Guyana Times -- Thursday, February 25, 2022

P14

CIOG hosts medical outreach in NA – approximately 100 benefit Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4931

THE BEACON OF TRUTH FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

PRICE

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

$100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Guyana calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, urges return to diplomacy

Rape accused remanded for killing P14 daughter’s boyfriend

See story on page 3

Lad celebrating 13th birthday drowns at P10 Jubilee Resort

– Foreign Secretary says no Guyanese in Ukraine; assistance available for students in Russia if needed

Russian Army military vehicles drive along a street in the town of Armyansk, Crimea, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a military operation in eastern Ukraine (Reuters/Stringer)

Omai’s trenching unearths multiple gold-bearing structures at Blueberry Hill, Gilt Creek Enteringbang Teen killed hotel owner after crashing bludgeoned speeding car into – 2 others killed in to death concrete fence separate accidents Opposition was not “locked out” of Energy Conference & Expo ...was open to all; Opposition members did attend – organisers ...2nd conference billed for February 2023 Page 9

Guyana records over 60,800 recoveries from COVID-19 P15 …1 death, 19 new cases detected in 24 hours

Miner arrested following P14 discovery of almost 4kg ganja

See stories on pages 2 & 16

Page 2

Page 7

Heavy rainfall

All pumps in Georgetown operational – Mustapha P15

Digicel commits to reduction in intra-Caricom P14 roaming charges

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Teen killed after crashing speeding car into concrete fence

A

teenager is one of Guyana’s latest road fatality. He lost his life after he lost control of the car he was driving and crashed it into a concrete fence at Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Thursday morning.

Dead is 18-year-old Prakash Salvador, also called ‘Bolo’, of Section C, Block Y, Golden Grove, EBD. Based on reports received, the accident occurred at about 8:00h during a

Dead: Prakash Salvador, called “Bolo”

heavy downpour. Police have said that the teenager was driving motorcar PAB 8239 along the Diamond Public Road at a fast rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) fence.

As a result of the collision, the teenager sustained injuries and was unconscious. Pulled from the wreckage by public-spirited citizens and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre,

Enteringbang hotel owner bludgeoned to death

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he owner of a hotel at Eteringbang Landing, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) was found dead in his bed on Wednesday. He has been identified as 62-year-old Edmilson Dos Santos, called ‘Damicio’, a Brazilian national.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that, upon the discovery, the businessman was the only occupant of the hotel, which consists of 12 rooms.

Police have said that a vendor who operates a hot dog cart on the landing on Tuesday went to the hotel to rent a room, but was told by the hotelier to return the following morning.

The vendor indicated that he returned at about 11:00h the next morning, and called out to Dos Santos, but after receiving no answer, he pushed opened the businessman’s bedroom door, and it was then he made the gruesome discovery.

The Police were immediately contacted, and the man’s body was found lying face down, while his feet were bound and his neck tied with white scotch tape.

His hands were tied to the front of his body with a hammock. A mattock was found stuck in the middle of his skull, and his forehead appeared to have been bludgeoned.

No arrest was made, but investigations continue.

The mangled car after the accident

Salvador died while receiving medical attention.

His body has been taken to Carmen’s Funeral Home to await a post mortem. An

investigation into the fatal accident is ongoing.

The Police are reminding motorists to exercise extreme caution, care, cour-

tesy, consideration and common sense especially during the rainy season, when the roadways are wet and slippery.

NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Friday, February 25 – 10:30h-12:00h and Saturday, February 26 – 00:30h-02:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, February 25 – 11:35h-13:05h and Saturday, February 26 – 12:50h-14:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, urges return to diplomacy

– Foreign Secretary says no Guyanese in Ukraine; assistance available for students in Russia if needed

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

WEATHER TODAY

Heavy rain and showers with instances of thunder are expected during the day and night.

Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 11:30h reaching a maximum height of 2.25 metres.

Low Tide: 17:51h reaching a minimum height of 0.94 metre.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2022

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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Change %

Crude Oil

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Rough Rice

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President Dr Irfaan Ali

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uyana has joined in the widespread global condemnation of Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, calling for an immediate ceasefire and peaceful resolution of differences between the two European neighbours.

After months of tension between the two countries, Russia’s military invaded Ukraine on Thursday, launching attacks by land, sea and air that targeted Ukrainian bases and several major cities, including its capital – Kyiv. Reports from Ukrainian authorities are that more than 70 civilians and military personnel were killed and dozens others injured in airstrikes and bombings during invasion attacks that have spread across the European country.

In a statement on Thursday evening, the Guyana Government condemned the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by Russia.

“The Government of Guyana is gravely concerned over the recent military intervention in violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to diplomacy,” it said.

According to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, “The Government of Guyana deplores the threat or use of force in the conduct of international relations and urges a peaceful resolution of the differences that currently exist, in consonance with the rule of international law and the provisions of the United Nations Charter.”

Scenes from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday (Photo: Reuters/Getty Images)

Thursday’s missive outlined that the current military action in Ukraine is contrary to the principles of respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state.

“The aggression against Ukraine is a threat to the region and countries everywhere. The Government of Guyana supports the efforts of the United Nations Secretary General to bring a speedy resolution to the situation in Ukraine and cease the threat to international peace and security,” the Guyana Government stated.

With mounting concerns over the safety and security of citizens in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud, when contacted, told Guyana Times that there were records of 11 Guyanese students in Russia, but no records of any in Ukraine.

“We don’t know of any student in Ukraine and no one has reached out from Ukraine to us; we don’t have any records of students in Ukraine and we don’t know of any Guyanese who reached out from Ukraine.

We have 11 students in Russia,” he explained.

Persaud further indicated that there was an established mechanism in place for Guyanese students affected by the crisis to reach out to the Guyana Government for help. So far, the Ministry has not received any requests for assistance.

“There’s a mechanism where all overseas students

have been able to contact student offices in different parts and then through the Government, so there is a network and a channel of communication and that’s primarily those at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service Ministry, which is responsible for scholarships,” the Foreign Secretary noted.

Meanwhile, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – the largest party in the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition – also joined in the condemnation of Russia’s invasion of its neighbour. The party said the violation of Ukraine’s borders not only breached principles relating to the sanctity of treaties and internationally-recognised borders but that the continuation of this situation was most likely to have grave implications for the peaceful development and for the geopolitics of Europe, and the rest of the world, and

more particularly, negative consequences for the world economy.

“This particular development, Guyana, as a small developing state which has an open economy vulnerable to external shocks, ignores at its peril,” the PNCR said.

Nevertheless, the Guyana Government, in an earlier missive on Thursday, said it has been consulting with its international partners on this matter.

It later added it was fully in alignment with the position taken by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in response to the issue.

On Thursday, Caricom strongly condemned the military attacks and invasion of Ukraine by The Russian Federation and called for the immediate and complete withdrawal of the military presence and cessation of any further actions that may intensify the current perilous situation in that country.

TURN TO PAGE 5

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guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 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

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Operation Recovery

here is no uncertainty that COVID-19 has significantly affected the level of learning of children, and more so impacted the high dropout rate.

Some time ago, after the reopening of schools, Education Minister Priya Manickchand had said that, at the primary level, at least 1000 children had dropped out of school due to the pandemic.

It is therefore a good and most welcoming move that the Education Ministry has launched “Operation Recovery” in all Education Districts. It is important that the aim of the operation - to find those primary school students who have been continuously absent from school since the restart – be achieved.

Absenteeism from school can thwart the educational development of our children, thus “Operation Recovery” would see education officers going into communities to find students who have either been absent since the restart of school, or missed the just concluded NGSA mock exams.

In giving a synopsis of the venture, the Education Ministry has said that the “exercise aims to ascertain the location of the students and the reasons behind their absenteeism, so that a determination can be made about how the Ministry can assist these students with returning to school.”

To quote the Ministry’s statement: “The Ministry of Education remains committed to keeping school doors open and having as many of our pupils back in school and where students failed to come to school, to determine what needs they may have and to attempt to meet those needs. The Ministry believes firmly that urgent, practical, sustained measures such as teaching and learning from a consolidated curriculum, the provision of textbooks, re-training of teachers, using technology in the classroom, and Operation Recovery will mitigate against the predicted loss to our students and country.”

Absenteeism, however, is not limited to primary schools alone. Minister Manickchand had said some months ago that, at the secondary level, many students who had signed up to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) did not show up for those exams. “…we are beginning to see and feel tangibly the effects of this school closure that has been predicted by UNESCO,” Manickchand had said in response to the continuous rise in school dropouts, adding that “we can’t afford to lose our children. We simply can’t. It would be us dooming them to a life of poverty and hardship. Because we all know that the one sure way to be comfortable and have plenty, and be able to hear, understand and interpret things for oneself; the only sure way is through a solid education.”

The rate of dropouts brought on by the pandemic has to be curtailed, and quick measures such as “Operation Recovery” must be implemented as fast as possible to bring this under control.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the operations of the education systems of most countries in the world like it has challenged Guyana’s, since generally their curricula are delivered in face-to-face classrooms, where the probability of transmitting the virus increases exponentially.

There is no doubt that the Education Ministry, and by extension the Government, has done a remarkable job in terms of the reopening of schools and for learning to continue for students across the country. It was President Dr Irfaan Ali who had said last year that the global situation with children being out of school is indeed “frightening”.

To quote President Ali: “Many countries are already giving frightening reports in terms of the impact. I’ve been travelling around this country, and I know I’ve seen children who ought to be in school, they are out of the system. So, we have to get back to school…to create the conditions to ensure that we get back to school, and that is what we are aiming for.”

No one should underestimate the level of planning and the kind of resources that are needed to ensure that academic learning continues and students and teachers are safe in these challenging times.

The Education Ministry must be commended for the work it has done to ensure learning continues.

A woman tends to her wounds after an airstrike hit an apartment complex in Chuhuiv, Ukraine (Photograph: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Putin’s attack on Ukraine isn’t just about Europe. We must rally the world against this act of war …Global opposition needs to show aspiring despots that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a mistake on a historic scale

By David Lammy

V

ladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is an unprovoked outrage and a heinous violation of international law. It is proof of his utter disregard for the health and wealth of the people of Russia and Ukraine. He is a tyrant prepared to take lives, destroy infrastructure and rob his own citizens in the name of a demented imperialist dream.

The economic sanctions that the United Kingdom , its allies and partners enforce must be as severe as possible. The aim should be to cut Russia out of the Western economic system, targeting the finance, energy, technology and defence sectors as well as individuals linked to Putin and the Russian Government.

The effects should be deep and long-lasting. This confrontation will last for years into the future. And here at home, after years of stubborn inaction, the Government must now finally expunge corrupt Russian money from the UK. We must close the cracks and loopholes through which the tentacles of corrupt finance reach into our economy and democracy.

While sanctions are essential, we know that Putin’s

concerns go far beyond the depth of his pockets, as shown by his willingness to act despite Western threats of economic pain. Russia has been preparing for sanctions for at least two years. So, to defeat Russian aggression, we need to do more than attack Putin’s bank balance.

While sanctions must be as comprehensive as possible, we need a broader response to face down his aggression.

To defeat Putin, we need to unite against the ideology of Putinism. This is an ideology of authoritarianism, imperialism and ethno-nationalism. It is not unique to Russia. This ideology is emulated by despots and dictators around the world: leaders in China, the Middle East and beyond will be watching the strength of the west’s response to this invasion as they plot their next moves.

Russia’s attack will have long-term implications for the security of Europe. If Putin is successful in the short term, the new frontline to Russian aggression will widen to include Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. We must work with our NATO and European allies and partners to bolster our continent’s defence and securi-

ty and show strength, unity and resolve.

But the opposition to Putinism needs to be broader than the G7, the EU or NATO. We need to rally the world against this threat and widen the international coalition that will oppose this grievous act of war, and counter Putin’s ideology of nationalistic expansion. We need to ensure that other global players such as India oppose the terrible precedent set by Putin’s invasion of a sovereign UN member state and his attempt to change national borders through military force.

We must be clear that our opposition is to Putin and his gangster regime, not ordinary Russian people.

Many of them will be feeling deeply uneasy as Russian troops wade across their nearest neighbour’s border, the home of many of their family and friends. Internal opposition to Putin’s deranged expansionism is the best hope of ending it. It’s imperative that we speak directly to them, making the argument for democracy, freedom and the right to self-determination, and never allowing our opposition to Putin to obscure our desire for friendship and peace with Russian people.

It’s essential that we

convince aspiring despots around the world that the Russian regime’s slide into imperialism is a historic mistake. Any victory will be pyrrhic in the long term, just as the invasion of Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Afghanistan in 1979 all turned out to be failures in the end. The result of invasion is always brutal destruction, with civilians caught in the middle paying a terrible price. It is a moral imperative that we continue to help Ukraine to defend itself by providing defensive equipment alongside political, diplomatic and financial support.

The Russian regime’s invasion of Ukraine signals the end of the post-Cold War era. Nobody knows what comes next. The effects of this moment will depend as much on our response to this aggression as it will on the aggression itself. The response of the UK, its allies and its partners has to be strong not weak, united not divided, and strategic rather than short term. Our values of democracy and freedom must defeat Putinism in the end. (The Guardian) David Lammy is the Labour MP for Tottenham and shadow foreign secretary

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 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

Time for a 2nd COVID-19 Household Cash Grant Dear Editor, In consequence of the discovery of 13.5 billion barrels of oil reserves, some Guyanese dream of Guyana becoming an ‘Abu Dhabi’ of the West; some hail it as the ‘next Singapore,’ while others prefer to be cautiously optimistic and embrace instead the evolution of the ‘One Guyana’ concept.

The prospect of huge oil wealth has triggered uncontrollable exuberance among Guyanese, many of whom have been clamouring for cash grants. However, while this emotional elixir is understandable, it has not necessarily been nourished with accurate data and realistic expectations.

