Guyana Times -Saturday, July 22, 2023

New NCD executive installed

Venezuelan migrants urged to register with immigration authorities

Petroleum Commission

Strong oil management framework can operate in absence – VP

Bagotville wife killer appealing 80-year prison time

Data Protection Bill among others tabled in National Assembly

No bail for prison guard accused of throwing ganja over prison fence

Over 300 valueadded products introduced locally since 2020 – Mustapha

Venezuelan migrants urged to register with immigration authorities

Venezuelan migrants seeking refuge in Guyana are being encouraged to present themselves to immigration authorities to get registered in order to benefit from services offered by the Government.

Reports indicate that there are about 40,000 Venezuelan migrants residing in Guyana, only 21,704 officially documented.

Foreign Affairs and

International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd recently convened a meeting of the Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee to address the influx of migrants from Venezuela into Guyana.

The meeting was attended by key Government stakeholders along with international partners during which ongoing efforts to bring humanitarian assistance to those migrants

from Venezuela in Guyana were discussed.

At the meeting, Minister Todd highlighted the level of the Government’s response to the migrants which includes registration and regularisation services, socio-economic and cultural integration into the Guyanese society and the provision of healthcare and education for migrant children.

The minister also noted

that the humanitarian response of the Government of Guyana to the migrants from Venezuela fits into a larger regional approach to address the issue.

Among the critical issues discussed at this meeting was the need for the migrants to present themselves to immigration authorities to be registered.

“The registration process will facilitate easier access to some services that the Government of Guyana provides to migrants from Venezuela,” the Ministry noted in a statement on Friday.

Humanitarian assistance

Despite the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela and the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Government of Guyana has

taken a policy decision to offer humanitarian assistance to migrants fleeing from Venezuela.

Noteworthy is that a significant number are the Warraus, one of the Indigenous groups from Venezuela whose sister group of Warraus live in Guyana in Region One (Barima-Waini), close to the border. The Government has put on record that this group poses the greatest concern from a health and socio-economic perspective.

According to a February 2023 document on Guyana’s response to a call for inputs on the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, it was explained that the current border management measure in place is for immigration authorities to register migrants from Venezuela,

and grant extensions of stay to those migrants who do not wish to return to their respective countries due to political and economic challenges or fear of returning for any other reason/s.

“On arrival at legal ports of entries, migrants from Venezuela are interviewed by authorities and if they are suspected of being involved in criminal activities, such as the ‘Sindicatos’ and other armed Venezuelan based criminal groups or guerrilla groups, they are refused entry. Those who have entered via illegal crossing are encouraged to go to the nearest immigration point of entry/office to become regularised,” the document outlines.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd recently convened a meeting of the Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee to address the influx of Venezuelan migrants

File photo: International Organisation for Migration provides essential humanitarian relief to vulnerable Venezuelan migrants in Guyana (IOM photo)

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Saturday, July 22 – 06:00h

– 07:30h and Sunday, July 23 – 06:00h – 07:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, July 22 – 06:35h

– 08:05h and Sunday, July 23 – 07:10h – 08:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be thundery showers and sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies and thundery showers at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 04:12h and 19:35h reaching maximum heights of 2.51 metres and 2.42 metres.

Low Tide: 13:10h reaching a minimum height of 0.73 metre.

“Absolutely no excuse” – Ali to contractors for Schoonord-to-Crane highway

…China Railway 50% mobilised to commence new Demerara Bridge …Eccles-to-Diamond road contractors given last warning

With just three months remaining for them to deliver the Schoonord to Crane four-lane highway, President Irfaan Ali on Thursday slammed contractors after almost all of them were behind in the execution of the project.

As he inspected the state of affairs at the site, Ali engaged each contractor on their performance and positioned that failure to deliver on time will result in liquidate damages being applied. The $11.8B fourlane highway project from Schoonord to Crane was undertaken by eight companies.

VR construction has completed 45 per cent of the respective lot. According to engineers, they are behind schedule.

Meanwhile, Avinash

tors are required to finish their respective projects by October 25, 2023.

Once completed, the modern road with include features to allow for easy

LOTTERY NUMBERS

Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc has achieved only 35 per cent completion. The contractor indicated that they were awaiting piles to continue. AJM Enterprise and Vals Construction are two others which have only completed 40 per cent of their lots – meaning they are also behind schedule.

GuyAmerica Construction Incorporated was grilled for operating two sites with only one engineer.

“I’m looking at all the performance now...If you don’t finish this thing, liquidated damages will be applied. Let me tell you. There is absolutely no excuse. We have the best weather for construction now. What I am seeing here is only GuyAmerica and one other contractor on track. Everybody else is off track here,” the President directed.

The Head of State hinted at further checks in September, where he asked that substantial progress be made by then. All contrac-

and free flow of traffic at both ends. These include two roundabouts, 11 reinforced concrete box culverts, 36 pre-stressed bridges, and road signage and markings.

It is part of a larger vision to connect all the way to Parika.

Eccles-to-Diamond project

Meanwhile, Ali also sounded a last warning to contractors executing works on the Eccles to Diamond four-lane highway, where he positioned that his Government will not be bending its timelines any further or tolerate excuses for delays on the project.

The President also inspected ongoing works and the progress of all 17 lots.

Apart from three lots leading to the Diamond connection, Government was aiming to have the project wrapped up by mid-August. With excellent weather conditions this time around, the President called out contractors for not utilising these advantages.

Contractors are mobilising to commence construction on the new Demerara River crossing

President Ali meeting with contractors

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Humanitarian & charitable nature of Guyanese

Around the world, conflict, living conditions, and even cost of living are forcing record numbers of people from their homes, and causing them to flee to other counties in search of a better life.

