Guyana Times - Tuesday, August 2, 2022

P18

4-lane highway to Mahaica currently in procurement stage – Edghill Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 5088

THE BEACON OF TRUTH TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

PRICE

Emancipation 2022 celebrations

Pres Ali urges Guyanese to resist racism, denounce discrimination Pages 3 & 18

$100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Mason chopped to death over alleged old grievance P8

Businesses P17 warned against no refund, no return policy

Arakaka Police Outpost fire

…“we must not minimise the sacrifice of our forefathers”

27 charged, 15 convicted for drug offences …over $206M worth in 1st half of 2022 – CANU of narcotics seized in 3 months Page 7

“No need to go anywhere; Berbice we will deliver” – Pres Ali businessman to health-care workers murdered during …reiterates call for strictest standards, accountability for actions suspected robbery Page 2

Page 19

Accused charged, was on the run P since last year 17 Al Qaeda P20 leader Zawahiri killed in CIA drone strike in Afghanistan – US officials

2 NEWS Berbice businessman murdered during suspected robbery TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Relatives gathered at the businessman’s house

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Berbice businessman was found dead in his house on Monday morning.

Dead is Vickram Seubaran of Lot 135 Sookoo Street, Number 2 Village, Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The 53-year-old man was the proprietor of Universal DVD Club and Copy Centre.

Speaking with the media, the dead man’s brother, Dean Seubaran, said that he last saw his brother on Sunday night.

“Only on Sundays, he does be home so I was here yesterday (Sunday), and me and he cooking and thing. I left he after cricket start, I seh I going home and watch cricket and I left he watch-

Dead: Vickram Seubaran

ing cricket. But he didn’t go nowhere because the same clothes I left he with yesterday (Sunday), the same clothes I come and find he with this morning (Monday),” he said.

The grieving brother said that he usually checks on his brother and upon doing so on Monday at about 06:00h, he discovered his

brother’s lifeless body in a pool of blood in his kitchen area.

He said after he made the discovery, he immediately contacted the Police and the body was removed and taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The wardrobe which was ransacked

Reports are that the man sustained one stab to his back.

According to Dean, his brother’s attacker seemed to have gained entry into the house from the kitchen door. A section of the lower flat of the house was ransacked and the mirror on a wardrobe shattered.

A next-door neighbour, Hemwattie Reginald, told this publication that she did not hear any strange sounds during Sunday night nor on Monday morning.

Vickram Seubaran, who was unmarried and had no children, was the President of the Port Mourant Cricket Club.

3 Pres Ali urges Guyanese to resist racism, denounce discrimination NEWS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Tuesday, Aug 2 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Wednesday, Aug 3 – 04:00h – 05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, Aug 2 – 06:50h – 08:20h and Wednesday, Aug 3 – 07:30h – 09:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be light rain showers during the day.

Expect light rain showers and partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Southerly to South-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 07:21h and 19:43h reaching maximum heights of 2.60 metres and 2.53 metres.

Low Tide: 13:18h reaching a minimum height of 0.66 metre.

President Dr Irfaan Ali (centre) in conversation with members of the visiting African royal delegation

U

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2022

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11 12 15

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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rging the people of Guyana to resist racism and denounce discrimination, President Dr Irfaan Ali at an Emancipation Dinner at State House on Sunday urged Guyanese to come together as one and rebuff those who would try to divide the people.

During a dinner and celebration he hosted at State House on Sunday evening, President Ali made an impassioned call for Guyanese to resist racism.

According to the President, racism and discrimination have no place in society and must be rooted out.

“Today we must honour the sacrifice by resisting any attempt to alter the fullness of the freedom we struggled for. Whether it’s here in Guyana, the Caribbean or elsewhere in the world, we have to honour that struggle.”

“In the fullness of the struggle. Today, we must respect that sacrifice by resisting racism, denouncing hate and embracing human dignity. We must affirm the oneness of our humanity. And in Guyana we are working and I’m telling you, with deep conviction, that the cause is just,” the President said.

The President also expressed solidarity with the African struggle for emancipation, noting that at its core it’s a struggle for human rights.

“This struggle is an evolving struggle. But the struggle has different forms and different shapes. The struggle underpins the importance and power of democracy, rule of law and the upliftment of all the people. We will do a great injustice, to those who fought so hard for the freedom we enjoy, if we believe we can work in an undemocratic environment and the rule of law does not exist.”

Importance

Speaking about the importance of Emancipation, President Ali noted that Emancipation ushered in social change and transformation. And in expressing the need for One Guyana, he said that this is essential if the country is to progress.

“It is those of us, who seek to fracture the family of humanity, using different models and mode, that are not doing justice to the family of humanity and the ultimate sacrifices made in removing slavery and removing hardship and al-

lowing freedom to come to the world.”

“We must affirm the oneness of our humanity. And in Guyana, we are working and I’m telling you with deep conviction that the cause is just and win we must, in building the oneness of humanity in creating the one Guyana that will uplift us all,” the President said.

The dinner at State House saw hundreds in attendance, including dignitaries and Ministers of Government. Also present was a visiting African Royal Delegation from South Africa and the

President Ali on the eve of Emancipation Day

Kingdom of Lesotho. The delegation is in Guyana for Emancipation celebrations 2022, where they joined the Head of State and guests.

His Highness Paul Jones Eganda led the African envoy, which included Her Royal Majesty Queen Cynthia Khamulo Mzilikazi III; Her Royal Highness Queen Ameenata Asaleh II; Her Royal Highness Princess Precious Lindiwe Nthibogelang; Her Royal Highness Princess Tshepi Motloung and Lady Mpho Dindi among other members. (G3)

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guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

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

Young people and the dangers of smoking

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ore than 40 million young people aged 13-15 have already started to use tobacco, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has outlined. This, by any measure, is quite alarming, and one can only imagine the kind of impact this would have on our young people if urgent action is not taken to discourage such actions.

The WHO, for some time now, has embarked on a global campaign to highlight the “strategic, aggressive and wellresourced tactics” employed by the tobacco industry to target youths, and to debunk the myths they create.

The campaign seeks to provide young people with the knowledge required to easily detect industry manipulation – from product design to marketing campaigns – and equip them with the tools to rebuff such tactics, thereby empowering young people to stand up against the tactics. The WHO described this effort as a counter-marketing campaign, as it would reinforce work in assisting countries to implement effective policy interventions to reduce the demand for tobacco.

Guyana’s Chronic Diseases Coordinator, Dr Kavita Singh had, in the past, lamented the fact that the tobacco industry was capitalising on new trends in targeting young persons.

She noted that Big Tobacco was using strategic marketing techniques to try to get young people to experiment with the new and emerging novel products, like the e-cigarettes and the heated tobacco products.

There is a myth that these products are safe, but they are equally harmful as the smoke of an actual cigarette. According to WHO, smoking e-cigarettes and hookah pipes – marketed as “safer” alternatives to conventional cigarettes – is harmful, addictive, and increases the risk of developing heart and lung diseases.

Of note is that these products have the same tobacco, which has cancer-causing agents among other deadly emissions. The WHO notes that most of the countless flavours on offer – such as bubble-gum and candy – are there to attract youngsters, who at least double their chances of smoking cigarettes later in life.

It should be stated that tobacco is responsible for over seven million deaths per year worldwide. This includes approximately 900,000 persons who die from diseases related to exposure to tobacco smoke. Over 40 per cent of all tobacco-related deaths are from lung diseases like cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and tuberculosis.

Guyana’s tobacco control law, enacted in 2017, follows several of the Articles of the WHO Convention, and mandates the adoption and implementation of a series of tobacco control policies that make it one of the most complete tobacco control laws. These include: 100 per cent smoke-free environments in all indoor public spaces, indoor work spaces, public transportation, and specified outdoor spaces to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke; a ban on all forms of advertising and promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products; health warnings featured on 60 per cent of tobacco product packaging, including images. It also includes a ban on the sale of tobacco products to and by minors; prohibition on vending machines’ sales; and a ban on the manufacture and sale of toys and candies, and any other goods in the form of tobacco products.

However, there is still much work to be done to win the battle against tobacco, as 78 per cent of all deaths here are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), some of which we all know are strongly related to tobacco use.

Having the necessary legislation in place is a good starting point, but there are many other challenges which health authorities here must address if Guyana is to really reduce the number of persons dying or becoming ill owing to tobacco use or exposure. These challenges relate to monitoring and compliance; stricter enforcement of the legislation to ensure that the population is protected from the dangers of tobacco use; and, more recently, tackling the newer forms of cigarette substitutes, which are proving to be very attractive to youths.

President Dr Irfaan Ali – along with First Lady Arya Ali; Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and his wife, Mignon BowenPhillips – met with the visiting African royal Delegation from South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho, at State House. His Highness Paul Jones Eganda led the African Delegation, which included Her Royal Majesty Queen Cynthia Khamulo Mzilikazi III; Her Royal Highness Queen Ameenata Asaleh II; Her Royal Highness Princess Precious Lindiwe Nthibogelang; Her Royal Highness Princess Tshepi Motloung and Lady Mpho Dindi among other members. The team was accompanied by Eric Phillips of the African Cultural and Development Association (OP photo)

Basic conduct of diplomatic relations requires certain courtesies Dear Editor, All is not well in Guyana.

All is not well in the United States. All is not well in our world! But we all must use every opportunity to seek to correct the deficiencies which exist and that contribute to all not being well across the globe.

So it is against this background that I write to express my disappointment with US Congressman Hakim Jeffries for not just refusing to meet with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, but more so, for not having, as reported in the media, the common courtesy to acknowledge receipt of a request from the Guyana Embassy in Washington, DC, to meet with the Guyanese leader. The basic conduct of diplomatic relations requires certain courtesies which one expects of elected officials.

Not at least acknowledging receipt of a request from a visiting Head of State, in my view, is not representative of the shared values of the American and Guyanese people.

Many of Congressman Jeffries’ constituents have been keeping him abreast of their perceptions of what is happening in Guyana.