On the contrary, expectations of immediate benefits have been exaggerated, while oil- related data are often misunderstood or distorted. From December 2019 to February 2022 (2 years, 3 months), Guyana’s share of oil revenues, for example, was just US$637 million, which works out at an average of US$283 million annually thus far. This is not a windfall. Juxtapose this sum with the annual remittances of Guyanese for the same period, which was US$384 million annually. No one expresses any excitement about this level of remittances, even though it exceeded our oil revenues for at least two years.

The government is constrained by the NRF Act on the amount of funds it could withdraw in 2022.

Any consideration of cash grants must therefore revolve around general revenues. Some critics say that Guyanese have not yet benefited from oil revenues.

This is not true, as numerous businesses have been established and thousands of Guyanese employed in the oil sector. If they refer to benefits flowing from Government oil revenues, these will find expression, both directly and indirectly, in several physical and social infrastructure projects.

The point is that while Guyana is poised to earn much more in oil revenues from 2022 onwards, the exhortations of the Guyanese people and politicians and demands for disposition of oil funds must be measured, especially taking into consideration the substantial amounts of oil revenues that will be dedicated to the transformative physical and social infrastructure projects during 2022-2025 and subsequently, as well as to the Sovereign Wealth Fund to secure inter-generational equity.

To emphasise the significance of transformative (capital) projects, the Government has allocated 39% of Budget 2022 for this purpose, and this cap-

ital expenditure represents an increase of 109% over the 2021 amount. Withdrawal of US$600+ million from the NRF represents 23% of total 2022 budget.

The WPA party, which is part of the APNU Opposition party, for example, issued this proclamation on Emancipation Day 2021: “We have to stress that the oil wealth, however depleted, must be equitably distributed among all groups.

For us in the WPA, this is non-negotiable, and we are prepared to fight tooth and nail for this outcome.” Other states, like Alaska, make annual direct cash grants of US$1,600 per resident from oil revenues, why not Guyana?

But Guyana is not Alaska, which is already highly developed and affluent.

Nevertheless, the case is advanced by proponents of cash grants that several decades of development programmes have failed to lead to any significant reduction of poverty (which is at 32%) and inequality, and they wonder whether this should not be the opportune time to pursue an alternative path of empowerment! And as a short-term measure, therefore, what could be more appealing than cash grants that go directly to people?

Others caution that direct cash grants would only

temporarily mitigate poverty and inequality; what is needed instead is the creation of empowerment programmes like skills training, education advancement, job creation, etc.

A Ghanian oil expert, Mr. George Owusu, observes: “I do not believe in subsidies and giving people cash. You have to work for it.” Guyana’s Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo notes “how other countries have splurged their windfall on current expenses, to such an extent that they could not sustain them when their oil windfall ended.” To illustrate this position, he cited the example of Trinidad & Tobago, which spent “99 per cent of its fiscal revenues between 1999 and 2015 to increase transfers and subsidies,” a condition which the country could not maintain.

Any consideration of cash grants for 2022 would come from general revenues, as the US$600+ million NR Fund has already been allocated for 2022 budget. Noteworthy is the social dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related rising cost of living that are building a compelling case for another COVID-19-like Household Cash Grant.

Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

Our leaders need to change their ways

Dear Editor, Elder Green, who I think is Hamilton Green, claimed that he was prevented from driving along Wight’s Lane because he did not have a pass.

Editor, while living in Guyana, I knew that the

Police Traffic Department usually informs the public about road closures during certain events. I do not think Green was going to visit any friends. He claimed that he was part of the protest on Water Street Kingston, and my guess is

that he was checking out to find a way for him and his followers to get to the Marriott.

Further, I do not know how a man who is almost one hundred years old is allowed to drive in such a congested city. I am sure

Guyana calls for immediate...

“The hostilities against Ukraine go counter to the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state and the prohibition on the threat or use of force, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, which are the bedrock of this Community.

“Caricom maintains that the principles of universal respect and adherence to these norms and principles of international law are fundamental to the maintenance of the international system and global peace and security. Caricom calls on all parties involved to urgently embark on intensified diplomatic dialogue to immediately de-escalate hostilities and work towards a sustainable peace,” the re-

gional body stated.

Meanwhile, the Organisation of American States (OAS), of which Guyana is member also, called too for the immediate cessation of the hostilities that were irresponsibly initiated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Russian aggression constitutes a crime against international peace.

The armed attack perpetrated against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is reprehensible and constitutes a very serious act in violation of international law. Aggression has been defined as the “supreme international crime” and it undoubtedly constitutes an attack against the peace and security of humanity, as well as civilised relations between States,”

the OAS Secretariat said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, as hundreds of citizens rush to seek refuge underground, while scores are rushing to other neighbouring countries, including Poland. However, Zelenskyy has forbidden Ukrainian males between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country, Russia’s act of aggression has been described by western neighbours as “a dark day for Europe” .

In response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, major global leaders have announced widespread sanctions against the Vladimir Putin-headed Russia.

In fact, United States President Joe Biden on Thursday imposed stronger

he can afford to employ a driver, because he got a lucrative pension because of Charrandas Persaud, who is regretful of supporting it.

Regards, Kenneth Singh

FROM PAGE 3

sanctions on the European country which has far-reaching consequences not only for Russia’s economy, financial institutions and its access to technology but also impacts the world market price for oil, which skyrocketed to over US$100 per barrel.

However, the Russian President has cast aside international condemnation and sanctions, warning other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences that you never faced in your history”.

Meanwhile, these developments have sparked protest actions across Europe and even in Russia. But authorities in Moscow have threatened to arrest and prosecute persons caught protesting illegally.

GAWU needs to get on board the prosperity train

Dear Editor, “500 (high-paying) oilfield service jobs for Enmore and environs” is the positive headline I envisaged when I heard of the Guysons’ plan for the old packing plant.

Sadly, there was no such headline, and instead, this ultra-positive for the people of the area has come in for criticism and questioning from not only the usual nattering nabobs of nihilism, but, importantly, from the Guyana Agricultural & General Workers Union (GAWU), who would rather preserve the 30 sugar packing jobs than see those (and 470 others) transition to the lucre of oilfield services.

GAWU seems to have

lost its way and its mandate to represent people and not union dues (they are among the unions seeking to represent oil & gas industry workers). GAWU needs to modernise its thinking and accept that people from Enmore can do more than cut cane, load punts, and pay GAWU its dues.

Nobody likes the crab at the bottom of the barrel.

GAWU can get on board the prosperity train, or get off the track before it gets run over by the thousands of new oilfield services workers.

Sincerely, Robin Singh

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

Amazing leakproof bag

Test 2

Complete the following test items

1. Robby bought a scale that records weight digitally. His small luggage bag weighs 10.49 kilograms, his laptop bag (laptop included) weighs 5 kilograms and his suitcase weighs 35.554 kilograms. What is the total weight of his items, in grams? If a passenger is only allowed to carry 55 kilograms of luggage onto a flight, will Robby’s luggage exceed the limit?

2. Which city is wetter? On which day is the difference in precipitation greatest?

3. Which pastry is most popular? On which day was the most pastries sold?

W

hat do you think will happen if you puncture a bag full of water with a sharp object? You may think all the water will come squirting out! In this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to show you how to puncture a bag full of water with sharpened pencils and keep it from leaking.

Being able to push sharp objects through a bag full of water and not have it leak may seem like magic, but we will show you it’s just science.

Materials: Plastic ziplock bag Water Pencil sharpener Several pencils Optional – food colouring and biodegradable glitter Instructions:

4. Paul is looking at a solid figure that has no faces, no vertices, and no edges.

What solid figure is he looking at?

5. Julie puts 6 $5 coins, 13 $10 coins and 4 $20 bills in a hat. If you were to reach into the hat, what is the probability that you pick A $5 coin?

A $10 coin?

A $20 bill?

Thursday’s answers 500, 354

The exact answer is 95, so rounding to the nearest ten gives you 90 or 100.

Calculate a) 25 x 15 = 780 b) 9 x 56 = 504 c) 83 x 92 = 7636

Calculate a) $13.50 + $10.00 + $23.25 = $46.75 b) $1090.00 – $735.25 = $354.75 c) $7.07 + $2.93 = $10.00 38.10mm Calculate a) 79 ÷ 55 = 1.437 b) 35 ÷ 70 = 0.5 c) 630 ÷ 8 = 78.75

Half pint of blue paint.

Blue + red = purple.

Calculate 20% of (150 ÷ 5) = 6 50% of = 0.4 or 70%, or 12.075 metres, of the rope has not been painted?

Use the pencil sharpener and carefully make each pencil as sharp as possible.

Fill the ziplock plastic bag about three quarters of the way full with water.

Optional – Add a little food colouring and glitter for fun.

Push any air out of the bag.

Seal the bag securely.

Hold the bag firmly out in front of yourself.

Use your other hand to push a pencil through the bag so it pokes out the other side.

Continue stabbing the pencils through the bag, being sure to leave them in.

How it works:

Plastic ziplock storage bags are very flexible. The bags are made of a polymer called low density polyethylene. The sharpened pencils are able to squeeze through the chains of polymer without breaking them and the bag is actually so flexible it is able to seal around the pencils preventing water from escaping.

By MA Cossou Oh I care not that others rave over fair lands afar, Where silvern lakes and placid streams mirror the evening star; I care not though their wealth be great, their scenery be grand, For none so fair as can compare with my own native land.

Their sylvan vales and rippling brooks may charm me when I roam, But what of that? No brooks and vales can steal my love of home; Where I in childhood used to play, and where the old folks rest Must be to me, where’re I be, the dearest and the best.

And though I rove o’er hill and dale and brave old Neptune’s foam, O’er crags and rocks and mossy dells, I still will turn me home; For when at length I come to die, I want no gilded tomb, Just let me rest within thy breast, where thy sweet flowers bloom, Where thy sweet flowers bloom.

Make this a science project:

Try using a balloon. Try using a plastic grocery bag. Try using a medical glove. Try adding very warm water to the bag. (sciencefun.org)

“Skill is only developed by hours and hours of work” – Usain Bolt

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Opposition was not “locked out” of Energy Conference & Expo – organisers ...was open to all; Opposition members did attend ...2nd conference billed for February 2023

Communications Director Alex Graham and CEO Angenie Abel

A scene from the opening of the International Energy Conference and Expo at the Marriott Hotel last Tuesday

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rganisers of the inaugural International Energy Conference and Expo have set the record straight by declaring that there were no attempts – deliberate or otherwise – to lock out members of the parliamentary Opposition from the four-day event hosted at the Guyana Marriott Hotel last week.

Days before the opening of the Energy Conference, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) said “…the organisers and the Government of Guyana have entirely excluded the APNU/ AFC elected Parliamentary Opposition and the APNU/ AFC local and regional officials from partaking in this conference via formal invitations”.

The Opposition coalition further reminded in its missive that it represented Guyanese in the National Assembly, adding that this posture of deliberately excluding their elected officials only sought to provoke aggression.

The first-ever International Energy Conference and Expo was hosted and fund-

ed by a private company – the International Energy Conference and Expo Guyana Incorporated.

In response to questions about the Opposition’s absence from the conference, the company’s Communications Director, Alex Graham explained on Thursday that there were no plans or discussions to exclude any particular groups, such as the Opposition, from the event. He noted that everyone was allowed to register and attend the event once they obtained a ticket.

“There is no group, political or otherwise, that we selected or did not select for political or other reasons to not include or include in the conference. The conference information was widely distributed and everyone who wanted to participate came forward and either registered or by some other means, indicated they’re interested in participating.”

“I could tell you now that individual members of that group that we call Opposition made their approach, got registered or got their tickets or attended sessions… or visited the expo or whatever.

So, it’s not as if people were

in any way locked out of this by any deliberate act on the part of the conference; that’s not at all,” Graham stated.

Further asked about the inclusion of Opposition members on the panels that did presentations during the conference, the Communications Director pointed out that the panellists selected were all experts in areas directly related to the theme of the event.

“Panellists were not chosen on basis of which groups they belong to; panellists were chosen on the basis of what expertise they brought to the particular subjects that were on the table at the time. The Government Ministers you saw on the panels were people who are currently responsible for those particular areas of activities in the country,” he explained.

At the time, Graham was asked about inviting Opposition Member of Parliament, David Patterson, who is shadowing the natural resources sector, to participate in the conference as a panellist and contribute to the conversations.

However, he contended “…you couldn’t become

a panellist because you’re an Opposition Member of Parliament. You had to become a panellist because you’re a specialist in a particular area. These were all specialist panels if you look at them”.

At the Energy Conference, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo presented on two topics: Guyana’s Oil and Gas Policy and Guyana’s Approach for a Sustainable Future. Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat also delivered on “Energy Corridor and Cross-border oil field development and services”.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips, who has responsibility for the country’s energy sector, spoke extensively about Guyana’s transition to renewable energy and gave an overview of the various projects being undertaken in this regard.

Nevertheless, following the successful hosting of the inaugural International Energy Conference and Expo in Georgetown last week,

plans are already afoot for the second edition of the event to be held early next year.

In fact, the organisers are looking to include more local sectors to join the conversation on sustainable development.

“The inclusion of more industries definitely, and how they would adopt sustainable measures. We want to see more sectors involved – the mining sector, the logging sector – and just to continue building on the conversations already taking place,” Chief Executive Officer of the International Energy Conference and Expo, Angenie Abel said.

Next year’s conference is scheduled for February 14 to 17 and the organisers anticipate 30 per cent growth for the second edition.

According to Abel, the major challenge this year was capacity – something which they would address at the next event.

However, talking about the success of the inaugural event held last week,

Graham said they achieved all and even surpassed some of their goals. He further noted that local participation and benefits for small Guyanese businesses would continue to be a main catalyst of the Conference and Expo ,heading into the future.

“It might even be better to have a one-hour session for certain kinds of small businesses to come and engage with some people… Some Guyanese businesses are at the stage where a booth is what is useful to them but not every Guyanese business needs a booth. They need access and they need opportunities and we will provide [those],” Graham stated.

Last week’s inaugural International Energy Conference and Expo was funded privately and managed entirely by Guyanese.

It had 32 sponsors, 822 attendees including members of the Diaspora, and 153 exhibitors. At least three major agreements between local and foreign businesses were signed during the event.

