engineers to assess damaged dyke at Three Friends

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM 1 arrested with 4688 grams ganja at Wisroc

The Police on Friday arrested one person following the discovery of 4688 grams of cannabis at Wisroc Back Road, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

On the day in question, ranks from the Wisroc Police Station intercepted a Mitsubishi canter with registration number GZZ 7190.

In the vehicle, there were three occupants and the driver. They were asked to collect their belongings, to which they complied.

In addition, there was a Honda XR motorcycle with registration number CJ 8113 in the canter and

The cannabis that was found in the canter

Pedal cyclist hospitalised after colliding with motor car

A45-year-old pedal cyclist of Affiance, Essequibo Coast, is now hospitalised after he allegedly rode into the path of a motor car while riding on the Taymouth Manor Public Road, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

The accident reportedly occurred on Saturday at about 13:40h, and involved motor car PPP 1946, owned and driven by Travis Holder of Republic Drive Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, and the pedal cyclist who was identified as Chandrikaha Ramsaroop.

Information received disclosed that the motor car was proceeding along the public road when it is alleged by the driver that he was negotiating a left bend when he observed two pedal cyclists riding on the same road.

The driver reportedly told traffic ranks that one of the pedal cyclists pulled into his path and despite his attempt to avoid a collision, the cycle collided with the front left side of the car. As a result, he fell onto the road’s surface and received injuries about his body.

He was picked up in a conscious condition and taken to the Suddie Public Hospital where he was admitted a patient suffering from lacerations to the left foot and head. The driver of the car remains in custody as investigations continue. when questioned, the driver related that he was hired to transport it for someone at Frenchman Backdam.

He was then told to proceed to the Wisroc Police Station for verifications to be done on the motorcycle.

On their way to the Police Station, the three men, who were in the tray of the canter, jumped off and escaped in the nearby bushes. The ranks gave chase but they managed to evade the Police ranks.

Nevertheless, on arrival at the Wisroc Police Station, a search was conducted in the tray of the canter during which five compressed bulky parcels wrapped in transparent plastic were found. A closer inspection unearthed a quantity of ganja.

The driver of the canter was told of the offence committed, arrested and cautioned.

He denied ownership of the cannabis and claimed that the bag belonged to one of the men who had escaped. The cannabis and the driver were taken to the Mackenzie Police Station where the narcotic was weighed and it amounted to 4688 grams.

An investigation is underway.

Several injured, drunken taxi driver arrested after Corentyne smash-up

An accident which occurred on the Port Mourant Public Road on Saturday evening left four persons hospitalised and a drunken driver in custody.

The injured persons are Doodnauth Pattiram of Tain, Corentyne; Rahim Subratally and Rehana Baichoo of Johanna North, Black Bush Polder, and Mark Rose of Tucber Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice.

Police in a statement said that the accident occurred at about 18:15h and involved a hire car, HC 9700, that was driven by a resident of Tain Village, Corentyne, with Pattiram as the passenger while the minibus bearing registration number PHH 13 was driven by Subratally, with Baichoo as an occupant.

In addition, Rose was a pedestrian. It was reported that the minibus was proceeding along the public road and while in the vicinity of the Port Mourant Public Hospital, the driver reportedly saw a motor lorry stationed with its hazard lights on.

In the process of passing the lorry, the hire car reportedly attempted to overtake the bus, thus resulting in a collision. As a result of the impact, the driver lost control of the minibus and collided with the rear portion of the parked lorry.

The driver of the car then lost control and collided with Rose, who was changing a punctured wheel on the lorry.

Due to the smash-up, the pedestrian, passenger, driver and occupant of the minibus sustained injuries about their bodies and were all taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital by public-spirited citizens. The driver of the taxi reportedly fled the scene while the other persons were treated at the hospital. The passenger of the car was sent away, while the pedestrian, the driver and occupant of the minibus were referred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where they were further treated for injuries sustained. Rose suffered a fractured ankle and lacerations to both hands.

Pattiram was treated for a fractured leg while Subratally suffered a fractured right ankle and was admitted in a stable condition.

The driver of the hire car was subsequently arrested and a breathalyser test was conducted on him which showed that he was above the legal limit in terms of alcohol consumption. He remains in custody and is assisting with investigations.

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Guard against misinformation being peddled about oil & gas sector – Min Bharrat

− says some criticism of sector comes from lack of knowledge

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat has cited the need for Guyanese to be careful when it comes to the misinformation regarding Guyana’s burgeoning oil and gas sector; misinformation, he noted, sometimes forms the basis for unnecessary criticism.

In an interview with this publication, he noted the importance of the consultations being done by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and oil giant ExxonMobil, over the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Yellowtail development.

The Minister related that the consultations are being done to inform the population on the sector and arm them with the facts, even as criticisms that are not necessarily grounded in facts continue to proliferate the public.

“EPA is now conducting countrywide consultations on the EIA, that gives Guyanese an opportunity to raise their objections and sensitise themselves on how the oil and gas industry operates. I believe that is an issue we have in Guyana. We know the oil and gas industry is very new to us. We’re very familiar with mining, logging, agriculture and rice and cane. But when it comes to oil and gas, it is new to us.”

“So, it is ignorance of the sector that sometimes draw criticisms that are not really necessary or truthful or is not an issue that will actually affect the wellbeing of Guyanese and investments. So, we have to be careful with that. That’s why I’m happy Exxon and EPA are doing this countrywide consultation on the environmental impact of Yellowtail,” Bharrat said.

The Minister further spoke about the steps the Government has taken to work closely with Exxon through its subsidiary, Esso Exploration Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL). This has included regular meetings with the operator of the Stabroek Block

“We have technical teams that are meeting on an almost weekly basis. I myself meet with the President and his staff on a monthly basis. I know the Chairman for Exxon was in Guyana several times over the last few months. They would have met with the President and Vice President and a few Cabinet members.”

“So, we have worked towards developing a good working relationship, because we recognise that is important. We must have a good working relationship because ExxonMobil is a major player in our oil industry. So, we’ve worked hard over the past few months to build back a working relationship.”

Minister Bharrat also referenced the developments being undertaken in the Stabroek Block, such as in the Liza 1 field, where Exxon has made multiple discoveries and has already started producing oil. There is also Exxon’s upcoming Field Development Plan (FDP) for Yellowtail and the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel for the Liza 2 development.

“Liza 2 will come on board early next year. That FPSO, the Liza Unity, will be in Guyana by yearend. And of course, we have the payara licence. And the Yellowtail development will come on board. The Payara is due in 2024, so it’s expected the Yellowtail will come shortly after that,” he said.

“After that, we’ve spoken with Exxon that the FDP

The Liza Unity FPSO

will be submitted to the petroleum department sometime in the last quarter of this year, so that we can start the review of that plan, which will lead to the licensing of the yellowtail development. That is basically the process. I know in the media, there have been calls for an expeditious granting of the Yellowtail licence. We have no problem with that, but it must satisfy all the criteria.” In March 2021, ExxonMobil secured a sixth drillship, the Noble Sam Croft, for exploration and evaluation drilling activities offshore Guyana. A fourth project, Yellowtail, has been identified within the block with anticipated start up in late 2025 pending Government approvals and project sanctioning. This project will develop the Yellowtail and Redtail fields, which are located about 19 miles (30 kilometres) southeast of the Liza developments.

With the Liza Phase 2 and Payara developments on track for their scheduled completion and the Liza Phase 1 development averaging 120,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), Guyana’s oil production is likely to exceed 500,000 bpd by 2024.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

6 matters completed at...

FROM PAGE 8

For 2020, the DPP appeared in 15 matters at the Court of Appeal. Of these 15 appeals, six were for the offence of murder, four for manslaughter, two for sexual offences, and one each for the offences of attempt to commit murder, falsification of accounts by clerk or servant, and robbery with aggravation.

There were 10 appeals against conviction and sentence. One of these appeals was withdrawn and one was allowed. The other eight appeals were allowed in part. In two of the eight cases, the appeal against a conviction of murder was allowed and the offence of manslaughter was substituted.

The appellants were sentenced accordingly. In the other six cases, the appeal against conviction was dismissed and the sentences were varied. There was one application to appeal against a life sentence; it was dismissed. Furthermore, there were two applications for bail; one of these was denied, while the other was granted.

There were another two applications for extension of time to appeal; one of these was granted while the other one was withdrawn and discontinued.

Meanwhile, during 2020, the Demerara Full Court sat for three matters for the offences of unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking, and using a computer to humiliate a person. In one case, the application was dismissed as the court was informed that the appellant had died.

In the other case, the court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the application or to grant bail. This too was dismissed. In the third case, there was an application by the appellant to leave the jurisdiction and it was granted by the court.

The Berbice Full Court sat for two appeals in 2020. They were for the offences of dangerous driving and sexual assault. One appellant withdrew his application, while the other application was dismissed since the appellant and his counsel were absent.

Over at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in 2020, the DPP, Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, appeared in person in the case of Linton Pompey v the State. This was an appeal against conviction and sentence for three sexual offences, including two counts of rape of a child under 16. The appeal against conviction was dismissed and the appeal against sentence was granted and the sentence was varied.

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM 3 more die from COVID-19, 123 new cases recorded

Guyana’s death toll from the novel coronavirus has gone up to 447 after three more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) died.

Among these latest fatalities is a 43-year-old female from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), who died on Friday last. The other two deaths are males, aged 66 and 73, from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), both of whom died on Thursday last.

The Health Ministry on Sunday stated that the patients were admitted with COVID-19 like symptoms but died while receiving care at various medical institutions across the country. As such, samples were taken from them at the time of their admission, which subsequently returned positive tests.

Meanwhile, new statistics provided by the Ministry showed that some 123 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 within a 24-hour period.

This now takes the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana to 19,096 – 9338 males and 9758 females.

However, only 1576 of these are currently active cases. This includes 21 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the other 1555 persons in isolation, that is, 107 in institutional isolation and the remaining 1448 persons in home isolation. There is also one more person in institutional quarantine.

Additionally, some 17,073 persons have recovered from the life-threatening virus to date – 26 more recoveries than the figure reported the previous day.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in Guyana last year, 176,574 persons have been tested for COVID-19 thus far.

Of the 123 new cases recorded on Sunday, nine were from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); 16 from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 37 cases from the Demerara-Mahaica region; six from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 20 cases from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), another 32 cases from the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region and the other three cases from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

No new cases were recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), according to the new statistics.

