Guyana Times - Saturday, August 6, 2022

It’s painful to have to justify CCJ’s legitimacy, competence – Justice Saunders

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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 5092

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

Tullow hits water-bearing well offshore Guyana See story on page 3

…plugs, abandons Beebei-Potaro in Kanuku Block

Guyana offers land to "Save Soil" Movement

See story on page 2

PRICE

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Heavy fines soon as GPF, EPA tackle P7 noise nuisance GuySuCo to use drone technology P12 for fertiliser distribution, crop-monitoring

EBE fisherman’s murder

Verdict looms for former AFC councillor, father, P8 neighbour

100 single-flat, 2-bedroom housing units are being constructed at Ordnance Fortlands, East Canje, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) (CH&PA photo)

5 injured, hospitalised following Essequibo Coast accident 24-year-old GAWU calls on charged for GuySuCo to use death of Berbice resources to businessman hike production See story on page 10

See stories on pages 9 & 13

…as Ramjattan calls for removal of CEO over fallout with board members

Page 9

…released on $750,000 bail

Sophia men remanded for armed robbery, discharging gun, B&E P14

Refrigeration and air conditioning sector

Guyana receives funding for P14 acquisition of new equipment to train technicians

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana offers land to “Save Soil” Movement P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali said that the Government of Guyana is committed to supporting the Global “Save Soil” movement.

The President gave this assurance during an engagement with world-famous yoga guru and spiritual master, Jagadish Vasudev, known as Sadhguru, at State House on Friday afternoon.

Ali told Sadhguru that Guyana is willing to work towards becoming the home of the “Save Soil” Movement and is committed to providing land to start a pilot project.

Sadhguru was accompanied by world-renowned Soca artiste and ambas-

sador of the Movement, Machel Montano.

In March of this year, Guyana’s Government inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Isha Foundation, which is one of several Caribbean countries that is supporting the Save Soil Movement.

Sadhguru was in Guyana in March, where the framework was signed at State House during a reception hosted by President Ali. Sadhguru is leading a global effort called the Conscious Planet—which, among other things, promotes awareness of soil degradation through the Save Soil Movement. The

movement is geared towards inspiring people to support policy redirections to safeguard, nurture and sustain soil and drive national policy changes in 193 nations toward raising and maintaining the organic content of the soil to a minimum of three to six per cent.

At an event hosted at the National Cultural Centre subsequent to the signing, he shared, “Soil depletion may come to such a point where people may try to transport food to feed people but if people are not growing food where they are living, at least 60 per cent of it, you are sitting on a potential disaster. It is great today that

President Dr Irfaan Ali chatting with world-famous yoga, guru and spiritual master Jagadish Vasudev, known as Sadhguru, at State House. Also in photo are world-renowned Soca artiste and ambassador of the Movement, Machel Montano; Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, and Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues

the Caribbean nations are focusing on that direction.

In the Caricom region, everybody is thinking in terms of how we must be producing the food that we need.”

This is the second time Sadhguru has visited the Caribbean region.

Montano became an ambassador of the Save Soil Movement during his jour-

ney to greater spirituality and awareness, where he completed a seven-month Sadhanapada programme at the Isha Yoga Centre in India, under the tutelage of Sadhguru.

Save Soil will address the soil crisis by bringing together people from around the world to stand up for soil health, and supporting leaders of all na-

tions to institute national policies and actions toward increasing the organic content in cultivable soil.

At Friday’s meeting in Guyana were Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry Susan Rodrigues and Director of Projects at the Office of the President Marcia Nadir-Sharma.

NEWS

3

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Saturday, Aug 6 – 23:00h – 00:30h and Sunday, Aug 7 – 23:30h – 01:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, Aug 6 – 10:05h – 11:35h and Sunday, Aug 7 – 11:30h – 13:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 310 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Westerly to North North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 10:54h and 23:19h reaching maximum heights of 2.58 metres and 2.36 metres.

Low Tide: 16:46h reaching a minimum height of 0.97 metre.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

08 14 16

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FREE TICKET

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2022

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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Tullow hits water-bearing well offshore Guyana …plugs, abandons Beebei-Potaro in Kanuku Block

L

ondon-based Tullow Oil has hit water in the Beebei-Potaro exploration well, drilled in the Kanuku Block offshore Guyana.

In a statement issued on Friday, Tullow announced that drilling operations have been completed at the Beebei-Potaro well, which has been plugged and abandoned following these results.

“The well encountered good quality reservoir in the primary and secondary targets, but both targets were water-bearing,” the oil company has said.

The Noble Regina Allen rig drilled the Beebei-Potaro well to a total depth of 4325 metres in 71 metres of water.

While Spain’s Repsol is the operator of the Kanuku Licence with a 37.5 per cent working interest, Tullow holds 37.5 per cent, with TOQAP holding – a joint venture between Total E&P Guyana and Qatar Petroleum – holding the remaining 25 per cent.

According to Friday’s statement, Tullow said it would integrate the well results into its regional subsurface models, and work with its joint venture partners before deciding on next steps. Previously, Tullow had encountered oil at the Carapa-1 in the Kanuku Licence, but not in commercial quantities.

Several international reports, including from Reuters, have reported that Tullow has been focused on its successful operations in Africa. A Reuters article on Friday reported that Tullow had previously said it would limit capital exposure in Guyana, and would possibly be selling a portion of its stake to another company.

But the article noted that the company has so far not announced any plan to do so.

Last November, Tullow was confident of the exploration results from the Kanuku Block, which is adjacent to the oil-rich Stabroek Block.

“In Guyana, the Kanuku JV Partners plan to drill the Beebei-Potaro commitment well in mid-2022, targeting in excess of 200 mmbbls gross mean unrisked prospective resources across two targets,” Tullow had said back then.

In addition to its interest in the Kanuku Licence, Tullow is also the operator of the Orinduik Block offshore Guyana, where it has made two other discoveries at the Jethro-1 and Joe1 wells.

However, those findings showed heavy crude with high sulphur content – a variety of oil that is less economically viable than the light, sweet crude found

by United States oil giant ExxonMobil in the neigh-

The Noble Regina Allen rig that drilled the Beebei-Potaro well

bouring Stabroek Block.

As the operator of the Orinduik Block, Tullow holds 60 per cent working interest, while Eco Atlantic hold 15 per cent and TOQAP holds the remaining 25 per cent.

In March 2021, the Government of Guyana granted Tullow Oil and its partners an extension of its prospecting licence in the Orinduik Block until 2023. Eco’s Chief Operating Officer, Colin Kinley, had stated at the time that the joint venture partners

would continue their exploration activities with the use of available geophysical data and evaluations of their Joe and Jethro wells’ discoveries.

“The partnership is focused on its multiple light sweet oil prospects on the Orinduik Block, and we are high-grading candidates for the next drilling program, with the Operator expected to select targets later this year. We will update the market on further drilling plans in due course on our opportunity and prospects

in this prolific oil basin,” he was quoted as saying.

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from ExxonMobil’s discoveries in the Liza and Payara fields.

It is under administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow.

It has been a rough few years for Tullow, which in 2020 was forced to write off US$1.2 billion in wells that were not financially viable.

Included in the 2019 amount is US$60 million for three wells Tullow drilled offshore Guyana, but could not continue working thereon.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

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

Welcoming hefty fines

T

he announcement that hefty fines will be imposed upon persons committing the offence of noise nuisance shows that long-awaited action is finally being taken.

It is welcome news that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are holding accountable violators who continue to break the law.

For years, there has been a plethora of complaints from persons in various parts of the country pertaining to noise nuisance. In every instance, the frustration of those affected was very evident, and one common gripe was the perceived lack of action by the authorities to fully address the situation.

The sources of the audio bombardment include what seem ubiquitous limes and other entertainment shows, neighbours, bars and vehicles.

In every scenario, people are subjected to brutal and sustained assaults by high- decibel sounds which often last throughout the night. The harsh reality is that everyone within the affected zone - including children, the elderly and the sick - is rendered helpless and deprived of sleep. That in itself brings or exacerbates related health consequences, as people feel a profound sense of lassitude, since their energy has been sapped.

Some complaints detailed the horrible effects, especially on babies. A toll is eventually taken, and, in turn, productivity and studies are affected for those who work and attend institutions of learning respectively. There have been numerous calls overtime for law enforcement to curb this menace.

The GPF itself had admitted that statistics have overtime shown an increase in complaints of noise nuisance, and prosecutions are low. This came on the heels of concerns raised by residents who continue to report problems of noise nuisance in their areas.

Of course, some reports are responded to and action is taken, but clearly it does not present a deterrent to those who continue to make others uncomfortable. It begs the question whether they really understand the impact noise has on people. Further, this may be an impetus for the authorities to relook at not just the criteria for granting permission for bar-b-ques and entertainment shows, but for the proximity of residents to be taken as a primary consideration.

Barring national events, weddings and other necessary, infrequent events to some extent, the wellbeing of people must be foremost. It is understood that there is a requirement for the Police, as one of the approving authorities, to get the consent of residents before granting approval for events in question. This is clearly an area in which the public can be advised on whether it is being done in a sustained and thorough manner.

The growing phenomenon of parked vehicles belting loud music is also having the same effect. Similarly, what occurs in some minibuses need no explanation.

For the schoolchildren, this not only poses a health issue, but has a profound influence on their minds and actions.

Useful research would be to explore the correlation between the exposure to this type of music and violence and other unsavoury actions in schools by some students. In many ways, this can be deemed as a form of mind-conditioning of the younger ones, and it can have serious social consequences. It may also be useful to explore if there is a correlation between this and poor academic grades.

While the findings of the research, if conducted, would be extremely useful, there first has to be a firmer acceptance by the authorities of the serious problem and related consequences of loud music, which is a form of pollution.

There is no doubt that the Police are challenged for resources if their priority is to be combating crime. That said, there has to be a commitment to find a way to make noise nuisance a priority, thereby paving the way for it to be dealt with in a sustained manner.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand chatting with a child during the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant distribution at Peter's Hall Primary School, East Bank Demerara, on Friday (Education Ministry photo)

Singing the Jamaican Independence blues

By Lloyd B Smith

I

was 15 years old when Jamaica, my island home, became politically independent on August 6, 1962.

Frankly, it didn't mean much to me then as mentally the British-influenced education I had received up to that point in time made me feel inferior to every white and brown-skinned individual that crossed my path. And in the living room at home there was still a framed photograph featuring Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, holding pride of place.

In primary school we sang Rule Britannia, Rule the Waves and God Save the Queen. Africa, we were told, was the Dark Continent, and I remember reading a book that had illustrations of Bombo the elephant and other wild creatures intermingled with half-naked-looking black "savages" who I would later learn were, in fact, my ancestors.

Needless to say, I felt uncomfortable in my black skin, gaining very little comfort from singing "Lord, wash me whiter than snow…" in church.

So there I was in Jarrett Park, named after a former slave-owning family, watching the Union Jack take its final plunge at midnight as the Jamaican flag, the black, green, and gold, was raised and unfurled in the glaring lights, accompanied by much fanfare and cheers. Honestly, my main reason for going at the time, like many of other black teenage boys present at this historic occasion, was to satisfy the urges of the raging hormones in my body that could only be satiated by copulating with a young member of the female gender, which such a crowded setting provided.

To put it bluntly, we were not prepared, by virtue of the

education we had received up till then, to fully appreciate the true significance of that major turning point in our country's history. Sadly, some 60 years later, it is safe to say that our creaking educational system has not helped in the process of emancipating us from mental slavery despite the so-called benefits of gaining political independence. Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding, one of the nation's most insightful leaders, in a recent speech bemoaned this very fact, that Jamaica's "biggest" failure since Independence is the education sector. Need I say more?

In 1958, when I passed "scholarship" (Common Entrance Examination), thanks to that visionary and bold step taken by Premier Norman Washington Manley to give children of the working class the opportunity to attend traditional high schools, which were more accommodating to the privileged few, I was so ecstatic because I had been selected to attend Cornwall College, a prestigious all-boys high school. I was only one of three boys from my district that got that opportunity. One was a brown-skinned upper middle-class youth and the other was the son of a high-profile civil servant.

My father was a headman on Barnett Estates, a sugar plantation. I will never forget that day when I came for lunch, from my nearby school, at a shop operated by my parents on Jarrett Street — a short distance from Montego Bay Boys' School, now Corinaldi Primary, where the then headmaster was former Governor General Sir Howard Cooke.

Picking up The Gleaner, my mother, beaming with pride, announced that I had passed scholarship. My father replied rather gruffly that, that was a waste of time and it would have been better "if di boy go

learn a trade". Tears filled my eyes and I felt so deflated, but many years later he would bask with pride in my many achievements and, yes, I forgave him because I understood why he reacted that way.

