Guyana Times - Saturday July 3, 2021

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Issue No. 4697

P10

THE BEACON OF TRUTH SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

Major investments pegged for CJIA environs – President Ali ...as sod turned for US$20M Marriott Courtyard Hotel

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Bus driver gets 25 years for P8 raping schoolgirl − “Being raped was the worst and most painful thing I ever experienced” – victim

Page 3

Aviation officer charged for death of best friend P10

President Dr Irfaan Ali along with US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch; Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill; Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond; businessman Roy Bassoo and Marriott International representative Eduardo Reple at the sod-turning exercise at the CJIA on Friday (OP photo)

Pedal 6 arrested for cyclist attempting killed to pervert in hit course and run of justice at LBI Children will be vaccinated once Guyana secures Pfizer vaccine – President Ali

Linden man P16 busted with ganja in home, attempts to bribe Police

Haresh Singh murder investigation

Page 14 Pages 7, 11 & 12

Page 2

…Over 1500 children contracted COVID-19 in Guyana – Health Minister …4 more die from COVID, 89 new cases recorded

Close to 20 inches of rainfall recorded between May 24 and June 10 – Minister Mustapha P13

...tells Brazilian news entity over 30,000 households affected

P2 Cyclist chopped during argument over cycle accident

2 arrested P15 for suspected cattle rustling

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Pedal cyclist killed in hit and run at LBI

By LaWanda McAllister

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resident of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD), is now dead after he was injured during a hit-andrun accident on Thursday evening along the La Bonne Intention Railway Embankment.

The dead man has been identified as 39-year-old Rajendra Singh, a ramp attendant at the Eugene F Correia International Airport, Ogle, ECD. Based on reports received, the now dead man was riding his ped-

al cycle along the Railway Embankment, ECD, when he was struck by an unknown motor vehicle.

As a result of the impact, Singh fell onto the road’s surface and received injuries about his body. He was picked up in an unconscious condition, placed into a vehicle and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted a patient with severe head injuries. He subsequently died while receiving medical attention.

His body is at the Georgetown Public

Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

At the house of the man on Friday, his wife, Rajpatte Mahese, with whom he shared a relationship for the past 11 years, told Guyana Times that she was at Mandir, waiting for her husband to pick her up, when she received a call informing her that Singh was involved in an accident.

“I called back the person to make sure, and he said yes… I took a car and I go, when I go it was my husband and the Police was already there. People Dead: Rajendra Singh

was also helping by putting him inside the vehicle and I went down to the hospital.”

The woman said whoever hit her husband had no excuse to say that they did not see him, because he was wearing reflective gears at the time of the accident.

“His bicycle had lights, he even had on the reflective vest… when the person hit him, the bicycle was on and everything. It was until he reached to the scene, they took off the light and the vest and everything else from him,” the woman cried.

Mahese said when they picked up her husband from the scene, he was unconscious and bleeding profusely from the head.

“He was unconscious all the time. My husband has been working with the Air Service for about 17 years and he always wears his gears when he was heading home… all the Police tell me is that a bus hit he and go away.”

The distraught woman stated that her husband not only sustained a fractured skull but suffered from haemorrhaging to the brain, a broken leg, a fractured hip, a damaged liver, damaged muscles and veins, and broken ribs.

Further, the woman recalled that the doctors had called her on Friday morning, informing that her husband died, but they subsequently found a heartbeat.

Even though the man was alive, doctors advised the family that he would not have survived.

He succumbed to his injuries at about 15:00h on Friday.

Meanwhile, the man’s sister-in-law, Melissa [only name given), also told Guyana Times that her brother-in-law did not deserve this, and is calling for

The dead man’s wife: Rajpattie Mahase

justice.

“It really shocked our family because he was very loving. The driver that did this to my brother-in-law, I need him to suffer. If he doesn’t get catch by the Police he is going to suffer.

He killed somebody, that is somebody’s child, a husband, he could have been a father… he didn’t know the person was who, but he just hit and run. I need the Police to follow the story, and find the person who did it,” the grieving woman said.

Cyclist chopped during argument over cycle accident

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icardo Singh also called “Chris”, 39, of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), is now hospitalised after he was chopped to his arm by another man during an argument on Thursday.

Police said the incident occurred at around 20:00h at Lalli Dam Tuschen, EBE. Based on reports received, on the day in question, Singh was riding his bicycle along Lalli Dam access road when he collided with the suspect, who was riding his bicycle along the said street.

As a result, both men dismounted their cycles and an argument broke out between them. Singh told Police that the suspect took a cutlass which

he had on his bicycle and dealt him one chop to his lower forearm after which he made good his escape.

Singh was aided by a citizen who rushed him to the Leonora Cottage Hospital.

He was seen by a doctor on duty, treat-

ed and referred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was admitted a patient in a stable condition. Checks were made for the suspect but he was not found.

Investigations are ongoing.

Linden man granted bail for narco-possession

T

wenty-five-yearold Courtney Nedd, a businessman of Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden, was on Wednesday granted bail on a possession of narcotics charge when he appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.

Police stated that Nedd was arrested on Wednesday after he was found with a quantity of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was reportedly walking in the vicinity of Public Justice at Blueberry Hill, Wismar,

Linden, at the time of his arrest.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him by Magistrate Wanda Fortune.

Nedd will make his next court appearance on August 3, 2021.

3 Major investments pegged for CJIA environs – President Ali NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Saturday, July 3 – 23:00h – 03:00h and Sunday, July 4 – 01:00h – 02:30h and 12:00h – 14:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, July 3 – 11:30h – 13:00h and Sunday, July 4 – 12:40h – 14:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY There will be light rain showers during the day and night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 11:28h and 23:56h reaching maximum heights of 2.19 metres and 2.24 metres.

Low Tide: 17:24h reaching a minimum height of 1.01 metre

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...as sod turned for US$20M Marriott Courtyard Hotel

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s part of Guyana’s massive economic transformation, the PPP/C Government will be injecting millions of dollars together with foreign investments to enhance the landscape of areas surrounding the country’s main port of entry – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in Timehri on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday during the sod-turning ceremony of the US$20 million Courtyard by Marriott Hotel that is being constructed next in the compound of the CJIA. Construction of the 140room international hotel – the second such facility under the Marriott brand in Guyana – is expected to commence immediately and is slated to complete in 2023.

In his feature address to the gathering, President Dr Irfaan Ali posited that the surroundings of the CJIA will not only be enhanced by this world-class hotel but also other projects that are in the pipelines.

“We have now more than 40 international investors that are knocking at our door with different investments at the airport… The airport authority is short of lands to facilitate these investments. Not only are we seeing the realisation of a hotel, but we’re seeing the realisation of a new urban spread around the airport. And this area will become a major hospitality, leisure and sports recreational area, in addition to the business segment of the development. So, you will see Government itself investment billions of dollars over the next five years in the catchment area [around the CJIA],” the President noted.

The Head of State recalled his tenure as acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister where there were not enough rooms to accommodate visitors who travelled to Guyana for the international motor race meet at the South Dakota Circuit and they had complained of having to travel all the way to Georgetown. “[It was] very taxing on the fans and the racers because there were no facilities around. But guess what, it’s coming and we are going to expand also in that sport. So… the type of investment that would be created around [the CJIA area] would only add to the success of this hotel,” he posited.

Moreover, the President noted that travel time to

and from CJIA will also be significantly reduced with the alternative road to Georgetown [Diamond to Eccles to Mandela Avenue] and the bypass road that will eventually run from the Timehri airport to Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

According to Ali, Government has also commenced talks with local urban planners to look at the development of a silica city. He added that they are also searching for investors to establish a first-class marina or yachting club near the

The design of the US$20 million Courtyard by Marriott Hotel

timents, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill also spoke of the enhancement of the CJIA environs which will complement

President Irfaan Ali joining businessman Roy Bassoo, US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch and Public Works Minister Juan Edghill in signing a symbolic shovel at Friday’s sod-turning ceremony for the US$20 million Marriott Courtyard Hotel next to the CJIA in Timehri

Demerara River as well as a world class resort along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Sharing similar sen-

Government’s overall development plans for the area and for the modernisation of the CJIA.

“There is lots to be done. There is room for the Private Sector and other private investors with the super-structure that will be put up [at the airport where] physical works will begin in a matter of weeks.

There will be accommodations for 20 businesses – restaurants, duty-free shops, massage parlour, kids play park, and on the outside, upon the instruction of His Excellency, we will be providing accommodation for our local craft-makers – not in a shanty-town style… but in real, immaculate well-constructed accommodations to ensure the ambiance and accommodation of this environment is maintained,” Edghill posited.

Against this backdrop, President Ali on Friday contended that the PPP/C Government is open to any Guyanese with a sound investment plan.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

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

Silent pandemic

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he COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impacts on individuals and communities as a whole are yet another stark reminder that both the health authorities and citizens must continue to take the issue of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) very seriously.

Based on what the medical professionals have found so far, most of the persons who have died after contracting COVID-19 had some kind of underlying health complication, many of which are related to NCDs. Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll at the moment is 477. For a small population such as ours, this is quite disturbing, to say the least.

The Government previously pointed out that several critical areas in the nation’s health-care delivery were ignored to a large extent, and this is why renewed efforts have to be made to bring all levels of the health sector up to par, including putting effective and efficient systems in place to tackle NCDs. According to Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), people with underlying health conditions such as NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, have a higher risk of contracting a severe form of the COVID-19 disease, and are more likely to die from COVID-19. Risk factors for NCDs can make people more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with COVID-19. For example, smokers may have reduced lung capacity, which would greatly increase the risk of serious illness.

PAHO/WHO has suggested that informing populations about these health risks posed by COVID-19 is critical. In addition, health services need to maintain essential NCD services to ensure continuity of care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to poor lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity, NCDs have resulted in large numbers of people falling sick and dying.

In 2007, Caricom leaders signed what they described as the “ground-breaking” Port-of-Spain Declaration aimed at uniting countries to stop the epidemic of NCDs. The declaration was recently evaluated by a team of regional and international experts.

Sometime last year, leading health expert Dr Alafia Samuels had disclosed that, based on a study, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago were found to have the highest mortality for premature cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in the Americas.

In relation to Guyana’s case, while there have been some positive moves in tackling NCDs, such as finalising the Tobacco Control Legislation, etc, some experts believe that enough was not being done in the fight against NCDs. It could be recalled that there was an NCD strategy in the years 2003-2008, and again in the years 2008-2015, which outlined a comprehensive and effective programme to fight NCDs. It is not clear if these are still being used as a guide by health authorities.

Former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy was quoted in this newspaper as saying that some of the crucial programmes that were previously in place to tackle NCDs appear to have been reduced or totally abandoned during the tenure of the previous administration. Dr Ramsammy, in particular, had pointed to the aggressive education and awareness campaigns that were very much visible some years ago. Also, community health fairs, school programmes, and other initiatives which were used to address issues such as positive lifestyles had become less visible.

These are all useful strategies in ensuring the message of healthy lifestyles continues to reach everyone in every community across the country. From all indications, some of these measures are being taken, but they are being done in a limited fashion.

We believe that discussions surrounding NCDs should constantly be kept on the national development agenda, where serious efforts are made at all levels to reduce the large numbers of persons suffering or facing death. On this basis, there is need for more collaborative efforts among all stakeholders.

That said, while the various stakeholders are involved in the battle to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hoped that they would redouble their efforts to effectively address NCDs and their risk factors with a medium- to long-term vision.

His Excellency, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali along with Cabinet Ministers, US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch and other officials at the official sod-turning ceremony of the Courtyard by Marriott, which will be constructed within the compound of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD)

Flood relief efforts in Guyana were effective Dear Editor, A snap survey of opinion on the ground about Government ‘s response to the flooding finds overwhelming positive views.

President Irfaan Ali and his Government have won praises everywhere and across all communities for their handling of the country’s worst floods. The President, his Cabinet, and officials from various Ministries were seen visiting flooded areas on the coast and in the interior to mitigate the effects of the flood waters, offering various forms of support and providing relief and other assistance to mitigate.

Virtually no one expressed any negative response on how the Government has been responding to the flood although almost everyone feels the Administration must do more to drain water from their land and provide appropriate assistance to affected communities. Some respondents feel that the Government could have made preparation well ahead of the expected rains to reduce the effects of the flooding with better planning and dredging of waterways.

Some felt mechanism should have been put in place by succeeding Governments to address expected annual flooding and fixed ocean breaches.

They call for such planning now to prepare for future heavy rains and accompanying flooding that will happen with greater frequency because of climate change and other factors like high tides. In particular, they say Government must perform infrastructure work to

remove built up siltation.

This is Guyana’s worst flooding on record.

Hydrologists, meteorologists, and civil engineers call it the flood of a century.

The President and Cabinet were quick to visit affected areas, even hard to reach, remote locations, assessing the situation on the ground and providing needed relief.

The President’s response has been described as momentous and decisive. He dispatched Ministers, the PM, heads of department and CDC personnel, medical personnel, and others to affected areas.

President Ali visited all regions and flood areas and personally handed out assistance in several locations.

The President was on the ground routinely and regularly including water pumping stations, checking on pumps. He has put in place a pilot system to monitor pumps because some attendants were caught sleeping, as pumps to drain water were turned off and kokers were closed.

The public thanks the President for his quick response, and the measures he put in place to ameliorate the situation. They salute his hands-on approach.

All of the Ministers and leadership of regional governments as well as MPs received kudos for their activism and outreach to help the affected; there was no time to idle. The Chairs of Regions 5 and 6 were singled out for special praise for being on the ground for several hours daily. Some Ministers were also on the ground for several hours each day. Some like Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, Local Government Minister

Nigel Dharamlall, Works Ministers Juan Edghill and Indar Deodat, the PM, among others, were out daily assessing and responding to infrastructure requests.

Some like Zulfikar and Nigel hardly had time to sleep as they oversaw drainage and relief efforts.

The public said that personnel have been going around taking stock of losses and needs request. An assessment is being done to provide some aid.