8 NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 accused plead not guilty to killing mall owner in 2015

Much ado…

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Murder accused Lennox Roberts

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wo men accused of killing the owner of the popular Regent Multiplex Mall on Regent Street, Georgetown have each pleaded not guilty to the capital offence of murder on Thursday when they appeared before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court.

Lennox Roberts, 36, formerly of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, and Kurt Erskine, 39, formerly of Grove, East Bank Demerara, face a joint charge which states that on July 5, 2015, in the county of Demerara, they murdered 48-year-old Ganesh Ramlall during the course/furtherance of a rob-

Murder accused Kurt Erskine

bery.

Roberts and Erskine will go on trial from Monday.

Attorneys-at-Law Lyndon Amsterdam and George Thomas are representing Erskine and Roberts respectively. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has granted a fiat to Attorneysat-Law Konyo Sandiford and Narissa Leander to prosecute the matter on behalf of the State.

25-year-old Faizal Bacchus, formerly of Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, who has also been charged with Ganesh Ramall’s murder, has pleaded guilty to the lesser offence

Confessed killer Faizal Bacchus

of manslaughter, and will be sentenced on Monday. He will also be testifying on behalf of the prosecution. His lawyer is Mark Conway.

Ganesh Ramlall, a father of one, was shot five times about his body, including once to his head, just after midnight on July 5, 2015.

Reports are that the businessman, with friends, had just returned home from a barbeque when he proceeded to use an outdoor bathroom on his premises.

As he walked into his yard, he was pounced upon by four men, who opened fire on him. His wife raised an alarm, and neighbours fired shots at the bandits, but the men managed to es-

Murdered: Ganesh Ramlall

cape with Ganesh Ramlall’s jewellery and wallet.

The injured man was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, and his relatives quickly posted a $5 million reward for anyone with information regarding his killing.

Shortly after, Police raided a house in Craig, EBD, where Bacchus and Roberts, along with several others, were arrested. When interrogated, the two men reportedly confessed to the murder of the business owner, and reportedly implicated Erskine. It was reported that the men had hatched a plot to rob the mall owner two months prior to his demise.

…about Republic Day ome members of the Opposition – who aren’t even sure of their own standing in their places in their parties – are going on about not being invited to the Republic Day commemoration event. Well, your Eyewitness knows that these affairs aren’t supposed to involve every Tom, Dick or Harrilall (HE wasn’t invited!!) – just the Government and Opposition. But he understands the Government looked high and low for the Opposition Leader – which, of course, represents the entire Opposition – to extend the invitation, but just couldn’t because – surprise!! – there AIN’T no Opposition Leader!!

Seriously folks, protocols are involved, and is it the Government’s job to figure out who’s the REAL LoO?? They couldn’t send the invitation to Harmon, cause he resigned!

And they certainly couldn’t send it to Norton, since the Representative of the List, Granger, hasn’t done the constitutional thing and informed GECOM who’s the LoO! We all know Nicolette Henry pulled that cruel gag on Norton to let him believe she was resigning to open up a seat for him in the National Assembly!! Only to (figuratively) shout gleefully, “Gotcha!!!” Wait till end of March – presumably so he wouldn’t have to worry about the Ides of March!!

But your Eyewitness had read somewhere that Simona “Fried Rice” Broomes had also resigned. Has the Clerk been informed? Is the way clear for Granger to do a Spike Lee and “Do the Right Thing”? Who knows? Nobody’s talking – least of all those Opposition types complaining about no invites! But what we know for sure is there is no Opposition Leader and no one to send any invitation to. So, the point that must be made and emphasised is: as far as who’s responsible for the Opposition not being there to salute our Golden Arrowhead, the blame isn’t on the PPP Government. In this – as in everything else they’re fumbling over – they’re their own worst enemies!!

But what was worse is that they’re complaining about not being allowed to commemorate us becoming a Republic when, by their actions, they’re proving they have ABSOLUTELY no idea about what a Republic’s all about.

So, a reminder: it means we’ve SEVERED our ties to our colonial masters. We’re masters of our fate and captains of our destiny, and all that. So, when the Opposition hangs on to every word of some report from USAID on our REPUBLIC, it’s almost treasonable and certainly unrepublican!!

Jeez, how can they, on one hand, say the USA was “interfering’ to’ve condemned their elections rigging, but now praise their call for “shared governance”? On Republic Day!!

But really, this is the PNC, and the only way they know to act is to be opportunistic. Remember how they got power back in the 1960s? …about “invasions” The burning question right now (pun intended!) is: Where will the West draw their line – literally – in Ukraine?

The Ruskies – asserting their “historical” ties and such like – rolled into the Ukraine from the air, sea and land.

They’d already done so from hyperspace by jamming the Ukraine’s electronic defence systems. Right now, it ain’t much different from when Napoleon rolled into Moscow – mano a mano!! Or tried to do so!! Putin has played a long game, and is finishing up what can now be seen as a gambit in Crimea in 2014.

As your Eyewitness has been emphasising forever, we should be concerned because Russia might create a diversion right next door by arming Venezuela. Maduro’s probably itching to get back at their “Great Satan”, and wouldn’t need much convincing to rattle his sabres (and MIGs) on our western border. But just as troubling is whether Russia’s actions will convince China to make a move on Taiwan.

Their “reasons” are a mirror image of Putin’s!! …about oil prices Even if Russia and Ukraine weren’t among the biggest suppliers of petroleum products on planet earth, the Ukraine Crisis would’ve jolted the energy markets.

So, our silver lining from THAT dark cloud is Brent’s now over US$100/barrel!

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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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Omai’s trenching unearths multiple goldbearing structures at Blueberry Hill, Gilt Creek

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Exposed underlying diorite in contact with overlying volcanics at Blueberry Hill (Omai Gold photo)

anadian-owned Omai Gold Mines on Thursday announced that its trenching activities have identified multiple gold-bearing structures with “high-grade gold” at its Blueberry Hill and Gilt Creek targets.

These are located west of the Fennell pit at Omai Gold Project in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

At Blueberry Hill, 14 samples were collected with three of them assaying over 15 g/t Au (gold per tonne), including one grading 24.3 g/t Au). Two other locations at Blueberry Hill were also trenched.

Over in the Gilt Creek area, a total of 11 samples were taken with all assaying over 1.5 g/t Au, and half of them assaying over 6.0 g/t Au. Three of these samples assayed over 10 g/t Au with the highest sample of 21.3 g/t Au. According to a statement from Omai, trenching and sampling at Blueberry Hill and Gilt Creek identified several gold-rich, low-angle quartz-veined structural zones within both volcanic and diorite rocks. It added that these structural zones are similar to those seen at the large past-producing Fennell Mine.

Omai noted that the Blueberry Hill and Gilt Creek targets would be tested as part of the 3000-metre drill programme that is scheduled to begin later this week.

Commenting on the findings, Omai’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Elaine Ellingham said: “These im-

pressive trenching results when paired with our geologic mapping have generated some exciting new exploration targets for the upcoming drill programme. The Blueberry Hill-Gilt Creek trend has experienced limited historical exploration and these new results further highlight the potential for new discoveries in the immediate vicinity of the past producing pits.”

“Our success drilling Wenot in 2021 to a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate gives us a solid base from which to further build our gold resources on the Omai property. We know there is ample potential to expand the Wenot resource both at depth and along strike. The current drill programme will start by testing some of the new targets like Blueberry Hill, Gilt Creek, Snake Pond, Broccoli Hill, and others that provide opportunities for new near-surface discoveries,” she added.

Blueberry Hill, Gilt Creek, and Snake Pond were identified among the priority exploration targets during the 2021 compilation programme, the company said.

Blueberry Hill corresponds to a very prominent magnetic low signature from the airborne geophysics, similar but even more pronounced than that seen over the past-producing Fennell Mine. The magnetic low over Fennell is attributed to the quartz diorite stock, or plug, which hosts the multiple low-angle gold-rich quartz vein systems.

The exploration team con-

ducted fieldwork at Blueberry Hill in late November and identified a few outcroppings of diorite intrusive, some with quartz stockworks near the base of the hill, which was very encouraging.

A total of 10 trenches have been completed to date in 2022, ranging in length from 15 to over 100 metres for a total of approximately 510 metres, with several assay results still pending.

Meanwhile, trenching was completed in the Gilt Creek area, located 200 metres northeast of Blueberry Hill.

Since these are also relatively flat-lying zones, the sampling is along strike due to limitations of vertical exposure within the trenches.

Omai said it maintained an

internal Quality Assurance/ Quality Control (QA/QC) programme to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work are conducted in accordance with best practices. It noted that certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates are entered at regular intervals, while adding that samples are sealed in plastic bags and shipped to the MSALABS Guyana Inc, a certified laboratory in Georgetown, respecting the best chain-of-custody practices.

At the laboratory, the company explained, samples are dried, crushed up to 80 per cent passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g), and pulverised to 95 per cent passing 105 ?m, including cleaner sand.

Thirty grams of pulverised material is then fire assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AA). Initial assays with results above 3.0 ppm gold are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish. Certified reference materials and blanks meet with QA/QC specifications.

In January, Omai Gold Mines had announced the discovery of significant gold values during initial trenching and drilling on the Broccoli Hill target at its Region Seven property.

The company recently filed a technical report with SEDAR, which supports the 16.7 million tonnes of indicated gold and 19.5 million tonnes of inferred gold it had announced the Wenot deposit held last month.

In this technical report, consultant P&E Mining explained that extending the Wenot deposit is expected to cost US$2.65 million and

be completed in the next 12 months.

The consultant recommended the expansion of the Wenot deposit, by using compiled historical data and identified drill targets to guide exploration efforts. It was explained that some of this work is expected to be part of the Phase 1 drilling in 2022. Oher parts are expected to extend into the Phase 2 programme.

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Lad celebrating 13th birthday drowns at Jubilee Resort

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lad who was celebrating his 13th birth anniversary at the Jubilee Resort at Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) drowned on Wednesday.

This lad has been identified as Ray Stuart Jr. of Robb Street, Bourda, Georgetown.

A Police report on the incident has stated that the lad was taken to the resort by his father, in the company of relatives and friends, to celebrate his birthday.

However, as they were having fun in the pool, the teenager, who does not know

how to swim, ventured into the deeper section of the pool and went under the water unnoticed.

After his father had observed the lad missing, he raised an alarm, and other relatives began searching for the lad in and out of the

Ray Stuart Jr

pool.

His lifeless body was found submerged in the pool by a relative sometime later.

He was immediately rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre by his father and relatives, but was pronounced

dead on arrival.

The body was examined

by Police for marks of violence, but none was seen.

The body was then taken to

the Memorial Gardens mortuary to await a post mortem.

Investigations into the incident continue.

11 “Operation Recovery” – bringing our students back into the classroom NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Education Officers conducting outreach activities for ‘Operation Recovery’ in Supenaam Creek, Region Two

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he Education Ministry has launched ‘Operation Recovery’ within the 11 Education Districts. The intention is to find those primary school students who have been continuously absent from school since school re-started and those who have missed the recent National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) mock examinations.

Operation Recovery would see Education Officers from the Central Ministry

and within the Education Districts working along with Regional Officials and community activists as they fan out into communities to locate those pupils.

The exercise aims to ascertain the location of the students and the reasons behind their absenteeism, so that a determination could be made about how the Ministry could assist those students to return to school.

The scientific data gathered from countries around

the world in numerous studies by various organisations continue to show that the long school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic would lead to an increased rate of school dropouts and tremendous learning loss, unless countries take urgent practical measures to mitigate against same. This loss would not only affect the academic attainment of young people, but ultimately their economic and social development as they become adults.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that this generation of children and youth cannot afford any more disruptions to their education, and predict that unless practical measures are taken urgently, this generation could lose more than 17 trillion dollars in earnings in their lifetime, have their academic growth stunted, and have their mental health severely affected.

The Ministry of Education remains committed to keeping school doors open and having as many of our pupils back in school, and where students failed to come to school, to determine what needs they may have, and to attempt to meet those needs.

The Ministry believes firmly that urgent, practical, sustained measures such

Education Officers conducting outreach activities for ‘Operation Recovery’ in Supenaam Creek, Region Two

as teaching and learning from a consolidated curriculum; the provision of textbooks, re-training of teachers, using technology in the classroom, and Operation Recovery would mitigate against the predicted loss to

our students and country.

The Ministry warns that any individual or organisation which promotes the closure of schools or discourages parents from sending their children to school is doing harm to Guyana’s children

and our country as a whole, and encourages all stakeholders to be responsible during this time, and to lend their support to this effort so that we can reach every pupil and give them the education they rightfully deserve.

12 NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Progress on DHB delayed, pending decision on need for EIA F

urther progress on the new Demerara River Bridge project has been delayed, pending a decision to be made by an independent Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) on the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the multi-million-dollar undertaking.

In late 2021, Cabinet had granted its ‘no objection’ for China State Construction Engineering to construct the new bridge. However, earlier this month, the Guyana

Government announced that it would be engaging a new contactor to construct the bridge, after negotiations with the first preferred bidder bore little fruit.

According to the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kemraj Parsram, in order for the project to move forward, a decision has to be made by the EAB whether an EIA is required. The life of the Board expired in December last year, and the Board will have to be reconstituted.

“A decision was made by the EPA, and there was an objection; so, automatically, that then goes to the Environmental Assessment Board, an independent body, to review, and they are, I think today (Tuesday), that body will be gazetted and then the body will review that situation,” the EPA Head told the media during a recent interview.

Nevertheless, Parsram reiterated the original position taken by the EPA on the question of an EIA for the project.

“I know there was a history that, previously, the EPA made a decision that an EIA was required, but at that time we didn’t have enough information…information subsequently came in, and actually…there was a preliminary environmental and social impact assessment done, and that was the basis…”

“And having returning to the Agency, I reviewed all that information, I said it doesn’t really make any sense to go through having to do another EIA…that information was adequate to inform that we do not need an environmental and social impact assessment,” he contended.

According to the EPA Head, the social benefits clearly outweigh the current environmental impacts,

which he noted are not significant.