Here, in Guyana, we have an influx of about 40,000 Venezuelan migrants, with just about 21,000 of them being documented.

Our Government’s approached has been one of a humanitarian nature, offering support which includes registration, regularization, and cultural integration into the Guyanese society; and, more importantly, provision of healthcare and education for migrant children. At the recently concluded National Grade Six Assessment, it was announced that for the first time in Guyana’s history, the examination was translated into Spanish to assist migrant children sitting the examination. This speaks to the humanitarian and charitable nature of Guyanese.

Every year, Guyana joins with the rest of the world to observe International Day of Charity. The day and its observations were chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the passing of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who had received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 “for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace.”

In any society that we dwell or live in, there will always be pockets of persons who are desirous of help in one form or the other. Poverty is not just limited to Third World or Developing countries, it is a global phenomenon that exists in even the richest of countries. Experts have articulated that once there is a disparity in the distribution of wealth, poverty would always be prevalent.

Inasmuch as the causality may be open to debate and interpretation, the actuality of the condition remains, and the onus on the rectification of same should not lie solely on the governing institutions in place.

All of the world’s religions prescribe the need to render assistance in one way or another to those who are less fortunate. It was built into our cultural systems, and that knowledge was passed down from generation to generation.

However, this traditional norm, as we would describe it, has somewhat been diluted with the passage of time and with the modernist take on cultural assimilation.

Invariably, the day-to-day existence and the proverbial ratrace to pursue wealth generation as a medium to transcend class stratification has meant that the majority of families have focused more on building themselves over expending resources to help persons outside of their social ambit.

Nevertheless, according to the UN, “Notions of volunteerism and philanthropy provide real social bonding and contribute to the creation of inclusive and more resilient societies. Charity can alleviate the worst effects of humanitarian crises, supplement public services in health care, education, housing and child protection. It assists the advancement of culture, science, sports, and the protection of cultural and natural heritage. It also promotes the rights of the marginalised and underprivileged, and spreads the message of humanity in conflict situations.”

There is no denying the benevolence of NGOs and other non-profit organisations that have contributed tremendously towards the social upliftment of those in need. But their help is contextualised on a more macro scale.

Beyond the support of the State, there is supposed to be the support of thy neighbour, the support of the village, the support from those who have enough that sharing would not have any effect on their economic footprint.

How do we ensure or bring about a resurgence in providing service to those in need? Well, fundamentally, it should start at the level of our education and upbringing. Just as how we are taught togetherness and tolerance among all ethnicities in school, education catered towards inculcating formative values that enshrine the need for us to care for each other must also be incorporated in the teaching curriculum from an early age.

We cannot account for the behavioural change in persons who are already entrenched in a particular perspective of thinking, but we can inculcate within the malleable minds of our young ones the need for them to extend their social and economic responsibilities beyond the confines of the family structure.

The bigger picture is that we are all interconnected.

We need to free our schools of sexual violence

By Kanga Rasi

Education is a fundamental human right. It has the power to raise people and populations out of poverty, level inequalities, and ensure sustainable development.

Yet, millions of children around the world are not safe at school. According to the latest United Nations estimate, 246 million girls and boys experience violence in and around schools every year. For these children, school is not a place where they can explore and thrive, but somewhere they are exposed to physical, psychological, or even sexual violence.

School-related gender-based violence – ranging from bullying and unwelcome sexual advances to groping and rape – is causing severe, long-term psychological and social harm to countless children. It has to stop.

I say this because I know how it feels to be sexually abused as a child. How much it hurts to fear people you are told to trust. How isolating it can be to not feel safe in the very places you are supposed to be protected.

My abuse happened when I was 10. It was my uncle who abused me. As I reeled in pain he looked me in the eye and smiled. I couldn’t believe that I had escaped a neighbour who tried to violate me when I was younger – saved by his sister who walked in – only to be abused by a family member in my own home, a place I considered safe.

I was ashamed to tell my parents and terrified of the stigmatisation that would come with being branded as “the girl who was abused”. So I stayed silent, even though inside I was screaming. Knowing that home was no

longer a safe space, I asked my parents to send me to a boarding school. I thought I would be safe there as my uncle would not have access to me. At that innocent age, I believed schools to be places where children are always safe, cared for, and happy.

I was wrong. At my new school, teachers were sexually harassing students with impunity. Unable to stop the abuse I witnessed, I found myself trapped in my trauma and fear. I could see the same feelings of terror and helplessness on the faces of my friends. We were not learning, developing and thriving like we knew we could and should have been. Our education and development were suppressed by a culture of sexual violence against children, girls especially.

At just 12 years old, in the darkest crevices of my shattered innocence, a spark of resilience emerged: I was not going to let this oppression define me. So, influenced by what I had seen and experienced, and determined to be a beacon of justice for girls scared by abuse like myself, I decided to become a lawyer.

Fast forward to the present, I am an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and have dedicated my career to achieving a more equitable world and ending gender-based violence against children, at schools and beyond.

As Africa Campaign Manager for the Brave Movement, I am working alongside many other brave survivors of childhood sexual abuse to create a new, better world in which no child experiences what I did.

In Africa, school-related gender-based violence is rife. Abuse happens in classrooms, on school grounds, or

on the way to school. While girls are statistically more vulnerable, boys too are affected. The specifics differ from country to country and region to region, but gender-based violence is limiting children’s capacity to flourish and realise their potential in one way or the other at schools all across the continent.

We need to do something to protect them, and we need to do something fast.

You may ask, with millions and millions of children potentially affected, where can we even begin to address such a huge problem?

The good news is we already know what to do. There is a growing body of research and evidence around best practices in ending school-related gender-based violence. We know what works.

This week, at Women Deliver 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda, the Safe to Learn Global Advocacy Taskforce, of which the Brave Movement is a member, launched a new youth and survivor-led advocacy brief on school-related gender-based violence.

