Guyana Times - Thursday, February 8, 2024

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Issue No. 5636

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Gas-to-Energy project

WHAT'S INSIDE:

GCCI lobbies US EXIM Bank to disregard efforts to block US$646M funding

Fire at Albion sugar factory

Govt working to return operations to normalcy P15

…says minority voices do not reflect interests of local business community in Guyana Page 3

Investor building sugar refinery at Enmore estate P11 – Ali …hundreds to be employed

Private Sector urged to invest in eco-tourism P14 International Military Sports Council Meeting (CISM) Delegates attending the International Military Sports Council Meeting (CISM) in Guyana paid a courtesy visit to Chief of Staff Brigadier Omar Khan at Defence Headquarters on Tuesday. In photo, Brigadier General Delio Rosario Colon receiving a salute at Camp Ayanganna (GDF photo)

Strike by teachers “politically driven” – AG …says teachers’ package “very Page 2

superior” to other Public Servants'

Miner drowns Pork-knocker stabbed to death while in Region 1 Brothers swimming wanted for armed across multiple robberies Puruni River Page 17

P9

P13

$49M digital X-ray machine unveiled Opposition’s at Mahaicony Cottage Hospital challenge Page 15

ExxonMobil on track to deliver gas-toshore by year-end …pipeline installation progresses

Page 9

P7

to Hicken’s appointment a “political” interference – AG

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Strike by teachers “politically driven” – AG …says teachers’ package “very superior” to other Public Servants’

A

s the two-week teachers’ strike enters the fourth day, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, S.C., has expressed the view that the industrial action is politically motivated.

The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has planned a strike action to last from February 5 to 16, 2024 – a move which the Government has deemed “illegal”. Speaking on the matter during his weekly programme, Issues in the News, Nandlall pointed out that while the right to strike is fundamental, and is guaranteed by the Constitution, there must exist a basis for the strike.

“These [industrial] actions must be based on good faith, and not be driven by politics or other ulterior motives. The main protagonist in this strike is a politician – [GTU General Secretary] Coretta McDonald, an

APNU/AFC [Opposition] Member of Parliament…

She is giving political commentary all day on the social media about the strike, so there is no doubt, in my view, that the strike is politically driven,” the minister contended. This, according to Nandlall, is even more blatant, given that all of the Opposition politicians are also supporting and pushing the strike.

“There is no doubt that there is complicity between the Union and the Opposition,” he added.

The GTU initiated the two-week strike action over what it claimed was Government’s failure to address proposals in a MultiYear Agreement submitted by the Union for better working conditions for teachers. However, the Attorney General has argued that Government and the Union are in discussions over those proposals, and had engage-

ments only last week on the several issues that were not addressed out of the 41 demands proposed to the Education Ministry.

No breakdown

The Education Ministry has said that, over the past three years, it has fulfilled 25 of the Union’s requests; and of the 16 proposals remaining, two are specifically for the benefit only of GTU and its Executive Members, and two others are contrary to the laws of Guyana.

The areas in which the Education Ministry and the union have not reached agreement include: salary increases for some scales (MoE has gone above GTU's request for some scales); allowances; rehired teachers being paid at the scale they were retired at; housing fund (which the Union has repeatedly failed to give a way forward for, although the fund has a few hundred million dollars put

there by the Government); salary scales for different Heads of Departments and Sixth Form Deputy Heads; payment for the marking of SBAs; and house lots for teachers in each new housing scheme.

Moreover, the Ministry has said, 12 unresolved issues are currently being examined for their practical implementation and sustainability.

“There was no known breakdown of the talks [between the Ministry and the Union], and then, out of the blue, the strike action arose,” the Attorney General has posited.

Referencing demands for better pay, Minister Nandlall argued that the current Administration has already adjusted the sal-

ary scales of some categories of teachers. For instance, he noted, they raised the salary of trainee teachers from $12,466 in 2019 to now $104,000 – a $91,537 increase. Similarly, trained graduate teachers are now taking home $237,736.

Additionally, he pointed to all the other perks that teachers enjoy, such as extended holidays when schools are closed, as well as duty-free concessions.

In fact, only recently, the Government announced a new regime of duty-free qualifications whereby teachers nearing retirement age would be qualified for this concession even if they are not to the levels of senior mistress or headmaster.

TURN TO PAGE 14

NEWS

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gas-to-Energy Project

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BRIDGE The Demerara OPENINGS Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, February 8 – 03:00h-04:30h and Friday, February 9 – 03:30h-05:00h.

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High Tide: 15:41h reaching a maximum height of 2.62 metres.

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GCCI lobbies US EXIM Bank to disregard efforts to block US$646M funding …says minority voices do not reflect interests of local business community in Guyana

T

he Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has written to the United States Export-Import (EXIM) Bank, asking the financial institution to disregard efforts to thwart funding for the Guyana Government’s model Gas-toEnergy (GtE) Project.

Back in April 2023, it was announced that Guyana had applied for a US$646 million loan from the US EXIM Bank to finance the Gas-toEnergy Project, which includes the construction of an Integrated Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) plant and a 300-megawatt (MW) com-

ty cost by approximately 50 per cent – a material change in the cost of electricity for Guyanese citizens and enterprises alike. The GCCI sees this project as having immense potential to drive economic growth, enhance energy security, and promote sustainable development in the Western Hemisphere,” Hutson said.

Disheartened

The GCCI President went on to express the Chamber’s deep concern and strong condemnation of certain attempts by a small minority of individuals to discredit the GtE Project and discourage

GCCI President Kester Hutson

the comments and actions by these dissenting voices do not reflect the interests of

“The GCCI is especially disheartened to see the vilification of a project that holds significant potential benefits for our nation and its citizens. We are appalled at missives penned requesting that the loan to fund the initiative be blocked” – GCCI bined cycle power plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD), utilising natural gas from the country’s offshore operations in the Stabroek Block. That loan is still being processed by the US-based financial institution.

However, on behalf of Elizabeth Deane-Hughes and Vanda Radzik, international lawyer Melinda Janki wrote the Bank on January 12, 2024, urging it to withhold funding for the project.

In the letter, the lawyer informed the President and Chair of the US EXIM Bank Board of Directors, Reta Jo Lewis, of a ruling by the Guyana High Court that the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to grant the permit to Esso Exploration & Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) – ExxonMobil’s local affiliate – for the project was “contrary to law and was improper”.

As such, the lawyer asked the US EXIM Bank to “respect the rule of law in Guyana” and “not provide funding for any project which is based on a decision that is ‘contrary to law’.”

In a letter dated February 7, 2024, GCCI President Kester Hutson indicated to the US Bank President that the Guyanese business sector fully supported the GtE Project, which he described as a “watershed initiative” for the country and its people.

According to the Chamber’s President, the funding from the US EXIM Bank will significantly contribute to Guyana's energy transition, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and promote sustainable practices.

“This project is anticipated to reduce electrici-

the EXIM Bank from providing financial support for this landmark project.

“The GCCI is especially disheartened to see the vilification of a project that holds significant potential benefits for our nation and its citizens. We are appalled at missives penned requesting that the loan to fund the initiative be blocked.

“Though the GCCI respects the importance of public discourse and right to differing opinions, it is essential to acknowledge that

the business community in Guyana which has stated in multiple public forums that

US EXIM Bank President Reta Jo Lewis

we will support any project that helps to lower the cost of electricity,” Hutson stated in the letter to the US Bank.

Moreover, he added that the Chamber, which is Guyana’s oldest and largest business support organisation and represents almost 1000 enterprises in the country, would always be vocal against efforts to stymie the development of Guyana, especially those that do not align with the best inter-

est of the country’s economic growth and the aspirations of its people. TURN TO PAGE 8

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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

How are our relations to each other as Guyanese?

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ext Wednesday, we will celebrate Valentine’s Day and like previous years, most Guyanese would exchange tokens and expressions of affection and love with others, especially couples.

Valentine’s Day has its origins as a Christian feast day, which honours one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk tradition, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.

But how is our relations to each other as Guyanese? Some days, especially in the public sphere, some of our relations are characterised by rancour and bitterness, precipitated by those emotions dominating our political relations.

We would like to remind all Guyanese of a message we first offered during the Jubilee Year of our independence.

Our country is our mother and going forward, it is hoped all of us will spare her a thought and act in a manner that expresses some “love and affection” for her. What can we do? Having achieved independence from Britain 57 years ago – there cannot be a Guyanese who has not recited the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag, the Golden Arrowhead. We have all taken, therefore, the following vow, with our hands across our breasts to emphasise our seriousness about the words recited: “I pledge myself to honour always the flag of Guyana/ and to be loyal to my country;/ to be obedient to the laws of Guyana; to love my fellow citizens and to dedicate my energies towards/ the happiness and prosperity of Guyana.”

Today, as Valentine’s Day nears, let us repeat and try to put into effect our promises in our “National Pledge”.

There is that promise to “honour always” our flag – which, of course, is a symbol of our nation. In making the promise, we are asserting that Guyana must be honoured and as such, we must never let its flag be sullied. In the end, we would only be allowing our individual selves to be dishonoured. We are not sure that enough has been done to inculcate into our citizens the respect of flag and country that, for instance, was insisted on in reference to the Union Jack of Britain during the colonial era.

The prior question is whether Guyanese citizens have a deep sense of loyalty to their country – which is the second promise. Would they react positively to JFK’s famous exhortation: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”? While one cannot speak conclusively on this issue, anecdotal evidence suggests that it does not take much for Guyanese to “bad-mouth” their country and even to “shake the dust off their feet” from it.

We are reminded of some Guyanese who would actually advise investors to avoid our country.

Obeying the laws of a country is the sine qua non of peace and stability, and is summarised in the phrase, “rule of law” which exhorts all that they are “under” the law equally. There are troubling signs that this is being violated.

But equality of treatment under the law is one of the most important practices that must be adhered to if the country is to be honoured and inspire loyalty. And since we have taken an oath to obey the laws, we must help in insuring that others also do the same. This does not mean that there may not be “bad” laws, but that the law itself would encompass procedures that would allow the people to deliberate on and change them if that is the general consensus.

And we arrive at our promise to love each other as citizens.

That is an important distinction: we have not promised to love someone in general, but as “citizens”. We Guyanese are all citizens of this country and as such, are endowed with particular rights and responsibilities towards each other and the country. To “love” another citizen, we each have to ensure that we do not infringe on their rights and that we assist them to fulfil their obligations. In that sense, we are our brothers’ (and sisters’) keepers.

The final promise is that we do all within our power towards “the happiness and prosperity of Guyana”. We recommend this to all our politicians, officials, legislators, and all our office bearers.

Chief of Staff Brigadier Omar Khan and other senior officers and ranks of the Guyana Defence Force joined the delegates of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) continental meeting at the National Park for a 5km run-and-walk race to mark the 75th anniversary of the Council and of International Day of Military Sports and Fitness on Wednesday morning (GDF photo)

Why is there still no Gaza ceasefire?

By Simon Tisdall

T

he people of Gaza cry out for a ceasefire. Each day brings more bloodshed, more devastation, hunger, disease and tears.

Spell it out: nearly twenty-eight thousand Palestinian dead. In total, about 100,000 killed, injured or missing.

Among the survivors, huge numbers of children, maimed, orphaned, traumatised for life.

Around the world, millions of protesters demand a ceasefire. They appeal to politicians to do more, do anything, to stop the carnage now. In mosques, churches, synagogues, people of all faiths pray the slaughter will end. To Israel’s 1,200 October dead are daily added the lost lives of soldiers sent to avenge them and the hostages cruelly seized by Hamas.

Arab and European governments, the US, Russia, China and Iran all want a ceasefire, or truce, or “humanitarian pause” – or at least, they say they do. Yemen’s Houthis and Iraqi and Syrian militias promise a ceasefire would halt their destabilising attacks. A ceasefire could reduce the risk of catastrophic, escalating regional war.

The global view seems clear. There exists an international consensus, repeatedly expressed through the UN – whose agencies, running out of adjectives to describe the Gaza horrors, are reduced to desperate pleading. This war is inhuman, immoral and unjust.

It is hugely damaging, economically and politically. It shames us all and it must be halted, now, immediately.

So what’s stopping it? Why on earth is there still no ceasefire?

Each day is a rollercoaster.

Officials involved in indirect, Arabmediated talks express a note of cautious positivity; hopes are dashed, then they revive. For Palestinians trapped in Gaza and for the hostages’ families, it’s excruciating. At this moment, after weekend counter-proposals from Hamas, optimism is rising once again.