The Guyana Government launched its COVID-19 vaccination exercise back in February and is aggressively rolling it out in the various regions in order to achieve heard immunity.

Recent data shows that

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD

JUNE 20 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

123

107

1448

21

1

9758

9338

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

REGION 1 1171

REGION 2 535

REGION 3 2199

REGION 4 8867

REGION 5 645

REGION 6 1425

REGION 7 1238

REGION 8 379

REGION 9 1291

REGION 10 1346

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020 19,096

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES 17,073

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED 226,068

FULLY IMMUNISED 96.317

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS 447

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Wear a face mask.

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer

If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

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

more than 227,000 persons in the adult population have received their first dose of the vaccine. Fully immunised persons in the country stand at over 98,000.

Persons are encouraged to get immunised since the COVID-19 vaccine gives full protection against death. In fact, health authorities have disclosed that no one who is fully vaccinated with both doses of the COVID-19 vaccines has been hospitalised or died from the virus.

Meanwhile, as more people continue to get vaccinated, authorities are urging the public to continue observing all COVID-19 preventative measures, particularly masking in public, social distancing and frequent hand washing and sanitising. The measures also include a 22:30h (10:30 pm) to 04:00h (4 am) national curfew that is in effect until June 30, 2021.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of Sunday, some 177,108,695 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 3,840,223 deaths.

The WHO also reported on Sunday that in the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 70,303,157 while the death toll in the region has gone up to 1,848,197.

4th victim in Fort Wellington smash-up succumbs

The fourth person who was injured in an accident at Fort Wellington Public Road, West Coast Berbice (WCB), which has already claimed three lives, succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The dead man has been identified as Lakeram Mangal, 57, of Lot 696 Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Police stated that Mangal died at about 19:30h on Saturday.

His body was taken to the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem. Fort Wellington Public Road at a fast rate of speed in front of GECOM’s office. The car then slammed into a

The car that was involved in the accident

utility pole and toppled several times before coming to a halt. At the time, it was raining.

The driver, 23-yearold Carlos Edwards Jr of Lot 39 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, along with passengers, 61-year-old Hookumchand Parmanand of No 36 Village, Corentyne, and 36-year-old Shabana Latif of Brothers Village, East Bank Berbice, were pronounced dead on arrival at the Fort Wellington Public Hospital.

However, the now dead Mangal along with 27-yearold Joycelyn Cole, and a sixmonth-old baby girl were treated and later transferred to New Amsterdam Public Hospital for further medical treatment.

Based on reports, Mangal was being treated for lacerations to his head, and his condition was listed as critical but stable. As such, he was referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Teen robbed at knifepoint by friends in Good Hope

– another robbed of motorcycle

A15-year-old boy of Phase Two Area A Good Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was on Saturday evening relieved of one blue Samsung Galaxy cell phone and $7000 cash by four males, two of which were identifiable.

It was reported that the victim, along with two others went to a shop about two corners away from their home, when he saw some of his friends who were liming and drinking alcohol.

He reportedly went over to them and it was then one of the men held him at knifepoint, while another pushed his hands into his right-side pocket of the victim and took out a wallet. In retaliation, the teen put up a resistance but the other two suspects death him several cuffs about his body.

The victim managed to escape and reported the matter. Two of the suspects were arrested and are currently in custody assisting with the ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, a 19-yearold boy of Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown, was robbed of a Grey Wave 110 motorcycle.

Police in a statement related that at about 22:30h on the day in question, the teenager was in control of the motorcycle which belonged to his aunt who had loaned it to him. However, in the vicinity of Sixth Street, Access Road, he was seen pushing the said motorcycle towards a vulcanising shop, when he was confronted by two males on a black XR motorcycle.

The suspects, who were armed with handguns, then held the victim at gunpoint and relieved him of the said motorcycle. A report was made and an investigation has been launched.

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Guyanese fishermen decry constant harassment by Surinamese authorities

– Agri Minister says fishermen should be allowed to operate in Corentyne River

Recently, there have been reports that Guyanese fishermen who operate in the Corentyne River are being harassed and robbed by Suriname’s military ofaddressing the issue told the fisherfolk that they should be allowed to operate in the Corentyne River without being fearful of their lives.

“Guyana fishermen should have users’ rights

Minister Mustapha and Region Six Chairman David Armogan at the meeting on Saturday

ficers. The fishermen related that the officers who patrol the river are preventing them from plying their trade.

In light of these concerns, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha promised to engage Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd on the concerns raised by the fishermen.

The fishermen raised the concerns with Mustapha on Saturday during a meeting at Skeldon. The Minister in for the river. For example, if we are going to Orealla, we have to travel on the Corentyne River.”

On this note, the Minister stated that after an engagement with the two Caricom countries, it was agreed that Guyanese fishermen will be able to use the Corentyne River to ply their trade, adding that he is surprised to hear the concerns being raised again.

“What they told us is that they are willing to give the fishermen licences both for the Corentyne River and for their waters [deep waters (Atlantic Ocean)]. We don’t see it that our fisherfolk should have a licence to fish in the Corentyne River. We will continue to have discussions with them,” Mustapha said.

Nevertheless, the meeting on Saturday was called after a group of fishermen reported that one of their boats was recently seized by the military and taken to a port in Suriname.

Presently, there are about 35 vessels that are being operated by Guyanese in the Corentyne River with approximately 200 fishermen. This is apart from the vendors, boat builders and seine repairmen.

One fisherman, Robindra Latchman, told Guyana Times that he has a licence to operation in the Corentyne River but he and his crew are still being harassed by Surinamese authorities.

“That is a Dutch licence. We paying US$800 for the licence… When you in the river they would pull up near to your boat and look for the biggest fish that you have and take them. I told them that I am paying for the incence so you can’t take the fish but they don’t want you to argue with them because they want to pull you

A group of fishermen who were at the meeting

in.”

Latchman stated that in order to operate with the licences, they first have to travel to Suriname and get their passports.

Meanwhile, some of the fishermen related that the Surinamese authorities sometimes demand that they give them the equivalent of US$100 to be allowed to fish.

The fishermen who operate in the Corentyne River use drift seines and do not catch as much fish as those who operate in the deep sea.

Following, Saturday’s meeting, Mustapha reached out to Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd asking him to engage his Suriname counterpart on the issue. A delegation from Guyana travelled to Suriname in April to discuss several issues including the granting of licences to Guyanese fisherfolk to operate in the Atlantic Ocean which is in Suriname’s territory.

Chairman of the Number 66 Fishermen's Co-op Society, Pamashwar Jainarine was a part of the delegation that went to Suriname and related that the Surinamese authorities are seeking to stamp out the middle man.

According to Jainarine, the foreign authorities want the local fishers to say who are the middlemen in Suriname they are renting the licences from.

“We assume that they would take the licences from them and give it to us, but the fishermen are reluctant to do that because they say fishing is the only source of their livelihood. So, if they take away the incences from the Surinamese and then don’t give it to us then we wouldn’t get any licence to fish.”

On this note as well, the local fisherfolk argued that the Surinamese authorities already have records of those persons who were granted dozens of fishing licences.

Meanwhile, Mustapha has since sought the intervention of Minister Todd so that the Guyanese fishermen can continue to fish along the Corentyne River until the issue is resolved.

NRSS fire

Education Ministry to engage teachers, parents on venue for students to write CSEC

A massive Saturday afternoon fire destroyed the teaching block of the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School

Education Minister Priya Manickchand will today meet with teachers, parents, and students of the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School to decide on a venue for fifth formers to write the upcoming Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

The meeting is set for 10:00h at the East Ruimveldt Secondary School.

Some 65 CSEC students will have to be relocated after a massive fire on Saturday completely destroyed the teaching block of the school located on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

Oral examinations scheduled today for some students have been postponed to a later date. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the Minister said that a decision on a location for them to write their exams will be taken by noon today.

The blaze which started at about 13:00h destroyed the school’s main building which housed all classrooms. Just the outer walls were left standing. Manickchand and Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn were at the scene.

The Education Minister has since assured teachers, students and parents that the Government has their interests at heart.

“We want to commit to them that they are going to get the full support from the essential Ministry and the Government to make sure they can successfully write these exams,” she had promised.

Manickchand said the loss of the A-List school is heartrending since only recently, a smart classroom that cost millions was commissioned there. She, nevertheless, pledged that the Government will rebuild the school which housed 512 students and 39 teachers. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

23-year-old stabbed to death during brawl

Hours after he was stabbed during a brawl a Sandy Babb Street, Georgetown, 23-yearold Kwal Dindon succumbed to his injures while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Sunday.

Police stated that Dindon along with two friends attended a birthday party at Sandy Babb Street, Georgetown, on Saturday evening. While at the party, a heated argument broke out between Dindon and another man, thus resulting in a scuffle.

However, the man reportedly left the scene but Dindon armed himself with a piece of wood and in the company of his friends, they went after him. He was eventually cornered by Dindon and his friends, who dealt him several lashes about his body.

In retaliation, the man reportedly whipped out a knife from the waist of his pants and stabbed Dindon to his right-side upper back. In a bid to escape, the injured Dindon reportedly ran into a nearby yard where he collapsed to the ground and slipped into an unconscious state.

He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where he died on Sunday while receiving treatment.

The 21-year-old suspect along with the deceased’s two friends and another male were arrested and are assisting with investigations.

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM BK challenges granting of quarrying licences to Nazar “Shell” Mohamed

− Mohamed says the sector will benefit from “competitiveness”

Adecision by the Guyana Geology and Mines (GGMC) to grant four quarrying licences to Hadi’s World - a company owned by Nazar “Shell” Mohamed - is being challenged before the High Court by BK Quarries Incorporated.

Hadi’s World and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are the other respondents in the lawsuit that was filed on Wednesday.

In the 500-page Claim, BK Quarries through its lawyer Siand Dhrujon, complained that despite raising several objections, the GGMC and EPA went ahead with the granting of the licences to Hadi’s World.

Among other things, the lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent Hadi’s World from occupying or taking any steps to develop 16,500 acres of land recently awarded by the GGMC as four quarrying licences. Dhurjon said that BK Quarries applied for a quarrying licence for an area in Itaballi in August 2018 and is still awaiting a response regarding its application.

Hadi’s World, BK Quarries said, only applied for its quarrying licence in December 2020.

The lawsuit explains that the EPA illegally waived the requirement for Hadi’s World to be subjected to performing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of four quarrying operations for the reason that the operations “would not significantly impact the environment”.