Guided by the views, experiences and recommendations of survivors and youth activists, this is what we think should be done to safeguard children in schools:

1- Governments should formulate and enforce comprehensive policies that are aimed at addressing school-related gender-based violence, unequivocally prohibiting all forms of violence, harassment, and discrimination within educational settings. These policies must be accompanied by robust reporting mechanisms and accountability frameworks to ensure their effective implementation.

2- Teachers should be provided with sufficient training on gender-sensitive

and inclusive teaching methodologies, as well as guidance on preventing, identifying and responding to school-related gender-based violence. For teachers to become active agents in sexual violence prevention and response in schools, they need to be taught that they are not only educators but also protectors of the children in their care.

3- We should all work to raise awareness about this widespread but rarely talked about problem. Comprehensive awareness campaigns play a crucial role in nurturing a culture of respect and promoting gender equality. This ladders up to fostering safe and inclusive learning environments.

With every step taken to implement these essential changes, this very big problem becomes a tiny bit smaller. With every ally and supporter that joins our movement, the weight of the challenge becomes that little bit lighter.

As my own daughters and son reach the age at which I first encountered my abuser, I am more motivated than ever before to provide them and all their peers with a learning environment in which they can feel safe. I hope that the education they receive will unlock countless opportunities for them, but I remain wary of the dangers they could encounter along the way.

It doesn’t have to be this way. It will take time and require the buy-in of actors at the highest level right through to the grassroots, but we can win this fight, if we all work together.

Children are our future, and it is on all of us to keep them safe. (Al Jazeera) ( Kanga Rasi is a social justice advocate and Brave Movement Africa Campaign Manager)

An artist’s impression of the new Demerara River crossing, which is expected to be completed by December 2024. With a length of 2.65 kilometres, the hybrid-designed bridge will feature a modern four-lane structure, cycle lane, driving surface of about 23.6 metres, and will have a lifespan of some 100 years (President Dr Irfaan Ali social media page photo)

Over 300 value-added products introduced locally since 2020 – Mustapha

Geared at reducing the 41 per cent dependency on imported foods, over 300 local value-added products were introduced since the People’s Progressive Party Government took office in 2020.

This achievement was highlighted by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha as he responded to Opposition Member of Parliament Volda Lawrence in the National Assembly on Thursday.

“The Government of Guyana has actively supported the business sector through financial and technical support to farmers, agro-processors and infrastructural investment, leading to increased production of fresh and processed commodities,” he shared.

Among the value-added products introduced in the Guyana Shop includes fruit flavoured dips, fruit wines, chocolate, burger patties, coconut chips, cassava flour, coconut milk,

desiccated coconut, smoked ham, dehydrated fruits, and flavoured cassava bread among others.

Added to this, Mustapha highlighted that Government has embarked on developing the agro-processing industry to enhance exports and reduce the country’s import dependen-

cy. This will be achieved by creating an enabling environment for competitive local manufacturing with 13 agro-processing facilities. Some 2500 farmers are expected to benefit from these mechanisms.

At Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice, a cutting-edge food processing

facility valued $37 million was officially opened. In addition, a $15 million agro-processing complex was also commissioned at St Ignatius, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), in November 2022.

Among the initiatives being pioneered by Guyana

“Absolutely no excuse”...

And with several aspects of the project yet to be completed, he lamented that provisions should have been made for a shift system among other mechanisms. As such, the companies conducting these major works were informed that the works should be completed in keeping with the respective deadlines.

“Our intention was to have by the end of August, this highway completed. We’re not tolerating any excuse for non-completion of works. Both the engineers and the contractors will be held accountable. I am making this very, very clear…We have to make use of weather opportunity days. Works that are behind, I expected to see lights out here. I expected to see systems in place for at least a three-shift system for this to be done,” he outlined.

In one instance, one of the companies failed to meet their completion date of June 6, 2023 and the works were only 60 percent completed. The contractor has asked for an additional two weeks to get the works done.

With this new assessment, the works are expected to wrap up by August 10, 2023.

“What you see here is

that major works, that is the sand filling and the paving is completed. It is the work that requires some detail and once they put the shift system in place, this can be completed. They have the weather. Most of the structural work is completed.”

The $13.3 billion Eccles to Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara highway project is one of several massive road projects currently undertaken by the Ali-led administration.

A total of 12 companies were contracted to construct a four-lane road to run from the Eccles Dumpsite Road all the way to Great Diamond, connecting to the already completed Eccles to Mandela Avenue Highway.

Demerara Crossing

Inspecting works on the new Demerara River Crossing, and the Schoonord to Crane four-lane Highway, the President was updated that mobilization is about 50 percent completed. By next month, all supplies will arrive and the company, China Railway First Group, is on track to hand over the completed structure by ending of 2024.

A US$260 million contract was signed in May 2022 with a joint venture

is the development of a regional agri-tech campus in Guyana. This project is being developed along with the Bangalore Bio Innovation Centre (BBC) in India.

Last year, an agri-investment forum and expo was held in Guyana, a joint initiative between the Government and Caricom Secretariat. Government had said it will be partnering with the private sector to establish a regional food hub.

The focus on agriculture is part of a vision for Guyana to reclaim its title as the bread basket of the Caribbean and reduce the regional food import

bill. Last year, President Dr Irfaan Ali had declared that his Government would be pursuing an aggressive campaign to dismantle regional barriers to agricultural trade and that in the next four years, with the assistance of more diversified crops, Guyana would aim to reduce Caricom’s food import bill by 25 per cent.

In a breakdown of the growth of Guyana’s non-oil economy for 2022, a very strong expansion of 11.5 per cent was highlighted. Significantly, the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors all increased by 11.9 per cent last year.