Yet even assuming the complex terms of a limited deal are finally agreed, what realistic prospect is there that it will hold, let alone bring a broader peace? The root problem is not the mechanics of a ceasefire but

the greatly differing, seemingly irreconcilable short- and long-term agendas of the interested parties. No deal can banish a basic lack of trust.

Unwisely, Joe Biden is linking a Gaza deal to his over-ambitious attempt to forge a wider Middle East settlement. In the first instance, the White House wants a “sustained pause in hostilities”. Yet it continues, for now, to oppose an open-ended “general ceasefire” because, parroting Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, it says that risks leaving Hamas undefeated and in power.

Biden’s longer-term “grand bargain” ultimately includes acceptance

by Israel of a vague “political horizon” for Palestinians seeking an independent state. Yet for Washington, normalisation of Israel-Saudi Arabia relations – not Palestinian self-determination – is the bigger, more immediate and enticing prize.

As long as Biden refuses to stand up to Netanyahu, US leverage is limited. And if Donald Trump triumphs in November, American support for Israel will probably become unconditional, as Netanyahu, Trump’s buddy, knows full well. Biden’s scheme reflects his electoral need for a big foreign policy win. It pays insufficient attention to what, in all justice, is actually required – starting with a full ceasefire now.

In Israel, unpopular Netanyahu clings to power by a thread. He flatly rejects Hamas’s call for a permanent cessation since this would thwart his foolish, oft-repeated vow to eradicate his enemy and achieve “total victory”.

His aim of maintaining Israeli security control of Gaza indefinitely would also be rendered infeasible. He reviles the very thought of a Palestinian state.

Military pressure has not freed the hostages, as he said it would.

Hamas has not been defeated after four months – and many Israeli soldiers have died. This, coming on top of the 7 October security failures, should be enough by itself to sink Netanyahu. A ceasefire lasting more than a few weeks, and resulting pressure to make it permanent, would in any event lead far-right ministers to collapse his ruling coalition.

So primarily for selfish political

reasons, Netanyahu will oppose all but the most modest hostage-prisoner exchange deal, if he possibly can, and will probably insist on a strictly time-limited pause in fighting.

In such cynical calculations he is far from alone. Hamas’s leaders are split, too, between those in Gaza who, exhausted, want a ceasefire now, and those based in Doha, who are pressing for a better deal that would include thousands of “security prisoner” releases, reconstruction funding and a total Israeli military withdrawal.

Hamas’s exiled political leaders, principally Ismail Haniyeh, have shown zero concern for the vast suffering that followed the 7 October attack.

Whether he or the Hamas commander in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, ordered it is a moot point. Since then, Haniyeh has sought maximum political advantage while ensuring his own safety.

His overall aim remains unchanged: destruction of the “Zionist entity”.

What some call the new “axis of evil” – China, Russia and Iran – could be doing much more to attain the ceasefire they claim to support.

Hamas, for example, wants them to provide guarantees. But they, in common with European leaders, have been found wanting so far. Iran’s mullahs are actively enjoying Israel’s travails. They publicly deplore the misery of Gaza’s Palestinians, yet see it privately as a means to advance the national geopolitical agenda.

So why no ceasefire? The simple answer is that self-interested, fearful and ineffectual political leaders obstruct it. One day, hopefully soon, the guns will fall silent in Gaza – if only because all wars come to an end eventually. But how long the quiet lasts is another matter entirely.

The history of the Palestinian people is one long scream of rage and pain. Sticking plasters will not work.

Backroom deals and shoddy compromises fall apart. Without a credible, internationally supported peace plan and firm timetable for the creation of an independent Palestinian state, the screaming will not cease. (The Guardian) (Simon Tisdall is a foreign affairs commentator. He has been a foreign leader writer, foreign editor and US editor for the Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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

PM Mark Phillips’s speech highlighted significance of the budget Dear Editor, In one of his most brilliant budget speeches, presented to the National Assembly on January 27, 2024, Prime Minister the Honorable Brigadier (retd) Mark Phillips told the nation that, since taking office three years ago, the PPPC Government led by President Dr. Ali has consistently presented budgets to advance the development of the country and the prosperity of all Guyanese, now and in the future.

During his presentation, the former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) spoke of Government’s ambitious plans for the fiscal year 2024, and said the $1.146 trillion budget, the largest ever presented in Guyana, is a strategic investment in the country’s foundation for the future.

Unlike some of his colleagues on both sides of

the isle, who criticized and hurled insults at one another, Prime Minister Phillips refrained from engaging in such behaviour, and instead focused his presentation on the specific developmental aspects of the budget and how it would essentially enrich the lives of the people, especially those at the bottom of the economic ladder.

According to Prime Minister Phillips, budget 2024 is a true testimony to the promises made by the PPPC, in that it consists of concrete and detailed plans that are part of Government’s comprehensive and widespread proposals and vision for holistic development in the country.

In highlighting the significance and importance of the budget, Brigadier Phillips explained that substantial funds have been allocated to expand

and improve infrastructure which is key to the development of the country, to move it from its underdeveloped status to a level of development that would catapult it to the ranks of the Global North countries.

As is evident, the Prime Minister asserted that the huge amount of funds which have been allocated to infrastructure development are of vital importance to create a framework for sustained growth throughout the country, especially in the building and maintenance of roads and bridges, and the expansion of energy projects.

Not only was the PM’s speech very effective, it also outlined the financing of every sector, ranging from education and health care to agriculture, energy, communications and to social welfare services, among others.

The Prime Minister, who is responsible for the energy sector, cited plans to improve and expand the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL’s) generation capacity to end the incessant power outages in the country and meet the rapid growth and demands of development of several new housing schemes and business expansion projects throughout the country.

Addressing progress made in the previous year towards the colossal Gas-to-Energy project, Brigadier Phillips underscored that it is a transformative and sustained project that is on track to be completed by the end of 2025. As forecasted by some energy experts, the Gas to Shore Project would reduce cost of electricity for the consumers by approximately 50 percent.

And even though it is not as clean as wind or solar power, natural gas is the

cleanest fossil fuel, and is considered by many to be a key ingredient as Guyana transitions to a cleaner future.

In the area of telecommunications, the Prime Minister affirmed that significant progress has been made in expanding and upgrading the country’s information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure to ensure more resilient internet access to residents, especially those in remote areas of the country, so that they can have online services.

In concluding, Prime Minister Phillips has expressed confidence in the budget and the outlook for the country during 2024 and beyond. He assured the nation that the budget, which was well-crafted by the Minister of Finance, will definitely expand the economy, increase the country’s GDP, develop the country, and improve

the lives of the people. As such, he has urged members of the opposition to end their needless and unnecessary criticism and support the budget in the interest of all Guyanese, regardless of race, status or party affiliation.

He cited President Ali’s “One Guyana” initiative and reminded the Opposition that a nation united is strong and powerful; but divided, it is weak and powerless.

Brigadier Phillips’s budget speech is a clear insight of his dedication, commitment, determination, and will to build a prosperous Guyana, so that everyone can reap the benefits and become successful in their pursuit of happiness. By every measure, he is a judicious thinker and a natural leader. We should be proud of him.

Sincerely, Dr Asquith Rose

It is a political strike Dear Editor, On December 12th, I wrote a letter captioned ‘Another political twist’, in which I called attention to the fact that the Opposition is using the 6.5% wage increase to public servants to further its political agenda.

During Budget 2024 debates, this was the main focal point, and GTU General Secretary, the APNU/AFC Member of Parliament, made sure that this was driven to the hilt. In her opening statement, she inadvertently exposed the GTU’s political agenda when she claimed that the teachers’ only hope to transform their lives was ‘to return the Coalition Government to power’.

So, the strike is not about the ‘collective bargaining agreement’ being breached, or the 6.5% wage increase.

She went on to accuse the PPP/C of launching a ‘parliamentary coup’ against the Coalition Government, and that the PPP/C became the ‘first installed regime’, therefore she does not ac-

cept the legitimacy of the PPP/C Government.

Ms Coretta McDonald has indeed exhibited deliberate amnesia in regard to ‘installed regime’ in Guyana.

In addition, she shamelessly blamed the PPP/C for the ‘pain and distress’ this nation had to bear after the successful passing of the No Confidence Motion in 2018.

It is no surprise that as soon as the Parliamentary Committee of Supply’s consideration came to closure, the GTU called a strike, even though the grievance procedures have not been exhausted.

In her 2024 debate presentation, she stressed the importance of education in transforming the lives of children and lifting them out of poverty, yet she hypocritically ignored this presentation and called an illegal strike at a critical time: when students are preparing for the NGSA and the CSEC exams. Completion of the SBA component of the CSEC syllabus is a crucial point. Is this how much the GTU cares about our chil-

dren?

It is also important to note that the General Secretary spoke about a ‘corporate sponsor’ who would fund the strike relief for the striking teachers. Therefore, this was well-planned, and it would be enlightening to know who the ‘sponsor’ is.

McDonald’s frequent use of race-baiting, with many references to GAWU and sugar workers, also exposes the GTU’s political agenda. It was also observed that several APNU/AFC operatives were in the midst of the striking teachers. They are part of the teachers’

strike, and this again exposes the strike for what it is.

No doubt, this strike called by the GTU is just the beginning of the modus operandi that the Opposition would utilise to destabilize the PPP/C Government.

Teachers must act sensibly and responsibly, and not

be used as pawns in this nefarious and villainous power struggle by the APNU/AFC, who will no doubt use them to gain power once again, and discard them soon after.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

06:00 (Sign on) Inspiration Time 06:30 Cartoons 07:00 Evening News (RB) 08:00 Stay Woke 08:30 Guy's Grocery Games 09:30 BBC Travel Show 10:00 Stop Suffering 11:30 Divorce Court 12:00 News Break 12:05 Movie - A Scottish Love Scheme (2024) 13:35 Wheel of Fortune 14:00 The Loud House S1 E14 14:30 Spongebob Squarepants 15:00 From the Pavilion 16:00 Drake & Josh S2 E5 16:30 Victorious S1 E16 17:00 The Young & The Restless 18:00 CNN 19:00 The Evening News 20:00 Stop Suffering 20:30 Stand-up Comedy 21:00 Harry & Meghan E5 22:00 Grey's Anatomy S5 E7 23:00 Ballers S4 E7 23:30 Dear White People S1 E5 00:00 Sign off

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Foundation ◄

Page

Changing decimals to fractions Changing decimals to fractions is easier than changing fractions to decimals. Look at the place value farthest to the right, and use that as your denominator. Use the actual decimal as your numerator.

Example: Change .72 to a fraction Step 1: Look at the place value. Use it as your denominator. The place value farthest to the right in .72 is the hundredths place. So the denominator will be 100.

Step 2: Use the decimal as the numerator: Step 3: Simplify the fraction if you can. Divide the numerator and the denominator by the same number

by E McG Keane

CONTINUED FROM TUESDAY

III

Exercises: Change decimals to fractions 1) 0.35 2) 0.22 3) 0.44 4) 4.11 5) 0.78 6) 0.91 7) 0.475 8) 0.6 9) 0.250 10) 2.5 11) 0.755 12) 0.666 13) 0.525 14) 0.18 15) 0.375

At night I have watched the waves foaming like wine As the river touched glasses with the sea And I too have been witness at The marriage of moon and waters With under the cape cadenzas in coral And northward Five wise stars trimming their lamps But here always in this warm soil of our air I have kept waiting for the moon to grow roots And wondered what sickle honours the upper Harvest of the stars . . .

To be continued

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Opposition’s challenge to Hicken’s appointment is “political” interference – AG A ttorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, believes that the recent court proceedings filed against the appointment of acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition is a clear case of political interference.

On Tuesday, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George dismissed the case filed

by APNU Executive Carol Smith-Joseph, who had challenged President Dr Irfaan Ali’s decision to extend Hicken’s acting tenure in the Office of Police Commissioner.

During his weekly programme – Issues in the News, AG Nandlall said there seemed to be a pattern of obsession by the APNU/AFC Opposition with Hicken.

“Why are politicians hounding public officers?

And I believe that this is a clear case [of that playing out here]… Here, the challenge is not filed by an ordinary citizen of Guyana. This challenge was filed by an executive member of the PNC (People’s National Congress) – an Executive Member of the APNU/AFC coalition.

