Guyana Times - Thursday August 12, 2021

Law amended to secure P7 inheritance for spouses in common-law unions Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4737

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021

Modernise Guyana’s laws to reflect societal, economic changes – President See story on page 3

…as Law Reform Commission members sworn in

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

P7 Govt will address root causes of crime − Jagdeo …says hardened criminals will be dealt with condignly

Bandits hijack taxi in Sophia

P11

Teen killed after motorcycle P10 crashes into cow

President Dr Irfaan Ali, Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall SC, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, and other members of the legal fraternity with the newly sworn in seven-member Law Reform Commission at the Office of the President on Wednesday (OP Photo)

"Boss man, is me thing” - Lindener tells Police in ganja bust P10

Anti-vaxxers, resisters are just uninformed or misinformed − VP Page 2

…vaccines prevent serious complications, deaths … stop blocking Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge – Police to protesters …healthcare workers, transport operators given 2 weeks to comply 1st anniversary in office

Govt applauds selflessness of diplomats' commitment to Guyana’s democracy

Men can P15 apply for child support - Court Superintendent

Page 9

Guyana records 3 more COVID-19 deaths, 86 new cases …2 Delta variant cases detected in

Page 14

T&T, passengers transited in Guyana

Regent Street execution

Brazilian killed was once most wanted criminal Page 16

Kitty multi-million-dollar heist

Police find P16 getaway car in Cummings Lodge

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Anti-vaxxers, resisters are just uninformed or misinformed − VP …vaccines prevent serious complications, deaths … stop blocking Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge – Police to protestors …healthcare workers, transport operators given 2 weeks to comply

I

n the face of anti-vaxxers, a number of whom mounted protests and blocked a bridge in Linden on Wednesday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has made a personal appeal to them to do their own research, look at the statistics on the COVID-19 vaccine and get vaccinated, so that Guyana can return to normalcy.

He made this appeal during a broadcast interview with a social commentator on Tuesday. According to Jagdeo, the statistics both local and international - show that those who are vaccinated are far less likely to spread and be hospitalised with COVID. Jagdeo noted that cases in Guyana where persons have been seriously hospitalised or died from COVID-19, have all been among the unvaccinated.

“Look at the statistics. In the world upwards of 2 billion people have been vaccinated. And if you look at the hospitalisation, very very few from the hospitalised group have been in the hospitals. Because even if they catch the COVID, it doesn’t become severe. There is that evidence,” the Vice President said.

“In Guyana’s case, we have about 56 per cent of our adult population vaccinated.

not monsters. They’re not bad people. They’re just misinformed. And they bought into a lot of rumours. And it’s up to the leaders to change that.

To assure them that the vaccines are for your own good.”

“And I’m appealing to people. It’s not just your health at risk. It’s fine if you were living on your own. And you have a right to live in your home as a hermit. But the minute you start going out, you go to work or a club and everyone else has taken the vaccine and you haven’t you’re putting other people’s lives at risk.

Lindeners during the protest on Wednesday (Photos by Utamu Bell)

That is with a first dose. We have 30 per cent fully vaccinated. I am vaccinated. All the MPs are vaccinated. You don’t see us growing horns or having an adverse effect. And most of those people are not in hospital. The doctor who was in hospital, the nurse who died recently. They were not vaccinated.”

Jagdeo noted that they have been fortunate to vaccinate approximately 86 per cent of the elderly population, who are the most at risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death. Research has shown that unvaccinated persons are much more likely

to have symptoms of COVID if they contract and are much more likely to spread the virus.

The Vice President assured that those who are against the vaccine roll out are not bad people, but rather they have fallen prey to misinformation. Touching on the restrictions to accessing Government services, Jagdeo made it clear that the unvaccinated cannot expect to have the same ease of access as those who are vaccinated, in the process spreading the COCID-19 virus.

“The vaccines are saving lives. Any vaccine, one dose

or two. So, we have to talk to our people. People who [don’t] want vaccines, they’re

Linden protest

Lindeners on Wednesday meanwhile formed human blockades at the MackenzieWismar Bridge in Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) in protest as nurses and other staff attached to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 were denied entry into the medical institution.

The staff attached to the hospital were reportedly told on Tuesday that in order to gain entry they would have to show their vaccination cards to the security at the gate.

As a result, workers were left standing outside the compound.

On Wednesday, others joined in by blocking the bridge chanting “gate closed, bridge closed” as the usual traffic across the bridge came to a halt. Police ranks are presently stationed on both ends of the bridge as Regional Division Commander Hugh Winter and team visited the location.

A number of officials are also at the location including Regional Chairman Deron Adams. Protesters also returned to the hospital’s location in a bid to have workers allowed entry.

Stop blocking bridge

The Guyana Police Force subsequently demanded that protesters desist from unlawfully blocking the bridge.

They made it clear that “the Police Force, in keeping with its mandate of maintaining public safety and security, will as a consequence take the requisite lawful actions to ensure that law and order are restored”.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Medical staff should know better

During the interview, Jagdeo was very critical of medical staff and teachers who go the route of refusing to take the vaccine. According to the Vice President, medical staff of all people should know better since they are in a science-based profession.

“When I hear doctors and nurses don’t want to take the vaccine… how can you be in a science-based field and then have these weird views about vaccines? It’s almost unacceptable. And teachers of all, they should be educated.

Reading. But they succumb to rumours. And unsubstantiated views.”

However, the Vice President stressed that no security personnel at any Government building should be turning away patients or persons who have at least one dose of any vaccine.

According to Jagdeo, reports of this being done are “unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, on Wednesday evening, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony announced that healthcare workers, public transport operators and conductors will be given two weeks to comply with the Covid 19 Emergency Measures (No. 20) issued on the 29th July 2021.

“I wish to reiterate that the Government of Guyana has secured enough vaccines for the adult population. Guyanese have a choice of first and second dose AstraZeneca or SinoPharm and first dose Sputnik V. Additionally, the Pfizer vaccine for our children will soon be available,” the health minister said, adding that vaccines are “safe, effective and if you are fully vaccinated, it will reduce your chances of infection, hospitalization and death.”

It has meanwhile been announced that the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) will use its Revolving Fund to help countries in Latin America and the Caribbean procure enough vaccines to control transmission. This is according to PAHO Director Carissa F Etienne.

She further explained that PAHO’s Revolving Fund will go “beyond the 20 per cent COVAX offers.” This a reference to COVAX’s commitment to procure vaccines for 20 per cent of the region’s population – the most at-risk groups. (G3)

NEWS

3

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Thursday, Aug 12 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Friday, Aug 13 – 09:00h – 10:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Modernise Guyana’s laws to reflect societal, economic changes – President Ali …as Law Reform Commission members sworn in

Thursday, Aug 12 – 06:30h – 08:00h and Friday, Aug 13 – 07:15h – 08:45h.

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.

Expect partly cloudy skies and light rain at night.

Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Southerly to South South-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 07:02h and 17:24h reaching maximum heights of 2.72 metres and 2.66 metres.

Low Tide: 12:58h reaching a minimum height of 0.53 metre.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS B

05 08 11 20 23 25

FREE TICKET

01 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

01 03 09 22 26 LUCKY 3

9

8

8

2

Afternoon Draw

1

7

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

02 04 05 09 15 19 21 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

03 06 07 10 16 13

Friday, August 6, 2021

01 12 14 17 19

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$71.44/barrel

Rough Rice

$241.38 /ton

-0.13

London Sugar

$468.20/ton

+4.00

Live Spot Gold

+1.13

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1749.60

$1750.60

Low/High Change

$1728.60 -2.20

$1755.80 -0.13%

President Irfaan Ali and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall with the newly sworn in seven-member Law Reform Commission (OP Photo)

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday swore in the recently appointed seven-member Law Reform Commission and in doing so, charged the Commissioners with modernising the laws of Guyana to reflect societal and economic changes taking place in Guyana.

Retired Appeal Court Judge, Justice B S Roy (Chairman); Attorneys Teni Housty, Clarissa Riehl, Emily Dodson, Roopnarine Satram, Deenawatie Panday, and Dr Brian O’Toole took their oath of office before the Head of State at the Office of the President.

During his brief remarks, President Ali pointed out that much of Guyana’s laws are dated and run the risk of becoming obsolete. He noted that societies do not remain static and as such laws and regulations must be regularly updated to be abreast with societal changes and be reformed to fill legislative gaps as well as be responsive to the demands of modern justice.

“No law can remain totally relevant over decades and centuries… Law Reform must aim at the simplification, modernisation and the systematic development of the country’s laws,” the President stated.

According to the Head of State, the work of the Law Reform Commission is vital to ensuring that Govt develops a systematic approach to reforms and critical to ensuring that Guyana keeps abreast with emerging and evolving legislative trends around the world.

“The work of the Commission will ensure that our country’s legislation does not stagnate or become backward,” he posited.

President Ali went on to outline that legal reforms must, among other things, foster and facilitate development and not prove to be a hindrance.

“Our economy is changing and our laws has to reflect this change. The environment in which we’re operating globally is also changing and we have to adapt to those changes… and an important part of adapting to

those changes is ensuring that the legal system reflects where the country must be in adopting to those changes,” he stressed.

The Head of State fur-

ther pointed out the ongoing global pandemic which has sparked debates around on the world on certain aspects such as public health laws in terms of what can be made

mandatory and what cannot, as well as the treatment of future pandemics.

“We cannot be left behind or excluded from these discussions…

Legal reform is a priority for my Government…

There is much work ahead and my Government will offer full support to the Commission, and will welcome and treat with utmost seriousness, its recommendations,” the President assured.

The seven-member Law Reform Commission was appointed by President Ali last month after consultations with Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, SC. These persons were selected and thereafter - accepted, to serve on the Commission following recommendations received from the various stakeholder organisations.

TURN TO PAGE 9

4

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 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

Reducing recidivism

T

here is absolutely no excuse for the commission of criminal activities, but there is great scope for redemption and rehabilitation of prisoners.

It is indeed welcoming news, as revealed by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday, that Government plans to deal with the root causes of crime in a way that would reduce recidivism, or criminals reoffending.

Indeed, there are many factors behind crime, but we agree there is importance in reducing recidivism.

Most young people who have been inculcated with a moral compass and consequently adhere to discipline would adjust accordingly, but there are some youths who have no guiding force or role model pointing them in the right direction. This group finds it preferable to pick up a weapon and try to extract quick riches from the unwary, even if they have to kill to obtain the spoils of their forays into criminality.

They, subsequently, most often become hardened criminals who have no compunction for their actions, and often display no compassion for their victims, indiscriminately depriving them of their property, money, and lives without thinking of the devastation they wreak on the families, especially vulnerable dependents such as elderly parents and children.

Having perfected the art of escape after the execution of their crimes, oftentimes when they are caught after a long career of theft and murder, they are treated as ‘firsttime offenders’, figuratively rapped on the knuckles by bleeding hearts of some judicial officials and with minimum punishment.

Incarceration, especially with hard labour, is meant to act as a deterrent to engagement in criminal activities in civil societies, and this should ideally work concurrently with rehabilitation to reintegrate prisoners into families, communities, and the society at large. It is the general consensus that prisoners should be treated humanely. They were caught committing their crimes, while many criminals have been getting away without discovery.

During his tenure, retired Director of Prisons Dale Erskine created synergies to make the prison system more aligned to rehabilitation rather than punishment. He incorporated new programmes in the prison system to create a dynamic whereby prison was no longer somewhere merely to lock away people found guilty of aberrant behaviour, but where the inmates could be guided, directed, and encouraged to change their thinking and attitude into more positive, achievement-oriented directions. That change was a work in progress throughout Erskine’s tenure as initially Officerin-Charge of the Georgetown Prison, and then Director of Prisons.

The changes wrought by the forward, humanistic thinking of Erskine were multi-faceted and transformational.

One of the programmes he set in motion was the identification and employment of a skilled bank of prisoners who were at least risk of escaping or engaging in additional criminal activities.

The prisoners were thus enabled to earn an income, part of which provided for their own needs and the needs of relatives, including young children left defenceless as their mothers struggle to take care of their prerequisites for survival. Some saved for their own upkeep upon their release, because the world knows that for a person with a prison record, finding employment is a difficult feat.

However, there are those who are considered beyond human redemption, because they have become so hardened in their hearts that opportunities for atonement go abegging. In these cases, protective services have to be vigilant that these persons are completely assured of their restored sense of right and wrong, and their intention to continue to adhere to the laws of the land.

Triplets Khaleel, Addiel and Reya were safely delivered at the Georgetown Public Hospital. In photo are the babies and their parents, Darrel and Alicia Simon (GPHC photo)

IPCC report is clear: nothing short of transforming society will avert catastrophe

By Patrick Vallance

T

he release of the first part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s sixth assessment report makes for stark reading. It reaffirms that anthropogenic climate change is real, present and lasting: it is now unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land to an unprecedented degree, with effects almost certain to worsen through the coming decades.

The report also dispels any notion that the effects of the climate crisis are abstract or distant. Extreme events are being felt across the world, from wildfires in Australia, Sweden and north-west America to heatwaves in Siberia and Canada and the devastating drought in South Africa.

Evidence has grown since the last assessment report that human activity has exacerbated extreme weather events. Without urgent action, such events will continue to get worse. Moreover, sea levels are projected to rise over this century. Rises of as much as 2m cannot be ruled out, leaving low-lying lands and coastal communities extremely vulnerable.

