Guyana Times - Friday May 27, 2022

Region 10 poised for massive transformation – Min Croal P14

– urges residents to brush aside agents of regression Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 5021

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

PRICE

Gas-to-shore project

Prequalified bidders to submit proposals within 2 months – President Ali See story on page 3

3 children perish in Independence Day fire at Mocha

$100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

US says it is not inviting Venezuela, Nicaragua to Americas summit; Cuba will not P18 attend Pregnant teen dies at GPHC after suffering from asthma complications P15

Page 7

– single mother was at work

President Dr Irfaan Ali consoles the mother of the three children who died in the wee hours of Thursday following a devastating fire at Barnwell North, Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara. Also in the photo are Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond and other relatives of the deceased trio

EPA to include “strong measures” – as regulatory body in Liza 1 Permit reviews permit for renewal Intense rainfall Alleged wifecauses more beater shot flooding in dead by Police Kwakwani Page 9

Page 11

Page 15

– family refutes Police’s report on shooting

Full Court rules Judge could proceed with hearing case P8 challenging President’s suspension of PSC

Guyana records 57 new COVID infections P17 Contracts for construction of 6 major P5 hospitals to be signed within weeks – Pres Ali Pensioner’s P15 appeal against child rape convictions set for Monday hearing

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FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Friday, May 27 – 02:00h-03:30h and Saturday, May 28 – 02:30h-04:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, May 27 – 14:45h-16:15h and Saturday, May 28 – 15:30h-17:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Light rain showers are expected in the early-morning hours with sunny conditions in the afternoon and partly cloudy to clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 14:44h reaching a maximum height of 2.44 metres.

Gas-to-shore project

Prequalified bidders to submit proposals within 2 months – President Ali

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he nine prequalified bidders are expected to make their final plans for the construction of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government’s flagship gas-to-shore project within two months of having received the Request For Proposals (RPF).

This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali, who disclosed that the RPF would be issued sometime within the next two weeks.

“Within two weeks, the Request For Proposals will be issued to the pre-qualified bidders. Within two months,

tion to use the rich gas produced to generate electricity to feed into the national grid thus potentially lowering costs and improving power efficiency in the country. He said the NGL facility could be a lucrative venture for the country and would quickly amortise the pipeline as well as other investments into the project.

Against this backdrop, President Ali further revealed that the Government would be creating the conditions to supply cooking gas, at least three times more than Guyana’s national de-

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Low Tide: 08:18h and 20:32h reaching minimum heights of 0.72 metre and 0.77 metre.

Preliminary design of the power plant component of the gas-to-shore project

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2022

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$118.2/barrel

+0.66

Rough Rice

$310.464/ton

-0.17

London Sugar

$564.30/ton

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$1856.30

$1857.30

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$1839.50 +5.70

$1857.50 +0.31%

thereafter, we expect specific proposals to be submitted and to initiate the process to award the contract. By the end of this term, we’ll be generating 250 to 300 megawatts of power, powered by natural gas,” the Head of State noted during his Independence Day message on Wednesday evening.

Last month, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had disclosed that nine companies were pre-qualified for the construction of the natural gas-fired power plant and the natural gas liquids (NGL) plant components of the gas-to-shore project. He explained that since these two facilities were going to be combined, the RFP would take some time to prepare before being issued by this month-end.

Head of the Gas-toShore Task Force, Winston Brassington previously stated ExxonMobil Guyana, which is funding the pipeline aspect of the project out of cost oil, has found that there would be substantial savings from combining these two facilities. Hence, it was agreed that the power plant and the NGL plant be done under a combined Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) process.

The aim is to deliver rich gas by the end of 2024 for the power plant while the NGL facility is slated to be online by 2025.

Jagdeo told reporters that the Guyana Government was committed to owning both facilities with the inten-

mand. This way, he noted, the country will be in a position to develop a whole range of other derived liquids that it can monetised.

“In addition, the design of the pipeline caters for future additional supply of gas which will allow us to deliver a wide range of value-add-

ed activities which may include manufacturing and industrial development, and give us the potential to explore and have our production of fertiliser done here locally to support agriculture and the farmers and farming community,” the Guyanese Leader stated.

According to President Ali, this aggressive effort to

advance the project demonstrates his Government’s commitment to reducing the cost of energy in the country by 50 per cent.

Moreover, the Head of State also spoke about his Administration embarking on a plan to bring a total of 500 megawatts of new generating capacity into the national grid through various renewable energy sources.

Only last month, ExxonMobil, through its local affiliate – Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) – submitted its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, seeking approval for the gas-to-shore project in which it is injecting some US$1.3 billion and wants to see the inclusion of women in the construction of the facility.

The purpose of the EIA is to provide the factual and technical basis required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make an informed decision on EEPGL’s Application for Environmental Authorisation for the project.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 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

US pivot to Venezuela?

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ack in early March of this year, there were some eyebrows raised when US President Biden sent a delegation to Venezuela to engage the Maduro Administration. Most felt that the USA would lift the sanctions on Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), and the oil embargo that had been imposed for human rights’ violations by the Trump Administration in 2017 and 2019. There were discussions on possibly reopening some trade links by allowing crude-for-diesel exchanges on “humanitarian” grounds. But, just days later, the Administration backed off in light of the backlash led by Sens. Marco Rubio, Rick Scott and Bob Menendez.

However, last week, the White House announced that it was reconsidering its restrictions on Venezuelan oil, and was again entering discussions with Maduro. The US will now allow Chevron Corp., which had been allowed to conduct minimal activities with PDVSA, to negotiate its oil licence, thereby reducing certain sanctions on Venezuela. Although no further oil drilling or additional revenues for the Maduro Government would be permitted, as in March, Venezuela firmly welcomed the opening.

The US has not been very clear about the possible volteface, or even the softening of Trump’s very clearly articulated justification for regime change, based on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle, sometimes referred to as “humanitarian intervention.” The Maduro regime’s policies, of course, have sent some six million Venezuelan refugees pouring into neighbouring countries, including Guyana, and causing severe social and economic disruptions. One possibility is that the White House reacted to a request by Maduro’s political Opposition to ease sanctions, although the Opposition said the request came from Maduro. The Biden Administration, then, could be hoping that the carrot of softening sanctions on PDVSA and the embargo on oil would be more effective than Trump’s stick to engender greater political concessions with the Opposition - and putting Venezuela on track for free and fair presidential elections in 2024.

Then there is the oil elephant in the room. Since March, the world has been plunged into a possible recession on account of the disruptions to global oil supplies, due to sanctions imposed by the US and Europe on Russian oil and gas exports because of the latter’s invasion of Ukraine. For its own oil supply, the US needs heavy crude oil - which Venezuela can produce and supply - to mix with its light crude to produce diesel for its industrial base. Europe needs oil, period.

In the meantime, Biden’s overtures have worked to Maduro’s advantage, even with anti-Maduro hardliners like Brazil that, two years ago, had closed down their Embassy in Venezuela. Last month, Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Carlos França, stated against the background of the March overture, “At the moment, in which the United States considers making an exception to the embargo on Venezuelan oil exports, it seems to me that we can think in terms of re-evaluating the issue of diplomatic relations.”

Ironically, Biden’s overture to Venezuela has increased the pressures on his Administration to invite Venezuela to the Summit of the Americas’ conclave in Los Angeles on June 6th.

But after that March meeting, another goal had been hinted at than the economic one of the US obtaining Venezuelan oil - geopolitical. Juan Gonzalez, the hardliner who headed the delegation to Venezuela in March, clearly indicated that the use of sanctions goes far beyond their stated purpose: “The sanctions on Russia are so robust that they will have an impact on those Governments that have economic affiliations with Russia, that is by design.” Venezuela has very strong relations with Russia, and even the BBC had speculated: “So, could the US visit be more than just oil? An attempt to change Venezuela’s political allegiances, perhaps?”

A Bloomberg editorial was very sobering: “Toppling Maduro was a justifiable goal at a time of relative stability, but the strategic environment has changed. Disgusting as it may be, engaging with the Venezuelan regime is critical to protecting core US interests and containing Russian influence in the Western Hemisphere.”

The question is: Where does Guyana fit in with this possible US pivot?

Itiribisi Lake: a breathtaking view of the largest lake found in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) which leads to the Amerindian village of Mashabo. This photo is another entry in the Tourism Ministry's 56th Independence Anniversary Competition (Shabeena Rahman)

America howls with pain after Texas. Yet again we ask: ‘When are we going to do something?’ …It’s absurd that Joe Biden, the most powerful man in the world, cannot overturn the bizarre relationship between Americans and their guns

By Emma Brockes

“T

exas.” It was said with incredulity, by one parent to another, outside my children’s school at pickup. On the east coast of the US on Tuesday night, where I live, the after-school clubs were letting out just as news of a mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, was unfolding. At that point, 14 children were confirmed dead, a number that has since risen to 21 children, and two teachers. Before the obscenity of it began to sink in, the shock: another massacre foretold, its sheer inevitability somehow deepening the horror. Other parents arrived, phones in hand, rattled and fighting off mental images.

Over the next 24 hours, the same questions, with the same answers, would roll around again: “What has to happen?” In the 10 years since the Sandy Hook massacre, when 20 children and six educators were murdered in an elementary school in Connecticut – during which there have been, in the United States, hundreds of further school shootings, 27 this year alone – this question has attained a rhetorical force divorced from its actual utility. That the US is a country in which decisive political action to curb gun ownership will never follow a mass shooting requires, at this point, no further evidence.

Nonetheless, the question remains necessary; a howl of pain that, on Tuesday night, was heard in various forms across the country. “What are we doing? What are we doing?” asked Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, his

voice breaking on the floor of the Senate. In a much-viewed clip, Steve Kerr, an NBA basketball coach speaking at a pre-game press conference, reeled off a list of recent shootings in Buffalo and southern California, before slamming the desk and shouting, “When are we going to do something?”

On Tuesday night, President Biden addressed the nation. It was a combination of unnerving – the president seems increasingly frail, always on the cusp of losing the next word. But it was also one of those moments in which one is reminded of Biden’s gift for unscripted humanity. The president spoke from experience of losing a child, the sense of “having a piece of your soul ripped away”. His voice, loaded with pain, was startling in its authenticity. “There’s a hollowness in your chest,” he said, “and you feel like you’re being sucked into it and [are] never going to be able to get out.”

And he let his anger show.

“When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” he said. “Where in God’s name is our backbone?”

Several times he repeated it: “for God’s sake”. If this was cathartic for those watching, it was also bizarre; that a man with the most powerful position on Earth could be reduced to this state of frustration. It never gets less insane, the power of the National Rifle Association and the relationship of millions of Americans to their guns, alongside the consequence of that irrational force. Late Tuesday night, local ABC news anchors in Uvalde were still reporting the sounds of screams issuing from the civic centre, as fam-

ilies were notified that their children were among the dead. On Wednesday morning, Americans woke to social media timelines filling with the photos of dead teachers and children.

“What has to happen?”

Everything that has to happen has happened already, if what we mean by that question is how many people have to die. Huge networks of gunlaw reformers are working, and fundraising, and lobbying local and national government to effect a shift in consciousness at the legislative and electoral level. If we’re waiting for Ted Cruz, the Senator for Texas – who in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, doubled down on his position to put armed law enforcement in schools; if we’re waiting for Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, who once chastised the people of his state for falling behind California in gun purchases; if we’re waiting for the Congressman for Uvalde, Tony Gonzales, a “proud supporter of the second amendment”, to have a Damascene moment, then hopelessness is indeed justified. Given the history and psychology of the United States, it seems unlikely there will ever be a Dunblane moment, in which the mass murder of children triggers an overnight change in gun laws. These people – Cruz, Abbott, Gonzales and their ilk – can never be shamed into doing the right thing.

And yet, the work continues. After every mass shooting, someone like Fred Guttenberg emerges. The 56-year-old father of Jaime Guttenberg, a 14-year-old who was murdered in 2018

during the Parkland school shooting in Florida and in possession of a mental toughness that is hard to compute, was on the news shows last thing Tuesday night and first thing Wednesday morning. Putting the Uvalde shooting in terms the President couldn’t use, he said: “They ****ing failed our kids again.” There is nothing to be gained from saying things will never change.

Guttenberg works on the assumption things can, and will.

If he can do it, the rest of us surely can.

We walked down the hill after school, our second-graders bounding ahead of us. I thought of their teachers, the horror of them turning up to work on Wednesday, imagining their peers in Uvalde.

Self-soothingly, we said to one another, “Statistically, you’re more likely to get run over on the way to school.” We said school shootings were a largely suburban phenomenon.