“When His Excellency [President Dr Irfaan Ali] appointed Mr Clifton Hicken to act as Commissioner of Police, there was a challenge filed. At that time, it was filed by Christopher Jones, an Executive Member of the PNC and a sitting Member of Parliament of the APNU/ AFC coalition… What is this apparent obsession by the Opposition with Clifton Hicken?” Nandlall questioned.

In the matter filed by Opposition Chief Whip Jones, he had argued that Hicken’s appointment was illegal since there was no meaningful consultations with the Opposition Leader as stipulated in the Constitution.

However, like this recent matter, the High Court had similarly thrown out that challenge, upholding the State’s contention that the Office of the Opposition Leader was va-

Acting Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken

cant, hence there was no one for the President to consult with. In her August 2022 decision, Chief Justice George had described that court challenge as “vexatious and an abuse of the court process”.

According to Nandlall, these legal proceedings all point to a case of political interference.

“It shows the inference or the attempt to interfere with public officers in the discharge of their functions,” he posited.

“Authoritarianism”

The Attorney General noted this is reflective of the “authoritarianism” of the coalition regime. He reminded of former President David Granger being found guilty of violating the Constitution when the Court ruled, on two separate occasions, that he was interfering with the functions of the Police Service Commission and the Public Service Commission in the discharge of their respective functions when he instructed them to halt the promotions of Police Officers and public servants, respectively.

“Again, you see the authoritarianism of the PNCled APNU/AFC as they try now, out of office, to interfere with or carry out a vendetta against a public official whose functions are not political but in accordance with the Police Act and the Constitution of this country… Here, it is an Opposition party in the National Assembly – a political Opposition seeming to

display some type of vendetta or obsession with removing a person performing the functions of Commissioner of Police,” the Legal Affairs Minister said.

Moreover, AG Nandlall went on to outline that Hicken was even sidestepped by the APNU/AFC coalition for the Top Cop post while it was in Government despite him being the most senior officer in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) upon the retirement of former Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, in 2018.

President Granger had appointed Leslie James as Top Cop along with four Deputy Commissioners, excluding Hicken.

“Mr Clifton Hicken was the most senior member of the Guyana Police Force, yet, he was overlooked for appointment to act even as Deputy Commissioner of Police or act in the Office of Police Commissioner or substantively appointed as Police Commissioner. He was overlooked and ranks junior to him were elevated above him and given positions higher than Mr Hicken,” Nandlall contended.

The Minister added, “Is

Attorney General & Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall

it that because they think that Mr Hicken is doing a good job as a Commissioner of Police that they feel this urge to remove him? … Only the tenure of a substantive Commissioner of Police could be extended, and that since Mr Hicken was acting in the office of Commissioner of Police, the extension granted by His Excellency, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali was unlawful, unconstitutional and ultra vires?”

Hicken was appointed by President Ali as acting Police Commissioner in March 2022.

However, on July 22, 2023, Hicken turned 55

years – the age of retirement in the Police Force. The following day, the President extended Hicken’s term in office based on the recommendation of the Police Service Commission under section 2(b) of the Constitution (Prescribed Matters) Act, Chapter 27:12.

In August 2023, however, Smith-Joseph challenged President Ali’s decision to extend Hicken’s tenure as acting Commissioner of Police indefinitely, claiming that this unlawful extra time in office prohibits the upward movement of ranks for no plausible reason.

She argued, in the legal filings, that only the tenure of a substantive Commissioner of Police could be extended, and that since Hicken was acting in the office of Commissioner of Police, the extension granted by the President was unlawful, unconstitutional and ultra vires.

In response, Attorney General Nandlall had dismissed questions raised about the extension of Hicken’s tenure in office, saying that there were no provisions in the Constitution to prevent such a move.

Provisions for a person to

act in the office of the Police Commissioner are outlined under Article 211 (2) of the Constitution, and the provisions contained in Article 211 (1), shall apply to such an appointment as they apply to the appointment of a person to hold that office.

During his weekly programme, Nandlall contended that the Constitution did not draw any distinction between an acting Commissioner of Police or a substantively-appointed Commissioner of Police. In fact, he pointed out that the process to appoint both an acting Police Commissioner as well as a substantive Police Commissioner is similar in that they both require meaningful consultations between the President and Opposition Leader.

Similarly, the same set of powers are granted to the Top Cop, regardless of whether it’s an acting or substantive appointment.

Even the removal process is the same for these two appointments hence the Attorney General questions why would an acting Police Commissioner not enjoy the same extension benefit as a substantive office holder.

(G8)

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

104 cases set for February session of Berbice Assizes

Delroy Robertson is awaiting sentencing for killing Kevin Garraway in 2020

O

ne hundred and four cases are listed for hearing at the Criminal Assizes of the Berbice High Court in New Amsterdam, the February session of which was officially opened on Tuesday with the traditional march-past activity done by members of the Guyana Police Force outside of the court compound along Esplanade Road in

New Amsterdam.

The Assizes will be presided over by Justice JoAnn Barlow, at least until March 31.

Among the cases listed for hearing are: nine for murder; nine for manslaughter, and two for robbery-related matters.

However, most of the cases listed are for rape-related indictments, with 29 being either for rape or for being involved in sexual activity with a child below the age of 16 years. Twelve additional cases involve engaging in sexual activity with a family member, and eleven are in relation to rape committed on women.

Delroy Robertson, called ‘Don Dance’, of Hopetown, West Coast Berbice, was charged with murder, but has pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter; thereby admitting that on March 30, 2020, he caused the death

Deceased: Kevin Garraway

of Kevin Garraway.

When asked if he was admitting to causing the death of Garraway, Robertson said he had pelted him with a cutlass.

“Ah shy he on he foot with a cutlass. I know he had one cut, which was from the cutlass which I pelt he with,” he told Justice Barlow.

State Prosecutor Muntaz Ali informed the court that Garraway had

died as a result of excessive bleeding, shock and hemorrhage. He detailed that the two men had been childhood friends until Garraway left the village at the age of 13 years to take up residence with his mother in the mining town of Linden.

In March 2020, Garraway returned to the village to visit his grandmother, and shortly after arriving in the village, he took a walk on the road and was attacked by Robertson, who accused him of allowing his friends to ‘violate him’ a month before, while they were at the Berbice car park in Georgetown.

Justice Barlow has ordered a probation report on Robertson. He will have to return to court on February 29 for sentencing, when the probation report should be presented to the court. (G4)

GCCI lobbies US EXIM Bank to disregard efforts...

“The GCCI remains a continued partner for national development and stands ready to continue its support of the development agenda of Guyana, as it has for the past 135 years,” the Chamber President added.

Despite these efforts to halt the financing of the GtE Project, the Government is confident that the US EXIM Bank would go ahead with approving the funding.

Only last month, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo was asked whether Government was concerned about the processing of the loan being delayed as

a result of the letter sent

by Janki. However, he said “they’re hopelessly misguided” in their efforts to attempt to block the funding.

“They don’t care that this project will deliver cheaper electricity to our business community and to all of our citizens, that they’d have to pay half of what they’re paying now which could start as early as next year,” the Vice President posited.

While the US EXIM Bank is yet to approve the loan, Jagdeo is confident that this action does not impact Guyana getting the financing.

“The EXIM Bank is very much aware of what is going on here in Guyana. They have technical people who follow every single thing what’s going on. They can discern serious interests and serious concerns from a propagandistic nature or a doctrinaire nature, and in this case, that’s what is happening… So, I doubt it’s going to have any impact on EXIM Bank and the provision of the loan.

“Now, the Bank needs to satisfy itself, which it is doing through its own due diligence process, that the project is feasible, because they’re financing it and that it’s en-

FROM PAGE 3

vironmentally sound, and they’re doing that on their own. I believe that at the end of that exercise – before they go to the Board, that they would find it positive on both counts – independent of what the loonies say,” the VP stated.

Previously, Jagdeo had disclosed that Government could use bridge financing to get the project underway until the EXIM Bank loan comes onstream.

The Government has set aside a whopping $80 billion in Budget 2024 to advance the GtE Project this year and its associated infrastructure, including transmission and distribution upgrades to offtake the power.

Thus far, the marine offloading facility has been completed, and 26 kilometres (km) of onshore pipelines have been installed. Once completed, the project will allow Guyanese to benefit from 50 per cent reduced electricity costs.

The scope of Guyana’s GtE Project consists of the construction of 225km of pipeline from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil.

It features approximately 200km of a subsea pipeline offshore that will run from Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to the shore. Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline would continue for approximately 25km to the NGL plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.

In last year’s national budget, the project received a $43.3 billion allocation, in addition to the $24.6 billion injected into the start-up of the transformational project.

(G8)

Sweetening…

W

…sugar

e all know sugar’s the reason we’re all here. Well, there were also cotton and coffee, but other countries were lower-cost producers, and we were stuck with sugar. But sugar was viable only because of immigrant indentureds accepting abysmal wages and living conditions - with the chairman of Bookers once pointed out that the stables for the plantations’ mules were more habitable that the workers’ logies!!

Cheddi Jagan - who fought for sugar workers - spoke about “bitter sugar”.

The bitterness increased exponentially when the PNC/ AFC coalition slid into power in 2015, and David Granger shuttered four of the eight sugar plantations and threw 7000 sugar workers into the streets!! Some have questioned this number, since the fired workers from GuySuCo numbered only around 5000, but what’s conveniently forgotten is that private farmers were by then supplying almost 30% of canes to the factories - and their workers also lost their jobs!!

Anyhow, since the PPP returned to office in 2020 – to a large part because Granger shot the PNC in both feet with their sugar policy! – they’ve been fulfilling their promise to get the industry back on ITS feet. The PNC sees this move as PPP pandering to the sugar workers who’d traditionally supported them. They maintain that the entire industry should be shuttered. In all fairness to them, we are a highcost producer, and it’s been long recognised that we gotta bring down costs.

But this is exactly what GuySuCo’s been doing for 20 years, and the Skeldon Modernisation Plan was a key element in the strategy. Unfortunately, Booker Tate didn’t satisfy their management oversight duties, and the factory never fulfilled its promise. But the PPP is betting on the truism that there are many ways to skin a cat – AND make sugar profitable. On reducing costs, there has been a huge mechanization shift into tilling, planting and reaping the sugar cane – with aerial spraying of fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides being done by drones in the offing!!

But it’s said that, if you can’t lower the river, maybe you can raise the bridge?!! And this is also part of GuySuCo’s strategy: while lowering production costs, they figure they can raise the price folks will pay for our brown sugar!! Just packaging it in sachets was tried and tested – and a new packaging facility will be opened at Albion to replace the one closed down at Enmore. Then yesterday Pressie made an earth- shattering announcement: a private investor wants to set up a sugar refinery here!!!

This is historic, since, from the beginning, 300 years ago, our brown sugar was shipped to Europe, where they refined it and sold it for several times their buying price!!

At long last, we might be able to have the sweet from sugar!! …Jamaican Kulcha!!

Can you believe Bob Marley – Brother Bob to the world – would’ve been just 78 last Tuesday if cancer hadn’t taken him from us in 1981?? That’s right…this prophet of emancipation was just 36 when he transitioned to the ancestral spirits. He must be regaling them with his music - all shrouded in the smoke of some good Jamaican Gold!!

By 1965 – when he was just 20 – he, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer had debuted with “One Love”, which shot them to worldwide fame!! We hadn’t even gotten independence, and here was this young man who grabbed the attention of the world!!

One love, one heart/ Let's get together and feel all right/ Hear the children crying (One love)/ Hear the children crying (One heart)/ Sayin', "Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."/ Sayin', "Let's get together and feel all right." Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa Let's get together to fight this Holy Armageddon (One love)/ So when the Man comes there will be no, no doom (One song) …arrivals The new CJIA terminal might soon be joined by another, to handle the burgeoning traffic into our dear mudland!!

With the 729,000 arrivals of 2023 heading skywards, we gotta get more gates to clear all those bodies!!

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

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

NEWS

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ExxonMobil on track to deliver gas-to-shore by year-end …pipeline installation progressing

E

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge

xxonMobil is on track to deliver gas to Guyana’s shore by the end of the year, as the laying of the pipeline continues to progress satisfactorily.

Installation of the pipeline forms part of the transformative gas-to-energy project, in which are also included an Integrated Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) plant and a 300-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant to be situated at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The Guyana Government has envisioned startup of this project by 2025, thus realising its commitment to deliver cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable energy to the population.

