Guyana Times -- Monday, March 7, 2022

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Issue No. 4941

THE BEACON OF TRUTH MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

Guyana to collaborate with Guatemala on sugar sustainability, food security – Pres Ali ...Antiguan PM to visit Guyana; barriers to trade, investments on the agenda Page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Stop fighting, Putin tells Ukraine, as anti-war P18 protests grow

East La Penitence man remanded over $2.6M cocaine P11 find

Barbados-bound passenger busted with cocaine-laced P2 mats Hundreds braved the inclement weather on Sunday to march in solidarity for gender equality, ahead of International Women’s Day, which will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 8. The march, which was led by First Lady Arya Ali, started at Main Street and ended at the Kingston Seawall Bandstand

Cheddi Jagan’s 25th death anniversary

Use his teachings as inspiration to continue developing Guyana – PPP Executive Secretary MoF denounces GECOM’s continuous continued registration kick-starts misinformation today peddled against Amaila Falls Project Page 9

Page 11

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Mahaica fatal accident

Parents of victims wish accident was just a dream – receive assistance from fmr MP

Page 15

GPHC gets P10 medical equipment to boost operations

15 new COVID cases in 24h, 3 in ICU P10 Mother of 15 walks 18 miles to celebrate P16 80th birthday

2 NEWS Barbados-bound passenger busted with cocaine-laced mats MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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gents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Saturday intercepted a female passenger with five mats laced with suspected cocaine at the Eugene F Correia International

Airport, Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Based on reports received, Akata Makeba Garnett, 22, of C Field, Sophia Squatting Area, Greater Georgetown, was destined for Barbados and

was subjected to a secondary search of her luggage.

During the search, the five mats were discovered. She was arrested and escorted to CANU’s Headquarters where the mats were tested for cocaine and returned a positive result. The cocaine was weighed in her presence and amounted to 5.274 kg with an estimated street value of $5.6 million.

Further investigations led to the arrest of Malika Scott, 32, of Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Both women remain in custody and are expected to be charged in the new week.

Elderly woman involved in Agricola accident succumbs

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he 66-year-old woman who was involved in an accident along the Agricola Public Road, Greater Georgetown that took the life of Nionel Berkley has succumbed to her injuries.

This was confirmed

by Regional Commander Simon McBean, during a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Sunday.

The woman, Shirley Hollingsworth, a mother of four of Agricola Public Road, was in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital following the accident.

A previous report on the accident stated that 24-year-old motorcyclist Nionel Berkley of East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was proceeding along the Agricola Public Road without a safety helmet when

Nionel Berkley was the first fatality

he allegedly collided with Hollingsworth, who was on the pedestrian crossing.

As a result of the collision, both the motorcyclist and the pedestrian fell to the road’s surface and sustained injuries to their bodies. Berkley was picked up in an unconscious state and

transported by ambulance to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The pedestrian was also picked up in an unconscious condition by public-spirited citizens and rushed to the hospital where she was in a critical state.

Berkley was the driver attached to Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton.

The man had reportedly dropped off the Minister and was subsequently heading home on a motorcycle when he crashed into Hollingsworth.

The woman was said to be crossing the road at the time.

Minister Hamilton, immediately after the accident on Monday, had related that he had known the young man since he was a teenager and that he was shocked to have learnt about his demise.

NEWS

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Monday, March 7 – 04:00h-05:30h and Tuesday, March 8 – 04:00h-05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Guyana to collaborate with Guatemala on sugar sustainability, food security – Pres Ali …Antiguan PM to visit Guyana; barriers to trade, investments on the agenda

Monday, March 7 – 06:40h-08:10h and Tuesday, March 8 – 07:05h-08:35h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Light to thundery showers are expected during the day and night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne

Winds: North North-Easterly to East NorthEasterly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 07:17h and 19:40h reaching maximum heights of 2.62 metres and 2.51 metres.

Low Tide: 13:14h reaching a minimum height of 0.60 metre.

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President Dr Irfaan Ali with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei

SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2022

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$129.90/barrel

Rough Rice

$296.37/ton

+0.64

London Sugar

$532.80/ton

+2.03

Live Spot Gold

+9.97

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1927.90

$1973.90

Low/High Change

$1934.30 +19.30

$1973.90 0.98%

he Guyana Government has signalled intentions to collaborate with its Guatemalan counterpart – the second-largest sugar producer in Latin America, on fortifying the country’s sugar industry to benefit the wider region.

This came on the heels of the IV Summit of the Heads of State of the Caricom-Central American Integration System (SICA) held in Belize last week.

In a previous statement, it had been announced that President Irfaan Ali had met with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, to discuss shared issues of trade, investment, and climate change.

Dr Ali, at a press conference on Sunday, announced that an exchange visit was in the pipeline between the two countries.

It was also revealed that the two Presidents had agreed on the importance of a strong partnership in agriculture, particularly in assisting Guyana to revitalise the sugar industry. There had also been mention of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries being concluded in the near future.

Speaking on the value Guatemala can add to Guyana’s agricultural push, President Ali pointed out on Sunday that agriculture constitutes 23 per cent of Guatemala’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 75 per cent of export earnings and 50 per cent of its labour force.

“You have 11 sugar mills, the cultivation area is 251,000 hectares and the yield is 10.7 metric tonnes per hectare. In Guyana, we have in total land available about 49,000 hectares for sugar and our yield is between four to five tonnes per hectare. I’m just giv-

ing you the percentage, so you can understand the potential powerhouse we can collaborate with,” he said.

According to Ali, these are some of the areas that they have been able to expedite discussions on. Additionally, President Ali explained that Government was in talks with Guatemala and Honduras, on other agricultural sectors like coffee production and the palm oil industry.

“And we’re not only talking about technical support. We’re talking about the twinning of opportunities. In the corporate world, you don’t reinvent the wheel. You look at best practices and you twin it.

“So, we are going to look at the best practices in Guatemala and Guyana and twin our operations, from the management side to the operational to the investment side. But most importantly, the end result of this is sustainabil-

ity, job creation, economic expansion, and viability of the industry. That is the main output that we’re looking at.”

Meanwhile, Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne is expected to visit Guyana, with an agenda set to discuss the removal of barriers in trade and to advance talks on potential partnerships between the two nations.

The Head of State also made this announcement on Sunday during which he stated that the visit would materialise “very soon”.

While he could not name a specific date, President Ali did give some insight into what would be the areas of mutual interest on the agenda.

“Food security, climate change, and removal of barriers are some of the matters on the agenda. We’re building a food terminal in Barbados – the Guyana-Barbados Food Terminal. We’re also working on the building

of the gold market that is outside of the cruise liners so that we can revitalise that skill in Guyana and bring Barbados into it.

The same thing Antigua is also interested in,” he explained.

“I don’t want to get ahead of it until the Prime Minister and I agree that this is the agenda, but I can tell you those are the matters that we’ve already started to discuss on the agenda,” the President further told media operatives during the press conference.

In July of last year, the Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister had assumed the chairmanship of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom, succeeding Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley.

During his stint, he chaired the virtually-held 42nd Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government. Browne, along with President Ali, also participated in the recent 33rd Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom in Belize. (Jarryl Bryan)

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Sustainability and women’s empowerment

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omorrow, March 8, is the United Nations-promoted “International Women’s Day” with the theme for the year being “Gender Equality Today for a sustainable tomorrow”.

Anticipating that the connection of sustainable development and gender equality might be puzzling to some, the UN suggested five initiatives that could be undertaken by Governments and civil society to make that connection. Fortunately for us in Guyana, the Government has anticipated many of the initiatives in its now twoyear drive to accelerate our development as we combat climate change.

The first exhortation is to “empower women smallholders” in farming. Some may not realise that women farmers comprise a very signifying component of our agriculture sector but they do. While this is true in some of the major crops like paddy, their presence is even more pronounced in the diversified cash crop area in which greater value is added than with commodities. The Government has undertaken – and is funding – several initiatives in this area and women farmers should be specifically targeted. Since their diversified crops are not among the 12 plant and 5 animal species that generate 75 per cent of the world’s food, encouragement in this area should help make the global food system more resilient to environmental shocks.

The UN advised that “at both the national and the community level, women’s representation and leadership appear to drive better environmental outcomes. Countries with higher percentages of women in Parliament tend to adopt stricter climate change policies, resulting in lower emissions”.

As such, it advises “support for women's leadership” and in this area, Guyana is very far ahead of most countries. We have one of the pioneering and most far-reaching national climate change plans in addition to having one of the highest percentages of female MPs and Cabinet members. Another area where we are ahead concerns Indigenous women, who “possess unique knowledge about agriculture, conservation, and natural resource management that make their voices indispensable in any decision-making processes”.

They were part of our REDD initiatives.

Thirdly, it is advised that we “fund women's organisations” and as we can observe almost daily in the press, women’s organisations are sprouting in almost every facet of national life – but especially in business to take advantage of the oil-induced growth explosion. As explained, “Government collaboration with women’s organisations can help ensure that climate policies meet the specific needs of women and girls and that such policies are effectively implemented.

In vulnerable communities, women’s organisations often act as an informal safety net, bridging gaps in Government services and helping to provide emergency support. Empowering such community networks is a crucial way to build climate resilience at the local level.”

Fourthly, we should “protect women's health”. “Evidence suggests that women will bear the brunt of climate-linked negative health outcomes. Research indicates that climate change will have negative sexual and reproductive health impacts: higher temperatures are increasing the spread of diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus, which are linked to negative pregnancy and birth outcomes, and extreme heat itself appears to increase the incidence of stillbirth. As with other crises and disasters, climate change also increases vulnerability to gender-based violence.”

Guyana has an unacceptably high maternal death rate and the Government has announced the creation of a dedicated hospital for women and children.

Lastly and most germanely, we are advised to “invest in care”.

As explained, “The global economy depends on the unpaid and underpaid care work primarily carried out by women. But despite its essential nature –– which we’ve seen more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic –– this work is not valued in accordance with its worth. Rather, care work (much like the environment) is treated like a limitless commodity that can be used without cost or consequence.

“Instead, Governments should treat care work like a collective good, expanding its availability and providing adequate support to those who do it. This includes investing in the expansion of care services, as well as increasing support for unpaid caregivers There’s a role for the Private Sector as well, in supporting unpaid care work through paid family leave and flexible working arrangements.”

First Lady Arya Ali – along with US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch; British High Commissioner Jane Miller; Chinese Ambassador Guo Haiyan and Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa and other officials – during the International Women’s Day March on Sunday

Embrace a vision for the development of Guyana Dear Editor, In consideration of the gas-fuelled trajectory that Guyana is , it is important that we understand the requirements for development and the need for forward-thinking Guyanese to embrace a vision for the development of Guyana.

Historically, and maybe to some extent now, we continuously complain about poor infrastructure, institutional service (Government services), and soon to come, traffic jams if not already.

Notably, in consideration of the same needs, which are legitimate, I had voiced my concerns at the NRF Bill now turned law and stated that the Government’s hands need to be untethered to do what is necessary to develop Guyana. I was, and still am, fortified in my belief that we are in need of Constitutional Reform AND a reform of the Parliamentary Standing Orders amongst many others. But most of all, we are in desperate need of a reformation of our own attitudes. As a society, we utilise our last energies to fight instead of build.

There is no doubt that the Government will make some missteps as everyone and every institution does.

There was a significant hoop-la about the leasing of the Enmore Packaging

Plant to GKB for reasons that seem counterintuitive and border on the line of insanity.

I support the arrangement of the lease of the Enmore Packaging Plant unreservedly.

Not to stoke fears of a Trini-takeover, but we complain that Trinis are taking all the jobs in the oil and gas sector and we are left wanting even though we do not have the capacity to occupy that space.

Herein is a great example of Guyanese stepping up to the wicket to bat for Guyana to fill that space!

If we do not fill those spaces, someone else will and we will be left complaining.

Guysons, a wholly Guyanese company, sought a partnership that will not only create the kind of employment and competency to address Guyana’s deficiencies in servicing that specific OAG Sector, they ARE also creating a significant footprint for Guyanese in the sector that otherwise would have gone to some foreign company and quite possibly would have left the sugar workers unemployed; left the plant derelict for decades; and would have represented another failed monument to sugar.

Are we to leave that space for others to occupy?

It should by now be

clearly understood that sugar in Region 4 is not only unsustainable due to a variety of factors; it makes little to no sense for the cultivation of sugarcane in Region 4. There is no reasonable person that would expect that a cane field would be burning next to the major capital and economic epicentre of the country with all the issues that come with it. We need to accept that Region 4 will not be the major agricultural powerhouse of this economy as we shift our focus and investments to the regions more capable of absorbing agricultural development.

Imagine someone owning a field that is set on fire seasonally next to Manhattan, Toronto, or any major city globally!

The Enmore Packaging Plant is being leased for a handsome penny that goes directly into supporting the sustainability of the sugar industry thus reducing the subsidy that is paid to the industry – a clear reduction of y(our) tax dollars being used for sugar.

The Government promised 50,000 jobs. The Packaging Plant previously boasted 42 employees and GKB will create 500 which is close to a 1200 per cent increase in employment and those are quality and diversified jobs.

We recently passed

a Local Content Law in Parliament that requires much of us, and we need to occupy that space competently and professionally lest we sign a waiver and see money taken from our share of the revenues and given to others – and complain.

It is important that we as a nation understand how underdeveloped Guyana stood for the last 56+ years and what it will take to get us to that state of development. Will there be seepage? Of course!

However, we must have some introspection.

For us to change Guyana and our trajectory, we first have to change ourselves and our mindset.

The people elected the Government based on their manifesto and that is a fulfilment of their consultative process. I will not say that the Government does not need to further consult; however, when making such an argument, we must be cognisant of what is in their manifesto which constitutes their promise to the people when elected and they now have to fulfil those promises.