He has every right to listen to his constituents since it is they that elect him and keep him in Congress. But like any good politician, especially when it comes to issues beyond his constitu-

ency, he must seek to hear the other side of the story in an effort to determine whether all the information received is factual and evidence-based, or whether constituents are merely seeking to advance politically partisan ‘causes’ back in their countries of origin.

As indicated at the top of my letter, all is not well globally, including in Guyana. But efforts to improve the state of countries and our one world demand of elected officials the responsibility to engage in meaningful dialogue, to fairly assess information and to act according to their evaluations of the scenarios presented to them.

Fair and lasting solutions to national and global problems require no less.

Last October, the Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) hosted a delegation from Guyana headed

by Prime Minister Mark Phillips for two “Doing Business with Guyana” meetings in Florida and New York. Certain ‘elements’ in the Guyanese diaspora tried hard but failed miserably to derail the Chamber’s initiative.

The New York event was held at a Seventh Day Adventist Church facility in Brooklyn at which I was informed, prior to the event, is the occasional place of worship of Congressman Jeffries and some of his

Guyanese diaspora constituents. No effort was spared by some in the Guyanese diaspora to have the pastor revoke the rental of the facility for the event. The pastor stood his ground, even making a public statement justifying why he had no problem making the facility available for the event.

The night of the event there was a small but noisy protest outside the venue.

Among the protesters were some who had been invited to the meeting, some of whom even took the opportunity come into the meeting, walk across the back of the room to greet the Prime Minister and later ask questions and make comments. Later still, some of the other protesters joined the meeting to exchange pleasantries and join in the hospitality.

Among those was an African American young man who appeared to be a close operative of the Congressman. We spent quite a while talking about Guyana and the Congressman’s apparent perceptions of Guyana. I think we both ended the conversation convinced of the need for dialogue between the Congressman and the Guyana Government among other stakeholders.

I looked forward to this dialogue. When I read in the news that Vice President Jagdeo had tested positive for COVID the day before

engagements on the Hill, I was disappointed that he was not going to be part of the engagements with congressional leaders. But I was soon comforted by my memory of a favourite hymn of my mother which includes a line that says “God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform”. I am pleased that the VP has since tested negative.

I firmly believe that Congressman Jeffries missed a good opportunity to raise the ‘concerns’ of his constituents with the Guyana Government, thereby denying himself the first-hand knowledge on which to decide whether he should up the ante on these concerns or seek to reason with his ‘concerned’ constituents that things are not as bad in Guyana as they make it out to be.

He should have met with President Ali, but as Clyde Walcott used to say in his cricket commentary, “That was not to be”. However, a simple acknowledgement of receipt of the request from the Embassy would have been the courteous thing to do. As a dual Guyanese American citizen, I expect our leaders to operate on the basis of the shared values which have characterised our relations over the years.

With regards, Wesley Kirton

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

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News

Company to launch $600M sand pit/loam mining project in Reg 3 …says it received regulatory approval from GGMC

frastructure sector. Also, we anticipate that we will eventually hire approximately 30 Guyanese to fully staff the operations,” Nedd also said.

The company will be setting up their sand and loam mining operation in the vicinity of the Hubudebu River and Labba Creek in Region Three. The company further explained that the entire country, not just the residents of Region Three, will benefit from the operation.

“The company will eventually seek to develop other value-added products for international markets in the future,” the company went on to explain.

Example of a sand pit mine

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rade Winds Incorporated, a local company, is looking to set up a $600 Million sand pit and loam mining project in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), with the company announcing that it has acquired the requisite regulatory approval.

The company announced that it obtained a licence from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), af-

ter a multi-year application process. According to the company, it is another developmental success coordinated by the Natural Resources Ministry.

It was explained in a statement by Trade Winds Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Charles Nedd, a United States (US) based Guyanese who returned to Guyana to invest in much the same way the Government has been calling on the diaspora to do,

that they will start their feasibility study soon.

“We are excited for this opportunity to invest in Guyana and will soon get started with our feasibility study to determine the most efficient and sustainable operational processes. Our intention is to be in full operations by 2023.”

“And to be able to meet the increasing demand for sand and loam, especially for customers in the fast-developing Region Three in-

Diaspora to return

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has been pushing for the Guyanese diaspora to return home and contribute to Guyana’s development. This has led to the establishment of a Diaspora Unit within the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The Government has even made engaging the diaspora a priority, particularly at a pivotal time of Guyana’s development.

Apart from diaspora engagement, the Government has been engaging Guyanese missions, consulates, consuls generals and honorary consuls across the globe. This has extended to Guyanese organisations in North America and elsewhere, to update them on developmental projects.

An allocation of $50 million has been earmarked for the Diaspora and Remigration Unit for staffing, internships, and providing the positive information that would attract possible remigrants.

Recently, President Dr Irfaan Ali had said that for the diaspora to be confident in systems to return to Guyana, fundamental principles of transformation are currently in the works to enhance the lives of citizens.

The Head of State attended a reception with members of the Guyanese diaspora last week at Guyana’s Embassy in Washington, DC. He was joined by Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud; Guyana’s Ambassador to the United

States, Samuel Hinds; and US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch.

In addressing the gathering, Ali pointed out that the diaspora community would want a level of confidence in the local system to return to these shores, which Government is seeking to address.

“You want to know that you can return to a healthcare system that can take care of your family.

You want to know that you can return to an education system that can give your children the best possible education. And you want to know that you can return to a system where the security of your family is not a worry, but a given.

These are three fundamental principles that we must address.”

However, at the same time, he said such aspirations extend beyond infrastructural investments.

Physical transformation must be complemented by human transformation – a feat that must be undertaken by every Guyanese, which brings focus on the One Guyana initiative led

by President Ali. (G3)

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

Page

Foundation

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DIY Outdoor Sound Wall

Dividing fractions by fractions To divide a fraction by another fraction, multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction.

Example: Divide: 2/6 ÷ 3/7 Step 1: Find the reciprocal of the second fraction. The reciprocal of 3/7 is 7/3 .

Step 2:Multiply the first fraction by the second fraction' s reciprocal. 2/6 x 7/3 .

Step 3:Multiply the numerators: 2 x 7 = 14.

Step 4:Multiply the denominators: 6 x 3 = 18 Step 5: Write the product: 14/18. The product of that multiplication is also the quotient of the original division problem.

Step 6: Reduce the fraction if possible: 14/18 = 7/9.

Remember

When you divide fractions, you will multiply by the reciprocal!

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wonderful way to explore sound and rhythm while creating music outdoors!

Preparing a sound wall Find an old pallet and collect an odd assortment of pots, pans, trays, and wooden spoons to hang up on the pallet. Put any extra pieces on a table.

Try hitting the pots, pans, and trays, with wooden spoons to see the different you can make. (Be warned parents, it is quite noisy!)

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Exercises: Divide 1) 2/5 ÷ 4/7

4) 7/6 ÷ 3/5

2) 1/6 ÷ 3/9

5) 2/18 ÷ 1/12

3) 20/60 ÷ 13/39

6) 8/5 ÷ 2/6

Exploring sound Sometimes you can just make lots of noise, but other times, you can slow down and think more

n honest farmer had once an ass that had been a faithful servant to him a great many years, but was now growing old and every day more and more unfit for work. His master therefore was tired of keeping him and began to think of putting an end to him; but the ass, who saw that some mischief was in the wind, took himself slyly off, and began his journey towards the great city, “For there,” thought he, “I may turn musician.”

After he had travelled a little way, he spied a dog lying by the roadside and panting as if he were tired. “What makes you pant so,

about the different sounds and how you can drum up a beat or a real tune.

Offering new experiences You can use

By the Brothers Grimm my friend?” said the ass. “Alas!” said the dog, “my master was going to knock me on the head, because I am old and weak, and can no longer make myself useful to him in hunting; so I ran away; but what can I do to earn my livelihood?” “Hark ye!” said the ass, “I am going to the great city to turn musician: suppose you go with me, and try what you can do in the same way?” The dog said he was willing, and they jogged on together.

They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road and making a most rueful face. “Pray, my good lady,” said the ass, “what’s the matter

different types of tools for tapping or different pots and pans for making a variety of sounds, or even shakers. (teachpreschool.org)

with you? You look quite out of spirits!” “Ah, me!” said the cat, “how can one be in good spirits when one’s life is in danger?

Because I am beginning to grow old, and had rather lie at my ease by the fire than run about the house after the mice, my mistress laid hold of me, and was going to drown me; and though I have been lucky enough to get away from her, I do not know what I am to live upon.” “Oh,” said the ass, “by all means go with us to the great city; you are a good night singer, and may make your fortune as a musician.” The cat was pleased with the thought, and joined the party.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

27 charged, 15 convicted for drug offences in 1st half of 2022 – CANU …over $206M worth of narcotics seized in 3 months

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he Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) has reported that at the end of June this year, 15 persons were convicted of drug-related offences in Guyana.

This was revealed in the agency’s Second Quarter Report for 2022.

CANU said by the end of this period in June, the Unit had 15 convictions and 74 pending cases in the court.

The total convictions for the year stemmed from matters occurring in the years 2021 to 2022.

However, a total of seven persons were convicted during the three-month reporting period – three for a matter occurring in 2021 and the other four for matters occurring this year.

These persons were sentenced to a total of 15 years 5 months and were fined approximately $35 million in total. One of the persons convicted was sentenced to community service.

“For the first quarter, the Unit had 74 open cases. During the second quarter, the Unit filed 23 cases, and 83 cases are still pending. However, only eight per cent of the cases had led to convictions by the end of the second quarter, with four per cent of them being dropped or withdrawn. This might have been as a result of insufficient evidence, issues with the witnesses, or issues with the legal procedure,” the report detailed.

Meanwhile, it detained 41 people between April and June, and of this amount, 27 persons have been charged and 23 cases filed in relation to narco-trafficking activities.

Approximately 66 per cent of the 41 persons detained were charged with drug offences, with males accounting for 85 per cent and females 15 per cent.