In New York City, we said, you’re more likely to be shot on the subway.

And, while the most pressing project for parents in the wake of these massacres might seem to be to keep their children from harm, protecting them from fear is the greater requirement. I recently asked one of my seven-yearolds what happens during their frequent lockdown drills at school. Oh, she said, their teacher puts a piece of paper over the glass in the door and turns the lock. Then they practise sitting very, very quietly. “Why do you do that?” I asked. “In case of a burglar,” she said, cheerfully. (The Guardian) Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

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News

Contracts for construction of 6 major hospitals to be signed within weeks – Pres Ali

C Indians and rice

By Guyanese of Indian Ancestry Association

T

oday the rice industry is the largest agricultural undertaking in Guyana, with 225,000 acres under cultivation, which, being double-cropped, give an effective acreage of 450,000 acres. These are cultivated by 6,020 farmers, and processed by 42 millers, producing over 600,000 tons of rice and paddy for export, while satisfying the local market.

And it was founded and developed totally by Indian immigrants and their descendants.

Women planting rice

85% of the Indian immigrants came from North India, especially from the Gangetic plains, where rice was widely cultivated. Since most of them were agriculturalists - even the ones who were labourers - they were quite familiar with wet rice cultivation. They soon leased, rented, or purchased small swampy plots of land near the plantations, and cultivated rice.

They started by intensive cultivation in which the seed paddy is soaked and covered with jute bags until germination. These were then broadcasted over a levelled, ploughed and raked small plot called a “biyari”. When the plants were about 16” high, they were laboriously transplanted by women in the rice fields. The land would have been levelled by the men with shovels, and divided by “meres” that kept the water level even for each plot.

As the paddy grew, they would regulate the water level for optimum growth. The crop would be reaped by hand, using hand scythes (grass knives), generally by women, and either hand-threshed, or by bulls walked around a pole on a hard plot called a “kariaan”. Yet the farmers were called “ignorant”.

The first significant acreage cultivated was at Pln Edinburgh, WCD, in 1865. Progress was slow but steady: Year. 1893.

1898. 1914. 1919.

1920.

Acres. 2500.

7,490. 47,037. 61,200. 55,246

Reaping paddy by hand

Imports of rice gradually fell from 19,411tons in 1884/88 to 2,519 tons in 1909/13, and finally 72 tons in 1917, from when there were no further imports. The disruption of shipping during WWI, 1914-1918, provided the impetus.

Exports to the WI started during WWI, and reached 29,120 tons by 1933, but fluctuated afterwards. WWII (193945) provided another impetus, and in 1946, a rice agreement was signed, and production continued to expand.

DID YOU KNOW? •

•

In 1916, a rice farmer and miller, Jagdeo of Mora Point, cultivating 3000 acres, imported the first tractor in Guyana, and mechanised cultivation. He dug a canal to the Abary Creek (still bearing his name) and installed a pump for irrigation. He had a motor launch to bring out his paddy.

1921 Journal of Board of Agriculture: “Within a short space of years, they have developed the resources of the colony in an unexpected direction and to a phenomenal extent… without any aid.”

ontinued development in the health sector will see the contract signing for six new regional hospitals within the coming weeks, in the Government’s bid to elevate public health care for all Guyanese.

In his Independence Day address to Guyana on Wednesday evening, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced his slew of plans for the health system. This project, which will cover six modernised regional facilities, is part of a US$180 million project.

“Within weeks, we will sign the contract for six major regional hospitals – 65,000 square feet each. One will be right here on the Essequibo Coast. Collectively, these six hospitals will cost us approximately US$180 million.

“In advancing the health and well-being of our population, we have promised to deliver a world-class health system. We have embarked on this journey with great vigour to design and implement a plan that will deliver such result. We have already put in place several projects that will improve access to quality health care for the people of our country,” said the Head of State.

Government is also on the verge of signing another contract valued at US$170 million for a national maternal and childcare hospital, bringing modernised health care

President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali

for mothers and children.

“We’re working with the best in the business, the finest in global healthcare and yes, we have recognised that we must fix the systems that are broken,” Dr Ali said.

Works will be done on four major tele-diagnostic centres in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), upgrading them to regional hospitals.

The Head of State has hinted at a plan to fix the procurement system within the healthcare sector, in ensuring greater accountability.

External funding agencies are being engaged to upgrade protocols and management of the Georgetown, West Demerara, Bartica and Linden hospitals.

“We cannot only invest in the facility and infrastructure. We’re also investing in the human resources…Those

Impressed with GPF officers Dear Editor, I had to write this letter, because, like most Guyanese, I have a very negative impression of the Guyana Police Force and its members; and, so I was pleasantly surprised when I recently had to interact with three members of the Force, who were completely professional.

They dealt with my matter, yet, at the same time, they were courteous and friendly. And I am referring to Inspector Warde at Interpol, Inspector Reid at CID, and DSP Halley at the Passport Office.

After interacting and talking to these three people, I am convinced that the Guyana Police Force is in good hands, and these people should be the face of the Force.

I only hope there are more like them, who would be able to enhance the image of the Force, and change the public’s perception of that institution.

I know that when this letter is published, I will come in for ‘blows’ from friends and families for praising

the GPF, especially from those who have suffered at the hands of the Police, and therefore I would like to call on the Commissioner of Police and Minister Benn to put programmes in place to deal with the few rogue elements of the Force who are giving the GPF a bad name.

I get the impression that the rogue elements are at the lower level of the ladder, and so we need to have another look at our recruitment practices and the quality of people we bring into the Force.

I would also like to recommend that we change the name of the Force to the Guyana Police Service, in keeping with its motto, “to protect and serve".

Once again, a heartfelt thanks to Inspector Warde, Inspector Reid, and DSP Halley for a job well done.

You are all true professionals, and each is an asset to the Guyana Police Service.

The Police Commissioner should be proud of you all.

Keep up the good work.

Yours faithfully, Imtiaz Baccus

that the healthcare system is entrusted in, they must be accountable for the services they deliver and that is part of the plan.

“We have a plan to train and recruit a large number of healthcare professionals in the next few years to deliver not just health service but the finest, world-class health service to the people of Guyana.

This is what we’re investing in: world-class educational services and world-class health services,” Dr Ali stated.

As the Cinderella county prepared for the ushering in of the country’s 56th Independence Day anniversary, the President acknowledged that citizens would like fast-paced development.

However, in the challenging global environment, he assured that his Administration has surpassed its manifesto plans for the country.

“We know there are gaps.

We know there’s still a lot to be done; that you want us to move at a faster pace, that you want more. But we know within the constraints globally and regionally, that we have been delivering for you

in advance and ahead of the manifesto pledges,” he noted.

For the year 2022, Government plans on injecting a whopping $73 billion into the healthcare sector. This was an enormous increase from the $53.5 billion in 2021. From this figure, $1 billion was set aside for upgrades to health centres and an additional $2 billion for medical and non-medical equipment.

There are several larger projects on the Ali-led Administration’s agenda, geared at decentralising health care and enabling easier access for Guyanese. A major initiative is the construction of a new $2 billion multi-specialty hospital at Suddie, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Meanwhile, the smart hospital project is in its final stage, linking structural and operational safety and disaster resilience, while maintaining a “green” status in operations. Hospitals at Diamond, Leonora, Mabaruma, Paramakatoi, and Lethem were upgraded under this project. The project falls under an $835 million grant funded by the former United Kingdom Department for International Development and implemented by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

Funded through a grant from the Indian Government, upgrades to the West Demerara Regional Hospital in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Suddie Hospital in Region Two and Bartica Hospital in Region Seven will also materialise.

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

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FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

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n this fun and easy kitchen science experiment for kids, we’re going to test and see which food contain fat.

Materials: A sheet of white printer paper Potato chip Honey Lemon Peanut butter Milk Butter Doughnut Pencil

CONTINUED FROM WEDNESDAY

Act 5. Scene I. Before PROSPERO'S cell.

PROSPERO No. For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive Thy rankest fault; all of them; and require My dukedom of thee, which perforce, I know, Thou must restore.

ALONSO If thou be'st Prospero, Give us particulars of thy preservation; How thou hast met us here, who three hours since Were wreck'd upon this shore; where I have lost-How sharp the point of this remembrance is!-My dear son Ferdinand.

PROSPERO I am woe for't, sir.

ALONSO Irreparable is the loss, and patience Says it is past her cure.

PROSPERO I rather think You have not sought her help, of whose soft grace For the like loss I have her sovereign aid And rest myself content.

ALONSO You the like loss!

PROSPERO As great to me as late; and, supportable To make the dear loss, have I means much weaker Than you may call to comfort you, for I Have lost my daughter.

ALONSO

Instructions: Draw six circles on the piece of paper.

Label each circle with the name of the food you will be testing.

Rub a tiny bit of food on each circle.

Allow to dry for 30 minutes.

Examine each circle. Some will be dry and some will be greasy. The greasy spots are residue from fats in the foods.

How it works: Fats in the foods produce grease spots because fats are non-volatile. Non-volatile means

A daughter?

O heavens, that they were living both in Naples, The king and queen there! that they were, I wish Myself were mudded in that oozy bed Where my son lies. When did you lose your daughter?

PROSPERO In this last tempest. I perceive these lords At this encounter do so much admire That they devour their reason and scarce think Their eyes do offices of truth, their words Are natural breath: but, howsoe'er you have Been justled from your senses, know for certain That I am Prospero and that very duke Which was thrust forth of Milan, who most strangely Upon this shore, where you were wreck'd, was landed, To be the lord on't. No more yet of this; For 'tis a chronicle of day by day, Not a relation for a breakfast nor Befitting this first meeting.

Welcome, sir; This cell's my court: here have I few attendants And subjects none abroad: pray you, look in.

My dukedom since you have given me again, I will requite you with as good a thing; At least bring forth a wonder, to content ye As much as me my dukedom.

Here PROSPERO discovers FERDINAND and MIRANDA playing at chess MIRANDA

that fats have a very high boiling point and do not evaporate easily. In contrast to water, fats that get absorbed by paper cannot get enough heat to evaporate at room temperature.

These fats absorbed by the paper are easily visible and make it easy to identify which foods contain fats.

Make this a science project: Collect a large variety of food samples and hypothesise which ones may or may not contain fats and then use the food fat test to determine the results. (sciencefun.org)

“May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please but as the opportunity to do what is right.”— Peter Marshall

Sweet lord, you play me false.

FERDINAND No, my dear'st love, I would not for the world.

MIRANDA Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, And I would call it, fair play.

ALONSO If this prove A vision of the Island, one dear son Shall I twice lose.

SEBASTIAN A most high miracle!

FERDINAND Though the seas threaten, they are merciful; I have cursed them without cause.

Kneels ALONSO Now all the blessings Of a glad father compass thee about!

Arise, and say how thou camest here.

MIRANDA O, wonder!

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in't!

PROSPERO 'Tis new to thee.

ALONSO What is this maid with whom thou wast at play?

Your eld'st acquaintance cannot be three hours: Is she the goddess that hath sever'd us, And brought us thus together?

FERDINAND Sir, she is mortal; But by immortal Providence she's mine: I chose her when I could not ask my father For his advice, nor thought I had one. She Is daughter to this famous Duke of Milan,

Of whom so often I have heard renown, But never saw before; of whom I have Received a second life; and second father This lady makes him to me.

ALONSO I am hers: But, O, how oddly will it sound that I Must ask my child forgiveness!

PROSPERO There, sir, stop: Let us not burthen our remembrance with A heaviness that's gone.

GONZALO I have inly wept, Or should have spoke ere this.

Look down, you god, And on this couple drop a blessed crown!

For it is you that have chalk'd forth the way Which brought us hither.

ALONSO I say, Amen, Gonzalo!

GONZALO Was Milan thrust from Milan, that his issue Should become kings of Naples? O, rejoice Beyond a common joy, and set it down With gold on lasting pillars: In one voyage Did Claribel her husband find at Tunis, And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife Where he himself was lost, Prospero his dukedom In a poor isle and all of us ourselves When no man was his own.

ALONSO [To FERDINAND and MIRANDA] Give me your hands: Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart That doth not wish you joy!

GONZALO Be it so! Amen!

WORD SEARCH

7 3 children perish in Independence Day fire at Mocha NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

– single mother was at work

The three children who died in the inferno

Tracy Flue and her three children in happier times

came out to witness the saddening aftermath in daylight.

But the soul-crushing event leaves many villagers to wonder how exactly did the fire start, and whether the children were asleep at the time.

It is being speculated that an acquaintance of Flue’s might have lit the home after threatening to do so several times during domestic disputes with Flue.