Marcus Garvey would have too. Contrary to the general perception, Jamaica's march to Independence was not as romantic as some would have us believe. Indeed, renowned academician the late professor Dr George Eaton in his seminal book Alexander Bustamante and Modern Jamaica published by Kingston Publishers Limited (a Michael Henryowned company which is now LMH Publishers) and which I had the privilege of editing, wrote: "Undoubtedly, also, the price paid by the community at large was that the march towards self-government and political Independence became so gradual (this was due mainly to the Federation tussle between the warring cousins [Alexander] Bustamante and [Norman] Manley) that it ended up being a damper rather than a stimulus to the spirit of innovation and national regeneration. When the final constitutional step was taken in August 1962, Jamaicans were not impressed or convinced that a new era had dawned or was about to dawn or that they stood on the threshold of a new exhilarating experiment in living.

"Unlike their counterparts in many African and Asian countries, the Jamaican populace had not been welded together by armed resistance or civil disobedience directed against the colonial power. They had not been electrified by a threatened assertion or declaration of independence, nor had they participated, except in a purely formal or perfunctory sense, in the more mundane but no less exalted task of devising

an independence constitution. It was hardly surprising, then, that the island entered its independence stage in a mood of half-hearted, simulated enthusiasm, hardly filled with any real passion for its achievement.

Colonialism, for Jamaicans, ended not in a bang, but a whimper."

Is it any wonder then, even to this day, that many Jamaicans still think that they would have been better off if Jamaica had remained a British colony? Are our feet too big for our shoes?

On the eve of our 60th Independence Day, faced with an undisciplined, blood-thirsty, and seemingly don't-care nation, the Government, amidst all the celebrations and hoopla, must resolve to create a way of life which will make citizenship a meaningful existence and experience for members of the society and release creative energies and talents which are needed to realise that objective. And, as Professor Eaton declared, "In this social equation, leadership can be a factor of critical importance, if for no other reason than that the dedication and inspiration of popular leaders can do much to raise the levels of effort and sacrifice on the part of members of the society."

It is this writer's hope that, even as we take pride in our many achievements as a fledgling nation facing many challenges, we also do a reality check and vow to do what we can in our little corner to make Jamaica "the place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business." After all, "nuh weh no betta dan yaad!"

(Jamaica Observer) (Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 45 years. He has also served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

5

Govt’s response to AFC press statement – insurance and full liability coverage T

he EPA noted inaccuracies in a recent press release by the AFC, repeating certain statements made by the former head of the EPA, Vince Adams. The EPA offers the following response to provide clarity to the public, to avoid any further confusion on the subject of insurance and liability coverage.

The Environmental Protection Agency is guided first and foremost by the Environmental Protection Act and its suite of regulations. Where the risk of oil spills is concerned, financial assurance is provided for in sections 30 and 31 of the Environmental Protection Act.

Insurance

It must be made clear that only Liza 1 permit, issued in 2017, did not have a specific requirement for insurance coverage. Whilst the insurance requirement was introduced in Liza 2, it was only in the Payara, Yellowtail, and the recently renewed Liza 1 Permits were the requirement for insurance coverage and parent guarantee clearly defined.

In Yellowtail Permit, it is ensured that EEPGL is held liable for all costs associated with clean up, restoration, and compensation for any pollution damage which may occur as a consequence of the project. EEPGL is also

required to have Financial Assurance, which includes a combination of Insurance which must “cover well control, and/or clean up and third-party liability on terms that are market standard for the type of coverage”.

The EPA is in receipt of insurance policies from EEPGL for all permits issued; namely: Liza 1, Liza 2, Payara, and is currently awaiting Yellowtail insurance policy. Each of these insurance policies has been executed and has coverage of a total of US$600 million per occurrence of a spill in the event. This per occurrence value covers third party liabilities, clean up and well

control.

None of the insurance policies provided has US$2.5 billion coverage for oil spill, as is purported by the former EPA Head.

Parent Company/ Affiliate Guarantee

The EPA was presented with a draft parent company/ affiliate guarantee, and is engaging EEPGL on its proposed total guarantee of US$2 billion from an affiliate company in the event EEPGL and its coventurers default. The EPA is ensuring that the circumstances under which the affiliate guarantee will be operationalized, and the specific obligations cov-

WI, Indian cricket fans appreciate President Ali’s intervention

Dear Editor, On behalf of my New York-based family and West Indies cricketing fans all over the world, especially in the United States, let me publicly thank His Excellency the President of Guyana, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, for saving the day for the WI/India cricket matches scheduled to be played in Florida, USA this

weekend.

The online sports site “cricbuzz.com” reported that “Thanks to the intervention of the Guyana Government, the US visas for some players and support staff of the two sides could be obtained, albeit at the eleventh hour.

Cricbuzz can confirm that it required the efforts of Irfaan Ali, the President of Guyana, to get the travel ap-

provals.”

“It was a timely and influential diplomatic effort by His Excellency”, said Ricky Skerritt, the President of Cricket West Indies (CWI), thanking the head of the Guyana Government.”

My brothers and I paid the handsome fares and fees for the Florida matches coming up this weekend, but we

ered, are clear and acceptable. The EP A in the Yellowtail and renewed Liza 1 permits require that a Parent Company/Affiliate Guarantee Agreement is provided, which indemnifies and keeps indemnified the EPA and the Government of Guyana in the event EEPGL and its coventurers fail to meet their environmental obligations under the Permit.

Further, the EPA requires that the financial assurance (US$2 billion) provided must be guided by an estimate of the sum of the reasonably credible costs, expenses, and liabilities that may arise from any breaches of this permit.

Liabilities are considered to include costs associated with responding to an incident, clean-up and remediation, and monitoring.

It is also ensured that this value can be renegotiated to cover for increasing

risks in the Stabroek Block as a result of increasing projects.

Conclusion

The requirement for insurance and parent guarantee, and the terms and conditions for each of these were strengthened in the recent Permits issued; namely Payara, Yellowtail and renewed Liza 1, in late 2020 and 2022 respectively. The EPA is not in possession of any documentation that indicates any commitment by EEPGL to the former Head to provide US$2.5 billion in insurance coverage. If this is available, the EPA humbly asks that Vince Adams provide a copy to the EPA and/ or the public.

A draft Parent company/ Affiliate Guarantee received in 2021, and offering guaranteed coverage of US2 billion, is being negotiated by the EPA at this time.

were told that many of the key players were lacking visas for the US – Games off!

What a standup guy this President is, that he could take time off from his busy schedule to facilitate the visas for the fans.

Thank you, Mr President!

Sincerely, Dev Persaud

Saturday, August 6, 2022

06:00H (Sign on) Inspirational Time 06:30H Cartoons 07:00H Evening News (RB) 08:00H Stop Suffering 09:00H Movie - Lightyear (2022) 10:45H Indian Movie - Major (2022) 13:30H Movie - The Engagement Back-Up (2022) 15:00H Movie - Sneakerella (2022) 17:00H Payless Power Hour 18:00H Evangelistic Hour 18:30H Hepzibah 19:00H The Evening News 20:00H Islam for Guyana 20:30H Movie - Two Tickets to Paradise (2022) 22:00H Movie - The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) 00:00H Sign off

6

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

Page

Foundation

◄

Rates

Sometimes, you will be asked to solve a problem about rates. A rate is a fixed ratio between things. For example: Margot drives at a rate of 50 kilometres per hour. How many hours does it take her to drive 75 kilometres?

Notice this is really a proportion problem.

Exercises: Solve

1) Benny eats 4 mangoes in 3 days. How many days will it take for him to eat a basket of mangoes containing 48 mangoes?

2) Angela travels 400 kilometres in 8 hours. How many kilometres will she travel in a day?

3) 10 horses can plough 20 acres of land in 20 minutes. How many acres of land can 5 horses plough in one hour?

4) How many minutes will it take 500 people to stack 10,000 chairs if each person can stack 10 chairs per minute?

5) Seelall can polish 480 square metres of floor in 6 hours? It is the day before Christmas, how long will it take him to polish the dining room floor which is half that size?

6) A farmer uses 3 tonnes of organic fertiliser (compost) on his fields that encompass 7 acres to grow the best vegetables. How many acres can he fertilise with 21 tonnes?

By A shepherd had a faithful dog, called Sultan, who had grown very old, and had lost all his teeth. And one day when the shepherd and his wife were standing together before the house the shepherd said, “I will shoot old Sultan tomorrow morning, for he is of no use now.”

But his wife said, “Pray let the poor faithful creature live; he has served us well a great many years, and we ought to give him a livelihood for the rest of his days.” “But what can we do with him?” said the shepherd, “he has not a tooth in his head, and the thieves don’t care for

the

Brothers Grimm

him at all; to be sure he has served us, but then he did it to earn his livelihood; tomorrow shall be his last day, depend upon it.”

Poor Sultan, who was lying close by them, heard all that the shepherd and his wife said to one another, and was very much frightened to think tomorrow would be his last day; so in the evening he went to his good friend the wolf, who lived in the wood, and told him all his sorrows, and how his master meant to kill him in the morning. “Make yourself easy,” said the wolf, “I will give you some good advice. Your master,

you know, goes out every morning very early with his wife into the field; and they take their little child with them, and lay it down behind the hedge in the shade while they are at work. Now do you lie down close by the child, and pretend to be watching it, and I will come out of the wood and run away with it; you must run after me as fast as you can, and I will let it drop; then you may carry it back, and they will think you have saved their child, and will be so thankful to you that they will take care of you as long as you live.”

WORD SEARCH

7 Hinterland parents more receptive to COVID-19 children’s vaccination NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…74 new cases recorded

F

ollowing his announcement of the latest COVID-19 vaccination statistics, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has revealed that parents in the hinterland regions have been more active in vaccinating their children against the virus than those on the coastland.

During a COVID-19 update on Friday, Dr Anthony said the Health Ministry would work with parents in increasing the vaccination rate of children aged from 5 years to 11 and above.

“I think some parents now have been bringing out their children, and we have noticed, in some of the interior locations, that parents are taking it a little bit more seriously than (those) on the Coast. So, we’ll continue to work with those parents who are interested in getting their children vaccinated,” the Health Minister has said.

Current COVID-19 vaccination stats reveal that 6,964 persons, or 6.8% of children aged between 5 and 11 years, have received the first dose of a COVID vaccine; while 2,061 persons, or 2% of the abovementioned children, have received a second dose of same.

Other vaccination stats show that 445,168 persons, or 86.8% of Guyana’s adult population, have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; while 344,803 persons, or 67.2% of the adult

population, have received a second dose.

The uptake rate of booster doses still distantly trails the rate of vaccination doses taken, with only 71,306 booster doses having been administered.

For children aged 12 to 17 years, latest vaccination figures indicate that 35,435 persons, or 48.6% of this age cohort, have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; while 25,926 persons, or 35.5% of this cohort, have received a second dose.

New cases

Meanwhile, 74 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours. This now takes the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana to 70,083, according to the Health Ministry’s updated COVID-19 Dashboard for Friday.

However, only 545 of these cases are currently active, with one patient being in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining persons being in isolation – 528 in home isolation and the other 16 in institutional isolation.

The COVID-19 death toll in the country currently stands at 1271, with the latest fatality recorded on July 25 being a 74-yearold male from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

During the month of July, a total of 16 persons died from the virus, but no

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD AUGUST 5, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

74

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

16

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

528

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

1

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

1

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

37,977

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

32,106

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

70,083

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

68,267

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

Deputy Commander of Regional Division Three, Superintendent Khalid Mandal

A

s the Guyana Police Force (GPF) collaborates with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to educate the public on noise nuisance, it was announced that heftier fines are expected for violators who continue to break the law.

Three months after

2681

REGION 2

3090

REGION 3

8625

REGION 4

34,906

REGION 5

2544

REGION 6

6718

REGION 7

2620

REGION 8

888

REGION 9

4321

REGION 10

3690

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

445,000

1271

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.

fatalities have been recorded thus far in August.

According to the latest data, 42 more persons have recovered from the virus, taking the number of recovered COVID-19 cases to 68,267 since the virus outbreak in Guyana, when compared to the figure reported

Heavy fines soon as GPF, EPA tackle noise nuisance the Guyana Police Force signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the EPA to tackle noise nuisance, this development was announced The agreement was signed to pave the way for greater collaboration between the EPA and the Police in the areas of training and enforcement of noise management.

However, on Friday, the EPA and the Police Force said that their collaboration is allowing for more implementations of penalties.

Only last month, the EPA presented the Guyana Police Force with 25 sound level meters to aid in the Force’s efforts to curb noise nuisance.

During the conference, the Deputy Commander of Regional Division Three, Superintendent Khalid Mandal said that the Police’s Offence Act does not cater for hefty fines for offenders.

But, due to the collaboration with the EPA, the Police Force will be able to

REGION 1

Wear a face mask.

344,700

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

implement heftier fines.

“We recognise that when we charge people under the summary jurisdiction act… the fine for the first conviction is very small – $7500 to $10,00 and to $15,000. For the second offence, $10,000 to $20,000. Under the EPA act, it is much hefty. It starts at $80,000 to $750,000. So, with us getting that Act, that will be a deterrent in itself,” he said.

Mandal said this would be a good move to put a stop to those who refuse to comply with the laws.