“The social benefits, or the positive benefits, far outweigh the current environmental impact,” he posited.

“The next step is to ensure, through our permitting, that when the project is approved, that we will set up the necessary safeguards to make sure that the impacts that are there, that they are not significant [and] will be managed, and then we can have the project go ahead,” Parsram explained.

In September 2021, President Dr Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had both expressed support for the move by the EPA to bypass an EIA for the project.

The new Demerara River Bridge, when constructed, will land aback

Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara, and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara, and is expected to significantly reduce congestion of traffic. The new bridge is expected to be completed in two years from the date of the commencement order.

Floating at 1.25 miles, the current Demerara Harbour Bridge is a strategic link between the East and West Banks of Demerara, and facilitates the daily movement of thousands of vehicles, people, and cargo.

The structure was built in the 1970s, and was opened in July 1978 with the expectation of lasting only 10 years. However, some 43 years later, the bridge is still floating and being kept alive by costly maintenance works.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

$13.7M nursery school commissioned in Sebai

The spanking New Sebai Nursery School

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, MP, assisting two students as they cut the ribbon to open the spanking new Sebai Nursery School

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ome 40 students of Sebai, in the Matarkai sub-district of Region One (Barima Waini), will benefit from a $13.7 million nursery school which was commissioned on Wednesday.

It was constructed by the regional administration last year, and Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal attended the commissioning ceremony, accompanied by Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley; Regional Executive Officer (REO) Tikeram Bissessar; Chairman of the Matarkai Neighbourhood

Democratic Council (NDC), Orlando Thorne; and newly appointed Regional Education Officer Chiveon Bovell-Success.

Minister Croal has said that construction of the new school in this riverine community is testimony to the Government’s commitment to providing equal educational opportunities for the nation’s children.

“We will continue to invest in the education sector because we understand the importance of educating the nation’s children. With our new status as an oil-produc-

ing country, it is important that we invest in our future leaders,” the Minister told the gathering.

Croal said Government’s vision for education is to ensure all teachers are trained to deliver quality education at all institutions. This is not different for Sebai, as efforts will be made to ensure trained teachers are placed at the new school.

“Our Government does not only believe in talking the talk in education, but walking the walk. We are going to transform the educational landscape of the

A section of the new school

region. We are going to ensure that a well-rounded education is provided to every child,” Ashley said.

Headteacher Karen Benjamin explained that the

school would be a significant boost, since the children are currently being housed in a cramped space at the primary school, which also houses secondary-age students.

Meanwhile, Minister Croal also attended ceremonies in Sebai and Matthews Ridge in observance of Guyana’s 52nd Republic Anniversary.

14 NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CIOG hosts medical Digicel commits to reduction in intra-Caricom roaming charges outreach in NA – signs Caricom declaration to facilitate – approximately 100 benefit

CIOG’s Medical Outreach Team

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n true philanthropic style, the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) and its collaborators last Sunday held a medical outreach at the Smythfield Training Center in New Amsterdam Berbice, and approximately 100 Berbice residents benefited therefrom.

Supported by the Mayor & Town Council of New Amsterdam, the Guyana Cancer Foundation and the National AIDS Programme Secretariat, the main purpose of this medical outreach was to provide medical assistance to residents of the community.

The residents were able to have their blood pressure and glucose levels tested.

HIV & STI testing was also available, as was access to mental health care, provision of over-the-counter and prescription medication, paediatric care, and gyneco-

Persons seeking assistance at CIOG’s Medical Outreach

logical services, which were administered by general and specialised doctors.

The outreach was able to provide assistance to approximately 100 persons, inclusive of children, the elderly, and the disabled.

In addition, residents who were present were issued with packages that catered for basic daily necessities, including sanitation

products, face masks, clothing, and pampers for both children and adults.

The CIOG has been conducting many initiatives that are beneficial to the people of Guyana. Just last week, CIOG held its first-ever pap smear drive at its Woolford Avenue, Georgetown location, and some five hundred women benefited therefrom.

ICT Space and Single Market and Economy

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igicel Group and Cable & Wireless Communications earlier this week signed a declaration to reduce intra-Caricom roaming charges for citizens of Caricom states. The aim is to support the Caricom Heads of Governments’ policy initiative to establish the Caricom Single ICT Space in the Caricom Single Market and Economy.

The move is a recognition of the historical global issue of the unpredictable cost of mobile roaming, and “bill shock” at the end of an overseas trip, which can serve as a deterrent for Caricom citizens to use their mobile phones as they travel through the region.

Digicel’s commitment is to continue to work to make roaming charges more transparent, predictable, and affordable, while ultimately delivering a much-enhanced customer experience.

In addition, the declaration signed commits to advancing the implementation of the fundamental elements of the Vision and Roadmap for a Caricom Single ICT Space within the region; moving towards a more harmonised regulatory environment in all Caricom member states; improving the overall customer experience by promoting greater regional connectivity; improving

Digicel Group Government Relations Director Kieran Mulvey

the ease of doing business in the telecommunications and ICT sector; and developing policies that encourage investments, lessen the financial burden on operators, and encourage reinvestment in the telecoms/ICT sector, and sharing professional studies concerning the taxation of OTTs and the potential regulatory framework for Caricom telecom service providers for consultation on any policy prescriptions.

Digicel Group Government Relations Director Kieran Mulvey, after the signing, stated, “Today we create an example of what we can achieve by working together. This is a significant milestone in the roadmap towards achiev-

ing a Single ICT Caribbean Space.

Digicel remains strongly committed to working with the Governments of the Caricom to continue to invest in the critical telecom infrastructure to ensure Governments, citizens and businesses have access to the highest levels of modern communication technologies.”

He added, “This declaration recognises the joint opportunities and challenges we face in advancing the goal and desire of us to collectively remove any impediments towards achieving a liberalised market, and ensuring that all who avail of it contribute to the cost, most notably the OTTs like Facebook and WhatsApp.”

Rape accused remanded for killing daughter’s boyfriend Miner arrested following discovery of almost 4kg ganja

Dead: Leon Gittens

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man awaiting High Court trial for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl was on Thursday remanded to prison for killing his daughter’s boyfriend.

Sherwayne Brandt, 44, also known as “Brave”, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in that Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that, on February 18, at Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown, he murdered 25-year-old Leon Gittens.

Brandt has been remanded to prison until March 22.

Police Headquarters

have said that Gittens, of 118 Cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown, was shot dead at around midnight on the day in question.

A Police report said the young man, who had shared an intimate relationship with Brandt’s daughter, had allegedly been threatened by his girlfriend’s father last month.

It has been reported that, on the fateful day, the young man had gone to the La Penitence location to pick up his girlfriend. She told detectives that she observed her father dressed in a blue dress, with a wig on his head and armed with a black handgun, entering the yard; and as she ran for cover, she heard three loud explosions similar to that of gunshots, after which her father ran from the yard and made good his escape.

Upon checking, she saw Gittens lying motionless in front of a bedroom, and an alarm was raised. The injured young man was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Brandt, who reportedly disapproved of his daughter’s relationship with Gittens, was arrested on Monday by Police ranks at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport,

A Murder and rape accused Sherwayne Brandt at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday

where he was in the process of boarding a flight to Trinidad and Tobago with an onward connection to the United States of America.

Meanwhile, in January 2019, Brandt, then a bus driver, was committed to stand trial at the Demerara High Court for allegedly raping a schoolgirl.

The charge against him

states that on October 7, 2015, at Plum Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, he engaged in sexual penetration of a child under age 16.

Reports state that the young girl was a frequent traveller in a minibus that Brandt operated. It is alleged that he took the teen to an unknown area in Sophia and raped her.

29-year-old miner has been arrested following the discovery of close to four kilograms of cannabis at a checkpoint at No. 70, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Based on reports received, the young man, who was riding motorcycle CH 6391, was stopped by the Police for a routine check, but nothing illegal was found on his person.

However, based on suspicions, the ranks went to a diversion track away from the checkpoint, which persons use to avoid Police search-

es, and they found motorcycle tracks and made the discovery of a black haversack.

A search was carried out on the haversack, and a quantity of cannabis was discovered therein. The bag was taken back to the checkpoint, where it was weighed and amounted to 3 kilograms, 990 grams.

The suspect was questioned about the haversack and its contents, but he has so far denied knowledge of same. He was taken to the Bartica Police Station, along with the cannabis, for further investigation.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana records over 60,800 recoveries from COVID-19

…1 death, 19 new cases detected in 24 hours

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f the 62,798 persons who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) locally, some 60,811 have recovered completely.

This figure was released by the Health Ministry on Thursday.

The Ministry has also revealed that 19 new cases were detected within a 24hour period. In addition, a 62-year-old man from Region Four died from the virus on Wednesday, thus taking the death toll to 1,216.

From the statistics, a breakdown shows that 28,911 men and 33,887 women had contracted the virus in Guyana thus far.

There are seven persons in the Intensive Care Unit, 52 in institutional isolation, 712 in home isolation, and six in institutional quarantine.

From the 864 active cases, 343 are in Region Four, with the remainder being dispersed across the other regions. This includes 54 hospitalised cases, 39 of which are at the Infectious Diseases Hospital.

From the time the pandemic was first detected in Guyana, 536,412 swabs have been processed for the virus.

Further analysis of new cases shows one was detected in Region One (Barima-

Waini); one in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); three in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); eight in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); two in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and four in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

In giving some more insight into COVID-19 and mental health, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said on Thursday, “We have to be careful even after infection, how this disease continues to affect persons. As we’ve said in the past, what is now being discovered is that the virus can get into your brain and areas of the brain that (control) emotions and so forth, and can disrupt those functions. That’s why it is important that we take the measures to prevent getting infected. Mental health issues are just one of the consequences.”

In terms of vaccination, 431,296 adults, or 84.1 per cent of that demographic, have received a first dose vaccine, while 326,375 adults, or 63.6 per cent of that demographic, have returned for their second shot.

In the adolescent age group, 24,104 adolescents, or 33 per cent of that demographic, are fully vaccinated. Booster doses stand at 49,517.

All Guyanese are remind-

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

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

Comorbid conditions can range from cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, chronic lung diseases, chronic liver diseases, diabetes, Down Syndrome, heart conditions, HIV, mental health disorders, neurological conditions, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell anemia, tuberculosis, solid organ transplant patients, smokers, or those with substance use disorder.

In the Americas, in which Guyana is included, 146 million infections have been recorded, with deaths surpassing 2.6 million. Globally, 428 million infections and 5.9 million deaths have been reported.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD FEBRUARY 24, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

19

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

52

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

712

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

7

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

6

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

33,887

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

28,911

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

62,798

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

60,811

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2504

REGION 2

2458

REGION 3

8017

REGION 4

31,041

REGION 5

2350

REGION 6

5696

REGION 7

2413

REGION 8

887

REGION 9

3967

REGION 10

3465

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

431,296 326,375

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1216

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.

Heavy rainfall

All pumps in Georgetown operational – Mustapha

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ith the onset of heavy showers of rainfall, an assessment of drainage pumps has shown that all are functional within the city of Georgetown.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Thursday conducted a site visit to several of these structures to determine if they were operational.

At the Liliendaal Pump Station, Minister Mustapha informed the media that all of the pumps in Georgetown are fully operable.

“In the City, all 13 pumps are fully operable. I am satisfied that the operators are working, and we will continue to monitor them. We have three engineers working on a 24-hour basis monitoring these structures. If there are any issues, we’ll immediately mobilise mechanics to remedy the situation. We’ve been doing this over the past few months, and I’ve noticed a major improvement in the way these pumps function,” he noted.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha with other officials inspecting the drainage pumps

The Minister added that with the persistence of heavy rainfall across the country, the Ministry has been working closely with the regional authorities, and is prepared to allocate additional resources to strengthen its flood response efforts.

“We are seeing heavy rainfall right across the country, not only in Georgetown, and we are putting systems in place to minimise instances of flooding.

We are monitoring the situation, and have been working very closely with the

regional authorities to see what systems can be put in place to assist residents in these affected areas. We are also allocating additional resources so that we can be able to strengthen our flood response efforts, should the need arise.”

From reports emanating from the Hydromet Department, several villages in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) have been experiencing episodes of persistent rainfall.

Residents have been cautioned to desist from disposing of garbage in the drainage canals, since this would affect the working of the pumps. There have, however, been instances of such challenges in the past few days.

Meanwhile, additional pumps have been deployed to the Corentyne Coast and East Coast of Demerara.

Thus far, there has been no report of major flooding.

The Hydromet Department has already predicted that Northern Guyana, which covers all zones except Region Nine, is

likely to experience cloudy skies with scattered showers and intermittent rainfall. Rainfall is expected to range between 10.0mm and 30.0mm within a 24-hour period.

Taking into consideration the most recent weather report issued by the Hydromet Department, Minister Mustapha has said that a visit to the pumps was necessary to ensure the structures were functioning.

He added that it is essential to assess the city’s drainage structures ahead of the forecasted rainy weekend.

As customary, many areas in Georgetown are prone to flooding.

Over the last few weeks, the Government has been partnering with the various municipalities, regional officials, and Private Sector representatives to conduct a massive nationwide cleanup campaign. Garbage has, for years, contributed to flooding in many parts of Georgetown and other villages across the Coast.

16 NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Shooting death of Kitty businessman

Manslaughter convict loses appeal against 25-year sentence

Convicted killer Travis McDougall

Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards; and Justices of Appeal Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory

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inding that his grounds of appeal have no merit, the Guyana Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision rendered on Thursday, dismissed an appeal filed

by Travis McDougall, who is currently serving a 25year jail sentence on a manslaughter conviction.

Back in 2017, by a unanimous jury verdict after a trial at the Demerara High Court, McDougall had been found guilty of unlawfully killing Ashokkoemar Raghoo, who was shot dead during a robbery on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown in August 2014.

McDougall had initially been indicted for the capital offence of murder, but was found guilty of the lesser count, and was slapped with a 25-year sentence by trial Judge Navindra Singh.