Flue has related to sections of the media that she had made countless reports to the Police against this person, who, many times before, had threatened to kill her and burn her house down.

Due to this person’s continuous threats, the woman

By Shane Marks

C

alamity masked the joyful, patriotic Independence Day celebrations for the villagers of 10 Field, Barnwell, Mocha, on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), after they were forced to watch haplessly as a raging fire gorged the lives of three young children.

Bemoaning the loss is 23-year-old Tracy Flue, who was pulling a graveyard shift at her security job to make ends meet for her family when she received what has hitherto turned out to be the most traumatic news she would ever hear in her life – her house is on fire, with her three children trapped inside.

The fire, according to Police reports, started in a wooden house at around 01:25h. Flue’s three children, who at the time were in bed sleeping, became entrapped in the burning house.

Brothers, eight-year-old Timothy and six-year-old Trayshon Kippins, and sister, one-year-old Zhlia Flue, each took their final breaths before perishing in the inferno.

Villagers conveyed to Guyana Times that they looked on helplessly as the house burned to ashes with the children inside, since

Fire officials at the scene on Thursday morning

there was nothing they could have done to save the children.

Reports are that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was alerted to the fire immediately after it started, and fire tenders from the Diamond and West Ruimveldt Stations were dispatched to the scene, but took some time to arrive there as a result of the deteriorating roadway at Barnwell.

Fire Chief (ag.) Gregory Wickham has confirmed that the firefighters were forced to go to the burning house on foot. Wickham explained, “They had to walk quite a few metres in order to get to the scene, because the terrain could not afford them to drive.”

A resident, Rozanne Allen, stated that it took the firefighters approximately 45 minutes to arrive on the

scene, only to find the charred remains of three young children.

“The Fire reel come and stop up to a point, where they couldn’t come in fuh save these children. Over twenty-five years we asking for this road fuh do. They [the Government] say in here is farmlands, so Government don’t do farmland roads. If they [the Government] do that main road, them children wouldn’t have dead. I was here.”

Despite their efforts, the Fire Service was too late, as the children, trapped alone in the burning house, succumbed to the blazing heat assailing their small bodies.

“Right now, it’s a very tragic moment,” were sentiments of community member Ellen Borne, who, like many other residents in the area,

Prequalified bidders to...

Following the receipt of the EIA earlier this week, the EPA has since given a 60-day timeline for the public to make submissions on the project.

When the EPA grants the Environmental Authorisation to EEPGL and its co-venturers in the Stabroek Block – Hess Guyana Exploration Limited and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, construction is likely to commence soon after receiving all other approvals. In fact, the oil company is targeting August this year to start the preparation of the NGL plant site. The entire construction process will take some three years hence rich gas is expected to be delivered onshore by the end of 2024, and the NGL plant to be operational by mid-2025.

The gas-to-shore project, which has a 25-year lifes-

pan, is expected to employ up to 800 workers during the peak construction stage, as well as some 40 full-time workers during the operations stage, and another 50 workers during the decommissioning stage.

The scope of the US$900 million gas-to-shore project consists of the construction of 225 kilometres of pipelines from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil.

It features approximately 220 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore that will run from the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production, Storage And Offloading Vessels (FPSOs) in the Stabroek Block to the shore. Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline will continue approximately 25 kilometres

FROM PAGE 3

to the NGL plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.

The pipeline would be 12 inches wide and is expected to transport some 50 million standard cubic feet per day (mscfpd) of dry gas to the NGL plant, but has the capacity to push as much as 120 mscfpd.

The pipeline route onshore will follow the same path as the fibreoptic cables and will terminate at Hermitage, part of the Wales Development Zone (WDZ), which will house the gas-to-shore project.

The Guyana Government has invited interested parties to make investments in the WDZ, which will be heavily industrialised and for which approximately 150 acres of land have been allocated. Those lands were previously used by the Wales Sugar Estate.

has been granted a restraining order, which she claims has been violated on many occasions. Flue and this person were due for a court hearing at the end of this month.

She told reporters, “I was

President Irfaan Ali with the grieving mother

in a relationship with an abusive boyfriend. I go to the station countless times to make reports. This month is supposed to be we court day, and he tell me that how anytime I go to court, it gon be the last day I ever see the Police, and how he gon kill me. And nuff nights I used to be running, cause he used to be want putting knife to me, running me with cutlass.

“Last night he call me and I refuse to answer the phone… He threatened me nuff time that he gone burn down me house,” Flue cried.

But, a report on the cause of the fire has revealed that the fire was electrical in nature.

While the smoke was still going where Flue’s children had parted, Flue sat in the house next door and cried.

Her screams, of a heartbreaking reality she didn’t pre-

dict, reminded the 10 Field, Barnwell community of her loss.

Receiving word of Flue’s tragedy, President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with a distraught Flue and her family in the afternoon hours of Thursday at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary. The Head of State was accompanied by Prime Minister Mark Phillips; Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond; Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn; Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken; and other Government officials and members of the Force.

Meanwhile, two months ago, a four-year-old was then the latest child to have died in a fire. The young boy died after a fire destroyed a Tucville Squatting Area, Georgetown home. That child had been identified only as Jemel.

8 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Full Court rules Judge could proceed with hearing case challenging President’s suspension of PSC

President Dr Irfaan Ali

A

ruling rendered on Wednesday by the Demerara Full Court has paved the way for Justice Gino Persaud to proceed with hearing the case challenging President Dr Irfaan Ali’s June 2021 suspension of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

Justice Persaud had, on March 9, dismissed an application by Attorney General Anil Nandlall to have the case thrown out, and the Full Court, comprising Justices Priya SewnarineBeharry and Fidela CorbinLincoln, has upheld Justice Persaud’s decision.

The Full Court has, however, varied that decision, adding former PSC Chairman, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe, as a party to the proceedings, instead of substituting him for the PSC, which has been defunct for almost a year.

Nandlall is likely to challenge the Full Court’s decision at the Court of Appeal.

In his ruling, Justice Persaud had held that the issues raised in the substantive case are matters of public interest. Relying on several local, regional, and overseas case laws, he had reasoned that the issue of the legality of the commissioners’ suspension “…should be heard and determined on its merits, being a matter of public interest.” To hold otherwise, the Judge had noted, would be to leave the legality of the suspension hanging – never to be adjudicated upon simply because of the inescapable fact that the life of the Commissioners came to an end after filing these proceedings.

“This does not seem to me either logical or fair, but rather an affront to fairness; natural justice; access to justice and, indeed, the rule of law. A hearing and determination would serve to bring clarity to the role of the Executive in such instances, and ensure that the constitutionally-granted autonomy of the PSC remains

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

protected,” he had said.

The PSC, which expired on August 8, 2021, has not been reconstituted.

Nandlall had, however, petitioned the Full Court to have Justice Persaud’s decision reversed on the basis that it is misconceived and erroneous in law. He had argued that the trial Judge had misinterpreted, misconstrued, and misapplied the important doctrine of ‘public interest litigation’ in such a manner that his decision had resulted in a grave miscarriage of justice.

“The learned Judge erred and misdirected himself in law by ruling that Mr Paul Slowe be substituted instead and in place of the [PSC], a constitutional body, for the purpose of continuing judicial review proceedings in the High Court…” he had further argued.

According to him, the ruling of the lower court violates the doctrine of separation of powers, and violates Article 226 of the Constitution, as well as undermines the independence and functional autonomy of the PSC, guaranteed by the Constitution of Guyana.

He contended that, “The decision of the Learned Hearing Judge is unlawful, unconstitutional, and is not supported by established legal principles and doctrines… The decision of the Learned Hearing Judge potentially permits Paul Slowe, a citizen, to usurp, interfere with, compromise, undermine, and assume the functions of the Police Service Commission, a constitutional body established by the Constitution, in breach of the said Constitution.”

Among other things, Slowe is asking the High Court to declare the PSC’s suspension unconstitutional. With the Head of State removed as a party to the proceedings, following a ruling by Justice Persaud that the President enjoys absolute immunity from the judicial process, Slowe is looking to proceed with his case against Prime

Minister Mark Phillips, the Attorney General, former Police Commissioner (ag) Nigel Hoppie, and the Commission’s Secretary.

Although Attorneys-atLaw Dexter Smartt and Dexter Todd conceded that the life of the PSC had indeed expired, they had urged the court to go ahead and hear the case on its merits, since it is a public interest matter that touches and concerns the Constitution.

Smartt had submitted, “The matters to be dealt with are matters that need finality. It touches and concerns the Constitution, the supreme law of the land, and the powers of the President.”

According to him, while doing research, he had found no case laws concerning the fate of legal proceedings filed by a constitutional body that has now expired.

Against this backdrop, he had argued that the case is “peculiar”, and had noted that the court should consider the effects of not giving a decision in the matter.

The lawyer had contended that the court had jurisdiction when this matter started, and it continues to have jurisdiction moving forward, as this is a matter of public importance.

“To terminate these proceedings would leave certain constitutional issues unaddressed, and leave room for constitutional violations,” Smartt had added.

President Ali had suspended the PSC after its then Chairman, Slowe, and then Commissioner, retired Assistant Police Commissioner Clinton Conway, were slapped with fraud charges. They, along with other retired and serving members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), have been implicated in a $10 million fraud over duties delegated to them for revising the Police Force’s raft of Standing Orders. It is alleged that they collected payments amounting to $10M, but never provided the Force with a raft of revised Standing Orders.

In addition, Slowe is facing three counts of sexual assault. It is alleged that on three occasions in 2019, at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, he sexually assaulted a senior Policewoman by rubbing her left leg and foot without her consent. President Ali suspended the PSC weeks after the Prime Minister had written to Slowe and Conway, asking them to show cause why the fraud charges against them should not result in their removal from the PSC. In that letter, the Prime Minister had said he was exercising powers vested in

Moving...

Y

Former PSC Chairman Paul Slowe

him by Article 225 of the Constitution, which mandates that a person shall not be removed from a constitutional office, except for inability to discharge the function thereof, or for misbehaviour.

That article further provides that a constitutional office holder can be removed by the President if an appointed tribunal recommends the removal of that person. The tribunal is to be appointed following the advice of a prescribed authority, in this case the Prime Minister, and is to be constituted in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The JSC is currently not functioning. The last JSC was appointed by former President Donald Ramotar on September 11, 2014. The tenure of each appointed member is for three years; therefore, the tenure of the last JSC expired in 2017.

The PSC is vested with the authority to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in high offices within the Police Force, or even remove them from office.

The PSC also deals with the promotion of Policemen above the rank of Inspector.

The Government, on June 28, 2021, rejected as “unlawful and illegal” a list of purported promotions of members of the Police Force issued by the PSC. In so doing, Nandlall reminded that the PSC was suspended by the President in the exercise of powers conferred upon him by the Constitution.

He had made it clear that the decision of the President could be rescinded, revoked, set aside, or reversed only by the President himself, or by a court of competent jurisdiction. “No person, let alone a constitutional commission, will be allowed to become judge, jury and executioner in our constitutional democracy. The rule of law simply does not permit it,” the Attorney General had said.

…flag-raising our Eyewitness was intrigued by the change in the locale for the flag-raising ceremony this year. He figured, why not? Year after year they’ve been doing it in Georgetown. All over Georgetown. Granger even built a BILLION-DOLLAR stadium to raise the Golden Arrowhead on the Jubilee Independence Gala! This was a special hundred-foot one, so folks wondered whether it’d flutter in the wind. Had to be SOME wind!! But fly and flutter it did. Can’t say the same about the stadium, though!! Made of some cheap-a55 raw wood, it’s fast collapsing around the ears of the vagrants who’ve found a home!!

At these occasions, it’s become obligatory to invoke Burnham and Cheddi hugging just before the Union Jack was lowered at our National Park on May 26, 1966. It seemed Cheddi was willing to forget his slogan of “cheated, not defeated” after he was ousted in a prolonged, bloody coup that took the lives of almost 200 Guyanese. Well, it was going to be the first of many “cheatings” he was gonna be experiencing in the next 26 years!! But he still showed up, year after year, to salute the Golden Arrowhead.

Whether it was the Public Buildings, the National Cultural Centre, or back to the National Park, he showed up to sing that Four Tops tune, “I’ll be there”!! Patriotic?

And this was even after he railed about the so-called “independence”, FOR WHICH Burnham had betrayed the nationalist movement JUST TO GET HIS GRUBBY PAWS ON POWER - and divide the country seemingly forever. But here we are, exactly thirty years after Jagan’s party simply OUTLASTED Burnham’s PNC’s reign over “independent” Guyana - having to wait till the world changed!! There is something to be said for longevity in politics - if you’re willing to swallow all sorts of humiliations!!