One of the headline figures in the report is that average global temperatures in 2011-2020 were 1.1C higher compared with 18501900. Though this may seem like a small increase on any individual day, the

increments matter in the long term. With every additional fraction of a degree increase in global warming, changes in extreme events such as heatwaves, floods and droughts become larger.

The Paris agreement in 2015 was momentous in committing signatories to limiting global warming to 2C above pre-industrialised levels, and preferably 1.5C. The IPCC’s report makes plain that our goal should be to keep temperature rises as small as possible. Relative to a 2C increase, limiting temperature rises to 1.5C would reduce the risks of food and water shortages, improve prospects for endangered species and protect human health from air pollution, malnutrition and extreme heat. We must aim for that goal.

Limiting global warming to 1.5C is ambitious – but is not fanciful. In the 2019 amendment to the Climate Change Act, the UK showed the intent required and committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Still, achieving that aim will be a challenge. The climate crisis is as much a rural problem as an urban one. It is both economic and human, domestic and international.

This means transformation is required at every level of society: individuals, employers, institutions and international partners will need to work together to understand the trade-offs, agree compromises and seize op-

portunities. And just as scientists are pooling insights from diverse fields of expertise, policymakers will need to work in new ways, sharing ideas across disciplines to plot a clear path from here to net zero. This is a whole systems challenge.

Tackling it will require a systemic approach.

Working back from 2050, it is clear that reaching net zero requires a renewed emphasis on science and innovation. First, we need to assess the technologies already available, identify those we need at scale by the middle of the century and deploy them as fast as possible. Second, we need to rigorously monitor progress against intermediate targets to make sure we are on track. Third, we need to identify areas where practical answers don’t yet exist – where research and innovation is still required to answer specific challenges – and invest accordingly; done well, these investments can seed the industries of the future. Across all this, we need to think globally, ensuring climate innovations are affordable and that their benefits are shared equally.

We must also recognise that the climate has already changed, and will continue to do so as we near 1.5C. The seas are rising, and floods and wildfires are more frequent. Again, science and engineering can help us to adapt, boosting the resilience of the most vulnerable and strength-

ening global food security.

Existing tools can anticipate adverse events, while adjusting the design of cities, transport systems and agriculture can minimise their worst effects.

Together with the Cop president designate, Alok Sharma, we will ensure that the forthcoming climate change conference (Cop26) will emphasise science and innovation, including a dedicated day of activity. We hope that one of the legacies of Cop26 will be that science is considered as important in producing solutions to climate change as it is in understanding it.

Each of the IPCC’s assessment reports are an extraordinary undertaking, drawing on thousands of experts from around the world to provide the most comprehensive assessment of the present and future climate to date. They have made their mark, too. The second assessment report, published in 1995, memorably stated that “the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate” and ultimately led to the Kyoto protocol committing parties to limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The fifth informed the Paris agreement of 2015. We hope that the sixth will spur similarly historic action in Glasgow in November and set the world on a safe and sustainable trajectory.

(The Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021

5

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

Rise and fall of Andrew Cuomo

Dear Editor, The meteoric rise of politicians could be subsequently followed by a precipitous and irreparable fall. New York State’s Governor Andrew Cuomo illustrates vividly this point. Was it a case in which Cuomo had become a victim of his own success? Only a few months ago, Cuomo was enjoying a high popularity rating, attributed to his prudent and hands-on management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cuomo successfully led New York out of the epicenter of the pandemic in 2020, to subsequently achieve one of the lowest infection, hospitalisation, and death rates in the United States. However, the emergence of the delta variant has been creating great concern, as infection, hospitalisations and deaths have been gradually increasing. In New York City, for example, at one hospital, there were just a few new daily cases of the COVID-19 infection, but today that figure has climbed to 32. The existing infection rate in New York

State is 2.53 with an average death per day of 4 persons.

Suddenly, the formidable New York politician’s world came crashing; a barrage of allegations of sexual misconduct was levelled against him by 11 women.

Those allegations, which he denies, have continually chipped away at Cuomo’s popularity, and served as a major distraction on the State’s governance. It had become apparent that with the incremental loss of public support, combined with that of his Democratic legislators, the only viable option available to Cuomo was for him to resign. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had called upon him to resign. Cuomo had nothing to stand upon. No one tried to rescue him from falling. He reluctantly announced his resignation as Governor on August 10, 2021, to take effect from August 25, 2021.

Cuomo would be replaced by Lt Governor Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat, who will serve out the rest of his term.

She will become the state’s first female governor. It has been reported that Civil Rights activist Al Sharpton, NYS Attorney General Letitia James, and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio are potential Democratic gubernatorial candidates in November 2022.

Cuomo’s resignation would not necessarily preclude his accusers from filing civil lawsuits against him. Neither would the New York State Assembly decide not to proceed with impeachment proceedings.

The NYS Assembly has other compelling issues to inquire into, such as the Senior Homes fiasco where scores of seniors died, and how Cuomo staff distorted figures (by as much as 50%) on COVID-19-related deaths.

There is also an allegation that Cuomo got staff to work on his book during official time.

Andrew Cuomo comes from a family with a high-profile tradition in American politics. Andrew Cuomo’s father, Mario Mathew Cuomo, was an illustrious Governor of New

York (1983-1994). Andrew served as Secretary to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. He was elected as New York State Attorney General in 2006. Then he was elected as Governor in 2010, and won succeeding elections until his resignation.

Cuomo’s downfall brings to attention another case of sexual misconduct against a high-profile New York State Governor, Eliot Spitzer. Eliot had everything going for him. He was wealthy, and created a reputation for cleaning up Wall Street of financial improprieties. Eliot was nicknamed the Wall Street Sheriff. He was a rising star in the Democratic party. However, he quickly lost his stardom when, serving as New York State Governor, he was involved in sexual misconduct (a high-end escort service).

The District Attorney gave him an opportunity to resign instead of filing criminal charges against him.

He complied and resigned

Water quality in Albion Front, Corentyne Dear Editor, The Guyana Water Incorporated have taken note of a recent letter to the editor in the media, raising concerns about the quality of water provided to Albion Front, Corentyne Berbice residents.

We wish to reiterate that the high iron concentration referred to in the letter is not unique to the Corentyne, Berbice area. In fact, it is a common occurrence among aquifer wells along the coastal belt of Guyana.

It is because of this that we have implemented a ro-

bust schedule for the flushing of pipelines. This aims to reduce the iron content built up in pipelines, thus ensuring an improved quality of water supplied to residents.

Additionally, water supply levels in the aforementioned areas have remained consistently high, but have suffered some bad days, owing to frequent Guyana Power and Light (GPL) phase outs. These electrical issues contribute to water service disruptions, and even damaged pumps and motors at our well stations.

Nevertheless, residents

can be assured that, in keeping with our mission, we are working assiduously to ensure that at least 90 percent of the coastland receives a regular supply of treated water. In this re-

gard, areas such as Albion, Fyrish and Chesney stand to benefit.

Kind regards, Guyana Water Incorporated

in 2008, and thus another powerful politician fell.

An almost similar fate was shared by another popular politician of neighbouring state, New Jersey.

James McGreevey occupied the Governor’s office in 2002 amid great expectations. His rise to political power was dramatic, as had been the case of Spitzer, but he (James) was unable to deal with allegations of sexual misconduct, and under pressure admitted that he had sexual relations with a man.

Had he shown any reluctance to resign, his former security aide, Golan Copel, would have filed a

sexual harassment lawsuit against him.

Politics may catapult one into power, but if power is not used wisely, a politician could easily become a casualty.

Politicians must avoid moral missteps and embrace accountability.

Humility, and not arrogance, should be a politician’s guiding principle.

Both Eliot and James were toppled and cast into the political wilderness. Would Andrew, coming from a strong political tradition, suffer a similar fate?

Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

xmple.com

6

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021

Page

Foundation

© xmple.com

Introduction Build your own mini propeller car with craft materials and a simple circuit in this fun STEM activity!

Materials 6x15-mm DC motor with 1–mm shaft Mini plastic propeller for 1–mm motor shafts 2xAAA battery holder AAA batteries (2) Toothpicks (2) Plastic beads with hole diameters about the size of the toothpick (4) Cardstock Sandpaper Electrical tape Googly eyes or other decorations Scissors Wire strippers Needle-nose pliers Hot glue gun Instructions NB: Adult supervision required Slide one of the plastic beads onto the toothpick. If it does not slide on easily and then spin freely, you need to sand the toothpick down. Sand both toothpicks until all four beads can slide onto them easily and spin freely.

Use hot glue to attach both toothpicks to the bottom of the battery holder to form axles. Make sure the toothpicks are parallel to each other.

Slide a plastic bead onto one of the toothpicks.

Use the needle-nose pliers to cut the pointy part off the end of the toothpick.

Use the needle-nose pliers to crimp the end of the toothpick to flatten and widen it. This will prevent the bead from sliding off the axle.

Repeat steps 3–5 for the other three axles. Make sure your car can roll and the wheels do not get stuck.

Use the wire strippers to cut the motor and battery pack wires so they are each a few centimeters long.

Strip at least 5 mm of insulation off the end of each wire.

Twist the wires together to form a circuit. Twist the red wires

together, and twist the black wire to the blue wire. Optionally, if you have a soldering iron, you can solder the connections to make them stronger.

Wrap the connections in electrical tape to prevent short circuits. If you have heat shrink tubing, you can use that instead, but remember you need to put it on the wires before you twist them together.

The propellers come in packs of four because they are intended for use with mini quadcopter drones. There are two clockwise (CW) and two counterclockwise (CCW) propellers. You need a counterclockwise propeller. Hold the propellers between your thumb and index finger with the surface of the disc facing you. A counterclockwise propeller's curved leading edge of the top blade faces to your left.

Firmly press the propeller onto the motor shaft.

Put one AAA battery into the battery holder. It should be the battery where the "+" faces toward the back of the car's body (the end with the wires). Look for the "+" sign inside the battery holder and make sure it lines up with the "+" sign on the battery.

Cut a small piece of cardstock and bend it to form an arch.

Glue it to both sides of the back of the battery pack to form a support for the motor.

Glue the motor to the top of the cardstock, with the propeller facing backward. Bend the wires out of the way so they will not get caught in the propeller.

Add googly eyes or other decorations to your car.

To start your car, insert the second battery. Watch your fingers! The propeller will start spinning right away.

Put your car down and watch it go! If it spins in circles instead of going straight, check to make sure one of the wheels is not stuck. This will cause the car to turn to one side.

To turn your car off, remove one of the batteries.

What happened?

When you connected the motor to the battery pack and inserted the batteries, you formed a circuit. The batteries sent electrical current through the motor, which made it spin. The spinning propeller pushed air backward, and the resulting reaction force pushed the car forward. Your car might get stuck or go in circles if one or more of the wheels are stuck, but otherwise it can go surprisingly fast for such a tiny car! (Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies)

By Pat Mora

Summer’s ending.

I sit on my desert rock, listen to the world’s hum.

Crows and ravens caw, finches and sparrows chirp. A dog barks.

Can I face the halls of judgments?

A breeze strokes my face, brings me back to spiders and lizards busy at their chores, private conversations— sights and sounds I savor.

This earth, my home.

High on the vast blue canvas, clouds curl, float.

Taking a deep breath, I gather myself.

I bring what I am.

Source: Poetry (March 2021)

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt will address root causes of crime – Jagdeo …new prison will offer schooling, skills training …hardened criminals will be dealt with condignly

T

here are many factors behind crime and according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, the Government plans to deal with the root causes of crime in a way that will reduce recidivism or criminals reoffending.

Jagdeo spoke on this issue during a broadcast interview with a social media commentator, where he noted the importance of reducing recidivism. Pointing out the rate at which criminals reoffend, Jagdeo said that society would benefit tremendously if they can even cut that rate in half, by giving these criminals the skills to earn an honest dollar and educating them.

“Apart from the tough law enforcement reform, prison reform is next in line. So we are building three safe, decent prisons at

Lusignan that can accommodate a thousand prisoners.

That means we can practically move most of our prisoners to Lusignan. We are putting money aside to build a prison for women, but in another part of Lusignan.”

“So, we have an entire compound. We plan to do recreational facilities there, a school there that you have to, once you become a prisoner, you have to go to school.

It’s compulsory. Then we’ll build a training school so that people can learn a skill.

We are going to take rehabilitation seriously.”

He also acknowledged the importance of keeping children away from harmful influences. This is a particular risk in single parent homes or in homes where the single parent is often away working to make a living and is unable to provide

parental guidance to their child.

“They then fall prey to a lot of bad influence. So how do we use civil society to be there to guide these kids when they need the guidance? How do we occupy them in sports and other ventures so that we can chart a different path?” he questioned.

“When they come to the crossroad of having to make a decision whether you go the crooked path or the straight path, then someone is there to help them. We have to work on that. Then there are lots of people, particularly at the lower end, who commit crime because they’re hungry.”

Here Jagdeo referred to the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) aggressive push to create jobs, including through the US$900 million

gas-to-shore project, the other projects coming onstream including the construction of deep-water ports, the reopening of the sugar factories and the massive construction boom driven by Government policies and its drive to build thousands of houses for Guyanese.

Hardened criminals

Jagdeo noted, however, that there are a cadre of criminals who are beyond reformation, having fallen prey to the lure of crime. The Vice President made it clear that these hardened criminals will be dealt with forcefully.