“This decision to award a company, which does not own even a single crusher, 16,502 acres of land for quarrying was made although BK Quarries had applied for a quarry licence since August 16, 2018, for a portion of the same area. Further, BK Quarries Inc was issued a prospecting license for the said portion in 2014, a license which remains in force up to today.”

The claim outlines that the Commissioner of GGMC, Newell Dennison, had written to the owner of BK Quarries Brian Tiwarie in December 2019 stating that his application for the quarry licence at Itaballi was being processed. It said that Commissioner Dennison even informed BK Quarries that the area it had applied for was “a considerable expanse of land” and that it would be required to reduce the acreage being sought.

The said acreage was reduced by 50 per cent from — 9364 acres to 4680 acres, Dhurjon said, adding that on January 20, 2021, GGMC informed BK Quarries that all quarry licences extant and otherwise are to be reviewed by the Commission’s Board of Directors.

According to counsel, on February 6, 2021, as published in the Official Gazette, BK Quarries observed that GGMC had published its notice of intention to grant four quarry licences to Hadi’s World of Lot 29 Lombard Street, Georgetown, over the areas which were covered by its [BK Quarries] prospective licences and 2018 quarry licence application.

The company said that it immediately protested GGMC’s decision as unfair, unlawful, and unacceptable, and through its lawyers, sent several letters to the Commission that went unanswered. The lawyer submitted that on February 18, 2021, several of the Commission’s Board members, pointed out that the applications by Hadi’s World, which was still before the Board for consideration, had already been approved unilaterally by Dennison.

Dhurjon contended that it baffles the mind that the EPA would waive the requirement for an EIA for the issuance of four contiguous quarry licences that cover a stunning 16,502 acres. “This is an area that is five times the size of the capital city of Georgetown and almost four times the 4500 acres that were approved for BK Quarries Inc in the same place.”

According to Dhurjon, on June 15, 2021, the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Persaud hosted a ceremony for the signing of these four quarry licences along with related EPA permits which were personally handed over by the Minister to Mohamed.

As such, BK Quarries complained that it did not benefit from equality of treatment under the law by State agencies in breach of the Constitution since the GGMC had “a serious” concern that it “could not actually use and occupy some 9,000 acres for quarrying operations whereas the GGMC has licensed Hadi’s World Inc to use over 16,500 acres for quarrying operations.”

“This is in spite of the fact that Hadi’s World told the government entities that its quarrying operations would only utilize less than 1,000 acres combined across the 4 licenses covering the 16,500 acres of lands given to them for quarrying operations,” the lawyer argued.

The lawsuit also alleges that the Board of the GGMC was biased in favour of Hadi’s World Inc’s applications as a result of a close relationship to a Director of Hadi’s World Inc.

Considering this, Dhurjon is asking the court to grant an order of mandamus to compel the GGMC to take all steps necessary to see to the favourable processing of the 2018 application by BK Quarries for a quarry licence over the area of 9364 acres designated by the GGMC.

Meanwhile, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed in an invited comment on the issue stated that he applied as any normal businessman for the licences and after visiting the locations and reviewing the application, it was eventually granted by the EPA.

“After BK had raised objections, the EPA conducted a public hearing so that people in the area can air their views on the issue… the people had no objection and let me reiterate, this operation will employ locals…GGMC prepared the relevant licenses and all I can say is the process was as clear as day,” Mohamed reiterated.

Further, the businessman confirmed that the same area that was granted for his company to commence its operations, prospective licences were granted to BK International but after some years had elapsed and did start operations, it was returned to the State.

“In fact, he also did not pay the necessary dues for all the years he had it… All I can say to BK is let the industry be as competitive as possible and stop the greediness.”

Hadi’s World Inc as such jumped on the opportunity to produce stones after recognising the need for aggregates and more so, competition in Guyana. Nevertheless, Mohamed reiterated that his application went through all the legal channels and finally on June 14, 2021, the licences were granted.

To date, Mohamed stated, he has already invested a lot of money into the operation which is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2022.

Nazar “Shell” Mohamed receiving the quarry licence from GGMC Chairman Jimmy Reese Brian Tiwarie

EAB gives greenlight for establishment of oil & gas waste treatment plant at Coverden

The Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) has given Global Oil and Environmental Services (GOES) the green light to move ahead with the establishment of its facility for the transfer, storage, treatment, and disposal of oil and gas waste at Coverden on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

In a notice, EAB said that public hearings were conducted on May 10 and May 18, 2021, on the proposed project but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision did not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

“The EAB based its decision on the evidence and submissions of all parties, the grounds of the appeals/ appellants, and the nature, location, and potential impacts of the project,” the notice reads.

After a finding by the EPA that the project will not significantly impact human health and the environment and therefore does not require an EIA, the EAB had conducted public hearings into appeals against the development of the project made by residents in the community.

In determining that the project is exempt from an EIA, the EAB noted that it considered the fact that the project is not located in a historical or culturally important site.

The EAB found that the project location is privately owned and leased to the project proponent, and the closest resident is located approximately 280 metres northeast of the project.

The EAB said that transboundary effects from the project are low and will be mitigated via the transport of waste in ISO secured Fac Tanks.

A petition inked by Penelope Howell, which was accompanied by the names of over 130 residents from the community, had called for a halt to the construction and operation of the facility unless and until further consultations are done with the project’s developer, stakeholders, and residents.

During the initial public hearing, residents had objected to having such a project in their community which they described as densely populated.

Most of them said that from a simple Google search, they had come to the inescapable conclusion that GOES has a questionable track record.

For such a major project, which has the potential of being hazardous, the residents had expressed anger at EPA for failing to provide them, or the public with any background information about the company, and the environmental and health impacts of the project.

GOES - a joint venture between JaParts Guyana and Global Oil and Managements Group, recently applied to the EAB for approval for the construction and operation of the facility at Block X TE Huste, Block I, T Huste, Coverden, East Bank Demerara.

Teenager hospitalised after being struck by motor car

Joshua Sookra, 15, of Richmond Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), is hospitalised after he was struck down by a motor car on Saturday evening.

The accident occurred at Queenstown Public Road, Essequibo Coast.

Police investigations revealed that motor car PTT 2222 was proceeding along the Queenstown Public Road and suddenly made a right turn into a street. The driver alleged that it was then he saw the teenager who was riding a bicycle without lights.

He claimed that the cyclist rode into the path of the vehicle, and despite attempts to avoid a collision, the cyclist collided with the left side front of the car and fell onto the road’s surface where he received injuries about his body.

Police stated that the teenager was picked up and taken to the Suddie Public Hospital where he was treated and admitted a patient. The driver of the car was subsequently taken into custody.

More than two weeks ago, two young men were seriously injured following a motorcycle accident along the Essequibo Coast.

Those injured were Lakeram Singh of Affiance Village and Krishna Singh of Airy Hall. The two, both 22 years old, were admitted patients at the Suddie Hospital nursing injuries to their heads.

2 shot during robbery in Sophia

Two persons are now nursing gunshot wounds following a robbery at Sophia, Greater Georgetown, on Saturday evening.

Police stated that at about 20:30h on the day in question, the 25-year-old man and his friend were standing on the “black and white bridge” in Sophia when two men - one of whom was armed with a handgun, walked up to them and held them at gunpoint.

The perpetrators reportedly ordered the 25-yearold victim to hand over his gold chains but he refused. In retaliation, the armed suspect discharged several rounds and relieved the victim of the two gold chains. The perpetrators then made good their escape.

The victim’s friend reportedly sustained a gunshot wound to his right instep, while a 32-yearold passerby of Rasville, Georgetown, also received a gunshot wound to his left leg.

Both men were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they are presently receiving medical attention. Their conditions are listed as stable. The matter was reported and an investigation is underway.

Earlier in the month, a 30-year-old taxi driver was robbed of his Samsung Note 9 cellular phone, a gold chain, one gold ring, one diamond ring and $405,000 in cash by two men who entered his vehicle at the Giftland Mall, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown.

The victim, who operates his car as a taxi, reportedly picked up the two men who requested to be taken to Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

However, in the vicinity of Masjid Road, Vryheids Lust, ECD, the male seated in the back passenger seat of the motor car, placed a knife to the victim’s neck, while the male seated in the front seat relieved him of his valuables.

The men then made good their escape. The matter was reported but no arrests were made.

2 feared dead after boat capsizes in Takutu River

Aboat captain and a 38-year-old businesswoman are feared drowned after the boat in which they were travelling reportedly capsized in the Takutu River, Lethem, Central Rupununi, on Friday evening.

Missing are Walletta Rigby, the businesswoman of Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden, and an unknown Brazilian national who was the captain of the boat at the time.

Police stated that on the day in question at about 05:30h, Rigby and her friend Shaunette Gonsalves, 48, a housewife of Beverly Hills, Lethem, Central Rupununi, crossed the Takutu Bridge and went to Bonfim in Brazil to purchase some products.

However, at about 22:30h on the said night, the women entered a small wooden boat, captained by the Brazilian national on Brazil’s shore.

Gonsalves told Police whilst they were crossing the said river, the boat capsized as a result of the weight and strong current of the river, and they reportedly went under water.

Gonsalves, however, managed to grab on to the branch of a tree and as she looked up for the others, they were nowhere in sight.

The following morning at about 06:00h, Gonsalves was still holding on to the said branch, when she noticed two unknown Amerindian males passing in a boat and raised an alarm. She was rescued and immediately told them what transpired.

She later reported the matter to the Lethem Police Station. A search was conducted on Saturday for the missing persons but there was no sign of them.

The current flow of the water is reportedly moving at a speed of 40mph in an eastern direction. Further checks are being made as investigations continue.

History of Yoga

When you hear the word ‘yoga,’ chances are that an image of people twisting in one presumably painful yoga posture after another might pop up in your head. Yes, postures or asanas are an important part of the teachings of yogic philosophy and yogic practice, but they aren’t all that there is to it.

So, how well do you really know yoga? The world celebrates International Day of Yoga every year in June, so let’s unravel the mysteries surrounding this system of techniques from ancient India.

In the hierarchy of ancient vedas from Indian philosophy, there are four vedas developed by yoga gurus- Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. These are followed by four upvedas or sub-vedas – Ayurveda, Arthaveda, Dhanurveda, and Gandharvaveda. Further down the line are six upangas or components – Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chandas, and Jyotisha. These are further classified into six sub-components – Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Mimansa, Vedanta, and Yoga.