Anyhow, at long last the country stands a good chance of becoming REALLY independent - with all that oil money coming down the pipelines! Hopefully, this present lot of PPP leaders understands that whatever Jagan may’ve been carrying on about the inevitability of the “working class” taking over, it’s money that makes the world go round!!

So, your Eyewitness is pleased that money’s being spent to create the conditions for business startups that’ll be employing folks to earn the money to live the good life!!

And this brings him to the flag being raised by Pres Ali in the “Cinderella County”. Hopefully, the move recognises that the label wasn’t symbolic, but aptly describes the state of Essequibo - then and now!! And that President Ali’s gonna be unfurling plans immediately to drag Essequibo out of its miseries!! But since he’s making his promises in front of Damon’s statue, hope he remembers what’ll happen if he doesn’t deliver immediately!!

Uprising!! …the DHB Your Eyewitness could only nod approvingly when he saw the latest “artist’s impression” of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge”. Quite pretty elegant and graceful.

Hopefully it’ll also do the job it’s meant to do to justify the more-than- quarter-billion the Government’s springing for its construction. Which is to move 10,000 vehicles back and forth across the river within two-hour windows, so businesses don’t have to lose the millions of man-hours they’re losing right now because of traffic bottlenecks!

The bridge is just a wee bit upriver, and surely it couldn’t be creating any environmental effect different from what the old Bridge did. If it’s deposition of silt, wouldn’t all those pontoons have a greater precipitating effect that half the number of posts a fraction of their size? So he wonders what the environmentalists are up to.

Didn’t they hear that you can’t make an omelette without cracking some shells?

And from what he sees, the environmentalists sure like their omelette!! …the meeting place Your Eyewitness notices that the Opposition Leader has a beef about the President's arrangements for the second meeting. Says he’s being dissed?

Maybe they should break the ice at Cigars and Cognac?

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

9

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

EPA to include “strong measures” in Liza 1 Permit – as regulatory body reviews permit for renewal

T

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently reviewing the Environmental Permit for the Liza 1 Development in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana and according to the entity’s Executive Director, Kemraj Parsram they are looking to include some strong measures aimed at preventing any activity that could harm the environment.

The Liza 1 Permit was approved back in 2017 and two years later, US oil major ExxonMobil and its co-venturers in the Stabroek Block began oil production with the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

Since then, the operators have begun producing at their second Field Development – Liza 2 with the Liza Unity FPSO. According to requirements, the oil giant submitted an application to renew the Liza 1 Environmental Permit six months ahead of the May 31 expiry date.

Parsram told Guyana Times on Sunday that EPA agents were currently reviewing the document, and could not say whether this process would be completed on or before the expiration date.

EPA Executive Director Kemraj Parsram

However, the EPA Head noted that he did not foresee any issues that would delay or stall the process while adding that they were checking the compliance level and verifying data submitted by the oil company.

“I don’t see anything like that right now. Nothing showed up that alarming,” he stated.

According to Parsram, given that the Liza 1 Permit was issued since 2017, they were looking to ensure that certain safeguards that were not there before and those that have changed over the years were included.

“The Yellowtail [Exxon’s fourth Development Project

in the Stabroek Block which was approved in January] Permit that was recently issued, there are some stronger measures in there and so we just expect to put those similar measures into this Liza 1 Permit as well,” he explained.

Only last year, the EPA had to amend the Liza 1 Permit to include the prohibition of routine flaring of excess gas in the air. A requirement for Exxon to make an application for flaring activities under specific circumstances such as the commissioning of a well was included along with fines for any flaring done.

Now, the regulatory body is looking to further improve the Permit with the addition of other safeguards. While it already contains blowout specifications, Parsram noted that they were verifying and ensuring that the Permit catered to redundancy.

“Now, of course, technology has improved and we’re ensuring that it has multiple redundancies. In addition to that, we’re requesting that the capping stack which, in the event that the blowout preventer fails, the capping stack can go on top to seal off the well; and we requested that that be in the country as well as they maintain a subscrip-

tion to several others out of the country,” he stated.

Moreover, the EPA Head outlined that they were also looking at other key preventative measures that were not included in the initial Liza 1 Permit.

“So, it’s preventative and in the event that something happens, of course, [we want to ensure there is] the blowout preventer, the capping stack, and the oil spill response plan, which they always had but we’re ensuring that it’s audited. So, developing a plan in 2017 and then having that run for the rest of the life of the project is not always feasible. We want to make sure it’s audited and updated – in the sense that it keeps abreast with new technology, new methods of addressing and responding to oil spills,” Parsram stressed.

The Liza Destiny FPSO began production in December 2019 with a 120,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) capacity.

However, the US oil major said it was now delivering at better-than-designed capacity.

This was after the Liza Unity FPSO came on stream earlier this year adding another 220,000 bpd to Guyana’s output.

The Liza Unity FPSO ar-

Liza Destiny FPSO

rived in Guyana in October 2021. It is moored in about 1650 metres of water and will be able to store around two million barrels of crude.

The Liza Unity is the world’s first FPSO to be awarded the SUSTAIN-1 notation by the American Bureau of Shipping in recognition of the sustainability of its design, documentation, and operational procedures.

ExxonMobil’s operationalisation of the two FPSO vessels comes about seven years after it first discovered oil offshore Guyana in May 2015.

The Stabroek Block’s recoverable resource base is currently estimated at more than 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels and has the potential to support up to 10 projects.

Exxon anticipates that four FPSOs with a capacity of more than 800,000 bpd will be in operation in the Stabroek Block by the end of 2025.

Payara, the third project in the Stabroek Block, is ex-

pected to produce approximately 220,000 bpd using the Prosperity FPSO vessel, which is currently under construction.

The field development plan and application for environmental authorisation for the oil company’s fourth project in the Block – the Yellowtail project – have been approved by the Guyana Government and the EPA, respectively.

Already, the oil major has submitted an application for environmental authorisation for its fifth development in the Stabroek Block – Uaru+ Project, which will have the capacity to produce up to 275,000 bpd.

ExxonMobil’s local affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 per cent interest.

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana has evolved since gaining independence – Min Edghill

Public Works Minister Edghill and Regional Chairman Daniel Seeram with Police Officers

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill is among others during the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead

G

uyana has seen significant transformation since gaining independence in 1966, and this upward trajectory will continue

under the PPP/C Government, according to Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill.

He made the commitment when he joined residents

of Triumph and surrounding communities on the East Coast of Demerara in commemoration of Guyana’s 56th Independence Anniversary on

Wednesday afternoon at the Triumph Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Region Four.

“Whenever we think about independence, as a country, we can’t blame anybody else, because independence means we have self-determination. We, as a country, have the determination that says we are ma-

ture enough, we are brilliant enough, we are wise enough, we are strong enough, and we can determine our future.”

Minister Edghill reminded that Guyana’s economy is one of the fastest-growing in the world. To this end, he highlighted the major developments in the various sectors.

Education

Minister Edghill has said, “Guyana will be one of the most educated nations on the face of the earth, because of the opportunities being provided.”

Through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), citizens are now able to access free scholarships, ranging from certificate-level to PhDs, to renowned universities across the world, including India, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Untrained and prospective teachers can now be trained by the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) online.

Guyanese who were unable to receive primary or secondary education are also offered technical and vocational training from the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and the Ministry of Human Services – Women Innovation and Investment Network, free of cost.

Health

The Minister said, “We are looking forward for Guyana to be a healthy nation. That is why we in the PPP/C are making investments to achieve world class health care.”

To this end, the Ministry of Health would be constructing six new hospitals, one of which is a maternal and child health hospital, the first of its kind.

Tourism

In the tourism sector, small and corporate businesses are provided the opportunity to highlight their products in local and international settings from the recent influx of tourists, tourism apps, and major events generated by the country’s steadfast growth.

Currently, two Marriott hotels are being constructed at Timehri and Ogle, to house approximately 2,000 visitors for upcoming events.

In addition, the Minister has said, a hospitality institute is in the works to provide Guyanese with jobs in the hospitality sector.

Agriculture

Guyana aims to once again become the breadbasket of the Caribbean. In an effort, to achieve this goal, new niches are being formed, such as shade house agriculture which seeks to cut imports of high-value crops, and the implementation of new methodologies for fishing, such as aquaculture.

The Minister said the agriculture sector is expanding to create jobs for Guyanese in agro-processing, among other things.

Meanwhile, the Public Works Minister reiterated the Government’s commitment to achieving a ‘One Guyana,’ wherein every Guyanese is treated equally and afforded the same opportunities.

The celebration saw performances such as songs, a poem, and dances.

NEWS

11

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Intense rainfall causes more flooding in Kwakwani the ‘Gate Road’ into a nearby creek. This creek leads

The damaged culvert that was recently rehabilitated

Water streaming heavily across the Gate Road

W

ednesday night’s intense rainfall in Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) has caused severe damage to a recently rehabilitated culvert, thus resulting in several

areas being inundated In addition, the road leading to Kwakwani Park has been partially eroded, and drains along the Airstrip Road, which were recently dug by the National

Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in collaboration with the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council (KNDC), are overtopping, and the water is streaming heavily across

to the Waterfront Road, the main thoroughfare to the wa-

terfront, which is now inundated.

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12

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 |

Scenes from Wednesday night’s grand flag-raising ceremony commemorate Guyana’s 56th Independence Anniversary. Prim members also witnessed the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhea of: Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, M

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

y held for the first time in Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast to me Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips and other Cabinet ad across the country (Photos taken from the Facebook pages Ministry of Housing and Water, and Minister Gail Teixeira)

13

14 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 27,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 10 poised for massive transformation – Min Croal …urges residents to brush aside agents of regression

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal taking the salute from ranks of the Joint Services on Wednesday evening in Linden

Two young ladies performed a dance routine during the cultural presentation

H

ousing and Water Minister Collin Croal joined residents in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Wednesday evening for the regional flag-raising ceremony in observance of Guyana’s 56th Independence Anniversary.

The event was held at the Linden-Georgetown Bus Park and was attended by several regional officials including Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell; Regional Chairman Deron Adams; Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dwight John, as well as members of the Joint Services and others.

Minister Croal, during his feature address, stated that unity was imperative for the continued progress of our country. As such, he urged Lindeners to ignore political actors, whose main goals were to stymie development.

He further reassured residents that the President Irfaan Ali-led Government was committed to ensuring all Guyanese benefit equally from the country’s resources.

“We are committed to reducing poverty and improving the lives of all our citizens. The investment and employment opportunities that can redound to Linden will not be lost,” the Minister said.

Highlighting several development projects, he noted that the Housing and Water Ministry is working towards the development of 600 acres of land, which is expected to produce 2000 house lots for Lindeners.

Simultaneous work is also being executed for the delivery of land titles/transports and relocation and regularisation programmes under the Ministry.

Additionally, the region will benefit from new thoroughfares such as the incoming Linden-to-Mabura Hill Road; academic opportunities through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) and the creation of hundreds of jobs.

Following his remarks, the Minister and officials witnessed a parade by ranks of the Joint Services and the ceremonial hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Alleged wife-beater shot dead by Police – family refutes Police’s report on shooting

A

30-year-old man who had repeatedly abused his ex-wife and had been in constant violation of a protection order against him has reportedly been shot dead by the Police.

Dead is Deanraj Singh, called “Steve”, a fisherman of Riverview Squatting Area, Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

This man’s body was pulled from the Demerara River on Wednesday, but Police at the time did not release any information; until Thursday morning, when, in a release, they said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death, which had occurred at around 20:00h on Wednesday at Riverview.

Reports are that Singh and his ex-wife, a 32-yearold mother of three, had separated several years ago.

However, Singh would still visit the woman’s home and assault her. As such, on June 25, 2021, the woman was granted a Protection Order by the court against him.

But the Police have said that, “Despite the order being granted, he consistently violated the order by going to her house and beating her up, and damaging her property.”

The Police have said that the man had also been charged with break-and-enter and larceny and other offences, including assault. In fact, two arrest warrants had been issued for his arrest.

On the day in question, the woman was at home when Singh went into her house and severely beat her.

The woman contacted the Ruimveldt Police Station and reported the incident, and several Police ranks, including Neighbourhood Police, visited the area.

“One of the Police ranks was carrying a .38 revolver and six live rounds,” Police Headquarters explained in a statement.

The ranks reportedly went to a house at Riverview, Ruimveldt, where the suspect and some friends were

consuming alcohol. When Singh saw the ranks, he ran into a house, jumped through a window, and dashed towards the Demerara River, which led to the cops and the victim going after him.