“There are some criminals, even with a job you wouldn’t be able to influence them. Because it’s a lure of crime and the lucrative nature is too great. And those you have to deal with con-

dignly. Forcefully.”

“But outside of that, there are lots of people that we can work on. Communities, young people, giving others more jobs. And that is why job creating initiatives are so important to us. Even with this pandemic we have been working heavily on putting people back to work,” he said.

The Vice President also said that contrary to what is being peddled by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), the PPP has not embarked on any campaign to fire coalition supporters from the public sector.

“Since the PPP got into office, I doubt we have terminated a thousand persons from employment. And in the public sector. But they put in nearly 15,000 persons

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

in public sector employ, in just five years,” Jagdeo said.

“We could have easily come in and said, a lot of these people are political appointments, move them out.

But we want to make sure that transitions take place, people have employment, they can go somewhere else.” (G3)

Law amended to secure inheritance for spouses in common-law unions …as Govt continues push to remove colonial era civil laws

A

s part of their push to amend laws that were inherited from the colonial era, the Government has passed the Civil Laws Amendments Bill which will ensure that widows or widowers, common-law or otherwise, can solely inherit assets of the deceased.

Presenting the bill in the wee hours of Tuesday morning in the National Assembly was Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC. The AG called the amendment to Section 5 (1, B) of the principal Act revolutionary.

“I spoke last week about the Government’s agenda to overhaul our legislative architecture and to remove from it, vestiges of colonialism, archaic concepts and principles and anachronis-

tic concepts and to bring into our law our forward-thinking ethos to which our people aspire.”

“The bill which is before the House is part of that agenda. It may appear very simple, very small in form.

But the impact of this bill will be monumental, particularly for our women,” Nandlall said.

He noted that the Civil Laws Amendment bill recognises the entitlement to inherited property of widows or widowers, irrespective of whether the union produced children or whether they went through a formal marriage ceremony.

“This amendment seeks to remove any type of discrimination, unshackle that spouse who is left in a union after the death of the oth-

er spouse, but has to share the matrimonial property acquired during that period with persons outside of that union.”

“We feel that to keep that in our law books not only perpetuates injustice, but it continues a culture of discrimination which offends against the rule of law, and offends against our Constitution,” the AG said.

Meanwhile, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) MP Juretha Fernandes urged that Guyana’s cultural norms when it comes to wills and inherited property be considered. She was of the view that the passage of the bill would negatively impact the family of the deceased spouses, who would be ex-

pecting a share of the estate.

The Civil Law Amendment Bill amends Section 5 (1) of the Principal Act, with insertion in paragraph (b) of the following; “if there are no descendants, the widow or widower shall take the whole estate.”

The explanatory memorandum of the bill states that Section 5 (1 B) previously provided that “where a person dies intestate and leaves a widow or widower but no descendant, his estate shall be divided, after all debts, funeral expenses and just expenses have been

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

deducted from the estate, to give one half of the estate to the widow or widower and to distribute the residue

equally among the next of kin of the person who dies intestate who are in equal degree.”

With the amendment, Section 5(1 B) now “provides that where a person dies intestate and leaves a widow or widower and there are no descendants, the widow or widower of the intestate shall take the whole estate after all debts, funeral expenses and just expenses have been deducted from the estate.”

With the bill passed, it now awaits the assent of President Dr Irfaan Ali to become law. (G3)

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Manslaughter conviction

Defence challenges identification evidence in appeal

L

awyers for Travis McDougall, who was found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for 25 years over the 2014 shooting to death of 43-year-old dredge owner Ashok Raghu, are challenging the identification evidence used to convict their client. McDougall was found guilty of unlawfully killing Raghu - who was shot dead during a robbery - by a unanimous jury verdict following a trial at the Demerara High Court in 2017.

McDougall, formerly of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, along with pork-knocker Jermaine Otto called “Fungus”, who was one of the prisoners that perished in the deadly Camp Street Prison fire, following riots in March 2016, were both charged with Raghu’s murder. Raghu, of 77 Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital shortly after the shooting incident.

His wife, Shyrazadi Raghu, who was then 49, was shot to her left thigh.

According to reports, the Raghus were going to transact business with some $4 million when bandits on a motorcycle pounced on them at the traffic light while they were in a motor car.

The man tried to resist the bandits and he was fatally shot.

Identification evidence

At the Court of Appeal on Monday, McDougall’s

lawyers - Nigel Hughes and Narissa Leander - placed the spotlight on the identification evidence at their client’s trial. Leading the arguments was Leander, who said that Trial Judge Navindra Singh failed to interrogate the weaknesses in identification evidence before putting the case to the jury for deliberation on a verdict.

The defence counsel focused on the evidence of Shyrazadi Raghu, who pointed out McDougall on an identification parade.

According to Leander, this witness testified that on the ID parade McDougall had a beard, and so did other persons. But the lawyer pointed out that during her testimony Shyrazadi Raghu “could not say” how many persons were bearded.

“There were weaknesses in the ID evidence which the Trial Judge ought to have interrogated during summing up and place before the jurors for their consideration for them to decide whether the ID evidence of the eyewitness could be relied on in determining the guilt of [McDougall],” she argued.

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

Leander recalled that in her evidence-in-chief, Shyrazadi

Raghu indicated that the incident lasted for about 55 seconds.

However, under cross-examination, defence counsel said “the incident was broken down to a maximum time of 14 seconds.”

Moreover, Leander contended that the Trial Judge appeared to have suggested to the jury that Shyrazadi Raghu had the rider under her observation for the entire duration of the robbery.

This, Leander submitted, is contrary to the evidence as the eyewitness only testified to how long the incident lasted, and not to how long she had the rider under her observation.

Credible ID evidence

For her part, Senior State Counsel Natasha Backer argued that the issues raised by Leander were not fatal to the credibility of the identification evidence.

Prosecutor Backer said that Shyrazadi Raghu testified that the incident took place in bright sunlight in the middle of the day and that she was seated in the front passenger seat of the car when it came under attack by a gunman on foot, while another man waited next to the car on a motorcycle.

“The witness spoke to being able to see the faces of these persons from a short distance away with nothing blocking her view at any time,” Backer added, while pointing out that in relation to McDougall, the witness

You can run…

T

Convicted killer Travis McDougall

spoke about him looking into the car and looking at her. Added to that, the prosecutor said that the eyewitness also stated that she kept her eyes on the men for the duration of the incident.

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

Instead, the prosecutor said that it is the duty of the Trial Judge to bring this and other factors to the jurors and give them the directions as required by the case laws. “The directions which the Trial Judge gave, in this case, were more than adequate in the circumstances,” Backer submitted.

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

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

McDougall’s lawyers are seeking to overturn his sentence and conviction and have proffered several grounds. Apart from them contesting the identification evidence, they contend that the sentence imposed on their client is excessive and not in keeping with established sentencing guidelines.

Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud will hear further arguments in this case on November 5.

(G1)

…but not from the axe! he PNC still insists on playing ducks and drakes with the law of our land - this time, in the matter of GECOM acting on a motion to dismiss the three Horsemen of the (Rigging) Apocalypse - Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo (Sounds like one of those ambulancechasing, bottom feeding law firms, no?) Imagine where Guyana would be if the international committee didn’t stand by the principled Guyanese who defended democracy??

Another quarter-century of illegal PNC rule, that’s what!! The internal logic of an illegal regime is that, like in 1964-1992, the jackboots of the PNC would’ve once again been on the necks of the Guyanese people. Once you’ve decided you don’t need the people’s approval, what are you but cannon fodder for the rulers’ aggrandizement?

And even those who now support them would’ve again ended up with “white mouth” when everything including the law - crashed down on us. Somehow, your Eyewitness can’t wrap his mind around the insistence of the PNC and their myrmidons that they were really “rigging for our own good”!!

That’s just what the slave owners said to the poor folks they dragged across the Atlantic Ocean to work as slaves - it was for their own good!! They were savages, and heck, they’d just have to put up with what it took to “civilise” them. It was for their own good!! So what if, like during the Burnham days, we ended up hungry, homeless and naked? Well, all those who think we bit the bullet on that attempt at imposing another dictatorship shouldn’t rest on their laurels just yet.

What we’re seeing with the moves at GECOM is simply one of a number of action prongs through which the PNC’s still trying to seize power. At GECOM, the laws of the land that govern our democratic institutions are being twisted to throw a monkey wrench into the workings of the system. Some other prongs, of course, are the provocations to street protests with their inevitable segueing into violence and mayhem in Georgetown.

Here it is, a motion was moved to terminate the services (!!?!) of the Dyspeptic Trio, but it has been held up by all sorts of frivolous objections of the PNC Commissioners. This time they don’t want the cause for the dismissals to be stated!! Obviously, if they got their way, they’d proceed to the courts on the grounds of dismissal without cause!! How dumb do they think the Guyanese people are? They didn’t fool the PPP Commissioners!

But their walk-out just delays the trio’s Day of Judgement. For the same law says that the Commission can meet 48 hours later (TODAY!) and vote with a new quorum of 4.

The Chair and the 3 PPP Commissioners! Bye, bye riggers!!

…but into the fire?

Far be it for your Eyewitness to get in the middle of a spat between two boys from the hood, but the claim that “GAWU was granted recognition under Burnham’s regime” deserves deconstruction!! Granted?? Well, technically that’s so, because “recognition” of unions was one of the powers Burnham guarded jealously! When he couldn’t do so directly, he created a welter of paper unions, and “recognised” these rather that the ones with real workers! Remember the “Association of Masters and Mistresses,” to undercut the GTU? As for GAWU’s recognition, hadn’t they demand this after Burnham was given office in 1964 - as they’d done since 1948 as GIWU? And didn’t the Sugar Producers Association finally concede in 1976, after massive strikes in 1974 and 1975. The Dec 31 poll wherein GAWU got 21,487 votes versus the MPCA’s 376 was the coup de grace.

Burnham needed PPP support to nationalise sugar!!

…but you’d be dangled!

In 1979, at the PNC’s Biennial Congress, Burnham joked about having Gordon Todd, head of the CCWU, dangled over the ocean from a helicopter, after he stood up for his workers against the Govt!

Was funny to the man Rodney dubbed “King Kong”!

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

NEWS

1st anniversary in office

9

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt applauds selflessness of diplomats in commitment to Guyana’s democracy

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali has highlighted and applauded the “selflessness and commitment” of members of the diplomatic corps in ensuring that democracy was not derailed in Guyana, following the March 2020 elections.

The Head of State expressed gratitude on behalf of Guyana during a luncheon to honour the diplomats at the Baridi Benab at State House.

A large number of Cabinet members, including Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, were also at the event.

Great admiration

“It has been just over a year since many of you who are here, led, with great admiration of the people of Guyana, the Caribbean and

Guyana’s commitment to democracy

President Irfaan Ali

the rest of the world, an important battle…to ensure that democracy was not derailed and to ensure that Guyana will remain in the company of democratic countries,” the Head of State is quoted by the Press and

Publicity Unit of the Office of the President as saying.

He added that Guyana would always be grateful for those who led from the front in defending the principles and democratic values of the country.

These examples, the President said, have cemented in his Government a commitment to contribute, wherever and however possible, to democracy all across the world.

“We believe strongly that democratic values are values that should never be sacrificed, are values that are part of human dignity and human rights; and our commitment to Guyana is to ensure that never again should the people of this country have to experience such moments when the democracy of the country was tested.

So, I want to say to all of you that be assured that Guyana and this Government’s commitment to democracy is un-

Modernise Guyana’s laws to reflect...

The Law Reform Commission is an advisory body to the State and can recommend to the Government of Guyana amendments to existing laws, new legislation, and the repeal of existing legislation.

Great task ahead

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Law Reform Commission, Justice BS Roy told Guyana Times that they have a great task ahead to not just modernise but also harmonise the laws of Guyana.

“The laws that are in the statue books, there [will be] almost a revision of those laws and then we have to look forward in terms of what it is in terms of the legislative agenda of the Government. It

could be in areas that we have not yet touched, for example, the whole question of petroleum law and the oil and gas industry that is now upon us.

We will talk about stem cell research, we will talk about the laws of defamation in relation to the social media and what is happening,” Justice Roy explained.

However, even with a packed agenda, the Law Reform Commission has already been asked to assist the Ministry of Legal Affairs with its Law Revision project.

Minister Nandlall indicated to reporters on Wednesday that he already discussed this with the Commission as one of their priority tasks.

“Revision of the law is to insert into the principal Acts,

the various pieces of amendments that would have been made over the last few years from the last revision. So, the last revision, for example, was in 2012, you can imagine how many legislatives we have passed since that are lose leaves all over and not in the consolidated volumes of the law… We need to get those inserted properly into the laws to make them easy to consult and read,” he noted.

According to Attorney General Nandlall, the establishment of this Law Reform Commission is a historic and momentous occasion in Guyana, especially since most Commonwealth Member States already have such a body in place. He reit-

wavering.”

The Head of State also assured those present that his Government is one that is open, transparent and accessible. As such, he expressed the hope that there will be more opportunities, despite the constraints of the pandemic, for a continuous exchange of ideas and a building of relations between the diplomatic corps and the Government.

“And that is why we wanted this event also. This will be part of the feature of the Government, ensuring not only Guyanese have access, but the international community has access, and that we are ready and prepared to answer any questions, any queries, and also to listen to any ideas that you may have.”