While the Government is working with a number of partners to establish the NGL and the power plant components, ExxonMobil is responsible for executing the laying of the pipeline. “…all the way from connections we’ve talked about on the FPSOs, the risers, the deepwater pipeline; all the way up onto the shallow shelf, crossing the seawall, and then

all the way down to Wales for the onshore pipeline,” President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, told a press conference on Tuesday.

“At that point, it passes over to the Government, who is responsible for the integrated plant for the NGL extraction and the power generation, and then the tie in to the national grid,” he explained.

The onshore portion of the pipeline installation is about 40 per cent completed, while the offshore component is about 55 per cent completed.

“Last year, we had installation campaigns in two parts: we had the ultra-shallow piece, which are mud flaps at low tide…we did about 18 kilometres. So, we executed a good portion of that…then we also installed in the shallow water…going from that 18-kilometre mark out to where the shelf drops down into the deep water,” Routledge outlined.

For this year, remaining works include installing risers on the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity vessels; the deepwater pipelaying; then connecting it to the power

plant. It is expected that the Liza field production will be taken offline in the second half of the year to facilitate this.

“For the whole pipeline, we’re on schedule to have that complete and ready to introduce gas by the end of this year,” Routledge assured. “We have an ongoing coordination interface set up to deal with the developers for the plant, so that we can align commissioning plans,” he added.

Government has said that, once completed, the gas-to- energy project would allow Guyanese to benefit from 50 per cent reduced electricity costs.

The scope of Guyana’s gas-to -energy project consists of the construction of 225 kilometres of pipeline running from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where ExxonMobil and its partners are currently producing oil.

It features approximately 200 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore that would run from Liza Destiny and Liza Unity floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to the shore.

Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline would continue for approximately 25 kilometres to the NGL plant at Wales, WBD. The pipeline would be 12 inches wide, and is expected to transport per day some 50 million standard cubic feet (mscfpd) of dry gas to the NGL plant, but it can push as much as 120 mscfpd.

A whopping $80 billion has been budgeted in 2024 to advance this project and its associated infrastruc-

Pork-knocker stabbed to death in Region 1 A

2 7 - y e a r - o l d pork-knocker of Big Creek Backdam, North West District (NWD), died on Monday after he was stabbed by a gold miner, with whom he was imbibing.

Dead is Eutan George, called “Blacka”.

Police have since arrested the 22-year-old suspect, who is from Big Creek Backdam.

Investigations revealed that both the suspect and George were imbibing on Monday at a shop, and about 18:00h, they left the premises.

Reports are that George headed west in the direction of his home, and the suspect was seen walking behind him. Moments later, George's 22-year-old brother was walking to the shop when he observed his brother lying face up with what appeared to be a stab wound to his chest.

George was motionless and unresponsive, Police said, and the brother raised an alarm.

The incident was reported to a prominent resident in the area who then reported the incident to the Port Kaituma Police Station.

George was taken to the Port Kaituma District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The body is at the hospital's mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Based on the information received, the suspect was arrested at his home.

He was escorted to Port Kaituma Police Station, where he was placed in custody.

He has since allegedly confessed to committing the act and provided information that led to the recovery of the suspected murder weapon. (G9)

File photo: Model of the power plant component of the gas-to-shore project

ture, including transmission and distribution upgrades to offtake the power.

In Budget 2023, the gas-to-energy project received a $43.3 billion allocation. This allocation is in addition to the $24.6 billion injected into the start-up of the transformational project.

The NGL and 300MW power plant components of the project are, meanwhile, expected to cost US$759.8

million, and will be financed through sources that include budgets and loan financing.

Meanwhile, a sum of US$55 million per annum will be paid to ExxonMobil in amortisation costs for the pipelines to be installed in the gas-to-energy project, which would allow Guyana to, in turn, save and earn ten times that amount.

Gas-to-Energy Project Head, Winston Brassington, had explained that the

$55 million to be paid to ExxonMobil annually would allow the oil major to recover the US$1 billion spent on the pipelines.

Guyana has, meanwhile, been receiving assistance from international sources, including Qatar, when it comes to the formulation of a plan to utilise and monetise the gas supply it would get when the gas-to-energy project comes online. (G11)

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NEWS

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Investor building sugar refinery at Enmore estate – Ali …hundreds to be employed

for “hundreds of upskilled jobs” and logistics to supply the refinery.

“Hundreds of upskill jobs will be created there, more opportunities for transport and logistics again to fuel that refinery.

T

he Enmore Sugar Estate, one of several sugar estates that were closed down and abandoned by the previous A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government, will be reconstructed into a sugar refinery within the next two years.

This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, who disclosed that an investor will fund the project as he made remarks on Monday during the Private Sector Commission’s Annual Dinner, held at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

President Ali had, some time ago, disclosed that the Enmore estate would be developed into an industrial zone and a state-of-the-art machine shop and pipe yard.

However, plans have been changed following the investor indicating interest in development of the estate.

As a result, this sugar refinery has become another project under the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government aimed at revitalizing the sugar industry.

With Guyana’s brown sugar production now projected to again increase to

100,000 tonnes annually from this year, the Head of State explained, the Enmore facility would be able to refine up to 180,000 metric tonnes annually.

“We are investing in the (Guyana Sugar Corporation) because it is going to be made profitable…we have an investor, who is in the final stage of the investment decision, soon to convert the Enmore Sugar Estate, that is now scrapped, into a sugar refinery to refine the brown sugar there,” the Head of State said.

Further, President Ali disclosed that the facility will provide opportunities

So, all of these things that I am telling you about here is one the card to unload itself in two years’ time,” President Ali announced.

A refinery is different from a sugar mill, in that the latter crushes the cane

stalks, squeezes the juice from the plant, and facilitates crystallization of the juice so it turns into raw sugar; whereas a refinery converts that raw sugar into food grade white sugar.

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NEWS

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Motorcyclist crashes into car Brothers wanted for multiple armed robberies after jumping traffic light T

he Guyana Police Force has issued wanted bulletins for two brothers, Kevin and Kellon Fredricks, of Onderneeming, Sandpit, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) for questioning in relation to a series of armed robberies.

Police Headquarters reported that the brothers, 21-year-old twins, are wanted for questioning in relation to robberies committed in Georgetown between December 4, 2023 and January 24, 2024; at Sand Hill Backdam, Cuyuni River, and Windsor Cattle, Essequibo Coast.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Kevin and Kellon Fredricks is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 2267065, 227-1270, 226-7476, 226-7065, 227-9271, 2271611, 227-1149, 227-1270, 225-6940-9, 225-3650, 2261928, or 911 or at the nearest Police Station.

Kellon Fredricks is no stranger to the law. He was sentenced to 12 months behind bars in December 2023 after being found guilty of unlawful wounding by Magistrate Esther Sam at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court.

It was reported that he unlawfully wounded Stanley Paton, a 63-year-old security guard of Onderneeming Sand Pit, on January 30, 2023.

The crime was committed at Onderneeming Sand

Pit, Essequibo Coast. Paton was reportedly ambushed and shot by gunmen while he slept in a hammock at the camp where he was assigned to keep an eye on the Hot and Cold Loam pit.

The Magistrate sentenced Fredricks in absentia.

In March of 2023, Fredricks was also charged with attempting to murder

an Essequibo businessman.

Kellon Fredricks was also charged with attempt to commit murder on 27-year-old Randolph Williams of Lot 428 Phase Two, Onderneeming Sand Pit, on Sunday, February 4. The incident occurred at Onderneeming Sand Pit. He was granted $500,000 bail on that charge. (G9)

A

motorcyclist who jumped the traffic light at the intersection of Hunter Street and the East Bank Highway on Wednesday evening was seriously injured after he collided with a car.

Eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying moment, saying that the speeding motorcyclist careened into the path of the car, driven by a woman, who had the green light. The force of the collision caused the

man to land several feet away from the point of impact.

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) rushed to the scene and transported him to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Private Sector urged to invest in eco-tourism G

uyana’s tourism industry has, over the last three years, made significant progress with critical investments from both public and private stakeholders.

The Tourism Industry includes hospitality (accommodation, restaurants); transportation (airlines, car rental); travel facilitation and information (tour operators, travel agents, tourist information centres); and attractions and entertainment (heritage sites and theme, national, and wildlife parks).

However, the sector is still underdeveloped when compared with other countries in the Caribbean.

At the Private Sector Commission’s Annual Dinner on Monday, President Dr Irfaan Ali issued a call to the local Private Sector to invest in Guyana’s flora and fauna, noting that the country is ready to “sell the luxury of

President Dr Irfaan Ali addressing the gathering

Private Sector at PSC Annual Corporate Dinner

peditions to various tourist destinations in order to examine what Guyana has to offer; after which engagements would be had with the Private Sector about capital and business development plans.

According to the Head of State, eco-tourism is a

into their business model, and help them to push their products…,” he said.

“The tourism sector has

Mahdia was emphasised as one of the areas for business development, since the township gives direct

major opportunities. We need the Private Sector to move into that direction and invest in the tourism sector,” President Ali explained.

access to the mining community.

Already, Government has advertised for proposals to develop eco-lodges and resorts in pursuit of developing Guyana’s tourism product. It is anticipated that there would be proposals for a resort to be established in Region Eight.

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond has already explained that it is imperative for Guyanese to shift from potential to actuality, since the nation has a supportive Government.

Caribbean member states to boost tourism here, the sector must be developed

by Guyanese and local investments.

“I want to see the local Private Sector investing in tourism, because we will back the investment with marketing; we’ll back the

The Eco Lodge in Region 8

Canopy Walkway

‘being one with nature’.”

He said that through the Tourism Ministry, Government, in collaboration with serious local investors, will soon host ex-

low handing fruit, and investors within the Private Sector must recognize its potential.

He explained that while there are partnerships with

investment with infrastructure; we’ll back the investment by fiscal incentives; we’ll back the investment as a Government; because this is an important future

for us,” President Ali disclosed.

Further, he encouraged the local Private Sector to partner with small-scale entrepreneurs who specialize in culture and arts and craft to market Guyana’s local products. This, he highlighted, would provide the opportunity for local operatives in the tourism sector to expand.

“We have people who are designers, and we have people in the interior who do specific crafts, more local types of products. We have to get the larger companies to adopt these small innovators and bring them

Tourism in Region 8

In 2023, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), one of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions, was highlighted as being filled with tremendous potential for tourism and business expansion, which can contribute to Government’s drive to bolster the nation’s tourism industry. Specifically,

Strike by teachers “politically...

AG Nandlall contended that the renumeration of teachers cannot be looked at in isolation but in comparison with other public servants.

“You gotta compare it with rest of public service employees and tell me… that there is not another motive at play here. It cannot be [working] conditions because these conditions when you compared with the other public sector employees, they’re quite frankly superior – very superior… Don’t look at it in

isolation, compare it with other public sector employees,” Nandlall asserted.

Illegal

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has already described the strike as illegal and has adopted a recommendation from the Labour Ministry not to pay the teachers who do not turn out to work.

In addition, the Education Ministry has also indicated to the GTU that it would stop deducting dues from the wages and sala-

ries of teachers on behalf of the union. This means the union would now have to collect its fees directly from teachers.

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, on Monday evening had stated that government is not obligated to agree to the multi-year agreement proposed by GTU but still went ahead to meet more than half of those demands.

She pointed out that while the GTU has proposed a 25 per cent sala-

ry increase for 2019 and a 20 per cent increase for every other year from 2020 to 2023, Government has increased teachers’ salaries by more than 20 per cent since taking office in 2020.

“We had this problem where teachers were getting the wrong salary, and [President Dr Irfaan Ali] said no, we will fix all of that from 2020 to now, so, people were backdated. Last year October, we fixed it and it cost us $700 million to fix that,” Manickchand stated.

In addition, she noted that the Education Ministry will be pumping $1.8 billion in school supplies and cash grants to teachers in 2024 to assist them with the preparation of their classrooms.

In fact, the distribution of this School’s Supplies Cash Grant started on Monday in Region Two and has so far been disbursed to schools in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six. Distributions are ongoing in the other regions.

Nevertheless, even as

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the GTU-organised strike continues, the Education Ministry has assured parents that provisions have been made to ensure students are academically engaged via the learning platforms. Educational content across Grades and particularly for exam classes, is available on the Ministry of Education’s website, the Guyana Learning Channel (television and Youtube channel), and the recently launched app, EDPal as well as on the radio, EdYou FM. (G8)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Fire at Albion Sugar Factory

Govt working to return operations to normalcy

The powerhouse on fire

T

he Government is procuring the necessary equipment to execute urgent repairs to the control room at the Albion Sugar Factory, which was devas-

tated by a fire.