“One of the Police ranks claims that while walking on the landing heading towards the river, he heard a sound coming from the bushes on the riverbank, so he quickly (shone) his torchlight in (that) direction, and saw [Singh] with an object in his right hand, which was followed by a loud explosion, so he immediately discharged two rounds in [Singh’s] direction, and he saw him run and jump into the Demerara River,” the Police explained.

A search was then conducted for the man, but he was not found.

Meanwhile, following the Police statement on the shooting, Guyana Times visited Singh’s relatives, who all related that the late Deanraj Singh had been unarmed at the time of the shooting.

Pregnant teen dies at GPHC after suffering from asthma complications

S

ixteen-year-old Dayna Pestano, a pregnant teen who had been suffering from asthma, succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) on Wednesday evening while being attended to by healthcare personnel.

Guyana Times understands that the young woman had been suffering from asthma and had been six months pregnant at the time of her unfortunate demise.

Reports are that the late Dayna Pestano had been taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) on Tuesday, after complaining of difficulties in breathing and related complications.

Doctors had administered her medication and oxygen,

Dead: Dayna Pestano

and had sent her home.

Family members are contending that the baby’s heartbeat could not be heard.

The following day, Pestano’s condition worsened, and she visited the WDRH for a second time. An injection and oxygen were administered, but there was no sign of her condition improving. The teenager spent the entire day at the medical institution, and according to relatives, her condition was not assessed properly by doctors on duty, nor was the baby checked.

Thereafter, Pestano was transferred to the GPHC, where she reportedly died.

Efforts to contact the WRDH and the Regional Health Officer of Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) for a comment on the matter have proven futile.

Intense rainfall causes...

FROM PAGE 11

The inundated Waterfront Ballfield

Vice Chairman of the NDC, Cort Simeon, on Thursday told Guyana Times that if the heavy rainfall persists, the roadway along the Gate Road (the second main route to Waterfront and Lamp Island) would collapse.

The Vice Chairman has said that digging of the drains in the area back in April, and desilting of

the nearby creek were in preparation for this rainy season. He added that the situation could have been worse if those measures had not been put into place.

As the situation intensifies, the KNDC has thus far identified a Governmentowned property on the Kwakwani Staff Hill to house a small number of persons who are desirous

of relocating. Relocation efforts would be ramped up if the situation worsens.

On Thursday, there were several inches of water in some communities, and several homes on Lamp Island were under water. The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has recently deployed a team in the area to assist the affected residents.

The area where Deanraj Singh’s lifeless body was found

“Since the night, 4 of them went out here drinking. I went lay down in my (bed). the Police them come, run the man, the man run (into) the house, from the house the man run through the window. When he run through the window, he had no knife, no gun, nothing on he,” the owner of the house, who chose to remain anonymous, has said.

She stated that the Police, after continuously chasing the unarmed man, started to shoot at him, and that led to his demise.

“Them shoot the man!

They know they hit the man!

Them ain’t tell nobody nothing; they go away…left the man to die, and didn’t tell nobody nothing… They know they shoot the man! The night before, they did not come with a gun; (the following day) they come to pick up he body.” the woman has said.

Singh’s friends, who are claiming that he was murdered by the Police, are now calling for justice.

“They kill he! And when the post mortem come, we would like to see the ‘how as’ he dead!”

On the other hand, an aunt of Singh’s, who has asked to remain anonymous, has said that the man had been abusive.

“When he drinks, he baderation; when he sober, he deh good. He never tells me nothing bad or buse me or so, he is a nice boy to me,” she said.

The woman has also said that the couple, who had been together for some nine years, had produced two children, and had still been living under the same roof.

“Steve all time is be there, but when she and he get story, he does go way and come back,” she explained.

The woman added that

she is deeply saddened by her nephew’s death, and hopes that a proper investigation is conducted.

“Me nah feel good at all…I helped look he after.

He mother put he in the orphanage, and when my mother died, we go and take he out,” she added.

The body of the late Deanraj Singh, aka Steve, has since been examined by crime scene technicians, who have discovered one suspected gunshot wound to the right side of his abdomen.

The body is at the Memorial Gardens Mortuary awaiting a post mortem. The area was searched, but no trace of a firearm allegedly used by the victim was discovered.

The hands of both the suspect and the Police rank, as well as clothing, were collected for the examination of gunpowder residue, as investigations continue.

Pensioner’s appeal against child rape convictions set for Monday hearing

A

n appeal lodged by Michael Abrams, who was sentenced to life imprisonment back in 2017 after a jury had found him guilty on two counts of child rape, is set to be called on Monday at the Court of Appeal for report/directions.

The three-judge Bench comprises Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.

Abrams, who is now in his late 50s, had, at the time of his conviction, described himself as a “devoted Catholic.” The first count for which Abrams was found guilty occurred at sometime between January 1 and 19, 2016, and the second count was on January 19, 2016.

The jury’s verdicts on both charges were unanimous.

During the trial proceedings which were held in-camera, the court had heard the testimony of Abrams inserting his finger into the sixyear-old girl’s vagina, and also sodomising her.

Trial Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall had admonished Abrams for his wrong-

Child rapist Michael Abrams

doings, telling him, “You say you are a devoted Catholic, I hope you pray to God and ask forgiveness.”

Following the guilty verdicts, Abrams had said that even though the jury “in their wisdom” had found him guilty, he is maintaining his innocence.

“This situation makes me feel sad. I felt like the accused [Abrams] would try to hurt me,” the rape survivor had expressed in a victim impact statement.

For her part, the State Prosecutor had urged the court to impose the maxi-

mum sentence on Abrams, and in so doing, had pointed out that the rape convict had abused his position of trust, and had violated the child in the worst possible way, shattering her innocence.

From the testimonies presented at trial, Justice Morris-Ramlall said, it was evident that the young girl loved Abrams. The Judge said that Abrams “pretended” to love her, and treated her “like a beast.”

In sentencing the child rapist, the Judge took into consideration the aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as the circumstances surrounding the case. In the end, she sentenced him to serve life imprisonment on each of the two counts.

The sentences will run concurrently. Abrams becomes eligible for parole only after severing 35 years in prison.

The convict is asking the Appellate Court to set aside both his sentences and convictions. He argues, inter alia, that the trial Judge failed to adequately put his defence to the jury. This, Abrams contends, amounted to a grave miscarriage of justice.

16

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

17

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana records 57 new COVID infections

T

he Health Ministry on Thursday released new COVID-19 statistics via its dashboard, showing an increase of 57 positive cases.

Thus far, confirmed cases have reached 64,492 – 29,657 males and 34,657 females.

The death toll remains at 1232.

Statistics showed that three persons are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 18 in institutional isolation, 587 in home isolation and one in institutional quarantine. To date, 62,652 infected persons have recovered.

Some 625,327 coronavirus tests have been processed since the virus was detected here back in March 2020.

An analysis shows the new cases are dispersed across seven administrative regions, with four in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); three in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD MAY 26, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

57

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

18

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

587

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

3

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

1

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

2522

REGION 2

2547

REGION 3

8161

REGION 4

31,993

REGION 5

2410

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

34,835

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,657

REGION 6

5988

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

64,492

REGION 7

2430

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

62,652

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4045

REGION 10

3510

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

440,194 339,446 1232

Demerara); 39 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); one in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice); seven in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); one in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and two in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The other regions did not report any increases in positive cases.

In Guyana, the most recent vaccination figures indicate that over 441,000 first doses and 340,500 second doses were distributed to adults.

This is approximately 86 per cent and 66.4 per cent respectively. For children aged 12 to 17, more than 25,000, or 34.7 per cent, are completely vaccinated. Booster coverage have surpassed 63,000.

These numbers have been stagnant within the past few weeks, and authorities are urging Guyanese to get booster shots.

Persons with co-morbidities 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 persons is at greater risk if they contract COVID-19.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www. health.gov.gy.

Global figures show that almost 521.6 million people have tested positive for the virus and 6.2 million have died.

In the Americas, more than 155.4 million confirmed cases have been reported with in excess of 2.7 million deaths.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

Regional

Video of Brazilian man US says it is not inviting asphyxiated in Police Venezuela, Nicaragua to Americas summit; Cuba will not attend car sparks outrage

Police Officers bundled the handcuffed man into the trunk of their SUV, released a gas cannister inside and leaned on the door until the victim stopped kicking

V

iral videos of a 38-year-old Brazilian man being asphyxiated with gas in the trunk of a Police car after getting stopped by highway patrol caused outrage across Brazil on Thursday.

The images captured on phone camera showed Police Officers bundling the handcuffed man into the trunk of their SUV, releasing a gas cannister inside and leaning down on the trunk door until his screams abated and his dangling legs stopped kicking.

Brazil’s federal po-

lice said in a statement on Thursday they had opened an inquiry to investigate the circumstances of the death.

The brutal death of Genivaldo de Jesus Santos, described by his family as suffering from schizophrenia, were shared on social media by onlookers in the town of Umbaúba, in the north-eastern state of Sergipe.

The shocking images, coming just days after another case involving Police violence, sparked horror across social media and protests in the small town, with demonstrators closing the

highway, setting tyres on fire and waving signs calling for justice.

Earlier this week, at least 23 people died in a Police raid of a slum in Rio de Janeiro.

According to the victim’s family, Santos was approached by the officers while riding his motorcycle through the area. He became nervous when the officers found his schizophrenia medicine in his pocket, Wallyson de Jesus, a nephew of Santos’, told news website G1.

“They threw some kind of gas inside the trunk and went to the Police Station, but my uncle was unconscious. They took him to the hospital, but it was already too late,” said de Jesus.

In a statement, Brazil’s Federal Highway Police (PRF) said Santos was arrested because he actively resisted an approach by police. It said that due to his “aggressiveness ... immobilisation techniques and instruments of less offensive potential” were used to restrain him.(Excerpt from Reuters)

Browne: CCJ debate to continue

T

he Senate debate on Independent Senator Anthony Vieira’s motion for Trinidad and Tobago to replace the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as its top appellate court will continue next month.

In a texted reply to Newsday’s query on Thursday, Senate leader Dr Amery Browne said, “The debate on that motion is scheduled to continue on the next Private Members’ Day.

The Parliament website, in its glossary of terms, said private members’ business “has precedence on the fourth Friday/Tuesday of each month”, implicitly referring to the days set aside in the House of Representatives and Senate respectively. By Newsday’s calculation the fourth Tuesday next month is June 28.

Sophia Chote, head of the Law Association (LATT), on Thursday told Newsday she herself supported such

a change, but did not state any LATT position.

“I can only give you my personal view at this time, which is I support the AG’s proposal. It is long overdue” Chote said.

“The (LATT) membership has not been canvassed on the matter recently, but I do recall that the Opposition had previously said it would support accession to the CCJ, so there might be agreement on both sides.” (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Police kill Colombian gang leader who walked out of cell

O

ne of Colombia’s most wanted fugitives has been killed

by Police, the country’s President has announced.

Juan Castro, better known as Matamba, had escaped from La Picota maximum-security jail in the capital, Bogotá, in March.

CCTV footage showed him calmly walking out of his cell dressed in the uniform of a prison guard.

President Iván Duque said that Matamba had been “neutralised” in the city of Bolívar, in northern Colombia.

But he did not provide any more details about the Police operation in which the fugitive gang leader was killed.

Matamba, who led an off-shoot of the Gulf Clan cartel, was expected to be extradited to the US on charges of drug trafficking.

He had been accused of running up to 20 per cent of the cocaine shipments from Nariño province, in Colombia’s south-west.

His gang, called Cordillera Sur, is thought to have paid off a number of high-ranking members of

the Colombian military.

Those on the gang’s payroll reportedly tipped the gang off about impending raids and in some cases targeted their rivals.

Matamba’s disappearance from prison led some to speculate that he may have been killed in order to prevent him from revealing who in the military the gang had allegedly bribed.

Others argued that the nature of his escape suggested that a number of guards must have been in on his plan. (Excerpt from BBC News)

T

he Biden Administration has not invited the Governments of Venezuela and Nicaragua to the UShosted Summit of the Americas next month, a State Department official said on Thursday, amid the threat of an embarrassing boycott by some regional leaders.

Kevin O’Reilly, the US. summit coordinator, said it would be up to the White House to determine whether to invite Cuba to the June 6-10 meeting in Los Angeles, but that Cuban civil society activists had been asked to attend. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Cannel said on Twitter on Wednesday that

“under no circumstances” would he go to the summit, accusing Washington of applying “brutal pressure” to ensure that it would not be inclusive.