Every cycle is five years and they have three and half years more to deliver.

Most respectfully.

Hon. Lenox Shuman, MP Deputy Speaker

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Could the PNC put its house in order?

Dear Editor, It is like a horror movie that keeps haunting your memory everywhere you turn; I am speaking of the PNC and its surrogates who are in a bitter power struggle. Last December, that party held internal elections, which saw Aubrey

Norton – that is according to their own sordid standards – being elected Leader and Chairman of the party. According to the powers that be in that party, this should not have been the desired outcome. By their own rigging electoral standards, another "suitable" candi-

date should have been chosen.

So, from that December election to the present time, there is a gridlock that some commentators sum up as unsolvable. There have been several closed-door meetings held and much back and forth, all to no avail, as

the situation gets more complex and confusing. David Granger who has control of the List of Representatives to sit in Parliament seems adamant that Norton's nomination should not go through, but there is little he can do at this time.

Granger will have to

Pause for a cause at Leonora

Dear Editor, Congratulations to Sheriff Medical for opening a private hospital at Leonora and planning another opening at South Ruimveldt. This service is required and the public will enjoy its convenience.

Leonora is quickly becoming a town with the most urban amenities. Leonora, the famous village on the West Coast of Demerara in Region 3, is endowed with the birthright of Guyana’s current President, the dynamic Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Situated some 10 miles on the western end of Vreed-en-Hoop and also 10 miles on the eastern end of Parika, it is encrypted with golden memories and encoded in silver tears, while being sea-sprayed with the daunting question of whether it has lost its glamour.

Dust covered with the burning ashes of sugar cane and comforted with the cool breeze of the Atlantic Ocean on the northern end, Leonora permeates its resplendence over five square miles of circumvented friendly ambience, stretching afar to the South by the West Demerara Water Conservancy. Sandwiched between Edinburgh as its eastern neighbour where Guyana’s first synthetic track and field ground can be found, and, Stewartville on the West, where the ingenious Forrester Lumber Yard and Building Complex is located employing many youths.

Leonora also bosoms Groenveldt, Pasture, Para Field, Seafield and Sea Spray as her subdivisions, blossoming over 5000 multi-ethnic residents. A privileged place of Dutch origin since the 18th century and named after two children, Leo, a boy and Nora, a girl, this village is a buzzing flock of Hindus,

Muslims and Christians who know not the difference of religion nor ethnicity. Its extravagant and overcrowded Saturday market reflects the unity of diversity and moulds the wish of a nation.

Leonora was once the prestigious home to the Leonora Sugar Factory until the former PNC Government in 1986, spitefully dismantled a thriving estate that had provided bread and butter for hundreds of families. A callous PNC Government meant to break the back of sugar workers when they went on to close other estates.

Leonora was also the proud owner of the best-kept cricket ground….of course, next to Bourda, fielding a much-feared cricket team, and, a park which had provided many exciting and memorable events and games and thrilling fairs and shows, now discarded and isolated in the ruins of regrets. The passion for cricket flows in the blood of every youth in Leonora, but now there is a flood of disdained alacrity.

A generation of vacuum has filled a gap of disconcerted interest. The tears of pleas for a cricket park continue to fall on painful shoulders, but are cushioned on untroubled conscience. Will Leonorians once again ever enjoy the resounding excitement of lovely cricket? The flame has been rekindled to flare a fiery resilience with an undaunted spirit and the President and Sport Minister are urged to fan this inferno. A main railway train station had occupied the centre of Leonora alongside the popular Roxy cinema, both now lying in the annals of history.

Again, a means of transportation still relevant to the current needs of society, the then PNC Government, in hindsight, lacked the vision of

foresight to modernise an industry that is still being maintained throughout the world. Thousands of frustrated Leonorians joined the bandwagon of migrants to evade the wrath of hardship, carved, crafted, and executed by the idiosyncrasy of the PNC Administration.

Will Leonora be considered for the township?

Currently, the village boasts a Police Divisional Headquarters; a magistrate's court; a post office; a NIS office; a fire station; a Cottage Hospital with an ambulance service; a travel service; various supermarkets; furniture store; electrical appliance store; mechanic shops; an internet service; pharmacies; rum shops; modern bars; other business entities offering various services; a concrete block business; an immigration consultant; a lawyer's office; nursery, primary and secondary schools; a technical institute; an accounting school; a synthetic athletic ground; four mandirs; a mosque; two churches; a Ministry of Public Works compound; various taxi services; an office to pay utility bills; barbershops; hair salons; a Saturday market; daily vegetable, fruit, and fish stalls, and a Chicken Burger, etc.

A huge shopping mall is under construction which will provide various services including a cinema, entertainment spots, diners, a gym, shopping plaza, etc. A bank will also open opposite the mall.

New housing schemes are in progress. A recreational park with a computer station was recently opened by the President in memory of Kowsillia’s sacrifice for freedom and Sakina’s contribution towards democracy.

While a number of houses are being reconstructed and modernised, there are quite a handful of dilapidated buildings left unattended and run down.

These buildings hold sentimental values by mostly villagers who have permanently migrated overseas and abandoned their once beautiful homes. But now, these empty houses are occupied by vagrants, drug addicts, and loafers.

The Honourable Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, paid a visit two Saturdays ago at the market and observed the despicable condition of the uncomfortable environment, muddy roads, traffic congestion, inconvenient stalls and the deplorable infrastructure, leaving a sour note in the mouth.

It’s an outright shame and disgrace to reflect on the atrocities displayed in front of the Leonora Hindu Temple as a result.

He promised to begin repairing the roads having perceived impatience, animosity, and frustration while engaging in aggrieved interaction. But Leonora needs a modern market to facilitate housing all the vendors under one shelved roof with the ambience of compatibility for comfort and convenience. Market vendors should not be selling on the public road, on the bridge, or on the old railway line pathway. How gruesome, gross and grotesque is this eyesore! Let’s not put the horse before the cart. A moment of pause, reconsideration, and application is requested for practicality.

Yours respectfully, Jai Lall

make up his mind sooner than later, because Norton is not giving up. Speaking In the vernacular, "Deh own ting come back to bite dem."

Norton isn’t going anywhere, so poor Granger is at his wits’ end to come up with a viable solution to this mess.

Trying to sanitise Norton before the public will not work either, it only exacerbates the problem, because if Norton is pushed to the limit, he could easily muster his supporters and cause an uproar that Granger himself cannot handle. Skeletons would come tumbling out of their closets! Granger might have opined that Norton has a contemptuous outlook of other races, something in his mind he has contorted to mean standing up for The Black Race. But this is the pot calling the kettle black, because these are tenets the party holds dear.

Coupled with the age-old diabolical process of rigging, there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the PNC party, and trying to put up a moral front is shameful, to say the least!

That party has to do some serious soul-searching if ever it is to have any standing in a modern Guyanese society.

In the midst of the pandemonium, Joseph Harmon bites the dust: he resigns citing "personal reasons".

Either he was forced out or like Nicolette Henry, he has stepped aside to gain some sympathy from the 70 per cent of those who resent Norton. In any event, Granger has to come clean with the Norton issue.

In the meantime, Parliament is devoid of an Opposition Leader, one whom they can approach to get major decision-making done in Parliament. In just the same way our country was held up for five months, it is a rehash of this harsh reality. This nonsense has gone on way too long, so we ask the question could the PNC get on with the business of getting its act together and let the democratic movement move on?

Respectfully, Neil Adams

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

Test Questions 1) (i) Calculate 31/2 - 12/7 (ii) Write your answer to part (i) as a decimal to 3 decimal place. (iii) Calculate √9 + 33 (iv) Calculate the radius and area of the circle below (ii) Write your answer to part (iv) in metres.

I

n this fun and easy geology science experiment, we’re going to learn how to perform a rock acid test.

Materials: Several different rocks A piece of limestone Vinegar Several glass jars or clear bowls

2) A bakery sold bread for $300 a loaf. It costs $200 to make a loaf of bread.

Did the bakery make a profit or a loss? If it now costs the bakery twice as much to make the bread, at what price would it have to sell the bread to break even?

By Walter Mac Lawrence

Instructions: Place each different rock in a glass jar. Make sure the limestone is also in a glass jar.

Fill each jar with vinegar and try to cover each rock at least half way.

Allow several minutes to pass and observe what happens.

Does the vinegar react with the limestone or any of the other rocks?

How it works: The rock acid test is used by geologists to identify carbonate minerals. They place a drop of diluted hydrochloric acid on a rock or mineral and look for bubbles.

The bubbles are carbon dioxide being released by a chemical reaction between the carbonate material and acid.

Make this a science project: Try this experiment with lemon juice instead of vinegar. Try adding a seashell to vinegar. Try adding an egg to vinegar. (sciencefun.org)

O beautiful Guyana O my lovely native land More dear to me than all the world Thy sea-washed, sun-kissed strand Or down upon the borders Looking out upon the deep The great Atlantic Blown into a fury, or asleep.

At morn, at noon – or better In the crimson sunset’s glow I love thee, Oh I love thee

“Life is an improvisation. You have no idea what’s going to happen next and you are mostly just making things up as you go along” – Stephen Colbert

WORD SEARCH

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Dunstan Barrow was selected for NRF Board through transparent process – Pres Ali …says persons must respect parliamentary process

Moreover, the Board is expected to report to the subject Minister, who is allowed to give policy directives as deemed necessary to their functions. In addition, the legislation caters for the appointment of two committees, one of which is the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee, which will provide non-Government oversight of the Fund and comprise various civil society representatives who will have to present a report to the National Assembly annually.

NRF nominee Dunstan Barrow

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he name of Dunstan Barrow, the nominee of the National Assembly for the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Board of Directors, emerged from a parliamentary process – one that should be respected by all.

This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, who was asked on the sidelines of a press conference on Sunday to respond to the criticisms that have come from the Opposition, against the Government’s nominee being selected last Wednesday.

Barrow, a former People’s National Congress (PNC) Member of Parliament, was nominated by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government.

However, his nomination did not attract the approval of the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition, whose members stormed out of the Committee meeting.

“I was in Caricom when I saw this. But let me say this.

Is the representative a PPP person? The parliamentary process is that a committee selects someone of standing in our country and in our society. That process brings out a name. It is not that the PPP supported a name that is a member or a Minister of the PPP. This is a former member of the PNC,” Ali said.

On the Government side, the names submitted had included Barrow, former Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Deputy Commissioner General Clement Sealey and diplomat Hamley Case. The APNU/AFC Opposition meanwhile had nominated Elson Low; Chartered Accountant Christopher

Diplomat Hamley Case was another PPP nominee

Ram and former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams. Ali pointed out that there was nothing wrong with the Government’s nominations.

“Let’s focus for one moment on these three names.

That tells you how much we want a one Guyana. Not PPP names. Three citizens of this country… I have no problems with the other names. But what is wrong with this name? This is not PNC and PPP. There’s a parliamentary process, in which a committee makes a decision. And we have to respect that.”

Meanwhile, in addition to Barrow’s nomination to the NRF Board, the Committee of Appointments also went ahead and approved the Government’s nomination of Clement Sealey to sit on the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee under the NRF Act. With the nominees approved by the Committee of Appointments, the next step now is for a motion and draft report to be presented to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which would then have to make a decision whether to send the nominations to the floor of the National Assembly.

But according to a Government source, the PAC has been lagging on following the procedures to have the Appointment Committee’s recommendations meet the House. In fact, <<<Guyana Times>>> was also told that given that the five nominees from both the Government and Opposition sides were shortlisted and approved two meetings ago, the PAC is yet to submit the names to the Clerk of the National Assembly.

The three-to-five-member NRF Board is expected to be made up of mostly civil society representatives, with one nominee from the Private Sector and one from the Parliament. The other members are to be appointed by the President.

Section 5 (2) of the NRF Act provides that the Directors shall be elected from among persons who have wide experience and ability in legal, financial, business, or administrative matters.

However, Section 5 (10) of the said Act states that a person shall not be eligible for appointment as a Director if that person, inter alia, is a member of the National Assembly.

The NRF Act was passed in the National Assembly in December, amid chaos caused by the APNU/AFC Opposition, who did their utmost to disrupt the proceedings after the Bill was brought up for debate.

The Bill, which has since been assented to by President Ali, outlines that the Directors will hold the post for not more than two years, with eligibility for reappointment; and all appointments, as well as changes in appointments, are to be gazetted and published on the Ministry’s website and in two daily newspapers.

The new Bill states that the Board of Directors will be responsible for the overall management of the Fund, reviewing and approving the policies of the Fund, monitoring the performance of the Fund, ensuring compliance with the approved policies of the Fund, and ensuring that the Fund is managed in compliance with the Act and all other applicable laws.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

8 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana shares expertise on handling sexual offences with Antigua & Barbuda

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he launch of a two-day virtual Knowledge Exchange Workshop between the Sexual Offences Courts of Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda was held on Friday.

In attendance were Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards; Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George; Head of Cooperation at the High Commission of Canada to Guyana, Jessica Teasdale, other Judges and justice stakeholders from across the Caribbean Region.

During her remarks, Teasdale acknowledged Canada’s long and productive partnership with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Governments in justice reform. She also reiterated Canada’s commitment to promoting gender justice and continued advocacy and strengthening of the justice system to address sexual and gender-based violence in the Region.

The workshop will continue on Wednesday via Zoom and will include presentations on the Model Guidelines for Dealing with Sexual Offences Model Court (SOMC); the establishment, and functioning of sexual offences courts, and the difference the Sexual Offences Model Guidelines (SOMG) can make to the complainant’s experience in each jurisdiction. It will include key stakeholder participation from both jurisdic-

tions and elsewhere in the Region.