Top Cop Clifton Hicken stated that members of the public can look out for the Guyana Police Force’s proactive arrangement in terms of dealing with noise pollution, which is expected to bring some degree of relief.

He said the Force continues to develop partnerships with wider stakeholders, and they will ensure that more focus is placed on noise pollution in a constructive way. (G9)

on the previous day.

To date, a total of 678,643 tests have been conducted countrywide, and of this number, positive results have been returned for some 32,106 males and 37,977 females.

Of the 74 new cases recorded on Friday, four were from Region One (BarimaWaini); Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) respectively; 36 were from

Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); one was from Region Five (MahaicaBerbice); 13 were from Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); two were from Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); four were from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), and the remaining six cases were from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

No cases have been recorded in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni).

According to the World Health Organization’s recent figures, some 578,148,444 confirmed cases were reported globally, along with 6,405,080 deaths. In the Region of the Americas, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 171,312,848, while the death toll has gone up to 2,791,967.

As it relates to vaccination against COVID-19, WHO has also reported that a total of 12,308,330,588 doses have been administered worldwide.

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

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

EBE fisherman’s murder

Verdict looms for former AFC Councillor, father, neighbour Learning from...

Y

Murder accused: Rean Ghani, Mandy Sukhdeo (centre), and Surendra Sukhdeo (right)

N

ext Wednesday, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow will sum up the evidence in the trial of Surendra Sukhdeo, his daughter Mandy Sukhdeo and their neighbour Rean Ghani, then put the case to

the 12 jurors for them to deliberate on a verdict.

The trio is accused of the Valentine’s Day 2017 murder of 22-year-old fisherman Shereffudeen Nazamudeen, formerly of Ruby, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

Following their arraignment last month at the Demerara High Court, the three murder accused pleaded not guilty to the joint charge.

They are being represented by a legal team

Killed: Shereffudeen Nazamudeen

led by Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, while the State is being represented

by State Counsel Latifah Elliot, Marisa Edwards, and Simran Gajraj.

TURN TO PAGE 12

…Kenya

our Eyewitness was always fascinated by Kenya. No… not just about Elsa - that orphaned lion cub raised by that couple and then set free into the wild, and whose story was told in the hit movie “Born Free” – but by its politics.

While Nkrumah from Ghana might’ve gotten the spotlight because he secured independence for his country in 1957 – the first in Africa – let’s not forget that Jomo Kenyatta had also returned from Britain, but had been jailed for what the Brits called the “Mau Mau” Rebellion.

That rebellion was brutally put down by the Brits, who incarcerated thousands like Kenyatta. Recently, some survivors secured reparative justice. In Guyana, Jagan and Burnham followed the struggle in Africa very closely – especially in the British colonies like Kenya and Ghana. Kenyatta was from the Kikuyu tribe, but yet some of his tribesmen – dubbed “loyal Kikuyus” - betrayed the nationalist cause. Rather notoriously, when Burnham split our nationalist movement to support the British aims, he and his cohorts were insulted as “loyal Kikuyus”!

What interested your Eyewitness about African politics was how closely Burnham followed their unfortunate descent into one-party dictatorship. Kenya became independent in 1963 with Kenyatta as President and Oginga Odinga from the Luo tribe as VP. After attending the 1970 Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Lusaka, Zambia, Burnham toured Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. In his 1974 “Declaration of Sophia”, he declared us a de facto one-party state through his doctrine of “paramountcy of the party” over the Government and through electoral rigging. Kenyatta had already made his KANU the paramount party in Kenya – effectively shutting out his opponent Odinga. Like our politics in Guyana, Kenyan politics is dominated by ethnic/tribal cleavages that precipitated a slew of constitutional changes.

And also like our politics, corruption and violence marred the beautiful Kenyan landscape, especially around elections – continuing after multi-party democracy returned in 1992.

The Kenyatta and Odinga families continued dominating politics, and violence reached a zenith in 2007 – which, as usual, had been massively manipulated. More than 1100 lives were lost in inter-tribal violence. Massive changes to the Constitution were proposed, and by 2010, the new “power sharing” Constitution was approved in a referendum.

Kenya will now have its third elections under the reformed Constitution, on August 9, and to your Eyewitness, might suggest whether some of its innovations offer some hints towards resolving OUR dilemmas. After languishing in the Opposition ranks – and in jail – Raila Odinga, the son of Oginga Odinga, is vying to succeed Uhuru Kenyatta – son of Jomo. Uhuru surprisingly made peace with Raila in 2018, effectively undercutting his VP William Ruto, who’s now Odinga’s rival in the hustings.

And, once again, there’s a push for new constitutional change. The more things change… …other meltdowns In the Bible, we’re told about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – the first, riding a white horse, who brings pestilence; the second, on a red horse, is the creator of war, conflict and strife; the third, a food-merchant riding a black horse and symbolising famine; while the last is pale and accompanied by the god of death. Well, here we are in 2022, and we’re still in the throes of the pestilence on the White Horse of COVID-19 since 2020, and now hit by another – Monkey Pox. The war in Ukraine’s been going on since February, when Putin rode in on his Red Horse, and shows no sign of letting up, even as China’s responding quite agitatedly to Pelosi’s gambit by firing missiles near Taiwan!! And all across the world, there are food shortages which might just deteriorate into a full-blown famine in Africa.

So, are we to expect death?? Well 6.5 million have died from COVID, and Lord knows how many in Ukraine!! …the Golden Arches As part of the sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, Mc Donald’s cancelled their burger franchises.

However, the owner simply transmuted them into "Vkusno-i tochka", which translates as "Tasty and that's it."

Unfortunately, there’s a shortage of fries!!

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

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

NEWS

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramjattan calls for removal of GuySuCo CEO over fallout with Board members …says if not too late, Govt should halt purchase of articulated tractors

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he Alliance For Change – the minority party in the Opposition APNU/AFC coalition – has called for the removal of Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Sasenarine Singh over his recent fallout with certain Board members.

Earlier this week, GuySuCo’s Vice Chairman, Anthony Vieira, resigned from the Board of Directors, saying that he was not happy with the direction in which the sugar corporation was going. His resignation followed a heated confrontation with Singh at a recent meeting over their disagreements on the purchase of tractors for GuySuCo. In a leaked audio recording from the meeting, Singh and Vieira were heard having a heated exchange during which inappropriate name-calling was used by the CEO. As a result of that showdown, AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan at a press conference on Friday, reiterated calls for the removal of the GuySuCo CEO. He contended that the fallout was

unsuitable candidate for the governance and the administration of GuySuCo. He knew nothing about sugar,” the AFC leader posited.

Articulated tractors

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

inevitable.

“The misbehaviour of the CEO at this Board meeting should see him sanctioned,” Ramjattan stated.

In fact, he reminded that his party has always contended that Singh, a former AFC Executive Member, was unsuitable to head the troubled sugar company. “…There is sufficient to see him being compelled to send in his resignation as CEO. Sugar with Sasenarine certainly has no future. The AFC had indicated that the CEO is an

In a letter to the editor earlier this week, Vieira explained that he did not agree with GuySuCo’s decision to purchase 22 articulated tractors but wanted the Corporation to continue using John Deere fixedframe tractors.

“We, therefore, objected to it and the matter went to the President. The President instructed that we should only buy two and do a trial adjudicated by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the two machines were bought and the trial was done at Albion,” Vieira wrote.

However, he claimed that at the trial, no representatives from John Deere nor members of the Board, including himself, were present. He also claimed that during the test, a twoyear-old John Deere machine was put to compete with a brand-new articulated tractor. He cited these,

24-year-old charged for death of Berbice businessman …released on $750,000 bail

Dead: Vickram Seubarran

T

wenty-four-year-old Dave Singh of Betsy Ground East Canje, Berbice, was on Friday arraigned for the unlawful killing of 53-year-old Vickram Seubarran, who was found with a knife stuck in his back on August 1, 2022.

Singh made his appearance at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court where the charge was read to him

by Magistrate Renita Singh.

He was accused of unlawfully killing Seubarran between July 31 and August 1, 2022, at his Canje home.

Singh was represented by Attorney-at-Law Mercaline Bacchus, who made an application for bail to which Police Prosecutor Shenelle Matterson had no objection.

Bail was set in the sum of $750,000 and Singh was ordered to return to court on September 13. He was also instructed to report to Central Police Station twice per month.

Singh, a labourer, had reportedly confessed to killing Seubarran after he was arrested by the Police one day after the businessman’s body was found.

Upon his arrest, the suspect told investigators that he and the victim had shared an intimate relationship and that he frequented the man’s home.

He confessed that on July 31, 2022, the victim had invited him to his home, and they had consumed alcohol.

Further, he stated that as he was leaving the victim’s home, they had an argument and ultimately a scuffle.

He told detectives that he went into the kitchen, took a knife, and stabbed the victim three times, after

Charged: Dave Singh

which he left the house.

Meanwhile, Singh’s mother, Rose Bemwattie, who was outside the courtroom on Friday, told reporters that it was the now dead man who called her son over six times on Sunday last to visit him.

The prosecution told the court that the file is incomplete and asked for three weeks to complete the case file. According to Matterson, the file will have to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions again. (G4)

and other factors, in his decision to quit.

But the GuySuCo CEO denied claims of collusion or deception when it comes to a field test for tractors before they were procured. He explained that the test was done by independent engineers and the field trial lasted a year.

According to Singh, this not only means that they took their time to conduct the trial and come up with their conclusion, but also that Board Members could not be invited to the trials. In fact, Singh said that he himself was not invited.

This, the CEO outlined, was important so that the engineers chosen to do their work could maintain their independence.

Halt purchase

Nevertheless, Ramjattan on Friday went on to call on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government to intervene and halt the purchase of the articulated-type of tractors.

“I hope that the Government intervenes and do not waste our tax-

GuySuCo CEO Sasenarine Singh

payers’ dollars… So, the Government, at least, should put a halt on the purchases of any more of the tractors; that is, if the purchases have not been made already by the CEO. But if it has not been made and only two of the ‘Game’ tractors were bought well then certainly, the Government should ensure that no further [purchases are made] and that there should be a more comprehensive measure of whether the John

Deere is better than the articulated tractors,” the AFC leader asserted.

Moreover, he went on to highlight that notwithstanding the issue with the purchase of these tractors, the sugar industry has much bigger problems to deal with.

“If you’re going to have polarisation to the extent whereby ‘prostitute talk’ is going to be carried out on such an important Board as GuySuCo then, look the Government not only gotta stop tractor purchases but it must knock off Sasenarine Singh. He is showing that he is incompetent and is not listening to his Board members… He is not fit to be the CEO of GuySuCo as we have said a long, long time ago,” Ramjattan declared.

Back in June, President Irfaan Ali had called executives and managers of the Sugar Corporation to State House, where he had met with them and expressed the need for sweeping changes at GuySuCo to improve efficiency and accelerate their timelines for mechanisation of the estates.

10 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

5 injured, hospitalised following Essequibo Coast accident

F

ive men who were seriously injured following a twocar crash on Thursday at Windsor Castle Public Road, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), have been hospitalised Those injured are 54-year-old Bhola Ramdiall, a mechanic of Hampton

The accident that occurred on the Windsor Castle Public Road, Essequibo Coast

Court; Krishnan Persaud, 33, self-employed of Dunkel; Tony Jupiter, 32, a fisherman of Dartmouth; Eon Singh, 29, a fisherman of Dunkel; and Lindsay Smith, 63, a hire car driver of Anna Regina.

Reports are that the accident occurred at around 17:30h.

According to Police, motor car PSS 7002 was proceeding north on the western driving lane at a normal rate and motor car HB 6392 was also proceeding in the same direction behind motor car PSS 7002.

However, motor car PAB 1932, which was heading in the same direction, ap-

proached both vehicles from behind at a fast rate and attempted to overtake hire car HB 6392. Whilst in the process of doing such, he allegedly collided with the back wheel, where he then lost control and ended up colliding with the rear of motor car PSS 7002.

As a result of the colli-

sion, hire car HB 6392 came to a stop, motor car PSS 7002 ended up in a drain on the eastern side of the said road, and motor car PAB 1932 ended up toppling and came to a halt in a trench on the western side of the said road.

The driver of motor car PAB 1932 and the occupants of the said vehicle and the driver of motor car PSS 7002 were assisted by public-spirited citizens and conveyed to the Oscar Joseph

Public Hospital where they were seen and examined by a doctor on duty who treated Singh for his fractured shoulder.

Jupiter and Ramdiall were both treated for lacerations to their heads, while Persaud was treated for internal injuries. They were later escorted to the Suddie Public Hospital where they were admitted as patients at the said institution.

Investigations are ongoing. (G9)

NEWS

11

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Tenders open for new Albion Packaging Plant T

enders have been opened for a new packaging plant at the Albion Sugar Estate, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), as the sugar company moves towards value-added products.

This was announced

by Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, Sasenarine Singh on Friday.

“We just opened the tender for the packaging plant – the first time since Enmore that we’re bringing a brand-new packaging plant at Albion. We’re moving the sales up the value chain to get better value,” he divulged.