Biden Administration officials have scrambled to avoid a boycott threatened by some leaders, including Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, if Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua are excluded.

Lopez Obrador said on Thursday he would probably decide today whether he will attend.

Possible snubs have raised the risk of unravelling a summit that US President Joe Biden’s aides hoped would be a chance to

reassert the United States’ influence in a Region it is often accused of neglecting.

Seeking a way to mollify Lopez Obrador, Washington is considering inviting a lower-level Cuban representative as an observer, according to people familiar with the matter.

Asked by a Senate subcommittee whether the United States had invited anyone from the Cuban Government, O’Reilly said: “That will be a decision for the White House.”

A senior State Department official said in April that Cuba, Venezuela ,and Nicaragua were unlikely to be allowed to attend.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

CMO in Antigua urges vigilance as monkeypox spreads

W

ith over 250 confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox across 16 countries, doctors in Antigua and Barbuda are being warned to be vigilant, while residents are urged to seek assistance if they have symptoms.

That was the admonition from Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Rhonda SealeyThomas, who said she had notified local doctors of the need to be alert.

“The World Health Organisation reported that monkeypox, which is usually seen in western and central Africa, has been seen in other countries globally,” she said.

“In the Americas, Canada and the United States have already reported cases and we know with travel it is only a matter of time before we may see cases in the Caribbean, and in Antigua and Barbuda.”

Monkeypox is a viral illness that is caused by a pathogen that exists in the same family of viruses as smallpox. Unlike in the case of smallpox, people with this

ailment experience swollen lymph nodes about the body, including the neck, armpits and groin.

While this illness is less severe, people experience flulike symptoms in the initial stages, including fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches.

A rash normally develops on the face and spreads to the rest of the body after one to three days.

The most notable symptom of the virus, which follows the first stage, is marked by the development of circular fluid-filled bumps – mainly on the hands, feet and face.

These itchy lesions that eventually crust over and fall off can last for two to four weeks, and could cause some level of scarring.

Although this is the largest outbreak of monkeypox outside of Africa in some 50 years according to global reporting, it is not easily transmitted from person to person.

This is welcomed news for many as the world continues to grapple with the spread of the highly-transmissible Sars-Cov-2 virus that causes COVID-19. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

T&T: Alleged abusers still at children’s homes

A

Joint Select Committee (JSC) of Parliament in Trinidad and Tobago has been told that none of the alleged abusers identified in the 2021 Judith Jones report into children’s homes has been removed from the residencies.

The disclosure was made Tuesday as the JS on the State’s capacity to provide support for victims of domestic violence and family conflicts met.

The possibility that victims could still be suffering

at the hands of their abusers has raised concerns about the Children’s Authority of T&T’s role in protecting the vulnerable, a task which the public has been critical of in recent weeks after learning of the contents of the Jones report and the 1997 Robert Sabga report, highlighted in the media, which raised similar issues.

The Jones report, which revealed horrific sexual, physical and psychological abuse against children at the homes, was laid in the Parliament one month ago.

Since then, there have been

concerns and calls for justice for the victims, as well as those highlighted in the Sabga report.

The Jones report also investigated the conditions and treatment of children at both State and religious-operated homes. The findings unearthed rampant physical, psychological and sexual abuse of children.

During Tuesday’s inquiry, particular focus was placed by Chairman Paul Richards on the gaps at children’s homes. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil jumps to 2-month high on tight supplies, EU seeks Russian crude ban

O

il prices climbed about three per cent to a two-month high on Thursday on signs of tight supply ahead of the US summer driving season, as the European Union (EU) wrangled with Hungary over plans to ban crude imports from Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Brent futures settled US$3.37 higher at US$117.40 a barrel.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled 3.4 per cent higher at US$114.09 per barrel.

Brent was on track for its sixth straight daily gain and highest close since March 25. WTI was headed for its highest close since March 23.

“Crude prices rose as a tight oil market was going to remain in place given the start of the summer driving season was going to keep a downward trajectory for US stockpiles,” said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at data and analytics firm OANDA. Crude drew support from a big weekly drawdown in US crude inventories, reported on Wednesday.

“The fundamental backdrop ... is getting price supportive ... and will turn even more bullish once the EU sanctions on Russian oil sales are endorsed by all parties involved,” PVM Oil’s Tamas Varga said.

European Council President Charles Michel said he was confident an agreement could be reached before the Council’s next meeting on May 30.

Hungary remains a stumbling block, as EU sanctions require unanimous support. Hungary is pressing for about 750 million euros (US$800 million) to upgrade its refineries and expand a pipeline from Croatia.

Even without a formal ban, much less Russian oil is available as buyers and trading houses have avoided suppliers from the country.

Russia’s oil production should decline to 480-500 million tonnes this year from 524 million tonnes in 2021, State-run news agency RIA reported, citing Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

OPEC+ meets on June 2 and is expected to stick to last year’s deal to raise July output targets by 432,000 barrels per day, six OPEC+ sources told Reuters, rebuffing Western calls for a faster increase to control prices.

Other factors also are supporting oil prices.

“Shanghai is preparing to reopen after a two-month lockdown, while the US peak driving season begins with the Memorial Day weekend,” said Sugandha Sachdeva, Vice President of commodities research at Religare Broking. The United States celebrates Memorial Day on Monday.

The US Government confiscated an Iranian oil cargo held on a Russian-operated ship near Greece and will send the cargo to the United States aboard another vessel.

Britain announced a 25 per cent windfall tax on oil and gas producers’ profits, alongside a 15-billion-pound (US$18.9 billion) package of support for households struggling to pay energy bills.

Hungary announced new windfall taxes worth 800 billion forints (US$2.19 billion) on “extra profits” earned by banks, energy companies, and other firms. (Reuters)

Russian forces edge closer to encircling Ukraine troops in east

A

dvancing Russian forces came closer to surrounding Ukrainian troops in the east, briefly seizing positions on the last highway out of a crucial pair of Ukrainian-held cities before being beaten back, a Ukrainian official said on Thursday.

Three months into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has abandoned its assault on the capital Kyiv and is trying to consolidate control of the industrial eastern Donbas region, where it has backed a separatist revolt since 2014.

Thousands of troops are attacking from three sides to try to encircle Ukrainian forces in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk. If the two cities straddling the Siverskiy Donets river fall,

A

late to alleged sexual assaults on a man, now in his 40s, in London in March 2005, while a second alleged victim, a man now in his 30s, is claimed to have been assaulted in London in August 2008.

The third complainant relates to an alleged assault on a man who is now in his 30s in Gloucestershire in April 2013.

While the CPS has authorised the charges against Spacey, it is understood he has not been formally charged as he is not in the country. (Excerpt from BBC News)

nearly all of the Donbas province of Luhansk would be under Russian control.

"Russia has the advantage, but we are doing everything we can," said General Oleksiy Gromov, deputy

chief of the main operations department of Ukraine's general staff.

Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said around 50 Russian soldiers had reached the highway and

China, Russia veto US push for more UN sanctions on North Korea

C

hina and Russia vetoed on Thursday a US-led push to impose more United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its renewed ballistic missile launches, publicly splitting the UN Security Council for the first time since it started punishing Pyongyang in 2006.

The remaining 13 council members all voted in favour of the US-drafted resolution that proposed banning tobacco and oil exports to North Korea, whose leader Kim Jong Un is a chain smoker. It would also have blacklisted the Lazarus hacking group, which the

United States says is tied to North Korea.

The vote came a day after North Korea fired three missiles, including one thought to be its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), following US President Joe Biden's trip to Asia. It was the latest in a string of ballistic missile launches this year, which are banned by the Security Council.

US Ambassador to the UN, Linda ThomasGreenfield described the vote as a "disappointing day" for the Council.

"The world faces a clear and present danger from the

DPRK (North Korea)," she told the Council. "Council restraint and silence has not eliminated or even re-

duced the threat. If anything, DPRK has been emboldened." (Excerpt from Reuters)

Senegal Health Minister sacked after babies die in hospital fire

S

enegal President Macky Sall on Thursday sacked his Health Minister, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, a Government decree showed, after 11 babies

were killed by a fire in a hospital neonatal ward.

Sarr will be replaced by Marie Khemesse Ngom Ndiaye, the Ministry's Director General, according to the decree. (Reuters)

Goodfellas star Ray Al Jazeera Network to send Shireen Abu Akleh Liotta dies aged 67 murder case to ICC

Kevin Spacey facing sexual assault charges ctor Kevin Spacey is to be charged with sexual assault against three men, the Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed.

Five charges are being brought against the 62-yearold after a review of Met Police evidence following complaints dating between 2005 and 2013.

Three complaints relate to sexual abuse which is alleged to have taken place in London, and one in Gloucestershire.

He also faces an additional serious sexual offence charge in London.

The first two charges re-

Ukrainian mariners patrol an area, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near a frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 26, 2022

"managed to gain a foothold", even setting up a checkpoint.

"The checkpoint was broken, they were thrown back ... the Russian army does not control the route now, but they are shelling it," he said.

It was possible Ukrainian troops would leave "one settlement, maybe two. We need to win the war, not the battle," he said.

"It is clear that our boys are slowly retreating to more fortified positions – we need to hold back this horde," Gaidai added.

Western military analysts see the battle for the two cities as a potential turning point in the war, now that Russia has redefined its principal objective as capturing the east.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Ray Liotta played mobster Henry Hill in Goodfellas

G

oodfellas actor Ray Liotta has died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic at the age of 67.

The US star had been on location filming the movie “Dangerous Waters”, his publicist Jennifer Allen said.

He was best known for playing mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's 1990

gangster film “Goodfellas” and also appeared in “Field of Dreams”.

Liotta got his big break playing ex-convict Ray Sinclair in 1986 black comedy “Something Wild”.

He got a Golden Globe nomination for that role and went on to star in the 1988 film “Dominick and Eugene”, about the strained relationship between twins with very different characters.

By the 90s he was starring in “Unlawful Entry”, “Cop Land” and “Corrina, Corrina” with Whoopi Goldberg.

Last year, he starred in the Sopranos prequel film “The Many Saints Of Newark”, having turned down a role in the original series. (Excerpt from BBC News)

A

l Jazeera Media Network has assigned a legal team to refer the killing of its journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

The network said in a statement on Thursday that it has formed an international coalition that consists of its legal team along with international experts, and is preparing a dossier on the murder of Abu Akleh for submission to the ICC Prosecutor.

In addition to the killing of Abu Akleh, who was shot dead by Israel forces on May 11 near the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the ICC submission will also include the Israeli bombing “and total destruc-

tion” of Al Jazeera’s office in Gaza in May 2021, and “the continuous incitements and attacks” on Al Jazeera Journalists working in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Al Jazeera Network statement said the killing or physical assault on Journalists working in war zones or occupied territories is a war crime under Article 8 of the ICC’s charter.

“Al Jazeera Media Network condemns the killing of our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh, who worked with the Network for 25 years as a professional Journalist covering the ongoing conflict in the occupied Palestinian territories,” the network said in a statement. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Be careful not to let your emotions take control. Be smart and deliver precise information to avoid being blamed for spreading inaccuracies.

(March 21-April 19) Decisiveness will be required to get where you want to go. Leave nothing to the imagination or to chance. Know what and who you are up against, and do your best. Believe in yourself.

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

Take a leadership position, and find a way to express your beliefs, opinions and plans. Show compassion and offer solutions that will help you gain support.

Don’t sit on the sidelines.

(May 21-June 20) Keep life simple, your responsibilities doable and your spending moderate.

You don’t have to impress anyone; just be yourself. Don’t fear change when it’s time to embrace new beginnings.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Pay attention to what you say and do to avoid jeopardizing your position or reputation. Live up to your promises and focus on personal improvements. If you want to excel, updates are necessary.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Be the instigator, and you’ll gain points. Your suggestions and the changes you initiate will stimulate conversation and help you make headway. Put your energy and intelligence to work.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Push for what you want. Expand your interests and seek out allies. The information you accumulate will help you craft an impressive strategy. Personal growth and romance are on the rise.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Address your responsibilities, and search for a way to delegate some of the work. It’s up to you to say when something is too much or ask for help. Speak up and defend your position.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Take it upon yourself to get things done. If you count on someone other than yourself, you will be disappointed.

Channel your energy where it will do the most.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Spend more time nurturing meaningful relationships and making your home comfortable and convenient. Don’t hesitate to initiate change or to do things differently.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Disregard what others do; focus on what’s important to you. Changing how you use your money, skills and intelligence will lead you in an entertaining and fruitful direction.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) It’s OK to dream, but don’t lose sight of what’s tangible. Ask someone trustworthy for advice before buying something you don’t need or that cannot help you. Get your facts straight.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

21

Women’s T20 Challenge 2022…

…Velocity in final with better net run rate

F

or the third straight game, the bar was raised by the batters at the Women's T20 Challenge.