(G12)

File photo: Locally manufactured products can be found at the GMC

led by China Railway and Construction Corporation Limited to construct the new bridge, which will land

aback Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara. (G12)

Page Foundation

Test

Change to mixed numbers:

1) 2) 3) 4)

Change to improper fractions:

5) 4 6) 7 7) 10 8) 20

Add or subtract and reduce result to simplest form:

9) + 10) - 11) + 12) -

Multiply:

13) x 6 14) x 25 15) 100 x 16) 36 x

Divide:

17) ÷ 9 18) ÷ 75 19) 40 ÷ 20) 72 ÷

Create a ratio and reduce to simplest form:

21) 9 persons were invited to Mary’s birthday party. How much of the cake will each person receive if the cake is divided equally among the guests and birthday girl?

22) In the church’s parking lot, there are 6 black cars and 10 silver-grey cars. Express this as a ratio. Determine if the following proportions are equal (write yes or no):

23) = 24) = 25) = 26) =

Did you know that some rocks can glow? In this quick geology demonstration, we will explore quartz and its unique and outrageous ability to glow.

Materials:

Two pieces of quartz big enough to hold in your hand and rub together.

Instructions:

Find or source two pieces of quartz that are as clear as possible.

Make sure you can hold a piece of quartz in each hand in a way that you can rub them together vigorously. Orient the flattest sides of each piece of quartz towards each other. Find a dark room and rub the quartz together to observe the real glowing rocks.

Notice the smell coming from the real glowing rocks.

How it works:

The light produced when rubbing the quartz together is a phenomenon called triboluminescence which make the quartz appear to glow and sparkle.

Make this a science project:

BY PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY

I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed; And on the pedestal, these words appear: My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Try rubbing many different types of quartz together and observe any differences. Does heating or cooling the quartz produce noticeable changes? Are there other ways to observe the triboluminescence phenomenon in quartz that does not involve rubbing the quartz together?

Hypothesise what causes the smell associated with triboluminescence. (scienceisfun.org)

WORD SEARCH

5 EU countries to sponsor Guyana’s bid for Schengen visa-free travel – Pres Ali

At least five European Union (EU) countries have agreed to sponsor Guyana’s bid for Schengen visa-free travel, President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced.

The Head of State made the disclosure on Thursday while interacting with the media during a site visit to the new Eccles to Diamond four-lane highway that is currently under construction.

“In terms of the removal of the visa, you have to have sponsoring countries, and I'm very pleased to tell you that we have at least five countries that have agreed

to sponsor us to begin the process within the EU itself. But there's a bigger issue that we have to address, and this is our passports and what is required for future travelling.”

The President explained

that for Guyana to be fully equipped to gain Schengen visa-free travel, the country’s passport must be improved and upgraded.

“You know biometrics and e-passport are very critical for global travellers. So,

Venezuelan migrants urged...

Registration is made easy through the implementation of “roaming immigration officers” who traverse the areas usually populated by migrants and offer registration and extension of stay services remotely. This process is focused on regularisation and prevention or reduction of these migrants being vulnerable to trafficking, sexual and labour exploitation.

Guyana has also created a large shelter with water, and other facilities and land for farming over 200 migrants from Venezuela near the border with

Venezuela.

Moreover, it was noted that during the Covid-19 pandemic, migrants from Venezuela and other migrants, have accessed all forms of food and sanitisation relief hampers distributed throughout the country to every household.

In Guyana, all children of migrants, legal and illegal, from Venezuela and other countries are allowed full access to be enrolled in the public school system within the host communities, and benefit from government-funded support programmes including

FROM PAGE 2

school feeding programmes, school uniform vouchers, and the ‘Because we care’ cash grants given to all students enrolled in both public and private schools throughout Guyana to support education related expenses of families. In some communities, near the border with Venezuela, Spanish interpreters have been trained to help the teachers in the schools. In fact, for this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), papers were translated in Spanish for the 287 Spanish-speaking students that wrote the exams. (G11)

we have to now work expeditiously on having our system transformed so that we can have ease of movement and ease of travel.”

Immediate need

In addition to obtaining visa-free travel status, President Ali also noted that Guyana is working on having the Schengen visas processed more efficiently in Guyana. This, he explained, is an immediate need, and Guyana has received strong commitments from “at least three countries that are willing to work with us on having this done”.

President Ali had initial discussions on Schengen visa-free travel during his recent attendance at the European Union-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (EU-CELAC) Summit 2023 in Brussels, Belgium.

Specifically, he held such talks with Deputy Prime Minister of Slovenia and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon.

It has been reported that a pressing issue for Guyana in its relations with Europe is the setting up of a local Schengen visa processing office.

For some time, concern has been expressed that visas for Guyanese to travel to the EU still have to be

processed in Suriname at the Netherlands Embassy.

Former EU Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó had told this publication that the request for an office in Guyana to process visa requests to Europe was a reasonable one and was, in fact, being addressed by the EU.

He had cautioned, however, that the granting of Schengen visas was subject to individual member countries, and not to the EU as a whole. As such, he noted that the EU did not have the power to grant the visas. Cantó had also expressed the hope that visa-free travel could be facilitated at some point in the future.

In the absence of visa-free access, the Schengen

visa would entitle non-Europeans to travel to Slovenia and any of the other 26 Schengen countries, including Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland - for a stay of up to 90 days.

Most notably, Guyanese enjoy visa-free access to a few European countries already, including the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland, Russia and Kosovo. Guyana has meanwhile been pushing for visa-free access to Italy. (G11)

Bagotville wife killer appealing 80-year prison time

Convicted wife killer Miguel Barker has filed an appeal against his 2018 conviction for the murder of his wife eight years ago. He has maintained his innocence and is understood to have lodged appeal papers with the Court of Appeal in Kingston, Georgetown.