Two years ago, Guyana was getting US$300 per metric tonne. Present day, this number is now US$900 per metric tonne for packaged sugar. The CEO underscored that in raising the value, the company is in a better position to pay its bills independently.

“This is important because GuySuCo has to pay its bills. We can’t be always

File photo: Workers at the former GuySuCo Packaging Plant

going and asking for support. We have to figure out a way of paying our bills. That is what is important. We have a five-year strategic plan to move us from point where we are now to a point where we can start paying more of the bills.”

Last month, Agriculture

Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had disclosed that some $400 million had been earmarked for the relocation of the Packaging Plant to Albion in Region Six. The GuySuCo Packaging Plant is being relocated from Enmore, East Coast Demerara, where the facility there is being trans-

Eve Leary fire was electrical in origin – probe reveals

T

File photo: The Office of Professional Responsibility was destroyed by fire

he Guyana Fire Service (GFS) in a report on Friday said it has completed its investigation into the fire which ravaged the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), which is located at the Guyana Police Force Headquarters Annex, Rabbit Walk, Eve Leary on November 20, 2021.

It said that based on the fire pattern, evidence gathered, eyewitnesses, and scene examination, the fire was ruled as electrical in origin.

“The GFS wishes to remind homeowners and busi-

ness owners to be vigilant on the issue of overloading electrical circuits and to turn off electrical appliances when not in use,” the report read.

The ravaging fire completely destroyed the wooden structure which housed the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The building housed the Police Headquarters Barracks, the DPP’s office, and the Construction Section of the Police Force.

However, the DPP’s office was saved from the blaze, but a few offices were destroyed.

As the fire ripped through the OPR’s office, several files from the DPP’s office were taken to safety.

The DPP’s office, however, received minor structural damage.

Shortly after the blaze, the office remained closed indefinitely, while thousands of case files and criminal records were in disarray as a result of efforts to save them.

The fire also greatly affected the day-to-day functioning of the DPP’s Office, as many cases before the courts had to be rescheduled. (G9)

formed into a modern oilfield service centre and manufacturing facility.

Back in February, it

was disclosed that the Government leased the packaging facility to local company Guysons Engineering, which has partnered with US-based K+B Industries to form the GK+B joint venture that will be establishing the Enmore Manufacturing Facility to cater to the oil and gas sector.

As part of the agreement, the company will have to retain all the workers of the packaging plant and conduct training so that they can be absorbed into the new operations – something which the workers have previously lauded.

According to Minister Mustapha, the new packaging plant at Albion, which will cost approximately $1.9 billion and is a multi-year project, will cater to the production of more packaged sugar which is currently in

demand locally.

The Enmore Packaging Plant was shut down under the previous APNU/AFC coalition regime and was restarted in October 2020 by the PPP/C Government.

In 2020, some $4.59 million was expended from October to December that year. This includes $1.56 million in salaries for 42 workers who were rehired to work at the plant and $3.03 million in material costs.

The full 2021 year saw another $94.95 million being spent at the packaging plant of which $47.99 million was for employment costs and $46.9 million for material costs. From January to April this year, a total of $16.28 million were expended with $15.8 million being for employment cost, $0.39 million for material cost, and $0.01 million for outside costs.

(G12)

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GuySuCo to use drone technology for fertiliser distribution, crop monitoring

…industry will “turn around” with innovation – CEO

Members of GuyDrones handing over the equipment to GuySuCo officials

T

he Guyana Sugar Corporation is embarking on a technological transformation of the industry with the use of drone technology to distribute agro-chemicals and monitor crops.

On Friday, GuyDrones handed over this technology to GuySuCo, valued at about $500,000. The sugar company current uses manual labour and planes to distribute fertiliser but the drones will be used to address gaps in these operations.

According to Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh, “What it will do for us is in an era where there’s a great competition for labour across this country, as Guyana develops from its current status to super status, in a few years, there’s going to be more intense competition for labour. And currently, GuySuCo uses two methods of applying its fertilisers and agrochemicals. The airplanes can only fly in what we call fly zones away from the housing areas; and manually using human beings walking acre by acre, close to the housing areas and applying those agrochemicals and fertiliser.”

It was clarified that no

jobs will be lost with this new arrangement. Some 50 per cent of this work will be done using the drone and the other portion will be executed with human labour. Singh identified that the drones will be an asset in combating weather challenges as well as setting the pace for new technological advancements.

“We have put ourselves out to the public as wanting to be one of the transformation agencies in agriculture in Guyana. For us to transform this sugar sector, we have to think, act and operate like global leaders in agriculture. And one of their great advantage that they’ve developed over the years with climate change is the utilisation of technology to combat in the periods of extreme weather conditions. These drones are assets and drones have now been recognised as an asset to agriculture,” Singh underscored.

The CEO realised that in treading this path, there is a need for training and private sector support.

“Our primary outflow of cash is the payment of our 7877 workers and that is our primary responsibility.

But on top of that, we have

to recapitalise the factories across the country and we’re rebuilding a brand-new facility at Rose Hall…But most importantly, we have to rehabilitate the fields.”

When this Administration took office, some 30 per cent of the fields were overgrown and not in use. The CEO said the company has to “reengineer and get busy” to get those fields back into sugarcane production, while maintaining their normal agronomical cycle.

“We know that this industry is a turnaround industry. It will turn around so we just want to make that very clear. It can only turn around with technology, new ideas, and progressive thinkers and attitude of mind of making things happen when the challenge is real,” the CEO positioned.

Vice President of GuyDrones, Ershad Mahamad added that along with efficiency, stakeholders are able to save 30 per cent of chemicals during the process.

The company is also aiming to supply water drones that will eliminate the use of human labour to conduct checks when there are issues. (G8)

Verdict looms for former AFC...

FROM PAGE 8

At the time of this alleged killing, Mandy Sukhdeo had been an Alliance for Change (AFC) Councillor who had reportedly claimed that she had been confronted

by Nazamudeen, who had snatched her bag and attempted to escape.

She had raised an alarm, and residents in the neighbourhood had pursued Nazamudeen.

Reports are that he was caught in the ruins of a house. According to reports, he was tied up and beaten by the woman, her father, and their neighbour.

Following the beating, the man had suffered severe injuries to his body, and had

been taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he subsequently succumbed.

Three pieces of wood, suspected to be the murder weapons, were recovered from the scene by detec-

tives. The woman and her father were immediately arrested, while Ghani was apprehended the following day, after he was allegedly implicated by neighbours.

(G1)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GAWU calls on GuySuCo to use resources to hike production T

he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is calling for resources injected into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GAWU) to be tangibly used towards increased production and productivity.

This statement comes amid recent expressions made by Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sasenarine Singh. According to GAWU, it wants to see the sugar industry succeed and play an even more meaningful role in Guyana, adding that “such efforts of course require an all-hands-on deck approach. To seek to alienate those who may have differing views cannot be helpful. As efforts are made to stabilise the industry, the judicious use of resources while employing appropriate and tested technologies to improve production and productivity.”

Their comment noted that in the case regarding the purchase of tractors, the CEO had shared that those deliberations took place at the level of a Board sub-committee. The sub-committee is the Board’s Procurement Committee. All consider-

ations and deliberations by this sub-committee are based on formal recommendations by executive management. In the case of the tractors, the CEO has affirmed that the recommendation to pursue articulated tractors emanated from his technical personnel.

GAWU opined, “The CEO highlighted the presence of the Union’s representative on the sub-committee. On this issue, as we pointed out previously, the sub-committee comprised several other directors, and it was their collective deliberations that led to a position that such tractors be bought for trials to determine their efficacy. When

this matter was discussed with the highest levels of the Government of Guyana, it was ordered that the company purchase two such tractors which will used for trials. It further reinforces the appropriateness of the Procurement Committee’s decision making.”

“The CEO speaks voluminously regarding the independent report done by a team of engineers of the Ministry of Agriculture. Our Union has obtained a copy of this report and has carefully perused the findings therein. Of significant note to us was that the team when addressing the productivity of the articulated versus fixed frame tractors reproduced

GuySuCo data on a report that previously done by its own ‘technical’ personnel,” it added.

Additionally, the Union has alleged that GuySuCo’s data was prepared long before any decision was made on the procurement of the articulated tractor and even before the submission of the independent team of the Agriculture Ministry.

“We would have thought that independent team would have sought to at least confirm what the Corporation’s technical personnel would have advanced, rather than replicating all of GuySuCo’s productivity and operating parameters in their report.

The GAWU did recognise the team offered other findings but for us productivity and operating parameters

remain the critical considerations, and these parameters were determined by GuySuCo’s technical personnel. The independent team did not submit, in our view, an independent report.”

The CEO had alluded prominently to the qualified personnel who examined the matter. The GAWU, in seeking to get a better understanding of the two types of tractor technologies, engaged workers who would have utilised both types of machines.

“The workers have expressed their concerns regarding the new technology being touted from several perspectives. This causes us serious apprehensions as their practical views should not be discounted. Through the interview the CEO also disclosed he was unaware of

a proposal sent to the company earlier this year by the articulated tractor company (GAME). Maybe it is that the CEO is unable to fully digest documentation regarding the purchase of important tools for the industry? We are aware of the CEO’s presence at a meeting recently where the articulated tractor proposal was discussed among other proposals for tillage tractors.

According to a GuySuCo social media post it was learnt that emanating from that meeting John Deere tractors were purchased.”

In the meantime, the Union’s Executive Committee is addressing its presence at the level of the GuySuCo Board of Directors and at an appropriate time will make its position known.

14 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Refrigeration and air conditioning sector

Guyana receives funding for acquisition of new equipment to train technicians G

uyana received support funding under the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) from the Multilateral Fund for the acquisition of new equipment to train technicians in the Refrigerant and Air Conditioning sector (RAC).

The country is currently phasing out the use of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) through the HPMP. The project also includes replacing harmful Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) with alternative and ozone-friendly technologies.

The need to train technicians in the recovery, storage

and recycling of refrigerants is one of the primary initiatives undertaken by the National Ozone Action Unit of the Hydrometeorological Service (NOAU) to ensure the uptake of new and emerging technologies.

This NOAU is responsible for coordinating and monitoring all activities relevant to the smooth phaseout of man-made ODS used in Guyana.

Guyana agreed to the Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer on August 12, 1993, and subsequently endorsed the London, Copenhagen, and

Montreal Amendments on July 23, 1999.

With the assistance of the Multilateral Fund (MLF) through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNEP/ROLAC), a Country Programme was formulated and approved for the phasing out of ODS. As a party to the Montreal Protocol, Guyana’s obligations include reporting on the use and consumption of the HCFCs in Guyana annually, which to date, informs that Guyana is on schedule to phase-out the use of HCFCs by 2030.

“As part of the NOAU’s

obligations, equipment for partner institutions have been acquired to train technicians to perform their re-gassing and refrigerant recovery tasks efficiently.

Guyana is being assisted in this regard through funding provided by the Multilateral Fund, with support from the its implementing partner, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The partnership with the UNDP was critical in ensuring that the equipment procured satisfied the highest international standards,” the Hydromet Office penned in a statement.

Over the years, the

NOAU has worked with several of the beneficiary institutions to achieve overall national compliance under the Montreal Protocol. The work of these institutions will be further enhanced through the acquisition of the pieces of equipment. These institutions are: the University of Guyana, Government Technical Institute, GuySuCo Training Centre and the Essequibo Technical Institute.

Decades of collaboration between the NOAU and these institutions have yielded a group of trained and licensed technicians who have adopted the new

technologies being introduced into the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) sector. As a result, some pieces of equipment will also be made available to practicing technicians on loan to enhance their trade and environmental safeguards.

Guyana has been able to maintain its manufacturing, exporting and related sectors with all the ice, freezing and cooling services necessary, while phasing out ODSs and introducing new technologies, in keeping with its obligations under the Montreal Protocol.

“The NOAU is grateful to its funding partners, implementing partners and other associates that have contributed to this work and its many successes in the past.

The Ministry of Agriculture recognises the support of the Representative of the UNDP, the Programme Managers and Associates that have been integrally involved in ensuring that Guyana benefits from the procurement of these pieces of equipment,” the statement ended. (G12)

Sophia men remanded for armed robbery, discharging gun, B&E

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harged with robbery under arms, Anthony Macey and Ronaldo Parris, were on Thursday arraigned before Magistrate Alisha George at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

Macey, called “Farhigh”, 23, of D Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown was charged separately with three counts of robbery under arms and a count of discharging a loaded firearm with intent.

Lot 614 D Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown resident, Paris, on the other hand, faced a charge of armed robbery. They both pleaded not guilty and were remanded until September 30.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Macey was charged with break and enter and larceny when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron

Remanded: Anthony Macey

Remanded: Ronaldo Paris

Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It is alleged that between July 22 and 23 at Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, he broke into the dwelling house of Robin Willis and stole three smartphones valued at $215,000, a suitcase valued

at $40,000, a television valued at $75,000, a $140,000 DVR and $500,000 cash.