Proactive

FROM PAGE 3

erated the need for a overhaul of Guyana’s entire legislative architecture, adding that the Commission will be pushing this agenda.

The Law Reform Commission will be housed on Middle Street, Georgetown, in the building that was previously used as the Mash Secretariat. (G8)

Ali noted that he has also made it clear to members of the Cabinet that they have to be proactive. As a result, they will be reaching out to create more opportunities for cooperation, to achieve more outcomes and to discuss possibilities. This, he said, will lead to a better, more prosperous and dynamic society. “…we value every relationship, we honour every relationship, and we believe that it is only in creating bet-

ter relationships and understanding that we can have a better and prosperous dynamic society. So please convey to your capitals also the best wishes of the Government, and also our prayers for your safety and the safety of the countries you represent, as we navigate another difficult phase of this pandemic.”

The Head of State also used the opportunity to applaud once again the outgoing Secretary General of Caricom, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, for his stellar service and stewardship over the years.

The members of the diplomatic corps who attended were United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch; European Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó; Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr K J Srinivasa; Deputy British High Commissioner to Guyana, Ray Davidson; outgoing Secretary General of Caricom, Irwin LaRocque; Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Amador Socorro; Mexican Ambassador to Guyana, Jose Omar Hurtado Contreras; Chilean Ambassador to Guyana, Juan Manuel Pino Vásquez and other representatives.

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Teen killed after motorcycle crashes into cow "Boss man, is me M thing” - Lindener tells Police in ganja bust A man is now in Police custody after he was busted with 42 grammes of marijuana at Co-op Crescent Mackenzie, Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice). According to the Police, the 45-year-old man was caught with the illegal substance on Wednesday after ranks searched a bag he was carrying.

At the time of the search, officers were responding to a report of an alleged wounding committed at the location. The marijuana was found in a white plastic bag. The suspect was told of the offence committed and cautioned, to which he replied, "Boss man is me thing, whatever is in there belongs to me and is for my personal use".

He was arrested and taken to the MacKenzie Police Station pending charges. (G1)

ahindra Persaud, 16, was killed after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a cow on Saturday at Number 78 Village Corentyne, Berbice. He was the pillion rider of motorcycle CJ 1342 which was being ridden by an 18-year-old unlicenced rider, Police said.

Police reported that the motorcycle was proceeding north along the western drive lane of Crabwood Creek Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice, at a fast rate of speed when it is alleged by the 18-year-old that about 15 feet ahead of him a light-brown cow ran

from west to east into his path.

He claimed that the front portion of the motorcycle collided with the right-side front shoulder of the cow. As a result of the impact, both he and Persaud fell onto the road and sustained injuries.

They were picked up in a conscious condition by public-spirited citizens and taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital where they were attended to and sent away. At around 07:00h on Sunday, Persaud was taken back to the hospital in an unconscious state.

He was referred to the

New Amsterdam Public Hospital for further treatment and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. He was pronounced dead later that day.

His body is presently lying at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination. Police said that a Notice of Intended Prosecution was served on the 18-year-old as investigations continue. Police also said that the accident was reported by the deceased’s father. (G1)

Motorcyclist struck down by drunken driver

A The marijuana that was found in the suspect’s bag

33-year-old motorcyclist of Maida Farm Village, Corentyne, Berbice, is hospitalised after sustaining a broken arm and leg after colliding with an alleged drunken driver on Wednesday evening.

Injured is Videsh Persaud.

Police reported that the accident occurred at about 22:20h at Eversham Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice.

According to Police, motor car PJJ 3641, owned and driven by a 47-yearold man called “Cake Man”, of Number 46 Village

Corentyne, Berbice, was proceeding south along the eastern drive lane on Eversham Public Road at a fast rate, while the motorcycle ridden by Persaud was proceeding north along the western drive lane on the same road.

The driver of the motor car claimed that while driving, he saw a motorcycle coming in the opposite direction which suddenly swerved right, into his path.

He added that the right-side front portion of his car collided with the motorcycle.

As a result of the colli-

sion, Persaud was flung into the air and ended up in a nearby trench. He was taken out of the trench in a conscious state by public-spirited citizens and to the Port Mourant Public Hospital but was later taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.

He is nursing a broken right leg and a broken right arm. Breathalyser tests were conducted on the driver of the car and they revealed that he had 95 and 98 micrograms of alcohol in his breath. This is above the legal limit of 35 micrograms.

He remains in custody. (G1)

Closing date for applications is Tuesday, August 31, 2021

NEWS

11

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bandits hijack taxi in Sophia Ganja row leads to chopping A 42-year-old taxi driver was robbed on Tuesday night of his motor car and other valuables at Plum Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, in an attack carried out by four bandits, who posed as customers.

Police said that the taxi driver was robbed at 22:30h by four men, two of whom were armed with guns.

The taxi driver was relieved of a dark-green Belta motor car PWW 6623; US$200; $36,000; a Plum cell phone valued at $20,000 and documents.

According to a Police report, the taxi driver picked up the men from the Stabroek Market area and they requested to be taken to Plum Park.

On arrival in Plum Park, they requested to disembark on the main road but as the taxi driver stopped the motor car,

the armed men approached the vehicle on the right and left sides, while the other two were in the process of exiting the vehicle. The gunmen pointed their guns at the victim and ordered him out of the car. They relieved him of the money and phone.

The suspects then entered the car and told the victim to run. As the driver was about to run, one of the suspects discharged two rounds in the air and they made good their escape in the car.

The matter was then reported to the Police but a search of the area was unfruitful.

Meanwhile, Police reported another robbery that took place at Sophia on Wednesday at around 02:58h. The victim, a 59-year-old man was robbed of a cell phone valued at $40,000 and a wallet containing $60,000.

Police Headquarters said that the victim went to the home of an employee to transport them to work as he is the driver for an Ogle-

based airline. As he parked on the street waiting on the passenger, a man rode up to the bus on a bicycle.

The suspect went up to the driver’s side of the vehicle and pulled out a handgun from the waist of his pants, pointed it at the victim, and told him to hand over his phone and money.

While doing so, the perpetrator discharged a round that hit the victim to the right of his lower abdomen.

The suspect then rode away and made good of his escape. The victim was rushed to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital where he underwent surgery. His condition is listed as stable. Efforts were made to locate the suspect but without success, as investigations continue. (G1)

A

47-year-old labourer was severely chopped by three cutlass-wielding men on Wednesday after he was accused of stealing a quantity of marijuana. The incident took place around 20:45h, at Co-op Crescent Mackenzie, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Enquiries disclosed that the labourer works around the Mackenzie Market, where he helps business owners clean up their stalls after closing daily.

On Wednesday, he was in the market working when a man approached him and accused him of stealing his marijuana last Saturday.

The victim said as he walked away to empty gar-

bage, three males then ran up to him brandishing cutlasses. They then began firing several chops at him.

As he ran to seek refuge in a nearby shop, they made good their escape on foot.

The injured man was taken to the Mackenzie Hospital Complex with a gaping wound to his forehead and lacerations to his left hand. He also sustained a fractured skull.

The 47-year-old man, whose condition is listed as serious, was transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital on Thursday.

Police said that efforts to arrest the suspects have so far proven futile.

Investigations are continuing.

12

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

13

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

14 NEWS Guyana records 3 more COVID-19 deaths, 86 new cases THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…2 Delta variant cases detected in T&T; passengers transited in Guyana

T

he COVID-19 death toll in Guyana has increased as three more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus died.

According to the Health Ministry, these latest fatalities are a 74-year-old from Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice), who died on Monday, and two females – an 83-year-old who also died on Monday, and an 82-year-old who died on Tuesday – both from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

These patients were admitted with COVID-19 like symptoms but died while receiving care at medical institutions, the Ministry explained. Samples were taken at the time of admission, which subsequently returned positive tests.

With these fatalities, the total number of deaths from the pandemic in the country has gone up to 567.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19

death toll for the month of August is now 18.

New cases

Also on Wednesday, it was reported that 86 new COVID-19 infections were detected in Guyana, taking the total number of confirmed cases here to 23,156.

However, only 790 of these are currently active cases including 14 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the other 776 persons in isolation, that is, 86 in institutional isolation and the remaining 690 in home isolation.

There are also an additional seven persons in institutional quarantine, according to the Health Ministry’s updated COVID-19 dashboard.

Some 21,799 persons have recovered from the life-threatening disease to date – 71 more recoveries than the figure reported the

previous day.

Moreover, since the outbreak of the pandemic here last year, approximately 239,162 persons have been tested for the novel coronavirus of which 11,274 males and 11,882 females were positive cases.

Of the 86 new cases recorded on Wednesday, three were from Region One (Barima-Waini); two cases from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); 16 from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); a whopping 49 cases from the DemeraraMahaica region; one from Region Five (MahaicaBerbice); another three cases from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); another one from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); five from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and one more case from Region 10.

There were no new cas-

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD AUGUST 11 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

86

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

86

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

690

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

14

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

7

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

11,882

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

11,274

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

23,156

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

21,799

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

275,451

FULLY IMMUNISED

145,556

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

567

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1320

REGION 2

649

REGION 3

2667

REGION 4

10,439

REGION 5

771

REGION 6

1936

REGION 7

1283

REGION 8

380

REGION 9

2149

REGION 10

1562

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.

es recorded in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) in the last 24 hours, according to Wednesday’s COVID-19 dashboard.

In order to curb the rising number of cases in the country, the Guyana Government launched its COVID-19 vaccination exercise back in February and is aggressively rolling it out in the various regions in order to achieve herd immunity.

Recent figures show that some 275,451 persons have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, accounting for 56.6 per cent of the adult population. Meanwhile, another 145,566 persons are now fully vaccinated with both doses, which is 29.9 per cent of persons 18 years and older.

In order to encourage more persons to get immunised and to protect the vaccinated population, Government has implemented a range of new measures. These include vaccination requirements for persons travelling to Guyana from other countries.

Delta variant in T&T

Only Wednesday, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago announced the discovery of two cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant, which has been sweeping across the world due to it being easily transmittable.

The two cases were returning cases. One patient travelling from the United States to the Caribbean Island and the other persons returning from Mexico having transited in Panama and Guyana.

The T&T Health Ministry said both persons presented negative PCR tests taken 72 hours prior to their arrival and were placed in State-supervised quarantine, which is mandated for arriving unvaccinated persons, during which they were subsequently tested positive.

Samples were taken for gene sequencing at the University of the West Indies’ Faculty of Medical Sciences laboratory, where the Delta variant was detected.

Last month, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said that the shift from the older age groups to now the younger population being hospitalised and dying after being infected with COVID-19 suggests the presence of more deadly variants in the country.

“From a clinical perspective, we suspect that this is what is happening,” he stated.

The Health Minister went on to note that while gene sequencing would have to be conducted to definitively confirm this, air travel between Guyana and other parts of the world

has exposed the country to these newer and deadlier variants.

“While Delta (variant) was first discovered in India, it is now the dominant variant in the US and we have travel back and forth from the US on a daily basis. So, one can assume that we have different types of variants circulating in Guyana and would’ve contributed to the clinical picture that we’re seeing here.

So not only do we have more deaths, we’re seeing more people being hospitalised during this period,” he had posited.

However, the Health Minister had stated that conducting more gene sequencing, which was being done overseas, is not a priority at this time since the results would not change the response to or the treatment of the virus in Guyana, adding too that persons will still also have to take the same precautionary measures.

To this end, the Minister reminded that none of the persons who died from COVID-19 so far were fully vaccinated against the virus. As such, he reiterated calls for persons to get immunised.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are confirmed cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant in some 142 countries. (G8)

NEWS

15

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MACORP honours Men can apply for child Gafsons Industries support - Court Superintendent C

Deputy CEO of Gafsons, David Faulkner, receiving token from Chief Executive Officer of MACORP, Guillermo Escarraga

T

he Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP) on Wednesday held a simple ceremony to honour and recognise Gafsons Industries Limited for its unwavering support as a customer throughout the years.

Chief Executive Officer of MACORP, Guillermo Escarraga, handed over two pieces of construction equipment from the Caterpillar brand to representatives of Gafsons Industries as a token of appreciation for their unwavering support.

Gafsons Industries has been described by the CEO of MACORP as one of the best customers the company has ever had, and the CEO has said this is just the beginning of a very strong relationship between the two

industries.

“We are delighted for them to have chosen Caterpillar and MACORP as their supplier,” he said.

“We understand that they are very important in the construction industry in Guyana, and we just wanted to ensure that they have the understanding that we are there to support them.”

Meanwhile, Deputy CEO of Gafsons Industries, David Faulkner, has praised MACORP for being a customer-oriented organisation and for its genuine commitment to providing the best services for its customers.

“I must confess that we were a little taken aback.

I think I speak for myself and my colleague when I say we’re not accustomed

to this level of support and service… I must congratulate MACCORP for truly being a customer-oriented organization,” he said.

He went on to say that the ceremony, even though quite simple, speaks well of MACORP’s commitment to its customers, that it makes “every transaction special.”

Meanwhile, a representative of the MACORP team, whilst giving brief remarks, stated, “We’re [MACORP] a company to support our customers, as this is just not for a show of what we’re doing here today, but behind the curtains, there is a lot there in product support.

You [Gafoors] can count on us 24/7, and we will be there to support you in your future needs…we’re here to support you. Count on us.”

ourt Superintendent Shellon Daniels is urging men who believe they are entitled to assistance in caring for their children to apply for child support.