This appeal is fixed for hearing/further directions on August 10 at 09:30h.

On January 29, 2018,

Barker, called “Allan”, 34, was convicted of killing Donessa Barker, called “Vanessa,” after a mixed 12-member jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict in his favour.

He was subsequently sentenced to 80 years’ imprisonment by trial Judge Navindra Singh.

The convicted murderer and his late spouse Donessa had shared a rocky relationship, which included extensive

arguments, multiple allegations of infidelity, and reported physical violence.

Things escalated on the evening of April 29, 2015, when Miguel dropped a knife after threatening his wife late that night, and climaxed the following afternoon when he was seen jumping out of the window after stabbing the woman to death.

The 29-year-old mother of one is said to have died from incised wounds, and it was proven that she was stabbed in the chest. Donessa’s cause of death was given as haemorrhage and shock due to stab wounds to the chest. She had received six stab wounds.

On the night of the crime, the Barkers were reportedly heard arguing prior to the stabbing at the Inner Bagotville, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home where they had been living.

Persons had attempted to rescue the woman, and had rushed her to hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries. Her husband had, however, fled the scene and was found just days later at Sophia, Greater Georgetown. Prior to the woman’s demise, the couple had been married for two years.

Drama…

…in the skies

In sentencing the killer, Justice Singh commenced at a base of 60 years and added 10 years for premeditation and another 10 years because the case involved domestic violence.

When given a chance to address the court, an expressionless Barker had said that he was “sorry for what happen,” but continued to profess his innocence, stating that he did not kill his wife.

The prosecution’s main witness, Shaneiza Clarke, with whom the couple had been residing, had testified to rushing to Donessa’s aid and seeing Miguel jumping through the bedroom window after stabbing his wife. She had recalled Miguel looking straight at her, before making good his escape, leaving his badly wounded and bloodied wife.

Hours before Donessa was killed, Clarke had recalled accompanying her to the Police station to make a report about Miguel threatening her (Donessa) the night before with a knife. After the sentence was announced, the woman’s relatives were seen sobbing and consoling each other. (G1)

One of longest surviving slogans in the airline business was United’s “Fly the friendly skies of United”!! Going back to the sixties’ free love era, it wasn’t retired till the 1990s – and was reprised for a while a decade ago. It emphasised that service is a key selling point in the cutthroat airline business! Folks are willing to be shoehorned if the skies are friendly! The larger American Airlines’ services, on the other hand, have been declining, according to one recent survey of frequent flyers.

And this was brought home most graphically a couple of days ago, when a flight from JFK to CJIA - which had already been delayed - was turned back TWO HOURS after it finally left on its five-hour journey!! Now, what could’ve possibly led to this?? Engine failure? A bird flying into an engine?? A terrorist taking over the airplane and headlining it back to NYC for another go at the new World Trade Center Building?? It turned out that four hundred mostly Guyanese passengers were inconvenienced for the whole day just because a VERY camp Guyanese personality was snarky to a steward!! That’s power, baby!! Because of your Eyewitness’s newfound sensitivity to gender sensibilities, nowadays he’ll use the pronoun “they” for the said personality.

Seems that the Guyanese character – and “they’re” quite a character! – teed off the steward as soon as “they” stepped onto the plane in a garb evidently rivalling “Joesph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat” and face fully made up!! You remember the story on which the Broadway play was based, don’t you?? Joseph was the recipient of a resplendent “coat of many colours” from his father Jacob, and his jealous brothers seized him and promptly sold him to a party of Ishmaelites - who schlepped him to Egypt!! Anyway, back to the AA flight where “they” asked the steward to place “their” hand luggage in the overhead bin, since “they’d” recently had a neck operation. “Not my job!” snapped the steward, and walked away. Now, for the record, “they” was a businessclass passenger!! After another steward or stewardess had done the honours, the first steward returned serving drinks, and is smarmily called “waiter” by “they”!! Well, who told “they” to call the waiter…erm…steward - THAT!! He loftily informed “they” he could have the planed turned back to New York for that snap!! Whereupon “they” enquired as to who he thought he was…God?? And that’s why the plane was returned to NY!! No box cutters threatening the steward – much less the pilots!!

Now, your Eyewitness thinks the steward was a “they” who was intensely jealous of our Guyanese “they” … cause he couldn’t conceive of a mere “native” being that camp!! And so the hussy fit!!

…in the Ukraine

And the drama in the Ukraine continues a year and a half after Putin decided to invade cause he felt the Yanks were enlarging NATO to box Russia in. Now, you may wonder why they’d goad the Russian Bear, when the Chinese Dragon in the east is the major challenge?? Well, Napoleon and Hitler found out it ain’t too smart to fight on two fronts simultaneously. So maybe the Yanks want to ensure all is quiet on the western front?!!

Be that as it may, the truism’s holding that when elephants fight – or make love!! – it’s the grass that suffers. The latest Russian move was to cancel its agreement to allow Ukraine wheat, corn and other agri products to be shipped out of the Caspian Sea. This has immediately pushed up the price of wheat in the forward market, as speculators move in to take advantage. So, quite soon, we’ll see the price of flour rising locally – which is gonna hit us all.

Whether it’s roti or bread!

…for connectivity

Recognising this evolving new world is all about connectivity – which can now be achieved with a smartphone in our hand - the Government has just operationalized its promise to remove all taxes from cell phones.

We are the world!

Wife killer Miguel Barker Dead: Donessa Barker

challenge to PSC Commissioner Case “woefully misconceived, frivolous and vexatious” – Teixeira to High Court

Public Service Senior Staff Association (GPSSSA).