Of the total charges, 74 per cent were for cannabis offences, 22 per cent for cocaine and four per cent for ecstasy offences.

The 30 to 50 age group has the highest arrest rate of 41 per cent while persons under the age of 18 accounted for two per cent of arrests during this period.

CANU further disclosed that it has accomplished more convictions, arrests, and charges during this year’s second quarter when compared to the same period in 2021. The Unit credited this “successful quarter” to its dedicated officers in various departments working in a coordinating manner to execute operations

as well as cooperation with other agencies.

Seizures

On the other hand, it was highlighted that CANU recorded a reduction in narcotics seized during this period in comparison to last year. A total of 201.738 kilograms of narcotics were seized between April and June.

Cannabis continues to record the highest number of seizures as well as quantity, with a total of 161.21 kg netted by the Unit within the three months. This is followed by cocaine of which some 40.37 kg was seized and then by ecstasy which accounts for approximately 0.150 grams.

During this time, the largest quantity of narcotics was seized on the roadways.

Residences, wharves and postal areas were the other

hotspots for drug busts.

According to the report, these narcotics seized between April and June amounted to approximately $206 million worth of illicit drugs removed from the drug market and taken off the streets.

Back in April, CANU had destroyed over 1500 kg (almost 3400 lbs) of cannabis valued over US$2 million that were seized in the previous year.

In addition to narcotics, CANU also seized six firearms along with matching ammunition for five of them.

Among these illegal weapons seized was a shotgun.

This is in comparison to no

firearms seized in 2021.

“For the first half of the year, CANU has made a total of 14 seizures involving weapons, consisting of 13 firearms and one 1 crossbow. These seizures have made a positive impact towards the Unit’s initiative in creating a safer country,” CANU noted.

Collaborations

Moreover, the Unit in collaboration with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) also conducted a number of exercises which resulted in the confiscation of a number of uncustomed items including 20 cases of Itaipava Beers (10 cases each).

“CANU recognises that tax evasion has a negative impact on the economy and the well-being of society.

One of the consequences is a decrease in Government revenue, which can lead to higher tax rates, negatively impacting businesses and households; as a result, the Unit continues to collaborate with the GRA to reduce this phenomenon,” the report stated.

Apart from GRA, CANU also engaged in a number of operations with other agencies including the Guyana Police Forces as well as regional and international agencies. It was noted that through these joint operations, the law enforcement agencies combine their resources to support the goals of breaking down drug trafficking organisations, reducing crime, saving lives, and advancing the National Drug Control Strategy.

Further, the report detailed that in the months of May and June, CANU placed significant emphasis on tackling micro trafficking, recognising that the domestic trade is a major problem with a growing presence in schools.

Additionally, the Unit continues to place emphasis on developing its officers' capacities in a variety of areas through trainings and exchange programmes that are beneficial to the Unit's operations and professional competence. (G8)

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mason chopped to death over alleged old grievance

Dead: Rodwell “Fishie” Phillips

A

mason was in the wee hours of Monday chopped to death along La Penitence Public Road, Georgetown, over an old grievance.

Dead is 32-year-old Rodwell Phillips also called “Fishie” of Broad Street, Charlestown, Georgetown.

Police stated that his body was found lying on the roadway between midnight and 1:00h on Monday.

A blood-stained cutlass was found next to the man’s motionless body.

Investigations revealed that one chop wound was seen to the centre of his chest, one to his right-side face, one to his left side back, and one to his left foot.

Phillips was pronounced

dead on the scene and his body was taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home awaiting post-mortem.

However, at the home of the dead man, his brother Christopher Prudent told Guyana Times that he was at work when he received a telephone call from his sister who related that his brother was dead. “I was at work and couldn’t leave so, they told me that he was chopped about his body,” the brother added.

He added that after he came off from work on Monday morning, he went to the Funeral Home with the expectation of seeing his brother’s body but the facility was closed when he arrived. His mother and other relatives, he related, went back later in the day.

Nevertheless, the brother stated that according to reports he received, there were several eyewitnesses to the crime. In fact, the Police related that they had questioned several persons and are yet to review the CCTV footage. “There were lots of eyewitnesses. I was told and the Police were also at the scene sorting out issues.”

He could not say if the man suspect was arrested.

However, the aggrieved brother added that his brother and someone were involved in a heated argu-

ment sometime back and this might have led to a scuffle. As such, the brother believes that Phillips’s death is connected to the old grievance.

“From what I hear…the person who had the problem with my brother might have attacked and chopped him on Sunday night… we can’t be sure because the Police didn’t say if they had the suspect.” He also believes that with his brother’s attitude, no one person committed the act.

“He is someone who would retaliate if you do

him something… He was like that… he would put up a fight to protect himself… and I think, this is what might have happened… no one person can take down by brother…”

Prudent further added that his brother was different from the others. “We just want the Police to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.

That is all we want.”

Phillips leaves to mourn his two young sons, parents, and siblings.

Police are currently investigating the fatal chopping.

Inquest into death of man electrocuted at worksite to begin this week

A

coroner’s inquest to determine if anyone is responsible for the death of 24-year-old Orin Cozier, who was electrocuted in August 2018, will commence on Thursday.

According to a notice issued by a Clerk of Court II, a total of 12 witnesses will testify in the proceeding, which is scheduled to commence at 13:30h at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court.

Cozier, of Dowding

Dead: Orin Cozier

Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was electrocuted on August 6, 2018, while he and his colleagues were running electrical wires on lamp poles along the Dryshore Public Road, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) to facilitate the installation of road lights.

Based on reports, Asif Azeez, a supervisor attached to the Ramotar and Sons Electrical Company was in the company of several of his workers as they were installing the electrical wires.

One of the men was on top of the pole pulling the electrical wire while Azeez and Cozier were on the ground next to the roadway holding the other side of the wire to keep it steady.

In the process of pulling the wire, it came into contact with a transformer, thus causing electrical current to pass through the wire. Both Azeez and Cozier reportedly pitched several feet away, landing on the roadway. As a result of the electrical shocks, Cozier became unconscious while Azeez was in a stable condition. The former was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. (G1)

Bash… …for Emancipation

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ell, thank goodness for President Ali. As you’d know by now, your Eyewitness has been in a tizzy over the visiting African royalty. But for some obscure reason, their hosts have been keeping them under wraps. He couldn’t see head nor hair – or Dhuku (headdress!) – of our exalted visitors!! Naïve him had expected that the exalted personages would’ve been taken around the country to allow us in the boondocks to get a glimpse.

Back in the 1950s, a Nigerian prince – who just happened to be studying at Harvard – was brought to Guyana and taken on a tour of the country. He did stir a lot of pride in a people who were still being fed – through Tarzan movies -- that Africans were living in huts in the jungle. In those days to call someone “African” was “fightin’ words” – as was “Black”!! “Negro” was the preferred term. How things change!!

Sadly, touring wasn’t on the cards and your Eyewitness worries the Royals didn’t get a glimpse of how their people – who’d been sold into bondage – lived on the plantations.

As it is, they probably will leave believing that the millions shipped across the Atlantic hung out in cities. Now, from what he read, it seems that most of the royals were from South Africa and Lesotho – far from where most of our African Guyanese originated. He wonders how they relate to the descendants of slaves who are not part of their tribes.

Your Eyewitness did feel he was in the presence of African Royalty once when he heard the inimitable Miriam Makeba sing “Mama Africa”!

And then came the Emancipation Gala at State House on Sunday night – the eve of Emancipation Day – and there were the Royals in all their glory!! Your Eyewitness must say they did look stately!! They did seem to have brought along their own “Princess Diana” – in the personage of young Princess Lindiwe, daughter of Queen Mzilikazi. Seems she just captivated everyone. It would appear that the Queen made the local head of the Reparations Committee into a Zulu Chief - but he hasn’t caught up with Zulu history as yet. He introduced Queen Mzilikazi as “descended from Shaka Zulu” but actually she’s descended from a lieutenant of that great king – who became a great king in his own right. Anyhow Zulus are allowed up to five wives and your Eyewitness wonders whether the local Zulu Chief will run afoul of the local laws on polygamy!!

President Ali seemed to have pulled out all the stops to make his guests feel welcome – even breaking out into enthusiastic dance moves. Prudently, he didn’t attempt the Zulu Indlamu dance.

This involves a high kick above one’s head then falling on one’s behind!! …for One Guyana President Ali took the opportunity at the State House Emancipation Bash to expand on his Administration’s “One Guyana” policy. Seems it actually comes out of the notion of our “one humanity” which, he informed us, is part and parcel of all religious teachings. Used to the PPP’s avoidance of religious beliefs to ground political action, your Eyewitness is pleased.

But he was reminded that in his address to Parliament back in Feb 2021, Pres Ali had announced that “the path to this “oneness” would include an Act of Parliament establishing a “One Guyana Commission” which will be led

by Prime Minister Mark Phillips.” Has the Commission been launched??

“The work of the Commission would be countrywide, and it would listen to the free expressions of all voices, concerning ways in which every Guyanese can honour their ancestral heritage while giving the highest regard to our blended Guyanese civilisation,” the President had explained.

After the high point of the Emancipation gala, it’s time for the Commission! …and bashing President Ali didn’t take kindly to the snub by Congressman Hakeem Sekou Jeffries – in refusing to meet him. Knowing its genesis in kvetching by malcontents close to Jeffries, your Eyewitness isn’t sure why the President’s surprised.

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

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NEWS

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Businesses warned against no refund, no return policy

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has

he Competition and Consumers Affairs Commission (CCAC) warned businesses

that the no refund, no return policy is an offence contrary to the Consumers Affairs Act.

Arakaka Police Outpost fire

Accused charged, was on the run since last year

Roscoe McIntyre

A

n ex-convict who was charged over setting fire to the Arakaka Police Outpost in Region One (Barima-Waini) has been missing since last year August, the Guyana Police Force has said.