Daniels, Court Superintendent of Regional Division 4 ‘A’, made this statement while being interviewed by Guyana Police Force Public Relations Officer Stan Gouveia on Tuesday evening in a weekly episode of ‘Police & You’.

Daniels has reminded men that they, too, (once they are deemed by law as the guardian of their child/ children) are entitled to child support, and can apply for a warrant if/when the parent (mother) does not honour those orders.

After six weeks, the person (man) that took them (the women) to court for maintenance can apply for a warrant.

She highlighted instances wherein persons may apply for maintenance,

which are either under the Domestic Violence Act or strictly under the maintenance ordinance.

“So what they issue first now is a ‘distress warrant’ that is executed on the person if he or she - and I’m using ‘he or she’ because if the man is taking care of his children and the woman is living scot-free, he can apply for child support. So, it’s no longer just one-sided now, but the men - I don’t know why they are not utilising the services,” Daniels expressed.

She went on to give an example of a recent case wherein “a woman would’ve been committed for ten days because she would’ve failed to pay the $240,000 child support. So, the thing of it was that a warrant was issued for her, the distress warrant. She hadn’t the money, so the warrant was backed by the Station Sergeant, and an application was made for an arrest warrant, and she was

Court Superintendent Shellon Daniels

picked up. She hadn’t the money, and she was a guest of the state for ten days.”

The Court Superintendent has said she is sharing this information with the public to educate men about their rights and encourage them to utilise the services available to them.

16 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Regent Street execution

Brazilian killed was once Brazil’s most wanted criminal …shot 9 times

E

uclid Da Silva, once described as Brazil’s most wanted person, has been shot dead execution-style on Tuesday night while seated in a vehicle on Regent Street, Georgetown.

The 50-year-old Brazilian national, late resident of Lot 23 Hadfield Street, Werk-en-Rust Georgetown, was riddled with bullets by two unidentifiable men with “long guns”, the Police have said in a statement.

Police Headquarters have said that another man who was seated in the passenger seat of the black

Toyota Tacoma GTT 3257 was also shot to his face, right arm, and chest, and is hospitalised in a critical condition.

Reports are that at about 22:00h, Da Silva, who was driving the Tacoma vehicle, parked same on the northern side of Regent Street, and about 20 minutes later, a white motorcar bearing an HB number plate approached from a westerly direction on Regent Street and parked about 15 feet behind the vehicle that Da Silva and the other man were seated in. Two

Dead: Euclid Da Silva

suspects, both armed with long guns, then exited the car and discharged several rounds at the Tacoma vehicle before making good their escape.

According to the Police, DaSilva’s body was in a sitting position after the shooting. He sustained nine bullet wounds, and was pronounced dead on the scene. His body was escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home and Crematorium located in the Le Repentir Cemetery, and is awaiting a post mortem examination.

The other man was

rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. His condition is listed as serious. Police have said that efforts made to locate the shooters have so far proven futile.

Investigations are ongoing.

DaSilva, along with other inmates, had escaped from a high-security prison in Brazil in 2010, where he was serving a 29-year sentence for drug trafficking and money laundering.

He then made his way to Guyana, but was arrested by local Police that same year.

Despite a High Court case to block his extradition, he was later handed over to the Brazilian authorities.

Back in 2012, he was hauled before local courts on three charges: illegally entering Guyana, conspiracy to commit a felony, and uttering a forged document. Among the allegations against him was that he had obtained a forged Guyana birth certificate and had used same to obtain a Guyana passport. He was released on $3 million bail, and all the charges against him were dismissed in 2014. (G1)

Kitty multi-million-dollar heist

Police find getaway car in Cummings Lodge

P

Charged: Delroy Jackson

olice have found the getaway car used in the Kitty, Georgetown multimillion-dollar gold and cash heist.

On Wednesday, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said that the driver of the car parked it in front of his home at Lot 435 Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, and left for the interior.

However, neighbours have since told Police that

Charged: GDF Sergeant Keyon King

Police.

On Tuesday, two security guards along with a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant were arraigned for the multimillion-dollar robbery committed on Wallison’s Enterprise.

Charged are 36-yearold Delroy “Bug” Jackson and Peon Lee also known as “Nino Brown”, both security officers attached to the business and 32-year-old

Charged: Peon Lee, also called “Nino Brown”

Police stated that on August 5, 2021, while being armed with guns and in the company of each other, they robbed Francis Santos Lumes of 60 ounces of raw gold valued at $20 million and $38 million in cash.

In addition, Police stated that they robbed Fernanda Carmicheal of a cell phone valued $350,000. Further, it is alleged that the men

The getaway car found in Cummings Lodge

prior to leaving, the driver took home a canter load full of household items, which were purchased the day after the robbery. Crime Chief Blanhum said that he is currently being pursued by the

Keyon King, a serving GDF Sergeant.

They made their appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where the charges were read to them by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

robbed Francis Santos Lumes of a gold chain valued at 140,000, a gold ring valued at $60,000, and $14,000.

Finally, they were accused of robbing William Da Silva of a cell phone valued $60,000. The trio plead-

Some of the household items

ed not guilty to the charges and were remanded to prison and the case will continue on August 24.

The three men had confessed to robbing the gold establishment on Thursday last of a quantity of gold valued $20 million and $38 million in cash. In addition, they escaped with several high-end mobile phones belonging to staff members who were bound and gagged during the robbery.

It was reported that on the day in question at about 10:00h, three armed men went to the Lot 23 Gordon Street business and indicated that they had gold to sell.

However, within minutes of entering the establishment, they held several staff members at gunpoint and demanded that they open three safes where the money and gold were secured.

After committing the robbery, the armed men bound and gagged the cashier and two other staff after which they locked them in a room.

Moments after the men escaped in a white motor car, the cashier managed to free herself and raised an alarm.

The Police were called in and immediately one of the two security guards was arrested. Based on intelligence and information received, the detectives went to a house in B Field Sophia where they conducted a search and found some personal items belonging to the owner of the business. There, another security guard was taken into custody.

The security guards were, however, interrogated during which one of them confessed to being a part of the plot to rob the establishment.

Following leads, the detectives turned up at the home of the GDF Sergeant at Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), where a search was conducted in the house but nothing substantial was found.

Nevertheless, during a search in the yard, the detectives noticed a disturbed piece of land and decided to dig. It was then a bucket was found buried, which, when checked, contained $15 million in $5000 notes and an additional $3 million

in $1000 notes.

The bucket was reportedly wrapped in two black garbage bags while the money was neatly packed in transparent bags. The operation was conducted by members of the Major Crimes Unit and members of the business community, especially the gold industry.

Following the successful operation, the Sergeant along with his wife were arrested. During interrogation, he told investigators that he was part of the initial plan to rob the gold establishment but he was not one of the persons who committed the act.

The Sergeant also related that his wife was not aware of the robbery and as such, requested for her to be released.

The Police were subsequently told that the other two robbers are ex-military personnel. As information became available about their whereabouts, the Police went to a village on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) but no arrests were made.

NEWS

17

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GRA outlines new freight charges – warns of penalties for tax evaders

C

ommissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Godfrey Statia on Wednesday outlined the new charges for freight services in keeping with Government’s recent reductions to pre-pandemic levels.

On Monday, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced several reductions to shipping-related charges to the tune of $4.8 billion in order to cushion the high costs due to the global pandemic.

In a press statement, CG Statia broke down the calculation of duties and taxes on goods imported and sold locally. The GRA Head advised that the relief to freight charges will be applied to imports of goods subject to certain conditions.

These include: that re-

lief takes effect for a period of six months from August 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022 (Not August 1, 2020 as inadvertently stated in the release from the Office of the President); the invoice must be on or after August 1, 2021, or after, and be within the period specified; this measure is for freight purposes used only in the calculation of duties/taxes; the invoices must be at an FOB level, or the FOB position must be clearly stated on the invoice for valuation checks in keeping with the Fifth Schedule; the relief is granted for the reduction of freight to the pre-pandemic level of March 31, 2020, and will only apply if the actual freight charges paid is higher than the pre-pandemic rate as outlined in the average freight rates; and coun-

tries/regions not specifically mentioned above will be reviewed on a country basis when the declaration is submitted and/or when audit checks are conducted.

Additionally, it was noted that the measure is intended to provide relief so that the benefits can be passed on to the consumers. As such, the FOB values declared on invoices will be reviewed, cross-referenced, and applied by the Customs, Excise, & Trade Operations (CE&TO) based on the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the Fifth Schedule to the Customs Act, Chapter 82:01 for consistency.

The CG cautioned that should unscrupulous importers seek to manipulate the system for tax evasion, then

they will be penalised in accordance with existing legislation.

In this regard, the Central Revenue Protection Unit (CRPU), Post Clearance Audit Unit (PCAU), and Law Enforcement & Investigations Division

(LEID) driven by a Risk Management System will verify the accuracy and authenticity of declared particulars and taxes paid in keeping with law.

“Those found non-compliant may be subject additional taxes/fines/penalties and

six months imprisonment, and the possible removal of the relief being granted under the measure,” Statia warned.

Persons are asked to contact the CE&TO on telephone number 227-6060 for further clarifications.

Vendors often rebuy blue dial scales after devices seized – GNBS

T

he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) continues to face an uphill battle in eliminating the use of blue dial scales by vendors across the country, noting that many sellers simply repurchase such devices even after they have been seized.

GNBS’ Communications Officer Bibi Khatoon explained that blue dial scales are not approved for use in commercial trade due to a number of issues.

“These scales are primarily designed for domestic (home) use and are not approved by the GNBS for use in commercial trade. They are not durable enough to withstand continuous usage on a daily basis and becomes inaccurate after a short period of use. The external structure of the scale quick-

ly becomes corroded and is damaged easily, while the internal mechanism (spring) easily loses its elasticity and becomes faulty during continuous use, resulting in inaccurate measurements.

When this occurs, customers can be short-changed,” Khatoon stated.

Even though the GNBS has rolled out several educational campaigns about the disadvantages of the scales, vendors still continue to use them in their trade. In fact, even after these scales would be seized from vendors, they would simply repurchase such devices.

“These scales are allowed into the country on the basis that they would be used for domestic proposes only.

As such, they are currently still allowed into the country. Once encountered in

the market places, the blue dial scales are seized by inspectors but due to its low cost, vendors continue to purchase them for use,” Khatoon explained.

As such, the work of the GNBS in this regard is continuous. GNBS’ Public Relations Officer Lloyd David had previously encouraged consumers to de-

mand that items they purchase be weighed using approved weighing devices, which carry a verification seal or sticker.

But according to some vendors at the Vreed-en-

Hoop market, many consumers prefer to use of the blue dial scales as the transaction is faster.

“Me rather this blue scale because it easier to sell with and faster to sell with, we don’t rob nobody with it.

The other one that we had to buy, it very hard to use you got to keep setting the weight steady, you got to keep setting it steady and put on price and the customers can’t wait so long, them ah go away,” a vendor, who asked to remain anonymous, explained.

“If you put on a pound and it got a pound and two ounce on it, it gone show the two-ounce money as well and them [customers] nah

want pay, them ah go way, you lose sales all with that thing,” the vendor further noted.

Other vendors in the area expressed similar concerns, with some saying that it is harder to use the scales approved by the GNBS. The scales which are approved for trade include electronic scales, red equal arm scales, platform scales and the salter brand hanging dial scales. These devices should be weighing in metric qualities and verified by the GNBS. During the ongoing verification exercise, these scales are stamped by the GNBS to indicate that they are approved for use.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021

Regional

Brazil’s Bolsonaro defeated Tropical Storm Fred: 6th over printed ballot proposal Atlantic storm hints at above-

B

razil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has suffered a defeat in Congress, after his plan to change the current electronic voting system in elections to one with a paper trail failed.

The proposal fell well short of the three-fifth majority required for a constitutional amendment.

Bolsonaro, who is planning to run for a second term next year, says the current system is open to fraud.

The electoral tribunal has dismissed the allegation as “disinformation”.

Critics of the Brazilian leader, dubbed “Trump of the Tropics” during his campaign, say he is using the same tactics as the former US President to allege widespread fraud in case he loses the next election.

President Bolsonaro has for years campaigned for a change to Brazil’s electronic voting system, which has been in place for 25 years and which experts say has a solid

average hurricane season

M Bolsonaro has threatened that there will not be elections in 2022 “if they’re not free and democratic”

track record.

On Tuesday, the constitutional amendment to change the system was approved by 229 of the 519 members of the Lower House of Congress. It needed 308 to pass.

Bolsonaro says there should be a mixed system in which a receipt is printed out for each vote cast electronically.

He argues that a paper trail that can be publicly audited would make fraud more difficult.

After winning the first round of the election in 2018 - but falling short of the votes needed to stave off a second round - he alleged that there had been “problems” with the electronic voting system, which he claimed had robbed him of outright victory.

He did not provide any evidence of the alleged fraud and Brazil’s electoral authorities said there were no major problems. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Amid Delta surge, PAHO to increase vaccine access in the Americas

T

he Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is preparing to increase COVID-19 vaccine availability for member countries as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads through the region.

PAHO’s “Revolving Fund” is receiving requests from regional countries for vaccines for the last three months of 2021 and 2022, said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne on Wednesday. More than 20 countries have formally expressed interest.