The blaze resulted in millions of dollars in losses, and disruption to the operations of the sugar estate.

The fire erupted in the

control room of the Albion Sugar Factory on Saturday.

The incident resulted in the destruction and damage of several specialised pieces of equipment. The control system plays a significant part in the factory's operation, in that several critical elements are dependent on it.

It controls the devices that grind the cane to extract the juice and also the elements that lead to the boilers. The control system is also responsible for regulating the temperature of the boilers. The system, which is computerised, controls most of the mechanical parts of the factory.

In an interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha highlighted the urgent need to procure replacement equipment to restore the

Agriculture Mustapha

Minister

Zulfikar

functionality of the control room.

This action is crucial to ensure that Albion Estate remains aligned with other estates across the country, which are scheduled to commence grinding in the first

week of March.

“The powerhouse would have suffered the damage, the panel in there is damaged… I am hoping that they can procure the parts to go and fix that, because that is a very important part for the restarting of the factory,” he said.

“I am hoping that the people who are looking at it, the engineers can finish that aspect very fast. We are looking to have it coming into the country…”.

According to Mustapha, as it stands, they are unaware of how much it will cost to fix the damage, but will determine that when the parts are sourced. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, it is suspected to be electrical in nature.

This came just after the Guyana Sugar Corporation

(GuySuCo) announced critical upgrades to the infrastructural and equipment components of the Albion Sugar Estate have been undertaken to ensure greater efficiency in the new year.

The sugar company noted that 36 bridges were rehabilitated to improve access to the canes. Some of these bridges were unusable for over 12 years.

Further, 22 tractors that were down owing to a shortage of spares were all repaired, and 95 per cent of the field machines were re-fitted with new tyres during October to increase availability and reliability.

Moving forward into 2024, the estate also said it would continue to prioritise innovation and efficiency to further enhance its productivity and streamline its production process. (G9)

$49M digital X-ray machine unveiled at Mahaicony Cottage Hospital

A

digital X-ray machine worth $49 million is now in place at Mahaicony Cottage Hospital situated in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony commissioned the new equipment on Monday.

The equipment has been set up in a new X-ray room for which the Government invested $30 million.

The Health Minister said that the $30 million-plus X-ray department and the $49 million X-ray machine at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital is part of the Ministry’s initiative to replace all analog X-ray machines with cutting-edge digital devices aimed at enhancing service delivery as the Ministry seeks to improve the quality of medical services provided to patients.

The X-ray machine is manufactured by Siemens, one of the leading X-ray machine manufacturers.

Dr Anthony noted that the hospital had previously experimented with different brands and found Siemens to be more reliable for imag-

The new digital X-ray machine at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice)

ing purposes.

The Georgetown Public Hospital has used the same brand of X-ray machines and has gotten years of service out of them.

“In the past, we had used Siemens at the Georgetown Public Hospital and they lasted for 10 years…So, what you have now is a good type of equipment,” the Minister explained.

According to Anthony, similar X-ray machines are available in other hospitals, including Suddie, Linden, New Amsterdam, Mibicuri,

and Port Mourant.

He noted that the digital X-ray system enabled faster access to results from anywhere within the local system.

“The exposure of patients to radiation is far less, and so you don’t have that fear that you used to have before: that you would have a lot of radiation. The radiation is far less in exposure to patients and the person who is doing the image,” Dr Anthony added.

As part of a broader initiative by the Health

Ministry, the introduction of digital X-ray machines signifies the beginning of an era during which analog X-ray machines are phased out.

Aimed at significantly improving the quality of patient service, this transition to digital systems is a testament to the Ministry's commitment to integrating advanced technology into healthcare services.

Meanwhile, regional parliamentarian Fizal Jaffarally said the new facility would bring about positive changes to Region Five, noting that it was part of the Government’s commitment to deliver efficient health care countrywide.

He pointed out that while the Government has been trying to improve healthcare

delivery, too often there have been complaints about the quality of service.

“We can have the best building and the best equipment, but when an ordinary person goes to the institution, he or she expects to be treated with efficiency, kindness, and compassion. Too often, sometimes we receive these complaints and, therefore, we need to change the culture as to how we relate to people when they visit our health centres and hospitals across our region,” he declared.

Jaffarally also commented on the artificial shortages of drugs and medical supplies, saying that management needed to be improved.

Meanwhile, Regional

Vice Chairman Rian Pieters echoed Jaffarally’s sentiments, noting that the impact the new X-ray machine would have on Region Five was significant.

“Yes, I agree that there have been complaints coming in about the level of service, but I would not want to reiterate the complaints, I would want at this time to congratulate our health workers, because apart from the complaints, I have been receiving calls commending the service being provided by our health workers as well,” the Vice Chairman pointed out.

Over the past several years, the Government has invested approximately $300 million in the health sector in Region Five. (G4)

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FAO conference to confront malnutrition, climate change challenges in LAC region

The launching of the conference

T

he imminent 38th session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is set to confront head-on the intertwined challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and malnutrition in the Latin America and Caribbean region among other topics.

Guyana, positioned at the forefront, will steer discussions toward fostering regional coherence in global policies concerning agriculture and food.

Scheduled to take place for the first time in Guyana from March 18 to March 21, this much-anticipated agriculture forum will assemble key stakeholders to

deliberate on crucial topics such as financing strategies to eradicate hunger, innovative technologies to mitigate post-harvest food loss, and adaptation measures to counteract the impacts of climate change on sustainable agriculture and food security.

The agenda will also encompass discussions on enhancing access to financing mechanisms, facilitating technology transfer and capacity building, and combatting food insecurity and malnutrition among children in the Region.

At the launch of the Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha under-

scored the significance of this event in shaping policies and directives for the Latin America and Caribbean Region, given the vulnerability of their agricultural food systems to multifaceted challenges such as the post-COVID-19 landscape, geopolitical tensions, and the relentless onslaught of climate change.

Despite the daunting nature of these challenges, Mustapha expressed unwavering determination among regional stakeholders to seek solutions and mitigate their impact on the populace, emphasising the necessity for collaborative efforts with capable institutions.

“But as a Region, we must remain resolute. We have diligently sought

FAO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative, Mario Lubetkin

solutions to address the complex …challenges and strive to minimise the impact on our population,” Minister Mustapha noted.

The Region is urged to collaborate with capable institutions to address various obstacles. The FAO is highlighted as a vital partner, offering significant technical support for agricultural projects in the Region to enhance food security.

This aligns with Caricom's goal to reduce its food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

“We had a meeting where the President met with the Regional Director of the FAO. And he reiterated that at the end of this conference, we want to talk

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

about outcomes. We must come up with a programme that Latin America and the Caribbean will follow for the next two years,” he reported.

Highlighting FAO's pivotal role in the Region, its Assistant Director General and Regional Representative, Mario Lubetkin, stressed the imperative of a unified approach to address climate change, trade, and sustainable production, citing the integration of local, regional, and global perspectives as essential for effective problem-solving.

Each year, Agriculture Ministers and other dignitaries from member states of the region convene at the

FAO regional conference to deliberate on matters pertinent to food and agriculture. Guyana's hosting of this significant event underscores its leadership in regional agriculture and food security efforts.

With 33 countries slated to participate in the high-level session at the ACCC, and an expected attendance of more than 100 delegates, including officials from various organisations such as the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the conference promises to be a pivotal platform for shaping the future of agriculture and food security in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Miner drowns while swimming across Puruni River A 31-year-old miner of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD) lost his life by drowning on Tuesday after he attempted to swim across the Puruni River in Region Seven, (CuyuniMazaruni).

Dead is Alexander Angoy, a father of four.

He died at approximately 19:07h at Chinese Creek Backdam, Puruni River.

According to reports, Angoy and his 18-year-old cousin, Yashua Angoy, also a miner, were at Chinese Creek backdam when they decided to swim across the Puruni River to reach Alexander's camp.

While in the process of swimming across the river, Alexander went under the

Dead: Alexander Angoy

water. Yashua managed to swim to shore.

He raised an alarm and informed persons, including Alexander’s mother, Hyachin Angoy, who also works in the Chinese

Moments after Angoy’s body was recovered from the Puruni River

Creek area.

A search party was formed, but their efforts to find Alexander were futile.

However, on Wednesday, the search party which included Police ranks, conducted searches, and

the motionless body of Alexander was found and removed from the Puruni River.

The body was examined by the Police and no mark of violence was observed.

Alexander’s uncle on Wednesday said that his nephew had been working in the area since he was a teen. He said according to Yashua, Alexander was wearing a hat that hindered him from swimming.

“My nephew told me that Alex was wearing a hat and that hat is what took him off his focus. He was a good way ahead, but after taking off his hat and throwing it in front of him, he had to be swimming in a slant direction which made the distance more longer for him, just because [he]

kept trying to get his hat,” he said.

“As my other nephew kept swimming straight, he was getting tired so he kept swimming to reach.

He said he heard Alex call for him three times and after a while, when he looked, he didn’t see his cousin.”

The dead man’s uncle said the situation not only left Alexander’s cousin traumatised but his entire family in shock.

“When they found him, they found him with a hook. I assume they made a hook, put weights on it so it could sink to the bottom, and drove the waters all night till this [Wednesday] morning,” he said.

Investigations are ongoing. (G9)

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Argentina’s Milei weighs Dengue spreading fast next steps after economic in Brazil, prompting reform bill setback emergency health measures

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he Government of Argentine President Javier Milei was seeking to salvage his wide-ranging economic reform package on Wednesday after Congress delivered a major blow a day earlier, casting doubt over its future and triggering a fall in financial markets.

Lower House lawmakers on Tuesday rejected several crucial proposals in the bill, sending it back to committee and back to the drawing board.

The Government said it was seeking ways to keep the bill alive.

“All constitutional tools are being evaluated,” presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni said at a news conference on Wednesday. “At some point the law is going to become a reality.”

Milei’s so-called “omnibus” bill, which had al-

Argentine President Javier Milei (Reuters/Ammar Awad photo)

ready been significantly reworked by lawmakers before Tuesday’s defeat, included provisions to allow for the privatisation of State entities and give the President greater powers, among changes to hundreds of regulations.

The Government was now

weighing whether to break it up into separate bills, ruling party lawmaker Oscar Zago said on Wednesday in an interview on local radio station Urbana.

Zago, who leads the ruling party’s minority bloc in the Lower House, said a non-binding national referendum could also be held to drum up support for the bill.

Milei, who has accused Opposition lawmakers of “betrayal” for voting against some of the key proposals, argues reforms are needed to rescue Argentina from its worst economic crisis in decades, with inflation running at over 200 per cent.

Argentina’s stock market fell more than five per cent on Wednesday. Bonds slid an average one per cent, and the peso currency weakened more than three per cent.

(Reuters)

D

engue fever has surged in Brazil’s hot rainy season, forcing health authorities to take emergency measures and start mass vaccination against the mosquito-borne illness.

In the first five weeks of this year 364,855 cases of infection have been reported, the Health Ministry said, four times more than dengue cases in the same period of 2023.

The rapid spread of dengue has caused 40 confirmed deaths, the Ministry said, and a further 265 are being

investigated.

Brazil has bought 5.2 million doses of the dengue vaccine Qdenga developed

by Japanese drugmaker Takeda’s, with another 1.32 million doses provided at no cost to the Government, a Ministry statement said.

Three Brazilian states have declared emergencies, including the second most populous state Minas Gerais, and the Federal District, where the capital Brasilia is located as they face an unprecedented rise in infections.

Brasilia will start vacci-

nating children aged 10-14 on Friday with Qdenga, the local government said on Wednesday.

Cases of dengue in Brasilia since the start of the year have exceeded the total for the whole of 2023, with a rate of infection of 1625 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to the national average of just 170.

Army troops have been deployed in the capital to help track breeding spots of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries and spreads the dengue virus.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera drowns after helicopter crashes in lake

Nicaragua grants asylum to exPanamanian President Martinelli F

N

i c a r a g u a ’ s Government said on Wednesday it had granted asylum to Panama’s former President, Ricardo Martinelli, after the ex-leader, currently facing a lengthy prison sentence at home, requested the protection at Nicaragua’s Embassy in Panama City.

The former President confirmed to Reuters that he had requested asylum in Nicaragua. His spokesman said he was still in Panama.