The workshop aims to connect the Antigua and Barbuda SOMC and Guyana Sexual Offences Courts to enable them to share their experiences, achievements, challenges, best practices, and learnings in applying the SOMG; to further develop strategies to advance the implementation of the SOMG and sexual offence courts in each jurisdiction and in the Region; to develop knowledge products that capture lessons, strategies, and best practices, for use by the SOMC, the Guyana Sexual Offences Courts, and other jurisdictions in the Region.

The workshop is being facilitated by the Government of Canada’s Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana’s final court of appeal.

The JURIST Project is a multi-year (2014-2023) regional Caribbean judicial reform initiative funded under an arrangement with the Government of Canada. The Project is being implemented on behalf of Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Conference of Heads of Judiciary of Caricom by the CCJ, which was appointed by the Conference as its Regional

Executing Agency (REA).

The JURIST Project commenced activities on April 1, 2014, after the signing of a Contribution Arrangement between the CCJ and GAC. The Government of Canada is providing CAD19,400,000 while the CCJ as the executing agency and other regional partners will contribute CAD1,441,689 and CAD2,883,327 respectively.

The Project is working with judiciaries in the Region to support their own efforts to improve court administration and strengthen the ability of the courts and the judiciaries to resolve cases efficiently and fairly. It is being implemented in at least six countries and will be expanded to include other territories in the Region.

The Project is also building the capacity of regional trial and appellate courts, including the CCJ, to facilitate the deepening of economic integration and improve court governance, case flow management, and the timeliness of case disposition.

According to the JURIST Project, the enhancement of fair and efficient case disposition will improve the quality of justice delivery, inspire public confidence in the justice system, foster gender equality throughout the courts, and make the Region more attractive to foreign and domestic investment.

Man seeking to overturn life sentences for raping boys

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Child rapist Mark Campbell

hearing into an appeal filed by Mark Campbell who is serving two life sentences for raping two young boys is set to be called today at the Guyana Court of Appeal. The bench comprises Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.

Campbell, in his Notice of Appeal, is asking the appellate court to reverse and/or set aside the jury’s verdict and for his sentences to be quashed and set aside.

Following a trial at the Demerara High Court in October 2017, for the first count, a jury found that Campbell first engaged in sexual penetration with the boy in question twice during September 2011, when he was six years old—and again on July 10, 2013, when he turned eight years old.

After the jury returned its verdict, Campbell, who had been unrepresented by counsel throughout his trial, begged the court for mercy, claiming that he did not have a fair trial.

“Since the day I enter this court and see how everything was going, I knew I couldn’t get a fair trial,” he had said.

He had also told the court that his family did not assist him in obtain-

ing legal counsel, adding that it was “very hard to know” that the jury found him guilty.

Responding to Campbell’s comments, trial Judge Simone MorrisRamlall said that the court was not inclined to show him mercy given that he violated the boy in the worst possible way and did not even show “one ounce of love” to him when he testified.

“It was as if you were talking to a stranger. This court must send a strong message to others who may want to carry out such acts,” the Judge had noted.

In the end, Justice Morrison-Ramlall sentenced him to life imprisonment on each of the two counts, ordering that he only becomes eligible for parole after 30 years. The two sentences will run concurrently.

Meanwhile, in August 2018, Campbell appeared before Demerara High Court Judge Priya

Sewnarine-Beharry on a charge for a similar offence.

This time, however, he forwent his right to a trial and pleaded guilty. He admitted to sexually penetrating a five-year-old boy on April 16, 2013. Justice Sewnarine-Beharry also imposed a life sentence on him, ordering further that he was not to be considered eligible for parole until after serving 30 years.

In sentencing the sex offender, Justice SewnarineBeharry had considered the aggravating factors, in that, Campbell abused a position of trust as he was left to take care of the young boy. She had also pointed to the physical, psychological and emotional trauma the act must have had on the little boy.

The Judge also considered the serious nature of the offence, stating that Campbell, with his early guilty plea, saved the victim the trauma of having to come and testify.

War by other means…

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…via “civil society”? arl von Clausewitz was a 19th-century Prussian military strategist whose masterpiece, “On War” is still studied in every military academy in the world, including the West, Russia, China and most likely even our Officer Training Courses. So all sides in the Ukraine War – which Russia insists is an “invasion” and not a war, would’ve studied Clausewitz. They would then know, about his “fog of war” thesis. Here, all the rules learned in military academies might have to be thrown overboard in the fear, excitement, and incomplete information of actual war conditions. It then boils down to the judgment of commanders on the ground who gotta make on-the-spot decisions.

So let’s remember Clausewitz and take heed of this factor during this Ukraine War: the predictability of unpredictability – even in this age of instantaneous communications. So, if for nothing else, there must be lines of communication between the higher echelons of all “sides” and their allies. Back here in mudland, David Granger would’ve certainly been exposed to Clausewitz and rather ironically, would’ve had the opportunity – after he became President – to test the great man’s most famous aphorism: "Politics is war by other means”!!

And not so incidentally, we segue into this brouhaha that’s broken out between those groups calling themselves “civil society” and the Government. Now it was back when Clausewitz was around that the notion of “civil society” was formed by his contemporary Hegel and others. It was a very broad concept – on one hand, there was the STATE and everyone outside of it and its institutions was “CIVIL SOCIETY”. Businesses were, as such, part of civil society.

Since then, the concept has changed significantly. It began when “civic groups” in civil society were formed in the 19th and 20th centuries to push “civic virtues” so that folks could live the good life harmoniously. While the Government would take care of the big picture. All was hunky-dory for a while until the end of the Cold War in 1989, when groups in the former Soviet Republics vied to control the new States. At the same time, not coincidentally, the Washington Consensus was promulgated on how those societies – including Guyana’s – should be run. Hoyte had to fall into line and we saw “civil society” groups like the GHRA and Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB) and GUARD emerging to encourage the “democratic transition”.

In Eastern Europe – including Ukraine – there were the “colour revolutions” pushed by these groups to effectuate “democratic regime change”. Civil Society was now directly involved in politics, but the question was asked – what exactly were their “democratic” credentials when there was no mechanism for the “people” to validate them??

And, of course, who was “feeding” them so as to “muzzle” or “sic ‘em” at will!! …and democracy Now, in a democracy, according to the Civil Society organisations – nowadays also called “Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) – folks should be able to express their opinions freely – once they aren’t libellous or treasonous.

Who can argue with that? But within the context of the regime changes that took place all over the world –- a lot of agendas, foreign and domestic, can also be pushed under the “Civil Society” umbrella. And incumbent governments are wary.

You do remember our “Red Caps”, “Blue Caps” and “Vote like a boss” outfits from a decade ago, don’t you?

Well, it seems the PPP hasn’t forgotten them. And who can blame them after their experience going back to the sixties? Then, it was the trade unions – which could democratically show membership – who were “trained” in areas far removed from their labour issues remit – who carried the fight.

Governments gonna have to walk a fine line so as not to appear to be stifling “free speech”. …on local content Your Eyewitness was more than a tad surprised that we were gonna let Caricom decide on the content of our local content legislation?

Sure, we know it’s in the CSME agreement. But isn’t that on “pause”?

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Cheddi Jagan’s 25th death anniversary

Use his teachings as inspiration to continue developing Guyana – PPP Executive Secretary

PPP Executive Secretary and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha addressing the gathering on Sunday

Mustapha paying his respects to the late Dr Cheddi Jagan on Sunday

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s Guyana observes the 25th death anniversary of founder and leader of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Cheddi Jagan, the Party’s Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha called on all Guyanese to use his teachings as an inspiration to continue developing Guyana.

The late Dr Cheddi Jagan died on March 6, 1997.

In observance of his death, on Sunday, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the monument site at Babu Jaan, Corentyne, Region Six – the site where he was cremated.

Several senior members of the Party and representatives from various organisations were present to

the People’s Progressive Party and the first elected executive President of our country passed away,” he said.

He pointed out that Guyana was robbed of a person who made a valuable contribution to the development of the nation.

“As fate would have had it, it only allowed him four years as the President of our country. Because of undemocratic and rigged elections, he was prevented from being the President of our country, or else he would have been the longest-serving President of our country if we did not

Regional Chairman David Armogan at the cremation site

have rigged elections.”

Dr Jagan (March 22, 1918 – March 6, 1997) was a dentist who was first elected Chief Minister in

PPP/Civic MP Dharmakumar Seeraj placing a wreath at the site

pay their respects.

Addressing the small gathering, Mustapha related that it was an important day not just for the PPP but for all Guyana.

“We are marking 25 years since the father of the nation and founder of

his teaching and ideas are still relevant today.

“I know quite recently as the people of Guyana were confronted by a Government who wanted to steal the country. As dedicated sons and daughters of the People’s Progressive Party, being led by a person who would have come through the ranks of the various organisations, we were able to ensure that democracy was upheld in our country,” Mustapha noted.

He referred to the late President as being a global leader.

“When things around

1953, and later Premier of British Guiana from 1961 to 1964. He later served as President of Guyana from 1992 to his death in 1997.

Dr Jagan is widely regarded in Guyana as the father of the nation.

According to Mustapha,

the world were changing, he came up with the New Global Human Order.

An order that countries around the world must implement to ensure that they take their people out of poverty and suffering,” Mustapha said in giving a sample of Dr Jagan’s contribution towards improving living conditions worldwide.

“His teaching will be relevant until eternity.”

Mustapha further told the gathering that Guyana took the spotlight at the recently-concluded Caricom Heads of Government Conference where President Dr Irfaan Ali represented with pride and dignity.

“His presentation was based on some of the teachings of Dr Jagan.”

“Our emphasis is on food production and job creation investments. Our land must not only be a beautiful landscape but also the land must feed us.

We are spending more on drainage and irrigation to enable us to put every inch of our cultivatable land under the plough. We have a market for food production, especially our grains like rice,” Mustafa said as he quoted some of Dr Jagan’s writings.

The Party’s senior official told the gathering that the current Administration has added to those guidelines given by Dr Jagan

decades ago and has added other grains – corn and soya.

“So, you can see that the teachings and ideas of Dr Jagan are relevant today and we as a Party. we will ensure at all times that we uphold and use those ideas and teachings as a guide….”

He referred to the late President as the greatest person to ever walk the shores of Guyana.

“On this occasion of his 25th death anniversary, let us use this as an inspiration to rededicate our energies so that we can put our shoulders to the wheel for continued development of our country,” he said.

Also making remarks at the event were PPP Central Committee Member Hydar Ally and Region Six Chairman David Armogan. (Andrew Carmichael)

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

15 new COVID cases in 24h, 3 in ICU

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he Health Ministry on Sunday reported that 15 new COVID-19 infections were detected, thus taking the number of positive cases to 63,055. The death toll, however, remains at 1223 while the Ministry is monitoring 321 active cases.

New statistics showed that there are three patients in the designated Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 300 in home isolation, 18 in institutional isolation and nine in institutional quarantine. Some 61,511 patients have recovered from the life-threatening virus while 545,519 tests have been conducted.

In terms of new infections, four were recorded in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); seven in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); two in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); two in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) and two in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

No new cases were reported in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The most recent vaccination numbers show

433,497 or 84.5 per cent of the adult population have received a first COVID vaccine dose while 330,026 or 64.3 per cent are completely immunised.

For the 12 to 17 age group, 33,661 or 46.2 per cent received a first dose and 24,373 or 33.4 per cent took both doses. In terms of booster doses, 51,925 persons have received their jabs.

This past week, antiviral drug Molnupiravir was approved for use in the treatment of COVID-19 cases in Guyana, targeting mainly patients with moderate symptoms to prevent the severe form of the disease from manifesting.

Produced by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, the oral medication has proven to significantly reduce both hospitalisations and deaths. On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation updated its guidelines on COVID-19 therapeutics to include the conditional recommendation on Molnupiravir.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony had also announced that a local agency was given the green light to import the drug and the Government would activate efforts to introduce it into the public health sys-

tem.

Persons with comorbidities have been continuously asked to continue taking their respective medications or treatment to control their conditions. The preventative measures and guidelines to protect against the virus must be adhered to since this category of persons is at a greater risk if they contract COVID-19.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise: correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home, maintaining six feet of physical distance from others, and good hand hygiene.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 231-1166, 2267480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health. gov.gy.

Globally, almost 439 million people have tested positive for the virus and over 5.96 million have died.

In the Americas, more than 147 million confirmed cases have been reported with over 2.6 million deaths.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD MARCH 6, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

15

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

18

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

300

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

3

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

9

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

34,027

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,028

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

63,055

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

61,511

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2515

REGION 2

2475

REGION 3

8032

REGION 4

31,168

REGION 5

2370

REGION 6

5718

REGION 7

2420

REGION 8

887

REGION 9

4005

REGION 10

3465

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

427,680 320,221

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1223

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

Parental involvement pivotal in children's GPHC gets medical equipment academic success – Manickchand to boost operations

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

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ducation Minister Priya Manickchand has encouraged parents to get involved in their children’s academic journey, since their success depends on this.

She shared this information during the Education Ministry’s textbook distribution exercise, which commenced in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on Saturday.

Manickchand pointed out that the academic success of children was linked to the support received at home. She noted that this was highlighted in many instances where parents displayed a keen interest in their children's education.

"Any child who is successful, and while you have some exceptions, the majority of them have parents who support them, and note I didn't say rich parents,” she told stakeholders.

The Minister further urged parents not to politicise their children's education, as she reminded them of their duty to act in the best interest of their children.

It was underscored that it was important for each child to have their textbooks so they can achieve their full potential. Each primary school pupil in the public system will receive textbooks that cover the core subject areas – Mathematics, English Language, Science, and Social Studies.

The Ministry said it remained committed to ensuring that there was equitable access to educational resources for every pupil across Guyana.

After the change of Government in the midst of the pandemic, the Education Ministry had ensured that every Grade Six child was covered with textbooks and other materials. This initia-

tive was executed at a time when no oil resources were used.