Roscoe McIntyre, 31, who is last known to have been residing at Arakaka, was charged in December 2020 with setting fire to a public building.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on December 11, 2020,

he set fire to the Arakaka Police Outpost.

The fire was set on the State property at around 02:30h on the December 11, 2020, while several Police ranks were locked inside.

Fortunately, they were able to escape.

According to reports, ranks were performing duties when they heard a loud explosion. When they rushed outside, they saw a huge fire on the building’s door. They put out the fire with water.

A partly burnt five-gallon bottle was found at the front door. It was reported that the door was doused with gas before being set on fire.

Five years ago, McIntyre was jailed for 12 months for escaping from the Camp Street Prison.

He was also previously charged with break and enter and larceny; however, this charge was dismissed.

Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of McIntyre can call the Police on 777-7007, 2271149, 225-6978, 225-8196, 777-5007, 777-4007; his sister on 642-2475; or visit the nearest Police station. (G1)

In a recent notice, the CCAC warned suppliers that “it is illegal to display no refund signs and to engage in the practice of not offering refunds.”

It has also advised consumers that they have up to seven days to return non-defective items. The notice said that items must be unused, not tampered with, and in their original package.

The notice further said that customers can be charged up to a 10 per cent restocking fee and that defective items can be returned anytime during the warranty period.

Section 21 (2) of the Act states that a consumer may return goods if the purpose for which the goods were bought or intend-

ed to be used has changed or ceased to exist immediately after the goods were bought. Section 22 of the Act outlines the process for returning defective goods.

To receive a refund or to return a good, consumers must have sufficient proof of purchase.

When a supplier sells goods or services, it must provide the consumers with a receipt setting out the purchase price and value-added tax separately; the date the purchase was made; and a description of the goods sold or services provided. The receipts shall be legible for 12 months.

The statute also mandates that suppliers shall issue a standard and explicit warranty in relation

to goods sold or services provided to consumers.

A warranty is an assurance or commitment by the supplier or manufacturer that in the event the product becomes defective, a form of redress is offered during the warranty period. Warranties must be for at least six months.

Between January to June 2021, the CCAC reported that it received complaints across 19 categories, the lead being in the electronics/electronic services, auto industry, and appliance and construction industry.

During that period, it received 269 complaints valued at $119,942,369 from consumers; this reflects a 180 per cent increase when compared to

the same period in 2020.

The functions of the CCAC include, among other things, investigating complaints by agencies and consumers; providing information to consumers on their rights and enabling them to make informed choices; and instituting, participating in, and/or supporting proceedings before a court of law, including to bring prosecutions where the Commission deems fit.

Consumers can file complaints against defaulting businesses via CCAC e-complaint form at https:// ccac.gov.gy/. Contact can also be made with its offices in Georgetown and Linden on 219-4410-13 and 444-6411. In-person visits are also welcomed. (G1)

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guyanatimesgy.com

News Emancipation 2022 celebrations

“We must not minimise the sacrifice of our forefathers” – Pres Ali …as celebrations return to National Park

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n Monday, Guyana along with other countries around the world celebrated 184 years of emancipation, a historic event that paved the way to freeing over 800,000 enslaved Africans and their descendants in parts of the Caribbean, Africa, Canada, and South America.

President Dr Irfaan Ali, while addressing a crowd in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), on Monday as persons went out to celebrate, said that we must not minimise the sacrifice of our African ancestors – who

President Dr Irfaan Ali at the Emancipation celebrations in New Amsterdam

ation but the generations to come, to honour that sacrifice.

“But, with that sacrifice

“Young people, I want to tell you that I am ready to embrace all of you. I am ready to work with you. I am ready to lead with you side by side in uplifting each other so that the prosperity comes to all of us. This is what we must aspire [to].” – President he noted have made significant contributions to the

must come responsibility. It is the responsibility of all of

the fullness of what the sacrifice was,” the Guyanese Head of State stated.

Ali remarked that through his “One Guyana” initiative, the Government will work tirelessly on uplifting and promoting Afro-Guyana. He said that even now, many Afro-Guyanese are making valuable and meaningful contributions to Guyana’s development, whether it be in the political, public service, security, or medical field. “[We are] working in a country where we uplift each other, where we promote each other.”

The Guyanese leader told the younger audience in New Amsterdam that he is ready to embrace them, work with them, to lead with them side by side.

“Young people, I want to tell you that I am ready to embrace all of you. I am ready to work with you. I am ready to lead with you side by side in uplifting each other so that the prosperity comes to all of us. This is what we must aspire [to],” he said.

National Park

President Ali extends greetings to Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton who made a bodily greeting gesture

Meanwhile, after two years of not being able to celebrate Emancipation at the National Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guyanese were excited to be out once again.

This year’s National Park Emancipation celebration was one for the books.

Excitement flared in the air like never before, and Guyanese of all ages out in their African-inspired clothing was truly a sight to be-

Guyanese culture.

“Today (Monday), I’m humbled by the sacrifices of our ancestors,” the President said. “I’m humbled by the many African brothers and sisters who shaped my life, who helped in shaping who I am today. Humbled and honoured by the sacrifice that they made. Sacrifice that must not be minimised.”

He said that the sacrifice did not only bring freedom, but “brought dignity, honour, pride, and glory.”

President Ali said that with such a sacrifice by our African ancestors, there must come responsibility – responsibility not only to this gener-

hold.

“This is wonderful, you know? Coming out, seeing all the colours, seeing the peo-

Prime Minister Mark Phillips at the National Park

us in this generation and the generations to come to honour that sacrifice. To honour that sacrifice by embracing

Dancers performing at the National Park

ple in harmony, this is good.

I mean, the culture, the crafts explain it. It’s lovely,” Aggrey Halley told Guyana Times.

Business owner, Oslo Roberson said that he was happy to be out at the National Park, after being away for two years due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

“Well, I am very happy to be here. Very happy,” Roberson said.

Going hand in hand with

the artistically fashionable clothing that matched the occasion, the mouth-watering aroma of fine African cuisine filled the air. From the popular cook-up, to cassava pone, conkie, metemgee and foo-foo, persons were waiting in line to please their appetite.

This year’s Emancipation celebration at the National Park might be the most culturally diverse one yet, as persons from at least five ethnic races participated in the

celebrations.

“Well, I’m very excited about that. Sitting here, watching around, yes, I’ve noticed persons of different descents would’ve been hanging around, coming around, viewing our African cuisine and everything and I’m very happy about that. And that is one thing, that is a good thing of coming together. As they said, “One Guyana,” Marlin Henry said. (G2)

4-lane highway to Mahaica currently in procurement stage – Edghill …2-lane road from Belfield to Orange Nassau to be upgraded

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orks are progressing on preparations for the expansion of the railway embankment to Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, a four-lane highway is in its procurement stage.

Edghill made this disclosure during a recent ministerial outreach, where he informed residents along the East Coast that the project is part of the Government’s transformational drive for Guyana.

“There is a major project that is in the procurement stage from Sheriff Street roundabout, all the way up to Mahaica on the railway embankment, we are bringing that to a four-lane road,” Minister Edghill said.

He also informed them that the two-lane road from Belfield to Orange Nassau will be upgraded. This is a proactive move in order to improve traffic flow, which is likely to increase as more and more economic development takes place.

“It means that with the industrialisation that will take place at Enmore where people from Melanie, Buxton, Golden Grove and Victoria will be able to get jobs in the oil and gas sector. To support that, you have to have the large, wide thoroughfares to move the containerised traffic to enable industrialisation com-

ing to your area,” Edghill stated.

The infrastructural development is in keeping with the rapid expansion of the country’s economy. On the East Coast alone, major investments are being made by both Government and the private sector locally, regionally and internationally.

Back in June when the contract for the East Coast Demerara-East Bank Demerara road link project was being discussed, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh had talked about extending the four-lane road from Sheriff Street to Buxton and beyond.

“When I say brand new four-lane road, I’m speaking here of the alignment along the existing railway embankment road but widening that existing railway embankment road to a new four-lane highway from Sheriff Street to Orange Nassau, like I said with plans to go beyond,” Dr Singh had said.

At the time, a US$106 million contract had been signed between the Public Works Ministry and Indiabased Ashoka Buildcon Limited, for the construction of a four-lane bypass road that will link the East Coast of Demerara corridor at Ogle directly to the East Bank Demerara corridor at

Eccles.

Back in 2015, the Indian Government had provided the US$50 million credit line for the road link that was initially slated for Ogle to Diamond, EBD. However, the project cost was driven up to over $208 million by the previous A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government and the project languished under them.

However, when the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government took office in 2020, it redesigned the project into two phases to fit the LOC – first from Ogle to Haags Bosch road in Eccles, which is about 48-50 per cent of the project, and then from Eccles to Diamond – in order to fit the US$50 million LOC. The Guyana Government will be undertaking the extension from Diamond all the way to Timehri. It was announced in January of this year that Ashoka Buildcon Limited won the contract to construct the road, ahead of two other Indian companies.

Ashoka has built a number of bridges and roads.

According to the company’s website, it even built a bridge in 38 days, namely the Mandve Bridge near Pandharpur, India. The company said the bridge was supposed to be built in 12 months. (G3)

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

19

News

“No need to go anywhere; we will deliver” – Pres Ali to health-care workers …reiterates call for strictest standards, accountability for actions A s the Guyana Government works to enhance the local healthcare system, President Dr Irfaan Ali has reassured workers in this field of better working environments and living conditions in the future.

The Head of State made this pledge while delivering the feature address at the sod-turning ceremony of the country’s first Specialised Paediatric and Maternal Hospital at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, on Sunday.

President Ali pointed out that tilling the soil and constructing the buildings is just one component of the transformation that Government is undertaking in the health sector. He explained that the other component, which is the hardest part, is making the system work. This, he noted, requires human resources so that the system can be in top shape.

To this end, the Guyanese leader assured healthcare workers that they will be taken care of in this new system that his Government is building.

“Trust the vision. Hold on to this vision. There is no need for you to go anywhere.