The floods, that began a month ago, the result of heavier than usual rainfall that overtopped waterways from the Amazon River all the way to Guyana, have left thousands homeless, killed tens of thousands of animals, and inundated vast tracts of farmland; hundreds of thousands of acres of rice, sugar cane, and other crops under cultivation have been destroyed and some still under water. The Government set up shelters for flood victims and cattle and as emergency crew worked feverishly to drain water from the land into trenches, canals, other waterways and into the ocean.

President Ali has been applauded everywhere for his hands-on approach in addressing the dangers of the flood. He was lauded for directing his Cabinet and Government officials to visit affected areas to take stock of the situation and oversee relief operations. The President was also seen immersing himself in the dangerous flood waters.

Respondents told interviewers that they were very pleased that the Government, from the onset of the floods in ear-

ly June, immediately commenced a massive rescue and relief operation. They express gratitude that the Government and some generous individuals and organisations and businesses began providing food and essential items to affected communities. Hampers were distributed all over the country to affected families although some complain it was not enough for their needs. But overall, they are very grateful for the assistance, especially when compared to Government’s response to the 2017 flooding on the coast.

The Ali Government responded efficiently and speedily in contrast with the Government’s response to the 2017 floods. Foreign diplomats and even political opponents also praised the Ali Government’s response.

Overall, the public has been pleased with Government’s effort in addressing the ongoing monthlong flood. In spite of the overwhelming favourable rating of the Government’s response to the flood, the public feels more needs to be done to ameliorate ongoing issues. They also feel Government should compensate them for damages to property and loss of livestock and crops. The Government has agreed to provide some form of assistance to the affected to re-start their lives. The President said requests for help will be met

by Government. And the Agriculture Minister also said he will ensure that farmers get assistance to get back to livelihood.

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

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

Guyanese have confronted an We need help enemy unlike any in our lifetime Dear Editor, Death of a loved one is a painful experience.

However, when a loved one dies from COVID-19, it is likely to be more difficult for several reasons: the death is unanticipated and families are separated from their hospitalised loved one due to potential contagion.

Families may be unable to grieve and memorialise their loss in ways that are religiously and culturally familiar. It is likely that family and close friends will be distressed, confused, and have many questions.

As we move through the pain of grief, it is important to remember that many people find new strengths and capabilities and develop enduring relationships with others.

As Guyanese, we must stand together to promote vaccinations so we can save lives and finally get beyond this pandemic. Throughout our history, Guyanese have put aside their partisan differences and stood together in times of crisis. It is time for us to stand together again and stop COVID -19 deaths for the past 16 months, the people of Guyana have confronted an enemy unlike any in our lifetimes. The coronavirus pandemic has threatened Guyanese in every community around the country.

It has disrupted our daily routines, ravaged our economy and taken far too many lives not easy to comprehend but thanks to the scientists’ engagement, lifesaving vaccines are widely available

and the end of our struggle is at last, coming into view, the most important step forward. At this critical moment is to finally overcome the virus and avoid continued outbreaks, more Guyanese need to get vaccinated.

The World Bank approved US$6 million in additional financing for the Guyana COVID-19 Emergency Response Project to support affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and ensure effective vaccine deployment in Guyana. The project will also support general preparedness, resilience, and overall health system strengthening Perhaps good news for Guyanese as vaccination agents are subject to social and logistical constraints which further complicates campaign efforts.

Our public awareness efforts have been working for months but that is part of the difficulties we have. The PPP/C Government has provided the means, but it is not enough to achieve the objective because of negative community leaders.

There were awareness measures that were put in place with the campaign agents that were dispatched in the arteries of the city, towns and communities, I can speak for Region 10 where the RHO, Dr Harris, and his team visited community after community to ensure effective vaccine deployment and this seemed to bear fruit in the first few weeks because we went

from the decreasing curve to the increasing curve but now there are fewer and fewer people coming to be vaccinated, as we all have noticed across Region 10 and the difficulty we have is with the second doses of Sputnik.

A vaccine that still has difficulty being accepted by some of our own residents, still influenced by preconceived notions and selfish Opposition politicians We must all understand that an efficient and equitable rollout of COVID-19 vaccines will be critical to save lives and restore economic activities in Guyana.

The World Bank is closely coordinating with development partners and our Government of Guyana counterparts to support the vaccination campaign, and long-term improvements to the country’s healthcare system.

This pandemic has had socioeconomic impacts, including job losses, which disproportionately affect women. This additional financing to the Guyana COVID-19 Emergency Response Project will fund the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines.

It will help the Government of Guyana strengthen health system functions that are necessary for immunisation, such as vaccine awareness communication, human resources, information systems, and waste management. The additional financing to this project also aims to increase overall health system preparedness to tackle future emergencies.

Since the start of the

COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank Group has committed over US$125 billion to fight the health, economic, and social impacts of the pandemic, the fastest and largest crisis response in its history. The financing is helping more than 100 countries strengthen pandemic preparedness, protect the poor and jobs, and jump start a climate-friendly recovery. The bank is also providing US$12 billion to help low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments.

The spread of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines has become a significant topic of discussion in Guyana and Region 10 over the last few months.

We must do more to eliminate conspiracy theories about the vaccines, which have proliferated over the course of the pandemic.

The development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is a huge step forward in our global effort to end the pandemic.

This is exciting news, but there are still some people who are sceptical or hesitant about COVID-19 vaccines.

Chances are you know a person who falls into this category – maybe among your group of friends or in your family.

If you are unsure of how to approach conversations about vaccines with vaccine sceptics you know, you’re not alone.

Sincerely, David Adams

Dear Editor, I am a young lady from a village called Greenfield (Beehive) on the East Coast of Demerara. For the past two months, we have been experiencing frequent power outages and the cause is from a not good transformer that they keep repairing over and over again and GPL doesn’t care to have it replaced.

It’s too much for a small village that is striving and struggling. In addition, we have a broken bridge which is the main bridge for the village; plus, damaged roads and streets which need the attention of the Government officials.

We have been sharing the pictures on social media thinking that it will catch their attention. But nothing

is been done or said. Literally nothing! One time, Minister Deodat messaged and asked where was the place and we told him and also explained the problem to him but it was of no use. Please help us make this public. We need help! There are school children and small business owners who are suffering the most.

Every time when it’s nearing to election that’s when you’re going to see attention and concerns being paid and fake promises are being given and as soon as elections are over; it’s like we don’t exist and there is no village by the name of Greenfield.

Please, we need help.

Yours sincerely, Stephanie

Turn system at various stellings Dear Editor, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to His Excellency President Irfaan Ali, his Ministers, honourable Juan Edghill, Deodat Indar and Robeson Benn and Director General of Maritime Administration Department, Mr Stephen Thomas for granting approvals of turns in the various speedboat turn systems and for breaking the monopoly that was controlled by individuals who have lots of boats in the various turn systems across the country.

We the beneficiaries wish to thank the Government for their stances on equality and see the need for a level playing field. I must commend the President for standing up to his independence night speech encour-

aging the nation to dream big and this is a big dream come true for many of us who are overwhelmed with joy of being granted approval of turn and we are forever grateful to this Government. We can now earn more and provide a better education for our children who are the future of this beautiful country.

As a member of the Parika-Supenaam Speedboat Association (PSSA) and all of the beneficiaries of turn in the various turn systems across the country, we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the Government and Maritime for their kind consideration and approvals.

Once again, thank you.

Your sincerely Anil Singh (Captain) Member of the PSSA

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SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

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7 Children will be vaccinated once Guyana secures Pfizer vaccine – President Ali W NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ith the Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom) currently in talks with the United States Government over the availability of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to the region, President Dr Irfaan Ali has promised that Guyana’s share from this donation will be used specifically to immunise its children population.

This commitment by the Head of State comes on the heels of revelations on Friday that at least four children are currently hospitalised with the severe form of the novel coronavirus 2019 disease.

Speaking with reporters on the side lines of the sod-turning ceremony for the new Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Timehri, President Ali disclosed that the discussion between Caricom and the US is still in the preliminary stage.

However, he is optimistic that Guyana would benefit from the US allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to the region “I can’t say what is coming. I know that we are in discussion at Caricom with the US. The US has committed to giving vaccines to the region… What I can say is that once it is Pfizer, I can

tell you this policy now, it will go to the children, starting from 18 and below,” he posited.

According to President Ali, while he is unsure about the amount of jabs the country will receive under this arrangement, he is hopeful that it will “be substantial for Guyana”.

Ali further told reporters that he was extremely concerned about the news of children being infected with severe cases of the virus.

“Every single person that goes into the hospital to me is alarming, especially children… I’m seriously concerned and we’re monitoring

Major investments pegged for...

FROM PAGE 3

“Come knock on the door.

Guyana is open for everyone.

That is why we’re talking about creating an environment for those in arts and crafts close to the airport. We understand as a Government that they would not afford to pay large rentals for duty-free spaces but they cannot be locked out of the development.

So very close to the opportunity, Government will invest in the facility to give them an equal break and this is what is called equality of opportunities; investing in infrastructures that give equality to opportunities.”

To support these and other projects in the hospitality sector, the Head of State disclosed that Cabinet on Thursday decided to invest in training approximately 3000 to 4000 hospitality workers to fill the demands that will arise in this industry.

“Whether it is through scholarship, whether it is through a homegrown design programme. The investment will be made by the Government to promote and provide Guyanese to meet the

skill requirement for these facilities,” he posited.

Further, the President also disclosed that his Government will be investing close to $500 million of capital expenditure daily for the remainder of the year on development projects and programmes across the country.

Meanwhile, the Government officials lauded the Bassoos family for venturing outside of their family-owned business to capitalise on the opportunities that are available.

Local contractor, Roy Bassoo established Cardinal Investment Inc as a special purpose company to construct the multimillion-dollar Marriott Courtyard Hotel.

With financing from Republic Bank Limited, the project will be undertaken by Chineseowned CNQC Guyana Limited with support from R Bassoo & Sons Construction Company.

Bassoo lauded the business-friendly approach the Guyana Government has taken to make the investment process hassle-free for local in-

vestors.

“We have gotten tremendous support from all the relevant agencies [GO-Invest, CJIA and GPL] … I am encouraged at the speed at which these agencies work in tandem. Yes, the President’s business-friendly Administration is indeed encouraging an environment of seamlessness within the Private Sector…

This Courtyard by Marriott Hotel will transform the landscape and skyline of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport,” the businessman asserted.

Also present at Friday’s sod-turning ceremony were Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond, Minister Within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar, Minister within the Housing Ministry Susan Rodrigues, Chief Executive Officer of CJIA Ramesh Ghir, CEO of GO-Invest Peter Ramsaroop, US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch and representative from Marriott International Eduardo Reple along with other dignitaries.

President Irfaan Ali speaking with reporters on Friday

it,” he related.

He noted that although children are not as affected as older adults, many still suffer, especially those with underlying health conditions that the virus feeds off of. He said that it will be a plus if the country receives the Pfizer vaccines to protect its children.

“Let us say that we get Pfizer through the US opportunity and we roll out Pfizer for those 18 years and below and we can capture the whole cohort, population for secondary schools that will be exceedingly good for us,” the President stated.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Friday disclosed that that since March 2020, some 1567 children under the age of 14 have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

This includes 287 children (148 boys and 39 girls) between the ages of one month to four years and 523 children (273 boys and 251 girls) between the ages of five to nine years who were diagnosed with COVID. Additionally, some 756 children (342 boys and 414 girls) between the ages 10 to 14 are the largest group of children to contract the deadly virus.

A research from a 2000plus sample in 2020 had shown that the PfizerBioNTech vaccine is 100 per cent effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus in children aged 12 through 15.

In late 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed emergency use of the vaccine from age 16. This year the vaccine was given to children in the US

from ages 12 to 15.

Currently, the Guyana Government is rolling out its COVID-19 vaccination campaign across the country to persons 18 years and older using the AstraZeneca/Oxford, Sputnik V and Sinopharm jabs. To date, over 234,000 persons have received their first dose vaccine, while more than 112,000 adult persons are fully vaccinated against the deadly virus.

While talks with the US are ongoing at the regional level, President Ali indicated that from the inception, his Administration approached the US Government directly as well as the various manufacturers in the US to access the COVID-19 vaccines being used there. But Guyana was told that the vaccines will not be available until another year or so.

However, US President Joe Biden in May announced that he will share some 80 million COVID-19 vaccines with the rest of the world.

Last month, he disclosed that of the first 25 million tranches of doses to be sent overseas, 7 million will go to Latin America and the Caribbean region.

The White House had stated that the initial 25 million doses will be shipped from existing federal stockpiles of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bus driver gets 25 years for raping schoolgirl

− “Being raped was the worst and most painful thing I ever experienced” – victim

A

Success, East Coast Demerara (ECD) minibus driver has been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for raping a 15-year-old schoolgirl in a dark, bushy area. Inteaz Mohamed called “Uncle Shameer”, 44, was sentenced on Friday by High Court Judge Brassington Reynolds.

Upon his indictment, Mohamed had pleaded not guilty to the charges. But following deliberations, a 12-member jury found that between September 1 and 30, 2014, and January 1 and 30, 2015, he raped the victim. The verdicts in relation to both counts were unanimous.

Facts presented by Prosecutors Sarah Martin and Nafeezah Baig stated that Mohamed and the 15-year-old girl are known to each other. At that time, he operated a school bus and would transport the teenager to and from school. In September 2014, Mohamed

picked up the girl from school, transported her to a dark, bushy area, and raped her.

The court heard that Mohamed threatened to kill himself and the young girl if she told anyone about what had happened. Again, in January 2015, Mohamed picked up the girl from lessons, took her to the same location, and raped her. The following month, the girl’s elder brother started to pick her up from lessons. This continued until she finished school.

Mohamed got a hold of her phone number and began harassing her.

Sometime after, he went to her home while her mother was out and gave her a letter, and threatened to kill her if she disclosed its content. The girl later confided in her brother. A Police report was made.

“Worst, most painful thing”

Through a victim impact statement, the young girl

Larceny accused released on $100,000 bail

Charged: Raymond Roopnauth

A

Number 69 Village, Corentyne, Berbice resident was re-

leased on $100,000 bail after he was slapped with a larceny charge when he appeared at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court.