“This new initiative will make available tens of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses beyond the 20 per cent that COVAX offers, and it will complement bi-

lateral deals and other existing avenues for countries to access vaccines,” Etienne said in a virtual news conference.

More than 1.3 million COVID-19 cases and 19,000 related deaths were reported in the Americas during the past week, PAHO officials said.

Deaths related to COVID-19 are rising in nearly every country in Central America, including a 30 per cent increase in El Salvador.

In Cuba, which has recently faced the most widespread protests since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution, the situation remains “very difficult” as transmission is very active, ac-

cording to Ciro Ugarte, PAHO’s Director of Health Emergencies.

Meanwhile, the US Government said Wednesday that it will deliver nearly 837,000 Pfizer vaccines to Caribbean nations as the region with limited resources struggles with a surge in COVID-19 cases amid violent anti-vaccine protests.

The Bahamas will receive 397,000 doses followed

by Trinidad and Tobago with more than 305,000 doses. Barbados will receive 70,200 doses, while 35,100 are slated for St Vincent and the Grenadines, 17,550 for Antigua and 11,700 for St Kitts and Nevis. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

eteorologists have named the sixth Atlantic storm of 2021, hinting at an above-average season ahead.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has bestowed the name Tropical Storm Fred on a low-pressure system barrelling through the Caribbean.

The sixth named storm of the year usually forms at the end of August.

In coming days, it could bring strong winds, heavy rain and high seas to the Dominican Republic and

Puerto Rico.

In early July, Tropical Storm Elsa became the earliest fifth named storm on record.

In the month since, the Atlantic has been very quiet.

But we’re now entering what are historically the busiest months of the season.

Tropical Storm Fred will track west through the Leeward Islands before passing over many of the Caribbean’s largest islands.

It is likely to remain a tropical storm as it moves towards the Bahamas and Florida later in the week.

While this season is not expected be as active as the 2020 record-breaking season, when the Greek alphabet was used to name storms for only the second time, forecasters are confident that it will still be a busy season.

In a recent update to the seasonal forecast, experts at the CPC increased the expected number of storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes by a small amount based on the latest atmospheric and Atlantic ocean conditions. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Mexico builds replica Aztec temple to mark 500 years since Spanish conquest

M

exico is building a towering replica of the Templo Mayor, the Aztec civilisation’s most sacred site, in the downtown of Mexico City to mark 500 years since the Spanish conquest of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.

The mostly white mock temple will be on show in Mexico City’s bustling main square, the Zocalo, close to the ruins of the real Templo Mayor, where the Aztecs venerated two main deities with elaborate pageantry and sacrificial offerings.

The temple was destroyed by Spanish forces after their 1521 conquest and subsequent razing of Tenochtitlan, which became Mexico City. A colonial-era Roman Catholic cathedral was built next to where the temple once stood, using many stones from the toppled shrine.

At 16 metres (52 feet) high, it will be the biggest ever replica of the Templo

Workers prepare a monumental model of the Templo Mayor pyramid to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Fall of Tenochtitlan, at the Zocalo Plaza in Mexico City, Mexico, August 10, 2021

Mayor, according to Mexico’s Culture Ministry.

Archaeologists say the original temple was as high as a 15-story building.

“For the (Aztecs) it was the centre of the universe.

It was the point at which one could enter the underworld and the different celestial levels,” said Argel Gomez, the Ministry’s General Festival Director.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez

Obrador on Friday will attend a ceremony at the Zocalo commemorating five centuries since the fall of Tenochtitlan to Hernan Cortes, the leader of the Spanish invaders.

Lopez Obrador had previously sought an apology from Spain and the Vatican for human rights abuses committed during the conquest of what is modern-day Mexico. (Excerpt from Reuters)

the outskirts of the city. “I think it is a great sign of hope.”

Chile’s blistering campaign has seen upwards of 67 per cent of its population fully vaccinated, predominantly with Sinovac’s CoronaVac. But authorities last week said studies had shown a booster was necessary to shore up immunity.

“Studies have shown that precisely at approximately 6 months there is a decrease (of antibodies) and that is why we have decided ...to give this booster dose,” Health Minister Enrique Paris told reporters.

The South American na-

tion on Wednesday began offering a dose of Oxford’s AstraZeneca vaccine to citizens aged 86 and older who received their initial shots before March 31.

Chile joins the United States, Germany, France and Israel in giving the booster shots, despite a plea by the World Health Organisation to hold off until more people around the world can get their first shot.

Dr Fernando Leanes, a WHO representative in Chile, told Reuters that there was not yet sufficient data to support the use of booster shots. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Trinidad and Tobago records Elderly Chileans line up for booster cases of Delta variant jabs to reinforce Corona vaccine T

rinidad and Tobago health authorities Wednesday confirmed that the country had registered two cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said that the first patient is a recently returned national who travelled to Trinidad from the United States, while the second patient had arrived after travelling from Mexico, transiting through Panama and Guyana.

“As per existing quarantine protocols, the nationals provided negative PCR tests, which were taken 72-hours prior to arrival. The nationals were immediately placed into

State-supervised quarantine, as per the protocol for unvaccinated adults.

“As a result of the positive COVID-19 results from their seventh day swab, the persons were subsequently transferred and isolated in a State step-down facility,” the Ministry said.

It noted that the presence of these Delta variants was confirmed via gene sequencing at the laboratory of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies (UWI) and that the public is aware, this laboratory has been testing COVID-19 positive samples from Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean Community (Caricom) member states

since September last year.

The Ministry said that since re-opening its borders on July 16, Trinidad and Tobago has updated its quarantine protocols for people entering the country.

It said that these protocols state that all returning adults, who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, should spend 14 days in a Statesupervised quarantine facility, adding that these entry protocols will continue to be implemented.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there have been confirmed cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in 142 countries. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

C

hile on Wednesday began administering booster shots to those already inoculated with Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine in a bid to lock in early success following one of the world’s fastest mass vaccination drives.

Lines of elderly citizens eager to participate in the campaign began forming at vaccination centres in neighbourhoods across the capital Santiago on a cool winter morning in the Southern Hemisphere.

“They arrived very early, like on an election day, very well dressed, very happy,” said Rodolfo Carter, Mayor of La Florida on

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil rebounds after White House says not calling for US output hike

O

il gained Wednesday, changing course after the Biden Administration said it would not call on US producers to increase crude output, and that efforts to increase OPEC production were a longer-range plan.

The market was also bolstered by a Government report showing US crude supplies fell last week, shifting the spotlight away from production from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Brent crude is up about 35 per cent this year, supported

by OPEC-led supply curbs, even after the global benchmark oil last week suffered the steepest weekly loss in four months on worries that travel restrictions to curb coronavirus infections would hit demand.

Brent was up 48 cents, or 0.7 per cent, to US$71.13 a barrel by 1:09 pm ET (1509 GMT), following a 2.3 per cent rally on Tuesday. Earlier in the session it had dipped to a low of US$69.07 a barrel.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was up 65 cents, or 0.9 per cent, to US$68.94, after a 2.7 per cent jump on Tuesday.

Prices fell early in the session after the White House said in a statement that the Biden Administration had urged OPEC and its partners to boost production.

The market reversed course after the White House later said its outreach to OPEC members and its oil-producing allies are ongoing and aimed at long-term engagement, not necessarily an immediate response.

The Administration added that it had not called upon US producers to ramp up production, which led the market to turn higher, said Phil Flynn, a senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.

OPEC+, consisting of the cartel and allies like Russia, agreed in July to boost output by 400,000 barrels per day a month starting in August until the rest of their output cuts are phased out.

The producers have been gradually easing a record cut of 10 million bpd, about 10 per cent of world demand, made in 2020 as oil use recovers from the pandemic-induced slump.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday that US job growth and increasing mobility had boosted gasoline consumption so far this year.

On Wednesday, EIA data showed crude oil stockpiles fell last week, while gasoline inventories dipped to their lowest level since November. Overall, crude inventories have been on the decline for several weeks due to increased demand.

US fuel consumption, as measured by product supplied, fell in the most recent week, but over the last four weeks, sits at 20.6 million bpd, roughly in line with 2019 levels.

Analysts said if fuel demand starts to decline as a result of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, it would be negative for energy prices.

"We did see a fairly decent setback in overall product demand. That's the point in today's report that could cause the most concern considering the backdrop of the Delta variant and overall uncertainty," said Tony Headrick, energy market analyst at CHS Hedging. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Taliban could take Afghan capital in 90 days after rapid gains – US intelligence

T

aliban fighters could isolate Afghanistan's capital in 30 days and possibly take it over in 90, a US defence official cited US intelligence as saying, as the resurgent militants made more advances across the country.

The official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, said the new assessment of how long Kabul could stand was a result of the Taliban's rapid gains as US-led foreign forces leave.

"But this is not a foregone conclusion," the official added, saying that the Afghan security forces could reverse the momentum by putting up more resistance.

The Islamists now control 65 per cent of Afghanistan and have taken or threaten to take

P

left behind after 20 years of trying to find a military solution when there was not one," Khan told foreign journalists at his home in Islamabad.

The United States will pull out its military by Aug 31, 20 years after toppling the Taliban Government in 2001. But, as the United States leaves, the Taliban today controls more territory than at any point since then.

Kabul and several Western governments say Pakistan's support for the insurgent group allowed it to weather the war.

The charge of supporting the Taliban despite being a

11 provincial capitals, a senior EU official said on Tuesday.

Faizabad, in the north-eastern province of Badakhshan, on Wednesday became the eighth provincial capital to be

seized by the Taliban.

A doctor based in southern Kandahar said the city was receiving scores of bodies of Afghan forces, and some injured Taliban fighters were

Hackers steal $600M in major cryptocurrency heist

H

ackers have stolen some $600 million (£433 million) in what appears to be one the largest cryptocurrency heists ever.

Blockchain site Poly Network said hackers had exploited a vulnerability in its system and taken thousands of digital tokens such as Ether.

In a letter posted on Twitter, it urged the thieves to "establish communication and return the hacked as-

sets".

Hours after the hack, the attacker started returning the funds - first in small amounts and then in millions.

They started sending back small transfers totalling a few dollars to the online wallets controlled by Poly - but then began making much larger deposits, totalling hundreds of millions.

In scale, the hack is on par with huge recent breaches at exchanges such as Coincheck

and Mt Gox. In its letter Poly Network said: "The amount of money you have hacked is one of the biggest in defi [decentralised finance] history.

"Law enforcement in any country will regard this as a major economic crime and you will be pursued.

"The money you stole are [sic] from tens of thousands of crypto community members, hence the people."

Poly Network said a pre-

liminary investigation found a hacker exploited a "vulnerability between contract calls".

It urged various exchanges to block deposits of the coins, after millions of dollars in tokens were transferred to separate cryptocurrency wallets.

About US$267 million of Ether currency has been taken, US$252 million of Binance coins and roughly US$85 million in USDC tokens. (Excerpt from BBC News)

At least 65 killed in Algerian wildfires, Greece and Italy burn

E

xhausted Greek firefighters battled blazes for a ninth day on Wednesday amid sweltering temperatures that also helped stoke wildfires in Algeria, where at least 65 people died, and in southern Italy.

From Turkey to Tunisia, countries around the Mediterranean have been seeing some of their highest temperatures in decades, as the United Nations climate panel this week warned that the world was dangerously close to runaway warming.

Greece, in the grip of its

US finds Pakistan useful only to clean up mess in Afghanistan – Khan

akistani Prime Minister Imran Khan accused the United States of seeing his country as useful only in the context of the "mess" it is leaving behind in Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting.

Washington has been pressing Pakistan to use its influence over the Taliban to broker an elusive peace deal as negotiations between the insurgents and Afghan Government have stalled, and violence in Afghanistan has escalated sharply.

"Pakistan is just considered only to be useful in the context of somehow settling this mess which has been

Taliban fighters stand guard at a check point in Farah, Afghanistan August 11, 2021

also seeking medical support.

All gateways to Kabul, which lies in a valley surrounded by mountains, were choked with civilians entering the city and fleeing violence elsewhere, a Western security source there said.

It was hard to tell whether Taliban fighters were also getting through, the source said.

Foreign countries are trying to ensure their staff leave Kabul quickly, five foreign security officials told Reuters.

One said international airlines were also being asked to evacuate staff.

The Taliban want to defeat the US-backed Government and reimpose strict Islamic law. The speed of their advance has shocked the Government and its allies.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

US ally has long been a sore point between Washington and Islamabad. Pakistan denies supporting the Taliban.

Khan said Islamabad was not taking sides in Afghanistan.

"I think that the Americans have decided that India is their strategic partner now, and I think that’s why there’s a different way of treating Pakistan now," Khan said.

Pakistan and India are arch-rivals and have fought three wars. The two share frosty ties and currently have minimal diplomatic relations. (Excerpt from Reuters)

worst heatwave in three decades, evacuated around 20 villages on the Peloponnese, though ancient Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games, escaped the inferno.

About 580 Greek firefighters, helped by colleagues from France, Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic, were battling blazes in Gortynia, near Olympia.

Flare-ups continued to ravage Evia, Greece's second-largest island, just off the

mainland east of Athens and scene of some of the worst devastation in the past week.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called it a "nightmarish summer" and has apologised for failures in tackling some of the more than 500 wildfires that have raged across Greece.