We are going to deliver to you the best environment and the best total package for you to

live a good and healthy life.

There is absolutely no backing down in having the best possible system to support human resource growth, their welfare and advancement.”

In the same breath, however, President Ali declared that healthcare workers will be held accountable in return for their every action.

“You will be held to the strictest standards. You will be held accountable for every single action. You must deliver also to the best of our capability because we are not building the second best, we are building the best here in Guyana.”

Developing

Meanwhile, the Head of State went on to outline that the standard that Guyana is developing with the establishment of infrastructure such as the new specialised hospital for at-risk women and children will position the country to attract traffic from within the Caribbean region.

“You would have heard me saying that whatever we are developing is for regional prosperity. So, our cardiac centre, our centre to deal with cancer, our centre to deal with research and development are all positioned with standards and infra-

structure that will make it the ‘want to go to destination’ in terms of regional traffic.”

According to the Guyanese President, his Government is also targeting opportunities in the wider diaspora. He explained that his Administration will engage the Governments of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom – which are homes some large Guyanese diaspora – to integrate their healthcare plan into the services that Guyana will be offering in the future when these facilities become available. “[We want to see] how we can support the diaspora?

Even with the monthly medical benefits and the subsidy that they receive from their Government, if we can provide [those medical services] at a cheaper cost, then it can be a bilateral relationship that shares health and education services beyond the shores.”

Another important initiative on the table, according to President Ali, is the integration of services offered by care homes and elderly homes. He pointed out that Guyana already has better year-round weather that would suit the elder population in these facilities.

“So, it is building out a healthcare model that is fo-

President Dr Irfaan Ali

cusing not only locally but focusing on the region and focusing on the diaspora. We want to also bring together all the private stakeholders in dentistry… We are working now in terms of building out a system that will support all of this infrastructure and a system that will be strongly integrated.”

Moreover, the Head of State disclosed that medical universities and teaching hospitals will also play a big role in Guyana’s future healthcare system. In fact, he noted that some of these projects are already on stream.

“I'm already talking to Dr Anthony to see what amendments are required for stem

cells because we want to be at the cutting edge of medical technology. Whatever legislation needs to be done, we will do the consultation, get all those legislation in and pass all the laws because the aim is to put Guyana at the cutting edge of health delivery, health education, the scientific part of it, research and development.”

Only last month, the Guyana Government signed a historic partnership deal with New York-based Mount Sinai Health System and Hess Corporation to transform local healthcare into a world class service that will not only ensure accessibility and affordability for

Guyanese citizens but also the Caribbean region.

Under this agreement, President Ali rolled out the National Health Care Initiative – a three component plan that focuses on enhancing the country’s primary healthcare services, improving patient care and management at the Georgetown Public Hospital and developing specialised services in cardiology and oncology with the private sector. This includes the establishment of two centres of excellence – a cardiovascular centre and an oncology centre.

The Head of State has already charged the private sector in the local medical field to step up and tap into the opportunities that this project will make available.

This National Health Care Initiative is being funded jointly by Guyana and Hess Corporation, which has injected some US$32 million into the project.

Meanwhile, in addition to receiving help from Mount Sinai through this, Government was also able to secure a facility for all Guyanese requiring specialised medical treatment to get a 30 per cent discount once the Health Ministry approves a referral to the NYbased medical institution.

27 new COVID-19 cases recorded; 1 in ICU GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD A nother 27 persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus from 209 tests conducted within a 24-hour period.

This now takes the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana to 69,834, according to the Health Ministry’s updated COVID-19 dashboard on Sunday.

However, only 603 of these are currently active cases, that is, one patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining persons in isolation – 580 in home isolation and the other 22 in institutional isolation.

Two other persons are also in institutional quarantine.

In the month of July, over 2400 new COVID-19 infections were detected.

This includes over 1070 males and more than 1300 females contracting the virus during last month.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 death toll in the country is currently at 1271 with the latest fatality recorded on July 25 when a 74-year-old male from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) died. During the month of July, a total of 16 persons died from the virus.

Nevertheless, as of Sunday, some 67,960 per-

sons have recovered from the life-threatening disease in Guyana since its outbreak here over two years ago. This figure shows that 43 more recoveries were recorded when compared to the figure reported the previous day.

To date, a total 676,729 tests have been conducted countrywide and of this, some 32,006 males and 37,828 females were found to be positive.

Of the 27 new cases recorded on Sunday, four were from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), two more from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 20 cases from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) and the remaining one case from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

There were no new cases recorded in the other six regions across the country within the reporting 24hour period.

After a prolonged period of declining cases, the Guyana Government, back in March, removed most restrictions as the country moves to recover from the pandemic and return to normalcy. But in recent weeks, there has been a spike in COVID cases here, which health authorities have attributed to subvariants of

the Omicron strain, such as the BA.2 and more recently the BA.5.

To this end, health authorities are urging persons to get vaccinated and for those qualified to get their booster shots.

Latest vaccination figures show that so far, more than 443,977 or 86.7 per cent of adults have taken a first dose, while over 344,642 or 66.2 per cent of persons 18 years and over are fully vaccinated.

For adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, just over 35,379 or 48.5 per cent have received their first dose, while 25,881 or 35.5 per cent of them have returned for their second dose.

Vaccines administered to children within the ages of five and 11 years have surpassed 6400 doses, which is about 6.3 per cent of that age cohort. Second doses for this group are just over 1070 or 1 per cent.

In addition, in excess of 71,000 persons have returned for their booster shots thus far.

According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recent figures, some 572,239,451 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 6,390,401 deaths.

In the Region of the

AUGUST 1, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

27

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

22

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

580

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

1

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

2

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

37,828

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

32,006

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

69,834

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

67,960

REGION 1

2676

REGION 2

3081

REGION 3

8608

REGION 4

34,756

REGION 5

2543

REGION 6

6689

REGION 7

2606

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4311

REGION 10

3678

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

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

441,071

FULLY IMMUNISED

340,572

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1271

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

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

Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 169,953,836

while the death toll in the region has gone up to 2,786,222.

As it relates to vaccination against COVID-19, the

WHO also reported that a total of 12,248,795,623 doses have been administered worldwide. (G8)

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil sinks about 4% after weak factory data sparks demand concerns

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il prices dropped about 4 per cent on Monday as weak manufacturing data in several countries weighed on the demand outlook while investors braced for this week's meeting of OPEC and its producer allies on supply.

Brent crude futures fell US$3.94, or 3.8 per cent, to settle at US$100.03 a barrel, having fallen to a session low of US$99.09 a barrel.

US West Texas Intermediate crude fell US$4.73, or 4.8 per cent to settle at US$93.89 a barrel, after hitting a low of US$92.42.

A break for Brent prices below the support level of US$102.68 could trigger a drop into a range of US$99.52 to US$101.26, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said.

Factories across the United States, Europe and Asia struggled for momentum in July as flagging global demand and China's strict COVID-19 restrictions slowed production, surveys showed on Monday, likely adding to fears of economies sliding into recession.

Brent and WTI both ended July with a second straight monthly loss for the first time since 2020 as soaring inflation and higher interest rates raise fears of a recession that would erode fuel demand.

Analysts in a Reuters poll reduced their forecast for 2022 average Brent prices to US$105.75, their first downward revision since April. Their estimate for WTI fell to US$101.28.

However, questions about global supply loom in the oil market.

"There is still a disconnect with economic data and what we're seeing on the supply side," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures group. "The oil market is still very tight, and the market is going to be on edge going into OPEC." The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, together known as OPEC+, meet on Wednesday to decide on September output.

Two of eight OPEC+ sources in a Reuters survey said that a modest increase for September would be discussed at the Aug 3 meeting. The rest said output is likely to be held steady.

US President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia last month.

"While President Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia produced no immediate oil deliverables, we believe that the kingdom will reciprocate by continuing to gradually increase output," RBC Capital analyst Helima Croft said in a note.

While OPEC+ aimed to have fully unwound its record output cuts by this month, data showed the group as of June was still almost 3 million barrels per day short of its output target as some producing countries struggle to bring wells back on line.

Also weighing on prices was a rise in Libyan oil production, which hit 1.2 million bpd, up from 800,000 bpd on July 22, after the lifting of a blockade on several oil facilities. (Reuters)

Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri killed in CIA drone strike in Afghanistan – US officials

A

l Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a CIA drone strike in Afghanistan over the weekend, US officials said on Monday, the biggest blow to the militant group since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011.

Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a US$25 million bounty on his head, helped coordinate the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3000 people.

One of the US officials, speaking on the condition

clear how the United States, which does not have US troops on the ground, confirmed that Zawahiri had been killed.

There were rumours of Zawahiri's death several times in recent years, and he was long reported to have been in poor health.

His death raises questions about whether Zawahiri received sanctuary from the Taliban following their takeover of Kabul in August 2021. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Ukraine war: 1st grain ship leaves under Russia deal

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he first ship carrying grain has left a Ukrainian port under a landmark deal with Russia.

Turkish and Ukrainian officials say the ship left the southern port of Odesa early on Monday morning local time.

Russia has been blockading Ukrainian ports since February, but the two sides made a deal to resume shipments.

It is hoped the agreement will ease the global food crisis and lower the price of grain.

Turkey said the Sierra Leone-flagged vessel, the Razoni, would dock at the port of Tripoli in Lebanon, adding that further shipments were planned over the coming weeks.

While the sight of the Razoni, with her stowed white cranes and long blue hull, inching out into the mine-infested Black Sea represents a significant development, the operation will have to last for a sustained period for either Ukraine's damaged economy or tens of millions of people around the world to benefit

The Joint Co-ordination Centre, set up in Istanbul under the deal, said the ship was carrying some 26,000 tonnes of corn and was expected to arrive in Turkish waters for inspection on Tuesday.

Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov told the BBC the Razoni was an important test to show the deal would work, with Turkey aiding its safe navigation through

dangerous waters.

"There's the question of mines," he told BBC Newshour. "There are a lot of mines - starting from World War Two, in addition to mines which appeared in the Black Sea starting from February - it provides a lot of risks," he said.