Raymond Roopnauth, 31, pleaded not guilty to the charge. It is alleged that he stole items from 73-yearold pensioner Joegashwar Persaud of No 70 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. The offence was allegedly committed between March 12, 2021, and June 2021.

The Guyana Police Force in a statement said that the charge was filed under Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act. Roopnauth will make another court appearance on September 2, 2021, before Magistrate Alex Moore.

news@guyanatimesgy.com

expressed how the actions of Mohamed have affected her. “Being raped was the worst and most painful thing I ever experienced.

I felt scared, helpless, and traumatised. He [Mohamed] was a monster to me. I was depressed dealing with the painful memories by myself; it was difficult. I felt like my body wasn’t mine anymore.”

The young lady said that she is unable to forgive the man for what he has done to her. She revealed that due to the sexual violence meted out on her, she is not only unable to trust another person but is also suffering from sleep deprivation as she is haunted by memories of the ordeal.

The victim said, “I was living in fear every day. Fear took over me, many nights I cried myself to sleep. Inteaz continued to harass me, him being in front of me every day was torture to deal with.” Expressing satisfaction with Mohamed’s convictions, she added, “I am now pleased he is away from me. I can finally resume my life where I can continue my studies. I am hoping that he is kept away from me for as long as possible so that I can be safe and live my life…”

On this note, the young girl asked Justice Reynolds to impose the maximum penalty on the rapist.

“I’ve been wrongfully accused” – convicted rapist

“I would begin with asking this court to be lenient on me and to have mercy on me. I have been accused wrongfully. I have a daughter who is 16 years old and she would be punished more than me. I came with one thing in mind to prove my innocence. I didn’t commit this act,” convicted child rapist Mohamed said in brief remarks to the court.

Meanwhile, a probation report revealed that Mohamed is currently unemployed. His family members described him as a helpful, caring, and kind person who was not involved in criminal activities. Persons in his community also stated that he was well-mannered.

They nevertheless said that they were shocked and saddened at his involvement in the crime.

A probation officer disclosed that the convict expressed no remorse and stated that he was “scared to death for the outcome of the matter” and preferred “a rope around his neck.”

According to the probation officer, the nature of the offence Mohamed committed against the girl is even more heinous since he

Child rapist: Inteaz Mohamed

violated her trust. “The act of abuse is a plight in our society. And those who commit such acts must be condignly dealt with by the law…,” the officer noted.

Continuing disregard

Justice Reynolds, in his sentencing remarks, said the courts have taken note of the continuing disregard by bus and taxi drivers who continue to consider schoolgirls as “theirs for the taking”.

“Bus drivers across the breadth and length of our country, drivers who continue to consider schoolgirls who travel in their busses and cars to go to school as theirs for the taking. Our courts most continue to set its faces against such behaviour,” he made clear.

Against this backdrop, Justice Reynolds stressed that the “courts must send a message to those who may be harbouring such beastly thoughts.”

While Mohamed has no previous brushes with the law, the Judge said that this must be weighed against the predatory manner in which he betrayed the trust imposed on him by the victim.

Although the Judge pointed out that a life sentence would be the best way to remove Mohamed from the rest of society whose values and norms he has flagrantly betrayed, he pointed out that consideration had to be given to several determinants in arriving at an appropriate jail term.

Among those considered

by Justice Reynolds were the convict’s favourable probation report, his age, home, and economic circumstances, and the fact that he has no previous antecedents.

Having given credence to the foregoing, the Judge disclosed that he was inclined to impose a term of years, instead of life imprisonment.

As such, Mohamed was jailed for 25 years on each of the two counts of rape. The sentences will be served concurrently.

The Police…

E

…and their baggage arlier this week, the Guyana Police Force commemorated its 182nd anniversary. Meaning it was launched in 1839. Does the date ring a bell with you, Dear Reader? You’re correct…go to the head of the class! It was the year after the emancipation of slaves!!

And in that factoid lies the seed of Police problems we’re still grappling with: what exactly is the role of the Police?

As the planters grudgingly accepted (after being bribed handsomely by the British Government!) that slavery was gonna be abolished, they were absolutely petrified as to how folks – who’d been brutalised by them for centuries – would react, once their shackles were thrown off. Hence, the formation of the Police Force. Interestingly England – more precisely London – had formed the first Police Force a decade earlier – to protect the burgeoning business nouveau riche. The socalled “Bobbies” were unarmed. Police forces for the counties were authorised by 1835.

It’s critical to know that the Police Force in British Guiana was supposed to be launched in 1838 based on the English “Bobby” model. But it was learnt there’d be an Irish Constabulary the following year and most critically, it would be ARMED to deal with a people who were seen by the authorities as more rebellious. Bells went off!

The Guyana Police Force was delayed for a year so that it could be patterned on the Irish model. In other words, it would be a paramilitary force intended to suppress the populace and protect the big ones in society. And this is the model we’ve maintained to this date, 182 years later!!

The other iniquitous policy that’s stubbornly remained in place is the recruitment from particular segments of the population in a direct practice of “divide and rule”.

In the beginning, all of the officers were white and most of the ranks were Bajans since the local freed Africans weren’t trusted with guns in their hands – or to take action on their compatriots. Gradually, as the local freed slaves demonstrated they weren’t into rebelling, they were recruited but not the Indian immigrants. The latter, with all those cutlasses in their hands, were now seen as a threat to the public order! The Police gunned down many of them in the following decades.

Now you might suppose that with independence, the new Guyanese Government might’ve reformed the Police Force – to actually serve and protect the people.

But Burnham, who wanted to control us in an even more draconian manner than the departed British, had other ideas. So, now we ended up with not only an authoritarian Police Force, but a CORRUPT authoritarian Police Force!!

We should appreciate that it’ll take root and branch reforms to save the Police Force!! …and crime fighting So, we sadly have a situation where our local Police aren’t seen as neutral, either in fighting crime or in that institution that permeates and colours all interactions in Guyana – politics. And, as a matter of fact, fighting crime here can become political – as it has been with the murders of the Henry cousins and Haresh Singh – after Granger and Harmon intervened.

The latest twist to this politicisation-of-crime tragedy appeared after the Police finally arrested four individuals for Haresh’s murder. It included a brother of one of the murdered Henry boys. Their lawyer called a dramatic press conference to claim the lad had an alibi – he’s been looking at the post-mortem streamed by his father.

Trouble was, the Police immediately released a video which proved the father had no camera in his hand to do any streaming!! This was the criminal aspect.

But from the political aspect, once the word “alibi” was asserted, doubt has become certainty for the partisans.

That’s how the (Police/crime) cookie crumbles in Guyana! …and the PSC We should all know by now, we’ve got a Mexican standoff between the Executive and the Police Service Commission. Is it an irresistible force meeting an immovable object?

Nah!! The President will prevail!

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

9 60-day start-up flaring allowance well below int’l benchmark – EPA NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

T

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday defended the 60-day start-up allowance for flaring, stating that this provision is far below the international benchmark.

In a statement, the EPA refuted media reports on the flaring allowance in the Environmental Permits for the Liza 1 and Payara Development Projects. It expressed strong disagreement with two articles “Payara clause could allow Exxon to flare gas for free” and “Govt has weakened environmental standards in favour of ExxonMobil”.

The Agency categorically stated in the missive that allotted flaring for 60 days is only permissible for “start-up” in both permits.

“International benchmarking shows that the typical acceptable startup period for installations of this nature average 90 days; therefore, the EPA’s 60-day requirement is much more stringent as it is well below the average international benchmark.

As far as the EPA is aware, there was never an agreement to prescribe two days of start-up since this was impossible given the nature of the installations,” the agency posited.

The EPA went on to point out that it is erroneous to contend that there is “no provision to stop flaring

after sixty days” since both permits specifically state: “The Permit Holder shall not exceed sixty (60) days of flaring during Start-up.”

Moreover, the agency outlined that there is no “carte blanche” for flaring under ‘Special Circumstances’ either, as the company is required to seek approval from the EPA for any flaring beyond 48 cumulative hours. It added that routine flaring and venting are also strictly prohibited by both permits.

“The EPA maintains and reserves the right to reject any request for flaring made pursuant to these Permits and if an approval is given, the EPA may include such terms and conditions as may be appro-

priate, including reduced timelines for any proposed flaring events,” Friday’s missive detailed.

Further, it was reminded that pursuant to Condition 3.17 of the Payara Environmental Permit, the EPA has established a payment for CO2 equivalent emissions as a result of flaring at the rate of US$30 per tonne of CO2e, consistent with similar mechanisms included in the modified Liza 1 Permit.

The institution and applicability of this payment is determinable by the EPA, in consideration of the Polluter Pays Principle.

The EPA added that it reserves the right to increase this rate where any instance of flaring exceeds 60 days.

Meanwhile, in response to Stabroek News article’s claim that the 36-day period approved for flaring under the Liza 1 Modified Environmental Permit had expired, the EPA clarified that at the date of the article’s publication, the approval issued to the company was still in effect.

According to the Environment oversight body, the Modified Permit

requires that the payments be made to the EPA within 28 days of the expiration of the approval in order to ensure it is calculated based on the actual volumes as well as sound internationally-recognised methodologies.

“To this end, the EPA refutes any allegations that it lacks the requisite capacity and capabilities to perform the necessary calculations.

The EPA boasts a wide variety of professionals qualified in environmental management, chemistry, engineering and other pertinent fields, and recruits additional expertise, local and international as necessary. The EPA views the Payara Environmental Permit and the Modified Liza 1 Environmental Permit as marked improvements, particularly in consideration of the more specific flare management conditions that are consistent with industry practice in order to regulate and/or deter periods of flaring,” the agency stressed.

It went on to outline that the Payara Permit, specifically, was a major improvement in that it also included provisions for produced water management, cradle to grave waste management, insurance requirements and reporting mechanisms; which were notably absent from the Liza permits.

“The EPA wishes to assure the public that it has pursued, and continues to pursue environmental safeguards and deterrent mechanisms to address any prolonged periods of flaring which may pose risks to the environment, consistent with best-practice and international standards,” the agency asserted.

The US$9 billion Payara development, which was approved in October last year, will target an estimated resource base of about 600 million oil-equivalent barrels. Ten drill centres are planned along with up to 41 wells, including 20 production and 21 injection wells.

10 NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Antigua & Barbuda PM is new Caricom Chair

New Caricom Chair, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne

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rime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne assumed the Chairmanship of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) as of Thursday.

In a statement on Friday, the Secretariat announced that Prime Minister Browne succeeds Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley and takes control of the regional bloc for the next six months.

The Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minster holds responsibility for Services in the Caricom Quasi Cabinet. He will chair the virtual Forty-Second

Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government which begins on Monday, July 5, 2021.

The Caribbean Community has 15 Member States – Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, and five Associate Members – Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. There are an additional five associate members.

The Conference of Heads of Government, which consists of the Heads of Government of the Member States, is the supreme Organ of Caricom and determines and provides its policy direction.

In addition to this function, it is the final authority for the conclusion of treaties on behalf of the Community and for entering into relationships between the Community and International Organisations and States.

The Conference is also responsible for making the financial arrangements to meet the expenses of the

Community, but has delegated this function to the Community Council.

Decisions of the Conference are generally taken unanimously.

The mandate is “to contribute, in support of Member States, to the improvement of the quality of life of the People of the Community and the development of an innovative and productive society in partnership with institutions and groups working towards attaining a people-centred, sustainable and internationally competitive Community.”

This means creating a Community that is inclusive and resilient, driven by innovation and productivity. It seeks to provide an environment where every citizen is secure with guaranteed human rights and social justice.

Just last May, Caricom got its first female Secretary General when the Heads of Government, including Guyana’s President, Dr Irfaan Ali, unanimously agreed to appoint Dr Carla Natalie Barnett as the eighth person to serve in this capacity. Replacing Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, she is expected to assume office on August 15, 2021.

Aviation officer charged for death of best friend

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Charged: Joshua Mentore

oshua Mentore, a 21-year-old aviation officer of South Sophia, Greater Georgetown, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday to answer to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving. He pleaded not guilty.

It is alleged that on June 27, 2021, at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, he rode motorcycle CK 7783 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of his best friend, 20-year-old Kareem Powley, of Tucville, North East La Penitence, Georgetown.

Mentore was released on $150,000 bail by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly.

He was represented by Attorney-at-Law Darren Wade. He was also ar-

Dead: Kareem Powley

raigned before Magistrate Clive Nurse in the Traffic Court where he was charged with several traffic offences. He is accused of being an unlicensed driver, riding an uncertified vehicle, and breach of insurance.

The defendant denied the charges and was granted $55,000 bail. He is to return to court later this month. Guyana Times had previously reported that Powley was killed after the motorcycle his best friend was riding crashed into a pile of stones.

Police said that on the day in question, a motorcycle ridden by Mentore was heading along Mandela Avenue at a fast rate of speed. Powley was the pillion rider at the time.

Police further stated

that Mentore alleged that a motor car that was driving in the same direction swerved to avoid a pothole, and ended up in the path of the motorcycle. Mentore claimed that he swerved to avoid a collision, but lost control of the motorcycle and crashed into the stones.

As a result of the collision, both him and his now dead best friend fell onto the roadway and sustained injuries.

Powley was picked up in an unconscious state

by Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) but died while receiving treatment. A breathalyser test was conducted on Mentore but there was no trace of alcohol in his system, a statement from the Police added.

NEWS

11

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

4 more die from COVID, 89 new cases recorded T

he Health Ministry on Friday reported that four persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died, thus taking Guyana’s death toll closer to 500.

Those who died are a 61-year-old from Region Nine who died on June 28; a 37-year-old woman from Region Four and an 81-year-old man from Region One who died on June 30. June’s death toll is now at 77 and an overall death toll of 477.

A 68-year-old from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) is the first death for July after she succumbed on Thursday.

The Ministry stated that the now dead persons were admitted with COVID-19 like symptoms but died while receiving care at the respective medical institutions. Samples were taken at the time of admission which subsequently returned positive tests.

However, new statistics showed that 89 new cases were recorded in one day.

This means the total confirmed cases in the country has now increased to 20,231. There are 15 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 97 in institutional isolation, 1448 in home isolation and eight in institutional quarantine.