Magistrate Daly refused to grant the accused bail.

Police said that Macey was arrested on Tuesday during an intelligence-led operation conducted in Sophia. (G1)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

It’s painful to have to justify CCJ’s legitimacy, competence – Justice Saunders …says regarded with utmost respect in the world, except in Anglo-Caribbean

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rest of the world and even among our colleagues in the United Kingdom, the CCJ is regarded with utmost respect.”

According to the esteemed jurist, the highest courts internationally including those of the United Kingdom (including the Privy Council) cite CCJ judgements with the same high regard as

administrative and other processes that support the receiving, processing, and adjudication of its caseload and outreach initiatives.

“Our aim is truly to live our mission to provide ‘accessible, fair and efficient justice for the people and States of the Caribbean Community’ and to realise our vision, which is ‘To be a model of judicial excel-

have not yet acceded to our appellate jurisdiction”.

Addressing this issue, the CCJ President underscored that, “Whether a State chooses to continue having Her Majesty’s Privy Council adjudicate its final appeals is of course a fundamental constitutional question for that Government and its people.

It is disappointing, how-

the CCJ cites theirs. But still, he noted, there remains, in some quarters in the Region, the notion that the Judges of the CCJ are not or cannot be objective; that they are or can be ‘reached’ by politicians; that Caribbean Judges can’t be trusted because our societies are too small and so on and so on.

Remarking on the progressive work of the court, Justice Saunders said, “I am also satisfied that, both in the original jurisdiction and especially in those States that have given us the honour of hearing their final appeals, we have contributed to clarifying and elevating the rule of law.”

lence’. The aim of the CCJ is to lead by example.”

Earlier this year, while delivering remarks at the Bar Association of Guyana annual dinner, Justice Saunders said that he and every CCJ Judge are bombarded with questions from every regional journalist about those countries that have not yet “demonstrated the same faith, or that, for whatever other reason,

ever, that any Caribbean country should renege on its treaty responsibilities preferring instead to have British Judges continue to interpret its Constitution and laws.”

“But it is a choice that has consequences. I have already alluded to one such choice. People of ordinary means are deprived of the ability to avail themselves of a level of access to jus-

CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders

or close to two decades, the Trinidadbased Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has prided itself in leading by example and being a model of judicial excellence.

Notwithstanding, only four of the 15 Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations—Guyana, Barbados, Belize, and Dominica— have made the CCJ their final appellate court, replacing the London-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

While addressing a recent dinner to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Court of Appeal of Jamaica, CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders renewed his call for the remaining 11 member countries of Caricom to join the CCJ and make it the official judicial arm of Caricom.

In its Original Jurisdiction, the CCJ is an international court with exclusive jurisdiction to interpret and apply the rules set out in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC)—which established Caricom and the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).

In its Appellate Jurisdiction, the CCJ is the final court of appeal for criminal and civil matters for Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and Guyana that have altered their Constitutions to enable this.

The CCJ was inaugurated on April 16, 2005.

Advancing Region’s jurisprudence

During his remarks, President Saunders justified the decision taken by the Governments and Parliaments of Guyana, Barbados, Belize, and Dominica, and hopefully soon Saint Lucia to alter their Constitutions to send their appeals to the

‘Caribbean Court’.

Making his case for the other countries to join the CCJ, Justice Saunders reasoned that accession to the court offers the best opportunities for advancing both the Region’s jurisprudence as a whole and that of each State. Accession, he noted, also ensures that the children of the Region will be able to aspire to one day holding office of President of their own final court of appeal.

The St Vincent and the Grenadines-born Judge expressed that it is painful to have to justify the legitimacy and competence of the Region’s final court and its judicial complement.

He said it is especially egregious that one must do so in the face of contrary views from the most unlikely sources, noting that he expected this when the CCJ just started, but not after 17 years.

“Not after a record of efficient service; not after a fair body of jurisprudence has been built up that can easily be assessed, analysed, and compared.

Remarkably, it is only in the Englishspeaking Caribbean that the merit and worth of the CCJ are questioned. In the

Accessible, fair, efficient justice

Over the years, he pointed out that the CCJ has also paid tremendous attention to its underlying

tice that they could and should enjoy…” he noted in his remarks to celebrate the court’s anniversary.

Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica – the two most populous Caricom states—were at the forefront of the establishment of the CCJ as the Anglophone Caribbean’s final appeal court.

But ironically, to date, they still use Her Majesty’s Privy Council.

At the Bar dinner, he had even pointed out that during the years that Guyana had a single appellate tier, the justice system in the country did not flourish as well as it could otherwise have.

He, however, added that by the time the CCJ was launched in 2005, the Guyana judicial system had not kept abreast of all the reform initiatives that had swept through much of the Region in the ‘90s and early part of this century. But fast forward to two decades later, Justice Saunders applauded Guyana for having a justice system that is now dynamic, responsive, and innovative.

The regional court, which has a Bench of seven Judges presided over by its President, is the realisation of a vision of our ancestors, an expression of independence, and a signal of the Region’s coming of age, noted the court in its about information. (G1)

16 NEWS 1 in custody as Police Security guard’s find ganja during raids body found floating SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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The marijuana that was found in Bartica and at Swan Village, EBD

man has been taken into custody after a party of Policemen found a quantity of marijuana at Four Miles Squatting Area in Bartica Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven).

The Police have conducted several raids in

Region Seven and at Swan, on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway. Police say the first raid was conducted between 11:00h and 13:00h on Friday, when a team of ranks conducted a search of several houses in the Four Miles Squatting Area, including the home

of a 41-year-old businessman.

While no illegal items were found in the businessman’s home, Police conducted a further search in the surrounding area, and about 50 feet away from the house, a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems

of the cannabis plant were found buried.

The businessman was shown the find, but he denied knowledge of same.

He was nonetheless taken to the Bartica Police Station, where the illicit substance was weighed in his presence and amounted to 1kg, 56 grams. He remains in custody, pending investigations.

Meanwhile, Police ranks in Regional Division 4'B' (East Bank Demerara) on Thursday confiscated 2,453 grams of cannabis during an operation conducted at Swan, on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Ranks attached to the Timehri Police Station have said they were at the time conducting raid exercises in several villages on the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway when they visited Swan and a search was conducted in the bushes in the vicinity of Marudi Creek.

During the search, the ranks unearthed three black plastic bags, all containing a number of leaves, seeds, and stems of the cannabis plant.

The illegal substance was taken to the Timehri Police Station, where it was weighed and amounted to 2,453 grams. No one was arrested, but investigations continue. (G9)

in Canje River

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Dead: Angraj Kumar Indrpaul

he lifeless body of a security guard attached to the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) Rose Hall Estate was on Friday morning discovered floating in the Canje River.

Dead is Angraj Kumar Indrpaul, 59, of New Area, Canefield, East Canje, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

The man was stationed at the guard hut a short distance from the river and reported for duty on Thursday evening.

He was last seen alive when he reported for duty on Thursday. However, on Friday morning at 06:00h

when the person who had to take over the shift arrived at the work site, he said he saw Indrpaul’s footwear. Several hours later the body was discovered by a search party comprising estate workers.

The body was pulled out of the river. At the time he was not fully clad.

Indrpaul had been employed as a sluice security by the estate and was sent home when the estate closed in 2017 and was rehired last year when work on reopening the estate commenced.

Police are investigating the incident and are awaiting a post-mortem. (G4)

Judge strikes down Police Standing Orders on destroying pocket, station diaries

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High Court judge has struck out two standing orders of the police service which deal with how long officers can keep their pocket diaries and station diaries.

In a ruling on Thursday, Justice Kevin Ramcharan declared that standing orders 16.13 and 17.11 were unreasonable as they allowed for the destruction of relevant records and material before the expiration of all limitation periods in court proceedings, as prescribed under the Limitation of Certain Actions Act. The judge e-mailed his decision to attorneys and will provide his reasons at a later date.

Ramcharan was asked to determine a judicial review and constitutional claim filed by a Gasparillo man, Keron Phillip, whose car was impounded in Woodbrook in 2014. Phillip was charged for obstructing an officer and using insulting language after he asked why his car had been impounded.

In 2017, the charges against him were dismissed.

In order to pursue a claim for malicious prosecution,

Phillip’s attorneys sent a freedom of information request in April 2020 for copies of station diary extracts and pocket diaries, among other documents relating to his arrest.

In June, Phillip was told the requests had been denied because the extracts from the various registers were destroyed in keeping with the provisions of the standing orders.

The two standing orders which were challenged set out what should be done with pocket diaries after the prosecution of a criminal complaint ends and how long a station diary could be kept.

In his constitutional claim, Phillip’s attorneys Anand Ramlogan, SC, Renuka Rambhajan, Dr Che Dindial, and Jared Jagroo, argued that the standing orders conflicted with the limitation period of four years set out in law to bring a civil claim.

In response to Phillip’s claim, ACP William Nurse, who is head of the police service standing order committee since 2018, said the two contentious standing orders

were among those scheduled for review and redraft.

He said the committee’s mandate was to look at the standing orders to ensure they conform with the duties and requirements of police officers.

Nurse said although the covid19 pandemic had affected the work of the committee, when it does meet, the draft of the two standing orders will give consideration to not permitting the destruction of pocket and station diaries.

In his affidavit in response, Supt Glen Charles of the Port of Spain city police said there was a severe storage challenge at its storage container at Abbatoir Road and they took guidance from the police’s standing orders to allow for the creation of space by destroying books, registers, diaries and other documents no longer required for any investigation or court matter.

The Commissioner and Attorney General were represented by attorneys Michael Quamina, Tenille Ramkissoon, Vincent Jardine, and Tiffany Kissoon. (T&T Newsday)

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

It is China's legitimate right to defend National Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity

By Guo Haiyan Chinese Ambassador to Guyana

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aiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. The earliest records of Taiwan in the world are in Chinese history books from 1700 years ago. The Chinese were the first to develop Taiwan. As early as 230 A.D., Chinese ships arrived in Taiwan. Around 610 A.D., the coastal inhabitants of the mainland of China began to move to the Penghu Islands of Taiwan. From the mid-12th century onward, successive Chinese governments established administrative bodies in Taiwan to effectively govern the islands.

In 1894, when Japan launched the Sino-Japanese War, the Qing Dynasty was defeated and Taiwan was occupied by Japan.

In 1945, when the Second World War against fascism was won, Japan declared its surrender, unconditionally accepted the Potsdam Proclamation and the Cairo Declaration, and handed Taiwan back to China. Thus, Taiwan returned to the embrace of the motherland and came back under the sovereignty of China.

Shortly thereafter, civil war broke out in China. In 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded, and some of the military and political personnel of the Kuomintang, with the support of the U.S. government, retreated to Taiwan after the defeat. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait fell into a special state of long-term political confrontation, but the fact that Taiwan and the Chinese mainland belong to the same China never changed. Therefore, the Taiwan question is a legacy of China's civil war, and China has undisputed sovereignty over Taiwan.

The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government of China The one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations. The UNGA Resolution 2758 adopted in 1971 has stated in black

and white the decision “to restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations”.

International practice over the past 51 years shows that since the adoption of Resolution 2758, the UN and its specialized agencies and other international and regional organizations have unanimously observed the UNGA resolution by following the practice that “the United Nations considers ‘Taiwan’ as a province of China with no separate status”, “the ‘authorities’ in ‘Taipei’ are not considered to ... enjoy any form of governmental status”, and that the region should be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China”.

Thus, there is only one correct version of "one China" : there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government of China.

On 3 August, UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres affirmed the one-China policy as U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit has created tensions. " Our position is very clear. We abide by General Assembly resolutions, by the one-China policy, and that is the orientation that we have in everything we do," he clarified.

The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries including Guyana have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle.

The Chinese people have always remembered that in 1971, Guyana voted in favor of UNGA Resolution 2758 restoring the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations. In 1972, Guyana took the lead in the Englishspeaking Caribbean to establish diplomatic ties with China. China highly ap-

Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan

preciates the commitment of successive governments of Guyana to adhere to the one-China principle, to firmly support China's position on the Taiwan question and not support the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces.

The one-China principle is the political foundation of China-U.S. relations.

Before and after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the United States explicitly declared its acceptance of the one-China principle in three joint communiqués, including the "Shanghai Communiqué" of 1972, the "Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" of 1978 and the "August 17" communiqué of 1982. The United States made a clear commitment in the ChinaU.S. Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations — “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China.”

Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a blatant violation of China's sovereignty The executive, legislative and judicial branches are all parts of the U.S. Government, and they must therefore implement the one-China policy that the U.S. Government has committed to. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, Pelosi is a political figure

who is second in line to succeed the President, and she of course represents the U.S. Government in everything she says and does.

On 2 August, in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence”.

If the Chinese side doesn't firmly reject the manic, irresponsible and extremely irrational behavior of the United States, the principle of international relations on respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity will become a mere scrap of paper, various kinds of separatists and extremist forces will intensify their activities, and the hard-won peace and stability in the region will be severely damaged.