Guyana’s mid-year report for 2021 showed that $980.5 million was spent by the Education Ministry to acquire worksheets and textbooks for children in the public school system. Some 165,958 textbooks were procured and distributed to over 13,000 Grade Six students.

After the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) entered office in August 2020, it was found that Guyana had not procured textbooks in over three years which resulted in a “big deficit”, according to the Education Minister. In light of this, the Ministry had moved to procure all textbooks needed at the primary level. After last year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), Manickchand had called for textbooks to be returned, in order to provide these opportunities for the new batch of students. The Education Ministry had implemented a policy whereby the NGSA results are withheld until the books are returned.

This is the first time every primary school child will receive all textbooks in the primary system. In the past, parents were tasked with purchasing these books – a cumbersome burden on those who could not afford them.

Director of Global Health at Northwell Health, Dr Eric Cioe-Pena handing over the equipment to Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

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he Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Saturday received medical equipment to the tune of US$125, 000 from Northwell Health, New York to boost its operations.

Northwell Health is a non-profit integrated healthcare network, and is New York’s largest healthcare provider and private employer.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said the much-needed equipment would be used in the pathology department and would allow for better services and timely diagnosis of illnesses.

“I can assure you we’ll make sure that it’s put to good use, the microscopes that we spoke about earlier –that’s a very needed piece of equipment, because a lot of times when specimens go to the pathology department, they are not able to process these things as quickly as possible,” he said.

“And our cancer regis-

try which we have developed some time ago, many times the classification of these specimens are not done properly, so this is going to change the way that we make this diagnosis,” the Minister said.

Dr Anthony also reiterated President Dr Irfaan Ali’s vision of having a world-class healthcare system. He said it was, therefore, important “in this new era of health sector development” to also have world-class partnerships.

The Minister noted that Guyana’s partnership with Northwell Health was a “two-way relationship” as Guyana could benefit from the services provided by Northwell Health, and that organisation could benefit from the commendable primary healthcare system here in Guyana.

Director of Global Health at Northwell Health, Dr Eric Cioe-Pena during the handing-over ceremony said he was hopeful that Northwell

Health could set the standard for a good partnership in Guyana.

“I’m very excited that this is the first supply shipment that we’re able to help GPHC coordinate, that will help to boost service… We hope that we set a standard for partnership in Guyana for 2022, that this is the level we expect partners to act with – the level of respect, mutual exchange of information and support,” Dr Cioe-Pena said.

Meanwhile, Ministerial Advisor, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said building partnerships with international entities was the fastest way of improving the local health sector.

Also attending the simple ceremony were acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPHC, Robbie Rambarran; Consultant of the Pathology Department at GPHC, Dr Nancy Sitchao and other officials of GPHC and Northwell Health.

NEWS

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MoF denounces continued misinformation GECOM’s continuous registration kick-starts today peddled against Amaila Falls Project

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he continuous registration exercise, spearheaded by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), will commence today from all permanent Registration Offices in the various administrative regions.

This process is necessary in updating the List of Electors and paving the way for the hosting of Local Government Elections (LGE). GECOM has 28 permanent Registration Offices located in the 10 administrative regions.

According to GECOM, this registration exercise is of crucial importance to first-time applicants, regarded as those persons who would have been 14 to 18 years of age, that were captured during the 2019 House-to-House registration.

Last week, a press release by GECOM stated, “All such persons are required to note that their application for registration has been cancelled.

Therefore, those persons are required to reapply for registration during this registration exercise.”

Any person, who will be 14 years or older by October 31, 2022, and is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, or naturalisation or is a citizen from a Commonwealth country living in Guyana

for one year or more can apply for registration, provided that he or she was never registered before.

They are required to visit the GECOM Registration Office responsible for their area of residence with the relevant source documents: original birth certificate, valid passport, adoption certificate or naturalisation certificate in the case of new registration.

For change of name, the original marriage certificate or deed poll with birth certificate is required.

Existing registrants, who are desirous of updating their records, such as a request to correct or change their names, date of birth, occupation or update their addresses are advised that those transactions would also be facilitated during this exercise.

Last week, Guyana Timeshad reported that GECOM had issued instructions to Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, to commence preparations for continuous registration, an important step towards the holding of LGE. It is also understood that GECOM is looking to have an updated voters’ list in place by October, in order for the LGE to be held. The last time GECOM conducted continuous registration was in 2019, in preparation

for the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Over $750 million has been set aside in Budget 2022 for the preparations to be undertaken by GECOM for the hosting of LGE this year. This money is part of an overall $4.1 billion allocation to GECOM in Budget 2022, and was examined and approved by the National Assembly during its consideration of the 2022 Budget Estimates.

Included in the $783 million for LGE is a morethan-$300 million increase in “other goods and services purchased”, which jumped from $250.8 million in 2021 to $575.9 million in the 2022 Budget.

LGE are constitutionally due every two years in Guyana, and were last held in 2018. However, given the fiasco that played out following the 2020 General and Regional Elections, the Local Government polls were deferred to 2021.

At the last LGE in November 2018, the then People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Opposition had secured 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs). This followed the holding of the LGE in 2016, during which the PPP/C also claimed the majority of the LAAs. The registration exercise will conclude on May 29, 2022.

East La Penitence man remanded over $2.6M cocaine find

Ian Griffith

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orty-five-year-old Ian Griffith appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Courts on Friday, charged for allegedly trafficking $2.6 million in cocaine.

Griffith, of North East La Penitence, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on March 3, 2022, he had 2.330 kilograms of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

He was remanded to prison for the offence by Magistrate Zamilla AllySeepaul. His matter continues on April 22, 2022.

The Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) said

The parcels of cocaine CANU ranks uncover during operations between Ruby and Den Amstel, East Bank Essequibo

that its ranks conducted operations between Ruby and Den Amstel, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) which led to the arrest of Griffith and the seizure of two parcels of cocaine, carrying a street value of $2.6 million.

In August 2016, Griffith and Cora Towler were both remanded to prison after a quantity of cocaine was discovered in a suitcase belonging to a 14-year-old boy.

In late August 2016, the

boy was awaiting a flight to New York at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) when Police uncovered the cocaine in the handles of his suitcase. He was later released, and Griffith and Towler were charged.

They were arraigned on separate charges which stated that on August 26, 2016, they trafficked 1.004 kg of cocaine. Guyana Times is not aware of the status of these charges.

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he Ministry of Finance (MoF) has firmly denounced continued misinformation that is being peddled in the public domain against the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project.

In a statement, it drew attention to information published under the banner of a daily publication, indicating that the Amaila Falls power plant would not supply electricity to Essequibo and Berbice.

“This statement, once again and much like many other statements coming out of this media house recently, is simply not true.

Amaila will supply electricity through Sophia to the national grid for distribution,” the Ministry clarified.

It added that this will include Berbice, which is already connected through the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS). Additionally, even in advance of Amaila, the Government is already working to deliver approximately 10 megawatts of peak solar power directly to Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

“Similarly, the Government is also already working on a project to deliver eight megawatts of solar power to Essequibo.

Furthermore, the master plan for the electricity sector includes linking isolated Essequibo systems with the DBIS by 2026.”

Any information which deviates from the Government position, the Ministry contended, should be dubbed an inaccuracy and be denounced fully.

Artist’s impression of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project

Construction on the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) will start this year, as Government continues to ramp up spending on renewable energy projects as well as upgrades to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) infrastructure.

The expected completion date is 2027.

The AFHP will be based on a Build-Own-OperateTransfer (BOOT) model where the company will supply electricity to GPL Inc at a cost not exceeding US$0.07737 per kWh and where the company will provide the entire equity required by the project and undertake all the risks associated with the project.

The revival of the 165-megawatt AFHP was one of the promises made by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic in its manifesto. The project was initiated under the previous PPP/C Administration, but was scrapped by the coalition Administration which had controlled the National Assembly by a one-seat Opposition majority.

The AFHP was the flagship of Guyana’s Low Carbon

Development Strategy (LCDS).

Amaila was expected to deliver a steady source of clean, renewable energy that would have been affordable and reliable, and was envisioned to meet approximately 90 per cent of Guyana’s domestic energy needs while removing dependency on fossil fuels.

The AFHP was first identified in 1976 by the Canadian company Monenco during an extensive survey of hydroelectric power potential in Guyana. Various studies have since justified and strongly supported the construction of the AFHP. The Government has allocated a total of $29.4 billion to the energy sector in 2022. Another energy-related project is the gas-toshore project, which Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh assured would be constructed in keeping with transparency and accountability.

This project, he said, will allow the Government to phase out the use of expensive and carbon-intensive heavy fuel oil and is targeted to reduce costs substantially.

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14 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 7,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

We Lift 2: Showcasing woman-owned businesses in Guyana

Dr Vindhya Persaud, Minister of Human Services and Social Security

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n celebration of the upcoming International Women’s Day 2022, which will be observed on March 8, the Human Services and Social Security Ministry held its second “We Lift” event – an event promoting and empowering women entrepreneurs.

We Lift 2 was held on Saturday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre under the theme: “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud welcomed the guests at the event, especially the women in a brief speech. The Minister, in her speech, said that the fight for gender equality falls on the shoulders of everyone, shedding light on the importance of persons playing their part to ensure that gender equality becomes a reality.

“Gender equality has never been elusive, will not be elusive, but it depends heavily on each one of us.

It depends on us believing

to upscale, and to ensure that they have every conceivable platform so that they can emerge with all of their potential, expressed in every conceivable way,” Dr Persaud explained.

The Minister added that in light of the event, it calls for persons to rid themselves of gender bias and approach the concept as a human being who is compassionate.

“Let us not see ourselves as a man or woman but as a human being that is compassionate, who is compassionate, filled with all of the energy required to ensure that women and girls receive every iota of support that they require to achieve their fullest potential.”

Persons at the We Lift 2 event

happy, on behalf of the Government of Canada to be here to celebrate the sec-

Rihanna. Then, a stunning spoken word performance by the talented Quanisha

gratitude for the We Lift 2 event as it helps in spreading the world about new

ond We Lift event in celebration of International Women’s Day. Thank you, Minister for inviting us here again. Thank you as well for your dynamism and dedication to this. You really drive these issues and you have our compliments in that regard,” he said.

The event was filled with exciting entertainment, all organised and produced by women.

The opening item on the programme featured young and accomplished

Patterson. The entertainment ended with a fashion show, showcasing 40 pieces designed by eight Guyanese fashion designers.

In addition, 150 woman-owned businesses were on exhibition at the event.

This publication caught up with a few of these inspiring women.

Raphaella Ovietta, CEO of Guyana’s first and only Manga bookshop, Rakiyomu

business to the people of Guyana.

Sisters Julianna and Mary Lopes are founders of a marketing and advertising company, Marketing and Advertisements for Developing Enterprises (MADE), which is an online-based graphic design and marketing agency. The duo who are each talented in the world of marketing and graphic design founded

women who aspire and inspire to be successful women in a field of their choosing from different walks of life. The “Amplify Her” segment featured Aurelia Sueann, a poet and student of Maryann Academy, Aleka Persaud, Guyana’s international swimmer, Samira Duncan, a multiple medallist for her outstanding performance in archery, and many more talented women.

That was followed by a musical number by Parvani Chetram, also known as

hopes of having a physical location for her business and becoming a household name across Guyana. The manga enthusiast made her We Lift debut at the event and hopes to be back next year, bigger and better.

“Since we’re Guyana's first and only manga store, right now I’m hoping to have a physical location and possibly being a household name. That’s my dream, becoming a household name,” the 22-year-old businesswoman said.

Ovietta expressed her

the business in 2021.

“What we’re trying to do is not only build the businesses that we work with through the services that we provide but also for us, what we want to do is to ensure that, one, we are a household name, but to also provide innovative technologies with our services,” Julianna explained.

The We Lift event, in its second year, seeks to recognise, inspire and appreciate the hard work of businesswomen in Guyana. (Shane Marks)

Persons at the We Lift 2 event

that there must be gender equality and it relies on us ensuring that we are part of a momentum that would’ve started some time ago. The important thing in all of this is to never let that momentum relent,” she urged.

“We Lift is a powerful environment where women must understand that we’re here to support, to encourage, to motivate, to train,

On behalf of the Canadian Government, Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman congratulated Minister Persaud on the initiative she drives for gender equality in Guyana.

“I have met many confident, strong young women from Guyana, and it is remarkable and I am very

FEATURE

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mahaica fatal accident

Parents of victims wish accident was just a dream – receive assistance from fmr MP

Rehanna Bhagwandat, the mother of 20-year-old Christopher Bhagwandat

By Andrew Carmichael

S

peeding, reckless driving, and driving under the influence are most times the contributing factors of fatal accidents along our roadways.

This, oftentimes, severely impacts the lives of loved ones either financially or

her 20-year-old husband Derick Dickson was in the passenger seat and the two children were in the back seat.

“I thought that was it for us… as I see the canter coming towards me, I said that was it,” Lynch told Guyana Times. According to Lynch, it was a trying moment for her family, recalling that her eight-year-old daughter witnessed her father collapsing at Georgetown Hospital after he was taken there.

“It was a very traumatising experience and still it is.

That was one of the worst experiences that we would have had.”

Since the accident, according to Lynch, she and her husband are both afraid to travel in vehicles. However, it is even more traumatising since she has to travel from New Amsterdam to Georgetown regularly which

Munir Persaud, the father of 16-year-old Sheereda Persaud

emotional trauma is having the greatest impact on the couple who still have to provide for their family.

Still trying to come to grips with reality, Munish Persaud, the father of 16-year-old Sheereda Persaud, stated that his daughter had a bright future.

“She was studying hard.

Dr Veerasammy Ramayya presented cheques totalling $1.5 million to the relatives and those who were affected by the accident

end of the court proceedings.