Raghoo, 43, of 77 Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was pronounced dead on

arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital shortly after being shot and robbed. His wife, Shyrazadi Raghoo, was shot to her left thigh during the ordeal. The couple were going to transact business with some $4 million when two bandits on a motorcycle pounced on them while they were in a motor car at the traffic light at Regent and Vlissengen Road. Ashok Raghoo tried to resist the bandits and was fatally shot.

Dissatisfied with the ruling of the lower court, the convict, through lawyers Nigel Hughes and Narissa Leander, appealed against his conviction and sentence.

Among other things, McDougall, in his grounds of appeal, had argued that the trial judge had committed errors in law, misdirected the jury, placed a burden on him to prove his defence, and imposed a sentence that was excessive and wrong in

Friendship smashup leaves 1 dead

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n the third fatal accident for Thursday along Guyana’s roadways, 52-year-old Michael Gladston Munroe of Section A, Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was killed following a two-vehicle collision at Friendship, EBD. The accident occurred about 18:10h and involved a motor lorry bearing registration number GAB 1835 driven by a 21-year-old of LindenSoesdyke Highway and motor pickup PRR 2609 driven by the now-dead man.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the pickup was travelling along the

Friendship Public Road at a fast pace when the driver lost control and collided with the truck, which was proceeding in the opposite direction.

As a result of the collision, Munroe received injuries about his body. He was picked up in an unconscious condition and taken to the Diamond hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A breathalyser test was conducted on the driver of the motor lorry, but there were no traces of alcohol in his system. Investigations into the fatal accident are ongoing.

principle.

His lawyers had argued that there was no evidence before the court to support a conviction of manslaughter against their client.

Conviction, sentence affirmed

Deliberating on this matter were Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.

Reading the court’s ruling, the Chancellor said McDougall’s grounds of appeal were baseless.

“Looking at the summing up, we are of the view that the trial judge did give the jury the necessary directions on identification in his own terms, and therefore the jury would have been alerted of the need for caution and the various factors which they would have had to take into consideration in coming to their conclusion,” she said.

Apart from contesting the identification evidence, McDougall had contended that the sentence imposed on him was manifestly excessive and not in keeping with established sentencing guidelines. To amplify their argument that the sentence was excessive, his lawyers had relied on several case law authorities in which persons convicted of manslaughter were given a lesser sen-

tence when compared to their client’s.

In affirming the sentence, Justice Cummings-Edwards said the sentence imposed on McDougall was within the range of sentences imposed by the Court of Appeal for that offence. She noted that each case would turn on its own particular facts.

“We believe that a sentence of 25 years is appropriate in all the circumstances of this case…sentencing is a matter for the trial judge, who would have seen and heard witnesses, including the accused person [McDougall].

An appellate court must not, because it feels that a different sentence should be passed, thereby impose a different one. We [were] far removed from the case, and cannot substitute our view for that of the trial judge,” the Chancellor underscored.

Having regard to the foregoing, the Court of Appeal dismissed McDougall’s appeal, thereby upholding his conviction and jail sentence.

Arguments

McDougall’s lawyers had argued that the trial Judge erred when he placed the burden on their client to prove his defence. Leander had submitted that Justice Singh, in his summation, “actually placed the burden of proving the defence on

Porter killed in 2-vehicle collision at Yarrowkabra J umo Benjamin, a porter, met his demise on Thursday afternoon following a two-vehicle collision at Yarrowkabra, Linden- Soesdyke Highway, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The accident occurred around 15:10h and involved motor lorry GXX 2366 and motor lorry GYY 6745. At the time of the accident, Yannick Pratt, owner of the latter vehicle, was in the cab of the truck while Benjamin was in its tray.

Police stated that motor lorry GXX 2366 was travelling at a fast rate of speed and was in the process of

overtaking a line of traffic when its left front collided with the right side of the other truck, which turned into Yarrowkabra Pump Road.

As a result of the collision, Benjamin fell out of the vehicle and was run over by motor lorry GXX 2366.

The injured porter was picked up in an unconscious condition and taken to the Diamond hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver of the truck that caused the accident was arrested. He is currently assisting with investigations.

[McDougall] by the words used in the summation”.

Leander had said that even though Justice Singh had told the jury that McDougall had nothing to prove, he went on to tell the jury, “The things that [McDougall] says to you, he does not have to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, like the prosecution”. She had argued that, by those words, the jury may have been led to believe that it was the burden of her client to prove his defence.

The defence counsel had also argued that Justice Singh failed to interrogate the weaknesses in the identification evidence before putting the case to the jury for deliberation on a verdict.

Some aspects of her submissions had also focused on the evidence given by Shyrazadi Raghoo, the dead man’s widow, who had pointed out McDougall on an identification parade. According to Leander, this witness testified that, on the ID parade, McDougall had a beard, and so did other persons.

However, the lawyer pointed out that the woman could not say how many persons were bearded.

Moreover, counsel had said there were weaknesses in the ID evidence, which the trial Judge should have interrogated during summing up, and placed before the jurors for their consideration for them to decide whether the woman’s evidence could be relied on in determining the guilt of her client.

Another specific weakness in the ID evidence, she had said, was that the trial Judge failed to put to the jury the fact that there was no evidence from the eyewitness as to how long she would have had the rider under her observation.

Leander recalled that in her evidence-in-chief, Shyrazadi indicated that the incident lasted for about 55 seconds. But under cross-examination, defence counsel said, “the incident was broken down to a maximum time of 14 seconds” by the witness.

Additionally, Leander had contended that the trial Judge appeared to have suggested to the jury that Shyrazadi had the rider of the motorcycle under her observation for the entire duration of the robbery. This, Leander had submitted, is contrary to the evidence, as

the eyewitness only testified to how long the incident lasted, and not to how long she had had the rider under her observation.

For her part, Senior State Counsel Natasha Backer had argued that the issues raised

by Leander were not fatal to the credibility of the identification evidence. She had said that Shyrazadi testified that the incident took place in bright sunlight in the middle of the day, and that she was seated in the front passenger seat of the car when it came under attack by a gunman on foot, while another man waited next to the car on a motorcycle.

“The witness spoke to being able to see the faces of these persons from a short distance away, with nothing blocking her view at any time,” Backer had said, while pointing out that in relation to McDougall, the witness spoke about him looking into the car and looking at her.

Added to that, the prosecutor had submitted that the eyewitness also stated that she kept her eyes on the men for the duration of the incident.

Regarding defence counsel’s submission that the eyewitness did not state how long she had had the rider under observation, Backer had argued that she was unaware of any specific time prescribed by case laws or legislation that is required to elapse before a witness is deemed to have made a proper observation.

Instead, the prosecutor had said, it is the duty of the trial Judge to bring this and other factors to the jurors, and give them the directions as required by the case laws.

“The directions which the trial Judge gave in this case were more than adequate in the circumstances,” Backer had submitted.

While there were discrepancies in the description given by the eyewitness compared to what a Police rank had testified, Prosecutor Backer pointed out that the directions given to the jury by the trial Judge were more than adequate to render McDougall’s conviction safe.

“From the verdict, the jury was obviously convinced of [Shyrazadi Raghuoo’s] evidence. They obviously believed her in relation to not only what she saw on the day, but the positive identification of McDougall,” Prosecutor Backer had noted.

NEWS

17

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Russia invades Ukraine – 70 persons killed and 169 wounded

View of an explosion, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a military operation in eastern Ukraine, near Dnipro, Ukraine February 24, 2022

1 2 3 4 5 6

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Ukrainian border officials said the Russians were trying to penetrate the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions on the Belarusian border and were using Grad rockets.

Missile attacks killed at least six people in the town of Brovary outside Kyiv and military centres in the capital were also hit.

Fierce fighting was taking place in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson.

Ukraine’s military said it had destroyed four Russian tanks on a road near Kharkiv, killed 50 troops near a town in Luhansk region and downed six Russian warplanes in the east.

Russia suspended movement of commercial vessels in the Sea of Azov until further notice.

Regional authorities of Ukraine’s southern Odessa region said that 18 people were killed in a missile attack.

ussia’s invasion of Ukraine began Thursday morning with attacks by land, sea and air in what was immediately the largest military assault by

in Ukraine’s capital and elsewhere in the country, with at least 70 people reported killed.

The assault brought a calamitous end to weeks of

Ukrainian servicemen are seen next to a destroyed armoured vehicle, which they said belongs to the Russian army, outside Kharkiv, Ukraine, February 24, 2022

one European State on another since World War Two. Missiles rained down on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, a city of three million people, before dawn Thursday. Ukrainian forces battled Russian invaders on three sides on Thursday after Moscow mounted its assault across the country.

By nightfall, a picture was emerging of fierce fighting across multiple fronts. An adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office said Russian forces had captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Heavy exchanges of fire were also taking place in the regions of Sumy and Kharkiv in the northeast and Kherson and Odessa in the south.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war in a pre-dawn televised address, explosions and gunfire were heard through the day

fruitless diplomatic efforts by Western leaders to avert war over Russian demands for a redrawing of post-Cold War security arrangements in Europe.

“This is a premeditated attack,” US President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House as he unveiled harsh new sanctions, coordinated with allies, against Russian banks, oligarchs and State companies.

“Putin is the aggressor.

Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences,” he said.

In his address, Putin said he had ordered “a special military operation” to protect people, including Russian citizens, subjected to “genocide” in Ukraine – an accusation the West calls baseless propaganda.

“And for this we will strive for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine,” Putin said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy late on Thursday ordered a general mobilisation, to be carried out within 90 days, “to ensure the defence of the State”.

An adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office said Russian forces had captured the Chernobyl former nuclear power plant, just 90 kilometres (60 miles) north of Kyiv. The plant is along the shortest route from the Ukrainian capital to Belarus, where Moscow has staged troops.

There was also fighting at Hostomel airport, just outside Kyiv, where Russian paratroopers landed. A Ukrainian official later said the airfield had been recaptured, while a senior US defence official said Russian forces were advancing closer to Kyiv.

Heavy exchanges of fire were also reported in the regions of Sumy and Kharkiv in the northeast and Kherson in the south.

The highway heading west out of Kyiv, home to three million people, was choked with traffic across five lanes as residents sought to escape, fearful of bombardments while stuck in their cars.

The UN refugee agency said an estimated 100,000 Ukrainians had fled their homes.

Thousands were crossing into neighbouring countries, including Romania, Moldova, Poland, and Hungary.

Some 57 people were killed and 169 were wounded on Thursday, Ukraine’s

Health Minister said, while the Interior Ministry said 13 border guards died when a Russian vessel shelled Ukraine’s Zmiinyi Island, south of the Black Sea port of Odessa.

“New Iron Curtain”

The day began with missiles raining down on targets across Ukraine and reports of troops and armour pouring across the borders from Russia and Belarus to the north and east.

Zelenskiy called on Ukrainians to defend their country and said arms would be given to anyone prepared to fight.

“What we have heard today are not just missile blasts, fighting and the rumble of aircraft. This is the sound of a new Iron Curtain, which has come down and is closing Russia off from the civilised

dustrialised nations, Biden announced measures to impede Russia’s ability to do business in the world’s major currencies, along with sanctions against banks and stateowned enterprises.

Britain also targeted banks, as well as members of Putin’s inner circle. European Union leaders said measures would include freezing Russian assets in the 27-nation bloc. read more China remained out of step, however, rejecting the description of Russia’s actions as an “invasion”.

Russia is one of the world’s biggest energy producers, and both it and Ukraine are among the top exporters of grain. War and sanctions will disrupt economies around the world already facing a crisis as they emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.

European stocks dived

44 million people, Ukraine is Europe’s biggest country by area after Russia itself. It voted for independence at the fall of the Soviet Union and has recently stepped up efforts to join NATO and the European Union, aspirations that infuriate Moscow.

Putin, who denied for months that he was planning an invasion, has called Ukraine an artificial construct carved from Russia by its enemies – a characterisation Ukrainians see as an attempt to erase their more than 1000-year-old history.

While many Ukrainians, particularly in the east, speak Russian as a native language, virtually all identify themselves as Ukrainian.

There was also some dissent in Russia. Police detained more than 1600 taking part in anti-war rallies in 53 cities and authorities threatened to block media reports carrying “false information”.

Ukrainians flee, supporters protest

Ukrainian tanks move into the city, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Mariupol, February 24, 2022

world,” Zelenskiy said.

Putin, after referring earlier in his speech to Russia’s powerful nuclear arsenal, warned: “Whoever tries to hinder us... should know that Russia’s response will be immediate. And it will lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history.”

Asked whether that threat was tantsssssssamount to threatening Russian use of nuclear weapons, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said it was indeed understood as such, adding that Putin should also understand that NATO was a nuclear alliance.

Biden has ruled out sending US troops to defend Ukraine, but Washington has reinforced its NATO allies in the region with extra troops and planes.

After consulting with the Group of Seven leading in-

to nine-month lows, but US stocks ended higher after Biden’s sanctions announcement. Brent oil earlier surged past US$100/barrel for the first time since 2014.

“Hang them from bridges”

Putin said he did not plan a military occupation, only to disarm Ukraine and purge it of nationalists, and his endgame remains unclear.

The senior US defence official said Washington believed the invasion was intended to “decapitate” Zelenskiy’s Government.

But it is hard to see Ukrainians accepting leadership installed by Moscow.

“I think we must fight all those who invade our country so strongly,” said one man stuck in traffic trying to leave Kyiv. “I would hang every single one of them from bridges.”

A democratic nation of

In the south-eastern port of Mariupol, near a frontline held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, local authorities said 26 people were wounded in shelling.

Civilians packed bags.

“We are going into hiding,” a woman said.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, said its forces had downed two Russian helicopters and seven other Russian aircraft and destroyed several Russian trucks, and a platoon from Russia’s 74th Motor Rifles Brigade had surrendered.

Russia’s Defence Ministry Said it had destroyed 83 landbased Ukrainian targets and had achieved all its goals, according to Interfax news agency.

Protests against Russia’s invasion were held in Europe and the United States. At a demonstration in New York’s Time Square, Ivana Lotoshynski, who was born in Ukraine, urged solidarity with Ukrainians.