Underlining that the Guyana Public Service Union’s (GPSU) case challenging the appointment of Mohandatt Goolsarran to the recently sworn-in Public Service Commission (PSC) is an abuse of the process of the court, Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Gail Teixeira has urged the High Court to dismiss the matter.

In her Affidavit drawn up by several State lawyers, Teixeira said Goolsarran was one of two nominees that the National Assembly had settled on for appointment to the PSC since he had been nominated by the Guyana

Article 200 (1) of the Constitution dictates that the PSC shall consist of six members who shall be appointed as follows: (a) three members appointed by the President acting after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition; (b) two members appointed by the President upon nomination by the National Assembly after it has consulted such bodies as appear to it to represent public officers or classes of public officers; and (c) if the President thinks fit, one other member appointed by the President acting in accordance with his own deliberate judgement.

To make her case, the senior Government official is relying on Resolution No 24 of 2003, which according to her, provides for the inclusion of the GPSSSA as an entity to be consulted by the National Assembly during the nomination process.

“Therefore, in the absence of a Resolution to rescind or amend Resolution No 24 of 2003, removing

the GPSSSA from the list of entities to be consulted to make nominations for the appointments to the Public Service Commission, the GPSSSA’s nomination was properly considered by the Committee on Appointments,” Teixeira submitted.

On April 12, at the 18th Meeting of the Committee on Appointment (Resolution No 55 of 2023), she said, the members of the Committee unanimously agreed that Goolsarran of the GPSSSA and Janice Isabella Bowen of the GPSU be nominees selected by the Committee to be appointed as members of the PSC.

Contending that Parliament is “entitled to absolute privilege over its internal affairs”, she said the “internal proceedings of the National Assembly are the subject of parliamentary privilege in accordance with Article 172 (2) of the Constitution.”

Internal proceedings of National Assembly

As such, Teixeira said she was advised by her lawyers that these deliberations in the National Assembly, the Eighth Report of the Committee on Appointments in relation to the appointments of members to the PSC, Resolution No 24 of 2003, and Resolution No 55 of 2023, “are matters of internal proceedings of the National Assembly over which the court has no jurisdiction.”

The Committee on Appointments which is Chaired by Teixeira has the responsibility to: identify the appropriated bodies for consultation in the appointment of the relevant members of Commissions established under the Constitution; conduct the

necessary consultation with them and, where necessary, receive nominations from appropriated bodies; make recommendations to the National Assembly; and report to the National Assembly in relation to each Commission as soon as possible upon the discharge of its functions in relation thereto.

According to her, since it is within the remit and exclusive jurisdiction of Parliament to address its own internal proceedings, the court ought not to interfere in the intramural affairs of the National Assembly, save in the exceptional circumstances of a constitutional violation,

which she contends has not been established in the GPSU’s case.

Woefully misconceived

In the circumstances, the Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister argued that the GPSU’s case is therefore “woefully misconceived and without merit, and is an abuse of the process of the court, frivolous and vexatious; and that further, the union’s Affidavit in Support is scandalous and oppressive and ought to be struck out in accordance with the Civil Procedure Rules.

GPSU’s

Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira

PSC Commissioner Mohandatt Goolsarran

GPSU President Patrick Yarde

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

Petroleum Commission

Strong oil management framework can operate in absence – VP

As criticisms continue in some quarters regarding the non-operationalisation of a Petroleum Commission in Guyana, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has explained that the country already has a strong management framework in place for the oil and gas sector which can perform effectively in the absence of a commission.

Time and again, Government has said that it wants to establish a Petroleum Commission made up of persons with technical knowledge of the industry, as an added layer of management between the regulation of the sector and politicians.

To date, however, it is yet to be operationalised and according to President Dr Irfaan Ali last week, there is a lot of complexity involved in the process. No

timeline, however, was given for the setting up of the commission – triggering criticisms in some quarters.

But Jagdeo, during a press conference on Thursday, explained that there is already in place, a strong management framework for the oil and gas sector which is performing well as the Government works towards setting up the

Commission.

“A Commission is not necessarily the governance structure…the Petroleum Commission, some countries don’t have Petroleum Commission. We made a commitment that sometime in the future, we will put in place a Petroleum Commission. For the countries that don’t have Petroleum Commissions

and have oil and gas, they still have management frameworks in place and we have a clear management framework in place that will operate in the absence of a Petroleum Commission which will in the future, we will put in place,” the Vice President outlined.

He had previously argued too that having a Petroleum Commission is not a “safeguard against corruption” as there are countries “with the worse corruption track records” that have Petroleum Commissions.

Meanwhile, at his press conference, Jagdeo reminded of the various systems already in place that are contributing to good governance of the oil and gas sector, referencing the National Resource Fund Bill and the establishment of the Natural Resource Fund Board, Local Content Legislation, the new Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), the Petroleum Activities Bill, and the strengthening of the Environmental Protection Agency Permits. “We have a structure for managing the sector and we’ve done well in this regard,” the Vice President expressed.

Since taking office in 2020, the Government has passed the National Resource Fund Bill and established the Natural Resource Fund Board –which has oversight on the country’s oil monies. In keeping with his powers under the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act 2021, President Ali had appointed five persons to the NRF Board, including Major General (Retired) Joe Singh, who is the chair.

The Government has also updated the 1986 Petroleum Act with the draft Petroleum Activities Bill which is slated to be tabled in the National Assembly soon. This piece of legislation aims to improve existing laws governing safety, emergency responses, and other oil and gas-related issues.

Government has also updated the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), which will ultimately see the State’s take rising to over 60 per cent of the current revenue share. Under the new conditions of the model PSA, Guyana stands to benefit from as high as US$20 million signature bonuses for the deep-water blocks and US$10 million for the shallow-water

blocks. Additionally, all future PSAs would also include the retention of the 50-50 profit-sharing after cost recovery; the increase of the royalty from a mere two per cent to a fixed rate of 10 per cent; the imposition of a 10 per cent corporate tax, and the lowering of the cost recovery ceiling to 65 per cent, from 75 per cent.