Some 18,194 of the 9874

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD JULY 2 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

89

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

97

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

1448 15

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

8

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

10,357

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

9874

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

20,231

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

18,194

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

234,255

FULLY IMMUNISED

112,371

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

477

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2022 REGION 1

1220

REGION 2

562

REGION 3

2317

REGION 4

9299

REGION 5

671

REGION 6

1582

REGION 7

1264

REGION 8

379

REGION 9

1517

REGION 10

1420

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

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

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

males and 10,357 females that tested positive have since recovered. Guyana has tested 191,263 persons since the virus was detected here.

An analysis of new cases shows seven cases were reported in Region One (Barima-Waini); one in Region Two (Pomeroon-

Supenaam); nine in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 30 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); three in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 22 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); seven in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 in Region 10 (Upper

Demerara-Berbice).

Cases in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) did not increase.

Meanwhile, in his daily update, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony reiterated that first doses are available for the AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sputnik V vaccines – all of which are effective.

“All of these vaccines are effective…We want people to take it because it is going to protect you from getting COVID in the first instance and then even if you get infected, to maybe get in the milder form.

If you’re without a vaccine, then you’re putting yourself at risk. All three of these vaccines are available and we want to encourage people to come out and get their first dose.”

In Guyana, 234,255 persons or 48.1 per cent of the adult population have taken their respective first doses. Some 112,371 or 23.1 per cent have returned for their second doses.

He added, “While a lot of persons would have received their first dose vac-

cines, those that have become eligible for their second dose, we’ll want them to come and get those second doses and that includes persons who would have gotten their AstraZeneca vaccine and their Sinopharm vaccine.”

Government is still working to acquire the Sputnik V second doses, through dialogue with the supplier. The interval between doses for their vaccines is between four to 12 weeks.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 6246674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.

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

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 1500 children contracted COVID-19 in Guyana – Health Minister

O

ver 20,000 positives from the novel coronavirus have been detected in Guyana since the start of the pandemic, and statistics now revealed that a whopping 1567 were children.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Friday stated that children would generally develop mild forms of COVID-19 and as such, most of these positive cases were discovered accidentally.

A breakdown showed that within the age group of one month to four years, 287 children were infected – comprising 148 males and 139 females. Between the five to nine age group, 524 cases were recorded 273 males and 251 females.

From ages 10 to 14, there

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

were 342 males and 414 females who tested positive, amounting to 756 persons.

Dr Anthony outlined that a new trend has been detected among these cases within recent time, whereby some

persons within this age bracket are severely affected and seeking treatment in hospitals.

“We do have children that would have COVID-19.

A lot of time, it is discov-

ered accidentally because children generally would have very mild symptoms of COVID-19. In very exceptional cases, you might have some complications of those infections…While the cases that we have seen have really been mild, over the last two weeks or so, we have seen a disturbing trend.

“Right now, in our hospitals, we have four children who have been severely affected by COVID. We are monitoring them and hopefully the prognosis would be good because the medical team is really working to ensure that they can provide the best care for these children,” the Minister shared.

Three of these persons are seeking treatment at the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. He also called on parents and guardians to ensure that kids follow the COVID-19 measures in light of this new development.

“I think it’s important that we take the necessary precautions, especially with

our children to make sure that they are protected, they wear a mask when it’s necessary because the virus as can see can affect children and I don’t think a lot of people have paid attention to that and therefore it’s time that we pay some attention to this, especially now that we’re seeing not just the mild cases in children but we’re seeing more severe forms of COVID among the children population.”

It was outlined that adults in the household should also be mindful of the fact that they can pass the virus on to children and the elderly, especially if the guidelines are flouted.

He cautioned, “If those adults are irresponsible and not taking the precautions, then they can bring that infection home. I think that’s something that people should mindful of, because you can bring that infection home and it can infect the children and also the elderly.”

The infected children

reported in Guyana represents just over seven per cent of all confirmed cases.

Data provided by the World Health Organisation suggests that children under the age of 18 years represent about 8.5 per cent of reported cases, with relatively few deaths compared to other age groups and usually mild disease.

“However, cases of critical illness have been reported. As with adults, pre-existing medical conditions have been suggested as a risk factor for severe disease and intensive care admission in children… As children generally have milder illness and fewer symptoms, cases may sometimes go unnoticed. Importantly, early data from studies suggest that infection rates among teenagers may be higher than in younger children,” the Organisation stated.

It said further studies are underway to assess the risk of infection in children and to better understand transmission in this age group.

Man jailed for 1 year for ammo possession

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25-year-old security guard who admitted to having one .38 ammunition in his possession was on Friday sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.

Ansel Lyken appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He pleaded guilty with explanation to the charge levelled against him. On June 28, at Fourth Street Alberttown, Georgetown, he had a live .32 ammunition in his possession when he was not the holder of a firearm licence enforced at the time.

Jailed: Ansel Lyken

During his address to the court, Lyken, a father of two, claimed that he found the ammunition at work and took possession of it.

The Police prosecutor, however, presented facts to the contrary.

According to the prosecu-

tor, on the day in question, Lyken and his girlfriend had a misunderstanding and she made a report to the Police about him having the unlicensed ammunition. As such, he was asked to report to the Alberttown Police Station.

At the station, he was observed acting in a suspicious manner which resulted in Police ranks carrying out a search on him. The ammunition was found in a bag he was carrying. After listening to both sides, Magistrate Daly handed down the one-year sentence on Lyken.

13 Close to 20 inches of rainfall recorded between May 24 and June 10 – Minister Mustapha NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

...tells Brazilian news entity over 30,000 households affected

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ment around the country.”

This team along with other local stakeholders are visiting the most affected villages in an attempt to compile an overall assessment of all the areas that have been affected across the country.

Approximately 40,000 acres in damages have already been reported due to flooding.

griculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has stated that Guyana has recorded approximately 20 inches of rainfall in the space of two months due to the continuous downpours the country has been experiencing.

This was disclosed during an interview with Brazil’s AgroMais News where he referred to the situation as a record-breaking experience since the country has not dealt with such an alarming amount of rainfall since 1981.

“Over the last two

Flooding in Region Nine during the heavy downpours last month

months, we’ve witnessed; experienced unprecedented rainfall, which has resulted in flooding in all ten administrative regions of Guyana.

Between May 24 and June 10, we’ve seen close to 20 inches of rainfall. This is the highest amount of rainfall we’ve seen since 1981,” the Minister related.

According to the

Minister, Guyana’s southern basin between Upper Essequibo and Corentyne River has been filled and overflowing. The country is said to be experiencing higher than usual water levels in the rivers which has overflowed into majority of the coastal areas.

As a result, approximately 90 per cent of crops were destroyed along with

Rebuilding the agriculture sector

a large number of livestock, while over 30,000 households were affected. He further told the news entity that these numbers were recorded but is expected to rise through the assessments that are being carried out across the country.

“As a matter of fact, we had a disaster team from the Caribbean who was helping us do the assess-

In regards to the agriculture sector, the minister noted that the country will need a lot of assistance, apart from what the Government is currently doing. “We will need help from our Regional and International partners…

Our assessment report will be able to detail our needs and those needs will then be made known so that coun-

tries who wish to assist us can know what we need,” Mustapha highlighted.

The minister was sure to note that “the immediate task of the Government is to ensure those who were affected have food supplies and potable water. We will have to provide food for most of the areas that were affected, especially the Hinterland communities.”

Water-borne diseases

In addition to carrying out flood assessments throughout the country, the Minister stated that health officials have also been closely monitoring affected areas for water-borne diseases such as leptospirosis, diarrhoea, vomiting, and gastroenteritis.

“As a Government, we are aware that an outbreak of such illnesses may be im-

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

minent so we are making the necessary preparations to ensure we have the necessary health facilities if an outbreak does occur.”

The Minister expressed gratitude to all the regional and international bodies that have responded and immediately gave assurance to Guyana during the time of devastation.

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SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Haresh Singh murder investigation

6 arrested for attempting to pervert course of justice

Dead: Haresh Singh

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n light of recent revelation that nine persons were witnesses to an alibi for Gladston Henry who was charged for the murder of Haresh Singh, the Police have arrested six of them for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The individuals, Tiffany Campbell, Alona Bacchus, Patricia Henry, Bibi Shaheman, Clarett Kurtizious and Amanda Wickham were all taken to the CID

Headquarters, Eve Leary, by their attorney.

Whilst in custody, the allegation of attempting to pervert the course of justice was put to them. They were all interviewed and recorded in the presence of their attorney and were later released on $100,000 bail each.

However, efforts are being made to question the remaining three persons. This has been communicated to the attorney, as the investigations continue into the matter. On completion of the investigation, the file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

On Thursday, Attorneyat-Law Nigel Hughes claimed that the evidence against Gladston is so tenuous that it warrants the charge being dropped. In fact, he revealed that his client has an alibi and claimed that investigating ranks have been ignoring this fact.

Gladston Henry’s family members – 10 in total – including his mother Patricia Henry, have come forward claiming that he was at his family home at Number Three Village, WCB, at the time Singh was murdered. The family members have provided Hughes with statements in this regard.

These statements, according to Hughes, have been handed over to the Police.

According to the lawyer, Singh was killed between 21:30h and 22:00 on Wednesday, September 9, 2020, and his body was found about 100 yards away from his home. He said that during the time the murder took place, Gladston was at home with his family.

He said at the time, the family of Isaiah Henry was gathered at Gladston’s home to offer condolences.

Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Gladston in relation to Singh’s murder. Shortly after, Hughes informed that, in his presence, the man surrendered and was subjected to an interview during which he was asked about his whereabouts on September 9, 2020.

He recalled that he advised his client to exercise his right to remain silent.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force, in response to Hughes’ accusation of insuf-

ficient investigation and that his client had alibi, said that during a video interview conducted on June 26 and June 27 with Gladston Henry, he exercised his right to remain silent on each occasion and at no time informed investigators that he had an alibi or that he was elsewhere during the time of the murder.

In a statement on Thursday evening, the GPF said that his attorney did not submit a statement for Gladston Henry or put any alibi on record either in an oral or written statement during the video interviews that were conducted.

“No alibi witnesses ever presented themselves to the investigators for their statement to be taken. Nothing prevented this from being done,” the GPF said.

It noted that on June 28 at 16:00h, pre-prepared statements were delivered to the investigators at CID Headquarters and investigators immediately commenced probing the alibi statements by making earnest efforts to contact these witnesses.

The assistance of senior officers stationed in Region Five were also solicited and they could not locate two of these witnesses.

Alibi witnesses

Additionally, according to the GPF, details of the purported alibi were also furnished to the investigators via an email correspondence from Hughes on behalf of Gladston Henry on June 30.

The email, the GPF said, stated that Gladston Henry (senior), father of the accused whose name is also Gladston Henry, attended the post-mortem examination of Isaiah Henry and video recorded it live as it was being conducted.

According to Police, the email also stated that the accused Gladston Henry along with several witnesses were at the home of his parents viewing the live transmission and also said that he remained at the location for the entire day as confirmed by each by the alleged witnesses.

But Police said that the entire post-mortem examination of Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry was video recorded by the investigators in Gladston Henry’s (senior) presence.

Police said that after receiving the email from Hughes, the video recording was reviewed by the investigators assigned to the case to ascertain the veracity of the alibi proffered on behalf of the accused but the recording showed that Gladston Henry (senior) briefly entered and exited the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home where the post-mortem examination was being conducted. According to Police, he was there for the sole purpose of identifying the body of his son Isaiah Henry as is in keeping with the standard operating procedure.

“Gladston Henry’s father was never holding a phone in his hand at the time, he only had a mask and a rag in his hands. Further, when he exited the room, he could be seen standing outside and putting on his mask while holding a rag in the other hand. Gladston Henry’s father never re-entered the room. Therefore, it is impossible for him to have attended the post-mortem examination and video recorded it live as it was being conducted,” the GPF said in its statement.

This, it added, diametrically opposes what is being peddled as the alibi for

Murder accused: Charles Scott, Joel Gittins, Phillip Anderson, Gladston Henry

the accused, Gladston Henry, that he was home at the time watching a live video recorded by his father, when his father was never present in the room during the conduct of the post-mortem examination.

Perverting course of justice

According to Police, they are seeking all nine of the purported alibi witnesses in connection with alleged attempts to pervert the course of justice.

The GPF also stated that these purported alibi witness-

es directly contradict other individuals who placed the accused in the company of the other suspects at Haresh Singh’s home and at the scene of the crime at the material time.

Confession

Police said that Anderson, in a confession statement, disclosed that a relative of the Henry cousins went to his home and told him that Singh’s relatives were the

ones responsible for his brother’s death and that “they got to die,” as a form of revenge.

Anderson allegedly confessed that he was part of the initial plot to murder Singh as revenge for Isaiah’s murder. He said that the relative of the Henry boys asked him to accompany him on the road where they were joined by Scott and Gittins.

As they were heading towards the road, they armed themselves with pieces of wood.

er side where they saw Haresh Singh approaching on his bike. As such, the four men instructed him to stop and Singh complied but refused to come off the bike when he was told to do so.

An angered Gittins reportedly grabbed Singh from behind and pulled him off the bike after which he bent him over and it was then Henry’s relative, who was carrying a piece of wood, dealt him one blow to the head.

After receiving the blow, Singh was thrown to the ground where he groaned in pain, the man told Police.

Still full of anger, Gittins then picked up a piece of wood and repeatedly lashed Singh to his head.

Anderson reportedly apologised for being involved in the heinous crime especially after he found out that Singh’s family was innocent and had nothing to do with the Henry boys’ murders.

On September 6, 2020, the badly mutilated bodies of Isaiah and Joel were found in the backlands of Cotton Tree, WCB – almost two days after they had left their Number Three Village, WCB home to pick coconuts.

Then, days later, on September 9, Singh was found murdered at the Number

Anderson stated that they went straight to Haresh Singh’s house and accused his relatives of killing his brother and cousin. They reportedly started to verbally abuse the family and threatened to kill them.

After the confrontation, they left the Singh’s premises and went to the back of Isaiah’s home then to a dam at No 3 Village.