Martinelli, who is campaigning to return to Panama’s presidency in elections later this year, considers himself a victim of political persecution with his life in “imminent” danger, according to a statement

Panama’s former President Ricardo Martinelli addressing the media, accompanied by his lawyer Shirley Castaneda, after filing a complaint with the General Secretariat of the National Assembly to investigate Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo and Vice President Jose Gabriel Carrizo, in Panama City, Panama, February 6, 2024 (Reuters/Aris Martin photo)

from Nicaragua’s Foreign Ministry.

Late last week, Panama’s top court rejected Martinelli’s appeal to annul a nearly-11-

year prison sentence due to a conviction last year centring on money laundering charges. (Excerpt from Reuters)

ormer Chilean President Sebastián Piñera, who served two terms and was also a billionaire businessman, has died in a helicopter crash at the age of 74.

Three other persons aboard the aircraft survived when it came down in a lake near the southern town of Lago Ranco.

A post-mortem carried out on Piñera’s body, which had earlier been recovered from the submerged helicopter, showed he had drowned.

National mourning has been declared and tributes have poured in.

Piñera was spending his holidays with his family in the lakeside resort of Bahía Coique, 920 kilometres (570 miles) south of the capital, Santiago.

The ex-President often

Sebastián Piñera, seen here at a campaign event in 2006, served two terms as President

used his private helicopter to travel around the area, and officials have confirmed he was piloting it when it crashed on Tuesday.

Aviation expert Eddie Miceli told CNN that the former President was “an excellent pilot”.

Piñera had reportedly had lunch with his friend, businessman José Cox, on

the southern shore of Lake Ranco and was heading back to the northern shore when his helicopter ran into problems.

It was raining at the time and there was considerable cloud cover. An investigation is under way to establish what exactly caused the crash.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Jamaica: Ombudsman 5 armed Haiti Ecuador’s top Bill pushed through environment agents court recognises killed in clash with Police House; Opposition says right to euthanasia move “disgraceful”

E

cuador’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday approved a request from a terminally-ill patient to decriminalise euthanasia and ordered the National Assembly to approve a law regulating the procedure within a year.

Paola Roldan, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2020, petitioned Ecuador’s top court in August last year to recognise her right to euthanasia, given her deterioration and pain caused by the illness.

The resolution is immediately applicable and Roldan

can choose to be euthanised whenever she decides, her lawyers told Journalists.

In its ruling, the court recognised the right for people to make free and informed decisions including “the option of ending the intense suffering caused by a serious and irreversible bodily injury or a serious and incurable illness.”

Ecuador is the latest country in the region to authorise euthanasia, following Cuba – which gave it the green light in December – and neighbouring Colombia, which allows euthanasia in certain instances. (Excerpt from Reuters)

A

t least five agents of Haiti’s BSAP, an armed environmental agency that in recent years has evolved into a paramilitary body, were killed in a shootout with National Police in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, the Police trade union told reporters.

Haiti’s National Police did not immediately respond to a request for more details, or whether there had been any Police casualties.

The clash follows days of protests across the country ahead of Wednesday, February 7 by which current unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry had

promised to step down, and the date on which Haitian Presidents are traditionally sworn into office.

Former coup leader Guy Philippe, who was repatriated to Haiti late last year after serving some six years in a US prison, in recent weeks had been rallying supporters for a “revolution” against Henry’s Government.

Local media AyiboPost reported citing the head of BSAP saying that many of its members are former soldiers who fought with Philippe in the 2004 ouster of former President JeanBertrand Aristide.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

T

he Government on Tuesday used its majority in the House of Representatives to push through amendments to the Political Ombudsman (Interim) Act, 2024, paving the way for the Commissioners of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) to take on that adjudicative role.

But the Opposition reiterated its objection to the Bill and described the Government’s move as “disgraceful”, saying it had neglected to discuss the matter to arrive at a consensus on the way forward.

The development came as both the ruling Jamaica Labour Party and the Opposition People’s National Party traded charges of politically-motivated misdeeds in a violent incident in Trinityville, St Thomas, that has gone viral on social media.

The debate on the Bill picked up right where it had left off when it was suspended last week following the Opposition’s call for a divide. Tuesday’s vote resulted in 21 members saying yes to the Bill’s passage; while seven said no. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

19

Around the World

Hope for Gaza ceasefire alive OILNEWS OIL NEWS with more talks planned Oil prices rise as Netanyahu vows to press on with Gaza war; US crude output to slow this year

C

rude oil futures rose for a third day after prospects for a truce in the Israel-Hamas war seemed to diminish and as slowing US production eased worries that the market is oversupplied.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contract for March added 55 cents, or 0.75 per cent, to settle at US$73.86 a barrel Wednesday, while the Brent contract for April gained 62 cents, or 0.79 per cent, to settle at US$79.21 a barrel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected a proposal made by Hamas for a permanent ceasefire, vowing to fight on in Gaza until “absolute victory”.

Netanyahu’s comments came shortly after he met with US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who is trying to facilitate truce in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages.

“While there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’ response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there,” Blinken told reporters at press conference in Israel.

The war between Israel and Hamas threatens to draw the US into a direct confrontation with Iran. The US launched airstrikes against Iranian forces and allied militants in Iraq and Syria last weekend in retaliation for the death of three American troops in a drone strike in Jordan.

Analysts have warned that a confrontation between the US and Iran could impact the oil market if there is a prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for crude flows.

In additional to geopolitical risks, oil prices also found support from forecasts that US production will grow more slowly this year than expected.

The US pumped a record 13.3 million barrels per day of crude oil in December, but output is not expected to surpass this level until early 2025, according to estimates from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), an arm of the Department of Energy.

On balance, domestic oil output is expected to grow by 170,000 barrels per day this year, down significantly from the EIA’s previous forecast of 290,000 bpd. Crude production fell in January due to weather and is forecast to rebound in February before easing slightly through the middle of the year, the EIA said.

US oil output has raised worries among traders that the market is oversupplied as China’s economy and crude demand soften. But the world will face a crude oil supply deficit of 120,000 barrels per day this year, according to EIA estimates.

Occidental Petroleum Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vicki Hollub told CNBC this week that although the market was currently oversupplied, the world would face a major shortage by the end of 2025 because crude reserves are not being replaced fast enough.

“We’re going to be in a situation now where in a couple of years’ time, we’re going to be very short supply,” Hollub told CNBC. (CNBC)

M

ediators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt scrambled to forge a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in their four-month-old war in the Gaza Strip after America’s top diplomat on a Middle East mission said there was still hope for a deal.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said he saw room for negotiation, and a Palestinian Hamas delegation led by senior official Khalil AlHayya was due to travel today to Cairo for ceasefire talks with Egypt and Qatar.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected Hamas’ latest offer, calling it “delusional”, and Hamas urged Palestinian armed factions to go on fighting.

“There are clearly nonstarters in what (Hamas has) put forward,” Blinken said on Wednesday at a late-night press conference in a Tel Aviv

R

For months, Republicans have insisted that any additional aid to the two US allies must also address the high numbers of migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border – a top voter concern.

But many Republicans promptly rejected the package when it was released on Sunday, even though it contained many of their priorities. Former President Donald Trump, who has pressed them to reject any compromise, has made calls for tight controls of immigration a feature of his campaign to defeat Democratic President Joe Biden in the November election.

Only four of the Senate’s

Displaced Palestinians react near their tents following an Israeli strike on a car, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, February 7, 2024 (Reuters/Mohammed Salem photo)

Israel would be willing to let Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar go into exile in exchange for the release of all hostages and an end to

Election posters for the MQM-P (kite) and Jamaat-e-Islami (scales) parties are seen in Karachi

T

ens of millions of Pakistanis head to the polls today to vote in a new government amid soaring inflation, rising violence, and claims of rigging.

The election comes almost two years since the previous Prime Minister, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, was ousted in a no-confidence vote.

Khan was later jailed on corruption charges and is barred from standing.

Three-time PM Nawaz

49 Republicans voted for the bill.

“Some have been very clear with me they have political differences with the bill,” said Republican Senator James Lankford, one of the negotiators.

“They say it’s the wrong time to solve the problem, let the presidential election solve the problem.”

Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema, another one of the deal’s authors, said she was baffled by the sudden shift in fortune.

“Three weeks ago, everyone wanted to solve the border crisis,” she said.

“Yesterday, nobody did.”

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Sharif is on the ballot. Many analysts say it’s Pakistan’s least credible election yet.

Strict rules around election coverage – including what can be said about candidates, campaigning and opinion polls – remain in place until the end of voting at 17:00h local time (12:00 GMT). Results have to be released within two weeks.

As many as 128 million persons are registered to cast their votes, with almost half under the age of 35.

They will choose between more than 5000 candidates – of whom just 313 are women.

The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were considered the two major parties going into the vote.

However, picking out candidates from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been made more difficult, after it was banned from using the cricket bat symbol under which all its candidates run.

Electoral symbols play a key role in a country where more than 40 per cent are unable to read.

The PTI allege other tactics have been used to prevent their candidates winning seats as well, including being locked up, banned from holding rallies, and forced underground.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

the Hamas Government in Gaza, a half-dozen Israeli officials and senior advisers have told NBC News. (Excerpt from Reuters)

US drone strike kills Iran-backed militia leader in Baghdad

A Pakistan holds election tainted by rigging claims

US Senate defeats border deal, but Ukraine, Israel aid may survive epublicans in the US Senate on Wednesday defeated a bipartisan effort to bolster border security that had taken months to negotiate, but said they could still approve aid for Ukraine and Israel that had been tied up in the deal.

By a vote of 49-50, largely along party lines, the Senate failed to approve a US$118 billion bipartisan package that would tighten immigration laws, help Ukraine fight a Russian invasion, and bolster Israel in its war with Hamas.

The measure needed 60 votes to advance in the chamber, which Democrats control by a 51-49 margin.

hotel, without specifying what the nonstarters were.

“But we also see space in what came back to pursue negotiations, to see if we can get to an agreement. That’s what we intend to do.”

Before heading back to the US, Blinken was due to hold meetings in Israel today, including with family members of hostages still held in Gaza who have clamoured for Netanyahu to make winning their freedom his top priority.

Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, proposed a ceasefire of four and a half months, during which all hostages held in Gaza would go free, Israel would withdraw its troops from Gaza and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.

The Hamas offer was a response to a proposal drawn up

by US and Israeli spy chiefs and delivered to Hamas last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

senior commander of an Iran-backed militia has been killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad.

A leader of Kataib Hezbollah and two of his guards were in a vehicle when it was targeted in the east of the Iraqi capital. All three of them died.

The Pentagon said the commander was responsible for directing attacks on American forces in the region.

The US has linked the militia to a drone attack in Jordan that killed three US troops last month.

In the wake of that attack, Kataib Hezbollah said it was suspending attacks on American troops to prevent “embarrassment” to the Iraqi Government.

Wednesday night’s drone raid happened in Baghdad’s Mashtal neighbourhood, sparking several loud explosions.

It was a precise strike on

a moving vehicle in a busy street and the car was reduced to a fiery wreck.

One of the victims has been identified as Abu Baqir al-Saadi, a senior commander in Kataib Hezbollah.

US Central Command (Centcom) said the attack was carried out at 21:30 local time (18:30 GMT), and had killed the “commander responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on US forces in the region”.

“There are no indications of collateral damage or civilian casualties at this time,” the Centcom statement said.

The raid comes days after the US launched 85 strikes in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for the fatal January 28 drone attack on US troops.

President Joe Biden described last Friday’s wave of attacks as just the beginning of the US response.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Thousands flee in eastern DR Congo as M23 rebels advance near Goma

T

housands of people are fleeing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as fighting intensifies between the Congolese army and the M23 armed group.

Fighters reportedly surrounded the strategic town of Sake on Wednesday, a crucial step before reaching Goma, the capital of North Kivu.

Capturing Sake would deal a logistical blow to Congolese soldiers.

The Congolese army and United Nations peacekeepers have been struggling to contain M23’s advance. And as fighting continues, thousands of those who fled Sake have arrived in Bulengo, about 10 kilometres (six miles) west of Goma.

Thousands are “on the road right now”, trying to escape the violence and get to Goma, Al Jazeera’s Alain Uaykani said, reporting from

Bulengo on Wednesday.

“They have been fighting for a week right now, but this (Wednesday) morning, again, rebels have tried to take over the main city,” he explained.