The U.S. side claimed that China is escalating the situation, but the basic facts are that the United States first provoked China on the Taiwan question and blatantly violated China's sov-

ereignty and territorial integrity.

The U.S. side claimed that there was a precedent of the U.S. House speaker visiting Taiwan. Yet the basic truth is that past mistakes cannot be used as an excuse to repeat them today.

The U.S. side claimed that it cannot restrain the Congress due to the separation of powers. But the basic norm of international law is that the United States must fulfill its international obligations, and key politicians should not misbehave.

The U.S. side also claimed that China's pursuit of reunification is a "threat" to Taiwan, but the basic logic is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. It is lawful and justified that China upholds territorial integrity and opposes secession.

The ins and outs of the current tension over the Taiwan Strait are crystal clear, so are the rights and wrongs. It is the United States which started the trouble, created the crisis, and continuously escalated the tensions.

To avoid this crisis being forced on China, China made the greatest diplomatic efforts, but at the same time it would never allow its core interests and the process of national rejuvenation to be jeopardized. China would not sit back watching the United States play the "Taiwan card" to serve its domestic politics and the selfish desires of its politicians, nor would China ever tolerate deeds to create tension, stoke confrontation and instigate secession in the region.

The comprehensive measures China is currently taking and will take in the future are necessary and timely defensive counterattacks, which have been carefully considered and evaluated with an aim to safeguard national sovereignty and security. These measures are in line with international and domestic laws, serve as a warning to provocateurs,

and will maintain regional stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait. We called on all parties to see through the cause and essence of the current crisis, jointly oppose the U.S. side's risky adventures and provocations, continue to support China's legitimate position and measures, and jointly maintain regional peace and peace across the Taiwan Strait.

It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity In the world today, the trends of turbulence and transformation are evolving, and deficits in development and security are looming large. Faced with a world of change and disorder, the international community and the people around the world expect China and the U.S. to take the lead in upholding world peace and security and in promoting global development and prosperity. This is the responsibility of China and the U.S. as two major countries. The right way for them to deal with each other lies only in mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, no-confrontation and win-win cooperation.

The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, and no other country is entitled to act as a judge on the Taiwan question. The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. No country, no forces and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.

The views expressed are that of the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Argentina's ambitious 'superminister' Chile's Easter Island reopens to tourists after pandemic shutdown takes on economic crisis

Argentina's new Economy Minister Sergio Massa talking to the media after being sworn in at the Economy Ministry in Buenos Aires, Argentina, August 3, 2022

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sked about Sergio Massa, Argentina's new "superminister" for the economy, many Argentines perceive him as an opportunistic politician with limitless ambition.

But Massa's political acumen, honed over four decades of party-hopping activism, is also widely seen as key to rescuing Argentina's economy, which has been ravaged by sky-high inflation, crippling debt as well as chronic overspending.

Earlier this week, the 50-year-old lawyer and for-

mer congressional leader for the ruling centre-left Peronist coalition was sworn in as economy chief by President Alberto Fernandez. Massa's move is widely seen as a stepping stone to a future presidential run, but only if he can quickly show results.

To do just that, the newly dubbed "superminister" insisted on broad powers before accepting the daunting task, including control over the agriculture, production and trade secretariats, which have previously acted

independently.

"He's a very capable person, exceptionally prepared.

But he's also a huge pragmatist, and that's why he decided to form an alliance with the Government," said legislator Margarita Stolbizer.

In 2017, Stolbizer joined forces with Massa in a Senate run against leftist Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the country's powerful Vice President and former President, who is now a key Massa backer.

His resourcefulness gave him what his predecessors were unable to obtain: the thumbs-up from The Vice President to carry out more orthodox cost-cutting policies, which Fernandez de Kirchner had spurned when proposed by others in the past.

Massa's backing by all the ruling coalition's warring factions gives him a leg up compared with his immediate predecessors, longtime Economy Minister Martin Guzman as well as his short-lived successor, Silvina Batakis, according to political analyst Carlos Fara. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Colombia peace deal failing as violent gangs recruit vulnerable children

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orinto has the vibe of a bustling town just like any other - motorbikes zip up and down the main streets, residents amble along the pavements and shop owners hover outside their premises, beckoning in customers.

But stop on any street corner and there is a more threatening presence here.

"Windows down or bullets," reads one graffitied wall, and it is signed "FARC-EP", short for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - the People's Army. It is a warning to drivers to make them-

selves known and is repeated on many walls in Corinto, in Colombia's south-west Cauca province.

The Farc guerrilla group demobilised in 2016 after signing a peace deal with the Government. It ended more than five decades of civil conflict. But nearly six years on, the deal is yet to be fully implemented, and while violence overall has fallen since the peace deal, what is happening in rural Colombia is alarming experts.

Farc members who did not agree to the peace deal, right-wing paramilitaries, and newer criminal groups

that have since cropped up are all vying for territory that was once controlled by the guerrilla group - and they are all on the lookout for new recruits.

According to the UN, some 600 children were recruited by armed gangs in the three years after signing the peace deal - a number experts say is vastly underestimated.

Those most likely to be targeted are poor Colombians living in rural areas where Farc once operated. The most vulnerable are indigenous children.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Jamaica confirms 1st locallytransmitted case of monkeypox

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amaica has confirmed its first locally transmitted case of monkeypox.

It brings to three the number of monkeypox cases confirmed in the island.

The disclosure was made a short while ago by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton at a ceremony to mark the resumption of construction work on the Western Children & Adolescents Hospital in St James.

"We have confirmed a third case of monkeypox only a couple of hours ago,” Tufton said, adding that the patient “apparently contracted the

virus from someone who had the virus here.

“It in essence changes the complexion of the challenge that we face," Tufton told journalists. "In this third case, the individual is being quarantined at home because their facility does allow for it and if the person is cooperative, this is what we will do with the cases."

Tufton said the Health Ministry’s technical team is currently having dialogue on the matter of local transmission of the disease, which he said was anticipated.

"They are meeting. They are looking at their consult-

ing, including with our bilateral and multilateral partners... looking at their protocols which we have put out already... having a discussion with the medical teams in the respective parishes and reviewing how we address concerns around public information, how we address concerns around vaccines, how we address concerns around the contact tracing and quarantining if necessary," stated Tufton.

The Minister said an appropriate correspondence will be sent out shortly. (Excerpt from Jamaica Guardian)

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hile's Easter Island received its first group of tourists on Thursday after closing its borders for more than two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Easter Island, over 2000 miles (3219 km) from the coast of Chile, has over a thousand stone statues -- giant heads that were carved centuries ago by the island's inhabitants -- which have brought it fame and UNESCO World Heritage Site status. "(Easter Island) is the biggest open air museum in the

world," said Pedro Edmunds, the mayor of Easter Island, adding that it was time to open the island after it shut its borders 868 days ago.

"We've learned what the pandemic is about and know how to take care of ourselves," Edmunds said, adding that the focus was on keeping guests safe.

Visitors must be fully vaccinated and present a negative PCR test taken no more than 24 hours before boarding a domestic flight to the island. Tourists aboard inter-

national flights to the island must take an antigen test once they arrive.

LATAM airlines said it reopened the route from Santiago to Easter Island with flights on Thursdays and Saturdays and hopes to add more.

"LATAM will gradually increase frequency as health measures allow," said Constanza Pizarro, LATAM's communications manager. "We're coordinating with authorities." (Excerpt from Reuters)

Mexican journalist killed in bar shooting — 13th this year

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hree people, including a prominent local journalist, have been shot dead inside a bar in central Mexico, marking the 13th murder of a media worker this year as violence against Mexican journalists escalates.

Guanajuato Governor Diego Rodriguez Vallejo condemned the Tuesday night killing of Ernesto Mendez, the director of the local outlet Tu Voz, or Your Voice, after a group of gunmen stormed the bar, which Mendez also owned in the town of San Luis de la Paz. Mendez had also worked at the news site Zona Franca several years ago, according to its direc-

tor Carmen Martinez.

The journalist had previously received threats, according to human rights organisation Article 19.

“It wasn’t just the owner of the establishment who was killed but sadly others were as well,” Luis Gerardo Sanchez, the mayor of the town told a news conference on Wednesday.

The attack also left one person seriously wounded, he added. The other victims were not named.

It is not known whether Mendez was enrolled in the Mexican Government’s protection programme for journalists and human rights defenders, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Journalists involved with small news organisations in Mexico’s interior have become easy targets, and small town officials and politicians are often suspects, along with organised crime.

The killing of Mendez took place about one month after 47-year-old Antonio de la Cruz, a reporter for the regional newspaper Expreso, was shot and killed outside his home in Ciudad Victoria in northeastern Mexico.

De la Cruz was the 12th Mexican journalist killed since the start of the year, making 2022 the deadliest year on record for Mexican reporters.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Sargassum threatens regional industries

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argassum now at record levels or near 25 million tonnes blanketed on Caribbean coastlines has threatened to negatively impact key industries of the region.

Experts who first noticed large amounts of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea since 2011 have said that the problem has occurred practically every year since then and is now up to this year elevated some 20 per cent above that of the pre-pandemic era.

The brown algae when at moderate levels help to purify water, absorb carbon dioxide and is a key habitat for fish and other marine creatures. Now being declared an environmental emergency by experts, "the golden tide", as it is being referred, has become devastating for the region, affecting economies and industries such as tourism and fishing.

Within the fishing industry its weeds have begun to damage fishing engines and gears, preventing fisherfolk from accessing their tools and ultimately resulting in

Sargassum on a beach in St Martin

reduced catch of fish stocks.

"Barbados had been especially hit hard since flying fish make up 60 per cent of the island's annual landed catch," a University of the West Indies report said.

It also noted an overabundance of sargassum in Martinique which was blamed for the recent deaths of thousands of fish in the French Caribbean island.

Sargassum presents an issue for destinations because its unpleasant smell and presence can discourage beach-going tourists.

On Union Island, which is part of St Vincent and the Grenadines, the seaweed invasion has also forced some resorts to close for up to five months in the past.

Even as some larger nations have moved to pump significant funds into reducing the presence of the algae on its beaches, through procedures utilising heavy machinery, environmentalist have warned against this citing possible erosion and the destruction of turtle eggs among its outcomes. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil prices end week on multi-month lows on recession fears

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il prices settled higher on Friday, recouping some of this week's losses on strong US job growth data, but closed the week at their lowest levels since February, rattled by worries a recession could hit fuel demand.

Brent crude settled up 80 cents to US$94.92 a barrel, 11 per cent off last Friday's settlement. US West Texas Intermediate crude settled up 47 cents to US$89.01, off 8 per cent in the week.

US job growth unexpectedly accelerated in July as nonfarm payrolls increased by 528,000 jobs, the largest gain since February, the US Labor Department reported.

"This is strong economic data that's supporting the oil market rise today," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho.

Oil traders this week have fretted about inflation, economic growth and demand, but signs of tight supply kept a floor under prices.

The number of oil rigs, an early indicator of future output, fell seven to 598 in the week to Aug 5, the first weekly decline in 10 weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co BKR.O said in its closely followed report on Friday.

Recession worries have intensified since the Bank of England's warning on Thursday of a drawn-out downturn after it raised interest rates by the most since 1995.

"Clearly, everyone is taking the threat of recession far more seriously as we're still seeing a very tight market and producers with no capacity to change that," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda in London.

Supplies were still relatively tight, with prompt prices still higher than those in future months, a market structure known as backwardation.

The OPEC+ producer group agreed this week to raise its oil output goal by 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) in September, but this was one of the smallest increases since such quotas were introduced in 1982, OPEC data showed.

Supply concerns were expected to ratchet up closer to winter, with European Union sanctions banning seaborne imports of Russian crude and oil products set to take effect on Dec 5.

"With the EU halting seaborne Russian imports, there is a key question of whether Middle Eastern producers will reroute their barrels to Europe to backfill the void," said RBC analyst Michael Tran.

"How this Russian oil sanctions policy shakes out will be one of the most consequential matters to watch for the remainder of the year." (Excerpt from Reuters)

Two dead after lightning strike near White House

A

n elderly couple from Wisconsin have died after they were struck by lightning near the White House in Washington DC, Police say.

James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, died from their injuries.

Two others were struck and injured and have been taken to hospital in the city.

The victims were in Lafayette Park during a violent storm on Thursday when they were struck down, fire officials said.

The park's closeness to the seat of the US presidency meant members of the US Secret Service were among the first people to assist the victims.

The White House of-

fered condolences to the families of the couple who died. "We are praying for those still fighting for their lives," said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The lightning struck the four people near a tree by the fence that surrounds the White House complex.

In the wake of the incident, part of the park remained closed with emergency services at the scene.

The National Weather Service had issued a thunderstorm warning for the area on Thursday.

Lafayette Square is a seven-acre public park directly north of the White House. It is often crowded with visitors, especially during the summer.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Zaporizhzhia: Russian rockets damage part of nuclear plant, Ukraine says

U

kraine's nuclear agency said Russian rockets have damaged part of a giant Russiancontrolled nuclear power plant, but there has been no radiation leak.