He said there, they crossed a bridge and went to the oth-

Three Village backlands. It is suspected that his death was in retaliation for the murders of Isaiah and Joel, since he is related to one of the persons initially held by the Police for the cousins’ murders.

The murders of the Henry cousins and Singh had sparked protests across several villages along the West Coast Berbice corridor, with many persons being robbed and vehicles set alight by rogue persons.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GGMC challenges/successes during COVID-19 pandemic

Safety of workers a top priority during mining activities – Commission − says it’s working to be more environmentally sensitive, technologically advanced

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s the Government continues its efforts towards achieving herd immunity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has re-evaluated its operations, particularly, the way it communicates its goals, challenges, and achievements with the public.

As such, the Commission thought it was prudent to highlight its ongoing work performance for the year 2020/2021 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a release to the media, the GGMC stated that notwithstanding some levels of staff rotation, the Mines Services Division was able to maintain its presence in the var-

All the Divisions of the Commission reached out to ICT during this period in order to have viable solutions to aid their work process.

Typically, these intervenOil and gas tions were as simple as creAs it relates to oil and ating linkable databases so gas, the Petroleum Division that access to data and upremained with the GGMC dating of information was for yet another year and better managed for reportcollaborated extensive- ing and analysis, for examly with the Department of ple within Mines Division.

Energy. The Division was There was already menclosely involved with the tion of the e-Services in Cost Recovery Audit of Esso aid of COVID-19 meaExploration and Production sures such as online pubGuyana Ltd; the review lic help desk; the posting of the Liza II and Payara of a searchable list of pubDevelopment Plan and oth- lished claims; introduction er such significant issues. of self-service kiosks in The Division was also able Mines Division and at Land to attend the daily activi- Management Division; ties of all the operations off- the availability of all apshore. It has been a formi- plicable forms online and dable and challenging year third-party payment options such as MMG. These services amongst others were set up to provide a better customer experience with GGMC. The ICT Division continues to work across the spectrum to enhance the Commission’s work. the satisfactory resolution of tenure conflicts. The Division also maintained its multiple tasks in tough circumstances.”

The GGMC building on Brickdam

Furthermore, there was sufficient time and circumstance to monitor Prospecting Licences to deter raiding as this continued to be a problem.

“However, on a positive note, the promotion of

was undertaken in collaboration with the Mining School,” the Commission stated in its release.

As such, the GGMC intends to be relentless in its efforts to ensure the safety of workers is a top priority

Monitoring of roadworks

A mining operation

ious mining districts with heightened education and awareness campaigns on safety and mining practices.

“There was also a review of Standard Operating Procedures to improve standardization and equivalence of response across the sector. There has also been the adoption of reporting systems using IT solutions, to improve supervision, foster accountability, and strategically deploy resources.”

The missive further stated that in an effort to enhance services to miners and other stakeholders, the Geo-Services Division had counted heavily on completing the Geological and Geochemical Mapping of Guyana. “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic did not allow fieldwork for these regional projects but the opportunity to catch up both with interim reports and final reports due for projects from 2016 was undertaken.”

Nevertheless, Core Shed Repository at Yarrowkabra and the Scanning Project at Headquarters to digitise the copious records of the Commission and make them accessible have progressed well.

Guyana’s exploration potential did occur at the Prospectors Developers Association of Canada event during March 2020 at which GGMC was represented.”

However, the Government remains vigilant of the effects of mining on the environment and as such, the GGMC’s Environmental Division remained focused on the broader issues of mercury reduction; land reclamation, and water quality monitoring at the watershed scale.

In accordance with the Minamata Convention, the GGMC has been collaborating with other national stakeholders on issues such as National Action Plan for Mercury Reduction; Mercury Waste Thresholds; and Mercury Releases.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) are involved in this process.

“Further, as it relates to Occupational Safety and Health, GGMC heightened its education and awareness programmes through the use of social media to spread material on mining safety. This initiative

during mining activities.

In an effort to satisfy the increasing demands for mining properties, the Commission’s Land Management Division had encountered some difficulties as it relates to the Mineral Property Management System (MPMS), an e-Services platform for the application of medium-scale and large-scale tenure, which was delayed after encountering programming difficulties.

“The MPMS seeks to remove the interaction with GGMC personnel in this process and places it in the domain of the customer, providing efficiency, transparency, and avoidance of conflicts. However, the nature of the approach has been modified to improve efficiency.

Furthermore, the Land Management Division continued to work on the preparation of the files for the MPMS as well as the current processes for applicants. With a backlog due to COVID-19, some special arrangements have been employed to address the issue. There were systems also being worked on by which applicants could have basic inquiries addressed such as rental and penalty payments and

for the Petroleum Division but it managed to be effective despite some setbacks.

To counter some of the challenges posed by COVID-19, the GGMC’s Information and Communication Technology Division has been the most visible in 2020/2021 when compared to previous years.

Importantly, the Commission's Special Projects Unit received additional assets and personnel to monitor road works being financed by GGMC in the various mining districts. This was addressed when two (2) civil engineers were added to the Unit and vehicles were specifically assigned. Hinterland roads in 2020 were to the tune of approximately $1.8 billion.

While it was ascertained that due to COVID and oth-

er challenges, many of the projects were behind schedule, the SPU managed to have an organised recommitment to the projects by the contractors. The results have been positive.

The general experience on the roads being maintained by the GGMC is a satisfactory one and this needs to remain the case if not be improved on. However, the recent intense above-normal rainfall has deteriorated roads and other critical infrastructure, which is being assessed for necessary works. The SPU is also employing some ICT solutions to manage the performance of contractors and to assist in their own reporting.

Most notably, in an effort to promote transparency and accountability, the Legal Division has taken the lead in the pursuit of AML/CFT as the Commission is the supervisory authority for the same in the Mining Sector.

In that regard, the Legal Division has been working to conclude a Risk-Based Compliance Programme for the Commission.

In keeping with Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat’s mandate to transform the agency, GGMC will be building on the foregoing successes for 2021 with the review and modernisation of its existing legislation along with other efforts to ensure the Commission is more environmentally sensitive, and technologically advanced with experienced leadership to deliver its mandate to all stakeholders.

2 arrested for suspected cattle rustling

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wo Sophia, Greater Georgetown men were on Thursday arrested for allegedly stealing a cow and taking it to the Nabaclis abattoir, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Based on reports received, at about 03:30h, the Guyana Police Force received reports from an anonymous caller that a silver motor car bearing registration number PWW 1487 was in front of the abattoir discharging a dark brown cow from its trunk.

As a result of this report, a party of Police responded and on arrival at the scene, they observed the motor car with its trunk open, and two males were seen throwing water from a drain into it with a bucket.

Upon checking the area, they saw a dark brown cow inside a trench with two ropes

tied around its neck.

The two males were arrested and escorted to the Cove and John Police Station while the cow was subsequently pulled from the

trench.

Both the car and the cow, which didn’t have a brand, were taken to the Police station as investigations continue.

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SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Linden man busted with ganja in home, attempts to bribe Police which was tucked under his bed was unearthed.

As such, the package was opened in his presence and it contained 26 transparent Ziploc bags that contained the ganja.

The suspect was told of the allegation and cautioned but maintained that “offica is just a couple bag weed”.

He was subsequently arrested and escorted to the

McKenzie Police Station where the cannabis was weighed and amounted to 88 grams.

At the station, while this process was being completed, the suspect took out $33,900 from his right-side pants pocket and handed it to the Sergeant and told him to take the money to finish the matter because he cannot leave his four-year-old

daughter and go to jail.

He was told of the offence of perverting the course of justice and cautioned. He allegedly pleaded “Sir, is just a chance I want fuh this weed, I gat a four-year-old girl child and I really sorry fuh pass the money”.

The money was lodged and the suspect was placed into custody pending investigation and charges.

Linden shallow grave murder

A

The ganja that was found in the man’s home along with the money used for attempted bribery

25-year-old male of Wismar, Linden, is now in Police custody after he attempted to bribe two Police ranks to dismiss

charges against him after a quantity of marijuana was found in his home.

Based on reports received, a party of policemen

Family raps Police for failing to arrest prime suspect

swooped down on the home of the suspect and conducted a search during which a black bulky plastic bag

Dead: Shonette Dover

T

wo months after the decomposed body of 20-year-old Shonette Dover was found in a shallow grave, family members have lashed out at the Police for failing to arrest the prime suspect, the victim’s 19-yearold fiancé, Shaquawn Alleyne.

On the evening of April 3, 2021, Shaquawn Alleyne reportedly shot Dover to the face and then buried her body in his backyard at Canvas City, Wismar, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Her body was discovered a month later, on April 30 after the victim’s 15-year-old sister led detectives to the grave.

The younger sister had reportedly assisted the suspect in burying her sister and as such, she has since been charged with accessory after the fact of murder.

The fiancé, however, remains at large. The fiancé’s father, who had knowledge of the incident, was arrested but subsequently released.

Contacted on Friday, the victim’s grandmother, Constance Dover told Guyana Times that the Police’s probe into the matter is too slow.

“It’s not a case that we should give up…you don’t give up easily you got to fight.

I don’t know what the Police is doing… but what I don’t know, is since then unto now we don’t know what is going on, we don’t know what is happening, and no one is saying anything to us…”, she said.

According to the young woman’s grandmother, the family is still hurting and needs some form of closure.

“They are not going to look for this man. We are just getting some rumours here and there…but what is the truth we don’t know. The only person that knows the truth is God. I want to know if this girl was a bird, they see her on a limb on some tree, and he just shoot her and she drop down and dead there, and it finish.”

“This thing is hurting us inside. Nobody knows the pains that we are feeling, nobody knows what we are going through; because this girl was not supposed to die in that way… he had no right, he didn’t give her life and he had

On the run: Shaquawn Alleyne

no right taking her life… he came and sit in my chair pretending as if he doesn’t know anything.”

“My granddaughter has already died and gone and it seems as though the day that she died, was the day everything was over… we cannot fight the law, this boy put us in a lot of problem, he destroyed my granddaughters. He killed one and the other one you got to find so much of money for lawyer to stand up for she…” the woman explained.

When contacted on Tuesday for an update on the case, Commander Hugh Winter revealed that investigations are still actively ongoing.

A post-mortem examination conducted on Dover’s body found that she died as a result of a single gunshot to the head.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Coalition MP Jermaine Figueira elected new PAC Chairman A PNU/AFC Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Jermaine Figueira was on Friday elected the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

He has replaced Alliance For Change’s (AFC’s) David Patterson after a Governmenttabled motion of no-confidence was passed against him in the National Assembly on June 15.

In light of that successful motion, the coalition Opposition was informed by Speaker of the House Manzoor Nadir and Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs that Patterson could no longer serve as the PAC Chair – something which the party was being adamant about.

Against this backdrop,

APNU/AFC MP Figueira elected Chairman

Jermaine new PAC

the PAC Members were invited to a special meeting on Friday to elect a new Chairperson. According to Parliamentary Standing Orders, the Committee which oversees public spending must be chaired by a member of the Opposition.

As such, at Friday’s meeting, MP Figueira, who is the shadow Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport and Region 10 Representative, was elected as the new PAC Chairman.

Contacted for a comment on his election to PAC Chair, Figueira expressed “my election as Chairman comes on the heels of a grave miscarriage of justice against Mr David Patterson who was doing a phenomenal job as Chairman”.

Patterson has been embroiled in controversy after he admitted to receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in gift items from agencies and departments under the then Public Infrastructure Ministry, which he headed in the previous APNU/AFC

Former PAC Chairman Opposition MP David Patterson

Administration.

Earlier this year, Patterson’s successor, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had presented to the media vouchers and receipts from jewellery stores, showing that over $2.6 million worth of gifts and personal items were purchased for Patterson, mostly for his birthday – by various agencies that falls under the Ministry.

Meanwhile, Patterson is also facing criminal charges for his role in the sole sourcing of a contract for the design of the new Demerara River bridge. That contract went to Dutch company LievenseCSO. The former Minister was placed on $200,000 bail after he and former DHB Corporation Head, Rawlston Adams, were charged for defrauding the bridge company of some $162.6 million.

As such, there had been widespread calls for the embattled Opposition MP to step down as Chair of the PAC – the parliamentary body that is responsible for scrutinising the Government’s spending via the audited reports from the Audit Office of Guyana.

However, the coalition Opposition has been adamant in having Patterson remain

the PAC Chairman.

In fact, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Government’s Chief Whip Gai Teixeira, who is a member of the PAC, had tabled a motion of no-confidence against Patterson at a Committee meeting in February this year but his Opposition colleagues refused to take up his seat, arguing steadfastly for Patterson to be retained.

Then at subsequent meetings, Patterson failed to put the issue on the agenda.

This resulted in Teixeira tabling the No-Confidence Motion against Patterson in the National Assembly last month. After a marathon session that featured lengthy and heated debates that run into the wee hours of June 15, the motion was passed by a 34 to 31 majority in the National Assembly.

crete bridge as a new project now at the procurement stage.

In a release to the media, it was stated that “We express thanks to the Chairman, to the Board of Directors, the General Manager and staff

for all they have been doing to ensure that this bridge is usable. We recognise the contributions of the many who have served as both Directors and staff of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation.”

61-year-old woman, 2 others busted with cocaine during Police operation DHB celebrates 43 years in existence

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hree women were on Thursday taken into custody following the discovery of 7.4 grams of cocaine during a Police operation at Philadelphia Public Road, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

Based on reports received, on the day in question at about 17:45h, ranks of the Guyana Police Force were conducting a stop and search exercise along the Philadelphia Public Road, EBE, when a motor car bearing registration number PZZ 6014 driven by a 31-year-old female, was stopped.

As such, the Police requested to carry out a search on the said vehicle.

At the time there were two other women - a 26-yearold and a 61-year-old in the back passenger seat of the motor car.

As the Police attempted to open the car door, they both instructed the driver not to open the door and she complied by activating the door lock.

However, a policeman then started to record the operation and about 15 minutes later, the ranks managed to get the door open with the assistance of

the driver.

A search was conducted in the vehicle in the presence of the women during which a quantity of small whitish rocklike substances was found on the floor, and back seat of the said vehicle.

The occupants were told of the suspicions, arrested and escorted to the Leonora Police Station, where the suspected substance was weighed in their presence and amounted to 7.4 grams.