On the other hand, Rehana Bhagwandat, 45, the mother of Christopher is trying to move on after losing her husband about five

Okesha Lynch saw the lorry coming towards her and said “that was it”

Vannie Bharrat, the wife of the driver of the canter

The two children who were injured in the accident

emotionally. The recent accident at Helena, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) is one that will be on the lips of all of Guyana for the longest while, but no one will know how the relatives and friends of the deceased Christopher Bhagwandat and his girlfriend, Sheereda Persaud are coping.

In that accident, two young children ages two and eight were also injured, and the owners of the vehicles involved are also affected.

On that fateful day, Okesha Lynch, 32, was driving motor car PAB 8222 when a canter slammed into her after it was struck by a speeding car. At the time,

means she had to pass the accident scene.

In addition, Dickson who works at sea is unable to return due to injuries he sustained.

“He suffered head injuries and had to visit the neurologist. My feet are still paining and swelling. My husband is supposed to turn out to work, but he can’t. I started to work again, but I had to stop because of the pressure on my foot and it was swelling.”

Apart from both Lynch and Dickson being unable to earn, the family had spent in excess of $150,000 in medical bills and other accident-related expenses. The

She had big plans. She wanted to further her studies and become a medical doctor,” the father held back tears as he reminisced on his daughter. He recalled her participating in the Youth Parliament and she was very excited to one day join the political arena.

While he did not say much due to the hurt he and his family is experiencing, he wished that his daughter’s soul would rest in peace and hoped that the tragedy was just a dream. He was not happy that the Police Corporal who is responsible for the accident was granted bail. As such, he would like to see the Policeman facing the full consequences at the

months ago, and now her only child who took care of her after the passing of his father.

“It is hard. Every day I cry. I do not know what might happen to me. I just don’t know,” she said. She explained that her husband had suffered a stroke in 2015, forcing her only child to leave school and forsake his dreams of becoming a doctor.

“My son came out of school and said he was learning to weld. In 2017, he started working as a mechanic, welder and driver until his demise in February. He was murdered,” the mother cried.

The 20-year-old man dreamt of owning his own home and wanted a better life for his mother. “He never used to smoke or drink.

He was a Sunday school

teacher. He told me that he wanted to buy his own car and opened his own workshop, because he was a mechanic. But those dreams never came true,” the woman cried, noting that she wished it was just all a dream.

The real impact of the accident cannot be really expressed.

Meanwhile, on Friday last, Region Six former Member of Parliament Dr Veerasammy Ramayya presented cheques totalling $1.5 million to those who have been impacted by the tragic accident. $500,000 was presented to relatives of Bhagwandat and Persaud, while $250,000 was given to Safraz Hassan, the owner of the car that Bhagwandat was driving at the time of the accident. The car was completely destroyed. In addition, Vannie Bharrat was also presented with $250,000 to offset hospital expenses for her husband who was driving the canter.

The 46-year-old cattle husker has still not yet recovered from injuries he sustained from the accident.

“He has pain in his shoulders, his two knees, his tummy and he is unable to work,” the mother of three revealed.

According to Bharrat, a housewife, her family is struggling financially since the accident. The canter she explained has been written off. For her family, the accident is a nightmare with the impact having far-reaching consequences.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Hassan, who is a car-

penter said Bhagwandat had borrowed his car which did not have comprehensive insurance coverage.

“The insurance company told me I can’t get back any-

Safraz Hassan, the owner of the car that Bhagwandat was driving at the time of the accident

thing on that.” Although he was not personally involved in the accident, Hassan says his losses and suffering are great.

“I work as a construction worker and when I am not getting a job, I would drive my car and fetch passengers.” The 32-year-old Hassan has a wife and a nine-year-old child.

Weeks after the accident, the driver of the Police vehicle, 27-year-old Police Corporal Lawrence Carmichael of Seafield Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB) has been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was granted bail in the sum of $1.5 million.

16 FEATURE

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mother of 15 walks 18 miles to celebrate 80th birthday

Sommersell leading the way during the 18-mile walk

Margie Sommersell and some of her relatives on Sunday morning

A

woman who gave birth to 15 children took an 18-mile walk to observe her eightieth birthday on Sunday.

Margie Sommersell of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) was joined by family mem-

bers and friends as she walked from Palmyra to Fyrish – the village where she was born.

“I decided that for my 80th birthday, I am going to walk and go back to my village. I love walking. Every afternoon I walk from home to the East Bank of Berbice

and back,” she told Guyana Times.

Sommersell worked as a bus conductor with the Transport and Harbours Department. She retired at age 55 and sought employment as a security guard until 2021.

It was only then that

she started walking.

During her school days, she refused to get involved in athletics.

“If a race didn’t have someone at school sports and they tell me to go and run, I would say no. I only played circle tennis.”

Now on a daily basis,

she leaves home around 15:00h for her walk which covers more than 10 miles and she would return by 18:00h.

She still takes care of a flower garden on a daily basis. Family members related that the elderly woman would walk to the hospital if she has to go for a check-up and even walk to the market.

“Walking is very important for my health. It keeps every bone in my body active. I don’t have any pain.

I don’t trouble with any sickness,” Sommersell de-

clared.

She is encouraging people to pay more attention to their health. With 32 grandchildren so far, Sommersell is already planning for her next birthday.

“I want to walk from New Amsterdam to Kildonan and back.” That is a distance of about 45 miles. Sommersell said her father was from that village.

And planning even further ahead, she said that for her 100th birthday, she will be doing a special walk.

La Sean Davis-Semple: It’s her nature to help the helpless

B

eing a social worker is not a walk in the park as many of us would think it is. It’s a job that requires patience and hopefulness and a drive to help people. It also requires involvement and investing your own personal time into contributing to the well-being of someone else’s life.

The involvement of a social worker in someone’s life plays a major role in that person’s willingness to move in the right direction in their life.

For 43-year-old La Sean Davis-Semple, a social worker at the Dialysis Department at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), helping people has always been her dream as she was growing up. Before she even knew what the word social worker meant, she wanted to be one. The memory of her telling her mother when she was a little girl that she wanted to build homes for homeless people is clear as day in her head.

Her mother would always tell her that she would become a welfare officer, because she saw the willingness and the determination in her daughter's eyes to assist people who were in need.

La Sean has been a social worker for the past seven years at the GPHC, but

La Sean Davis-Semple, social worker at the GPHC Dialysis Department

she has been working there for more than 20 years. The job description of a social worker is nothing like she imagined, especially for a social worker who deals with patients who are on dialysis – a life-determining treatment.

La Sean is responsible for preparing and prepping patients by helping with social and interpersonal difficulties before, during, and sometimes after their dialysis treatment. It is a lengthy process that sometimes requires months of involvement, depending

on how long the patient remains on dialysis treatment.

The mother of two has faced many challenges during her time as a social worker at the GPHC. She recalls working with a 16-year-old girl who was receiving dialysis treatment at the hospital after being diagnosed with hypertension.

"So, there was a 16-year-old girl that came in with instagia disease and I wanted so bad to help her get a transplant and all of these things, but because

she wasn’t getting a match – her sister wasn’t a perfect match, her mom wasn’t a perfect match – she didn’t get the transplant.

Eventually, that patient died," La Sean recalled.

La Sean said that the girl's passing devastated her because she kept thinking of her own daughter who was the same age.

"I got really close to that patient and that patient died. Why it hurt me so much? Because I thought that she could’ve been my child, you know. I got really close with that patient,” she said.

As such, La Sean stated that she had to develop a mechanism whereby she taught herself not to get close to her patients, no matter the situation. She did this so that she could safeguard her own mental health.

“That is one thing I learned over time is that you mustn’t get so close emotionally with patients.

Yes, you must have some sort of emotions involved, but then you have to know how to separate it," she explained.

But this strong woman who has been dreaming of helping people since she was a young girl, found it hard to create that barrier and block out her emotions. She detailed another case of an eight-year-old boy who died. This is prob-

ably her most heartbreaking case yet.

“My most traumatic case was this eight-yearold boy. I watched him in the hospital for over a year. We tried everything that was available, every resource that was available we gave to him, but he didn’t make it. And to watch him die…you know, to prepare him for death, like to tell him, ‘well, you know, you cannot make it or you wouldn’t make it’.

I’m not God, but this is what the medical aspect of it is,” La Sean said.

She stated that after the child passed away, she was heavily involved in the planning of his funeral; that is how attached she was to the little boy.

The helper by heart said that she would go, and have gone, to great lengths to help the people she worked with, especially financially, as most patients who receive dialysis treatment cannot afford it, due to it being expensive.

“I’ve gone so far, trust me. I would ask persons who I know are very comfortable with money, who can afford it to assist a patient. Even the doctors that work right in this department I would ask them for money to assist this patient. ‘Please for this money to buy this for this patient.’ ‘Please for this money to do this for

this patient.’ I would go to the length for patients because to watch persons just die, young people, mothers with young children, fathers who are breadwinners and have young children, it’s heartbreaking.

It’s really heartbreaking,” she explained.

The mother who juggles a marriage, the responsibility of caring for two kids, and patients who need emotional support, likes to escape it all when it gets too overwhelming.

She goes to the movies or for a walk on the sea walls for some alone time she can’t get anywhere else.

La Sean’s determination to help the people she works with is truly inspiring. She travels miles for them, cries a river with, grieves with them, and prays for their safety every step of the way. She is a true hero. And her hard work proves that it is in her nature to help the helpless.

So as International Women’s Day approaches and we all ponder on the thought of how women manage a professional career like being a social worker, remember that there are strong, confident, and resilient women just like La Sean Davis out there who help, care, love, and understand willingly to make people’s lives better.

FEATURE

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HEALTH TIPS OBESITY

World Obesity Day 2022 – “Everybody Needs to Act”

Dr. Tariq Jagnarine Family Medicine, Endocrinology/Diabetes

O

besity is a global problem, and it affects us all. 800 million of us are living with the disease, with millions more being at risk. In adults, obesity is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30.0 or more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Obesity is associated with a higher risk of contracting serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

According to the CDC: “Factors such as age, sex, ethnicity and muscle mass can influence the relationship between BMI and body fat. Also, BMI doesn’t distinguish between excess fat, muscle, or bone mass, nor does it provide any indication of the distribution of fat among individuals.”

RISK FACTORS

A complex mix of factors can increase a person’s risk for obesity. * Genetics * Environment and community The environment at home, at school, and in the community can all influence how and what persons eat, and how active they are.

They may be at a higher risk for obesity if they: * Live in a neighbourhood with limited healthy food options or with many high-calorie food options, like fast-food restaurants * Haven’t yet learned to cook healthy meals * Don’t think they can afford healthier foods * Haven’t found a good place to play, walk, or exercise in the neighbourhood

* Psychological and other factors Depression can sometimes lead to weight gain, as some people may turn to food for emotional comfort. Certain antidepressants can also increase the risk of weight gain.

Quitting smoking is always a good thing, but quitting may lead to weight gain too. In some people, it may lead to excessive weight gain. For that reason, it’s important to focus on diet and exercise while quitting, at least after the initial withdrawal period. * Medications such as steroids or birth control pills can also raise the risk for weight gain.

CAUSES

Eating more calories than the amount burned in daily activities and exercise — on a long-term basis — can lead to obesity. Over time, these extra calories add up and cause weight gain.

Common specific causes of obesity include: * Genetics, which can affect how the body processes food into energy and how fat is stored. * Growing older can lead to less muscle mass and a slower metabolic rate, making it easier to gain weight. * Not sleeping enough, which can lead to hormonal changes that make persons feel hungrier and crave certain high-calorie foods. * Pregnancy, as weight gain during pregnancy may be difficult to lose, and might eventually lead to obesity.

Certain health conditions can also lead to weight gain, which may lead to obesity. These include: * Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that causes an imbalance of female reproductive hormones. * Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare condition present at birth that causes excessive hunger. * Cushing syndrome, a condition caused by hav-

ing high cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in the system. * Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of certain important hormones. * Osteoarthritis (OA) and other conditions that cause pain, which may lead to reduced activity.

DIAGNOSIS

BMI is a rough calculation of a person’s weight in relation to their height.

Other more accurate measures of body fat and body fat distribution include: * Skinfold thickness tests. * Waist-to-hip comparisons. * Screening tests, such as ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRI scans.

COMPLICATIONS

Obesity can lead to more than simple weight gain. Having a high ratio of body fat to muscle puts strain on the bones as well as the internal organs. It also increases inflammation in the body, which is thought to be a risk factor for cancer. Obesity is also a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

Obesity has been linked to a number of health complications, some of which can be life threatening if not treated:

* Type 2 diabetes * Heart disease * High blood pressure * Certain cancers (breast, colon, and endometrial) * Stroke * Gallbladder disease * Fatty liver disease * High cholesterol * Sleep apnea and other breathing problems * Arthritis * Infertility

TREATMENT

* Lifestyle changes.

The healthcare team can educate persons on food choices, and help develop a healthy eating plan that works.

A structured exercise programme and increased daily activity — up to 300 minutes a week — would help build up strength, endurance, and metabolism.

Counselling or support groups may also identify unhealthy triggers, and help you cope with any anxiety, depression, or emotional eating issues.

Lifestyle and behavioural changes are the preferred weight loss methods for children, unless they’re extremely overweight. * Medication The doctor may also prescribe certain prescription weight loss medications in addition to eating and exercise plans.

Medications are usual-

ly prescribed only if other methods of weight loss haven’t worked, and if persons have a BMI of 27.0 or more in addition to obesity-related health issues.

Prescription weight loss medications either prevent the absorption of fat or suppress appetite. The following are approved for longterm use (at least 12 weeks) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): *Phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia) *Naltrexone/bupropion (Contraceptive) * Liraglutide (Saxenda) * Orlistat (Alli, Xenical), the only one that’s FDAapproved for use in children 12 years old and older.