The record for the highest total in the tournament from Trailblazers was very nearly threatened, as Velocity produced a record-smashing performance with the bat, but failed to chase it down in the end.

However, Velocity technically proved victors, even in defeat, as their score of 174 was 16 runs more than what they had to score to qualify into the final. Their superior net run rate (+0.74) compared to Trailblazers (-2.45) coming into the contest meant they didn't ever need to chase 191, all they had to do was not lose by 32 (or more) runs.

At the halfway stage, a chase of 191 seemed daunting, and it appeared that the prudent strategy for Velocity would be to approach the game like a 159 chase. However, Yastika Bhatia and Shafali Verma smacked 36 in four overs, and Kiran Navgire, batting in her first innings of the competition, hammered 69

in 34 balls, to show that they were playing like it was 191 that they needed.

Eventually, they lost steam and fell 16 runs short, but not before threatening to break the highest total record for most of the chase.

A chase to remember The chase began with Shafali Verma being joined with a new partner for Velocity's second game.

Yastika Bhatia was promoted to open, and together they made use of the field restrictions to lift the run rate to nine in the first four overs.

But Yastika fell for 19 to Salma Khatun's offspin around the stumps, after being bowled while trying to slog; and Verma, who had started aggressively with five fours in her first 14 balls, then fell for 29, for Velocity to lose both set openers in quick succession.

But while the 18-year-old was around, she entertained with her cuts and inside-out punch shots through the off side.

When Laura Wolvaardt walked in at #4, she and #3

Navgire were both on zero, and the score read 50 for 2.

With two new batters in the middle, the Trailblazers' target of restricting Velocity to inside 158 seemed like a reality again.

But the very next ball began a deflating process that would eventually last till the final ball. That's because Navgire, facing her first ball of the competition, and facing the experienced Khatun, started off with a slog-swept six over deep midwicket right away. She then punched the Bangladesh spinner through cover, and followed it up with another six over the leg side, to start with 17 in her first five balls.

The onslaught continued till the 17th over, with a final tally of five fours and five sixes from Navgire's bat. The Dhoni fan, who hit 54 fours and 35 sixes in her debut T20 season for Nagaland in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, showed why she is considered the new big thing in Indian white-ball cricket by dominating through the middle overs. By the time her two sixes ended the 14th

French football league…

Ligue 1 President Vincent Labrune writes to La Liga boss Javier Tebas over 'attacks'

P

resident of Ligue 1, Vincent Labrune, has said attacks by La Liga over Kylian Mbappe's new Paris St-Germain deal are "unacceptable".

France striker Mbappe, 23, signed a lucrative threeyear extension on Saturday, having been strongly linked with a free transfer to Real Madrid.

La Liga called PSG's reported contract offer "scandalous", but Ligue 1 President Vincent Labrune has responded angrily. He said: "Over the past 10 years, La Liga has spent 32% more on players than Ligue 1."

PSG are owned by Qatar Sports Investments, a subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the staterun Sovereign Wealth Fund in Qatar.

With Mbappe's contract running out in June, they were desperate to keep him, and prepared to offer a £21m net annual salary.

La Liga announced plans to file a complaint to Uefa as well as French and EU authorities after President Javier Tebas described the deal as an "insult to football".

But in a letter to Tebas,

Ligue 1 boss Vincent Labrune has responded angrily after La Liga's President announced plans to file a complaint to Uefa, the EU and the French authorities over Mbappe's new deal at PSG

Labrune vented the French football governing body's "disapproval and incomprehension" at the outbursts.

"Your attacks on Ligue 1 and one of our clubs, Paris StGermain, and one of our players, Kylian Mbappe, are based around your own interpretation of financial unsustainability and competitive imbalance, which you repeatedly attribute to Ligue 1 and one of our clubs," he wrote. "The fact that you publicly and repeatedly take this position against Ligue 1 on this topic and deni-

grate our league and our clubs is both unacceptable and manifestly false.

"Two of your clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, have broken a multitude of records in the past decade. In terms of transfer fees, these two clubs have broken the world record six times. In terms of player salaries, Real Madrid currently has two of the highest-paid players in world football sit on their bench.

In terms of debt, Barcelona is reported to have a debt level of €1.5bn, and this is despite the European Court of Justice finding that Real Madrid and Barcelona benefited from illegal state aid."

Speaking on Wednesday, Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin told BBC Sport it has "financial fair play rules which are quite strict".

"Whoever will respect our rules is welcome to play in our competitions; who will not respect the rules will not," he said.

"Not Real Madrid or anyone else will tell Uefa what to do. They are outraged from one point of view, and as much as I know, their offer was similar to [PSG's] offer." (BBC Sport)

over, Velocity needed only 20 more runs to go past 158, and as the time out was called, the Trailblazers’ shoulders had dropped.

Navgire eventually fell for a 34-ball 69 in the 17th over, but not before she set the record for the fastest fifty (25 balls) in the competition's history. With two tidy overs from Sophia Dunkley and Renuka Singh pushing the required run rate for the match target of 191 to over 10, Navgire looked to find the boundary for the 11th time, but was out stumped by Dunkley.

As she walked back to a standing applause from the dugout and her home state crowd in Pune, Velocity needed only five to reach 159, and with 20 balls to spare, the result that decided the finalists was in touching distance, even though the match target of 191 appeared to get out of reach.

Velocity eventually secured finals qualification in the 19th over with debutant Simran Bahadur hitting the 'qualifying' runs - a paddle four to fine leg - off Hayley Matthews. That ensured the defending champions would be knocked out, even if they did sign off with a 16-run win.

Trailblazers push the limits Knowing that they had to post a total that was big enough to keep that 32-run buffer for the bowlers, Smriti Mandhana's Trailblazers started off aggressively, even though the captain herself fell for a single.

S. Meghana - making her debut for the season - muscled 73 runs in 47 balls, and Jemimah Rodrigues clubbed

Jemimah Rodrigues and S. Meghana hit fifties for Trailblazers

66 in 44 balls, to lead the way in setting the competition's highest score. The duo got together in the third over, and eventually put on 113 runs in 73 balls for a second-wicket stand that kept the run-rate hovering around 8.50 through the innings.

Meghana, in particular, enjoyed scoring over the bowler's head to full balls in the opening salvo with the new ball, and grew into playing the square shots as the innings progressed.

Rodrigues was more innovative, walking across the crease to find the boundaries behind square on either side.

Meghana reached her fifty in 32 deliveries, but did enjoy some luck in her innings. She was dropped by Sneh Rana and Ayabonga Khaka through her stay, and was eventually out in the 15th over to Kate Cross.

Rodrigues, who reached her fifty in 36 balls, then accelerated in Matthews's company to eventually finish with a strike rate of 150. Matthews and Dunkley then added a brisk 32 in the death overs to set an impressive target, which eventually did not prove to be enough, a result of their big defeat in their opening game of the competition.

SCOREBOARD TRAILBLAZERS INNINGS (20 overs maximum) Sabbhineni Meghana c Cross b Rana 73 Smriti Mandhana (c) c Bahadur b Cross 1 Jemimah Rodrigues c Rana b Khaka 66 Hayley Matthews c Chantham b Bahadur 27 Sophia Dunkley c Yadav b Bahadur 19 Richa Ghosh † not out 1 Extras (nb 1, w 2) 3 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 9.50) 190/5 Did not bat: Arundhati Reddy, Salma Khatun, Poonam Yadav, Renuka Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Smriti Mandhana, 2.3 ov), 2-126 (Sabbhineni Meghana, 14.3 ov), 3-157 (Jemimah Rodrigues, 16.6 ov), 4-189 (Sophia Dunkley, 19.4 ov), 5-190 (Hayley Matthews, 19.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Kate Cross 3-0-27-1 Deepti Sharma 3-0-25-0 Sneh Rana 4-0-37-1 Radha Yadav 2-0-24-0 Ayabonga Khaka 3-0-27-1 Shafali Verma 2-0-19-0 Simran Bahadur 3-0-31-2 VELOCITY INNINGS (Target: 191 runs from 20 overs) Shafali Verma lbw b Gayakwad 29 Yastika Bhatia † b Salma Khatun 19

Kiran Prabhu Navgire st †Ghosh b Dunkley 69 Laura Wolvaardt c †Ghosh b Poonam Yadav 17 Deepti Sharma (c) c Mandhana b Gayakwad 2 Sneh Rana c Mandhana b Renuka Singh 11 Radha Yadav run out (Rodrigues) 2 Simran Bahadur b Matthews 12 Kate Cross c Reddy b Poonam Yadav 6 Natthakan Chantham not out 3 Extras (w 4) 4 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 8.70) 174/9 Did not bat: Ayabonga Khaka Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Yastika Bhatia, 3.6 ov), 2-50 (Shafali Verma, 4.6 ov), 3-105 (Laura Wolvaardt, 10.1 ov), 4-116 (Deepti Sharma, 11.5 ov), 5-144 (Sneh Rana, 15.2 ov), 6-153 (Kiran Prabhu Navgire, 16.4 ov), 7-155 (Radha Yadav, 17.2 ov), 8-166 (Simran Bahadur, 18.5 ov), 9-174 (Kate Cross, 19.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Renuka Singh 4-0-32-1 Hayley Matthews 2-0-20-1 Salma Khatun 2-0-22-1 Rajeshwari Gayakwad 4-0-44-2 Arundhati Reddy 2-0-15-0 Poonam Yadav 4-0-33-2 Sophia Dunkley 2-0-8-1

NBA Eastern Conference Finals…

Celtics within one win of NBA finals

Jayson Tatum (right) was the number three pick overall for Boston in the 2017 draft

J

aylen Brown scored 25 points as the Boston Celtics recovered from a poor first half to win at the Miami Heat and move within one win of the NBA Finals.

After trailing 42-37 at half-time, Boston won 93-80 in Miami, to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Jayson Tatum added 22

points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who are aiming to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.

Boston host game six of the best-of-seven series on Friday.

Bam Adebayo produced 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who lost at home for the second time in the series, after going 6-0 in Miami

during the opening two rounds of the play-offs.

Boston took charge in the third quarter, outscoring Miami 32-16, and opened their first double-digit lead on a Brown turnaround jumper with eight seconds remaining in the quarter, to lead 69-58.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Brown hit consecutive three-pointers to cap a 24-2 run and give Boston an 83-60 lead.

The Golden State Warriors host the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference play-offs on Thursday. They lead 3-1, and know victory would see them reach the Finals for the first time in three years. (BBC Sport)

22

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

All-round benefits to be derived from U13 League

T

he Tiger Rentals Guyana Inc’s Under-13 Development League has been touted as a catalyst for football development.

Assistant Technical Director at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Bryan Joseph, has explained just how this would be achieved.

With a price tag to $10.6M, the Tiger Rentals Guyana Inc Boys’ Under-13 Football League is expected to fill a gap that was sealed only by private organisers in the past. The age group is seen as a critical stage of youth development in the sport, and according to GFF Assistant Technical Director Bryan Joseph, it will lend to the beginning of the young-

sters’ elite player requirements.

“What this affords us is the opportunity to ensure that our players are putting in the hours and get the game time that goes towards their player development plaque. Player development plaque is accepted worldwide. It basically says: to become an elite player requires about 10,000 hours of deliberate practice,” Joseph explained.

“Without tournaments at this level, we haven’t been able to make impact into those hours.”

Remaining on the topic of those involved, Joseph explained how the tournament stands to benefit players and

coaches involved. Joseph elucidated, “Currently, for the past 4 or 5 years, an U13 player probably would play 2 or 3 games per year. This partnership, this tournament with Tiger Tanks, will allow the average U13 player to play 8-12 games per year.

“In addition to that, the more developed Under-13 players would play upwards of 15-20 games per year, and that is how significant that is going to be for the development of our youth players.”

On the topic of coaches’ development, the assistant TD said, “We have spent a lot of resources developing D licensed coaches, who are equipped with the right tools to be able to coach players of

GFF Assistant Technical Director Bryan Joseph

this age group; but we haven’t been able to provide the competitions for them to practise and develop as coaches. Now the competition is here.”

Aside from players and

coaches, Joseph explained that it is the GFF’s hope that the league would birth new football clubs across the country.

“What we expect to happen from this tournament

is not only the established clubs across our country being represented. We’re making the rules in such a way that any group of 14-16 boys can come together under the leadership of a coach that is qualified, that would’ve gone through the child safeguarding course and signed up to participate in this tournament.