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means union of the individual yoga practitioners and universal consciousness. The Rigveda is one of the oldest and most sacred books in human history, having been written 8-10 thousand years ago.

Classical yoga is a part of this Vedic literature and was propounded by Maharishi Patanjali nearly 5000 years ago. In Patanjali’s yoga sutras, he elucidated eight limbs of yoga practice, namely - Yama (social ethics), Niyama (personal ethics), Asana (postures), Pranayama (life force), Pratyahara (turning the senses inwards), Dharana (one-pointed focus), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (merging with the self).

Classical yoga encompasses different schools of philosophy, for example Gyan yoga, Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Hatha yoga, Raj yoga, Mantra yoga, Shiva yoga, Naad yoga, Laya yoga and many more. Of these, the art of asana is part of the Hatha yoga tradition.

Somehow, in today’s age, yoga practice has come to be associated with only Hatha yoga physical postures whereas the central teaching of yoga philosophy is maintaining an equanimous state of mind.

The Bhagavad Gita says in this yoga sutra, “Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam” or “yoga is skill in action and expression”.

Hatha yoga, as taught in modern yoga, promotes physical as well as mental wellbeing through the medium of asanas. The different types of yoga are like spokes in a wheel and are all equally important for the overall development of an individual.

While Hatha yoga, as taught in schools such as Iyengar, endows the yogi with physical fitness, other types of practice empower us with wisdom, devotion, etc. This holistic approach towards one’s development was highly respected in the Vedic period as well as the Middle Ages, but was confined only to the royal and scholarly caste. It was only taught to students after passing a rigorous test.

However, the past few decades have seen modern yoga going through a complete transformation. From being frowned upon to being hailed as one of the best natural therapies out there, yoga practice has come a long way. The barriers of caste, creed and social status have been uprooted from yoga history to bring it to every home. The benefits of yoga therapy have not gone unnoticed in the international community and the United Nations has passed a resolution to celebrate June 21st as the International Yoga Day.

Yoga practice is not just exercise, it’s how skilfully we communicate and act in any given situation.

So here, yoga is described more as a mind skill. In this sutra from the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, “Samatvam Yoga Uchyate”– equanimity in the mind is a sign of yoga.

The ability to remain centred in adverse situations is yoga. Whatever brings us back to our nature, which is harmony and joy, is yoga. While physical practice of postures makes the body healthy, pranayama and meditation take the mind deep within to the soul’s ancient roots. Uniting diverse aspects of life, of existence is yoga. (Art of Living – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)

International Day of Yoga

Yoga Day is important to celebrate to make people aware of the benefits of yoga. Yoga has medical benefits and it helps in curing many diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, alleviating physical injuries, and chronic pain. Apart from that, it helps a person to get mental peace.

The day is observed on June 21. t

While many people practise yoga for its physical benefits, there are other types of benefits. For example, the spiritual meaning of yoga postures can help yogis develop oneness inside themselves, as well as unity with the exterior world. In yoga, the natural world is especially important. This can be seen in many of the Sanskrit and English names for yoga poses; these names are taken from animals and other entities one finds in nature.

Oneness in Yoga

Yoga is considered by many to be a holistic art — one that does not focus only on the spiritual, the physical, or the mental; but focuses on all of them — hopefully in equal measure. The holistic effect of yoga is attained when practitioners become not only physically stronger and more flexible, but also mentally stronger and more flexible. Seasoned yogis even sleep better, on average, than people who do not practise yoga. One of the ways that yoga works holistically is through the names of yoga asanas — which refer to concrete things in the world.

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Yoga taught me acceptance and that was the greatest revelation on my self-discovery journey – Annie Gomes

Annie during her early days of practicing yoga

By Lakhram Bhagirat

Yoga has been around for ages in ancient cultures and mostly practiced on the conti-

nent of Asia. The practice of yoga is documented in the Rigveda which is one of the oldest and most sacred books in human history, having been written 8-10 thousand years ago.

Classical yoga is a part of this Vedic literature and was propounded by Maharishi Patanjali nearly 5000 years ago and now the world is starting to see the benefits of yoga. Though historically associated with Hinduism, yoga is now being practiced in every part of the world.

The benefits of yoga are vast and people are now catching on. Yoga studios are popping up all over the world and more and more people are travelling, particularly, to India to learn yoga.

In Guyana, the same is happening. We are seeing more and more people embrace yoga beyond the surface and are actively trying to learn the artform.

What started as a way to “get back” her childhood flexibility has turned into a journey of self-discovery for Adrienne Gomes or “Annie” as she is known to many. Annie is a 26-yearold student of yoga but she

is so good that she has been teaching yoga to many persons in Guyana.

“When I was smaller, I was very flexible, naturally and I didn't know to call it yoga. But I would play and do my own thing. I was somewhere around 19-20 years old when me my brother were messing around and he asked if I could still do the thing I tried to do and I was like, I don't know when I got so stiff. I couldn't do it. So that's how I ended up finding yoga because I now started to think well, I need to have a practice is going to help me get back my flexibility. Sounds shallow but I was like I need to get back this flexibility. Now that I'm older, when I think back on when I was much younger, my mother used to practice. So, the first time I saw the sun and the moon salutations, I saw her doing it. I didn't have enough sense to know at the time and she never discussed it because of her change in spiritual beliefs and all of that,” Annie said.

As time progressed, Annie then discovered that yoga provided her with discipline and she started to delve more deeply in the world of yoga. She realised that it was more than just about regaining her flexibility rather it was a wholesome way of living.

For Annie, yoga is a wholesome way of living and the greatest path to self-discovery that one could imagine. The benefit of yoga is something, she said, we can never attach a price to.

“It is priceless. The most valuable thing. So hidden, so disguised as just a bunch of little stretches but oh my goodness, the wealth of knowledge and wisdom that comes with it. Not just like physically from your body but also your mind, your emotions, your view on spirituality. You can just connect with self. So, the next part of that I will say is that it's something that you have to constantly work on. You don't get to do it and stop. If you start on the path, stay the path... she said.

Sitting in the padmasana (lotus) pose in Annie’s yoga studio on Lance Gibbs Street in Queenstown, conversing, she told me that yoga is something that she does for herself. It is a way of balancing her mental health and all the challenges in navigating the world we live in.

“One of the biggest (things yoga taught me) and probably the ones nearest and dearest to me it's just acceptance. I remember when I started in the beginning, a lot of times one of the phrases people threw around in the yoga talk was progress, not perfection, progress, not perfection. That thing used to nag me because there was a part of me that believed it was perfection somewhere and I need to chase after somewhere along the line that became my thought pattern…I started learning acceptance, that was just yeah, it seems simple but it was one of the biggest door openers for me true acceptance. Then of course, by extension, I now started to see things in a different way, I started to see things, you know, this is the next thing that I got a lot from yoga was gratitude, just learning that sense of, you

know, what I'm grateful for what I have.”

Another life changing thing that Annie got from yoga was discipline. The art of yoga has also helped the mother of two to get over her post-partum depression, anxiety and that whole identity crisis one gets at certain parts of their life.

Though Annie has been teaching yoga for almost four years now, she still considers herself as a student of the discipline. She believes that she only tapped in to just about one per cent of what yoga is and by no means considers herself a yogi.

She actually started teaching yoga when she was pregnant with her first child and was approached by an organisation that wanted her to share what she learnt with them. She was heavily pregnant and did not want to pursue it at the time but in the end, she agreed after gentle nudging from her husband and from there she continued climbing.

“I couldn't have orchestrated to go from teaching a small group of people to standing up to teaching 1000s of people at Pinktober. It was just a whole switch. I think the universe truly just roll these opportunities in my path. For whatever reason, I don't know yet…at that Pinktober I was pregnant with my daughter and nobody knew because I wore big clothes, trying to hide it. I didn't want to know what it is yet. But yet, I did that 5k walk and taught yoga right after,” the mother related.

Annie uses the core disciplines she learned in yoga to parent her children and one of those core disciplines is patience. For her, a lot of patience is required to deal with her toddler.

“I come into motherhood, knowing, listen, this is just like when I come on my mat. This is one of my roles that I play. If I'm being a mother, I am being a mother. A mother has to be patient. She has to be loving, she has to be kind, but she has to be firm and disciplined. So, it helps you to find a good mix and balance that is suited for each child because each child is different. My daughter is one side of parenting, my son is a whole other side and they got the big personalities.”

Annie opened her own yoga studio just about two months ago at 229 Lance Gibbs Street, Queenstown, Georgetown. You can find her on Facebook – Asana Athletics; Instagram – Annieyoga_fitness.

Meditating in the Atlantic

Yoga on the clock, literally! Annie practicing yoga on the Stabroek Market Clock Flexing at Kaieteur

Yoga on the seawall

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM NDIA, Region 10 engineers to assess damaged dyke at Three Friends

– medical team to visit affected communities

Residents of Three Friends and nearby Coomacka and Maria Elizabeth, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) will soon see repairs to a damaged dyke in the area, which has rential rains, which placed mined-out reservoirs under stress.

“We will have to get the engineers to come and look at that, along with BOSAI to see what is the best solu-

tion,” Minister Benn told residents at a community meeting at Three Friends.

He noted that engineers from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10 will be part of the assessment.

Additionally, Benn related that the Public Works Ministry will be approached to restore the roadway that links the three communities since significant sections of the road have become impassable due to flooding.

Minister Benn added that a full-scale analysis will be conducted on the water from the bauxite mining area and rainwater from flooded com-

A section of the eroded road between Coomacka and Three Friends

exacerbated flooding in recent days.

This was disclosed by Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn on Sunday during flood assessments in the area where he was accompanied by the Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall and Regional Executive Officer Dwight John.

Minister Benn said the sand dyke at Three Friends had eroded following tormunities.

“You should be given the tablets or the bleach to be able to add to any water to bring it to a state where it is potable, where it is drinkable, and if there are further fears… you can boil it,” the Minister added.

On the same note, Minister Dharamlall said water tanks would be placed in the communities since many septic tanks and latrines are underwater.

“Some black tanks are going to be in the community by Monday or Wednesday the latest…You will decide where you want it placed at some central locations where all of you can access it,” he said.

“On Monday, the health team will visit the area, and they will bring some health kits to provide to you, and they will also deal with all of the health-related problems that you have.”