There are concerns that while ships may be able to leave Ukraine with tonnes of grain, they might not be able to get affordable insurance to return for another load.

But Kubrakov said he expected to see between one and three vessels going in both directions in the next few weeks, with empty ships coming to the port of Odessa from Turkey's Bosporus Strait. (Excerpt from BBC News)

“Shame of a nation”: 84 arrested after gang rape in South Africa

M

ore than 80 people arrested following a gang rape of eight South African women appeared before a court on Monday as the Police Minister described the assault as the “shame of the nation”.

Brazil: Conjoined twins separated with the help of virtual reality

B

razilian twins who were joined at the head have been successfully separated with the help of virtual reality.

Three-year-old Bernardo and Arthur Lima underwent surgeries in Rio de Janeiro, with direction from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

The teams spent months trialling techniques using virtual reality projections of the twins, based on CT and MRI scans.

It was described by surgeon Noor ul Owase Jeelani as "space-age stuff".

It was one of the most complex separation processes ever completed, according

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri took over the leadership of al-Qaeda following the killing of Osama Bin Laden in May 2011

of anonymity, said the CIA carried out a drone strike in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday.

"Over the weekend, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation against a significant al Qaeda target in Afghanistan," a senior Administration official said in a statement to reporters.

"The operation was successful and there were no civilian casualties," the official added.

It was not immediately

A gang of gunmen forced their way into a music video shoot near a mine dump in Krugersdorp, a small town west of Johannesburg, on Thursday.

Eight young women from the cast were raped in an incident that shocked the country, which has one of the highest crime rates in the world.

“What happened in Krugersdorp is just a shame of the nation,” Police Minister Bheki Cele told a press briefing on Monday, adding some of

the victims would suffer long-term consequences.

“Some of those destructions are permanent with those kids.”

The gang attacked the crew and cast while they were offloading equipment and preparing the set, according to Police.

Police have blamed illegal immigrants working in mines – known locally as Zama Zama – and arrested 84 people during a swoop in the area.

Two more suspects were killed in a shootout

with Police and a third was wounded and taken to a local hospital, Police said.

On Monday, those held started to appear before a court on charges of entering the country illegally and possessing stolen goods.

National Police Chief Fannie Masemola said a probe would establish if the suspects were linked to the rape. No one has been charged as yet over the sexual assaults. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Militia member given longest prison sentence yet for US Capitol attack

A

The twins had seven surgeries, involving more than 27 hours of operating time in the final operation

to the charity which funded it – Gemini Untwined – which Jeelani founded in 2018.

He said that, for the first time, surgeons in separate countries wore headsets and operated in the same "virtual

reality room" together.

The twins had seven surgeries, involving more than 27 hours of operating time in the final operation alone, and almost 100 medical staff.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

n associate of the far-right Three Percenters militia was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on Monday for joining a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and later threatening to harm his children if they informed on him to the FBI.

Guy Reffitt, of Wylie, Texas, was convicted by a jury in March of five felony charges, including bringing a gun onto the Capitol grounds and obstructing an official proceeding.

US District Judge Dabney Friedrich issued a sentence of seven years, three months – the longest yet for anyone involved in the riot. To date, Federal Prosecutors have won con-

victions in all but one of 13 trials tied to the Capitol attack, which sought to keep Congress from certifying Trump's election loss.

Previously, the longest sentence for a January 6 case had been 63 months, but in those two cases, the defendants opted not to go to trial, and to plead guilty instead. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

21

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Step into the spotlight and let your intelligence capture the attention you deserve. Refuse to let physical limitations stand between you and your dreams. Don't share secrets.

(March 21-April 19) Put force behind the changes you want. You'll get things done, regardless of complaints and criticism. Time spent at home will help you sort through differences with loved ones.

DILBERT

(April 20-May 20)

(May 21-June 20)

Put more emphasis into your words.

Don't stop until you are happy with the results. Use your imagination, gain momentum and push your way to the top.

Discipline and determination won't let you down.

Sticking to the facts will make your life easier and help you gain respect.

Reach out to someone who can offer a different perspective on a situation you face. Don't lose sight of your intentions.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

An open mind will bring exciting ideas. Focus on pursuits that will get you up to speed regarding something you want to accomplish. Being well-informed will help discourage others from interfering.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Put your time and energy into where it counts and create the scenario that best suits your needs. Don't wait for someone to do the legwork for you. Seize the moment.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Refuse to let your emotions take over and ruin a good thing. Over-the-top behavior will cloud your vision and generate unnecessary mistakes. Surround yourself with people you trust.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Actions speak louder than words and will help you show how serious you are regarding your intentions. Step up to the plate and give life your best shot. Leave nothing to chance.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Invest in your talents and skills.

Diversity will be your ticket to a better lifestyle. Be willing to do things differently if it will keep you in the game and ahead of the competition.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick close to home and protect your assets. Revise your portfolio or change how you use your money to live and reach your life goals. An unequal partnership will require an adjustment.

LAST PUBLISHED WORD -- SAPPHIRE

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You'll get a good look at how someone operates. Don't ignore the signs when it comes to financial partnerships. If something doesn't feel right, back away and do your own thing.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Add skills that help you pursue your dreams. Your happiness depends on doing what's right and best for you.

Networking will open a window of opportunity. Don't let emotions interfere with success.

22

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

Guyanese Chanderpaul, Imlach, Sinclair in Windies A team

T

he Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel on Monday announced the squads for the West Indies A Team series against Bangladesh A Team to be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia from August 4 to 20.

The two teams will play two four-day First-Class matches followed by three 50-over matches.

On the local front, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Tevin Imlach, and Kevin Sinclair are the Guyanese who have been selected in the two squads.

Joshua Da Silva, the wicketkeeper-batter, will lead the team in both formats, with Andre Coley as the Head Coach.

The squads feature several players with international experience, as well as others who have graduated from the CWI Rising Stars U-19 and CWI Emerging Players teams.

Speaking ahead of the series, Lead Selector Desmond Haynes said: “We stated from very early that we would look to give the opportunities to players and broaden the pool. The ‘A Team’ programme is a very good

grow even more and this series against the visitors from Bangladesh will present that golden opportunity.”

The four-day matches will start at 10:00h (09:00h Jamaica Time) and the limited-overs matches will start at 09:30h (08:30h Jamaica Time). Live ballby-ball scoring of each game will be available through the www. windiescricket.com match centre while CWI will be live streaming via the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.

Joshua Da Silva will captain both the Four-Day and 50-over squads

thing for West Indies cricket and CWI must be complimented for ensuring that we have these matches back up and running and arranging these games in Saint Lucia.”

Haynes added: “The squad is selected for us to have a closer look at the players in the longer format and also 50-over format as we have a lot of international cricket around the corner.

We want to give the players

exposure and the chance to play ‘A Team’ cricket and President’s XI matches as we had earlier this year as it is vital and much needed.

“Joshua has done quite well so far in his Test career, and we believe he will be a good leader for both formats. We also have a few others in the squads who have played at the international level and performed reasonably well, so we want to see them

Full squads Four-day “Tests” Joshua Da Silva (Captain) Colin Archibald Alick Athanaze Yannic Cariah Keacy Carty Tagenarine Chanderpaul Bryan Charles Justin Greaves Tevin Imlach Shermon Lewis Jeremiah Louis Marquino Mindley Anderson Phillip Jeremy Solozano One-Day 50-overs Joshua Da Silva (Captain)

Kevin Sinclair returns to West Indies colours for the A team

Alick Athanaze Teddy Bishop Yannic Cariah Tagenarine Chanderpaul Justin Greaves Tevin Imlach Shermon Lewis Jeremiah Louis Preston McSween Marquino Mindley Anderson Phillip Kevin Sinclair Shamar Springer Match schedule At Daren Sammy Cricket

Ground August 4-7: 1st FourDay “Test” – local start time 10am (9am Jamaica) August 10-13: 2nd FourDay “Test” – local start time 10am (9am Jamaica) August 16: 1st 50-over match – local start time 9:30am (8:30am Jamaica) August 18: 2nd 50-over match – local start time 9:30am (8:30am Jamaica) August 20: 3rd 50-over match – local start time 9:30am (8:30am Jamaica)

Guyana ready to showcase at 'hot-ticket' track & field Guyana victorious in round

Guyana's 400m specialist, Aliyah Abrams during training

W

ith the hottest ticket at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, track and field will begin today as some of the Commonwealth’s brightest stars are all ready to shine at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England.

Among them will be 10 athletes from Guyana, most of whom are making their debut at the Games which started in 1930.

On the opening day of competition, Emanuel Archibald, along with Noelex Holder and Akeem Stewart, will line up in the men’s 100 metres heats while Jasmine Abrams is down to compete in the women’s 100m.

Holder will run in Heat 5 alongside Ferdinand Omanyala, the Kenyan and African champion. Omanyala has the ninth-fastest time in the history of the 100m, posting 9.77s last year.

Stewart, with a Personal Best (PB) of 10.29s, will race in Heat 9; Archibald is in Heat 10. He will also take to the pit tomorrow in the men's long jump.

Joanna Archer is set for the women’s 800m in Heat 2; same with Jamaica's

Natoya Goule, who was a bronze medallist at the 2018 Games in Australia.

Coach Julian Edmonds and Johnny Gravesande are tasked with overseeing the team.

According to Edmonds, the athletes, with the exception of the Abrams siblings, Jasmine and Aliyah, and Archibald, are not used to the bright lights at this level, but their performances this season bring hope.

Edmonds said, in light of their inexperience at this level, "it's important for us to keep them calm and let them focus on things they have control over".

Archibald and the Abrams sisters, particularly Jasmine, are entering the Games against the backdrop of running PBs in their events this year.

Archibald clocked 10.18s, which made him the second fastest Guyanese over the 100m distance, only behind Adam Harris (10.12s).