These drugs can have unpleasant side effects. * Surgery Weight loss surgery is commonly called bariatric surgery. This type of surgery works by limiting how much food persons can comfortably eat, or by preventing the body from absorbing food and calories.

Sometimes it can do both.

Weight loss surgery isn’t a quick-fix. It’s major surgery, and can have serious risks. Afterwards, people who undergo surgery would need to change how they eat and how much they eat, or they risk getting sick.

However, non-surgical options aren’t always effective at helping people with

obesity lose weight and reduce their risk for comorbidities. * Candidates for surgery For decades, experts recommended that adult candidates for weight loss surgery have a BMI of at least 35.0 (classes 2 and 3).

However, in 2018 guidelines, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) endorsed weight loss surgery for adults with BMIs of 30.0 up to 35.0 (class 1) who: * Have related comorbidities, especially type 2 diabetes. * Haven’t seen sustained results from nonsurgical treatments, such as eating and lifestyle modifications.

For individuals with class 1 obesity, surgery is most effective for those between the ages of 18 and 65 years old.

People will often have to lose some weight before undergoing surgery.

Additionally, they’ll normally undergo counselling to ensure that they’re both emotionally prepared for the surgery and willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes that it’ll require.

PREVENTION

There’s been a dramatic increase in obesity and obesity-related diseases in the last couple of decades.

This is the reason why communities, states, and the federal government are putting an emphasis on healthier food choices and activities to help turn the tide on obesity.

On a personal level, persons can help prevent weight gain and obesity by making healthier lifestyle choices: * Aim for moderate exercise like walking, swimming, or biking for 20 to 30 minutes every day. * Eat well by choosing nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. * Eat high-fat, high-calorie foods in moderation.

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

News

Stop fighting, Putin tells Ukraine, as anti-war protests grow

People are seen amid the debris of a house destroyed by shelling during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in the village of Marhalivka in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, March 6, 2022 (Reuters/Oleg Pereverzev)

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ersistent fighting blocked efforts to evacuate 200,000 people from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol for the second day in a row on Sunday as Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to press ahead with his offensive, which he said was going to plan, unless Kyiv surrendered.

Most people trapped in the port city are sleeping underground to escape more than six days of near-constant shelling by encircling Russian forces that have cut off food, water, power, and heating supplies, according to the Ukrainian authorities.

The civilian death toll from hostilities across Ukraine since Moscow launched its invasion on February 24 stood at 364, including more than 20 children, the United Nations said on Sunday, adding hundreds more were injured.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said most civilian casualties were caused by the use of "explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes".

Moscow has repeatedly denied attacking civilian areas.

In Irpin, a town some 25 kilometres (16 miles) northwest of the capital Kyiv, men, women, and children trying to escape heavy fighting in the area were forced to take cover when missiles struck nearby, according to Reuters witnesses.

Soldiers and fellow residents helped the elderly hurry to a bus filled with frightened people, some cowering as they waited to be driven to safety.

The invasion has drawn almost universal condemnation around the world, sent more than 1.5 million Ukrainians fleeing from the country, and triggered sweeping Western sanctions against Russia aimed at crippling its economy. The Biden Administration said on Sunday it was exploring banning Russian oil imports.

"War is madness, please stop," Pope Francis said in his weekly address to crowds in St Peter's Square, adding that "rivers of blood

and tears" were flowing in Ukraine's war.

Putin made his demand for Kyiv to end the fighting in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who appealed for a ceasefire. Putin told Erdogan he was ready for dialogue with Ukraine and foreign partners, but any attempt to draw out negotiation would fail, a Kremlin statement said.

Russian media said Putin also spoke by phone for almost two hours with French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron told Putin he was concerned about a possible imminent attack on southern Ukraine's historic port city of Odessa, Macron's office said.

Navalny called for worldwide protests against the war.

In the besieged city of Mariupol, authorities had said on Sunday they would make a second attempt to evacuate some of the 400,000 residents. But the ceasefire plan collapsed, as it had on Saturday, with each side blaming the other.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the failed attempt to evacuate 200,000 people had underscored "the absence of a detailed and functioning agreement between the parties to the conflict".

"They're destroying us," Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko told Reuters in

A local resident reacts as a house is on fire after heavy shelling on the only escape route used by locals to leave the city of Irpin, while Russian troops advance toward the capital, 24km from Kyiv, Ukraine, March 6, 2022 (Reuters/Carlos Barria)

Moscow calls its campaign a "special military operation", saying it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.

A huge Russian convoy

southern Ukrainian city of Nova Kakhovka on Sunday, wounding five people, Ukrainian news agency Interfax Ukraine said, citing

“No to war”

Anti-war protests took place around the world including in Russia itself, where Police detained more than 4300 people, an independent protest monitoring group said. The Interior Ministry said 3500 demonstrators had been held, included 1700 people in Moscow and 750 in St Petersburg.

An elderly woman is helped while crossing a destroyed bridge as she tries to leave the city of Irpin, in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, March 5, 2022 (Jedrzej Nowicki/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via Reuters)

a video call, describing the city's plight before the latest evacuation effort failed.

"They will not even give us an opportunity to count the

People cross a destroyed bridge as they try to leave the city of Irpin, in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, March 5, 2022 (Jedrzej Nowicki/ Agencja Wyborcza.pl via Reuters)

Thousands of protesters chanted "No to war!" and "Shame on you!", according to videos posted on social media by Opposition activists and bloggers. Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage and photographs.

Demonstrations were also taking place in Western capitals as well as in India and Kazakhstan, after jailed Kremlin critic Alexei

wounded and the killed because the shelling does not stop."

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said the United States has seen very credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians in Ukraine, adding that Washington was documenting them to support appropriate organisations in their potential war crimes investigation over Russia's actions.

north of Kyiv appears to have made limited progress in recent days, although Russia's Defence Ministry released footage on Sunday showing

eyewitnesses.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said there had been several attacks on Ukrainian health-

some tracked military vehicles on the move.

In the capital, Ukrainian soldiers bolstered defences by digging trenches, blocking roads and liaising with civil defence units as Russian forces bombarded areas nearby.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian rockets had destroyed the civilian airport of the central-western region capital of Vinnytsia on Sunday.

Russian forces opened fire at a protest against their occupation of the

care facilities during the conflict, causing deaths and injuries. It gave no details.

Plea for more weapons

Kyiv renewed its appeal to the West to toughen sanctions, and also requested more weapons, including a plea for Russianmade planes, to help it repel Russian forces.

Speaking on a trip to neighbouring Moldova, Blinken said Washington was considering how it could backfill aircraft for Poland, if Warsaw decided to supply its warplanes to Ukraine.

Putin says he wants a "demilitarised", "denazified" and neutral Ukraine, and on Saturday likened Western sanctions "to a declaration of war".

The West, which calls Putin's reasons for invading baseless, has expanded effort to rearm Ukraine, sending in items from Stinger missiles to anti-tank weapons. But Washington and its NATO allies have resisted Ukraine's plea for a nofly zone, saying it would escalate the conflict beyond Ukraine's borders.

Ukrainians continued to pour into Poland, Romania, Slovakia and elsewhere.

The UN said over 1.5 million had fled in Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War Two. Western sanctions have pushed many companies to exit investments in Russia, while some Russian banks have been shut out of global financial payment systems, driving down the rouble and forcing Moscow to jack up interest rates.

On Sunday, American Express Co said it was suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus. Video sharing app TikTok said it was suspending livestreaming and the uploading of new content to its service in Russia.

Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" show, Blinken said the United States and European partners were exploring banning Russian oil imports, but stressed the importance of steady oil supplies globally.

The West has so far refrained from direct measures on Russian energy exports after oil soared to multi-year highs.

Ukraine's military said more than 11,000 Russian troops had been killed so far and 88 Russian aircraft shot down since the start of the invasion. Reuters could not corroborate the claim.

Russia has not given regular updates on its death toll.

Tass news agency cited Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying virtually the entire Ukrainian air force had been destroyed. In the last 36 hours alone, he said, Ukraine had lost 11 combat aircraft and two helicopters. Reuters had no way of corroborating the claim. (Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil prices set to surge further on delays in Iranian talks

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il prices are set to surge further this week due to delays to the conclusion of Iranian nuclear talks and the potential return of Iranian crude to global markets, which are already suffering from Russian supply disruptions, analysts said.

Talks to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers were mired in uncertainty on Sunday following Russia's demands for a US guarantee that the sanctions it faces over the Ukraine conflict will not hurt its trade with Tehran. China has also raised new demands, according to sources.

In response to Russia's demands, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the sanctions imposed on Russia over its Ukraine invasion have nothing to do with a potential nuclear deal with Iran.

Last week, the Brent benchmark rose 21 per cent to close at US$118.11 a barrel and US crude gained 26 per cent to close at US$115.68, levels not seen since 2013 and 2008, respectively, as Russia struggled to sell oil amid fresh sanctions.

"Iran was the only real bearish factor hanging over the market, but if now the Iranian deal gets delayed, we could get to tank bottoms a lot quicker especially if Russian barrels remain off the market for long," said Amrita Sen, co-founder of Energy Aspects, a think tank.

Sen said Brent could rise to US$125 per barrel today, quickly approaching an all-time high of US$147, last seen in 2008.

Analysts from JP Morgan said this week oil could soar to US$185 per barrel this year.

“The idea was not to sanction oil and gas because of their essential nature, but oil is getting sanctioned by private actors not wanting to pick it up or ports not wanting to receive it and the longer this goes on, the more supply chains are going to buckle,” said Daniel Yergin, author and Vice Chairman of S&P Global ahead of the CERAWeek conference in Houston.

The United States and European partners are exploring banning Russian oil imports, US Secretary of State Blinken said on Sunday, but stressed the importance of maintaining steady oil supplies globally.

Russia exports around seven million barrels per day (bpd) of oil and refined products or seven per cent of global supply. Some volumes of Kazakhstan's oil exports from Russian ports have also faced complications.

Iran will take several months to restore oil flows even if it reaches a nuclear deal, analysts said.

Eurasia Group said fresh Russian demands could disrupt nuclear talks although it still kept the odds of a deal at 70 per cent.

"Russia may intend to use Iran as a route to bypass Western sanctions. A written guarantee allowing Russia to do so is probably well beyond the realm of what Washington can offer in the midst of a full-scale war in Ukraine," said Eurasia's Henry Rome.

Also supporting crude prices, the closure of Libya's El Feel and Sharara oilfields resulted in the loss of 330,000 bpd, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Sunday.

Libya, an Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member, produced about 1.2 million bpd of crude in 2021, according to US energy data.

In the United States, meanwhile, the average price of a gallon of gasoline hit US$4.009 on Sunday, according to AAA, an automobile association, which is the highest since July 2008. Consumers are paying 40 cents more than a week ago, and 57 cents more than a month ago.

Senior US officials travelled to Venezuela on Saturday for talks with President Nicolás Maduro's Government, seeking to determine whether Caracas is prepared to distance itself from close ally Russia.

(Reuters)

Thousands arrested across Russia at anti-war protests

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olice detained more than 4300 people on Sunday at Russia-wide protests against President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, according to an independent protest monitoring group.

Thousands of protesters chanted “No to war!” and “Shame on you!”, according to videos posted on social media

by Opposition activists and bloggers.

Dozens of protesters in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg were shown being arrested. One protester there was shown being beaten on the ground by Police in riot gear.

A mural in the city showing President Putin was defaced.

The footage and photographs on social media could not be independently verified.

Russia’s Interior Ministry said earlier that Police had detained around 3500 people, including 1700 in Moscow, 750 in St Petersburg and 1061 in

Police arrest an anti-war demonstrator during a March 2 protest in Saint Petersburg, Russia [File: Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo]

other cities. The Ministry said 5200 people had taken part in the protests.

The arrests on Sunday brought the total number of people held in anti-war protests since the invasion began on February 24 to more than 10,000, OVD-Info said.

“The screws are being fully tightened – essentially we are witnessing military censorship,” Maria Kuznetsova, OVD-Info’s spokeswoman, told Reuters news agency by

telephone from Tbilisi.

“We are seeing rather big protests today, even in Siberian cities where we only rarely saw such numbers of arrests.”

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny had called for protests on Sunday across Russia and the rest of the world against the invasion.

Putin’s approval ratings have jumped in Russia since the invasion, according to Moscow-based pollsters.

The president’s rating rose six percentage points to 70 per cent in the week ending February 27, according to state pollster VsTIOM. The FOM pollster, which provides research for the Kremlin, said Putin’s rating had risen seven percentage points to 71 per cent in the same week.

A number of international broadcasters, including the BBC, CNN, Italy’s RAI and Germany’s ARD and ZDF, have said they will stop reporting from Russia after its Parliament passed a draft law punishing the publication of what it calls “fake news” about its invasion with jail terms of up to 15 years.

Award-winning independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta says it will also stop reporting on the war in Ukraine in light of the new law, while several other Russian news outlets have suspended operations.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Indian Police arrest NSE stock exchange's former chief

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ndia's federal Police on Sunday arrested the former chief executive of the National Stock Exchange of India in a case related to alleged governance lapses at India's top bourse, a source with direct knowledge told Reuters.

Chitra Ramkrishna was arrested in New Delhi, the source at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said, without sharing further details.

The market regulator

penalised Ramkrishna, among others, after an investigation that showed she had sought advice for years from an outsider she described as a Himalayan yogi.

The action is the latest sign the CBI is stepping up its investigation of a 2018 case involving allegations that the NSE provided some high frequency traders unfair access to speed up algorithmic trading. The additional scrutiny risks further delaying a

planned NSE listing.