Meanwhile, the team is currently in Kwakwani, addressing the needs of residents most affected by floods in the region. Minister Dharamlall said hampers were delivered in the communities on Saturday, with more on the way.

“We will provide because you are underwater, and your livelihood is affected. We will bring the hampers… The hampers are supposed to last you like two weeks… and then we will replenish. So, more will come. So, please don’t be aggrieved that that is the last set of hampers,” Dharamlall noted.

In addition, he informed residents that the RDC would provide fuel to the communities to assist with their transportation needs while reiterating that the Government is focused on providing relief to those affected by the flood.

“The President has committed that all the losses that you have in terms of poultry and other livestock, as well as crops … we are going to work with you to get you back into production.” Several residents also received sanitation hampers.

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) will conduct detailed damage sector assessments in Regions Two, Five, Six, Seven, and 10 this week.

Those assessments will guide a report outlining the extent of the damage and provide estimations for recovery in the mining, agriculture, health, water and sanitation, infrastructure (roads, bridges, housing) and social sectors.

Guyana has already received support from CDEMA after President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali declared the countrywide flood a national disaster.

The CDC had elevated flooding across the country to a Level Two Disaster. CDEMA describes this level as one in which the nation’s capacity to respond is not overwhelmed, but some external assistance is required.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall entering a boat at an eroded dyke at Three Friends, Region 10 on Sunday

COVID-19 forces GTT to fix home connection issues, meet rising demand

With the demand for internet connection greater now due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has forced persons to work from home and children to attend school virtually, local telecommunications giant, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company is on a mission to improve its residential services.

During a recent interview with Guyana Times, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of GTT’s Home and Fixed Services Unit, Eshwar Thakurdin explained that his focus is to improve home services including Blaze and DSL internet services as well as landline services.

“That means not just getting our services into your home but what happens after that. We want to make sure that you get a service that is reliable. Things go wrong, yes, but we make that when they do and if they do, you can reach us easily and that we commit to our promise in terms of when we say we will fix it. I’m making it sound quite simple but it’s a mammoth of a task but it’s one that we’ve started to work on,” he stated.

According to Thakurdin, he has already seen improvements in some of the areas that need to be fixed in order to enhance the home experience for customers. He noted that with the demand for home services at an all-time peak now, GTT has embarked on upgrading its infrastructure for both the Blaze and DSL internet services.

“We’ve seen broadband demand lifted significantly over recent periods driven mainly by the need to work and study at home. It became critical now to have internet at home… So, we’ve done a lot of promotions in the last year to get people to try the new fibre product [Blaze service] and to get people who are using DSL, give them special rates just so that they can switch to fibre. Then we done promotions using our street-sale team to different parts of the community that don’t have access to fibre, where we give out free modems to get the DSL service... I think we’ve reacted a lot to some of the demands and cries of customers saying we need internet and we need it affordably, and we’ve need it installed quickly,” the COO posited.

Since the rollout of Blaze, some 30,000 customers have since transitioned to the fibre optic service, which Thakurdin explained the company is working to further enhanced with value-added services. One such service is the introduction of Wi-Fi pods.

The Plume Homepass Pod is a solution that replicates the Wi-Fi signal to ensure that there is connection to sections of the home or any other premises where they signal is otherwise weak.

“It’s simple as just plugging in a pod and setting up some simple stuff on the app and you can put as many pods as you want in different parts of your home where you need [WiFi] to get to… Now more than ever, there is need for Wi-Fi in every corner of the home,” he pointed out.

GTT is footing the introductory cost of these WiFi pods. Customers get the first one free, while the second pod costs $400 and any other thereafter is $300.

The Head of the Home and Fixed Services Unit further noted that the telecoms company wanted customers to try this new service hence it was made affordable. He added that the response has been tremendous over the past year with over 1000 customers now using the Plume Homepass Pods.

Unfortunately, these Wi-Fi pods are currently only being used for the Blaze service but according to Thakurdin, they are also looking to roll it out with the DSL service in the next couple of months.

Another area that has seen improvements is the installation of the Blaze service, which went down from 15 days to now within four to five days after applying.

“During the pandemic, we’ve managed to gradually break down, improve our processes and automate as much as we can, and reduce that lead time to now four days,” he stated.

However, Thakurdin posited that these enhancements were not without challenges.

“We suffered as any other business [during the pandemic]. We closed all of our retail stores for six weeks and didn’t open up back until we had protocols and protective gears and everything to serve customers… We took a hit with that because customers were frustrated cause they wanted to continue do business. But for us, it was bigger than just getting a sale or just making money. We wanted to make sure our staff were safe. We wanted to ensure we had systems in place so when customers come into office, they felt safe…,” the COO contended.

He further noted that the company’s technical staff, who worked in the fields, also faced the brunt of the effect from the pandemic.

Nevertheless, Thakurdin went on to outline that GTT will continue to roll out its fibre footprint across the country. He disclosed that they have already identified some new areas where the Blaze service will be extended to. These will be announced by the company in the near future.

On this note, GTT’s newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer, Damian Blackburn pointed out that the company’s fibre optic penetration to over 35 per cent of the homes across the country is higher than some more developed countries than Guyana.

“We should be proud in GTT that that fibre revolution has started. Is it going fast enough for everyone, absolutely not! That’s what I’m here to work with [Thakurdin] on to see if we could get it going faster and make progress to more areas... I’m looking at the plans. One of the things we’re going to do is a fiveyear plan and that will be at the heart of the plan – how far can we roll this out and where is economic to do so,” Blackburn stated.

GTT Home and Fixed Services Unit COO Eshwar Thakurdin

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 Regional

Trinidad: Thousands of businesses close as owners plead with banks to be lenient

Well over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of businesses facing hardship have been forced to permanently close their doors. While some owners have had their commercial properties and private homes repossessed by banks, others are living in fear of suffering the same fate if they are unable to pay their monthly instalments.

Frustrated business owners from Trinidad to Tobago complained that some banks are not being flexible enough with them during this time of crisis and are pleading for help. Many others said they have been encountering problems accessing funding from the TT$300 million loan facility made available by the Government for struggling businesses during this pandemic. Business owners have been forced to look at alternatives to commercial banks like credit unions and the National Entrepreneurship Development Company Limited (NEDCO) as they make last-ditch attempts to save their livelihood.

According to a survey done by the Confederation of Regional Business Chambers – which includes 15 business groups among them the Supermarket Association, Petroleum Dealers, The Yachting Services Association and establishments from the East all the way to Siparia in the deep South – some 5000 businesses have closed in T&T over the last 12 months since the pandemic hit in 2020. The coordinator of the confederation, Jai Leladharsingh said the information came from a survey of their associations done in February. Leladharsingh said that many business owners are struggling and are in danger of having their properties repossessed.

“There are banking foreclosures taking place in the construction industry, companies in the services sector, companies involved in the restaurant sectors,” he added.

Leladharsingh said banks have not been helpful to the business community. He recommended that the banks give the businesses a loan moratorium for a year with no accrued interest. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Jamaica: Man accused of killing pregnant girlfriend rescued by cops from angry mob

Father’s Day turned unexpectedly bloody on Sunday when a man allegedly killed his pregnant girlfriend during a dispute in the community of Rhoden Hall in Clarendon.

The dead woman has been identified as Tashika McKay.

Angry residents threatened to mete out their form of mob justice to the alleged attacker who was saved by cops who were quick on the scene and fired shots to disperse the crowd.

The Constabulary Communication Unit, the information arm of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, confirmed the incident.

“The Police are still conducting investigations and interviewing the suspect,” a representative said.

Reports are that the female, known as Tash by her friends, was allegedly killed by her spouse who slashed her throat. Reports are that she was pregnant and the mother of a young child. (Jamaica Observer)

Rival protests in Peru as tensions rise over presidential vote

Supporters of socialist Pedro Castillo and conservative Keiko Fujimori took to the streets by the thousands in Peru, as tensions rose over the result of a June 6 presidential election.

Castillo, who received 50.125 per cent of the vote with a difference of 44,058 ballots, has declared himself the winner.

Fujimori got 49.875 per cent of the votes and has made claims of large-scale election fraud.

In Peru’s capital, Lima, on Saturday, supporters of Castillo gathered at the “2 de Mayo” square, calling for the left-wing candidate to be formally announced as President-elect.

Fujimori’s supporters also held a rival demonstration in a different part of the city demanding the annulment of the run-off election.

The National Jury of Elections says it is still reviewing votes and is yet to declare a winner.

“We are not going to allow them to ignore the popular will, to ignore the electoral result. We are going to defend democracy,” said Veronika Mendoza, a former leftist presidential candidate who attended the rally for Castillo.

“Unfortunately, Mrs “K” [Keiko Fujimori] is a corrupt woman who should not be president and should accept her defeat because what won here is the democracy, the fair vote of the people,” said Ruben, another pro-Castillo demonstrator.

International observers have said there is no evidence of fraud and that the election was clean.

Pollster Ipsos Peru also said it had done a statistical analysis of the ballots and found no evidence of abnormal voting patterns that would have benefitted one candidate over the other.

But Fujimori, daughter of jailed ex-President Alberto Fujimori, showed no signs of relenting. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Supporters of Peru’s presidential candidate Pedro Castillo carry

an oversized Peruvian flag in Lima, Peru [Sebastian Castaneda/ Reuters]

Cuba encouraged by early efficacy results of COVID-19 vaccine

Cuba’s Soberana 2 vaccine candidate has shown 62 per cent efficacy with just two of its three doses, Staterun biopharmaceutical corporation BioCubaFarma has said, citing preliminary data from late phase trials.

Cuba, whose biotech sector has exported vaccines for decades, has five vaccine candidates in clinical trials, of which two – Soberana 2 and Abdala – are in late phase trials.

“In a few weeks we should have the results for the efficacy with three doses which we expect will be superior,” said Vicente Vérez?, Director of the State-run Finlay Vaccine Institute, which developed Soberana 2.

The news comes as the Caribbean’s largest island is facing its worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic in the wake of the arrival of more contagious variants, setting new records of daily coronavirus cases.

The Communist-run country has opted not to import foreign vaccines, but rather to rely on its own. Experts say it is a risky bet but if it pays off, Cuba could burnish its scientific reputation, generate much-needed hard currency through exports and strengthen the vaccination drive worldwide.

“We know our Government has not been able to provide this project all the funding it required, and nonetheless this is a result of global standing,” President Miguel DiazCanel said at the presentation of the results on staterun television on Saturday.