Enerhoatom said a nitrogen-oxygen unit and a high-voltage power line had been damaged at the Zaporizhzhia plant Europe's largest - in southern Ukraine.

Local Russian-appointed officials blamed Ukraine for shelling earlier.

Ukraine also accuses Russian forces of firing rockets at civilian areas from the site, employing "terror tactics".

"Every morning we wake up and see that they have hit only residential homes," a local businessman told the

A covered Russian tank outside the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on August 4

BBC. The BBC was unable to verify the reported damage at the nuclear plant.

Enerhoatom said there were two rounds of Russian rocket fire on Friday, which prompted the site's operators to disconnect a reactor from the power grid.

Enerhoatom said "there

is a risk of hydrogen leakage and dispersal of radioactive particles".

"The fire danger is high.

Currently there are no injuries," it added.

Russia seized the Zaporizhzhia plant in March but kept its Ukrainian employees. Russia controls the plant and surrounding areas,

close to Ukrainian-held territory. It consists of six pressurised water reactors and stores radioactive waste.

Western officials have sounded the alarm about Russia's tactics there.

The plant is in the city of Enerhodar, in the southeast of Ukraine along the left bank of the River Dnieper (Dnipro in Ukrainian).

The plant's Moscowinstalled management was quoted by Russia's state-run Interfax news agency as saying two of the plant's power lines had been hit by a Ukrainian artillery strike, causing a fire.

It is not clear how many power lines still operate at the plant, and the contrasting claims have not been independently verified.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

“No appetite for war”: Palestinians fear new Israeli offensive

I

srael’s attack on Gaza on Friday was weeks in the making, a deliberate act to gain legitimacy with its public, say Palestinian observers, as Israel braces for new elections in November.

On Friday, Israel

launched missiles throughout the besieged Palestinian enclave, killing 10 people, including a five-year-old girl, a 23-year-old woman, as well as Taysir al-Jabari, a commander of Islamic Jihad’s military wing.

France drought: Parched towns left short of drinking water

Islamic Jihad group said it fired more than 100 rockets into Israel in retaliation for the air raids. The violence raised fears of another war on Gaza by Israel, just 15 months after a month-long conflict that killed more than 260 people.

Israel’s deadly attacks came after Israeli forces arrested Bassam al-Saadi, a senior member of the armed group, earlier in the week. AlSaadi was detained during an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, during which a teenager was killed.

Prior to the assassination of al-Jabari, Israel tightened its grip on the coastal enclave, already 15 years under

a brutal blockade, by shutting down all border crossings.

Israel also closed roads around Gaza earlier this week and sent reinforcements to the border as it braced for a response after al-Saadi’s arrest.

Friday’s attack came on the heels of previous assaults, including drone strikes on the Gaza Strip, leading some observers to suggest the current escalation is a calculated move.

The West Bank, too, has also seen a rise in Israeli attacks by soldiers and settlers alike, as well as arrests of Palestinians and home demolitions. (Except from Al Jazeera)

Thailand nightclub fire kills at least 14 and injures dozens

T

A dried-up river in Le Broc, southern France

he French Government has set up a crisis team to tackle a historic drought that has left more than 100 municipalities short of drinking water.

Trucks are taking water to those areas, as "there is nothing left in the pipes", Minister for Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu said.

The Prime Minister's office said it was France's worst recorded drought.

Water use is being restricted in 93 regions.

Dry conditions are expected to continue for at least the next two weeks.

The state energy company EDF has had to reduce output at some nuclear power plants, as river temperatures are too high to provide sufficient cooling, AFP news agency reports.

There are fears that the

drought - hitting nearly all of mainland France - will reduce crop yields, exacerbating the food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.

Europeans are already struggling with higher food prices as grain exports from Russia and Ukraine - among the world's top producers - are much lower than normal.

The heatwave that has baked France since June has prompted trees and bushes to shed their leaves early, creating scenes that look autumnal.

In July France had just 9.7mm (0.38 inches) of rain, making it the driest month since March 1961, the national weather service Meteo-France said.

Irrigation has been banned in much of the north-west and south-east of France to conserve water.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

A

t least 14 people were killed and around 40 others injured after a fire swept through a nightclub in Chonburi province in south-eastern Thailand.

The fire broke out at 01:00 local time on Friday (18:00 GMT Thursday) at the Mountain B nightspot in Sattahip district, Police said.

Footage shows people screaming as they flee, some with clothes on fire.

The cause of the fire is not clear, with rescuers saying flammable material on the walls may have exacerbated it.

The venue in Chonburi, a province located 150km (90 miles) south of Bangkok, was a single-storey complex measuring 4800 square metres (51,660 square feet).

Firefighters battled for more than two hours to bring the fire under control, local media reported. The blaze apparently broke out during a live music performance at the venue, according to the moth-

er of one of the music performers who died in the incident.

Bodies of the victims were mostly found near the entrance and in the bathrooms.

Others were found near the DJ booth.

So far, all those who died are believed to be Thai nationals.

Officials said the venue had been turned from a restaurant into a nightclub and was likely operating without permission.

This is not the first time a deadly fire has broken out in a Thai nightclub.

In 2009, more than 60 people died in Bangkok after a fire spread at the Santika Club in the early hours of New Year's Day. Two men, including the owner of the club, were jailed in 2011.

And a fire at a nightclub in the popular Thai tourist destination of Phuket in 2012 killed four people and injured about a dozen others. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Take money matters into your hands.

Gravitate toward something you have an interest in, and you'll discover how to use your skills to get your way. Alter the way you live to reach your objective.

(March 21-April 19) Leave nothing to chance. Live up to your promises and expectations. Refuse to let your emotions take over and stubbornness set in when dealing with loved ones. Romance will enhance your life.

DILBERT

(April 20-May 20)

(May 21-June 20)

Avoid last-minute changes that can confuse people in high places. Setting off an alarm when you try to win favors will hold you back. Work quietly behind the scenes until you can offer a flawless presentation.

Pick up the pace and don't stop until you feel good about your accomplishment. Look at the big picture and find a way to cut corners. Moderation will help maintain respect and your budget.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Anger will not solve anything, but being smart with your money, contracts and well-being will make a difference.

Don't be afraid to say no or to walk away from an unstable situation.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Traveling and pursuing education will give you a different perspective on the way you do things. Take notes and attach yourself to someone who can contribute to your knowledge and hone your skills.

What others reveal will be a valuable lesson regarding life, love and how to achieve personal happiness. Keep an open mind, but don't buy into someone else's dream. Follow your heart.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Rearrange your space to suit your needs. Spend time with someone unique who encourages you to rethink how you live and earn your keep. Turning something you love doing into a profitable venture.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Make your likes and dislikes clear.

Filtering through negativity with the intent of reaching positive ground will improve your relationships with others.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Someone will be quick to criticize you if you are opinionated. Emotions and money won't mix. You can't buy love or happiness. Work on yourself instead of trying to change others.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Confusion will result if you are gullible or consumed by what others do or say. Dissect what you hear, and you'll gain insight instead of letting someone control you.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Check your motives before making a move. Refuse to let your emotions interfere with what's right and wrong. Make decisions based on facts. Physical improvements will boost your morale and fetch compliments.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

21

US urges Russia to accept deal to free jailed basketball star Brittney Griner

D

ouble Olympic winner Brittney Griner has been convicted of possessing and smuggling drugs, after admitting to possessing cannabis oil.

White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby has said the US offer was "a serious proposal", but gave no details. On Friday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is ready to discuss the topic.

US media reports suggest Washington is offering a prisoner swap involving a Russian arms trafficker.

Viktor Bout - known as the "merchant of death" is serving a 25-year prison sentence in the US. He could be transferred by Washington to the Russian authorities in exchange for Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan, the reports say.

Whelan, who has US, British, Canadian and Irish passports, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in jail in Russia, after being

convicted of spying.

Mr Kirby told reporters that the duo were being wrongfully detained, and needed to be let go.

Griner case throws spotlight on hostage diplomacy

On the subject of the US proposal, Mr Kirby said: "We urge them to accept it.

They should have accepted it weeks ago, when we first made it."

But according to Reuters news agency, one stumbling block is that Russia wants to add convicted murderer Vadim Krasikov, who is in prison in Germany, to the proposed swap.

When questioned about this possibility, Mr Kirby dismissed it, saying: "I don't think we go so far as to even call it a counter-offer."

Griner, 31, told the court she had made an "honest mistake", and had not intended to break the law.

Considered one of the best female players in the world, she was detained in February at an airport

near Moscow when vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. She had come to Russia to play club basketball during the US off-season.

Soon afterwards, Russia invaded Ukraine, and her case has become subject to high-profile diplomacy between the US and Russia.

Her defence team said

they would appeal against the verdict.

Griner's Phoenix Mercury teammates staged a gesture of solidarity on Thursday when they and their Connecticut Sun opponents observed 42 seconds of silence before their game, in honour of her

number 42 jersey.

US President Biden called her sentencing "unacceptable", adding: "I call on Russia to release her immediately, so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates."

Meanwhile Secretary of State Antony Blinken add-

Chelsea sign Brighton defender Marc Cucurella for £60m

M

arc Cucurella, the 24-year-old leftback who scored one goal in 38 games in his only season for the Seagulls, has signed a six-year contract with Chelsea.

"I'm really happy. It's a big opportunity for me to join one of the best clubs in the world," Cucurella has said.

"I'm going to work hard to be happy here, and (to) help the team."

A Barcelona academy graduate, Cucurella has won one senior cap for Spain, and played for the under-23 side that won silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Last month, Brighton rejected a £30m bid from champions Manchester City for Cucurella, who handed in a transfer request after City expressed an interest.

"We did not want to lose Marc, but he wanted

the opportunity of playing Champions League football with a view to accelerating his progress to Spain's World Cup squad," said Brighton Manager Graham Potter.

"He had an excellent first season in the Premier League, deservedly winning both our ‘player of the season’ awards, and has been an absolute pleasure to work with over the past 12 months."

Cucurella is the second big-money departure from Brighton this summer, after midfielder Yves Bissouma joined Tottenham for £25m plus add-ons.

"Marc is an elite defender of proven Premier League quality," said Chelsea Chairman Todd Boehly. "We continue to work on and off the pitch, and we're delighted Marc will be a part of the present and future at

Chelsea."

This summer, Chelsea have brought in England forward Raheem Sterling from Manchester City for £50m, Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £34m, and midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa for £20m.

They also signed 18-year-old American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina for a reported £12m from Chicago Fire, where he will remain on loan until the end of the Major League Soccer season.

Meanwhile, 19-yearold Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has joined Brighton on a season-long loan. The England Under-19 international spent last season on loan at Huddersfield, and scored an own goal in the 1-0 Championship play-off final defeat by Nottingham Forest.

"Levi has enormous potential, and has already shown his ability last season in the Championship and with England at various age group levels up to under-21s," Potter has said. “He plays mostly at centre-back, but has also played on the left as a fullback, and he is a player who is comfortable on the ball."

(BBC)

ed: "Russia, and any country engaging in wrongful detention, represents a threat to the safety of everyone travelling, working and living abroad."

Mr Blinken raised the issue in a phone call with Mr Lavrov last week, in the first conversation between the two men since the start of the war in Ukraine.

A day after Griner's sentencing, Mr Lavrov said Moscow is ready to discuss the topic of prisoner exchanges with Washington, but within the framework of an existing diplomatic channel agreed upon

by Presidents Putin and Biden, Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.

Both Mr Lavrov and Mr Blinken are now in Cambodia for a meeting of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations. The US says Mr Blinken will try to speak with Mr Lavrov again while they are there.

(BBC)

weeks before the US Open gets under way at Flushing Meadows.

Djokovic has also withdrawn from the Montreal event, having been ineligible to enter Canada due to being unvaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

(Sportsmax)

T

he Spaniard Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Canadian Open, as he has not fully recovered from an abdominal tear.

Nadal's bid to complete a rare clean sweep of the Grand Slams ended when he suffered an injury setback at Wimbledon last month. The 22-time major champion pulled out ahead of a semi-final against Nick Kyrgios, who received a walkover, but lost to Novak Djokovic in the championship match.

Nadal was due to return in Montreal next week, but on Friday revealed he will not travel to Canada to play in a tournament he has won five times. The world number three wrote on Twitter: "From the vacation days and my subsequent return to training, everything

has gone well these weeks.

Four days ago, I also started training the service, and yesterday, after training, I had a little discomfort, that was still there today.

"We have decided not to travel to Montreal, and continue with the training sessions without forcing ourselves. I sincerely thank the tournament director, Eugene [Lapierre], and his entire team for the understanding and support they have always shown me, and today was no exception.

I hope to play again in Montreal, a tournament that I love and that I have won five times in front of an audience that has always welcomed me with great affection. I have no choice but to be prudent at this point and think about health."