At the other end of the Mediterranean, Algeria's Government deployed the army to help fight fires that

tore through forested areas in the north of the country, killing at least 65 people, including 28 soldiers.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared three days of national mourning for the dead.

In southern Italy fires ravaged thousands of acres of land as temperatures hit records well above 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) and hot winds fanned the flames.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Several dead, dozens trapped after landslide in India’s Himalayas

A

landslide in the mountainous Indian state of Himachal Pradesh has killed at least 10 people, injured 14 and left dozens trapped after boulders tumbled onto a major highway, smashing and burying several vehicles, Indian officials have said.

A statement on Wednesday from Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur’s office said “about 60 people are feared to be buried under the debris”.

Those that are still trapped include passengers that are inside a bus stuck under the debris, Vivek Kumar Pandey, a spokesman for the paramilitary

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), told the Reuters news agency.

“There has been a massive landslide on the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway,” Pandey said, later adding that “operations are under way; we are trying to reach the bus.”

A Police official at the site told the AFP news agency that rocks were still falling in the area.

The 14 rescued people had injuries “but should be OK after treatment”, the official added.

Abid Hussain Sadiq, a top Government official in the Kinnaur district where the incident happened, said that rescue operations could con-

tinue through the night in an attempt to find the survivors.

More than 200 personnel, including from the army, paramilitary forces and local Police, are working along a stretch of National Highway 5 that runs along the Sutlej River and connects northern India to the border with China, officials said.

Local Police Chief Saju Ram Rana said the landslide, which took place around noon on Wednesday, loosened large boulders and sent them cascading down the steep mountainside, blocking about 150 metres (492 feet) of the highway.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Get involved in something that motivates you.

The opportunities that develop will help you use your skills more efficiently and accomplish goals that support your beliefs.

You’ll have an impact TAURUS on others if you offer sug(April 20- gestions that address issues May 20) that concern you. How you deal with rigidity will determine who offers to help you make a difference.

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU

Be careful how you handle investments and domestic affairs. Channel your energy into getting the most for the least and building equity and stability. Your efforts won’t go unnoticed.

Observe what's going on, and offset anything that could make you look bad or upend your plans. It's up to you to bring about change when necessary. Don't be reluctant to act. Now's the time to strike!

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

An offer will have pros and cons. Pay attention to the small but essential details that can alter the outcome.

Don’t take an unnecessary risk. Look out for unrealistic promises and pushy people.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Put your heart and soul into the people and pastimes that bring you joy. Spend time nurturing and exploring life, love and happiness.

Enrich your day by choosing to have a positive attitude.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Don’t make the same mistake twice. Do what’s necessary to encourage better results. Indecisiveness will be your downfall. Evaluate your situation, gather information and make your move.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

When opportunity knocks, open the door. Don’t procrastinate when a decision can change your life.

Embrace change, and enjoy the chance to experience something new and exciting.

Know what you are getSAGITTARIUS ting into before you make a (Nov. 23move. Consider the cost, chalDec. 21) lenges, opposition and how best to handle matters. Put a strategy in place, and you’ll find things much easier.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Take care of emotional matters before you get on with your day. It’s essential to have a good understanding of how your decisions will affect the ones you love.

An open dialogue will help.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Size up your situation, then proceed with your plans. Look for ways to get around any challenge.

Listen to suggestions and incorporate them into your projects. Keep an open mind.

PISCES

Take a moment to adjust whatever isn’t working for you. How you handle money matters, people close to you, rules and regulations will set the mood for how things will unfold.

(Feb. 20March 20)

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12 , 2021

21

WI Captain Stafanie Taylor wins ‘ICC Player of the Month’ award for July W est Indies Women’s Captain Stafanie Taylor continues her amazing showing on the international stage, with the stellar allrounder having been voted winner of the ICC Player of the Month award for July 2021. Taylor was the standout performer for the West Indies in the CG Insurance ODI and T20I Series against Pakistan in Antigua, as she led the side to victory in both formats. She was nominated for the award alongside team-mate Hayley Matthews and Pakistan’s Fatima Sana, but her all-round performance in the series helped her claim the most votes.

In four ODIs, Taylor scored 175 runs with a strike-rate of 79.18 and a top score of 105 not

out. She also picked up three wickets at 27 runs each at an economy rate of 3.72, and four wickets in the T20Is at 13 runs each and a stunning economy rate of a mere 5.56 runs per over.

“This is a bit surprising to me, winning ICC Player of the Month award for July; but I’m happy. It shows that the hard work you put in will pay off, and it did against Pakistan to help us win that series.

“We played well in both formats,” Taylor said. “I’m over in England now playing in The Hundred, which is a different kind of competition, played at a faster pace, but I’m still working hard.

We’re also looking forward to the series against South Africa at home, and we will be looking to

win that as well. I want to thank the fans for all their support, as it is always appreciated.”

During the visit by Pakistan, Taylor became the third player in women’s cricket history to make 8,000 international runs, achieving the feat in the fourth CG Insurance ODI. At only 30 years and 34 days old at the time, she is comfortably the youngest to ever do it, with England’s Charlotte Edwards being 33 years old when she reached the milestone, and Mithali Raj being 34 when she did.

The feat has only further confirmed Taylor’s status as one of the most outstanding allrounders in the game’s history.

Of Taylor’s runs, 4,929 have come in ODI cricket at an average

of 44.80. That places her third for the most runs in the format in women’s cricket. She has also scored 3,121 runs in T20Is, and was brilliant with her off-spin bowling in the third T20I against Pakistan, as she helped her team to a 3-0 clean sweep, collecting figures of 4-17.

Three of those wickets came in consecutive deliveries, as she became just the second player from the West Indies to take a T20I hat-trick, after teammate Anisa Mohammed, who achieved the feat against South Africa in 2018.

Having earlier picked up the wicket of Fatima Sana, Taylor brought Pakistan’s innings to an early close by knocking over Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig and Anam Amin

The Hundred: London Spirit’s Deandra Dottin on her Olympic dream

D

eandra Dottin was, in 2018, named World T20 Cricketer of the Year; but, in 2019, she was ready to quit - not forever, but having achieved her professional dream of winning the T20 World Cup with the West Indies in 2016, she was ready to chase after her childhood dream of becoming an Olympian.

Dottin has helped to illuminate the opening weeks of The Hundred with London Spirit, but she could just have easily been in Tokyo this month chasing Olympic gold.

Throughout her childhood, Dottin was an athlete first, and cricketer, well, fourth.

“Athletics brought me a long way in terms of sports, before I actually turned to cricket,” she said. “I’ve always had some thoughts of going back, because my dream was always to make one Olympics,” she disclosed.

Specialising in the javelin, Dottin also excelled in the shot put and discus, and competed in an event called the CARIFTA Games, a junior competition consisting of two age groups (U18s and U20s) from all the nations within the Caribbean Free Trade Association.

“Experiencing CARIFTA and actually performing in them was nail-biting for me. I was really, really nervous,” Dottin said. “The first time I went to CARIFTA I think I was 12, so it was nail-biting, it was nerves, but it was always an honour to represent your country at that sort of level of athletics.”

And at the event in 2007, Dottin made history. Not only did she win gold in her preferred event of javelin, but also in the discus and shot

put. Three from three. And for what it’s worth, just one year later, she also made her debut in international cricket.

But how did the nerves of competing in each compare?

“To be honest, the nerves hit different to be up next at the javelin,” Dottin laughs.

“If you’re not

bemused that a team-mate of hers, who had won the octathlon at the World Youth Championships, had received national plaudits, whereas her record-breaking three gold medals at the CARIFTA Games earned her “a little glass trophy”, more suited to a school sports day than an international competition.

However, w h e r e focused at athletics the task at had failed hand, you’ll Deandra Dottin her, cricket just freeze. did not.

There are many times with the javelin Encouraged by former West I’ve run up and stopped before Indies player Pamela Lavine I can even get in a throw… to pursue cricket, a pathway the nerves, yeah, they hit to success and a career was laid out in front of her. Dottin different.”

The beginning of Dottin’s became an international cricketing career signalled athlete, but not in the sport the end of her career in she’d envisioned.

For the next 10 years, athletics. Athletics was and is built herself a where her passion lies, and Dottin it was only after a feeling of reputation as one of the most disillusionment at the lack of destructive cricketers in the support from the Barbadian world. However, in the back of governing body that she felt her mind remained her dream forced to turn her back on the of being an Olympian. Finally, in 2019, Dottin decided it was sport.

She recalls that after now or never.

Tokyo 2020 was the her record-breaking 2007 performance, she was aim, and training plans

were in place when disaster struck. A serious injury to her right shoulder required reconstructive surgery and a year out of all sport.

Dottin would later give interviews, detailing the lows she felt over those 12 months, and how difficult she had found that time in her life. However, all the quotes were taken in the context of being away from cricket, with none alluding to the true pain behind the injury, which was the end of a childhood dream.

Which makes sense, because Dottin hadn’t told anyone. Notable people who weren’t aware of her plan included the West Indies Cricket Board. “They’d have been in for a shock,” Dottin says with a smile.

A cricketer by chance, but perhaps an Olympian by destiny, Dottin still hasn’t completely given up on the idea. After a year of rehab, her shoulder is feeling stronger than ever, but she’s realistic that at the age of 30, with the next Olympics still three years away, time is not on her side. Plenty of luck may be required and plenty of stars may have to align, but, in the meantime, there’s still hope that Deandra Dottin’s CV will one day read 2016 World Champion and 2024 Olympian.

Just as she always dreamt it. The ECB’s Hundred Rising is providing eight aspiring young journalists the opportunity to tell the story of The Hundred men’s and women’s competitions through their own eyes. (BBC Sport)

across three deliveries in the 20th over.

As captain, she went on to play a starring role in the chase as well, scoring an unbeaten 43 off 41 balls to help West Indies mow down a target of 103 with six wickets and five balls to spare, having at one stage been in trouble at 17-3.

Taylor was at her best in the ODI arena in July, briefly reclaiming her spot at the top of the ICC batting and all-rounder rankings. That came after an incredible performance in the series opener, in which she took

3-29 before stroking an unbeaten 116 to seal the five-wicket win.

She started her day’s work by removing the well-set Ayesha Zafar for 46, before trapping Aliya Riaz and Sidra Nawaz in front of the stumps to help keep Pakistan to 205-9 from their 50 overs.

With her team in a tricky spot at 42-2, she then notched her sixth ODI century, hitting 11 fours and two sixes to power the team to victory.

She is now one of just 10 women to have scored more than five ODI tons. (CWI)

Tokyo 2020: Some Australian Olympians face 28-day quarantine

Of the Australian Olympic team’s 56 members, 16 are already quarantining in Sydney

R

ules meaning some Australian Olympians are having to quarantine for 28 days after returning to their country from Tokyo have been described as “cruel”.

Athletes returning via Sydney to the state of South Australia are facing an extra two-week quarantine. That is on top of the two weeks already required for all overseas arrivals.

The AOC has said: “While other countries are celebrating the return of their athletes, we are subjecting ours to the most cruel and uncaring treatment.

They are being punished for proudly representing their country with distinction at the Olympic Games.”

Sixteen members of the Australian Olympic team are already quarantining in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. The Government of South Australia has said, “The high risk of the Delta strain of COVID-19 in NSW” is the reason for the additional requirements, for which the AOC has had an exemption

request turned down.

AOC Chief Executive Matt Carroll has said in a statement: “Not only are our Olympians fully vaccinated, but they have also been living in a highly controlled bubble in Tokyo, taking the utmost precautions, tested daily over many weeks. We have received no explanation as to why our application on behalf of these athletes has been rejected.”

The 28-day quarantine could pose a significant risk to the physical and mental wellbeing of the athletes affected, according to te Australian Institute of Sports’ Chief Medical Officer David Hughes.

The state of South Australia, capital city Adelaide, has a population of over 1.7m and covers some of the most arid parts of Australia.

Australia has recorded fewer than 37,000 COVID-19 cases during the pandemic, and a death toll under 1,000, fewer than many other developed countries. (BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12 , 2021

'Maturing' Hetmyer will eventually be F world-class Test batsman – WI Head Coach Phil Simmons

W

GCB delighted with addition of four more Guyanese to CWI Under-19 training camp

Coach Phil Simmons believes Hetmyer will return with a bang in Tests

est Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons has backed mercurial talent Shimron Hetmyer to eventually find his way back into the Test team after an extended absence.

Despite being considered one of the team’s brightest talents, and having appeared in all formats, Hetmyer has not suited up for the Test team since 2019, against Afghanistan.

The 24-year-old Shimron Hetmyer, who made his debut against Pakistan in 2017, has

struggled for consistency, scoring five 50s in 16 matches, with a high score of 93, but with several other innings in which he has not delivered. Despite obvious potential, his overall average of 28 falls on the mediocre side.

In addition, the athlete has also had his fair share of fitness issues over the past two years, twice failing fitness standards after being included in touring squads. Simmons has however backed the batsman to eventually get things right.

“I think that Hetmyer

can be a world-class Test player when that time comes,” Simmons told members of the media.

“I’m sure (that) at some point he’s going to return to the Test squad. I’m sure the experience he’s gotten from being there before will serve him well, and that he will make use of it.

I think he is maturing as we go along. He’s had a few incidents he’s not proud of, but he’s maturing, and I’m sure he will get back into the Test squad at some point in time, and show what he’s made of.”