Sunday's arrest follows a February 11 order by the market regulator that highlighted lapses at the exchange and said

Ramkrishna, who quit as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2016, was "merely a puppet" of someone she described as a yogi.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

“People's Convoy” truck protest targets Washington, slows traffic

Pakistani Premier hits out at Western envoys' joint letter on Russia

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akistani Prime Minister Imran Khan hit out on Sunday at Islamabad-based Western envoys who last week urged Pakistan to condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine, asking them if they thought Pakistan was their "slave".

The heads of 22 diplomatic missions, including those of European Union Member States, released a joint letter on March 1 urging Pakistan to support a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

The move to release the letter publicly was rare.

"What do you think of us?

Are we your slaves ... that whatever you say, we will do?" Khan said while addressing a political rally.

In the event, Pakistan, a traditional ally of the West, abstained from voting as the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly reprimanded Russia for invading Ukraine.

"I want to ask the European Union Ambassadors: Did you write such a letter to India?"

Khan said, noting that Pakistan's arch-rival had also abstained.

He said Pakistan had suffered because it had supported the Western NATO alliance in Afghanistan, and instead of gratitude faced criticism.

Khan and his government found themselves in the spotlight after he went ahead with a visit to Moscow in late February as fears of an invasion were growing, and met Vladimir Putin a few hours after the Russian President had ordered his troops into Ukraine.

"We are friends with Russia, and we are also friends with America; we are friends with China and with Europe; we are not in any camp," Khan added, saying Pakistan would remain "neutral" and work with those trying to end the war in Ukraine.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Hundreds of vehicles including 18-wheeler trucks, RVs and cars are parked as part of a rally at Hagerstown Speedway after some of them arrived as part of a convoy that travelled across the country headed to Washington DC to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions

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undreds of trucks, recreational vehicles and cars circled the outskirts of Washington on Sunday, aiming to slow traffic around the capital as part of a protest against pandemic restrictions.

The so-called "People's Convoy," which originated in California and has drawn participants from around the country, is calling for an end to all pandemic-related restrictions. It was inspired by demonstrations last month that paralysed Ottawa, Canada's capital city.

Leaders of the convoy said that today they would again slowly drive the Beltway, a 64-mile highway that encircles the city, though details of when the action would take place were not known.

Hundreds of vehicles gathered on Friday and Saturday at the Hagerstown Speedway, a racetrack in Maryland about 80 miles (129 kilometres) northwest of downtown Washington.

On Sunday morning, many left in convoy to drive two slow laps on the Beltway. They honked their horns as they set off, while onlookers waved American flags, according to a Reuters witness.

The convoy, more than two miles long, slowed traffic at points along the Beltway by late Sunday morning, but did not bring it to a standstill. It returned to the Hagerstown Speedway in the afternoon, according to messages on the convoy's Telegram channel. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

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DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Stick to your plan, regardless of others' actions. Consistency will play a role in how far you get. Seek out helpful people and try to accurately gauge how much time certain steps will take.

(March 21-April 19)

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

Show consistency, and you will gain respect. If you switch from one thing to another, you'll create confusion and uncertainty. Keep your thoughts to yourself until you have a foolproof plan in place.

Preparation is necessary if you plan to finish what you start. Refuse to let anyone lead you astray or give you a reason to doubt yourself. Stay on course.

Self-improvement is favored.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Be original, bring about change and make a difference. Don't be afraid to think big and share your ideas. Learning and education will send you down a rewarding path. Focus on how you conduct business.

Refuse to let what others do influence you. Base your decisions on what matters to you and inspires you to accomplish something meaningful. Set goals and stick to your plan. Fitness is encouraged.

Gather information and share your findings. Don't let anyone mislead you.

Verify the truth before you share information or react to it. Trust your intuition when dealing with partnerships.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Networking will pay off. Your intelligence, knowledge and experience will capture attention, and the way you carry out your promises will impress someone with influence.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Stick to what you do best. Avoid negative people or those looking for a fight.

Use your energy to enforce positive lifestyle changes. Your happiness depends on you and the decisions you make.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Rethink the way you live, how you handle your money and what you do for a living. A change may tempt you, but it must be made for the right reason. Be wary of sales pitches.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take it easy, think about what you want, consider what's possible and do what's necessary. Sticking to a budget and a plan will help you minimize any trouble you encounter.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Stay put and clear up unfinished business. Consider your long-term plans, but don't try to do too much all at once. Bide your time and strategize until you feel confident your plan will work.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Face your emotions head-on, and you'll come up with a plan that will improve your lifestyle. It's OK to do things differently and to put your needs first.

Explore what sparks your interest.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

21

Ravindra Jadeja's epic all-round show gives India win inside 3 days

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t was a day of landmarks and milestones for India.

Ravindra Jadeja became only the sixth man to score 150 or more and take a five-for in the same Test. R Ashwin went past Kapil Dev as the second-highest wicket-taker for India. In the process, Sri Lanka collapsed under the weight of a relentless India attack and lost 16 wickets in 67 overs to lose by an innings and 222 runs inside three days.

Jadeja, who ended one wicket short of becoming the first man to score 150 or more in a Test innings and take 10 wickets in the same match, ended his third straight Mohali Test as the Player of the Match.

The longest resistance Sri Lanka offered was a 17over partnership in the second innings between Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva, followed by the 15 overs it took India to take the first wicket in the morning.

Six wickets fell for 13 runs in 43 balls to encourage Rohit Sharma to enforce the follow-on.

The bigger hauls might have gone to the spinners, but the fast bowlers added to their threat with their continuous interrogation of the batters,

which meant the pressure was not released and spinners could get their breaks. The first wicket of the day went to pace, a bewitching slower ball from Jasprit Bumrah, which pitched within the stumps, beat Charith Asalanka, squared him up, hit him within the stumps, and would have gone to hit the top of off.

With Pathum Nissanka fighting diligently at the other end, the rest folded in a strangely reckless manner.

Niroshan Dickwella faced five balls from Jadeja, played three sweeps, not in control of any of them, and the final top edge settled with square leg placed two-thirds to the

boundary. Suranga Lakmal tried an almighty slog the second ball he faced.

Lasith Embuldeniya could not cope with a nasty skiddy bouncer from Mohammed Shami. Jadeja was too good for numbers 10 and 11. Vishwa Fernando edged to second slip, and the injured Lahiru Kumara hobbled out to find out his feet did not move quick enough to cover the off stump, leaving Jadeja with a five-for and a shot at a hat-trick in the second innings, which was to resume immediately thanks to a rare follow-on.

In the four overs possible before lunch, Ashwin gave India the first wicket just like

NBA: LeBron James scores 56 points as LA Lakers beat Golden State Warriors

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eBron James scored a season-best 56 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 124116 to end a four-game losing streak.

James scored 19 times from 31 field goal attempts in his highest points total since joining the Lakers in 2018. Steph Curry scored 30 for the Warriors, but could not stop the side losing a fourth consecutive match.

"Right now, I don't give a damn about the 56. I'm just happy we got the win," James said.

It was the 13th time James has passed 50 points in a match, with his total made up of 44

points from field goals – six three-pointers and 13 two-pointers – plus 12 onepoint free throws.

His career-best is 61, which came against the Charlotte Hornets in 2014 when he played for the Miami Heat. The loss drops the Warriors into third place in the Western Conference for the first time this season.

Elsewhere, Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler scored 21 points each on their return from injury as t h e

Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 99-82.

The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Portland Trailblazers 135-121 while the Dallas Mavericks rallied late to overcome the Sacramento Kings 114-113.

Terry Rozier registered 31 points to help the Charlotte Hornets overcome the San Antonio Spurs 123-117 and the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Orlando Magic 124-96.

(BBC Sport)

in the first innings. With this edge from Lahiru Thirimanne to second slip, the result of dip and turn, Ashwin has taken Thirimanne out seven times for 50 runs in Tests, and 14 times for 140 runs in international cricket. Ashwin's second, on the other side of lunch, was just as masterful, with the ball dipping on Nissanka to make him defend away from the body. The ball did not turn as much as the previous ones did, and the edge settled with Rishabh Pant, who continued to show how much he has improved as a wicketkeeper.

It took a special delivery to get rid of Sri Lanka's best batter, Dimuth Karunaratne.

Shami angled it in from round the wicket, making him play, but the ball hit the seam and moved away slightly to take a soft edge that Pant took diving in front. His best grab was yet to come, though.

Mathews and de Silva now got a bit of a partnership, but Jadeja came back to separate them. De Silva got too ambitious with the driving, and Jadeja inevitably got the ball to dip and draw an aerial response for short extra cover to take.

The flood gates opened then with the next three wickets falling at the same score of 121. The first of those was Asalanka, edging Ashwin to slip in the first over after tea, which took Ashwin to 435 Test wickets. In the course of the match, Ashwin overtook Richard Hadlee, Rangana Herath, and Kapil. Dale Steyn at 439 wickets remains in his sights.

Once Jadeja got Mathews out with a ball turned from middle and leg, it was only a

matter of time. Time has been short for Lakmal, who bagged his pair with a second heave in five balls of batting.

Dickwella hung around with the tail, but Jadeja reached his ninth wicket with a lovely catch from Pant when the ball stayed low, turned less than expected, and took a healthy deviation from the bat of Embuldeniya.

The last two, though, went to Shami and Ashwin, but Jadeja was not complaining.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD INDIA 1st Innings 574-8d SRI LANKA 1st Innings 174 all out SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS (FOLLOWING ON) Lahiru Thirimanne c Sharma b Ashwin 0 Dimuth Karunaratne (c) c †Pant b Mohammed Shami 27 Pathum Nissanka c †Pant b Ashwin 6 Angelo Mathews lbw b Jadeja 28 Dhananjaya de Silva c Iyer b Jadeja 30 Charith Asalanka c Kohli b Ashwin 20 Niroshan Dickwella † not out 51 Suranga Lakmal c Yadav b Jadeja 0 Lasith Embuldeniya c †Pant b Jadeja 2 Vishwa Fernando lbw b Mohammed Shami 0

Lahiru Kumara c Mohammed Shami b Ashwin 4 Extras (b 4, lb 5, nb 1 ) 10 TOTAL (60 Ov, RR: 2.96) 178 Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Lahiru Thirimanne, 2.3 ov), 2-19 (Pathum Nissanka, 6.5 ov), 3-45 (Dimuth Karunaratne, 15.5 ov), 4-94 (Dhananjaya de Silva, 32.5 ov), 5-121 (Charith Asalanka, 35.3 ov), 6-121 (Angelo Mathews, 36.2 ov), 7-121 (Suranga Lakmal, 36.5 ov), 8-153 (Lasith Embuldeniya, 50.6 ov), 9-170 (Vishwa Fernando, 53.6 ov), 10-178 (Lahiru Kumara, 59.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Ravichandran Ashwin 21-5-47-4 Mohammed Shami 8-1-48-2 Ravindra Jadeja 16-5-46-4 Jayant Yadav 11-3-21-0 Jasprit Bumrah 4-1-7-0

Substitutes Torres and Depay inspire Barcelona comeback

Ferran Torres scored his third goal for Barcelona and his first in La Liga since his January move from Manchester City

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ubstitute Ferran Torres was the inspiration as Barcelona came from behind to maintain their fine recent form with victory at mid-table Elche.

Trailing at the break to Fidel's opener, Barca boss Xavi sent on Torres and the former Manchester City man equalised with an instinctive finish.

He could have scored more, but found Elche keeper Edgar Badia in fine form. However, fellow sub Memphis Depay won and

converted a late penalty to fire Barca up to third in La Liga.

The Catalan giants have scored four times in four of their last six games, with January signing PierreEmerick Aubameyang netting in each of his four La Liga games.

However, he was well shackled as Barca initially struggled to impose themselves and Elche led at the break through Fidel's fine finish. The second-half arrival of Torres changed the impetus and he was immediate-

ly involved, cleverly turning home Jordi Alba's knockdown and forcing Badia into a series of excellent saves.

Aubameyang was sacrificed for Depay and the Dutchman pressurised Antonio Barragan into a handball in the box, with a penalty subsequently awarded after the referee checked the pitchside monitor.

Depay himself blasted home the penalty to secure three vital points and move Barca above Real Betis, who host fifth-placed Atletico later. (BBC Sport)

22 Ben Stokes vows to dig deeper in West Indies Tests after Ashes downfall MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

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Ben Stokes having a bowl in the warm-up

en Stokes is bigger than you realise. Standing there at six foot aplenty, with his biceps glistening with sweat having just run a million laps of the boundary in about two-anda-half minutes, and his shoulders set as wide as most people are tall, he is, by any metric, physically intimidating.

"I would have liked to have been in better physical shape when I was in Australia," Stokes told the press pack in Antigua, without a hint of irony.

It's an insight into a man who

has reached the top of his sport by setting preposterously high standards. And now that results aren't going the way he wishes, he is lifting them again.

"If you're not willing to keep learning, you're going about it the wrong way. Even the likes of Virat [Kohli], he's constantly working on his game, never happy with where they're at."

Stokes always wants to do more. He'll bat, bowl and field for you all day long and then pick up your laundry on the way home. He's a man who, rather than carrying an old lady's shopping across the road, would instead pick up Granny as a whole and drop her on the other side. "Anything else, Barbara? Where's the bus stop? That's fine, I'll take you."

And off Ben goes, with a week's worth of shopping under one arm and a bemused 84-yearold woman under the other.

This determination to never let anyone down is why it's too simplistic to separate Ben the man from Stokes the cricketer.

And why his poor showing in the Ashes hurt him so much.

"When I look back on it, I felt I let myself down," Stokes said,

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

after making 236 runs at 23.60 in the series, and taking four wickets at 71.50 in three-and-ahalf Tests before succumbing to a side strain. "But the thing that really grinds me the most is that I let a lot of other people down.

I never want to feel that way again.

"It's just that I could have been better. Obviously, I had a long break which never helps. I couldn't do much in three or four months so I was always behind."