Government has also pushed to have in place, local content legislation, which paved the way for the establishment of the Local Content Secretariat, which has been in operation for over a year now.

Meanwhile, the Petroleum Commission Bill was initially tabled back in 2017 by the then Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman during the 11th Parliament. It was to be taken to a Special Select Committee at a later sitting after its second reading. However, it was yet to be passed when the current Government took office.

After taking office in August 2020, the new Government embarked on an initiative to make several amendments to the Bill.

The Bill is yet to be re-tabled in the National Assembly. (G11)

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Mahaica resident busted with $1.3M in cocaine

…14.8kg cocaine, 662kg ganja seized so far

Fifty-two-year-old Suresh Persaud of Belmont Squatting Area, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was on Thursday arrested following the discovery of a quantity of cocaine in his possession.

Based on the information received, agents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) conducted an operation in the area during which a search was conducted on Persaud’s premises.

During the operation, several parcels of a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine were found in his possession.

He was taken to CANU Headquarters where the narcotic tested positive for cocaine and upon weighing, amounted to 1.216 kg (about 2.7 lbs) with a street value of about $1.3 million. He remains in custody pending charges.

Meanwhile, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit through the period of January to June 2023 seized approximately 677.40 kgs of narcotics, consisting of 662.40 kgs of cannabis, 14.80 kgs of cocaine, 10 grams of hashish, and 90 grams of ecstasy.

The Unit also made sei-

zures of four firearms and a total of 1087 ammunition seizures encompassing a diverse range of types. For the said period, the Unit handled a total of 30 cases and secured 27 convictions.

CANU has also placed great emphasis on the areas of demand reduction, and institutional strengthening collaborating with various agencies in this sector, conducting school drug prevention sensitisations throughout the country as well as working on other projects that will facilitate the development of treatment and reintegration of recovering substance users.

Great emphasis is also placed on international cooperation, liaising with

for

2023

International and regional organisations, which contributes greatly to enhancing the country’s ability to combat the present drug situation.

Only recently, Head of the Drug Enforcement Unit, James Singh stated that he was pleased with the performance of the Unit while praising President Ali’s multi-agency approach that is taken to fight drug traffickers consisting of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the Guyana Defence

Force (GDF).

He also referenced several other factors that were helpful, including the establishment of a maritime section, the establishment of a joint container scanning section, a metal inspection section, the presence of CANU at key locations across the country, and more importantly, improved relationship with the public and private sector.

He added that while Guyana is deemed a transhipment point for cocaine and other drugs, this is

gradually being addressed with some optimism of breaking that stereotype.

“We want to send a strong message that the Government is serious about fighting narcotics within Guyana and also Guyana will not be used as a transhipment point for narcotics to other territories.”

He nevertheless reiterated that the Government, through the Home Affairs Ministry, has been providing the necessary resources to tackle and put a dent in the drug trade. “The per-

formance of CANU is an example of the GoG desire to fight the drug trade in trade,” he added.

Back in January, CANU destroyed 140.6 kilograms (kg) of seized cocaine and 454.7kg of seized marijuana. This totals around 596kg of narcotics that were destroyed and are from cases that have concluded in the Magistrates’ Courts.

In 2022, a total of 3.7 tonnes of marijuana and over 124kg of cocaine were seized from various ports of entry and through operations within the country.

Suresh Persaud

The cocaine that was found during the operation at Belmont Squatting Area, Mahaica

Data Protection Bill among others tabled in National Assembly

Government has laid several new Bills in the National Assembly, which were read for the first time during Thursday’s sitting.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips presented the Data Protection Bill, created to regulate the collection, keeping, processing, use and dissemination of personal data. Once enacted, it will protect the privacy of persons in relation to their personal data.

Personal data has been defined as any information relating to an identified or identifiable person, pertaining to private and public life as well as professional activities.

The Bill prescribes that a body be established, recognised as the Data Protection Office, which shall be responsible for the administration and imple-

mentation of the Act. The President will also be empowered to appoint a Data Protection Commissioner.

Meanwhile, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall presented the Real Estate Agents and Brokers’ Bill. This will allow for the reg-

istration and regulation of Real Estate Agents and Brokers in Guyana; to promote transparency in the real estate profession; and most importantly, assist in the detection and prevention of money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.

Real estate is one of the sectors that Guyana has an obligation to regulate by way of legislation under the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) structure.

The Guyana Compliance Commission Bill was also laid by the Attorney General. This is linked at providing adequate supervision to reporting entities (Designated Non-Financial Business or Professions and Non-Bank Financial Institutions) for

compliance with obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act; to enhance the compliance, guidance and training regime on money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing in Guyana; to provide domestic and international cooperation; and to provide for other related matters.

The Government is also seeking to make amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, in a bid to improve the abilities and powers of law enforcement in the fight against money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing.

The Bill provides a new section, which recognises the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) as the primary body with the Guyana Police Force dealing with matters relating to money laundering and terrorist financing.

Last November, the Attorney General’s Chambers reported that

Guyana had completed its second AML/CFT National Risk Assessment Report (NRA), with the Government intending to implement additional amendments to the AML/CFT. The Government is looking to make approximately 30 amendments to the AML/CFT and also to insert new sections.

There are also consequential amendments to the Evidence Act, Combatting the Trafficking of Persons Act, the Financial Institutions Act and Foreign Exchange (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.

In addition, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond also presented the Electronic Communications and Transactions Bill.