“People are losing their lives right now. Ukrainians are fighting against this regime from Russia and it’s really devastating,” she said.

“Today I think everybody is Ukrainian.” (Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

Regional

Some Latin American nations call for Brazil central bank prepared Russian withdrawal from Ukraine to act in FX market in case of

Demonstrators stick a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin during an anti-war protest in front of the Russian Embassy, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Santiago, Chile, February 24, 2022

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olombia, Argentina and Chile on Thursday called for swift withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, as other Latin American countries rejected the use of force, but stopped short of calling for a Russian exit.

Russia invaded Ukraine by land, sea and air in the early morning, in the biggest attack by one State against another in Europe since World War Two. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the attack was an effort to ‘denazify’ Ukraine.

“We categorically reject war and we join all the voices of the international community who today clamour for the speedy withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory,” Colombia’s centre-right President Ivan Duque said in a video statement.

“This premeditated and unjustified aggression is a

threat to world peace,” he said. Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucia Ramirez branded the invasion “absurd colonialist nostalgia” on Twitter.

Argentina’s Foreign Ministry in a statement called on Russia to cease military actions in Ukraine, while Chile said it would support sanctions approved by the United Nations Security Council.

“Our country calls for Russia to withdraw its troops and especially for it to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine,” Chile’s Foreign Minister Carolina Valdivia said.

Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguin also condemned Russia, saying it had violated international law, and called for an end to fighting.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who recently met

with Putin in Moscow, did not mention the Ukraine crisis in a Thursday address to supporters. Bolsonaro came under strong US criticism for saying during his visit that he was “in solidarity with Russia”, without elaborating.

But his Vice President Hamilton Mourao said economic sanctions may not be enough and the West may need to use force against Russia.

Mourao’s comments went well beyond a statement by the Foreign Ministry calling for a halt to Russian hostilities and saying it would act as a member of the Security Council to find a peaceful solution.

Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez has also recently visited Moscow, prompting some analysts to suggest Russia has courted Latin America amid the Ukraine tensions.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called for dialogue, while Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard later took a tougher stance, condemning the invasion and demanding Russia end its military operations in Ukraine.

Peru’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern and appealed for an end to hostilities, and Paraguay’s Foreign Minister urged dialogue and a ceasefire.

Russia’s strongest allies in the region – Cuba and Venezuela – had yet to directly address the invasion early on Thursday morning.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Trinidad: Woman, suspects killed as homeowner fights bandits

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esidents of Cherry Crescent, Westmoorings, are in mourning after a home invasion ended with the death of one of their neighbours and the deaths of two suspected bandits.

Police said Nicole Moses, 49, was at her home around 08:15h when two bandits jumped over the front wall.

She and her mother, who was also at home, called for help and a male relative, who is the owner of a licensed gun, confronted the bandits who shot at him.

The relative shot and killed both bandits, but Moses died during the shooting.

Relatives took Moses to the St James Infirmary where she was declared dead.

Sources said there were several older relatives in the house at the time of the incident.

Newsday visited the neighbourhood shortly after Police got to the scene as the bodies of two men remained at the house.

disproportionate contamination

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razil’s central bank said it is prepared to act in the exchange market in case of disproportionate contamination on prices, highlighting it is paying close attention to recent developments abroad after Ukraine’s invasion by Russia.

The central bank’s Financial Stability Committee, which met on Thursday, also stressed that the national financial system exposure to the effects of current international geopolitical tensions is “low”, given the country’s reduced currency exposure

and dependence on external funding.

“The Committee is attentive to the recent evolution of the international scenario and remains prepared to act, minimising any disproportionate contamination on the prices of local assets, in particular through the exchange market channel,” it wrote in a statement.

According to the central bank, “loan portfolio continues to perform well, provisions for credit losses are adequate, and banks remain liquid and well capitalised”.

Earlier on Thursday, Brazilian Treasury Secretary Paulo Valle also said the country was well-positioned to face any international volatility.

The Brazilian real fell 1.99% against the dollar in reaction to a surge in global risk aversion. Still, it remains among the world’s best-performing currencies to year-to-date, with financial inflows being attracted by cheap equity valuations and high debt yields amid an aggressive monetary tightening to tame double-digit inflation. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Nicaragua court convicts Government critics of ‘conspiracy’

The trial was held behind closed doors at El Chipote prison

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court in Nicaragua has found seven critics of the Government of President Daniel Ortega guilty of conspiracy in what human rights groups have denounced as a “political trial”.

Among those convicted are three Opposition Leaders who had planned to run in the 2021 election.

Dozens of Government critics were detained in the run-up to the poll, in which Ortega won a fifth term.

The Prosecution has asked for sentences ranging between eight and 13 years.

Those convicted are: Juan Sebastián Chamorro, presidential hopeful; Arturo Cruz, former Ambassador to the US and presidential hopeful; Félix Maradiaga, presidential hopeful; José Pallais, former Deputy Foreign Minister; José Adán Aguerri, business leader; Tamara Dávila, activist with Opposition group Unamos and Violeta Granera, sociologist and Opposition activist.

In a trial held at El Chipote prison behind closed doors, the Judges found the seven guilty of “conspiracy to undermine [Nicaragua’s]

national integrity”.

The rights group Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights said the seven were innocent: “The regime convicted them of crimes they have not committed.”

They are not the first to be convicted in a wave of trials against opponents of the Ortega Government.

Earlier this month, two of the most outspoken critics of the President – Dora Téllez and Lesther Alemán – were also found guilty of conspiracy in trials dismissed by rights groups as a “sham”.

Less than two weeks ago, another jailed Opposition Leader, Hugo Torres, died while awaiting trial.

Following his death, the regional body Organisation of American States (OAS) said it “categorically condemns the persecution and arbitrary detention” of Nicaraguans and urged the immediate release of “all political prisoners”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Caricom blasts Russian invasion of Ukraine

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Undertakers remove a body from the scene of the shootout at Cherry Crescent, Westmoorings on Thursday

They were later identified as 21-year-old Jahmali Haywood of Second Caledonia, Morvant and 24-year-old Joshua Blackman from Upper Erica Street, Laventille.

A district medical officer visited the scene and declared both men dead.

The gun used by the bandits was found and seized

by Police.

Moses’ relatives who gathered outside the home were heard crying loudly as they consoled each other and spoke with homicide detectives.

Relatives at the scene declined to speak with reporters, but one neighbour recalled hearing gunshots while outside his house earlier that morning. (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

aricom on Thursday criticised the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its recognition of the separatist areas Donetsk and Luhansk. On Monday night in a televised speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he recognised the breakaway areas together known as the Donbass and soon after sent in Russian troops, but this was condemned by Western powers as a possible prelude to a wider invasion of the Ukraine.

The statement said, “The Caribbean Community (Caricom) strongly condemns the military attacks and invasion of Ukraine

by The Russian Federation and calls for the immediate and complete withdrawal of the military presence and cessation of any further actions that may intensify the current perilous situation in that country.

“The recognition by The Russian Federation of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk represents a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.”

Caricom said the hostilities against Ukraine violated the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state, the

prohibition on the threat or use of force, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, which were Caricom’s bedrock.

“Caricom maintains that the principles of universal respect and adherence to these norms and principles of international law are fundamental to the maintenance of the international system and global peace and security.

“Caricom calls on all parties involved to urgently embark on intensified diplomatic dialogue to immediately de-escalate hostilities and work towards a sustainable peace.” (Trinidad Newsday)

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil tops US$105/ bbl after Russia attacks Ukraine

O

il prices jumped on Thursday, with Brent rising above US$105 a barrel for the first time since 2014 before easing, after Russia's attack on Ukraine exacerbated concerns about disruptions to global energy supply.

Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea in the biggest attack by one State against another in Europe since World War Two. US President Joe Biden unveiled harsh new sanctions against Russia, imposing measures to impede its ability to do business in the world's major currencies along with sanctions against banks and State-owned enterprises.

Britain announced new measures targeting banks, members of Putin's inner circle and the very wealthy who enjoy high-rolling London lifestyles. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the West must end its reliance on Russian oil and gas.

Global benchmark Brent crude rose US$2.24, or 2.3 per cent, to settle at US$99.08 a barrel, after touching a high of US$105.79.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 71 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to settle at US$92.81 a barrel, after earlier rising to US$100.54.

Brent and WTI hit their highest levels since August and July 2014, respectively.

Later in the session, prices eased after Biden said the United States is working with other countries on a combined release of additional oil from global strategic crude reserves.

The news around reserve releases is "having a psychological impact, but whether there is a real impact will take a few weeks to determine”, said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.

Russia is the third-largest oil producer and second-largest oil exporter, said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. "Given low inventories and dwindling spare capacity, the oil market cannot afford large supply disruptions," he added.

Russia is also the largest provider of natural gas to Europe, providing about 35 per cent of its supply.

At least three major buyers of Russian oil were unable to open letters of credit from Western banks to cover purchases on Thursday, sources told Reuters.

China warned of the impact of tensions on the stability of the energy market.

"All countries that are truly responsible should take responsible actions to jointly maintain global energy security," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

In the United States, commercial crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) rose 4.5 million barrels last week to 416 million barrels, much more than analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 400,000-barrel build.

However, crude in the US SPR fell 2.4 million barrels to 582.4 million barrels, its lowest since 2002, government data showed.

Globally, oil supplies remain tight as demand recovers from pandemic lows.

Reflecting the tightness, the premium on Brent contracts for loading in one month over contracts for loading in six months, a metric closely watched by traders, hit a record high at US$13.07 a barrel.

Analysts say Brent is likely to remain above US$100 a barrel until significant alternative supplies become available from US shale or Iran, for example.

The United States and Iran have been engaged in indirect nuclear talks in Vienna that could lead to the removal of sanctions on Iranian oil sales.

Iran's top security official, Ali Shamkhani, said on Twitter that it was possible to achieve a good nuclear agreement with Western powers after significant progress in negotiations.

Analysts are warning of inflationary pressure on the global economy from US$100 oil, especially for Asia, which imports most of its energy needs.

"Asia's Achilles heel remains its vast import needs for energy, with surging oil prices bound to take a hefty bite out of income and growth over the coming year," said HSBC economist Frederic Neumann.

(Reuters)

From Tokyo to New York, thousands protest against invasion of Ukraine

P

rotesters turned out on public squares and outside Russian Embassies in cities from Tokyo to Tel Aviv and New York on Thursday to denounce the invasion of Ukraine – while more than a thousand who tried to do the same in Russia were arrested.

The earliest known protest occurred outside Russia's Embassy in Washington around 06:00h GMT on Thursday, only three hours after President Vladimir Putin said he had launched his military operation.

Local news reports showed dozens of protesters in the U. capital waving Ukrainian flags and chanting "Stop Russian aggression!"

In London, hundreds of demonstrators, many of them Ukrainian and some weeping, gathered outside Downing Street, home to the Prime Minister, urging Britain to do more.

"We need help, we need someone to support us," said one. "Ukraine is too small and the pressure is too big."

In Paris, one demonstrator

People take part in a protest outside the Russian Embassy, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Budapest, Hungary February 24, 2022

told Reuters: "I feel that we are in a very dangerous moment for the whole world."

In Madrid, Oscar-winning Spanish actor Javier Bardem, nominated for another Academy Award this year, joined about a hundred protesters outside the Russian embassy.

"It is an invasion. ... It violates Ukraine's fundamental right to territorial sovereignty, international law, and many other things," Bardem said.

A giant flag was carried

through Manhattan's Times Square by a crowd of several hundred protesters.

In the Swiss capital Bern, hundreds gathered, holding Ukrainian flags and chanting "Peace for Ukraine!".

Agapi Tamir, 28, one of a few dozen members of Greece's Ukrainian community who staged a protest in Athens, said: "The only thing we believe is that a miracle will stop all this awful and frightening thing that is happening at this moment."

A small demonstration in Geneva, organised by the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) outside the UN European headquarters, condemned what the group said was Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons.

Other demonstrations were held in Beirut, Tel Aviv, Dublin and Prague.

In Russia itself, protesters defied an official warning that explicitly threatened criminal prosecution and even jail time for those calling for or taking part in protests.

Hundreds rallied in cities including Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, chanting slogans such as "No to war!" and holding up makeshift signs.

By 1939 GMT, Police had detained no fewer than 1667 people in 53 cities, the OVDInfo rights monitor said. Six hundred were arrested in Moscow alone, the Tass news agency reported. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Ex-Police Officers guilty in George Floyd death

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Tou Thao, 36; J Alexander Kueng, 28; and Thomas Lane, 38, all testified in their own defence in the trial

hree ex-Minneapolis Policemen present at the death of George Floyd denied the unarmed black man of his civil rights, a jury has found.

The officers were charged with showing "deliberate indifference to [Mr Floyd's] serious medical needs" during the attempted arrest in May 2020.

Tou Thao, 36; J Alexander Kueng, 28; and Thomas Lane,

38, all testified in their own defence in the trial.

They said they did not realise Floyd needed medical care at the time.

Violating a person's civil rights carries various punishments, but Prosecutors have recommended 25 years in federal prison for each man.

Derek Chauvin, the former Police Officer who was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, is currently serving a 22-and-ahalf-year sentence.

Chauvin was found guilty of Floyd's murder last April.

He also pleaded guilty in December to his own federal

civil rights charges as part of a plea agreement.

Video footage of the arrest shows Keung and Lane assisting Chauvin by helping to hold Floyd down. Thao, meanwhile, kept concerned bystanders away.

Over four weeks of testimony, Prosecutors argued that "human decency and common sense" should have compelled the men to take action to prevent Floyd's death.

"It wasn't a split-second use of force like a gunshot. Not 30 seconds, not a minute, several minutes – 569 seconds," said Assistant US Attorney Manda Sertich.

But lawyers for the defence claimed they were listening to a commander with seniority.

Chauvin, a 26-year veteran of the force, was a field training officer to both Lane and Kueng. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Diplomat's daughter beheaded for Europe prepares for wave of refugees spurning proposal, accused jailed

U

kraine's neighbours are preparing for an influx of refugees fleeing Russia's invasion of the country.