Jasmine, at the Trinidad and Tobago senior championships, ran 11.07s, which became Guyana's National Record in the women's 100m, breaking Branessa Thompson's 11.14s mark.

The Abrams sisters and Archibald, over the last year, have represented Guyana at the Olympic Games, as well as both the World Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

Apart from Aliyah Abrams, who finished fifth in the women's 400m at the World Indoor Championships, none of the other aforementioned athletes have ever competed in the final of a major event.

"Now, we're winding down preparation, so it's really doing the basic things right; take each race as it comes, do not overthink, and execute what you've been taught all-year round," Edmonds said.

He added, "Jasmine has broken our national record, but she didn't have a good (world) championship. But talking

3 of Chess Olympiad

Emanuel Archibald and Akeem Stewart bursting out the blocks during training

to her, at these Games, she's ready and raring to go. Her main goal is sub-11, which 11.07s is not that far off. So, once she puts that together, she's going to go far. Myself and Coach Johnny, we've been talking to her about her race, especially in her first 30 metres."

With an emphasis on being part of more relays, Holder, Stewart, and Archibald will have 400m specialist Arinze Chance as their team-mate for the 4x100m relay; something Edmonds said should be constant for Guyana’s major games, taking into consideration that the country won bronze at the Senior South American championships in Ecuador, in June.

Guyana’s last three medals at the Commonwealth Games came from track and field.

Aliann Pompey won gold for Guyana at the 2002 Games in Manchester, and then returned to grab silver in 2010 in Delhi.

In 2018, at the Gold Coast Games, Troy Doris won Guyana’s fourth gold medal in the Commonwealth Games when he took the men’s triple jump title. (By Rawle Toney, Team Guyana Press Attaché)

A

Anthony Drayton at the 44th Chess Olympiad

fter a setback in round two where the Open and Female teams were unable to add to their overall score, the Guyana Chess teams overcame Seychelles and Hong Kong to register their first match wins at the 44th FIDE Olympiad in Chennai, India.

In the Open section, Candidate Master (CM) Taffin Khan and Ethan Lee scored wins for the Guyana side, with Roberto Neto earning a half point from his drawn game to make the Open Team the overall winners of their round three matches. Unfortunately, FIDE Master (FM) Anthony Drayton was unable to score against FM Andre Stratonowitsch. Drayton’s game was seemingly heading to yet another victory or at least a draw when a miscalculation on move 62 (giving up a bishop for a pawn in the end game) sealed his fate and secured the win for

his opponent.

In the Women’s tournament, Guyana recorded a 3-1 match victory over Hong Kong.

Round three’s success came from excellent performances

by Pooja Lam and Jessica Callender, who won their games while Nellisha Johnson added to the team score with a point by default. Sasha Shariff battled valiantly against her opponent but was unable to score.

Round four continues today with Guyana’s CM Khan, FM Drayton, Neto and Loris Nathoo taking on a tough Jamaican side in the Open category, and Lam, Shariff, Johnson and Callender taking on Haiti in the Women’s tournament.

Play starts daily at 15:00h Indian Time (05:30h Guyana Time). Links to live games can be found on the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) website: www. guyanachess.org.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

McCoy’s 6-wicket haul, King's 68 help West Indies level series against India

Rishabh Pant goes big for India

W

est Indies complicated a comfortable chase of 139, with a final-over no-ball by Avesh Khan turning out to be the trigger for their fivewicket win to level the five-match series against India. They took it deep as the visitors tightened the screws in the middle overs –at one stage, the hosts needed 75 off 72 balls with nine wickets

in hand – with Devon Thomas capitalising on the free hit to slam a six, followed by a four to wrap up a nervous chase.

Earlier in the day, Obed McCoy achieved West Indies' best bowling figures in T20Is – and the best against India by any side in the format – as the visitors provided another peek into the future by putting up an alarming display of their newfound T20 batting method, where they were willing to risk the big hits despite successive loss of wickets.

Opener Brandon King then smashed 68 off 52 balls, and ensured he held one end up after West Indies were at a nervous 83 for 3 in the 13th over.

McCoy's 6 for 17 pushed India back in the death overs, where he got four of his wickets after getting

the first two inside the third over of the match. India crashed to 138 all out with two deliveries left in the innings after being 104 for 4 in the 14th over, with the scoring drying up considerably as wickets fell; just 75 runs came off the last 74 balls with the loss of wickets, as Hardik Pandya and Ravindra

Jadeja were forced into a repair job after some fanatical firing by the top order.

McCoy masters the powerplay and the death overs

It all started with the first ball of the match: Rohit Sharma got a lifter outside off, which he fended

CWSS, North Ruimveldt punch tickets to Milo final

Another look at the CWSS-Golden Grove encounter

Dolphin’s defence was solid, at least for the first 45 minutes

By Jemima Holmes

equaliser thirstily and was soon richly rewarded. Two minutes after North’s goal, Caldwell Peters levelled for Dolphin. Minutes later, Nicholas Tappin found himself locked in a challenge between North’s goalkeeper and a

“S

uspense” and “thrills” are the words that can be employed to accurately sum up the Milo Schools’ Under-18 Football semi-finals that were played at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground on Sunday.

After back-to-back games and 180 minutes of nail-biting football action, Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) from Linden and North Ruimveldt Multilateral School from Georgetown set the stage for what is expected to be an entertaining final next Sunday.

Following a pause owing to inclement weather, the MoE Ground was finally up to standard to host the anticipated Milo semi-finals and the encounters were worth the wait.

The first semi was contested between Christianburg and Golden Grove Secondary and was, up until the half, anybody’s game. Christianburg’s first real chance came approximately 20 minutes into the game as a shot hit the cross bar and ricocheted back into open play.

While their forwards were now finding their footing, Christianburg’s defence was rock solid, keeping the Golden Grove front line at bay.

In wake of an uneventful first half, Kemar Mc Lauren was finally able to break the deadlock in the 61st minute with a stunning strike.

It was then that Golden Grove’s goalkeeper took it upon himself to play hero,

venturing outside of his area to assist the defence and midfield.

Grove’s keeper had really been the only resistance the team showed, and when his decision-making in the moment came under pressure, so did Grove’s chances of making a comeback.

To add insult to injury, Mc Lauren followed up with another goal in the 69th minute, driving Golden Grove into despair. With shoulders shrugged and heads bowed, Grove conceded a third goal, this time, it was easily manoeuvred by Jamal Peters in the 89th minute, to secure Christianburg’s 3-0 win.

“It feel good. In the first half, it was stiff because we team didn’t playing good,” Mc Lauren reminisced after CWSS’ victory.

The teenager then spoke of his expectations for the final, “Game plan is to play hard, because we know it won’t be an easy final, because the best team does reach to the finals.”

The next semi-final between Dolphin Secondary and North Ruimveldt Multilateral was arguably the more entertaining of the two games, with seven goals registered between the two teams.

The intensity was high, with both Dolphin and North hunting an early decisive strike.

Half an hour in, an own goal coming off the head of Gerry Burnette led North to their first goal in the 30th minute.

A vexed but composed Dolphin outfit sought the

North Ruimveldt team visibly motivated the youngsters, as they went on a scoring frenzy in the ensuing minutes. North’s Akeem Perreira, Cassidy Carter and Orlando Dickie found the back of the net in the 60th, 61st and 70th to bring the

to short third off the shoulder of the bat, with the extra bounce which McCoy gained turning out to be a decisive factor as the innings progressed. He bowled a wicket-maiden to start the match, mixing the back-of-a-lengths with the fuller ones to keep new batter Shreyas Iyer quiet over the next five balls.

In the third over, McCoy struck off the first ball. Inviting Suryakumar Yadav to drive at a full-length delivery bowled from wide of the crease and angled across the right-hander, he had the batter edging behind. Pant and Iyer did try taking McCoy on in the same over, but after two overs, his figures still read 2-1-10-2.

India were mellowed down by the time McCoy returned to bowl the 17th over in his second spell – they were 112 for 5 after a rollercoaster first half of the innings – but had Jadeja and an inform Dinesh Karthik at the crease.

That is when McCoy affected a change of pace, luring Jadeja to loft to long-on when the latter went in search of boundaries after a dry period.

Just five came off that over, and with all of India's momentum sucked, McCoy struck three times in the 19th over to add to his tally.

After getting Karthik caught at short fine leg, he spotted R Ashwin trying to get across, and slipped a full delivery outside off, which Ashwin skied to deep point while hitting against the breeze.

And a little bit of luck also went McCoy's way when a hesitant review by Nicholas Pooran discovered Bhuvneshwar Kumar had tickled a tight, good-length delivery to the wicketkeeper, thus rounding off a dream spell.

Five sixes – and just one four – in the powerplay even with three wickets down, and 56 on the board. This despite the first over being a maiden.

Bazball fever caught India's top four, who bashed at will despite losing wickets successively. By the end of the seventh over, India were 63 for 4, the run rate and the wickets both being on the higher side an unusual sight for India in T20Is. With no run on the board off the first eight deliveries, Suryakumar brought out the

effortless loft over mid-off, playing with a high left elbow against Alzarri Joseph, a shot which Iyer emulated just three balls later, as India's aggressive intent mingled with the short boundaries at Warner Park to start their innings on a thrilling note.

And while Suryakumar edged behind for 11 from six balls, Rishabh Pant flicked his second ball for six over fine leg. Next over, Pant swat-pulled for another six, while Joseph had Iyer caught behind when the ball took off from the pitch again.

Three balls later, Pandya hit what was the first four of the innings – off the 29th ball, by when four sixes had already been crashed – before hacking another six over deep point to start in a hurry like his partners.

The powerplay was done, as Pant welcomed Akeal Hosein with the treatment he usually reserves for Jack Leach, lapping him for four off the second ball of the seventh over, only to walk down next ball and mistime a heave to deep midwicket for 24 from only 12 deliveries.

India were 61 for 4 after 6.3 overs, when some calmness descended. Pandya and Jadeja added 43 off as many balls in a contrasting approach, as India looked to rebuild. But from 104 for 4 in the 14th over, the visitors crumbled to lose 6 for 34, folding up with two deliveries left in the innings.