It remains unclear whether the army or the rebels are now controlling the area, Uaykani added.

“The situation in Sake is very bad with heavy fighting between soldiers and M23 rebels. They have attacked with heavy guns and bombs fell on the city … this is why we are leaving for Goma,” Justin Musau, a displaced person from Sake, told Al Jazeera.

Another displaced person, Henriette Muyume, said, “We are running from the fighting between rebels and soldiers.

We don’t know where we can go … but we can’t survive in this situation, it’s too much for us.”

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

(March 21-April 19)

Donate your time to a cause and make a difference. The people you encounter will help you with a challenge.

Look for a cost-efficient way to reach your objective. Don't put yourself at risk.

Concentrate on what you can accomplish instead of watching the competition. Trust and believe in yourself and your ability to do your best. Someone will try to intimidate you. Be brave.

PICKLES (April 20-May 20)

Reunite with old friends. Establish what's essential and find out how to make the changes necessary to reach your goal. Networking and reaching out to an expert will save you time.

(May 21-June 20) Step outside your comfort zone and do something unusual. Giving your creativity a chance to seep into what you do will draw positive attention.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Don't misinterpret what others do or say. When you doubt someone, ask questions. Concentrate on something you feel passionate about. Strive for personal growth and satisfaction.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Don't overthink your next move.

Look at the facts, consider what you can contribute and avoid ventures that involve others. Getting ahead will require hands-on effort and energy.

CALVIN AND HOBBES (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Stifle anger and let your intelligence take you to a better place. Avoid joint ventures, stay on top of late fees and don't rely on others to take care of matters for you.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

Don't overthink your next move.

Consider what's popular and how to apply your experience, knowledge and skills, and take advantage of the buzz.

Your relationships will undergo a shift.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Take what's yours and use it to your advantage. Invest in yourself, update your skills and learn something new.

You can position yourself for success if you follow proper protocol.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Nothing is impossible if you enforce discipline, act quickly and maintain a financial plan. Domestic projects will require creative budgeting to accommodate hidden costs.

LAST PUBLISHED WORD -- BOMBARDS

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Don't sign up for something you don't want. Be realistic, take control and make the most of your time. Eliminate what's no longer challenging or essential to you.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Play to win. Join forces with people you can rely on to do their share. Let your uniqueness shine through, motivating others to do their best. Take a leadership position and share the credit.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2024

21

Eve says first camp important as Soca Warriors gear up for busy 2024 W

ith their Copa America playoff fixture against Canada fast approaching, Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s head coach Angus Eve recently called a 35-man training squad of mostly local-based players with the aim of ensuring he fields t h e best possible squad for that crucial encounter next month.

The fourday camp, which ends today (Thursday), not only provided the opportunity for players to impress the coach and secure a spot in the team, but also served as preparation for

the playoff contest scheduled for March 24. The winner of the playoff will qualify for the prestigious CONMENOL Copa America in June.

Along with players who were a part of the Soca Warriors unit that had a successful run to the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals, Eve extended a first-time invitation to German-born Keenon Erfuth, whose mother is Trinidadian, and Denmarkbased Marc Gangia, who is eligible to represent the twin island republic through his father.

Gangia, 26, is a forward with Danish fifth-tier team Dalum IF, while 21-yearold Erfuth, also a forward, is currently with German association football club VfR Neumünster.

Having enjoyed good form last year, when they also registered an historic 2-1 win over United States, Eve is keen to build on that founda-

Soca Warriors Head Coach, Angus Eve

tion.

“It’s a great chance for us to get some of the guys together as a group again, because, as you would have seen, the majority of them would have returned to their clubs and have been very active in the local league since November,” Eve told TTFA Media.

“There are few regulars in

this squad, but we also took the opportunity to invite some players who we believe have been showing up and performing for their clubs in the local premier league,” he added.

Following the Copa America qualifiers, Eve’s next focus will be the 2026 Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, which are scheduled for

June. The Soca Warriors will contest Group B, alongside Costa Rica, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, and Bahamas.

“There is a lot of international football coming up, with the Copa America qualifier being the most urgent assignment, but of course, there are the World Cup qualifiers following soon after, in June.

These sort of windows, where we can have some time with the players available, are extremely important for us,” Eve noted.

Trinidad and Tobago Training Squad: Kaihim Thomas, Reon Moore, Jamali Garcia, Christopher Biggette, Jabari St Hillaire, Kevon Goddard, Justin Garcia, Brent Sam, Nathaniel Garcia, Justin Sadoo (all Defence Force); Duane Muckette, Michel Poon-Angeron, Liam Burns, John-Paul Rochford, Isaiah Leacock (all AC Port-ofSpain), Real Gill, Shervohnez Hamilton, Kai Moos, Jamal

Jack (all Club Sando); Luke Phillips, Denzil Smith, Justin Cornwall, Mark Ramdeen (all Point Fortin Civic); Alvin Jones, Robert Primus, Adrian Foncette (all Police FC); David Daniel, Ross Russell Jr, Isaiah Lee (all La Horquetta R a n g e r s ) ; Mickaeel Jem Gordon (1976 FC Phoenix), R h o n d e l

G i b s o n ( E a g l e s FC), Keenon Erfuth (VFR Neumunster— Germany), Marc Gangia (Dalum IF—Denmark), Jonathan Assue (unattached). (Sportsmax)

International athletics in 2024…

NIGERIA REACH AFCON FINAL World silver medallist Mohamed Katir provisionally suspended

Mohamed Katir finished runner-up to Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 5,000m final at last year’s World Championships

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orld 5,000m silver medallist Mohamed Katir has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after missing three doping tests.

The 25-year-old Spaniard is the World Indoor 3,000m record holder, and the European record holder over 5,000m.

Athletes must log their whereabouts to assist unannounced out-of-competition tests, because missing three tests in a 12-month period results in a violation.

Katir, who won World 1,500m bronze in 2022, has said he would appeal against the sanction. In a statement, Katir said he has been subjected to a large number of out-of-competition doping tests - both urine and blood samples - over recent months “without the slightest problem”.

“I consider that there is no violation arising from three location failures in the last 12 months,” Katir said. “In some of the location failures reported by the AIU, I was available at

the place, date and time provided by me.

“It is important to keep in mind that we are not dealing with a case of violating doping rules for the use of prohibited substances or methods, or even for evading out-of-competition doping controls.”

In response to the athletes’ statement, the Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) reiterated its commitment to “rigorous compliance” with anti-doping frameworks, and said it “will remain attentive to the decisions adopted by the competent authorities”.

“It is necessary to emphasise that the integrity of the competition and the spirit of sportsmanship constitute the fundamental pillars of a clean and fair sport, and must be defended above any sporting achievement,” the RFEA added.

“Consequently, once the official notification regarding the opening of the file was received by the World Athletics Integrity Unit, the athlete’s licence was immediately suspended.”

(BBC Sport)

– after penalty shootout with South Africa

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elechi Iheanacho scored the winning penalty as Nigeria booked their place in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a 4-2 shootout win over South Africa.

The game in Bouake finished 1-1 following a remarkable end to normal time, which involved the referee going to his video monitor to disallow a Victor Osimhen strike which would have put Nigeria 2-0 up - and instead awarding a penalty to South Africa. Teboho Mokoena converted from the spot in the 90th minute, to send the game into a goalless period of extra time, wherein Bafana Bafana defender Grant Kekana was sent off late on.

But Mokoena was one of two South African players to see their spot-kicks saved by goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali as the Super Eagles triumphed to reach Sunday’s final, where they will play either hosts Ivory Coast or the Democratic Republic of Congo.

William Troost-Ekong had opened the scoring for the West Africans with a penalty midway through the second half, and will now be looking to captain Nigeria to their fourth continental title - and a first since 2013.

Super Eagles overcome South Africa again

Nigeria went into the game with a perfect Nations Cup record against South Africa, having beaten Bafana Bafana in all three of their previous meetings in the competition, including a semi-final meeting in 2000 in Lagos.

But despite being urged on

William Troost-Ekong (centre) had scored the winner when Nigeria beat South Africa in the quarter-finals at the 2019 Afcon competition in Egypt by the cacophonous horn section carried by the supporters in green and white, Jose Peseiro’s side failed to live up to their billing as favourites, in a ponderous first half which South Africa largely bossed.

Forward Percy Tau had their best chance, scuffing his shot straight at Nwabali when unmarked inside the penalty area.

Nigeria’s lack of potency was reflected in the statistics, with African Footballer of the Year Osimhen managing only nine touches in the half, including a header which went wide just before the break.

But things then livened up notably, as Nigeria came out with greater intent in the second half. Osimhen put one of several presentable headed opportunities over the bar, before Frank Onyeka blazed wastefully wide.

The Super Eagles finally broke the deadlock in the

67th minute, when Osimhen’s driving run was abruptly ended inside the penalty area by a poor challenge from defender Mothobi Mvala. As in the group stage win against Ivory Coast, it was captain Troost-Ekong who assumed penalty duties, rather than Osimhen. And the former Watford defender sent his effort down the middle and under the legs of Ronwen Williams, the shootout hero for South Africa in the quarter-final win over Cape Verde, as the goalkeeper dived to his left.

After Evidence Makgopa had fizzed a skimming effort just wide for South Africa, Ademola Lookman should have won it for Nigeria, but hesitated when trying to round Williams, allowing the keeper to dive at his feet and gather the ball.

Late VAR drama denies Osimhen

With just five minutes of normal time remain-

ing, Osimhen thought he had clinched victory, turning home Bright Osayi-Samuel’s low cross following a swift counter-attack and sprinting towards the Nigeria fans for a celebration that was short-lived.

South Africa’s players were already protesting before referee Amin Omar was advised to go to the monitor by the video assistant referee, with the Egyptian quickly ruling out Osimhen’s strike and, in yet another late twist at this remarkable tournament, pointing to the spot at the other end for an earlier foul on Tau by Alhassan Yusuf.

Mokoena kept his calm to convert the penalty and deny Nigeria five consecutive clean sheets - and South Africa should have won it in the six minutes of added time when Khuliso Mudau only succeeded in blazing over after Nwabali parried Mokoena’s free-kick into his path.

Williams saved efforts from Lookman and Osimhen early in extra time, but the best opening came when Terem Moffi latched on to a through ball and ran powerfully towards the South Africa goal. Kekana stopped the substitute’s run with a trip and, following a VAR review, was shown a straight red card and Nigeria were awarded a free-kick just outside the area.

Iheanacho drew a save from Williams from the set piece, but decided the shootout after Nwabali had saved from Mokoena and Makgopa, with the Bafana Bafana captain unable to repeat his heroics from the last eight. (BBC Sport)

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Irving Teams busy preparing for ‘at peace’ next month’s showpiece after victorious T return to Brooklyn Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition…

hirty-two teams, eight nights, and bragging rights will be the showpiece of street-style football when the Georgetown Zone of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition kicks off on March 15 at the historic National Park.

The other playing days are March 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 30th, with the final being set for the 31st.

Recognised as the most celebrated tournament in the street-style format, teams have been expressing excitement at the prospect of the event returning after a short hiatus due to circumstances beyond the Organisers’ control.

The competition, which has a long history of success, will again target talent in the respective communities across the Georgetown environs, and fans and players are getting ready to support the tournament through their attendance and participation respectively.

As usual, the organisers have agreed to exempt 16 teams with automatic qualification, while a num-

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A glimpse of what to expect when the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Street’ competition kicks off

ber of teams have expressed their desire to participate in a qualifying round which would be used to select the other sixteen teams to join those with automatic berths.

Up to press time, organisers have been inundated with calls requesting entry forms for the qualification process. Entry forms can be obtained at Colours Boutique on Robb Street and at De Grill Jerk Bar on South Road and Cummings Streets, where boxes are also stationed for entrants to deposit their teams’ names and lists of players.

Meanwhile, brand executive Lee Baptiste has said

this year’s zone opener would enjoy unprecedented media exposure, and has assured that all platforms would be used to promote the event.

“We are quite aware of the popularity of the event, and because of its unfortunate absence for some time, players and fan experience are top priorities for us; so, very shortly, we will be rolling out our plans to sensitize communities where these teams will come from about all the information pertaining to the tournament,” he said.

Defending champions Gold is Money will be aiming to secure their third con-

secutive title, an accolade if they achieve it; which would make them the first team to do so. While the most successful team in the tournament’s history, Sparta Boss, must draw inspiration to stop Gold is Money in their quest to accomplish such a feat.