Several countries from Argentina and Jamaica to Mexico and Venezuela have expressed an interest in buying Cuba’s vaccines. Iran started producing Soberana 2 earlier this year as part of late-phase clinical trials. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Chile to begin drafting new Constitution next month

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has said the assembly to draft a new constitution will hold its first session on July 4, as the South American country moves towards replacing its current conservative, dictatorship-era charter.

The re-writing of the Constitution is the result of a broad political consensus agreed to after the widespread social protests that broke out at the end of 2019 against inequality.

“This convention undoubtedly represents a great opportunity to achieve a new constitution that will be recognised and respected by all Chileans under a framework of unity and stability toward the future for our democracy,” Pinera said on Sunday.

Over the course of nine months, the 155-member drafting body will have to balance a popular clamour for profound social change with the need to maintain a robust economy as it rewrites the old Constitution, which dates from the rule of Augusto Pinochet.

Their term could be extended for three more months, and the body will need a twothirds majority to approve the draft that will be put to a national referendum next year, in which voting will be mandatory.

Chile’s existing Constitution dates from 1980, enacted at the height of Pinochet’s 1973-1990 rule, and limits the role of the State while bolstering private enterprise.

Many Chileans blame it for the deep-rooted gulf between rich and poor, but it is hailed by others, mainly on the right, for the country’s many decades of economic growth.

In choosing the body to write the new charter, voters in May turned their backs on traditional political parties and flocked to independent candidates with no party affiliation but mostly left-wing or socialist ideas. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Gonsalves: Impact of COVID-19, La Soufrière eruption to be felt in ten years

St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves says the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the recent eruption of the La Soufrière volcano on the education system, will only be felt in ten years.

According to Gonsalves, it is important for students to return to the classroom as soon as possible, otherwise, by the middle of this century, most of the 40-year-olds would be significantly affected by what is taking place today.

“We need to get those schools back up and running soonest. In the year 2050, which is 29 years from now, the child who is going to do the CPEA at 11-plus, he or she would be 40, 41 years old. If they do not have skills, they are not going to properly survive in 2050.”

He said that the nation is already “seeing the problems of those who have missed out on the education evolution”.

“I am talking directly into the hearts and minds of the parents who love their children.”

Face-to-face classes in St Vincent and the Grenadines are yet to resume this year, as a spike in COVID-19 cases last December forced the closure of school after the Christmas break.

Students were scheduled to return to the physical classroom on April 12, but the explosive eruption of the volcano has placed that on hold, as many of the schools were used as emergency shelters.

As of last Sunday, June 13, 61 shelters remained active with 2169 occupants – down from about 7 000 displaced people at the peak.

The Government is yet to give the all-clear for people from the Orange Zone communities of Chateaubelair and Fitz Hughes in the northwest to return to their homes.

Also, no all-clear has been given for communities north of the Rabacca Dry River in north-eastern St Vincent. (Excerpt from Nation News)

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

19 Around the World

OILNEWS

Big Oil looks to cut production following activist backlash

Two weeks ago, Big Oil suffered a series of boardroom and courtroom defeats in the hands of hardline climate activists.

Exxon Mobil (-2.56 per cent) lost three board seats to Engine No 1, an activist hedge, in a stunning proxy campaign. Engine No 1 told the Financial Times that Exxon will need to cut fossil fuel production for the company to position itself for long-term success. "What we're saying is, plan for a world where maybe the world doesn't need your barrels," Engine No 1 leader Charlie Penner told FT. No less than 61 per cent of Chevron (-3.77 per cent) shareholders voted to further cut emissions at the company's annual investor meeting a week ago, rebuffing the company's board which had urged shareholders to reject it.

Meanwhile, a Dutch court ordered Royal Dutch Shell (-5.26 per cent) to cut its greenhouse gas emissions harder and faster than it had previously planned. Never mind the fact that Shell already had pledged to cut GHG emissions by 20 per cent by 2030 and to net-zero by 2050. The court in The Hague determined that wasn't good enough and has demanded a 45 per cent cut by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.

And now Big Oil is beginning to respond.

CNBC has reported that Shell is considering selling its holdings in the largest US oil field, worth as much as $10 billion.

The Anglo-Dutch supermajor is said to be evaluating selling all its 260,000 acres (105,200 hectares) holdings in the Permian Basin, located mostly in Texas, according to media reports.

A week ago, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden vowed to "rise to the challenge" in its transition to cleaner energy and pledged to speed up plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions following last month's court order. "Imagine Shell decided to stop selling petrol and diesel today. This would certainly cut Shell's carbon emissions. But it would not help the world one bit. Demand for fuel would not change. People will fill up their cars and delivery trucks at other service stations," van Beurden wrote on LinkedIn last week.

He goes on to say: "Society needs to take urgent action on climate change. But a court ordering one energy company to reduce its emissions – and the emissions of its customers – is not the answer. I believe Shell should work with our customers and their sectors to help them find their own pathways to achieve net-zero emissions. This will help grow demand for new low-carbon products. For companies to invest successfully, they also need bold, clear, and consistent government policies and regulations. Greater collaboration between governments, companies and customers will allow us and others to build up our low-carbon energy businesses in the fastest way."

Shell's Big Oil peers might agree with van Beurden's take.

Not all parties in the fossil fuel industry are, however, alarmed by the growing wave of climate activism or Shell's decision to lower oil production.

Indeed, OPEC and leading national oil companies (NOCs) are revelling in schadenfreude following Big Oil's latest woes, viewing it as a prime opportunity to grab more business and market share.

The boardroom and courtroom defeats of Exxon, Chevron, and Shell is sweet music in the ears of Saudi Arabia's national oil company Saudi Aramco , Russia's Gazprom and Rosneft as well as Abu Dhabi National Oil Co who are looking to capitalise by filling the gap that will be left if these companies start cutting oil production in a bid to pacify investors. "Oil and gas demand is far from peaking and supplies will be needed, but international oil companies will not be allowed to invest in this environment, meaning national oil companies have to step in," Amrita Sen from consultancy Energy Aspects has told Reuters. (Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

Alabama storm: 9 children and 1 adult killed in crash

Ten people - including nine children - have been killed after in a crash involving 18 vehicles in the storm-hit US state of Alabama on Saturday.

Butler County Coroner Wayne Garlock has said the children's ages ranged from nine months to 17 years old.

He said the vehicles were likely to have hydroplaned on the wet roads and lost control.

Tropical Depression Claudette has caused flash flooding and tornadoes, destroying dozens of homes in Alabama.

Garlock said a father and ninemonth-old girl died in one of the cars.

The other eight victims were in a bus belonging to the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch, a foster home for abandoned, neglected or abused girls. The youngest was four years old.

A bystander pulled the bus driver to safety and then tried to rescue the children, however, the bus was already engulfed in smoke and flames, WTVC television reported.

Five other people were hurt in the crash, but none of their injuries were

Highway 65 between Greenville and Fort Deposit in Alabama was closed in both directions for some time after the crash

critical, Butler County Sheriff Danny Bond told Reuters news agency.

Pictures from the scene show many burnt-out vehicles of all sizes, on the road and in the central reservation.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending 10 investigators to the site.

A 24-year-old man and three-yearold boy were also killed in Alabama on Saturday when a tree fell on their house, just outside the city of Tuscaloosa.

A search is also underway for a man in Birmingham, Alabama who may have been swept away in flood waters.

Tropical Depression Claudette brought torrential rain to much of northern Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia late on Saturday. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Iran’s only nuclear power plant undergoes emergency shutdown

Iran’s sole nuclear power plant has been temporarily shut down for a “technical overhaul”, Iranian state TV has said.

An official from the state electric energy company, Gholamali Rakhshanimehr, said on a talk show that the Bushehr plant shutdown began on Saturday and would last “for three to four days”.

He added that power outages could result. He did not elaborate further, but this is the first time Iran has reported an emergency shutdown of the plant, located in the southern port city of Bushehr.

It went online in 2011 with help from Russia. Iran is required to send spent fuel rods from the reactor back to Russia as a nuclear non-proliferation measure.

In March, nuclear official Mahmoud Jafari said the plant could stop working since Iran cannot procure parts and equipment for it from Russia due to banking sanctions imposed by the United States in 2018.

Bushehr is fuelled by uranium produced in Russia, not Iran, and is monitored by the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Abas Aslani, a senior researcher at the Tehranbased Center for Middle East Strategic Studies, told Al Jazeera that the shutdown could be a blow to an Iranian power supply already strained by cryptocurrency mining.

“Because these days we are seeing the cryptocurrency mining is consuming electricity in the country and this has caused some power outages in the past.”

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the plant was repeatedly targeted in the Iran-Iraq war. Russia later completed the construction of the facility. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Swedish PM faces defeat in Monday no-confidence vote

Stefan Lofven was on Sunday hours away from becoming the first Swedish Prime Minister to lose a no-confidence vote, after failing in a last-ditch effort to secure majority support in Parliament for proposed rent reforms.

The vote was called last week for Monday by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, after the Left Party, which Lofven relies on to pass legislation, withdrew its support over his plan to liberalise Sweden's rigid rent control system.

Lofven's centrist Social Democrats have led a fragile minority Government since inconclusive elections in 2018, striking a deal on a broad reform programme with two centre-right parties.

In one of many concessions to the Liberals and the Centre Party, he agreed to submit a proposal to Parliament in the autumn to abolish collective bargaining for rents for newly built apartments.

Lofven sought to soften the reform on Sunday by inviting landlords and tenant organisations for negotiations, but the Left Party dismissed that initiative as "political theatre." "Following the notice we have received today, the Left Party will vote 'red' tomorrow against Stefan Lofven," its leader Nooshi Dadgostar

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven speaks during a news conference at Rosenbad, as a no-confidence vote looms, in Stockholm, Sweden June 17, 2021

told a news conference.

If, as appears almost certain, Lofven loses Monday's vote, he can either resign and let the Speaker task lawmakers with trying to form a new Government, or call a snap election, something that has not happened in Sweden since 1958. In either case, national elections scheduled for September next year would go ahead as planned. Lofven, who took four months to form a Government after the 2018 election, called the Left Party's reaction irresponsible. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Hong Kong seeking closer integration with mainland China, Lam says

Hong Kong's strategy to strengthen the city's global financial hub status is through greater integration with mainland China, now that Beijing has helped restore "stability" in the city, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Sunday.