No kits in St Kitts

The match had finally begun around the time it was scheduled to end, with the three-hour holdup caused by the delayed arrival of the team kits in St Kitts. The toss eventually took place at 13:00h (1pm) local time – and the match began 30 minutes later – after the scheduled start of 10:30h (10:30am) was pushed back by two hours because of a delay in the arrival of the teams' luggage from Trinidad, the venue of the first T20I on Friday.

Five minutes after the rescheduled toss time of 10:00h (10am) had passed, a further delay of 55 minutes was announced with a new revised start of 13:30h (1:30pm) local time (11pm IST).

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Golden Grove and CWSS just couldn’t find the back of the net in the first half

defender, and eventually won the battle to make it a 2-1 game in Dolphin’s favour, in the 36th minute.

Now playing with the wind on their side, Dolphin looked lethal in the opening minutes of the second half. Tappin even extended Dolphin’s lead to 3-1 in the 50th, but it was after this juncture that it came crashing down.

Based on reports following the game, while the game lingered on the 3-1 score line, North Ruimveldt’s Coach, Jeremy Garrett, finally arrived after attending to senior men’s football duties with the GDF team.

Whatever was said to the

score to 4-3 in their favour.

Perreira detailed Multi’s come-from-behind moment, sharing, “We had a little confusion among the team, but at the end of the day, our coach came and tell us keep it together and that’s what we do and go out and play football.”

“He said ‘keep it together, the game is not done, we still have a lot more time to go’,” Perreira said.

The Milo final between CWSS and North Ruimveldt will be played on Sunday, August 6 at the same venue, starting at 18:00h (6pm). Before the final showdown, Dolphin and Golden Grove will battle for third place from 16:00h (4pm).

INDIA INNINGS (20 overs maximum) Rohit Sharma (c) c Hosein b McCoy 0 Suryakumar Yadav c †Thomas b McCoy 11 Shreyas Iyer c †Thomas b Joseph 10 Rishabh Pant † c Smith b Hosein 24 Hardik Pandya c Smith b Holder 31 Ravindra Jadeja c Powell b McCoy 27 Dinesh Karthik c Joseph b McCoy 7 Ravichandran Ashwin c Smith b McCoy 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar c †Thomas b McCoy 1 Avesh Khan b Holder 8 Arshdeep Singh not out 1 Extras(lb 4, w 4) 8 TOTAL 19.4 Ov (RR: 7.01) 138 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Rohit Sharma, 0.1 ov), 2-17 (Suryakumar Yadav, 2.1 ov), 3-40 (Shreyas Iyer, 4.2 ov), 4-61 (Rishabh Pant, 6.3 ov), 5-104 (Hardik Pandya, 13.4 ov), 6-115 (Ravindra Jadeja, 16.3 ov), 7-127 (Dinesh Karthik, 18.1 ov), 8-128 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 18.4 ov), 9-129 (Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 18.6 ov), 10-138 (Avesh Khan, 19.4 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Obed McCoy 4-1-17-6 Alzarri Joseph 4-0-29-1

Odean Smith 4-0-43-0 Akeal Hosein 4-0-22-1 Jason Holder 3.4-0-23-2 WEST INDIES INNINGS (Target: 139 runs from 20 overs) Brandon King b Avesh Khan 68 Kyle Mayers c Ashwin b Pandya 8 Nicholas Pooran (c) c Yadav b Ashwin 14 Shimron Hetmyer c & b Jadeja 6 Devon Thomas †not out 31 Rovman Powell b Arshdeep Singh 5 Odean Smith not out 4 Extras(lb 2, nb 2, w 1) 5 TOTAL 19.2 Ov (RR: 7.29) 141/5 Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Kyle Mayers, 6.1 ov), 2-71 (Nicholas Pooran, 9.4 ov), 3-83 (Shimron Hetmyer, 12.3 ov), 4-107 (Brandon King, 15.3 ov), 5-124 (Rovman Powell, 18.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-0-12-0 Arshdeep Singh 4-0-26-1 Ravindra Jadeja 3-0-16-1 Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-32-1 Hardik Pandya 4-0-22-1 Avesh Khan 2.2-0-31-1

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

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

Commonwealth Games 2022…

Allicock advances to quarter-finals

…swimmers register more PBs

K

eevin Allicock is just one victory away from medalling at the 2022 Commonwealth Games following a Round of 16 victory on Monday.

Allicock, once again fighting out of the red corner, came up against Sri Lanka’s Jeewantha Nisshanka in the crucial bout.

Cheered on by his fellow Guyanese athletes, Allicock was lightning fast in the ring and landed decisive blows on his opponent, which led to a unanimous decision victory.

Scoring the fight were judges from Italy, England, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago and Fiji. The only time Allicock did not receive a full 10-point score was in the second round, with a point being deducted by the Trinidadian judge.

The Guyanese pugilist moves on to the quarter-finals, where it is expected that he will face Keoma Ali Al-Ahmadieh of Canada. Al-Ahmadieh booked his quarter-final spot by way of split

Keevin Allicock celebrates his round-of-16 victory

decision victory (3-2) over New Zealand’s Charlie Senior, also on Monday.

“First of all, I want to thank God for the victory, all the praise and thanks belongs to him, you know,” Allicock shared in a postfight interview.

He continued, “Like I said, God is in charge of every bout.

I trust him, I don’t really have a plan; God is my plan. So, I went in there with confidence, knowing that I’m coming out victorious

and that’s what happened.”

The boxer went on to assess the differences between his round-of-32 and round-of-16 fights, noting that he was more relaxed in Monday’s encounter.

Allicock explained, “My first fight, I wasn’t like comfortable, but still, I’m grateful for the victory, because I won unanimously. But this fight, I’m much more strong. God has given me more strength and this fight, I fought very relaxed and I

Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

T

eam Evolution's cyclist Curtis “Chappy” Dey clinched the thrilling Archway Snackette/ Restaurant 65-mile cycle race on a scorching Monday.

The Berbician stopped the clock in two hours, 52 minutes and 16 seconds in an exhilarating sprint home as hundreds flocked the Rose Hall Town roadways in excitement.

The race, which saw the top rider bagging $100,000, started with 25 at Rose Hall Town, and saw riders riding around the town of New Amsterdam, before going on to Number 51 Village, and returning to the famous Rose Hall Town Arch for the grand finish.

The champion rider was followed by his team-mate, Robin Persaud, who claimed second overall and finished as the top veteran.

Pre-race favourite and Guyana's last national champion, Romello Crawford came in third after he was dropped early, while the other big guns, Briton John (fourth),

Andre "Padlock" Green (fifth) and Alex Mendes (sixth) rounded out the top finishers in the senior category.

The skilful John, who was unable to pull off his usual escape ploy, claimed five sprint prizes, while Green and Mendes had two sprint prizes.

Deeraj Garbaran, the usual fast starter, had one sprint prize.

Persaud, Mendes and Paul Choo Wee Nam were the top three veterans, while Alexander Leung was the top junior. Berbician Mario Washington came in second

while Aaron Newton came in third in the junior category.

Marcia Dick was the top female rider while Anisha Crandon and Shemika Texiera rounded out the top three females. Cranston Dey was the top over-50 rider.

This race will now be an annual event, and will be held in memory of the late teacher and sport enthusiast, Sydney Cort.

The fab five leading the way For a majority of the race, the fab five – John, Dey, Persaud, Mendes and Green

Keevin Allicock and Coaches Terrence Poole and Sebert Blake

picked my shots and controlled the fight.”

“We did put in a lot of work, because some of the time when I finished training with the Coaches, I would go at Space 2.0 and I would do my extra training.

So, I did a lot of work, but it’s not just the work that got me here, it’s the prayers,” he concluded.

– led the way. The entire peloton continued together, but Crawford was dropped, suffering cramps at Phillipe Village. At the turn-back point at Number 51 Village, the fab five continued. Dey and John started several attacks in their ploy to escape, but Green and his teammate Mendes did not allow that.

Crawford eventually reached the second peloton and then at Tain Village upon the return, he reached the fab five and showed his class.

At the finish line, hundreds flocked both sides of the road, to see Dey edge past Persaud, Crawford, John and Green, by the slimmest of margins.

Dey credits team-mate Persaud for win Dey, who plies his trade for the city-based Team Evolution Cycling Club, credited his team-mate Robin Persaud for the victory. He described the race as a very exciting one for him. "The race very exciting for me. I had to work a lot. It was a very long race. I did not expect this, so it was a good race, but we had to persevere at specific points.”

Meanwhile, also at the Commonwealth Games on Monday, Paul Mahaica swam 58.96 seconds in the men's 100m butterfly to finish second.

Though setting a new Personal Best (PB), he did not advance to the next round.

Olympian Aleka Persaud was fourth in the women's 100m

freestyle with a time of one minute, 1.03s, which was not good enough to see her qualify for the next round.

Patrice Mahaica, also competing in the women's 100m freestyle, recorded a time of one minute, 4.60s. She finished seventh in her heat.

When asked at what point he had the race in the bag, Dey said: "That is a tricky question, because I did not think I had this race today. I was feeling really down. I kept my head on, told myself that hopefully I can reach the turn-back point with 60-80 per cent of energy and hope to position myself good coming home. I had help from my team-mate Robin Persaud. We had a bad day, with some of our teammates dropping out of the race.

Robin encouraged me to stay there. I am thankful for the

win," Dey told Guyana Times Sport.

This race, which was held under the guidance of the Guyana Cycling Federation and received support from the Guyana Police Force, was sponsored by Tommie Bethel, Kennard Ramgaddo, KP Jagdeo General Contractor, RL Contracting, Digital Edge Photo Studio, Payless Variety Store, Sunil Pet Shop, Pammpy Chicken Depot, Akeem Poultry Depot, Royston Salamalay of USA, Satesh Car & Bus Rental, and Imran Bus & Car Rental.

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