order that we can get better scores.”

West Indies had hinted at their capabilities when they chased down 161 with five overs to spare in the opener but then faltered in their pursuit of 167 in the second T20I and 168 in the third, to crash to 16-run and one-run defeats respectively.

The common denominator in both defeats was the high number of dot balls – West Indies conceding 55 in the second match and 49 in the third, and another 50 in Saturday’s loss.

“I think it is definitely a tactical and technical change [required],” Simmons pointed out.

“You’ve got to be able to assess what situation you’re in and from that situation you’ve got to be able to formulate a plan to score the runs we need to score in that section, so tactically we’ve been lacking.”

And the former West Indies all-rounder said while the bowling aspect had been impressive during the series, especially on a good batting wicket, the batting now needed to step up.

“From a TURN TO PAGE 19 ►

for 30 chasing 254, Marine Masters limped to 80, batting first. Only semi-finalist, NYSCL Legends, with 105 chasing 201 to win, reached triple figures against the clinical Regal bowling attack.

The Legends now join the Regal Open (2017) and Regal Masters (2017) teams to win the Independence Cup. At the presentation ceremony, Thomas was rewarded for the best bowling figures in a match (4/4) against Marine Masters while Yusuf was named Player of the final for his innings of 94 runs and one wicket. Yusuf was also rewarded for scoring the most runs in the tournament and was adjudged the Most Valuable Player.

In the Open category, Richard ‘Mr. Cricket’ Latif played a lone hand in the final at the same venue to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat to give NYSCL All Stars a close victory with Skipper Mahendra Hardyal receives the winning trophy two balls to spare over Kingfrom NYSCL president Eric Ferrier smen All Stars. Chasing 195 for victory, the game seemed too much to handle and the final panned out over when NYSCL All Stars had their top to be a one-sided affair. and middle orders back in the hut, but the Bowling for the new champions, there experienced Latif kept his cool and backed were two wickets each for left-arm spinner, himself to finish the job.

Laurie Singh (2/14) and captain, Mahendra With 39 runs needed from three overs, Hardyal (2/20) while David Harper (1/3), Thomas (1/11), Yusuf (1/11) and Parsram Latif hit a six in the 18th over then followed Persaud (1/23) supported. Thomas and up with another six, then a four in the next Harper finished the tournament with six over to bring the equation down to eight wickets each, Hardyal and Troy Kippins, runs to win from the last over.

The Campbellville, Georgetown resifour each, and Singh and Persaud three dent then picked the gaps in the final over each. for singles and doubles to bring the equaWilliamsburg were the third opponent tion down to one run required for victory of Regal Legends that failed to get past the from two balls; then a wide was delivered 100-run mark. Rockaway Legends folded to end the drama. TURN TO PAGE 20 ►

IOC relaxes protest rules for Tokyo 2020 Olympics 21

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TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2021