Among the other favoured teams slated to compete are Back Circle, Bent Street, Sophia, North East La Penitence, Stabroek Ballers, and Albouystown.

Over $1.5million in prize money and trophies are up for grabs, while the winner is guaranteed a spot in the national final.

BCB Diors Bits and Pieces U23 tournament…

All-round performance from Pottaya, Sealy lead RHT Pepsi to quarterfinal victory

The winning Rose Hall Pepsi team

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he Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) Pepsi have advanced to the semi- finals of the Berbice Cricket Board’s (BCB’s) Under-23 tournament, having defeated the stubborn Guymine Cricket Club team by 111 runs.

Playing at the Area H ground in steamy weather conditions, the home team won the toss and elected to take first strike. Having lost openers Romesh Bharat and Ramzan Koobir for 2 and 0 respectively, they found themself at 12 for two in the 3rd over.

Skipper Jonathan Rampersaud and Berbice under-15 player Kulmalchan Ramnarace

then added 35 for the third wicket, before Rampersaud was caught off the bowling of Keith Dennis for 17.

National under-17 vicecaptain Matthew Pottaya then stroked 5 delightful boundaries and three sixes in his top score of 66; and, together with Tyrie Sealy, added 84 for the 7th wicket, after Ramnarace had departed 18.

Jeremy Sandia then fell for 2, to leave RHTY&SC at 99 for 6 in the 12th over.

Pottaya seemed unlucky to be given out caught behind for 66, but Sealy’s 58, together with 17 from Lucas Arthur and 10 from Raj Tika, led RHTY&SC Pepsi to 250 in 38.1 overs.

Bowling for Guymine,

Matthew Pottaya De Jonge took two wickets for 37 runs; Seth took 2 for 40, and Ricardo Henry took 2 for 31.

Needing to score 251 runs from their allotted 40 overs, Guymine were restricted to 139 all out in 27.4 overs. Kwesi Stewart with 34, De Jonge with 25,

Kevin Dennis with 28, and Ricardo Henry with 17 all batted well.

Guymine were well placed at 101 for 2 in 16 overs, with Stuart and De Jonge batting well, before De Jonge was brilliantly caught by the diving Ramzan Koobir at long off.

Stewart was dismissed by Pottaya in the same over, as Guymine slipped to 102 for four. Victory was achieved in the 28th over when Pottaya bowled Louise for a duck.

Pottaya took 5 for 18 from 5 overs, and Sealy took 3 for 9. Jonathan Rampersaud took 1 for 18, and Lucas Arthur took 1 for 10 as the other wicket takers for the home team.

yrie Irving has described himself as being “at peace” over his time with the Nets, after scoring 36 points in a stellar return to Brooklyn, as the Dallas Mavericks won 119107 on Tuesday.

Acquired from the Nets exactly one year ago, Irving

in Brooklyn.

However, they almost defeated the eventual champion, Milwaukee Bucks, in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2021, a battle that took place while James Harden and Irving were both short of full fitness.

Irving said: “Things

Kyrie Irving

shot 15 of 24 from the field, was 4 of 11 on 3-pointers, and handed out five assists.

Luka Doncic fell just short of a 10th triple-double this season, with 35 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists.

Dallas improved to 28-23 with its second straight win before Thursday’s road game in New York.

After the win, Irving faced a string of questions over his time spent with the Nets, with his return coming after Kevin Durant also made a winning return to Brooklyn last week.

“I don’t think about it too often now. I’m pretty much at peace with what happened and the time I spent here,” said Irving. “I wish a lot of the guys well. Obviously, it was emotional, and you could see my emotions running on out there; but after that, I was just pretty much focused on winning the basketball game,” he said. “It was just like any other basketball game, but it felt like I was home.”

Pressed on his Brooklyn exit after impressing in his second game back, after missing six with a sprained right thumb, Irving added: “It was time to get my own peace of mind and go somewhere where I was able to thrive. I did not want to be in a situation where I didn’t have to worry about behindthe-back talk, or the media talk, or not knowing how to handle real-life circumstances that have nothing to do with the game of basketball,” he said.

“While I was here, I learned a lot of lessons. I’ve made my peace again, and I just want to move forward.”

The Nets have won only one playoff series with Durant and Irving, who spent three-and-a-half years

could have changed, and you look back at the past and you have 20-20 vision then.

This could’ve gone right, or if this would’ve happened…

If I didn’t get injured versus the Bucks, do I still ask for a trade? If KD’s foot wasn’t on the 3-point line…Are we talking about a different legacy here? If James doesn’t ask for a trade… All of the woulda, coulda, shoulda, wouldas.

“Everything that I’ve learned about myself has come from being in the city and being in Jersey. It was a childhood dream to play for the Nets. Obviously, I fell short in terms of the championship aspirations; but for me, I think it was bigger than a championship here. I had to really take some moral stances, there were some political things that were going on here as well, and there were some things that I did on my accord that I look back on and they were mistakes.

And I have to be accountable for those things.

I’m not perfect, but one thing I can say is I’ve been able to learn from things and continue to push forward.”

Mikal Bridges scored 28 points and Royce O’Neal added 18 for Brooklyn, which cut a 23-point deficit to 107-101 with roughly five minutes left, before Irving hit two straight 3s for a 113-101 advantage.

The Mavericks are eighth in the highly competitive Western Conference standings.

Irving added: “Hopefully, after this night, we can just put that to rest, just move forward; and I can look forward to the rest of my career and just handle it in Dallas and going after my second championship.”

(Sportsmax)

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2024

West Indies 4-Day Championships…

23

Mohamed's century leads Red Force resistance on Day 1

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he Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) introduced four new players to the West Indies 4-Day Championships on Wednesday morning, but it was not the best of days for the Guyanese as they began their title defense against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.

At the Conaree Cricket Center in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Red Force won the toss and opted to bat first on Day 1 of their 4-Day encounter with the defending champions. However, Jason Mohamed personified the team’s name, as he was a ‘force’ for the Guyanese bowlers to reckon with, leading the Trinidadian batting with a patient century.

Before the toss was completed, however, Steven

Sankar, Raymond Perez, Ronaldo Alimohamed and Neiland Cadogan were

enced Harpy Eagles players.

Captain Kevlon Anderson, Vice-Captain Matthew

Permaul, Kevin Sinclair, Ronsford Beaton and Kemol Savory completed the re-

Steven Sankar receiving his GHE cap

mainder of the XI. The Harpy Eagles were off to a commendable start, with Ronsford Beaton and Neiland Cadogan working in tandem. By the 9th over, Beaton had claimed the wicket of Cephas Cooper, who went for 8 runs from 26 balls. Then in the 15th, an LBW decision off Beaton’s bowling sent Jyd Goolie back to the dugout for 3 from 16 deliveries.

However, within the space of those strikes, Red Force’s Vikash Mohan retired hurt on 14 off 32 balls, after being struck on the forearm by Ronaldo Alimohamed. Mohan’s apparent injury saw the introGuyana Harpy Eagles’ four debutants. From left are: Ronaldo Alimohamed, Steven Sankar, duction of the experienced Jason Mohamed, who played Raymond Perez and Neiland Cadogan handed their GHE caps to boost the already experi-

Nandu, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Veerasammy

Mashramani Street Football C/ships…

WHO WILL IT BE? Fixtures released for 1-day tournament…

J

udging from the upsets and surprises being witnessed in the ongoing street football being played at Back Circle in East Ruimveldt, the upcoming Mash Cup, slated to be staged on February 18 at the National Park, is shaping up to be an explosive showdown for the title.

With more than $1 million in prize money up for grabs, all participating communities are talking excitedly about prospects real or imagined, and anticipation is rife. So, already fans are being assured of a high qual- i t y of football, while the battle for the ultimate prize is well and truly on.

The winning team will cart off $500,000 and a trophy; while second, third and fourth place runners-up will take home $250,000, $150,000 and $100,000, along with respective trophies.

The recent performances of some of the new teams in the format have been so impressive that many pundits have

agreed that, at this point, there seems to be no clear-cut favourite, since all teams are exhibiting fine form ahead of the big one-day event.

Defending champions Back Circle know fully well that they will have to be in top form to retain the title, while teams such as Sparta Boss, Gold is Money, North East La Penitence, Bent Street and Festival City, undoubtedly some of the more established teams, would have to be in similar form to stave off the new upstarts.

Teams such as LA Ballers, Team Cruel, Ballerz Empire, California Square and Lodge All Stars are all loaded with players sufficiently skillful to spring upsets.

The format has b e c o m e such an exciting must-see that promoters and organisers are being bombarded with requests from teams as

far as Bartica and other outlying areas for invitation to participate.

Organiser Edison Jefford has said it is becoming increasing difficult to turn down the request of some teams, but he has divulged that, because of the rising cost of hosting the event, he has had to be truthful to some of the teams and apologise for the disappointment of them not being able to make the cut.

“I’ve had to tell some teams that we cannot accommodate them this time around, and the mere fact that I’ve had to say so to them is truthfully disappointing; but just the reality,” Jefford said.

Meanwhile, the fixtures have been released, and they are as follows: Back Circle vs. Family; California Square vs. Agricola; Gold is Money vs. Lodge All Stars; Stabroek Ballers vs. Ballerz Empire; Sparta Boss vs.

Unstoppable; Festival City vs. LA Ballers; Bent Street vs. Team Cruel, and North East La Penitence vs. Team Xtreme.

a patient hand to steady the ship for the Trinidadians.

Amir Jangoo came and went for 27 off 58 balls, after playing one straight into the hands of Raymond Perez at forward short. However, it was the fourth-wicket partnership that proved magical for the Red Force, with Mohamed and Tion Webster piling on 115 runs between them.

Webster eventually fell right after reaching his half century, while Mohamed pressed on to complete his 12th first-class century in 226 balls, consisting of 11 boundaries.

Webster’s wicket brought back Mohan into the mix, but two deliveries after the Harpy Eagles accepted the new ball in the 82nd over, play was suspended due to bad light.

Mohamed remained unbeaten on 100 from 228 deliveries, while Mohan will resume Day 2 today on 20 off 70 balls.

Beaton claimed 2-39 from

Ronsford Beaton picked up two early wickets

12 overs, while Veerasammy Permaul picked up the other two wickets for 43 runs in 26 overs. The Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will resume Day 2 on 215-4.

SCOREBOARD Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 215/4 BATTING R Vikash Mohan 20 Cephas Cooper RHB c K Savory b RR Beaton 8 Jyd Goolie LHB lbw RR Beaton 3 Jason Mohammed RHB not out 100 Amir Jangoo LHB c RP Perez b V Permaul 27 Tion Webster RHB c N Cadogan b V Permaul 50 Yet to bat: Bryan Charles,

Terrance Hinds, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Extras – 7 b: 6 lb: 0 wd: 0 nb: 1 Total 215/4 (81.2 overs) BOWLING O-M-R-W Ronsford Beaton 12.0-2-39-2 Neiland Cadogan 4.2-1-19-0 Ronaldo Alimohamed 9.0-3-19-0 Kevin Sinclair 24.0-5-57-0 Veerasammy Permaul 26.0-12-43-2 Steven Sankar 6.0-0-32-0

Phagwah horse racing programme set for March 17

meet.

All these races will be run under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. In event there are less than five horses en-

reduce the prize money after consulting with the horse owners.

A horse owner must pay at least $5,000 at the point of entry to have his/her animal registered to compete in a race. Otherwise, the horse would not be eligible to compete.

Five horses must start a race before a third prize is payable, and seven horses must start before a fourth prize becomes payable.

If there are only four horses starting in a race, the prize money would be reduced by 25%. If only three horses start, the prize mon-

tered for any event, the club reserves the right to cancel or reframe the said event, or

ey would be reduced by 40%.

No late entry would be accepted. Horses can be entered by contacting the club.

Horse racing will return at Kennard’s Memorial on March 17

H

orse racing action will return to the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club at Bush Lot, Corentyne on Sunday March 17 with six races being on a provisional Phagwah race programme.

The feature race would be the C1 & Lower over one mile, and the top horse would be rewarded with one million dollars.

Other races on the card are:

G1 and Lower, J&K Class, and three-year-old Guyana-bred horses; all of which would be run over a distance of six furlongs.

The L Class Open and L Non- winner races will be run over five furlongs, and they conclude the provisional program for the Phagwah

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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

Pg 23

WHO WILL IT BE? Fixtures released for 1-day tournament…

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