Nadal's withdrawal comes just over three

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22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

Bess impressed with team’s performance at CAC

GBBFF President Keavon Bess

Rawle Green copped gold in the Masters Under-50 category

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

eam Guyana’s outing at the 2022 edition of the CAC Bodybuilding Championship saw the local contingent walking away with a total of twelve medals, and according to Keavon Bess, President of the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GBBFF), the team’s performance was nothing short of phenomenal.

In an interview with this publication, Bess was asked what he thought of the team’s

performance, and he said, “Team Guyana’s performance at CAC 2022 was nothing short of phenomenal. I expected the athletes to do well, and we knew there were athletes that would be medalling. It was easy to assume that Emmerson Campbell and Rosanna Fung would be medalling; however, we did not expect, at any time, to be returning to Guyana with five gold medals, six silver medals, and one bronze medal. It is nothing short of phenomenal, the athletes put in their

Rosanna Fung bagged three gold medals and her Pro Rank Card

best performance.

“For Miss Fung, that was the best performance of her life, and that was the best I have seen her look, and definitely deserving of the pro card that she was able to win.”

Bess also disclosed that capturing that number of medals has raised the morale of both the GBBFF and the athletes. He said he believes that, going forward, the athletes would be encouraged to do “great things”.

Bess has also said that

this performance has shown both the GBBFF and athletes that they can go on the highest stage and perform, and compete with the best of the best.

“It is a definite boost to the morale of the Body Building and Fitness Federation.

We have already been doing good this year. For the year, we have had the Novices and Intermediate Championships, now we have gone to Barbados and done well. So, we have had a great year thus far, and we hope

to finish (the year) with the Seniors (championship) later this year,” he stated.

Bess, further, said the GBBFF is exploring the idea of having Rosanna Fung represent Guyana at the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF) competition, which will be held in South Korea; and while it has not been confirmed as yet, Bess noted, it will be looked at shortly.

The athletes who participated in the CAC Championships 2022 were: Asanti Conway, who won silver in the Junior Wellness event; Rosanna Fung, who won gold in the following events: Junior Wellness; under-160cm Wellness; and pro card in the Overall Wellness;

Christina Ramsammy, who won silver in the under-169cm bikini event; Hannah Rampersaud, who placed fifth in the under-160cm bikini event; Nicholas Albert, who won silver in the Juniors bodybuilding event, and silver in the middleweight event; Roger Callender, who won silver in the bantamweight event; Rawle Greene, who won gold in the Masters under-50 event, and bronze in the under-90kg bodybuilding event; Emmerson Campbell, who won silver in the Men's Physique under 173cm event; Jonathan Jeffery, who placed fifth in the Men's Physique under-173 cm event; and Julio Sinclair, who won gold in the heavyweight event.

Caribbean Senior Squash Championships set for August 21-27 in Jamaica

FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India…

Guyana teams make clean sweep in Round 6 tion, against Gracia NakonziNdousse of the Central African Republic.

Sasha Shariff and young Anaya Lall have also been triumphant against their opponents, Gloria Gamba and Hebron Baguida respectively; while Nellisha Johnson has been unable to convert her game.

B

en a rest day on August 4th, when they had the opportunity to tour and shop in the nearby areas. The Guyana team took the much-needed respite to relax and regroup for the remaining 6 rounds of the tournament, which will conclude on August 9th.

The Closing Ceremony of the

T

CM Taffin Khan

oth of Guyana’s Chess Olympiad teams have been victorious competing in Round 6 against their counterparts in the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India.

Guyana’s four-member Open team playing against Gabon in Round 6 won the match 4-0. Taffin Khan (2019) defeated Mounguen Koumba (1942), while Loris Nathoo (1695) has improved his ratings after defeating Candidate Master Barthelemy Bongo Akanga Ndjila (1803). Roberto Neto and Ethan Lee also won against Tary Bongo Ngombele and Ceylan Odounga Christ respectively.

The Open team members grasped the initiative from the beginning of their games, and sustained the lead to take Guyana to victory. CM Taffin Khan and Ethan Lee are

currently on 2 points, while FM Anthony Drayton and Roberto Neto are each on 1.5 points, and Loris Nathoo is on one point.

Roberto Neto

Twelve-year-old Anya Lall

As for the women’s team, Jessica Callender has scored her third win in the competi-

Guyana’s women's team won their match 3-1, and members now have the following points: Jessica Callender 3, Sasha Shariff 2, Nellisha Johnson 1.5. Pooja Lam and Anaya Lall are each on one point.

The Open team comes up against Cape Verde - rated 123 in the world - on August 5th, while the Women’s team comes up against Oman, seeded at 108.

Chess players were giv-

Olympiad will also be held on August 9th at 16:00hrs IST. Games continue daily with one round per day, and are being played at the Four Points

by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre. Play starts daily at 15:00 Indian Time - 05:30 Guyana Time. Links to live games can be found on the Guyana Chess Federation Website: www.guyanachess. org.

he 37th staging of the Caribbean Senior Squash Championships (CSSC) will take place at the Liguanea Club in Kingston, Jamaica from August 21 to August 27.

Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guyana, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and host country Jamaica are the eight countries that would be fielding participants - approximately 140 - for the one-week tournament.

Chris Binnie, currently ranked #1 in the region, is among the top Jamaica players who have won Senior CASA titles. Binnie is a 9-time All Jamaica and Caribbean Senior Men’s Champion. Meghan Best, defending female champion, and from Barbados, has also registered to partici-

pate. Moreover, the 13-time All Jamaica Senior Women’s Champion Karen Anderson would also be participating.

Fierce competition is expected from Adrian Grant, former world #9, playing for Jamaica in his first CASA. Young Guyana national champion Shomari Wiltshire, as well as Chayse McQuan of T&T and Adam Murrils of the BVI, would also be participating. Teams would start arriving in Jamaica from August 19.

Corporate support for the tournament would be coming from title sponsors Wisynco, through their brand WATA; Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF); Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA); Sports Development Foundation (SDF); Ernst & Young; Fleetwood; Levy Cheeks, and Best Dressed Chicken. (Sportsmax)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

‘India vs West Indies’ set to ignite Florida with intense T20I action customed to the sun, and the venue looks beautiful," Pooran noted.

In the areas of improvement, Pooran said the team must understand they have to fight harder in tough moments, especially with the bat.

Meanwhile, India's designated finisher, Denish Karthik, has said it is important for West Indies to close out this series. "We all know how good West Indies (are), but having said that, I feel one of the key things that have been told to us is that we did

India warming up ahead of the final practice session before the fourth T20I (Brandon Corlette photo)

By Brandon Corlette in Florida

B

aggage delays and visa issues were bugbears prior to the start of the much-anticipated Florida T20Is, but thanks to hard work from Cricket West Indies and the timely intervention of the President of Guyana, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, those respective issues have been overcome.

On the eve of the fourth T20 International match between the West Indies and India, the atmosphere has been saturated with expectation, and hundreds were present at the Central Broward Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to witness both teams practise. A sold-out crowd is expected to attend these epic

encounters, and the small outfield promises to produce runs when the first ball bowls off at 10:30h local time.

This series will be the last one before both teams announce their squads for the T20 World Cup in Australia this October. With India leading the five-match Series 2-1, West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran has said his team would start winning games consistently with the more games played together.

"The more games we play as a unit, we will get better.

King is scoring half-centuries, I made some runs as well, but everyone is playing their roles on the team, so it is not about individuals. It is about everyone doing exactly what the team is needed at the moment.

then put up a good performance here," Karthik has said.

The last time West Indies beat India in any series was

23

Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Keemo Paul, Romario

Shamarh Brooks and Shimron Hetmyer sharing a light moment (Brandon Corlette photo)

Fans turned out in their numbers on the eve of the match (Brandon Corlette photo)

We have not been getting the wins. Winning and losing (are) contagious. As a team, we are doing a lot of right things, and hopefully we can win games," Pooran said on the eve of the match.

Sharing his sentiments on the surface, Pooran said the pitch looks really good. "Nice to bat on, there is a win factor.

It is a bit hot, but we are ac-

not adapt to the conditions as quickly as we wanted. But here in (Florida), we will make an effort to try, play, and understand the conditions, and

at this same ground in 2016, when they won the twomatch T20I Series 1-0, with one match being washed out.

Rohit Sharma has been seen practising on the eve of this match, after he had suffered a back spasm in the third T20I in St Kitts.

SQUADS: WEST INDIES – Nicholas Pooran (captain), Rovman Powell (vice-captain), Shamarh Brooks, Dominic Drakes, Shimron

Shepherd, Odean Smith, Devon Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr. INDIA – Rohit Sharma (capt), Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.

Compliments of

GFF promotes Bryan Joseph to Technical Director (ag) Edghill/Cummings to play in Round-of-16 today T

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has promoted Assistant Technical Director and former senior men’s national team player Bryan Joseph to the position of (acting) Technical Director, in recognition of his strong record of implementing results-driven youth development programmes across Guyana.

Joseph previously worked as GFF Youth Development Officer, and coached various national youth teams.

He is one of three Guyanese coaches with a valid Concacaf ‘B’ Licence, and is currently training for an ‘A’ coaching qualification, facilitated by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association.

“Bryan has been instrumental in the great strides we have made developing sustainable development programmes across Guyana for boys and girls,” GFF President Wayne Forde has said. “His appointment underlines our long-term commitment to upskill and empower Guyana-based talent across the spectrum of our activities.

“As part of GFF's commitment to Bryan's long-term development, he is actively working his way through the Concacaf coaching licence pathway, in addition to further upskilling opportunities through our partnership with UEFA Assist and the Danish Football Association,” Forde added.

… Tough day for athletics

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Bryan Joseph

“All this is geared towards ensuring that Guyana produces an eminently qualified Technical Director in the future.”

Joseph rose through the ranks at the GFF to serve as Assistant Technical Director under former Technical Director Ian Greenwood, who had been charged with designing and orchestrating capacity building across the GFF’s national, technical, and coaching structures.

The GFF has, since 2015, facilitated official coaching certification at various levels for more than 70 domestic-based coaches.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to further serve Guyana’s football in this capacity,” Joseph has said.

“It is another step in working towards my dream.

I am committed to ensuring that the development curve of Guyana’s football remains on the incline as I look to further strengthen the existing programmes that are working well for us, as well as design and implement new programmes to take us even further.

“I am happy that my commitment and hard work over the years have been recognised by President Forde and the Executive Committee,” he added.

“They’ve invested tremendously in my professional development over the years, and I will do everything within my power to ensure that the rewards match that investment. I look forward to the usual support of the stakeholders in the game, as we push forward collectively.”

he pair of Natalie Cummings and Chelsea Edghill have progressed to today’s Roundof-16 matches, and they are to face New Zealand’s Chunyi Feng and Yangzi Liu. The duo remains Guyana’s last hope of booking a spot on the podium in tennis at the Commonwealth Games, following their Women’s Doubles Round-of-32 victory over South Africa. They were able to win their round 3-1 with scores of (11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8).

In the Men’s Doubles Round-of-16, Christopher Franklin and Shemar Britton were not that lucky. Franklin and Britton held their own against Nigeria, but lost 1-3 (6-11, 6-11, 11-9, 5-11). This was also the country’s first time playing in the Men’s Doubles Round-of-16.

Coach Idi Lewis, bemoaning the lack of funding for the sport, believes that if they were given enough resources to properly prepare, things would’ve been better – a conviction with which Natalie Cummings wholehearted agrees.

“Funding! We keep saying it! Funding is so important!

Equipment on time, better facilities. We need a home for Table Tennis. For me, setting a benchmark top 16, I don’t

Chantoba Bright

think is the best we can do, but it sets a precedent that we can do better,” the candid ‘lefty’ has said.

Cummings added, “If we’re at home training and we got this far, (how much better would we have done with) more support thrown towards us. I think we can do much better.

“As Idi said, we’re not supposed to be here, but we’re here showing everyone, showing Guyana, that just give us the opportunity and we’re going to do things,” Cummings said.

Athletics

In athletics, Chantoba Bright had a season's best leap of 12.97 metres, but it was never going to give the Kansas State University athlete a chance at a podium finish on another shivering-cold

night of track and field action at the Alexander Stadium.

Aliyah Abrams and Kenisha Phillips ended their campaign at the Commonwealth Games by exiting in the semi-finals of the Women’s 400m and 200m respectively. Abrams crossed the finish line in sixth place with a time of 52.82s, her performance certainly not being the result she was hoping for.

And yesterday’s run of 24.39s in Heat Two of the 200m brought the curtains down on Kenisha Phillips’s season.

It has all come down to the Men's 4X100M relay team of Noelex Holder, Emanuel Archibald, Arinze Chance and Akeem Stewart to salvage some pride for the Guyanese track team in England's second largest city.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

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

‘India vs West Indies’ set to ignite Florida with intense T20I action Page 23

Edghill/ Page 23 Cummings to play in Roundof-16 today

Nicholas Pooran preparing to bat in the nets (Brandon Corlette photo)

Bess impressed with team’s Page 22 performance at CAC

… Tough day for athletics

Julio Sinclair bagged gold in the heavyweight category

GFF promotes Bryan Joseph to Technical Director (ag) Page 23

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