Contributing to China's financial reform and opening will inject fresh vigour into Hong Kong's economy, Lam told a financial forum in Beijing.

Worries have been growing among many non-Chinese investors in Hong Kong over what they see as vanishing rights and freedoms in the city after Beijing's imposition of a sweeping national security law in response to mass 2019 protests.

The former British colony's high degree of autonomy from Beijing, including an independent judiciary, form the bedrock on which it has flourished as a global hub. While many investors still see access to the vast China markets as an important draw, others have been reconsidering their presence in Hong Kong.

Lam said Hong Kong can play key roles in promoting China's financial development, including facilitating yuan internationalisation, helping finance mainland companies, and providing an offshore safe haven for Chinese money. "Hong Kong has never been absent from the country's reform and opening, providing capital, technology and talents," Lam said.

The city "will serve China's needs while injecting fresh vigour into Hong Kong's economy."

Hong Kong will embrace opportunities created by China's plan to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and part of Guangdong in a development zone, Lam said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

ARCHIE

DILBERT

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SATURDAY'S WORD - PIERCES

SUDOKU

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20- Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Take good care of your health and well-being. Exercising, adopting healthy eating habits and doing your best to ease stress are in your best interest. Focus on the people and hobbies that boost your morale.

Look at every angle, call on people who have something to offer and make changes that will help you feel good about your accomplishments and impress a loved one. Romance is encouraged.

Mull over your options and make responsible moves. Leave nothing to chance to avoid disappointment. Keep your suggestions and plans simple and your overhead minimal. Manage every detail yourself.

Forge into the future with optimism, and do things that bring you joy. Share your feelings and adjust to others’ needs. Pursue what you feel passionate about, and don’t stop until you’re satisfied.

Be reasonable to avoid getting into a heated discussion. Look at your options and choose what works best for everyone involved. Balance and integrity will encourage better behavior and results.

A kind gesture will work wonders when you want to get your way. Take the initiative to lend a helping hand if it will encourage others to pitch in and help. A work opportunity is heading your way.

Don’t put your home, health or happiness in jeopardy. Update your skills and prepare to make a move that will save money and boost your reputation. Change begins with you.

Explore what’s possible. Delve into something you think you’ll enjoy. Make decisions that will improve the way you live and do things. Start anew and follow your heart.

Find your voice and say what’s on your mind. Put your energy where it counts the most, and finish what you start. Setting and sticking to sensible guidelines will prove effective.

Be open to suggestions and ready to expand your plans. Taking a unique approach will lead to an exciting option. A moneymaking idea will evolve from a discussion you have with a like-minded peer.

A disciplined approach to the way you run your household will prevent anyone taking advantage of you. Put your energy where it counts. Don’t limit what you can do because of someone’s selfishness.

A partnership looks interesting, but before you agree to get involved, iron out anything that may cause a problem. A commitment to someone special will bring you closer and improve your life.

Jamieson and Conway give New Zealand the edge in Southampton

Team India will be searching for early wickets

Kyle Jamieson completed a five-wicket haul and Devon Conway passed 50 for the third time in his threeTest career as New Zealand enjoyed the better of the third day in Southampton.

The rangy Jamieson picked up where he left off on Saturday evening, taking three further wickets to finish with figures of 5-31 off 22 overs, as India lost seven for just 71 runs on the day.

A solid opening partnership got the Kiwis off to a patient start in reply, before Ravichandran Ashwin had Tom Latham caught at short-extra cover for 30 to break the 70run opening stand.

And it looked as if New Zealand would close the day just one wicket down, only for Conway to fall for 54 in what proved to be the final over of the day, with the players going off for bad light just two balls later.

Captain Kane Williamson, unbeaten on 12 from 37 deliveries, returns to the middle alongside the scoreless Ross Taylor on day four. Earlier, Virat Kohli – playing on the 10th anniversary of his Test debut – was the first wicket to fall as the India Captain failed to add to his overnight score. Jamieson got one to move back in with the fourth ball of his second over in the session, trapping Kohli in front.

Just seven runs were added before Jamieson struck again, tempting the dangerous Rishabh Pant to drive at a full ball, with Latham taking the catch at second slip.

And when Neil Wagner had Ajinkya Rahane caught at square leg for 49, it looked like India could collapse completely in the morning session, having resumed on 146-3.

But a lively 22 from Ashwin did at least ensure his side went past 200, before the allrounder became Tim Southee’s only victim of the innings, caught behind, again by Latham.

Jamieson returned to the

attack after lunch, bagging his five-for with wickets in consecutive balls. Ishant Sharma couldn’t resist a delivery that left him, with Ross Taylor taking the catch in the cordon. And Jasprit Bumrah had no answer to a full inswinging ball that would have clattered into leg stump were it not for the pads. The 26-yearold’s five-wicket haul is the fifth of his Test career, with all of those having come during the World Test Championship cycle – more than any other bowler.

Trent Boult wrapped up the innings in the very next over, with India all out for 217 having lost 7-71 on the day. New Zealand’s Taylor and Williamson will resume on 1012. (ICC)

Kyle Jamieson is congratulated by his team-mates after sending back Rishabh Pant, India v New Zealand, WTC final, 3rd day, Southampton

SCOREBOARD

INDIA 1ST INNINGS Rohit Sharma c Southee b Jamieson 34 Shubman Gill c †Watling b Wagner 28 Cheteshwar Pujara lbw b Boult 8 Virat Kohli (c) lbw b Jamieson 44 Ajinkya Rahane c Latham b Wagner 49 Rishabh Pant †c Latham b Jamieson 4 Ravindra Jadeja c †Watling b Boult 15 Ravichandran Ashwin c Latham b Southee 22 Ishant Sharma c Taylor b Jamieson 4 Jasprit Bumrah lbw b Jamieson 0 Mohammed Shami not out 4

Extras (lb 3, nb 2) 5 TOTAL (92.1 Ov, RR: 2.35) 217 Fall of wickets: 1-62 (Rohit Sharma, 20.1 ov), 2-63 (Shubman Gill, 24.3 ov), 3-88 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 40.2 ov), 4-149 (Virat Kohli, 67.4 ov), 5-156 (Rishabh Pant, 73.4 ov), 6-182 (Ajinkya Rahane, 78.4 ov), 7-205 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 85.5 ov), 8-213 (Ishant Sharma, 91.4 ov), 9-213 (Jasprit Bumrah, 91.5 ov), 10-217 (Ravindra Jadeja, 92.1 ov)

NEW ZEALAND 1ST INNINGS

Tom Latham c Kohli b Ashwin 30 Devon Conway c Mohammed Shami b I Sharma 54 Kane Williamson(c) not out 12 Ross Taylor not out 0

Extras (lb 3, nb 2) 5 TOTAL (49 Ov, RR: 2.06) 101/2

Yet to bat: Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling †, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult

Fall of wickets: 1-70 (Tom Latham, 34.2 ov), 2-101 (Devon Conway, 48.4 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W Ishant Sharma 12-4-19-1 Jasprit Bumrah 11-3-34-0 Mohammed Shami 11-4-19-0 Ravichandran Ashwin 12-5-20-1 Ravindra Jadeja 3-1-6-0

BOWLING O-M-R-W Tim Southee 22-6-64-1 Trent Boult 21.1-4-47-2 Kyle Jamieson 22-12-31-5 Colin de Grandhomme 12-6-32-0 Neil Wagner 15-5-40-2

Verstappen triumphs over Hamilton after late pass in scintillating French Grand Prix

Red Bull took their third consecutive win of the season at a cracking French Grand Prix courtesy of Max Verstappen, who passed Lewis Hamilton with two laps to go to claim the 13th victory of his career, Hamilton finishing second as the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez completed the podium.

In a mirror of the Spanish Grand Prix – when Mercedes outstrategised Red Bull to claim the victory – Verstappen stopped twice to Hamilton’s one-stop, with the Dutchman then using his fresher tyres to close up to the Mercedes, passing on Lap 52 of 53 to check out for his third win of the year.

It more than made up for Verstappen losing out to Hamilton from pole at the race start, Verstappen taking the win as well as the extra point for fastest lap – with the result also marking the first time Red Bull have won three races on the bounce in the turbo-hybrid era.

Valtteri Bottas ended up a disgruntled fourth behind Perez, having complained to Mercedes that he was ignored when he advised them to switch to a two-stop, as Red Bull did with Verstappen.

Behind the leading four, a superb day for McLaren saw Lando Norris finish a fine fifth, ahead of teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who enjoyed arguably his best race of the year to take sixth.

AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly demonstrated strong race pace to take his best-ever finish in his home Grand Prix with P7, ahead of the Alpine of Fernando Alonso.

Sebastian Vettel made a long first stint work to take his third consecutive points finish with ninth, while team-mate Lance Stroll completed the top 10 thanks to a late pass on the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz – capping off a bad day for the Scuderia, who lacked race pace at Paul Ricard, with Sainz ending up 11th as Leclerc could do no better than P16.

But after a thriller of a French Grand Prix, it was all about Verstappen, who took an decisive strike at the start of the first triple header of what’s turning into a phenomenal 2021 season, extending his lead over Hamilton in the drivers' standings to 12 points. (F1)

Team Evolution boys dominate as Griffith wins Father's Day race

National female champion Suzanne Hamilton continues to reign supreme

Story and PhotoS By Brandon Corlette

It was total domination for the Team Evolution cyclists at the Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club Father's Day race on the West Side. Christopher Griffith won the close contest, clocking in at one hour 41 minutes and 36 seconds.

The riders weathered the storms and conquered the sunshine on a mixed Sunday morning, riding from Schoonord to Parika and turning for the finish at the point of origin.

He was closely trailed by his team-mates, the veteran Stephen Fernandes and the young Curtis Dey. National masters champion and Paralympic hopeful, Walter Grant-Stuart rode in fourth followed by another Evolution rider, Paul De Nobrega. Alex Mendes (sixth) rounded out the top finishers.

Fernandes topped the masters category, followed by Grant-Stuart and Mendes. Berbician Mario Washington topped the junior category, followed by Sherwin Sampson. Deeraj Garbarran took three sprint prizes while Jason Cameron, De Nobrega, and Griffith had one sprint prize each.

In the female category, national champion Suzanne Hamilton rode solo to claim the win, clocking in at one hour 12 minutes and 14 seconds over a reduced distance. Clavicia Spencer came sec-

ond in the female category. Despite the likes of national champion Romello Crawford and top-of-the-line riders Raynauth Jeffrey, Michael Anthony, Jamual John and Briton John being absent, approximately 40 riders battled for supremacy.