(Sportsmax)

ruitful consultations between President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Bissoondyal Singh, and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have resulted in four (4) other Guyanese Under-19 players being added to the squad of 56 players currently in training in Antigua.

GCB President Singh has expressed his gratitude to CWI President Ricky Skerritt and Vice-President Dr. Kishore Shallow for their favourable consideration in including these players.

Singh noted that due to the absence of Regional Under-19 tournaments in 2020 and 2021, a challenge developed in identifying the best regional players to represent West Indies on their tour of England 2021, and for the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2022.

Chairman Andre Percival and his Junior Panel selected Marvan Prashad, Alvin Mohabir, Zachary Jodah and Jonathan Rampersaud.

Rampersaud, who was playing minor league cricket, arrived in Antigua from the United States of America on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, while the other three players arrive in Antigua today. Given the limited flights available due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact, the GCB decided to have the players travel to Antigua via New York to ensure they arrive at the earliest opportunity.

Director of Cricket, Mr. Jimmy Adams, indicated that the four players would be taken through special assessment exercises prior to August 20, 2021, and the players will first

have to satisfy the COVID-19 measures that are in place under the guidance of Dr. Oba Gulston, CWI’s Head of Sports Science.

These measures are expected to see the players spending a specified period in quarantine prior to their assessment. Thereafter, the four players would be able to commence official training.

However, the scheduled arrival of the four players will make it difficult for them to participate in trial matches geared at selection for the UK Under-19 Tour. The Team Management will conduct skills assessment of the players under the supervision of CWI Head of Talent Identification, Mr Robert Haynes, with a view to being drafted into the ongoing training programme for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, scheduled to be played in the West Indies in January and February 2022.

GCB President Bissoondyal Singh has expressed gratitude to all those who insisted in ensuring these four young Guyanese players get the opportunity to showcase their talent.

reer. I feel this club is ready to fight for all the trophies. This is my goal, I want to keep growing and keep winning titles, and that is why I came to this club,” Messi has said.

Messi, who has signed a two-year contract with the option of a third, joins an already talent-rich squad in a major step in

PSG’s quest to reach the European summit.

After losing to Manchester City in last season’s semi-finals, the Parisians – who also lost their Ligue 1 crown to Lille last term – have recruited Champions League winners in Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and Messi.

However, Messi is aware that in order to lift the trophy for a fifth time, he may have to face Barcelona along the way, and admits that playing at the Nou Camp in PSG’s colours would be “very strange”.

“Barcelona is my home.

I have been there since I was a kid, and I’ve loved so many things there,” he explained. “I don’t know if we are going to face each other; it would be very nice to go back to Barcelona. It will be very strange to play at home there in Barcelona with another shirt, but it can happen, and we will see.” (Taken from BBC Sport and adapted)

A

fter joining Paris St-Germain, Lionel Messi has said he dreams of winning the Champions League once more.

He added: “I think we have the team to do it here.”

The Argentina captain, 34, won four Champions League titles with Barcelona, the last of which came in 2015.

PSG are still searching for their first title in the competition, having lost to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final.

“My goal and my dream is to win the Champions League once more,” Messi said as he was unveiled as a PSG player.

Messi has left Barcelona – whom he joined when he was 13 – as they were unable to afford a new deal under La Liga’s financial fair play rules. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, he has scored a record 672 goals in 778 games for the Catalan giants.

He has won the Ballon

d’Or a record six times, and has lifted 35 trophies during his time at the Nou Camp, but said he is excited to “begin this new moment of my life”, after a “difficult” departure from Barcelona.

“It was a difficult change after so long a time,” he told reporters at the Parc des Princes. “But the moment I arrived here I felt very

happy, and I really want to begin the training sessions. I want it to be quick.

My only will now is to begin the training sessions. I want to work with the staff and team-mates and begin this new moment of my life.

“I have this will to play.

I am really impatient. I still want to win, as I did the first moment of my ca-

CLASSIFIED ADS FOR SALE Pure Bred German Shepherd Pups for sale. Vaccinated and dewormed.

622-0015/220-8559 Mix Breed Puppies for Sale. Contact: Tel- 253-3114/692-0126.

TAXI SERVICE Elegant Cabs. 231-1494 / 226-4277, Cell #: 625-6600. 24 hrs.

WANTED Security Guard wanted. 612-2125

Bissoondyal Singh

For PenPal Purposes. Male seeking Female for relationship. Age: 19 – 30 years old. 644-9410 WhatsApp only.

One (1) Chinese Cook for Aracari Resort – Versailles W.B.D. Attractive Salary. Call: 592-626-5290 One (1) Food & Beverage Manager and One (1) Female Bartender for Aracari Resort Poolside – Versailles W.B.D. Call: 592-626-5290

SERVICE Learn to Drive: Shalom Enterprise. Lot 2 Croal Street, Stabroek, Georgetown.

Please call: 622-8162 / 659-3381/2273869. Join us on FaceBook.

A

VACANCY

Welder/Fabricator. For Grill work : 621-5310

Classified Ads $5+VAT per word

Call: 223-7230-1 Ext 50

2237230-1

(Ext 55)

NOW!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021

Babar Azam

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Betway Test series between WI & Pakistan begins today

T

he first Test in t h e Betway series between the West Indies and Pakistan bowls off today, Thursday August 12, from 11:00h

Eastern Caribbean time at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica; and West Indies Captain Kraigg Brathwaite has said the team has a positive mindset.

Both teams would be looking to make a winning start to their ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 campaign after the West Indies finished 8th and Pakistan finished 6th in the last cycle.

Both teams come into the series in contrasting red-ball form. While Pakistan have won all their matches in the last four

Tests, West Indies have registered two losses and two draws in their last four games.

On the eve of the first Test, captain Kraigg Brathwaite has said his team is in a positive frame of mind to take on the Pakistanis.

Despite playing one Best v Best match and Head Coach Phil Simmons noting the players have lacked proper preparation, Brathwaite is confident.

Brathwaite has also given his assessment of the practice surface, describing it as quite

Rampersaud, Jodah, Mohabir and Prashad added to WI U-19 training camp

23

good for cricket.

Spinners Rahkeem Cornwall and Veerasammy Permaul have each claimed five-wicket hauls on the Sabina Park surface, and Brathwaite has said there is something in it for the pacers as well.

“As time went on, the ball spun, but not a lot. It was a good cricket pitch, it had something for everyone,” Brathwaite told media operatives.

As a Test opener, Brathwaite has also said Test cricket is all about mental grind, and his team is in a positive mindset to do battle.

West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons has raised concerns about the lack of match practice

a blessing in disguise for the Test players in the squad, who would be well-rested ahead the red-ball series.

With their players in great touch, Pakistan will be eager to open their World Test Championship tally with a win.

West Indies and Pakistan last squared off in a Test series in 2017, when Pakistan emerged victorious by a 2-1 margin away from home.

Phil Simmons has said before this match: “We’ve always had tough battles with any Pakistan team that comes to the Caribbean. They’ve played very well in their last two Test series, and are coming in on a high. We didn’t play quite as well in our

Silva, Jahmar Hamilton, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Jomel Warrican.

Pakistan Test squad: Babar

for the Test match players ahead of the series, as the Caribbean men have played only white-ball cricket since March 2021. In their last series against South Africa, the batsmen looked all at sea against the Proteas bowlers.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will hope they can carry forward their Test form in the Caribbean.

The three games washed out in the T20I series could prove to be

last series, so it’s going to be tough. I think even though we’re at home, we’re a little bit of an underdog, but we’re going to put everything into it to try and make sure we come out on top.”

West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase, Joshua Da

Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Yasir Shah and Zahid Mahmood.

Kraigg Brathwaite

– CWI Vice President confirms

Marvan Prashad Jonathan Rampersaud

Alvin Mohabir

By Brandon Corlette

A

fter the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) had expressed its displeasure at Cricket West Indies (CWI) for selecting only four Guyanese players to the West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 training camp in Antigua, CWI reacted to that reaction, and the result is that four more Guyanese players have been added to the 56 players that are currently in training in Antigua.

This publication has been reliably informed that the additional four Guyanese players are Jonathan Rampersaud, Marvan Prashad, Alvin Mohabir and Zachary Jodah. These four youngsters join their Guyanese counterparts Rampertab Ramnauth, Isai Thorne, Mavindra Dindyal and Matthew Nandu.

CWI Vice President Dr Kishore Shallow, making this disclosure on Tuesday’s Mason and Guest radio programme, said, “We realise that this is about identifying talent, this is about the boys playing cricket and representing West Indies, and we know how enthusiastic these youngsters are. I’m pleased to say…Cricket West Indies and the GCB have since made arrangements to facilitate an additional four players who missed out on an opportunity (initially).”

Alvin Mohabir represents

Demerara at the inter-county level. He bowls off-spin, and is a left-handed batsman who has performed considerably well in youth cricket. Zachary Jodah is a left-arm spinner and a righthanded batsman who also represents Demerara. Marvan Prashad is a classy right-handed batsman from Berbice, and Berbician Jonathan Rampersaud is a left-handed batter who bowls tight off-spin.

The trial matches form part of the West Indies Rising Stars U19 High Performance camp, which is a key part of CWI’s investment in development and preparation for the players for the ICC U19 World Cup, to be played in the West Indies early next year.

Following the Rising Stars U19 camp and the trial matches, a squad of eighteen players will be selected for the West Indies Rising Stars U19 tour of England, which will feature six Youth OneDay Internationals at the County Ground in Beckenham and The Polo Farm in Canterbury from Saturday, September 4 to Friday, September 17.

The 2022 Youth World Cup is set for January-February 2022, with West Indies being the host territory. Here, 34 teams will compete for five World Cup spots in the 14th edition of the event, which will involve Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan,

Zachary Jodah

South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe by virtue of their top 11 finish in the 2020 edition.

FULL TRAINING SQUADS Red Dragons: Nicholas Lewin, Aaron Bankay, Mavindra Dindyal, Steven Wedderburn, Kwame Patton, Kamario Grant, Tamari Redwood, Onaje Amory, Johan Layne, Romario Brathwaite, Tyran Theodore, Isiah Gomez, Amrit Dass, Nimar Bolden.

Green Pitons: Shaq Parris, Hakeem Perryman, Rampertab Ramnauth, Kyle Roopchand, Giovonte Depeiza, Devonie Joseph, Kelvin Pittman, Tariq O’Neale, Gavasta Edmund, Matthew Gittens, Andel Gordon, Jaden Carmichael, Nick Ramlal, Rivaldo Clarke.

Yellow Flamingos: Anderson Armadan, Matthew Nandu, Teddy Bishop, Achilles Brown, Justin Beckford, Kyle Kissoondath, McKenny Clarke, Anderson Mahase, Nathan Edward, Chaedon Raymond, Shiva Sankar, Brandon English, Vasant Singh, Carlon Tuckett.

Blue Dolphins: Oneil Roberts, Justin Jaggesar, Akeem Auguste, Tariq Mohammed, Jordan Johnson, Rajeev Ramnauth, Sion Hackett, Keygan Arnold, Akadianto Willett, Tiron Charles, Isai Thorne, Udell Preville, Javid Simpson, Jeremiah Cruickshank.

DoS hoping to have synthetic tracks completed by year-end

T

his year’s October will mark three years since the launch of a massive project involving the construction of two synthetic track-and-field facilities in Berbice and Linden, and Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, is not eager to wait much longer for the completion of these facilities, as he hopes they would be completed by year end.

Since his recent appointment as Director of Sport, one of the first tasks Steve Ninvalle set himself was to inspect the work at both facilities, which has been ongoing sporadically for more than two years.

In giving to Guyana Times Sport an exclusive update on the progress, Ninvalle shared that the facility at Linden is just about 95% complete, while the one in Berbice is trailing at 75% completion. However, this progress has come with some hurdles.

“We have just written to the contractors. The consultant has just written to the contractors, because of the fact that there seems to be an underlying

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle

issue, which is climate that everyone is talking about.

The weather, the weather, the weather,” Ninvalle related. He added, “And, quite frankly, I don’t think that this can be one excuse that keeps recurring.”

Coupled with the constraints of the coronavirus pandemic, weather has been cited as a hindrance by contractors.

However, Ninvalle shared that the consultants attached to the project are working assiduously to have his hopes of a year-end finish realised.

As Director of Sport,

Ninvalle divulged, “We’re trying to work with the contractors to make sure that, by the end of this year, those two facilities can be completed. But that’s also a work in progress. We do hope that it doesn’t move to the point where we might have to carry people to court and so forth. So, the consultant is working with them, and hopefully, if all things go as we want (them) to go, then we can have those two facilities by year end,” Ninvalle went on to share.

At its launch under the previous APNU/AFC Coalition Government, the cost of the project was set at some $300M. The facilities are located at Burnham Park in New Amsterdam Berbice and at the Bayrock Community Centre ground at Wismar in Linden.

The contract for the Berbice track had initially been awarded to BK International at a cost of $141 million, while the contract for the Linden track was handed to Builders Hardware and Supplies at a cost of $179 million.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021

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

Pg 23

Betway Test series

between WI & DoS hoping to have synthetic Pakistan begins today tracks completed by year-end Pg 23

Page 21

Marvan Prashad Zachary Jodah Jonathan Rampersaud

Alvin Mohabir

Page 22 & 23

WI Captain Stafanie Taylor GCB delighted with addition wins ‘ICC Player of the of four more Guyanese to CWI Under-19 training camp Month’ award for July GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.