Stokes is quick to emphasise that this didn't mean he felt he returned too soon from his mental health break during the 2021 home season, nor that the time off was the reason for his poor performances, because those "would be excuses". And Ben Stokes doesn't do excuses.

But it does highlight the difficulty he faces in balancing his needs as a person and player.

He took time off to look after himself, which meant Ben got better, but Stokes got worse.

And through Stokes being worse, Ben feels he's let people down.

Which he cannot stand.

Stokes is not the first to struggle with balancing the doomed pursuit of perfection with maintaining mental wellbeing. If anything, it is one of the

greatest human challenges of all time, and it's not one that's going to be solved by putting down the bat forever or taking a few extra throw-downs at the end of play.

"I just wasn't me [in Australia]. I wasn't able to impact the game as I would like to or how I would normally do and everything just seemed harder.

You can't put your finger on something like that too easily."

Part of Stokes' attempts to strike this balance lies in unloading his schedule, so that he can prioritise what really matters to him. It is not so much a compromise of reining himself back in, but selecting the moments where he can fully commit. And for this comeback year, that meant pulling out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega-auction, and putting all of his energies back into England.

"Over the last couple of years, with how the schedule's been and all the cricket that gets played these days, I had a chance to have a good look at things going forward and when it came down to it, the real thing that got me excited and got everything going out of all three formats was Test cricket.

"That was a big decision to come out of the IPL, to make

sure that I was able to give everything I possibly could to this Test team going forward."

And there is no doubt that Stokes is doing exactly that. With Operation RedBall Reset underway, more responsibility has been placed on the likes of himself, Joe Root, and Jonny Bairstow to lead a new generation into the team.

"There's obviously been a big change with Stuart and Jimmy, but, with all the respect to them, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, they're not here. And what we can concentrate on are the guys who are here and the opportunity they now have.

"Any side that doesn't have Jimmy and Stuart in, you're obviously missing that experience and class that they bring. But we can't change that. All we can do is bring all our energy that we've got here and that's what we're going to do." Somehow, you don't doubt it. (ESPNcricinfo)

CSK and KKR to feature in Warne shock overshadows final day as Wood IPL 2022 opener on March 26 and Stokes boost England Test hopes

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hennai Super Kings, the defending champions, will take on fellow finalists of the last season Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Saturday, March 26 at the Wankhede Stadium.

March 28 will mark the first appearance of IPL newcomers Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, who take on each other at the Wankhede Stadium.

The first double header of the season will be held on March 27, with Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians to face off in the afternoon game, at the Braboune Stadium, while Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore will feature in the second game at the DY Patil Stadium. There is set to be a total of 12 doubleheader days, with six doubleheaders on Saturdays and six on Sundays.

The penultimate league

game is set to be held on May 21, featuring Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium. The final league game will be played at the same venue on May 22, with Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on Punjab Kings.

Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants take on each other in their respective final games, set to be played on May 18 at the DY Patil Stadium.

Royal Challengers and Gujarat Titans will face off on May 19 at the Wankhede Stadium in what will be the last league game for both of these sides. Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings play their last league game against each other at the Braboune Stadium on May 20.

The Wankhede Stadium and the DY Patil Stadium will host 20 matches each during the league stage, while the Braboune Stadium and the MCA Stadium in Pune will play host for 15 matches apiece.

The schedule for 58 days

and 70 games, starting from March 26 to May 22 has been announced while the itinerary for the play-offs has not yet been shared with the teams. It is likely that the business end of the competition will start on May 24 and will be held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which will also host the final on May 29.

As per the schedule, Mumbai Indians will play four games at the Wankhede Stadium – vs Lucknow Super Giants on April 24, Chennai Super Kings on May 12, Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 17 and Delhi Capitals on May 21. It was reported that some of the franchises had objected to Mumbai Indians playing at the Wankhede, with no other team getting to play at their traditional home ground. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has equally distributed the games to all 10 teams among the four grounds.

(Cricbuzz)

he image that summed up a confused and subdued day at Coolidge Cricket Ground was the sight of injury doubt Mark Wood warming up to bowl at lunchtime as Captain Joe Root spoke to the media about Shane Warne's unexpected death on the boundary's edge.

Things that matter and, you know, things that actually matter.

"We're just really shocked and sad to hear that such a legend of the game has passed so suddenly," Root said.

"We had just started the game and it sort of filtered through the dressing room. It's been quite a quiet dressing room off the back of it, it's hit everyone quite hard if I'm being brutally honest."

The news dramatically overshadowed the start of the day's play as an already diminishing contest finally broke from its illusion of being a competitive fixture and was replaced by the reality of a practice session.

Resuming on 77 for 3, England batted a further 17 overs and cantered along at almost a run a ball with Dan Lawrence slashing his way to 48 off 42.

When Lawrence's fun came to an end, it was Craig Overton batting at number six who replaced him in the middle. It was a day to make sure that everyone got a go.

England will be pleased, therefore, that Ben Foakes gained some time in the middle as he scored 43 not out. It means that, of England's top eight, only Ben Stokes hasn't spent any substantial time batting going into the first Test, with five of the likely starting XI having passed 50 in the match and both Foakes and Chris Woakes registering unbeaten 40s.

As England declared on 164 for 4 and set the President's XI a notional 366 to win, eyes turned

England players and staff observe a moment's silence in memory of Shane Warne during day four of the tour match [Gareth Copley/ Getty Images]

to whether Wood and Stokes would be able to bowl.

Speaking at the close of play, interim Head Coach Paul Collingwood said that Stokes had done "everything possible" to be fit to bowl in Tuesday's first Test and that there was a chance he could "play a small part" with the ball next week in Antigua.

A marked improvement from earlier in the match, where word had been that any bowling Stokes would do in this game would be solely focused on preparing for the second Test.

The temptation for England to bowl Stokes next week will have only increased after his showing here as he claimed a wicket with his very first ball before clean bowling Shane Dowrich in his following over. Stokes with the ball is currently the late-night kebab of England's selection dilemmas as they seek to balance short-term reward with the risk of long-term damage.

Having undertaken precautionary blood tests Thursday, it was announced at the start of the day's play that Wood would be fit to take the field and he too impressed with the ball as he managed nine overs across the day, all of which were of good pace as he was able to extract life from a surface that was the very epitome of "docile".

Whether England will deem it

sufficient preparation for Wood to be included in the XI for the first Test, however, is another question altogether. Amidst the breaking of bad news and managed bowling loads, a game of sorts did reach a conclusion as the President's XI batted out the remainder of the day to finish 123 for 7 with Overton the other contributor of note with the ball, finishing with 2 for 12 from his eight overs.

In all, it has been a useful exercise for England. Batters have batted and bowlers have bowled against a more-than-competent opposition. And while the pitch being as docile as it was, was without doubt a considerable downside, overall it was a positive start to Operation Red-Ball Reset.

(ESPNcricinfo)

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West Indies aiming to beat Anderson and Broad-less England

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– 1st Test bowls off tomorrow

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he West Indies have not lost a Test series at home against England since 2003-04. In England's last visit to the Caribbean, back in 2019, West Indies won 2-1. For England, they are without James Anderson and Stuart Broad, two of their leading bowlers of all time.

The first of three Test matches will start tomorrow, Tuesday, March 8 in North Sound, Antigua, from 10:00h Eastern Caribbean time.

While West Indies are aware of the inexperienced England bowling line-up, the Caribbean team will believe that the Englishmen are a good unit. According to middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner, the West Indies will have the same approach as they have in every series, taking the opposition seriously.

“It’s a Test match, nevertheless, whether Anderson or Broad are playing. Obviously, they still have quality bowlers and the same application is required,” Bonner told members of the media on Saturday.

“In every series, it’s the same

John Campbell has returned to the team

Joe Root is the big fish for England

approach and this one will be no different,” Bonner added. “After coming from India, I played some four-day games in Barbados. I was able to spend some time at the crease and obviously, coming into this camp, I’ve done a lot of hard work as well, and I’m looking forward to playing against England. It will be an important series for us,” Bonner explained.

Meanwhile, West Indies seamer Kemar Roach was surprised at the omission of Broad and Anderson.

unlikely to gamble on the 28-year-old's fitness, but that settled the issue, allowing Mahmood to take his spot in the 12-man squad.

England's 12-man squad comprise: Joe Root*, Jonny Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes +, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, and Mark Wood.

Interim Head Coach Paul Collingwood and Captain Joe Root must now decide whether to hand the Lancashire quick a

England name 12-man squad for first Test Bowler Ollie Robinson has failed to recover from a back spasm and was left out of the 12-man squad announced by England on Sunday for the first Test against the West Indies, with uncapped seamer Saqib Mahmood stepping into the squad.

Robinson pulled up midway through an over during the warm-up match against a CWI President's XI and was unable to take part in training on Sunday.

England were already

Opening World Cup win a big boost for West Indies Women – says Vice Captain

W

est Indies Vice Captain Anisa Mohammed said the opening victory in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s World Cup against hosts New Zealand on Friday has done a lot for the team’s confidence and has given them the belief that they can go all the way despite being tagged as underdogs.

Mohammed, speaking to the media, said that while there are some areas they need to work on, the players have the drive and desire to put in the work as they look to build on the win on Friday.

West Indies defeated New Zealand in a thrilling opening match by three runs and on a personal note, during the game Mohammed picked up two wickets for 60 runs to go past 300 international wickets, becoming the first West Indies women’s player to achieve the milestone.

Speaking about the win, Mohammed said: “I think this victory on the first day has given some confidence going into the rest of the tournament.”

“We have not had the best [One-Day Internationals] ODI series in the past few months or so, so having won that game against one of the top teams, I think it will give us the confidence to just believe in ourselves,” she continued.

“I know a lot of teams are counting us as underdogs and they did the same in 2016 and we came out on top. I think once we continue to have that confidence in ourselves and in each other, we will continue to do well in this tournament,” the 33-year-old off-spinner added.

debut on Tuesday in an all-seam attack or stick with the variety of Jack Leach's leftJonny Bairstow scored a arm spin. century in the warm-up Craig Overton in his short Test career so far seems certain to play, while Mark Wood has recovered that he's certainly got the skills from illness, but with record and the ability to do good things wicket-takers Anderson and in the format. At the same time, Broad controversially dropped it gives people opportunities.

"We're trying to win games for the tour, concerns over the depth of the pace attack is the of cricket here, but it does give that chance to someone last thing the tourists wanted.

"Ollie is a talented bowler. to potentially make their Test Naturally, he'll be a big miss," debut who's been waiting in the said Woakes, who is the senior wings for quite a while to show bowler on the trip. "He's shown what they can do at this level."

DCB Premier Insurance U-15 Inter-Association...

Mohabir's half-century propels GT to win over West Demerara

Despite the win, Mohammed said the players have all recognised that they have to do better in all areas if they are to go all the way to the final.

“We have a couple of days before our next match and I think fielding is definitely one of the things we have to work on,” Mohammed noted.

West Indies dropped five catches and missed a run-out attempt in that first match.

“The Coaches and the players are aware of that and we are willing to put in the work, because we know it is a tough tournament for us and in order for us to win this tournament, we have to click in all areas of the game,” she added.

On a personal note, Mohammed said getting her 300th wicket was a special feeling for her and what made

it even more special was the fact that it came when the team needed it the most.

“It was a big moment for me and I was actually hoping to get it in South Africa so I could come in a bit more relaxed in this game, but what better moment to get it than on the big stage in a World Cup,” she said.

“It was a big game for us and we needed a breakthrough.

I was really happy that the 300th wicket was one that the team needed,” she continued.

Mohammed accomplished the feat in Friday’s win, trapping Amy Satterthwaite lbw for 31. She then sent Lea Tahuhu back, bowled for six to finish with figures of 10-060-2.

Having crossed one milestone off her list, Mohammed said she has a lot more to do and is hoping to

reach a few more landmarks before she is done.

First up is going past Cathryn Fitzpatrick’s ODI wickets tally, which Mohammed is hoping to do at the World Cup. “I have quite a lot more goals on my mind. This is one I have been looking at for years — I want to go past Cathryn Fitzpatrick. She has 180 ODI scalps and I think I am five wickets behind her, so I am hoping to get that in this World Cup,” Mohammed revealed.

“Apart from achieving 300 international wickets, I have accomplished a lot over the years, but I still think I have a little gas in the tank, so I am still looking forward to getting to those milestones and hopefully, creating or breaking more records,” she concluded. (T&T Express)

Danesh Persaud, Joshua Charles and Dave Mohabir

I

n the DCB/Premier Insurance U-15 InterAssociation 2022 tournament, Georgetown U-15 skipper Dave Mohabir batted with confidence as he helped his team reach the victorious total of 124 for 4 from their reduced 25 overs due to early showers. They defeated West Demerara U-15 at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Queenstown, Georgetown.

The rain did not stop the Georgetown players from shining as the skipper was well supported by Kishan Silas, who chipped in with 23, and Emanuel Lewis, who had 11. Permeshwar Ram

and Shaker Lall were the bowlers who managed to grab one wicket apiece. Spinner Danesh Persaud claimed 2 for 11 while left-hand spinner Joshua Charles collected 2 for 2 and give their team a 64-run victory over West Demerara U-15.

In West Demerara’s reply, Lall returned with the bat and tried to take his team to their target, but fell for 12 and was the lone batter to reach double figure as the team fell for an insufficient 60 for 4 from their 25 overs.

In the upcoming games, Georgetown will battle Upper Demerara while West Demerara will face East Bank.

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business

Page 23

West Indies aiming to beat Anderson and Broad-less England – 1st Test bowls off tomorrow

Page 22

See story on page 23

Opening World Cup win a big boost for West Indies CSK and KKR to Women feature in IPL 2022

– says Vice Captain

opener on March 26

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