As Russian air strikes hit overnight, many packed up and left Kyiv for the countryside or the border with the European Union.

Traffic jams clogged the roads out of some cities, and some walked on foot into Poland and Hungary.

The UN refugee chief warned that the humanitarian impact will be "devastating".

"We are particularly worried about displacement –

about people on the move," Filippo Grandi told the BBC's Lyse Doucet, who is in Kyiv.

"We estimate that more than 100,000 must have already moved out of their homes in Ukraine seeking safety in other parts of the country," he said, speaking from Geneva. Grandi added that his agency had stockpiled supplies to provide aid to people in Ukraine – but it could not act while military action was still happening.

Ukraine's European neighbours say they are ready to receive refugees fleeing the country of 44 million people – one of the most populous in

Europe.

Poland says it is preparing hospitals for an influx of wounded Ukrainians, and setting up reception points for refugees along its border.

Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said he was preparing for a "wave of refugees".

"Poland is a safe country for our citizens, it will also be a safe country for our neighbours," he told Reuters news agency.

Moldova, to Ukraine's south, said it had already seen thousands of people flee Ukraine, including before Thursday's invasion began.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

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court in Pakistan has sentenced a man to death for raping and murdering the daughter of a former diplomat who refused his offer of marriage.

Noor Muqaddam, 27, was beaten, raped and beheaded

by Zahir Jaffer, the son of one of Pakistan's richest families.

The brutal killing took place at his home on July 20 last year. CCTV footage showed her trying in vain to escape.

The murder caused nationwide revulsion and prompted demands for more to be done to ensure women's safety.

Noor Muqaddam's mur-

der by a man she knew in the same group of high society friends had dominated headlines for months.

It brought calls for an overhaul of Pakistan's criminal justice system, which has very low conviction rates, particularly for crimes against women.

Hundreds of women are killed in the country each year, and thousands suffer violence.

Many cases go unreported.

In the days after her death, many demanded justice for Noor. Her family were present in the packed courtroom in Islamabad and were visi-

bly emotional when the Judge read out the verdict.

Jaffer held Noor Muqaddam hostage for two days at his family home in a posh district of the capital after she refused to marry him.

At one of the hearings, while being led out of the courtroom with around a dozen Policemen, Jaffer told Journalists: "I was angry, I killed Noor with a knife."

The hair-raising details shared in the court shocked Pakistan. Women's rights activists took to the streets and there were candlelit vigils.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

20

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Misinformation is apparent when trying to sort through documents and online sites and talking to experts. Leave nothing to chance and follow up on any discrepancies you encounter.

(March 21-April 19)

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

Address a concern wholeheartedly, and gather pertinent facts. Knowledge is power when faced with controversy or opposition. Don’t make unnecessary changes. Make every step you take count.

Work alone and ignore drama. Do your due diligence and ferret out the truth. Refuse to let anyone railroad you into something using emotional manipulation, temptation or lies.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Proceed with your plans. Gather information, check out the competition and network with those who show interest in what you are doing. Embrace the unusual, and consider partnerships that offer benefits.

Don’t let someone who holds you back rather than pushes you forward have a say. Take responsibility for your actions and accomplishments. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you; manifest them.

Concentrate on what brings you joy and satisfies your soul. Explore how to use your skills, attributes and experience more effectively. Join forces with someone who brings out the best in you.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Use experience, resources and intelligence to figure out what works best for you to help you maintain a healthy financial position. Keep your life simple and functional, and focus on what’s important.

Plunge into what interests you, and embrace new possibilities. Consider new ways to repurpose old ideas and put your tools to work for you. It’s what you do that will make the difference.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Rethink your connection to someone who tends to get you in trouble or leans on you too much. Use your smarts to recognize when someone is taking advantage of you.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Someone will complicate matters if you are gullible or too accommodating.

Look out for your best interests. Home improvements will add to your comfort and ease stress. Put the past behind you.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Reconnect with people who put a smile on your face. A good laugh will do you a world of good and help you get over any disappointments you harbor.

Put your heart into something you enjoy doing.

When in doubt, take the time to research. Go directly to the source and ask pertinent questions to ensure you make the right decision. Stay calm and look over all options.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

I

shan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer blitzed a depleted Sri Lanka attack with half-centuries as India eased to a 1-0 lead.

After flickering briefly in the T20I series against West Indies, Kishan caught fire on Thursday, and at one stage even threatened to reach three figures.

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka ultimately had Kishan holing out in the 17th over for 89 off 56 balls, but Shreyas launched from the platform laid by Kishan and Rohit Sharma. Shreyas's unbeaten 57 off 28 balls swelled India's total to 199 for 2, which proved well beyond Sri Lanka's grasp.

The visitors sleepwalked their way to 57 for 4 in their first ten overs. In stark contrast, India had scored 58 for 0 in the powerplay alone, and the momentum seamlessly switched from Kishan to Rohit to Iyer.

Charith Asalanka then briefly held off India with a fine fifty in the chase, before Rohit's men wrapped up a 62-run victory.

The opening salvo

After Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera rushed India's openers in the first Ishan Kishan two overs with speeds north of 140kph, Kishan smacked one down lined up first-change Chamika Karunaratne the ground for a triptych of fours. Kishan then used the pace and bounce of the quicks to his advantage, pulling Kumara and Chameera for sixes. Kishan claimed six of the seven boundaries India had hit in the powerplay.

Rohit had dashed out of the blocks when he opened during the T20Is against West Indies, but he was largely becalmed in the early exchanges against Sri Lanka. He did hit a higher gear when he picked a googly from Jeffrey Vandersay and sent it over midwicket for six.

Kumara snapped the opening stand at 111 in the 12th over when he bowled Rohit, for 44, with a cutter that kept low. It could've been snapped much earlier had Janith Liyanage not dropped Kishan at deep

21

sloppy with the bat, labouring to 11 off 17 balls.

When the returning Ravindra Jadeja found quick turn to have Dinesh Chandimal stumped for 10 in the tenth over, Sri Lanka were 51 for 4. That they got a respectable 137 for 6 was down to Asalanka's effort. However, he lacked substantial support from the other end, as the next-best score for Sri Lanka was No.8 Chameera's 24.

The rapidly rising asking rate allowed India to experiment with Venkatesh Iyer's medium-pace and debutant Deepak Hooda's offbreaks. Venkatesh came away with 2 for 36 in his three overs, while Hooda went wicketless in his three overs.

No Virat Kohli? No Rishabh Pant? No Suryakumar Yadav? No Deepak Chahar? No problem for India. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Bhuvneshwar Kumar rocked Sri Lanka with two early blows

midwicket when the batter was on 43. Liyanage eventually caught him at the same position, off Shanaka, but the miss cost Sri Lanka 46 runs.

Kishan rumbled to a 30-ball half-century, and celebrated it with a helicoptered boundary between deep midwicket and wide long-on.

While Vandersay kept hiding the ball away from his swinging arc with wrong'uns, the seamers kept pitching it in Kishan's arc.

In the enforced absence of Wanindu Hasaranga, who has tested positive for COVID-19 once again and hence has not even made this trip, and Maheesh Theekshana, Sri Lanka's attack lacked any penetration.

The Shreyas finishing act

Shreyas, who was bumped up to No.3, had a fairly quiet start: he was on a run-a-ball 12 at one point. He then exploded against Chameera's pace and Karunaratne's lack of pace, taking them for a combined 43 off 16 balls. He brought up the fastest half-century of the game, off a mere 25 balls, and pushed India closer to 200.

Sri Lanka's rickety chase

Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka first ball - cleaned up by a Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivery that shot low. Bhuvneshwar took out Kamil Mishara, the other opener, too, having him drag a catch to midwicket. After being sloppy in the field, Liyanage was similarly

INDIA INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Rohit Sharma (c) b Kumara 44 Ishan Kishan †c Liyanage b Shanaka 89 Shreyas Iyer not out 57 Ravindra Jadeja not out 3 Extras (w 6) 6 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 9.95) 199/2 Did not bat: Sanju Samson, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal Fall of wickets: 1-111 (Rohit Sharma, 11.5 ov), 2-155 (Ishan Kishan, 16.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Dushmantha Chameera 4-0-42-0 Lahiru Kumara 4-0-43-1 Chamika Karunaratne 4-0-46-0 Praveen Jayawickrama 2-0-15-0 Jeffrey Vandersay 4-0-34-0 Dasun Shanaka 2-0-19-1 SRI LANKA INNINGS (TARGET: 200 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Pathum Nissanka b Kumar 0 Kamil Mishara c Sharma b Kumar 13 Janith Liyanage c Samson b VR Iyer 11

Charith Asalanka not out 53 Dinesh Chandimal † st †Ishan Kishan b Jadeja 10 Dasun Shanaka (c) c Kumar b Chahal 3 Chamika Karunaratne c †Ishan Kishan b VR Iyer 21 Dushmantha Chameera not out 24 Extras (w 2) 2 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 6.85) 137/6 Did not bat: Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lahiru Kumara Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Pathum Nissanka, 0.1 ov), 2-15 (Kamil Mishara, 2.6 ov), 3-36 (Janith Liyanage, 6.6 ov), 4-51 (Dinesh Chandimal, 9.2 ov), 5-60 (Dasun Shanaka, 10.5 ov), 6-97 (Chamika Karunaratne, 15.4 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-0-9-2 Jasprit Bumrah 3-0-19-0 Harshal Patel 2-0-10-0 Yuzvendra Chahal 3-0-11-1 Venkatesh Iyer 3-0-36-2 Ravindra Jadeja 4-0-28-1 Deepak Hooda 3-0-24-0

UEFA to move Champions League final after Russian invasion U

EFA will take the 2022 Champions League final away from St Petersburg following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The decision will be made at Friday's emergency meeting of European football's governing body.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military invasion of neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday.

World football's governing body FIFA is to meet on Thursday, with Russia and Ukraine both scheduled to play in World Cup play-off matches in March.

Russia are set to play Poland on 24 March, while Scotland host Ukraine on the same day.

Ukraine's domestic football league was set to resume this weekend after a winter break, but that will remain suspended.

Fifteen of the most recent 23man Ukraine squad play in their homeland.

Sweden are also in the playoffs, where they will meet the Czech Republic. The winner of that tie could meet Russia for a place at the World Cup finals, which get under way in Qatar in November, if they win their semi-final. Karl-Erik Nilsson, Chairman of the Swedish Football Association, told Reuters a

The Champions League final was scheduled to take place at Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on 28 May

match in Russia was "almost unthinkable" at the moment.

Later, on Thursday, a joint statement was issued by the Polish, Czech and Swedish FAs, telling FIFA that the play-off matches should not be played in Russia.

It says the countries will not travel there due to safety concerns, and want "immediate" action over alternative locations.

Former Chelsea and AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko who is Ukraine's all-time record goalscorer and was manager of the national team for five years - called on Russia "to stop their aggression and violation of international law".

"My people and my family are under attack," he wrote in a post on Instagram. "We only want peace. War is not the answer."

The Champions League final was set to be played at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on 28 May, but UEFA has known an escalation in the situation between Russia and Ukraine would make it impossible to stage the match.

Overnight developments have made that certain, and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has called an emergency executive committee meeting for Friday, when the decision will be confirmed.

UEFA is in the process of

evaluating alternatives, but is now committed to changing the venue of its most prestigious club game at short notice for the third year running.

Zenit St Petersburg's game on Thursday will go ahead, UEFA has confirmed. They face Spanish side Real Betis away in the Europa League at 20:00 GMT. In Ukraine, football at all levels has been suspended, and the Ukrainian FA has said it will appeal to prevent any Russian national or club teams participating in "any international competitions under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA".

UEFA later said it "shared the international community's concern" for Ukraine.

"We remain resolute in our solidarity with the football community in Ukraine, and stand ready to extend our hand to the Ukrainian people," UEFA said in a statement.

Analysis

Simon Stone, BBC Sport It would be a major surprise if UEFA had not stripped St Petersburg of hosting rights for this year's Champions League final.

From the start of the week, it has been acknowledged UEFA could not hope to host an event

in Russia when the country was subject to widespread international sanctions.

Competing clubs would not want to go there, neither would their fans.

UEFA will hope Zenit St Petersburg are eliminated from the Europa League on Thursday, as if they go through, they would be at risk of expulsion anyway - and at least having to play matches in neutral countries.

What has been the response in other sports?

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in condemning Russia's breach of the Olympic Truce before the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. The Olympic Truce began seven days before the start of the Winter Olympics, and ends seven days after the closing of the Winter Paralympics.

A statement said: "The IOC is deeply concerned about the safety of the Olympic community in Ukraine. It has established a task force to closely monitor the situation, and to coordinate humanitarian assistance to members of the Olympic community in Ukraine, where possible."

A Russian delegation will

be heading to the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, which begin on 4 March, and the International Paralympic Committee has said it is "in dialogue" with the Ukrainian and Russian Paralympic Committees amid the ongoing crisis.

Meanwhile, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has said it is "monitoring the escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict" and the safety of participants at their World Cup competitions in Russia this weekend.

Formula 1 says it is "closely watching the fluid developments", with the Russian Grand Prix due to take place in Sochi in September.

The team principals will meet F1 officials at pre-season testing in Spain on Thursday to discuss the situation.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel says the race should be cancelled - and he will not be there if it goes ahead.

On Thursday, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced that Great Britain's match in Belarus in a World Cup qualifier due to be played on Friday has been postponed. The Ukraine v Spain match, originally scheduled for 27 February, has already been postponed. (BBC Sport)

22

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

-says CWI Women’s Lead Selector Ann Browne-John

By Brandon Corlette

S

hemaine Campbelle and Cherry-Ann Fraser are the two Guyanese in the West Indies Women’s squad that will play the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s World Cup in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3.

Kaysia

Kaysia Schultz

Schultz and Mandy Mangru are two other Guyanese, but they are the travelling reserves.

Cricket West

Indies (CWI) Women’s Lead Selector Ann Browne-John has said that Mangru and Schultz, and the other travelling reserve Jannillea Glasgow, are the players CWI are grooming for the future.