The three women were arrested as Police continue their investigations.

O

n July 3 some 43 years ago, the Demerara Harbour Bridge was first opened to vehicular traffic. After four decades, the bridge remains a vital link and an important piece of infrastructure in the everyday lives of thousands of Guyanese.

The PPP/C Administration recognises the necessity of a bridge across the Demerara River and is committed to maintaining and ensuring that this structure remains operable and safe while we pursue the ideal of a modern four-lane, high-span, con-

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

Regional

Grenada cancelling August public holidays Brazil top prosecutor to investigate Bolsonaro over T COVID-19 vaccine deal here will be no public holidays during the month of August this year because, as it did in 2020, Parliament is set to approve a Bill that will cancel the two days from the Bank Holidays Act. “Notwithstanding the Bank Holidays Act, Chapter 25, for the year 2021, the Carnival August celebrations under the Schedule to the Bank Holidays Act are hereby cancelled and the 9th day of August, 2021 and from noon on the 10th day of August, 2021 shall not be Bank Holidays for the purposes of the Bank Holidays

B

razil’s top prosecutor agreed on Friday to request an investigation of President Jair Bolsonaro for dereliction of duty in the process of procuring an Indian COVID-19 vaccine, according to a copy of the request seen by Reuters.

The President has been caught up in allegations of irregularities surrounding the 1.6 billion reais (US$316 million) contract signed in February for 20 million doses with a Brazilian intermediary for the vaccine’s maker, Bharat Biotech. The Government suspended the contract on Tuesday after a Senate commission raised suspicions of overpricing and corruption.

Federal prosecutors and the comptroller general’s office, or CGU, are also investigating the alleged irregularities in a deal that has caused public outrage in Brazil, home to the world’s second highest number of COVID-19 deaths.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro gets in a vehicle after attending Mass at a Catholic church in Brasilia, Brazil, July 1, 2021

The scandal involving Bharat’s Covaxin vaccine has become a political nightmare for Bolsonaro in part because it allegedly involves the Government’s Chief Whip in the Lower House of Congress, Ricardo Barros.

The investigation of the President by the top prosecutor’s office, or PGR, has to be formally authorised by the Supreme Court, whose Justice Rosa Weber this week ordered it to take place immediately.

Prosecutor General Augusto Aras, who was appointed to the job by Bolsonaro, had wanted to delay an investigation until the Senate inquiry was over, but Justice Weber declined his request.

Three Opposition Senators on the commission, including Deputy Chair Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, asked on Monday for the investigation of alleged corruption in the Covaxin deal.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Mexico water supply buckles on worsening drought, putting crops at risk

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long-term drought that has hit twothirds of Mexico looks set to worsen in coming weeks, with forecasts warning of high temperatures, crop damage and water supply shortages on the horizon, including in the populous capital.

Experts are sounding the alarm that parched crops could under-produce as temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius (104F) on Wednesday in some parts of northern Mexico, including key farming areas.

Mexico’s drought parallels that of the western United States and Canada, where crop yields are threatened and water rationing

has been imposed.

While rains were only 3 per cent below average across Mexico as a whole last year, the strain on water reserves was exacerbated by increased domestic demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, a US Government report showed last month.

Hopes to replenish Mexico’s parched reservoirs now hinge on the traditional rainy season, known formally as the North American Monsoon, which is now underway.

Much of Mexico gets between 50 per cent and 80 per cent of its annual rainfall between July and September.

Water shortages are common in parts of Mexico,

but have worsened amid heat extremes blamed on climate change, according to scientists and data from federal water commission CONAGUA. About 70 per cent of Mexico is impacted by drought, up from about half in December. About a fifth of the country is experiencing extreme drought compared to less than 5 per cent each year since 2012.

Experts fear the problem will reach more of the 22 million inhabitants of Mexico City’s metro area, which is quenched by a network of reservoirs. Some districts have no piped drinking water at the best of times.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Act,” read the Bill which will be tabled during the July 7 sitting of the House of Representatives.

The COVID-19 Cancellation of Carnival August Celebrations Act, 2021 Bill will also have to get the approval of the Senate before it goes through the final process of assent by the Office of the Governor-General and then gazetted before taking effect.

Last year, to contain and control the spread of COVID-19, the Government cancelled the holidays in August. That is the period

that is used to culminate Carnival celebrations which are usually traditionally launched in April or May. COVID-19, with several variants, continues to spread throughout the world but Grenada has only one active case.

Grenada’s vaccination programme is being carried out with the AstraZeneca vaccine which is being administered to persons 18 years and older.

Using the voters list as a guide, just a little more than 80,000 people are entitled to be inoculated.

(Excerpt from Nation News)

Chile wins Euroclear access for corporate bond market

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hile has sealed a long-awaited deal with Europe’s biggest securities settlement house Euroclear to include the country’s corporate bonds on the firm’s international investor platform.

Chile’s Government bonds gained so-called ‘Euroclearability’ back in 2017, but adding its US$20US$25 billion domestic corporate bond market had been held up by changes of governments and technical issues such as tax treatment.

Settlement forms the crucial, underlying plumbing of financial markets and in emerging economies especially Euroclear’s system can be a key way to attract big-money pension funds and sovereign wealth funds.

The move could give a timely lift to Chile’s markets.

Banks and multi-nationals have been facing widespread uncertainty since three quarters of Chileans voted in favour of rewriting the country’s

Men walk through the financial district next to Santiago’s stock exchange, August 25, 2014

constitution last October.

It was drafted during Augusto Pinochet’s 19731990 military dictatorship and has been credited with underpinning Chile´s free market model but also driving widespread inequality. Crafting a new one will start this weekend but could take up to a year.

Pérez said the timing of Friday’s announcement was a coincidence and had been something previous governments had also been working towards.

Euroclear’s Global Head

of Capital Markets and Funds Services Stephan Pouyat said mid-sized emerging markets are now strategic to its expansion plans, with others likely to follow.

Perez and Pouyat’s deputy Frank Slagmolen both highlighted how Euroclearability has boosted foreign buying in the Government bond market and lifted its weight in influential indexes that act as a shopping list for heavyweight international funds.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Venezuelan Police detain Hurricane warning now in effect head of human rights group for Jamaica as Elsa approaches P

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he hurricane watch for Jamaica has been upgraded to a hurricane warning as Hurricane Elsa approaches the central Caribbean.

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica said a hurricane warning means that the following dangerous effects of a hurricane are expected to affect the island in 36 hours or less: Average winds 119 km/h (74 mph) or higher; Dangerously high water or a combination of dangerously high water and exceptionally high waves, even though winds expected may be less than hurricane force.

The Met Service said that heavy showers and thunder-

storms, along with winds reaching tropical-storm force, could begin to impact eastern sections of Jamaica as early as Saturday night.

Elsa is a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale with maximum sustained winds near 140 km/h (85 mph), with higher gusts.

The Met Service said little change in strength is expected through today but slow weakening is expected to begin tonight or Sunday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 km (25 miles) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend as far as 220 km (140 miles) from the centre.

Elsa is moving quickly towards the west near 48 km/h (30 mph) and this general motion is expected to continue through today.

A west-north-westward motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected tonight and Sunday.

Heavy showers and thunderstorms, along with winds reaching tropical-storm force, could begin to impact eastern sections of Jamaica as early as tonight.

Dangerous sea conditions associated with the hurricane are expected to spread across the Caribbean over the next 24-36 hours. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

olice arrested Javier Tarazona, director of Venezuelan human rights non-governmental group Fundaredes, two days after he held a news conference in Caracas alleging links between members of the Government and illegal armed groups from Colombia.

He and three others were detained on Friday in the northwestern state of Falcon.

Tarazona and three others were detained after reporting Friday morning to the State’s prosecutor that their team had been harassed by intelligence service officials and unidentified armed men had been

waiting for him at the door of his hotel, the organisation said on its Twitter account.

“We demand that the integrity and life of these four people be respected, as well as the integrity and life of FundaRedes activists and volunteers,” said Clara Ramirez, FundaRedes’ documentation and human rights coordinator “It is alarming that the Venezuelan state maintains a policy of intimidation, threat and harassment against human rights defenders,” she said.

FundaRedes has been the most active entity documenting and denouncing abuses by Colombian armed groups in border areas and

their illegal trafficking and mining activities.

The group was the first organisation in March to denounce fighting between the Venezuelan military and dissident groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrillas, which departed from peace accords signed in 2016, in remote parts of the Apure state on the border with Colombia.

The group also denounced extrajudicial executions of civilians at the hands of Venezuelan Police Forces and the displacement of hundreds of inhabitants of Apure in search of refuge in Colombian territory.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS OPEC+ to resume oil policy talks on Monday after UAE roadblock

O

PEC+ will resume talks on Monday after failing to reach a deal on oil output policy for a second day running on Friday because the United Arab Emirates blocked some aspects of the pact.

The standoff could delay plans to pump more oil through to the end of the year to cool oil prices that have soared to 2-1/2 year highs.

Without a deal, the OPEC+ alliance could keep tighter restraints on output with oil prices now trading around US$75 a barrel , more than 40 per cent up this year. Consumers want more crude to aid a global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rise in oil prices is contributing to global inflation, slowing the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

OPEC+, which groups the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and their allies, voted on Friday to increase output by around 2 million barrels per day (bpd) from August to December 2021 and to extend remaining cuts to the end of 2022, instead of ending in April 2022, OPEC+ sources said.

The UAE agreed to releasing more oil into the market but refused to support the extension of the cuts.

Talks resume on Monday, OPEC+ said in a statement.

Responding to oil demand destruction caused by the COVID crisis, OPEC+ agreed last year to cut output by almost 10 million bpd from May 2020, with plans to phase out the curbs by the end of April 2022. Cuts now stand at about 5.8 million bpd.

If the UAE blocks a deal, the remaining cuts would likely stay in place, although there is a slim chance the pact could fall apart and all countries could pump as much as they wanted.

Alternatively, the group could agree to increase output to the end of 2021 but postpone discussion about extending the deal beyond April 2022. OPEC+ sources said UAE had proposed this.

OPEC+ sources said the UAE complained that its baseline - the level from which any cuts are calculated - was originally set too low, an issue it raised before but was ready to tolerate if the deal ended in April 2022 but not if it went on longer.

OPEC+ sources said the UAE wanted to have its baseline production set at 3.84 million bpd versus 3.168 million bpd now.

The UAE has ambitious production plans, investing billions of dollars to boost capacity. The OPEC+ pact has left about 30 per cent of UAE capacity idle, sources familiar with UAE thinking say.

The UAE argued that it was not alone in requesting a higher baseline because other countries such as Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Kazakhstan and Nigeria had requested and received new baselines since the deal was first agreed last year.

In the build up to this week's meetings, OPEC+ sources had said Russia was insisting on releasing more oil to the market as the rise in prices was encouraging the growth of rival US shale output - which tends to need higher prices to be economic.

OPEC's leader Saudi Arabia took a more cautious approach, saying fewer barrels should be released given uncertainties that remained about the course of the pandemic because of variants of the coronavirus that were causing new outbreaks. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Era ends, war looms as US forces quit main base in Afghanistan

A

merican troops pulled out of their main military base in Afghanistan on Friday, leaving behind a piece of the World Trade Center they buried 20 years ago in a country that the top US commander has warned may descend into civil war without them.

"All American soldiers and members of NATO forces have left the Bagram air base," said a senior US security official on condition of anonymity.

US President Joe Biden said

T

which the TPLF dismissed as a joke. There are reports of continued clashes in some places as pressure builds internationally for all sides to pull back.

Acting UN aid chief Ramesh Rajasingham said shortages of food had worsened dramatically over the past two weeks and some 400,000 people in Tigray were now estimated to be in famine, with another 1.8 million on the brink of famine.

The Government denied blocking humanitarian aid to Tigray and said it was rebuilding infrastructure amid accusations it is using hunger as a weapon.

Just before Mekelle was

The Taliban thanked them for leaving.

"We consider this withdrawal a positive step. Afghans can get closer to stability and peace with the full withdrawal of foreign forces," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

For the international forces, more than 3500 of whom were killed in Afghanistan, the exit came with no pag-

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani (right) meets General Austin "Scott" Miller, commander of US forces and NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Kabul, Afghanistan July 2, 2021

eantry. A Western diplomat in Kabul said Washington and its NATO allies had "won many battles, but have lost the Afghan war."

It was at Bagram, on a plain hemmed in by the snowcapped peaks of the Hindu Kush, that New York City firefighters and Police buried a piece of the World Trade Center in December 2001, days after the Taliban were toppled for harbouring Osama bin Laden. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Sri Lanka: Hundreds of sea animals washed ashore after ship disaster

H

undreds of dead sea animals have washed up in Sri Lanka, weeks after a cargo ship carrying dangerous chemicals caught fire and sank.

The X-Press Pearl sank in early June off the coast of Colombo after it had been on fire for days.

The remains of 176 turtles, 20 dolphins and four whales have washed ashore since, a court has heard.

Experts fear the ship, which carried tonnes of oil in its tanks, will remain an environmental hazard for decades.

The X-Press Pearl had had been carrying 278 tonnes of bunker fuel oil and 50 tonnes of gas oil when it caught fire on May 20. It was also carrying 25 tonnes nitric acid, along with other chemicals and cosmetics.

One environmental group had earlier said the ship's toxic cargo threatened to create "a

chemical soup" in the area.

A Government Minister said it was uncommon for animal deaths to be high at this time of year.

"During the south-western monsoon season, sea creatures never die in this way," Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told reporters, according to a Reuters report.

The Sri Lankan government has also made an initial insur-

ance claim of $40 million for the costs fighting the fire and compensating the loss of income for about 50,000 people, most of them fishermen.

Sri Lankan officials believe the fire was caused by a nitric acid leak which the crew had been aware of since May 11. The highly corrosive acid is widely used in the manufacture of fertilisers and explosives. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Boy Scouts reach US$850M settlement with US sex abuse victims

T

he Boy Scouts of America reached a US$850 million settlement with groups representing tens of thousands of men with sexual abuse claims, a major step towards addressing a deluge of accusations that sent the 111-year-old United States scouting organization into bankruptcy.