The collaborative race effort involved Banks DIH Limited brands Malta Supreme and Rainforest Waters and Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club. The COVID-19 task force granted permission for this race and the Guyana Police Force played an integral role in the event.

The top three finishers in each of the categories: juniors, juveniles, veterans and ladies, were also rewarded. The Carlton Wheelersorganised race was last held in 2019, owing to restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

With early-morning showers, Griffith, who is known around cycling as “Chicken Legs”, said the conditions suited him and he was followed every time he went on the attack. He also credited his Team Evolutions.

National masters champion Walter Grant-Stuart was surrounded by a sea of red

Mario Washington was the best junior rider

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Sunday announced an eight-match whiteball series between the West Indies Women and Pakistan Women and a historic six-match white-ball series between the West Indies Women A Team and Pakistan Women A Team, with both series taking place in Antigua from June 30 to July 18. The tour will see the return of women’s international cricket to the Caribbean for the first time in 19 months, given the impact of COVID-19.

Pakistan will arrive in the Caribbean on June 23 ahead of the T20 International (T20I) series, which starts on June 30. The T20Is and T20 A Team matches will be played on the same day and at the same venues as “double-headers”.

The teams will then switch gears as they head into a fivematch CG Insurance One Day International (ODI) Series and three-match CG Insurance A Team One-Day Series starting on July 7 and 10 respectively. All matches will take place at the two International Cricket Council (ICC) accredited grounds in Antigua, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

The ODI series will be vital preparation for both teams as they will face each other in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers that are due to take place in Sri Lanka in December for one of the three remaining qualifying spots for the Cricket World Cup in New Zealand 2022.

CWI’s investment in women’s cricket is one of eight key initiatives within CWI’s strategic plan, designed to develop the next generation of women cricketers, increase participation in the sport and generate additional opportunities for competition at the highest level.

CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams said: “This is a very significant home tour for our women and we are delighted that our counterparts at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have worked with us to arrange these two series despite all the challenges we face with COVID-19. CWI continues to

Fixtures

T20I Series:

June 30: Sir Vivian Richards

Stadium, North Sound

July 02: Coolidge Cricket

Ground, Coolidge July 04: Sir Vivian Richards

Stadium, North Sound ODI Series:

July 07: Coolidge Cricket

Ground, Coolidge

July 09: Coolidge Cricket

Ground, Coolidge July 12: Sir Vivian Richards

Stadium, North Sound July 15: Sir Vivian Richards

Stadium, North Sound

July 18: Coolidge Cricket

Ground, Coolidge invest in our international women’s programme by hosting extended high-performance camps between tours, two of which have already been held this year. “In addition, the opportunity to host our first-ever A Team Series is brilliant, as it means that our developing players will get the chance to compete against high-quality international opponents and push for selection to the senior team.

“The series is also an important part of our preparation for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in December. Our goal post this Pakistan series, is to have our squad play against more international opposition and take part in our regional tournament before heading to the Qualifiers in Sri Lanka at the end of the year.”

The West Indies Women last played in the Caribbean in a bilateral series against India in November 2019, following which all home cricket was postponed in 2020 owing to COVID-19. The West Indies Women last played on the Sandals West Indies Women’s Tour to England in September 2020 in a five-match T20I series. (CWI)

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Rassie van der Dussen sets West Indies big target

Rassie van der Dussen's defiant, unbeaten 75 and a 70run eighth-wicket stand with Kagiso Rabada took the sting out of West Indies' fine bowling exploits in the second session on Day 3, and helped set a steep target of 324 for the home side. West Indies began the day with a dreamy session, but let it all slip away in the second to end up having to climb a mountain. On a pitch that was still being a fast bowler's ally, West Indies saw out their first hurdle as they went to stumps without having lost a wicket.

Having remained indoors for the entirety of the morning session due to a wet outfield, West Indies took the field with a renewed sense of confidence despite their batting ineptitude of Day 2 putting them in a position of disadvantage.

Kemar Roach gave them a reason to shrug off the pressure very early as he squared up Aiden Markram with a hint of away movement and got him to nick to Jason Holder at slips on just the third ball of the innings.

Roach then smartly planted seeds of doubt in Dean Elgar's mind. The South African Captain, renowned for his abstinence against deliveries outside the off stump, ended up prodding at one, falling for the inward angle created by the West Indian who bowled from round the stumps.

Keegan Petersen and van der Dussen took it upon themselves to pull South Africa out of this early rabbit hole, and showed potential for success, until Kraigg Brathwaite's bowling change put a spanner in the works. Kyle Mayers had the rub of the green on his side as Petersen undid the little hard work he'd put in by chopping on what looked like an innocuous delivery that was short and wide of off stump. Mayers didn't crank up the pace, but his lines were still probing enough for Kyle Verrynne to hang his bat out and nick it to Joshua da Silva behind the stumps, leaving the team on 52 for 4.

By the time players had to run off the field due to the return of rain, the visitors were down to 63 for 6. That would soon become 73 for 7 as West Indies came back from the Tea intermission with a similar vigour. But that fizzled out as van der Dussen's search for a competent batting partner led him to a feisty Kagiso Rabada, who played a big role in slowly but surely dragging the game away from West Indies.

A straight six off Kemar Roach – West Indies' most threatening bowler on the day, was the sign of confidence that Rabada had found as his innings progressed, as he set himself up for a maiden half-century. Though Roach sullied those plans with a change of pace, Rabada's 48-ball 40 and the stand with van der Dussen did a lot of damage to West Indies' hopes of forcing series parity.

Roach dug in further, getting Nortje to nick one to the keeper, but Lungi Ngidi batted out 20 balls and kept van der Dussen company for eight overs as he pushed the team's lead. It was brought to a halt at 324, when Ngidi stepped out to Brathwaite's parttime spin and got stumped.

For four overs, Rabada and Ngidi prodded and probed, but in futility as Brathwaite and Kieran Powell played them out. The light meter was brought out, and after just one over of Keshav Maharaj's spin, the umpires called it a day to leave West Indies on 15 for 0, still in need of 309 runs to square out the series. (cricbuzz)

Kyle Mayers produced some big wickets (AFP Getty Images)

Rassie van der Dussen scored an unbeaten half-century

SCOREBOARD

SA 2ND INNINGS Aiden Markram c Holder b Roach 4 Dean Elgar (c)c Holder b Roach 10 Keegan Petersen b Mayers 18 Rassie van der Dussen not out 75 Kyle Verreynne c †Da Silva b Mayers 6 Quinton de Kock †c † Da Silva b Holder 0 Wiaan Mulder c Hope b Mayers 0 Keshav Maharaj c Holder b Seales 6 Kagiso Rabada c sub (DM Bravo) b Roach 40 Anrich Nortje c †Da Silva b Roach 3 Lungi Ngidi st †Da Silva b Brathwaite 6

Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 4) 6 TOTAL (53 Ov, RR: 3.28) 174

Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Aiden Markram, 0.3 ov), 2-33 (Dean Elgar, 7.5 ov), 3-44 (Keegan Petersen, 13.2 ov), 4-52 (Kyle Verreynne, 17.6 ov), 5-53 (Quinton de Kock, 18.4 ov), 6-54 (Wiaan Mulder, 19.6 ov), 7-73 (Keshav Maharaj, 26.2 ov), 8-143 (Kagiso Rabada, 42.4 ov), 9-152 (Anrich Nortje, 44.6 ov), 10-174 (Lungi Ngidi, 52.6 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Kemar Roach 13-1-52-4 Shannon Gabriel 6-0-28-0 Jayden Seales 11-3-34-1 Kyle Mayers 9-2-24-3 Jason Holder 11-2-24-1 Kraigg Brathwaite 3-0-10-1

WI 2ND INNINGS Kraigg Brathwaite (c) not out 5 Kieran Powell not out 9

Extras (lb 1) 1 TOTAL (6 Ov, RR: 2.50) 15

Yet to bat: Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva †, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Shannon Gabriel

BOWLING O-M-R-W Kagiso Rabada 3-1-5-0 Lungi Ngidi 2-0-6-0 Keshav Maharaj 1-0-3-0

National Senior Track and Field Championships... Bright, Archibald, Williams shine on final day

Devaun Barrington crosses the line steps ahead of the competition

Story and PhotoS by Jemima holmeS

The National Senior Track and Field Championships came to an exciting close on Sunday evening at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, West Demerara.

Left for the last day, the 200m contest brought boisterous shouts from fellow athletes, for the headline event of the day.

Daniel Williams’s 21.06s time was the best of the lot, while Akeem Stewart clocked 21.35s for second place. Noelex Holder completed the podium with a time of 21.46s.

In the women’s event, Juvonna Cornette was the victor, clocking 24.85s. Ruth Sanmoogan finished in 25.13s for second and Keliza Smith capped off the podium positions with a time of 25.24s.

Chantoba Bright made it a double gold in the jumps earlier in the afternoon. After the triple jump on Friday, she returned to the sandpit on Sunday, leaping 6.28m to win the women’s long jump. With a jump of 6.02m, Sanmoogan took second place, while Toyan Raymond was third with a best jump of 5.82m.

As the event came to a close, Emmanuel Archibald was declared the men’s long jump winner with a best jump of 7.82m.

Devaun Barrington proved unbeatable in the men’s 200m final, clocking 1m 53s for the top spot. Nicholas Daw trailed closely behind with a time of 1m 55.84s for second. Anfernee Headecker closed off the top three with a time of 1m 55.95s.

Joanna Archer was the champ on the distaff side with a time of 2m 12.62s for first place. Shaquka Tyrell was the next best finisher, clocking 2m 19s, while Tia Azore finished in 2m 32s for third place.

The men’s 5000m race also brought some excitement, as Cleveland Thomas and Sir Kennard Hartog fought for the top spot. After popping each other in a few laps, experience prevailed as Thomas clocked 16m 1s for first place. Hartog eventually crossed the line in 16m 29s for second while Marlon Nicholson clocked 16m 40s for third place.

The meet was labelled a success by Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) President Aubrey Huston, with the Association’s next meet expected to be the National Youth and Juniors Championships, which are tentatively scheduled for July.

Emmanuel Archibald was the standout in the long jump event

(Jemima Holmes photo)

Cleveland Thomas and Sir Kennard Hartog were neck in neck, before Thomas won