“Those are three young players, they have not played at the international level, Mandy got her first stint at the international level in the last game against South Africa. They (Mangru and Schultz) played in the ‘A’ team series against Pakistan last year.

“They are part of the cadre of young people that we are looking at and trying to groom. I think you have heard us said before that that ‘A’ team against Pakistan was a very welcome one, because we were able to see our next group of players and the next set of players

that we have,” Browne-John

CWI Women's Lead Selector Ann Browne-John

has said.

Sharing her sentiments on Mangru, the Lead Selector said: “When we have looked, we looked at Mandy and the batting we have present, and we definitely know that Mandy is a batter for the future. Mandy is someone that

can bat from the top of the innings to the middle-order.

Speaking about Schultz, Browne-John said: “Kaysia brings some left-arm orthodox which we have been lacking in our team. We had one player who was in the team recently, Quiana Joseph, and due to injury, she was not able to make this tour, so Kaysia brings that left-arm orthodox.”

FULL SQUAD: Stafanie Taylor (Captain), Anisa Mohammed (Vice Captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Rashada Williams Travelling Reserves: Kaysia Schultz, Mandy Mangru, Jannillea Glasgow.

West Indies Women ICC Cricket World Cup Match Schedule

* March 4: vs New Zealand at Bay Oval, Tauranga * March 9: vs England at University Oval, Dunedin * March 12: vs India at Seddon Park, Hamilton * March 15: vs Australia at Basin Reserve, Wellington * March 18; vs Bangladesh at Bay Oval, Tauranga * March 21: vs Pakistan at Seddon Park, Hamilton * March 24: vs South Africa at Basin Reserve, Wellington * March 30: Semi-final 1 at Basin Reserve, Wellington * March 31: Semi-final 2 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch * April 3: Final at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

CONCACAF names Guyana’s U20 team for Women’s Championships

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nother arm of the Lady Jags’ setup will spring into action this weekend as Guyana’s Under-20 Women’s team competes in the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championships in the Dominican Republic.

While there has been no word yet from local authorities on the team, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) have released a 20-woman roster for all participating teams, including Guyana.

According to CONCACAF, Guyana’s team reads, Arden La Rose, Jessica Myers, Hasha Holder, Savannah Mosdesir- Singh, Shamya Daniels, Audrey Narine,

Samantha Banfield, Jenea Knight, Shanic Thornhill, Kiana Khedoo, Alleia Alleyne, Aillianna Holder, Jessica Jagdeo, Rory Scott, Dylana Makarowski, Inari Moore, Gabriella Salvadore, Anessa O’Brien, Latesha Sutherland and Valentina Khan.

The Junior Lady Jags are in Group F with Mexico, Honduras and Panama, with their first game coming on Saturday, February 26 against Honduras.

For this tournament, there will be an initial group stage, after which the top three teams from each group would advance to another Round of 16, where they will meet the teams who qualified through the CONCACAF qualifiers in 2021.

The first, second and third place finishers in the Championships would each book a spot in the 2022 FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup tournament in Costa Rica in August 2022.

On the basis of being the host country, Costa Rica has received automatic qualification to the U-20 World Cup, and would be the fourth team representing the CONCACAF Region at the games.

The current CONCACAF U20 Champions are the United States, having defeated Mexico 4-1 in the last edition of the tournament in 2020.

In the last Under-20 Championships, Guyana’s Women’s team reached the quarterfinals, the furthest the Guyanese team ever got in the competition.

A glimpse of the action in Guyana’s last outing in the CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championships

Barbados Select U-19 team to Guyana Women in Chess Community holds first interactive session participate in South Africa tourney

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select Barbados Under-19 team comprising of current members of the West Indies Under-19, Barbados Under-19 and Under-17 players has been selected to participate in the inaugural Power Play Sports Under-19 tournament in Johannesburg, South Africa from July 1 to July 11, 2022.

The likes of West Indies U-19 players Kevin Wickham, Rivaldo Clarke and Johan Layne are expected to play big roles on tour. Norman Puckerin would coach the team, while Lana Nurse would be manager.

Additionally, the team would be putting together a brochure which would be distributed to spectators and businesses in Johannesburg with the aim of attracting potential visitors and highlight what the beautiful island of Barbados has to offer.

The tournament would consist of some of the best under-19 cricketers from across the world, and would attract major television coverage of the matches.

The brochure is expected to have a shelf life of approximately three years, and a circulation in Johannesburg and the surrounding provinces of approximately 55,000. Please contact Ryan O’Neale at West Indies U-19 832-8373 for further information. pacer Johann Layne

T

he Guyana Women in Chess Community held their first virtual tive session for interacwomen and girls involved in chess on February 20th, 2022. This was the inaugural event of the recently formed Women in Chess Community, the first body to be formed in Guyana which will deal exclusively with women and girls.

The session served to educate attendees on the history of chess as an art, science and sport. The presentation by Mrs Pritima Khan, co-chair of the committee, also included a brief history of Guyanese women chess players and female grandmasters from around the globe.

Mrs Khan also gave an overview on planned activities for 2022. These include special classes and lectures, an International Women’s Day programme, quarterly chess day camps, outreach

GCF Vice President Anand Raghunauth

and volunteer programmes – all geared towards inspiring, growing and empowering female chess players of all ages.

Special guest Mrs Yolander Sammy, who is also a committee member, spoke at the event, sharing her experiences as a chess player of many years.

Mrs Sammy is the current Vice Chair of the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE’s) Ethics Committee, and is the

only female on that board. She has also represented Guyana numerous times at all levels of the game, including at the Fide Chess Olympiad.

Also in attendance was Vice President of the Guyana Chess Federation, Anand Raghunauth, throwing his support behind the initiative.

He lauded the efforts of the steering committee, and said he looks forward to seeing our female membership growing in strength.

Mrs Marcia Lee, chairperson of the committee, outlined the need for a group which caters to the unique needs of the female players with the purpose of building a community where girls can feel confident and excited about the game of chess. She observed that the formation is timely, as 2022 was declared by FIDE to be the “Year of the Woman in Chess”.

The Women in Chess Committee’s main goal is to promote, encourage, and teach the game of chess and increase the awareness of the educa-

tional value of chess among women in Guyana. There is also the intention to encourage more female players to take part in the sport.

The Women in Chess Community are now offering membership to all girls and females within the federation.

This includes all mothers of chess players as well. Please join us as we venture to promote the game of chess within our female community. Please register on guyanachess.org.

CLASSIFIED ADS CAYMAN ISLANDS EMPLOYMENT Upholsterers and Drapery Makers/ Seamstresses NEEDED! Applicants should possess 5 years' experience.

Statutory benefits Inquiries: trimworksttd@outlook.com 1-345929-4038

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hero CPL delivers huge economic impact to St Kitts & Nevis T

he Hero Caribbean Premier League has delivered outstanding exposure and generated a significant economic impact to the 2021 host country, St Kitts & Nevis.

The tournament took place in the Federation of St Kitts between 26 August and 15 September, with all 33 matches being held at Warner Park in Basseterre.

The total value delivered to St Kitts & Nevis from the 2021 Hero CPL was US$88,698,200. This figure comes from organiser spend, visitor spend, and sponsorship value.

The report detailing all the deliverables was compiled by independent and world-leading research company YouGov Sport.

The total economic impact value for St Kitts & Nevis was US$8,990,210, with the direct spend being US$3,329,707. This figure takes into account the total spent by Hero CPL to put on the 2021 event as well as

the money spent with local business by those who travelled into St Kitts & Nevis for the tournament, either independently or as part of CPL’s franchise teams.

The total spent to organise the Hero CPL in St Kitts & Nevis during the tournament was US$2,250,725 with local suppliers and businesses being the beneficiaries.

In addition to the organiser spend, St Kitts & Nevis also benefited from franchise owners and fans from across the region and the world coming to watch the games – an extra US$1,078,982 of direct spend being attributed to this group.

St Kitts and Nevis also enjoyed huge exposure from the global broadcast of the tournament, a sponsorship value of US$79,707,790 being generated – the most any host country has ever received. A combination of innovative and engaging advertising throughout the Hero CPL broadcast, includ-

Boxing returns!

ing branding and tourism vignettes, ensured St Kitts & Nevis was given the opportunity to promote itself to a vast global audience.

The total viewership figure for Hero CPL 2021 was 517.4million, with the tournament passing half a billion viewers for the second successive year. This massive TV and digital viewership helping to drive the fantastic sponsorship valuation.

Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “We are hugely grateful to everyone in St Kitts & Nevis who made the 2021 tournament possible, especially the Government, who backed CPL to deliver another world-class event. Special thanks to the Minister for Education, Youth Empowerment, Culture and Sport, the Hon. Jonel Powell, and his team, who left no stone unturned in ensuring we had a safe and successful tournament.

We are delighted that St Kitts & Nevis were rewarded with these fantastic num-

23

A look at the crowd in St Kitts and Nevis

bers, and of course a winner’s trophy.”

Hon. Jonel Powell, Minister for Education, Youth Empowerment, Culture and Sport, said: “I am very pleased with the data, in particular the direct spend into our econo-

my and the local employment at what has been a very difficult time financially. The exposure that our Federation has received to over 500 million viewers is of tremendous value. It is our hope that the world now knows St. Kitts and Nevis

as not just a fantastic destination for R and R, but also a great destination for sport tourism. We truly value our partnership with the CPL, and look forward to developing new opportunities that we can share together.”

(CPLT20)

IPL 2022 begins on March 26 …Mumbai and Pune to host league phase of IPL 2022

I

DDL’s Larry Wills making the presentation to GBA’s Marissa Parris in the presence of Steve Ninvalle

A

fter two years of being down on the canvas since the advent of COVID-19, amateur boxing is set to make a return this weekend when the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) host its Pepsi-sponsored Mike Parris National U-16 Boxing tournament.

Set for the Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown, the event will see over 40 young boxers ‘punching’ things out for trophies and medals.

Steve Ninvalle, GBA president, has said hosting of the 11th edition of the grassroots championships is the perfect way to see the return of boxing for the first time since February 15, 2020.

With the GBA shifting most of its attention to youth participants of the sport, Ninvalle said, “The nursery programme is the foundation for us, and that is where we will be placing much of our emphasis this year and going forward. We think it is better if we have plans that can take us not just for tomorrow or the next week, but plans that will take us into the next five years and beyond.”

Ninvalle has also lauded Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) for showing faith in the GBA through their Pepsi brand.

The GBA’s first Vice President, Marissa Parris, reiterated Ninvalle’s sentiments while calling on DDL to continue their partnership in the years to come.

Meanwhile, DDL Brand Manager Larry Wills has not only expressed Pepsi’s delight at return as the tournament’s main sponsor, but also pledged the company’s continued support towards the development of amateur boxing in Guyana.

While recommencement of the sport may draw many fans, the GBA has advised that no spectators would be allowed in the tournament’s duration.

PL 2022 will begin on March 26, with the final set to be played on May 29. The schedule was drawn up on Thursday by the IPL Governing Council, which also decided that the league phase of the tournament would be restricted to just two cities: Mumbai and Pune. Four venues the Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, and the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje, in the outskirts of Pune - will host the league phase featuring 70 matches.

ic situation in India in AprilMay. The Governing Council also decided to keep open the option of allowing crowds to attend the matches, subject to permission from the Maharashtra Government.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that the IPL will finalise and share the tournament schedule by the first week of March. The IPL this time will be a 10-team tournament with the addition of two new franchises - Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans last October. At a meeting on January 22, all 10 franchises had unanimously backed the

The Wankhede Stadium is one of four venues that would host the league phase of IPL 2022

As for the playoffs, which will feature four matches, the IPL has decided to keep its venue options open for now.

A final decision on that, the Governing Council decided, would be taken later, based on the COVID-19 pandem-

IPL’s first option of conducting the tournament in India.

The franchises had also favoured limiting the tournament to just one venue Mumbai - after the debacle in the 2021 season, which had to be postponed at the halfway

stage when the second wave of COVID-19 that was sweeping across India breached the IPL bubble. In an internal review, the IPL concluded that teams travelling between multiple cities had been one cause for positive cases within teams in the first half of the 2021 edition.

The tournament resumed in September-October with the second leg being played in the UAE - which had staged the entirety of IPL 2020.

As for the format during the league phase, it could not be confirmed whether the IPL would follow the 2011 concept, the first time the tournament featured 10 teams.

In the 2011 edition, the 10 teams were split into two loose groups, and the tournament comprised 70 league matches and four play-off games, with all the teams ranked in one composite league table. During the league phase, every team played the same number of league matches, which was 14.

Each team played the other four in their group both home and away (eight matches), four of the teams in the other group once each (four matches, either home or away), and the remaining team in the other group twice, both home and away.

A random draw decided the composition of the groups as well as who played whom across the groups once and twice.

Women’s T20 Challenge likely to return

The Governing Council also backed the idea of bringing back the Women’s T20 Challenge, which last took place in 2020. The format is likely to be same as in the 2020 edition, in which three teams - Supernovas, Velocity and Trailblazers - played a total of four matches, including the final.

The Women’s T20 Challenge usually takes place during the IPL’s playoffs week. No firm decision has yet been taken on whether the women’s tournament will take place at a separate venue - as in 2020 - from the IPL play-offs.

Having begun as a tournament to provide exposure to Indian women players as well as unearthing untapped talent - an example being the India batter Shafali Verma the T20 challenge has grown significantly. In 2020, the BCCI said the T20 Challenge was “financially independent”, with Jio appointed as the first-ever title sponsor.

Despite being played in Sharjah and away from the IPL playoff venues, the 2020 edition of the tournament attracted record viewership.

The tournament will still have to wait before it expands to become a fully-fledged Women’s IPL, however, with BCCI President Sourav Ganguly saying recently that the board was at the level of “formulation” to launch it in 2023. (ESPNcricinfo)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022

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

Boxing returns!

Page 23

Page 22 Mandy Mangru

-says CWI Women’s Lead Selector Ann Browne-John

IPL 2022 begins on March 26

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The Wankhede Stadium is one of four venues that would host the league phase of IPL 2022

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