In a filing on Thursday with the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) said the settlement with the Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice and two other groups would cover claims by about 60,000 abuse survivors.

The BSA said the accord provides a framework for a global resolution of abuse

UN warns of more violence in Tigray, Ethiopia denies blocking aid

he United Nations said on Friday conflict could rapidly flare again in Ethiopia's Tigray and that famine was worsening in the region, where local fighters declared victory this week after an eight-month war with central government and allied forces.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front, provincial authorities which Ethiopian forces and troops from neighbouring Eritrea drove out last year, returned to regional capital Mekelle on Monday to cheering crowds.

The Ethiopian Government declared a unilateral ceasefire on Monday

the withdrawal is "on track," but some American forces still will be in Afghanistan in September as part of a "rational drawdown with allies."

Even so, the Bagram pull out brought an effective end to the longest war in US history.

The base, an hour's drive north of Kabul, was where the US military coordinated its air war and logistical support for its entire Afghan mission.

taken, Reuters saw a convoy of 34 trucks - each laden with 43 tons of food aid stopped in the Tigray town of Mai Tsebri. Blue flags from the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) hung from the cabins, sodden with rain.

The trucks had waited four days at a checkpoint controlled by Governmentallied Amhara regional forces. Finally, they unloaded the food, without having reached the area where it was needed.

Aid has been completely blocked since the TPLF took the capital, a senior diplomat in Addis Ababa told Reuters. (Excerpt from Reuters)

claims that could allow it to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection “late this year”.

Nearly 90,000 sexual abuse claims were filed against the BSA as part of the organisation’s bankruptcy case, far more than had been expected by lawyers representing victims, revealing a shocking scale of sex abuse in the Christian-affiliated scouting organisation. The Boy Scouts

had filed for bankruptcy protection in February 2020 in the face of hundreds of lawsuits alleging decades-old sex abuse by Scout leaders.

“Bringing these groups together marks a significant milestone … as the BSA works toward our dual imperatives of equitably compensating survivors of abuse and preserving the mission of scouting,” the nonprofit organisation said in a state-

ment.

The groups separately called the accord a “significant accomplishment that achieves consensus” among most claimants, the Boy Scouts and more than 250 local councils.

Thursday’s settlement requires a judge’s approval and could face opposition from insurers that would be on the hook for payouts. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Statues of Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth toppled in Canada

P

rotesters have toppled statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II in the Canadian city of Winnipeg as anger grows over the discovery of the remains of hundreds of children in unmarked graves at former Indigenous schools.

A crowd chanted "no pride in genocide" before pulling down the statues of the monarchs.

The action took place on Canada Day on Thursday, when traditionally celebrations take place across the country.

However, many cities scrapped events this year as the scandal over the Indigenous children made Canadians confront their colonial history. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the day would be "a time for reflection".

Almost 1000 unmarked graves have been found at former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan that were

People attend a candlelight vigil after the discovery of hundreds of remains of children at former Indigenous residential schools, at the provincial legislature in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, July 1, 2021

mainly run by the Catholic Church and funded by the Government.

For 165 years and as recently as 1996, the schools forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families, subjecting them to malnourishment and physical and sexual abuse in what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called "cultural genocide" in 2015.

Protests in support of the

indigenous children also took place on Thursday in Toronto, Canada's financial hub, while a #CancelCanadaDay march in the capital Ottawa drew thousands in support of victims and survivors of the residential school system.

Vigils and rallies were held across other parts of the country. Many participants wore orange clothing, which has become the symbol of the movement. (Excerpt from Reuters)

20

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS

DILBERT

(April 20May 20)

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU

Plan to have fun and achieve something that makes you feel good about who you are and what you do. Enjoying the company of someone who shares your sentiments will be encouraging.

Someone will have a hidden agenda. Don’t take anything for granted or let anyone speak for you. A change someone makes isn’t worth the fight; take the path that suits you best, regardless of what others do.

Confusion will set in if you believe everything you hear. Take the initiative to discover information firsthand. An invitation to share something special with a loved one will be stabilizing.

Stay out of an emotional scuffle with someone who doesn’t see things your way.

Put your energy into a creative outlet that boosts your ego and makes you feel good about your accomplishments.

Find an alternative way to get past uncertainty and confusion. Your usual sources will be misleading. It’s up to you to find the path that will encourage happiness and success.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Be careful what you wish for; there will be underlying factors to uncover and consider before you make a big decision. Keep life simple and distance yourself from imprudent people.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Temptation to spend on things you don’t need is apparent. Put a budget in place before you go out the door. A joint venture may tempt you, but it’s likely to cause problems.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Change will excite you, but the work involved will deter you from following through.

You can spend your life dreaming about the way you want things to be, or you can work to make things happen.

Refrain from letting othSAGITTARIUS ers influence you. If you (Nov. 23want to live life your way, Dec. 21) it’s up to you to make changes that ensure happiness.

Dedicate time and money to reaching your goal.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Share your feelings and find out where you stand.

Getting the go-ahead to put your plans in motion will discourage opposition. Honesty is the best policy if you want to avoid a costly lesson.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Concern about a friend, relative or loved one will lead to a lifestyle change.

You’ll develop an intelligent idea that requires work on your part to get others to sign on.

PISCES

Be honest with yourself, and you will recognize what direction is best.

Think for yourself and walk away from people and situations detrimental to your well-being.

(Feb. 20March 20)

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

21

Berbice cricket scheduled for September restart with strict guidelines in place – BCB hosts DeSinco Trading Ltd Tribute to Umpires Programme "E ach one of you are a vital stakeholder in the development of Berbice cricket and as long as my administration is in office, every hero and stakeholder would have a place at the table, even those who might not agree with us.

Berbice cricket belongs to all of us and as umpires, you are a vital part of the game on and off the cricket field. We honour you as heroes, and we look forward to working with you in the future to take our cricket even higher."

These were the words of Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) President Hilbert Foster as he spoke at the presentation ceremony of the BCB/DeSinco Trading Ltd Tribute to Umpires programme.

The proactive and vibrant cricket board on Thursday hosted the tribute programme at its Charlotte Street, New

Amsterdam head office with the support of DeSinco Trading and the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS. Foster reminded the attentive gathering that in February 2018 , his administration had committed itself to making every stakeholder in Berbice cricket at home in the system and making sure that every hero was recognised and honoured.

He noted that the BCB has always enjoyed a close and very productive relationship with the Umpire Association.

The success of Berbice cricket, the BCB President stated, would not have been possible without the support of the umpires and he urged them to maintain their high level of commitment and professionalism.

Foster, who is also a Vice President of the Guyana Cricket Board and Director of Cricket

West Indies, announced that the board would continue to invest heavily to improve the standard of umpiring and committed to providing T-shirts and caps for the umpires before the restart of the cricket season.

The BCB President then announced that the 2021 season would most likely restart in September after the end of the current rainy season, but he warned that the Board would do so under very strict guidelines. Noting that the health and safety of players and officials shall be the main concern of his administration, Foster urged the umpires to make sure that they were fully vaccinated, as anyone who was not would not be allowed to play in cricket tournaments organised by the BCB. He also announced that several major developmental

Contrite Richardson accepts 1-month ban, apologises for actions that led to Olympic 100m disqualification

S

ha ‘Carri Richardson has apologised for her actions that led to the disqualification of her 100 metres results from the US Olympic trials last month after traces of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis, was found in her samples taken after the race in Eugene, Oregon.

The athlete has also accepted a one-month ban from the United States AntiDoping Agency, which means she will miss the 100m. The ban takes effect on June 28 with the Olympics set to start July 23.

Speaking on NBC Friday morning, mere hours after news broke on Friday that she had tested positive for a banned substance, a contrite Richardson said: “I want to take responsibility for my actions. I know what I did. I know what I am supposed to do. I know what I am allowed not to do and I still

made that decision, but not making an excuse or looking for any empathy.

“I’d like to say to my fans and my family and my sponsorship, the haters too, I apologise. As much as I am disappointed, I know that when I

step on the track, I don’t just represent myself, I represent a community that has shown me great support, great love and I apologise for the fact that I didn’t know how to control my emotions. I am human.”

She explained that her actions were triggered by an interview before her race when a reporter told her that her biological mother had died the week before. Richardson was reportedly abandoned at birth and was raised by her grandmother. The news, she said, caused her to be blinded by emotion and hurt.

“To hear that coming from a c o m plete

stranger was definitely triggering, nerve shocking because it was just like how are you to tell me that, that sent me in state of mind of emotional pain and I still had to go out and put on a performance,” she said.

Richardson might have lost her place in the 100m as, according to reports, Jenna Prandini, who was fourth in the 100m finals at the US trials, has been pencilled in to replace her and 200m champion Gabby Thomas entered as the alternate runner.

Asked if she would take that slight chance she has to run in the relays, Richardson responded: “Right now, I am just putting all my time and energy into doing what I need to do to take care of myself. If I am allowed to receive that blessing, then I am grateful for it but if not, right now I am just really focused on myself.”

She concluded by saying this was not the end of the road for her as she intends to bring the 100m gold medal back to the USA at the next Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 and vowed the name Sha’carri Richardson would never be associated with performance-enhancing drugs.

(Sportsmax)

programmes would be done over the next three months, including the distribution of millions in cricket gear, publication of a coaching manual, induction ceremony into the Hall of Fame, distribution of cycles and educational materials under the Basil Butcher Trust Fund, and hosting of mini academies and social skills sessions for junior cricketers.

For 2021 thus far, the BCB has distributed millions of dollars’ worth of cricket gear, uniforms, cycles, school bags, catching cribs, stumps,

cricket balls, grass cutters, scorebooks, trophies, medals and COVID- 19 protective items to clubs and cricketers across Berbice.

Veteran umpire Lennox Outar, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, stated that it felt very special to be recognised and honoured by the BCB. Berbice umpires, he said, are very happy with the current administration of Berbice cricket, as he hailed the leadership of Foster which has resulted in everyone not only feeling comfortable but having their

concerns listened to. He committed his colleagues to working along with Foster, and expressed the hope that he would consider running for a third term in office at the next BCB Annual General Meeting.

Each of the umpires received a DeSinco Trading hamper, a T-shirt, a food hamper and a medal of excellence. The BCB expressed gratitude to the management of DeSinco, especially Sarah Savory, for their support of Berbice cricket.

Pakistan Women A defend 108 to take 2-0 lead in 3-T20 series

A

stellar bowling performance sealed the three-T20 series for Pakistan Women A as they successfully defended 108 to beat West Indies Women A in the second match at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua on Friday. Following their 14run win, Pakistan are 2-0 up in the series.

West Indies got off to a flying start as their openers gathered 10 runs off the first over. However, a disciplined effort with the ball dried up the runs. The hosts could gather only 15 from the next five overs which meant they were 25 for no loss after the powerplay, courtesy of a staggering 21 dots delivered in the first six overs.

With the required run-rate soaring, the West Indies batters crumbled under pressure.

The first two wickets came off run-outs. The third wicket was picked up by Rameen Shamim, who returned an impressive one for 13 off four overs, which included 12 dots.

Pacer Maham Tariq took the fourth wicket and finished with 16 for one. Her four overs included as many as 15 dots.

West Indies lost their next two wickets on the first two balls of the 17th over as Kainat Imtiaz bowled Shabika Gajnabi, after another run-out. The right-arm pacer Kainat ended up with match figures of three for 18 in three overs. West Indies were bowled out for 94 in the last over of the match.

Muneeba Ali top-scored in Pakistan’s 108 for five as she made 27 off 16 balls – which included three fours and a six – after West Indies opted to bowl after winning the toss.

The visitors were dealt a blow in the first over as Caneisha Isaac bowled Ayesha Zafar in the first

over.

Muneeba ensured that Pakistan faced no more troubles during the powerplay as she anchored a free-flowing 43-run partnership with Omaima Sohail, who scored 17 off 25.

The highlight of the partnership came in the fourth over when left-handed Muneeba struck Qiana Joseph for three boundaries as 14 runs came off the left-

arm orthodox bowler’s over.

Muneeba’s wicket in the sixth over off Joseph’s bowling dried up runs for Pakistan.

Pakistan slipped from 43 for one to 62 for five before Kainat Hafeez (24 not out off 39) and Rameen (21 off 25) posted an undefeated 46-run stand.

Isaac, Joseph, Kaysia Schultz and Steffie Soogrim picked up a wicket each.

SCOREBOARD Pakistan Women A Muneeba Ali c Rachel Vincent b Qiana Joseph 27 Omaima Sohail run out (Reniece Boyce / Kaysia Schultz) 17 Nahida Khan c Mandy Mangru b Steffie Soogrim 1 Kainat Hafeez not out 24 Kainat Imtiaz c Cherry-Ann Fraser b Kaysia Schultz 8 Rameen Shamim not out 21 Total (5 wickets, 20.0) (10 extras) 108 Bowler O-M-R-W Caneisha Isaac 3-0-12-1 Cherry-Ann Fraser 1-0-14-0 Qiana Joseph 4-0-30-1 Kaysia Schultz 4-0-13-1 Steffie Soogrim 4-0-9-1 Mandy Mangru 2-0-13-0 Shabika Gajnabi 2-0-14-0 West Indies Women A Reniece Boyce run out (Nahida Khan)

17

Rashada Williams c Ayesha Zafar b Maham Tariq 21 Mandy Mangru run out (Syeda Aroob Shah / Muneeba Ali) 3 Rachel Vincent c Aiman Anwer b Rameen Shamim 1 Shabika Gajnabi b Kainat Imtiaz 15 Qiana Joseph run out (Sadia Iqbal) 4 Cherry-Ann Fraser c Rameen Shamim b Kainat Imtiaz 10 Steffie Soogrim c Maham Tariq b Kainat Imtiaz 14 Caneisha Isaac b Aiman Anwer 4 Total (10 wickets, 19.4) (5 extras) 94 Bowler O-M-R-W Aiman Anwer 3.4-0-19-1 Sadia Iqbal 3-0-14-0 Rameen Shamim 4-0-13-1 Maham Tariq 4-0-16-1 Kainat Imtiaz 3-0-18-3 Omaima Sohail 2-0-14-0

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

Finals pressure for South Africa, West Indies in T20Is decider

A

grand finale will close the first series of West Indies' home summer and they will be itching for silverware, especially after losing the Test series 2-0.