“What that also allows is the chance to develop brand new clubs,” Joseph highlighted, while mentioning the possibility of participation from school and community teams.

The Tiger Rentals Guyana Inc League is set for a July start date. (Jemima Holmes)

World Athletics Championships 2022…

Timing is very important to Thompson-Herah's success

-says her coach Derron Herah

T

Elaine Thompson-Herah

hough pleased with her ‘workout' at the National Stadium in Kingston last Saturday, Derron Herah, coach and husband of Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, believes the next six weeks of preparation would be cru-

cial.

This is especially true if she is to realise her goal of winning her first World Championship title this summer.

The triple-gold medallist at last year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan,

ran a smart 10.94s to win the 100m dash running into a headwind of -1.8m/s; and then, less than an hour later, clocked a decent 22.55 to complete the double.

“Her performance is good,” her proud husband told Sportsmax.TV after the 100m final, where, had there been no headwind, Thompson-Herah’s time would have been 10.81.

“Today (Saturday) was mainly a training run; didn’t know she was going to run this fast. She was not necessarily pressing the gas, just basically the first 30 and trying to maintain, and maintaining brought her 10.94; so, we are right there. We just need to lighten up, be-

cause we’re still heavy. So, when the time is right, we will lighten up, and then go when we need to go.”

Lightening up, as Herah puts it, involves getting Thompson-Herah to approach her peak at the National Championships from June 23-26, but be at her best at the 2022 World Championships that begin in Eugene, Oregon on July 15, just over two weeks later.

He explained that with the two championships so close to each other, everything comes down to timing.

“The timing is very important. After the National Championships, we have two weeks before World

Championships, so we almost have to peak in the championships, and maintain that into the World Championships. We have to be very careful and very, very selective with races and how we approach races,” he said of Thompson-Herah’s preparation.

“What we are trying to do is getting her to peak for Oregon, not necessarily the trials. We will have to be in some kind of shape to indicate what we are going to do in Oregon, so we have to be on that cycle now, six-seven weeks out; so, by the time trials come around then, we would have to be in similar shape as to what we would be in Oregon.”

Winnipeg golfers make sizable GFF statutes to be revised donation to Lusignan Golf Club

A

donation which amounted to several full sets of golf clubs and golf bags was made by a strong Winnipeg-based Guyanese community, as brothers and sisters who are proud associates of the Lusignan Golf Club.

Organiser of the effort is long-time member and LGC supporter Mr Ferose Barakat, who is resident in Winnipeg but returns to his homeland, Guyana, often.

Mr. Barakat has expressed satisfaction with the way the current LGC Executive Committee is running the club, and has promised further support.

This donation would greatly assist with the LGC’s goal of expanding this great game to more Guyanese.

Anyone, whether a beginner or a seasoned golfer, can come to the club, and would have golf equipment and balls available to rent at a very affordable rate.

Club Captain Patrick Prashad and VP Paton George received this generous donation on behalf

A

CONCACAF’s Howard McIntosh and GFF President Wayne Forde

The donation made by Winnipeg golfers

of the club, and extended heartfelt appreciation to their friends in Winnipeg.

The VP further said, “With such generous support continuing to flow our way, we are excited to share our good fortune with anyone visiting the Lusignan Golf Club. We have pro-

grammes for kids 15 years and under to enjoy the game without paying the green fees. Golf clubs of all sizes are available for rent.

“Golfers of all ages can also reserve coaching and playing just by calling the Club Manager, Vishal Changur, at 220-5660.

ccording to a missive from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), FIFA has formally communicated to the GFF its intention to undertake the revision of the GFF Statutes with the aim of ensuring that our statutes fully comply with the mandatory requirements contained in the statutes and regulations of FIFA and CONCACAF. A joint FIFA/ CONCACAF mission will be visiting Guyana in the coming weeks to commence and oversee this process. During their stay, they would be conducting consultation sessions with members of the GFF and other football

stakeholders.

The GFF would be appointing an ad hoc “Statutes Revision Committee” to participate in this exercise.

“FIFA and CONCACAF are keen on ensuring that the governance structures of the CONCACAF member associations are fully aligned with the statutes of the governing bodies. We have successfully revised and updated the statues of several member associations in recent months, and look forward to working with the GFF and its members in the coming weeks,” Howard McIntosh, Head of One CONCACAF and Caribbean Special Projects, has said.

The delicate nature of this phase is partly why they decided against flying to Birmingham, England last week for the Diamond League meeting, after Thompson-Herah had suffered some discomfort during training.

Herah explained: “Even our decision to not go to Birmingham, we had everything in mind, because we knew what the weather was going to be like, and she was feeling some type of soreness. It’s not like we would go and then not run,” he said.

“We decided on the day not to go, and as the week went along, she started to feel a little better, so I decided we would come out here today (Saturday), because we would have had a training session today anyway.

So, we got in two competitive runs, but what we saw today was good enough.”

Thompson-Herah is down to compete at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, May 28. She lines up against some of the fastest women in the world, including Dina AsherSmith, World 60m champion; Mujinga Kambundji, Olympic gold medallist; Briana Williams, Shericka Jackson, Marie Jose Ta Lou and Twanisha Terry.

(Leighton Levy/Sportsmax)

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FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CWI Regional Four-Day Championships…

Jermaine Blackwood departed after scoring 114

By Brandon Corlette in Trinidad

O

n the day when Guyana celebrated its 56th Independence Anniversary, Tagenarine Chanderpaul displayed solidity, consistency and discipline to end the second day unbeaten on 96, and bat Guyana Harpy Eagles to 213-1 in response to Jamaica's 393 all out.

In this fourth-round clash of the Cricket West Indies Regional Four-Day Championships, being played at Diego Martin in Trinidad, centuries from Jermaine Blackwood and Aldane Thomas propelled Jamaica to a good first innings’ score.

In addition to Tagenarine Chanderpaul's 96, Chanderpaul Hemraj scored 78, while Tevin Imlach was unbeaten at stumps with a solid 38.

ing dismissed by the 24-yearold Keemo Paul, who drew him into a false drive, wherein he was caught at mid-off for 114 from 261 balls. His solid knock included 15 fours and one six. The wicket of Blackwood, was Paul's 100th first-class wicket, and it was taken in his 25th match.

After Blackwood departed with the score on 2917 in 92.5 overs, ending the 55-run stand with Thomas, Guyana Harpy Eagles lacked the killer instinct, despite the surface offering little assistance for bowlers. The seamers Demetri Cameron and Paul used the short-ball, but Thomas and the well-build Jamie Merchant added 76 runs to the Jamaica score.

Merchant and Thomas pulled and hooked the Guyanese bowlers to all parts of the Diego Martin ground, which presented a light-

Chanderpaul Hemraj failed to convert his 13th half-century into his second first-class century

who danced down the track to Veerasammy Permaul, slammed Paul over his head for a maximum, and took advantage of Cameron.

Having dabbed one into the off-side off Cameron, Thomas celebrated his maiden first-class century in grand style.

This aggressive wicketkeeper- batsman’s knock was ended after he had struck 16 fours and two sixes by his being stumped by Imlach off Permaul at 370-9, and after 105 overs.

However, a 23-run lastpair stand further frustrated the Guyanese. Permaul ended with 3-96 in 36.3 overs, with 10 maidens. Fellow leftarm spinner Gudakesh Motie had 2-39 after 21 overs, with 10 maidens, while Sinclair and Cameron were expensive, with two wickets each.

After Jamaica had post-

Nicholson Gordon celebrating the wicket of Hemraj

Earlier, Jamaica Scorpions resumed the second day on 282-6, with Jermaine Blackwood on 110 and Aldane Thomas on 35. The West Indies Test vice-captain Blackwood added four runs to his overnight score before be-

ning-quick outfield. Merchant succumbed to a short-ball from Cameron, when he was brilliantly caught down the leg-side by Tevin Imlach at 367-8.

Runs continued to flow from the bat of Thomas,

ed 393, Guyana openers Chandrapaul Hemraj and Tagenarine Chanderpaul negotiated the 20 minutes before lunch, and headed into the interval at 9-0. Hemraj took full advantage of the batting-friendly conditions on an

overcast afternoon. He started to display his E4 blade by taking Jamaican bowlers to the cleaners.

Veerasammy Permaul

ed with 15 fours and one six, ended after a 112-run opening stand.

It was only a few minutes

Cameron celebrating the wicket of Jamie Merchant

Right-arm speedster Derval Green used the shortball ploy against the young Tiger Chanderpaul.

He struck the left-hander on the stomach, but, the very next ball, was pulled disdainfully to the square leg boundary.

The Jamaican fielders were shouting for Green to continue to pepper the young Tiger, but he stood tall and continued to pull Green.

Meanwhile, Hemraj was punching and driving with ease and grace. He clipped one off the hip against Nicholson Gordon, arguably the shot of the day, as the partnership continued to flourish. Looking set for his second first-class century, Hemraj played a loose shot off right-arm seamer Gordon in slashing a ball which he could have left, and gifted his wicket away for an entertaining 78 made from 87 balls.

It which was his 13th first-class century, but his shot-filled innings, decorat-

Compliments of

23

before tea when Hemraj departed, but Tevin Imlach and Chanderpaul ensured no further hiccups, as Harpy Eagles reached 116-1 at tea.

In the final session, the young Tiger reached his half-century from 130 balls, and

he and Imlach enjoyed the flat track and ended the day unbeaten. Despite a close call while Chanderpaul was on 74 facing up to Green, the duo looked unbothered.

Chanderpaul, who was unbeaten in the last game after scoring 140 and 23, is yet to be dismissed since the restart of the tournament. He struck 16 fours and faced 228 balls. Imlach was standing tall with 38, an innings that included four fours and one six.

The duo will be hoping to extend their 101 partnership for the second wicket when day three bowls off from 10:00h Eastern Caribbean time.

Summary of other matches: TT v BAR: TT: 133 & 51/3 (21) Simmons 26*.

BAR: 294 (91.5) Reifer 79, Greaves 50; Hinds 5/32. TT trail by 110 runs.

LEE vs WIN: LEE: 333 & 64/2 (20), Hodge 24. WIN: 173 (55) Cottoy 73*; Cornwall 5/61, Louis 3/26. LEE lead by 224 runs.

SCOREBOARD JAMAICA 1ST INNINGS John Campbell lbw b Sinclair 37 Leroy Lugg c Motie b Cameron 5 Jermaine Blackwood c Chanderpaul b Paul 114 Oraine Williams lbw b Sinclair 0 Paul Palmer c Cameron b Motie 18 Alwyn Williams c Persaud b Motie 51 Derval Green c Johnson b Permaul 13 Aldane Thomas st Imlach b Permaul 100 Jamie Merchant c Imlach b Cameron 39 Marquino Mindley c Singh b Permaul 0 Nicholson Gordon not out 0 TOTAL (10 wickets, 109.3) (16 extras) 393 17/1 (7.1) Leroy Lugg John Campbell 69/2 (19.4) Jermaine Blackwood 69/3 (19.5) Oraine Williams 99/4 (31.2) Paul Palmer 211/5 (69.5) Alwyn Williams 236/6 (80.1) Derval Green 291/7

(92.5) Jermaine Blackwood 367/8 (104.6) Jamie Merchant 370/9 (105.5) Marquino Mindley Aldane Thomas 393/10 (109.3) BOWLING Keemo Paul (19-5-71-1) Demetri Cameron (17-0-103-2) Veerasammy Permaul (36.3-10-96-3) Kevin Sinclair (16-1-74-2) Gudakesh Motie (21-5-39-2) GUYANA 1ST INNINGS Tagenarine Chanderpaul not out 96 Chanderpaul Hemraj c Thomas b Gordon 78 Tevin Imlach not out 38 FOW: 112-1 (31) Hemraj BOWLING Derval Green (9.1-1-41-0) Nicholson Gordon (13-3-56-1) Jamie Merchant (19-9-37-0) Marquino Mindley (13.0-5-27-0) Alwyn Williams (7.5-0-32-0) Jermaine Blackwood (3-0-8-0) Paul Palmer (3-1-12-0)

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

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

CWI Regional Four-Day Championships…

See story on page 23

Jamaican wicketkeeper-batsman Aldane Thomas scored his maiden first-class century

Tagenarine Chanderpaul looked at his solid best

All-round benefits to be derived from U13 League Page 22

Ferose Barakat of Winnipeg

Winnipeg golfers make sizable donation to Lusignan Golf Club See story on page 22

Under-13 players stand to benefit greatly from the Tiger Rentals League

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