West Indies have held the lead, then fallen behind and then drawn level to lock this five-match series at 2-2, and create the kind of pressure South African teams (and their opposition) dream of.

South Africa have lost eight out of the 10 deciders they have played in, only beating New Zealand home and away in 2012. Can they take a turn for the better here?

There's another reason why this finale is important for the visitors: they are on a five-series losing streak in the format. With just two series left to play (in Ireland and Sri Lanka) before the T20 World Cup this October, they need to find form.

There are still a lot of

teresting test of skill.

In the spotlight

Talk of the West Indies' veterans often centre around Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, but Fidel Edwards merits to be in the same category. Edwards is 39 and has made his comeback after six years as a Kolpak exile (South Africa, are you watching?) and got particular praise from Bravo for opening the bowling with an "aggression that has

Can South Africa cross the final hurdle?

eyes on Mark Boucher and his management team following their limited success over the 20 months they've been in charge. Though one result isn't going to change things drastically, a trophy will make a big difference.

Win or lose, South Africa will still have combination concerns, especially around the length of their batting line-up and the composition of their attack. Their specialist-heavy XI has left them short in both departments and they may have to cast the net wider to the all-rounders.

West Indies do not tend to place as much weight on bilateral series, because they often only have their best players all available for major tournaments. This time around, though, they're near full-strength. The superstars have come out and shone to a degree, but West Indies will know if they can get all the heavyweights firing together, they will have the makings of a side that could dominate any opposition.

This will also be Grenada's last hurrah of the international season and it has shown itself to be an excellent venue of the format after hosting just one T20I before this series. The pitches have been fairly challenging for batters, with good bounce on offer and slightly tacky surfaces, and have suited bowlers who have been able to adjust to taking pace off the ball while the spinners have prospered.

Given that T20I cricket is a game of adaptability, St George's has provided an in-

sometimes been missing."

Edwards only bowled two overs, and they were fairly expensive, and it's too early to tell exactly how much he will add to the West Indian pack, but with experience in England, the ability to swing the ball and longevity on his side, he is definitely one to watch.

South Africa have anointed David Miller as their finisher, a job Captain Temba Bavuma says the left-hander has done "for many years", though the current numbers do not reflect that. Miller has scored 34 runs in four innings in this series and that is not for lack of time in the middle. Miller has been in the 11th over twice, and in the 15th over once and has been out going for the big shot on each occasion.

What's evident is that Miller knows he needs to clear the boundary, but he has only managed one six in the series so far and South Africa will want plenty more.

Team news

The lengthening of the batting line-up through the inclusion of both Chris Gayle and Shimron Hetmyer worked well for West Indies, so they may choose to go that way again, at the expense of Jason Holder. Left-arm spinner Fabian Allen is unlikely to be available after injuring his shoulder on Thursday, which could hand Akeal Hosein a debut. They also have the option of going back to offspinner Kevin Sinclair.

West Indies (probable): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Kieron Pollard (capt), 6 Nicholas

Pooran (wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Akeal Hosein 10 Fidel Edwards 11 Obed McCoy South Africa will likely want to give Aiden Markram another opportunity in the middle order. They also seem comfortable with him as the sixth bowling option, which could mean no opportunity for Kyle Verreynne on this tour. Lizaad Williams may get luckier, especially if Anrich Nortje does not recover from bruising on his left knee in time to play this match. Even if Nortje does, Williams may displace Lungi Ngidi, who has been expensive thus far. Sisanda Magala, who may have come into contention, has an ankle niggle and is unavailable for selection.

South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Aiden Markram, 6 David Miller, 7 George Linde, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Anrich Nortje/ Lizaad Williams, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

Pitch and conditions

Tropical

storm

Elsa

brought rain to Grenada for parts of Thursday and Friday and may linger into today, but the forecast for the afternoon looks relatively clear. There's a small chance – under 25 per cent – of rain during the match.

Heavy showers may weigh the outfield down and could also affect the pace of the pitch. Markram said he noticed the wicket had slowed up a bit in the fourth match after the previous three games.

Quotes

"We had a long discussion last night about what it means to represent West Indies, what it means to be two-time World Champions and to keep playing the game with passion and pride."

Dwayne Bravo reveals how West Indies dug deep to mentally prepare themselves for levelling the series 2-all in the fourth match.

"The way we lost the

West Indies will be looking to dominate in the final match-up

Stats and trivia

Both teams' opening pairs have done reasonably well in this series, with West Indies' top two averaging 49.50 and South Africa 39.00, but their middle orders have struggled. West India No 3-7 average 19.35 and South Africa's 14.47.

Chris Gayle is 57 runs away from 14,000 in T20 cricket.

If Ngidi concedes another 35 runs, he will become the first bowler in T20Is to concede 200 runs in a bilateral series.

game wasn't about us batting first or second. From a bowling front, we conceded a 20-runs in the first over and upfront, that puts you under pressure and then to finish off the bowling innings like that – it doesn't matter if you are bowling first or second. And then batters didn't pitch up."

Temba Bavuma is not convinced there is an advantage to setting a target or chasing in this series and was critical of his team's overall performance in the fourth match.

(ESPNcricinfo)

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223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

T

he action commenced in the LA Open T20 tournament as the Somerset Cavaliers, which comprise a plethora of Guyanese players and is captained

by Chandrapaul Hemraj, stormed to a convincing win over the Punjab Blue.

The Cavaliers were able to win by 138 runs thanks to the efforts of Xavier Marshall, Christopher Barnwell, Kennar Lewis, and Ashmead Nedd.

Opting to bat first, the Cavaliers line-up was not one to be messed with as they are, by far, one of the strongest teams in the tournament. Lewis and Hemraj opened the batting, but, in a matter of minutes, Hemraj was back in the pavilion as he was outfoxed.

This brought Marshall to the crease and from there on, an all-out assault took place. Marshall and Lewis creamed the Punjab bowlers, as they put together a 95-run partnership that frustrated their opponents.

After Lewis departed for 69 off 32 balls, Chadwick Walton came to play, but only scored 15. Marshall was his usual free-spirited self as he continued to pick the gaps with ease, but what mattered the most was a quickfire Christopher Barnwell innings. He supported Marshall to the very end, smacking bowlers to every part of the ground and making them pay.

Barnwell blasted 66 off 32, which included six bound-

aries and four maximums.

Together with Marshall (92 off 45), he carried the Cavaliers to 251-5 in their allotted 20 overs. All the Punjab bowlers carried an economy rate of over 10.

The Punjab side now needed 252 for victory off 120 deliveries, a task that seemed impossible for them. In the end, they could only score 113 all out in their allotted 20 overs.

The bowlers in particular were brilliant as they did not allow any slip-ups and forced the batsmen to go for the shots. That pressure resulted in easy wickets and a comfortable win for the Cavaliers.

Bowling for the Cavaliers were Rusty Theron (2-19); Nikhil Dutta (3-22) and Ashmead Nedd (2-20).

2237230-1

(Ext 55)

NOW!

SATURDAY, JULY 3W, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

West Indies Women clinch T20 series against Pakistan Women

W

est Indies Women won the second T20 International against Pakistan Women by seven runs under the DLS method after play had to be stopped upon the completion of the 18th over, with the tourists on 103 for six in their pursuit of 126.

The highlight of the innings was the 42-run partnership between Nida Dar (29 off 36) and Sidra Nawaz (17 off 25) that rescued Pakistan from 25 for three.

Aliya Riaz and Fatima Sana were not out on 17 and eight.

Pakistan’s innings had to be paused in the fourth over when West Indies player Chinelle Henry collapsed while fielding at mid-off. Later, Chedean Nation also fell ill and both were rushed to a nearby hospital.

Pakistan Captain Javeria Khan said: “The

Kycia Knight topscored with 30

We wish them quick recovery and are hopeful that we will play against them in

tragic and can shake whole dressing rooms. Hats off to the West Indies that they

Chedean Nation also fell ill

thoughts and prayers of the whole Pakistan team are with Henry and Nation.

our next match on Sunday.

“Such incidents are

turned up and completed the match despite the

grave incident.”

A brilliant display of tight line-and-length bowling had restricted West Indies to 125 for six after Stafanie Taylor opted to bat after winning the toss.

The West Indies openers gathered 34 runs upfront from four overs and looked on course to put up a strong partnership until the Pakistan Captain introduced 19-year-old Fatima Sana into the attack.

The right-arm quick bowled Deandra Dottin (17 off 12) on the first ball. The dismissal played a crucial role in bringing down the hosts’ scoring rate as it took them nine more overs to post the next 34 runs.

Nida Dar, who completed the 100-T20I wicket milestone in the first match, dismissed Hayley Matthews (nine off 16) in the next over – the sixth of the innings.

Fatima struck again in the ninth over – which turned out to be a wicket maiden – with the prized wicket of Taylor, the West Indies Captain, as the Windies lost three batters in the space of nine runs.

Fatima bowled 16 dots in her four overs and returned an impressive two for 18. Nida darted 17 dots to return figures of one for 16 from four.

A 32-run stand of the fifth wicket between Nation (28 off 33) and Kycia Knight (30 not out off 20) brought West Indies back into the contest. Anam Amin dismissed both batters. Knight was named Player of the Match. The third and final T20I will be played on Sunday at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

(Pakistan Cricket)

Chinelle Henry collapsed on field

SCOREBOARD WI Women Innings Hayley Matthews c Javeria Rauf b Nida Dar 9 Deandra Dottin b Fatima Sana 17 Stafanie Taylor (c) lbw b Fatima Sana 5 Kyshona Knight c Diana Baig b Anam Amin 15 Chedean Nation c Fatima Sana b Anam Amin 28 Kycia Knight † not out 30 Chinelle Henry b Diana Baig 1 Aaliyah Alleyne not out 2 Extras (w 18) 18 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 6.25) 125/6 Did not bat: Shamilia Connell, Anisa Mohammed, Shakera Selman Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Deandra Dottin, 4.1 ov), 2-36 (Hayley Matthews, 5.5 ov), 3-45 (Stafanie Taylor, 8.1 ov), 4-69 (Kyshona Knight, 13.2 ov), 5-101 (Chedean Nation, 17.4 ov), 6-122 (Chinelle Henry, 19.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Diana Baig 4-0-31-1 Anam Amin 4-0-31-2 Fatima Sana 4-1-18-2 Nida Dar 4-0-16-1 Nashra Sandhu 3-0-18-0 Aliya Riaz 1-0-11-0

PAKISTAN WOMEN INNINGS (TARGET: 111 RUNS FROM 18 OVERS) Javeria Rauf b Matthews 5 Javeria Khan (c) run out (Kyshona A Knight) 0 Iram Javed run out (sub [K Ramharack]/ Matthews) 15 Nida Dar run out (sub [K Ramharack]/†Kycia A Knight) 29 Sidra Nawaz † run out (Kyshona A Knight/Anisa Mohammed) 17 Ayesha Naseem run out (Connell/†Kycia A Knight) 0 Aliya Riaz not out 17 Fatima Sana not out 8 Extras (b 4, w 8) 12 TOTAL (18 Ov, RR: 5.72) 103/6 Did not bat: Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Anam Amin Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Javeria Khan, 0.5 ov), 2-23 (Javeria Rauf, 3.5 ov), 3-25 (Iram Javed, 5.5 ov), 4-67 (Sidra Nawaz, 13.3 ov), 5-69 (Ayesha Naseem, 13.4 ov), 6-78 (Nida Dar, 15.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Shamilia Connell 4-0-20-0 Hayley Matthews 4-0-13-1 Aaliyah Alleyne 2-0-17-0 Shakera Selman 2-0-6-0 Stafanie Taylor 3-0-20-0 Anisa Mohammed 3-0-23-0

Team Alanis 55-mile cycling set for Sunday

N

Team Evolution will look to extend their dominance (Brandon Corlette photos)

C

ycling action will continue in Guyana when the Team Alanis-organised 55-mile road race pedals off tomorrow, Sunday, July 4.

The race will commence from 07:00h on Carifesta Avenue and proceed to the Halfway Tree, Perseverance, Mahaicony and then return to finish at the point of origin.

The race is open to all categories of cyclists throughout the country. According to cyclist and organiser of the race, Paul Choweenam of Team Alanis, the over-50

riders and ladies will battle for a total of 40 miles.

Choweenam encouraged everyone to support the race, and he urged riders to stay in shape and race, because some big races loom in July.

The last open cycling race in Guyana saw the Team Evolution boys dominate that Father’s Day race. It was Christopher Griffith who won the close contest, clocking one hour 41 minutes and 36 seconds.

With the likes of national champion Romello Crawford and top-of-

the-line riders Raynauth Jeffrey, Michael Anthony, Jamual John and Briton John still on overseas duty, Team Evolution will look to extend dominance as the riders battle for supremacy.

In the female category, national champion Suzanne Hamilton will also look to continue her hot streak. The COVID-19 task force has continued to grant permission for cycling and the Guyana Police Force continues to play an integral role in cycling events.

ational 100 metres and long jump champion Emanuel Archibald and 100m speedster Jasmine Abrams have booked their spots to represent Guyana at the highest level in the Tokyo Olympics, which are set to kick off on July 23 and end on August 8.

Abrams has qualified via her world rankings and will be participating in the 100m event while Archibald has qualified through Universality Place.

Abrams will be alongside her sister Aaliyah Abrams, who has qualified for the Olympics as well via world rankings as she did.

Abrams and Archibald will also be joining Chelsea Edghill, Keevin Allicock, and Andrew Fowler as they aim to make Guyana proud.

National 100M speedster Jasmine Abrams

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021

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

Pg 23

National 100m and long jump champion Emmanuel Archibald

Pg 23

West Indies Women clinch T20 series against Pakistan Women

LA Open T20

Marshall, Barnwell quick-fire innings lead Cavaliers to comprehensive win Pg 22

…as Nedd, Lewis chip in

Team Alanis 55-mile cycling set for Sunday Page 23 National champion Suzanne Hamilton will aim to continue her hot streak

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