In April, two Bills - one to see the creation of legislation for the National Intelligence and Security Agency and the Reciprocal Enforcement Bill to allow for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgements, were introduced to the National Assembly. (G12)

New Petroleum Bill

Concerns raised about stiff penalties, taxation

Stiff penalties and taxation are among the concerns raised by industry players in their feedback on the draft Petroleum Activities Bill which was released last month for public reaction over a two-week period.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told a press conference on Thursday that the Government is currently going through the extensive feedback it has received on the Bill, which will replace the 1986 Petroleum Act.

As part of the oil block auction, companies are required to define their development plan and cost and the draft Bill stipulates that if they fail to pursue it in the given timeframe, there is a penalty that is almost equivalent to the cost of the development plan.

“So, for example if you put that you will spend US$350 million to drill three wells and then you don’t do it in the period, you’ll now have to pay US$350 million in fine… some people question that, that it may be too high…

right now there is no fine,” Jagdeo explained, noting that this is one area where some industry players have expressed concerns.

Another aspect, he said, has to do with taxation.

“Some concerns about expenses, especially on the taxation side, because the law dealt with a series of taxes too like waiv-

ers but our concern is blanket waivers. We don’t want to give a blanket waiver, like when Exxon thought they had blanket waiver for transport and they wanted to bring in a large number of SUVs, we denied them that,” he explained.

“So those are the kinds of issues we’re navigating through as we final-

ise the document to go to Parliament shortly.”

Jagdeo also called out the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change Opposition for not formally submitting their feedback on the Bill. The Opposition had said it would share its concerns during the debate in the National Assembly.

But Jagdeo said the Opposition parliamentarians will only “go there and grandstand” since they were “afraid” to make formal submissions for fear of looking “silly” when their points would be rebutted.

The draft Petroleum Activities Bill contains a number of new provisions and very stiff penalties for those who fall afoul of the law. Among the areas it looks to make improvement in is mandating that oil companies make tangible contributions not only on a social level but a capacity-building level.

The Bill contains a provision enforcing petroleum exploration and production licenses that may “provide for the payment of a training fee payable annually throughout the validity of the petroleum agreement.”

It also provides for oil companies to establish a system of financial support for environmental and social projects, which they will fund out of pocket.

According to the Bill, “the terms of the programme

Caribbean Water, Wastewater Conference

and the financial contribution by the licensee are established in the petroleum agreement.”

There is also a provision that allows the Government to call on the oil company to supply it with oil if the domestic needs of the country outstrip Guyana’s crude entitlement. However, the Bill makes it clear that “the volume of crude oil which the licensee shall be required to sell under this section shall not exceed their share of profit oil entitlement under the petroleum agreement.”

Further, the Bill also contains stiff penalties. For instance, an individual can be fined up to $30 million and/or be subjected to up to three years’ imprisonment for any violations under the law. There is also a fine of not more than $10 million for failure to comply with any order issued under the law.

The Bill also expands the legislation to cover carbon dioxide (CO2) storage and pipeline transportation, no doubt a nod to the gas-to-energy project. (G11)

Over 300 delegates to meet in Guyana to tackle regional water woes

meeting fellow Ministers during the 19th HighLevel Forum of Caribbean Ministers Responsible for Water, one of three high-level forums included within the conference’s schedule.

“This two-day meeting will provide a forum for us to discuss critical outputs from the regional strategic action plan, as well as allow us to develop required planning framework and supporting implementation strategies to meet both the global and regional targets for the sector,” Croal said.

The Minister added his hope for the Ministers’ shared views to lead to affordable ways to meet their goals.

lack of technical knowledge, lack of institutional capacity and limited land area.

“In many cases, a lack of strategic approach has resulted in the continuation of the basic operational challenges of insufficient landfill capacity, inadequate collection, transport and disposal of waste, little public education and lack of enforcement of waste management regulations,” Persaud said.

“Beyond the issues of advocacy, there is a need to focus on long-term comprehensive and integrated solutions,” he added.

Significant progress

As Guyana prepares to host the 32nd Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) Conference, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal shared his intention of developing an integrated approach to address water-related concerns across the Region and on the global scale.

Croal made these re-

marks on Thursday during the media launch of the conference.

To be held at the Georgetown Marriott Hotel from October 23-27, this conference will provide a platform for knowledge exchange and discussion as over 300 delegates and 80 presenters from the Caribbean and internationally are expected to attend and 100 booths are to

be featured.

“This year's conference will bring together governments by way of their representatives, technicians, service providers, investors and other stakeholders in a space that will allow for an integrated and collaborative approach to tackle the Region's water woes,” Croal said.

Croal expressed his excitement at the prospect of

Water management challenges Minister within the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry, Anand Persaud echoed this need for an integrated approach as the Caribbean Region continues to face water management challenges.

The inability of Governments within the Region to address these challenges, he relayed, are largely due to increased consumerism, inadequate funding,

Meanwhile, Croal also highlighted Guyana’s significant progress in improving the distribution of clean, treated water across the country.

“Guyana’s development agenda for the water sector is hinged on improving the distribution of clean water to unserved and underserved communities throughout the country. In this regard, our coastal water treatment programme aims to increase treated water coverage from Regions Two (PomeroonSupenaam) to Six (East

Berbice-Corentyne) and Bartica proper for Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), to 90 per cent within or just under the next three years,” Croal said.

To achieve this goal, he noted that the Government is constructing 13 new treatment plants and rehabilitating and expanding 13 existing treatment facilities, while new wells are scheduled to be drilled along the course.

He added that continuous efforts are also being made to improve water supply in the hinterland as well.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal

SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Jamzone 2023 competition heats up as delegates sashed

The nine delegates competing for the Miss Jamzone 2023 title were on Thursday evening officially sashed at the Herdmanston Lodge at Peter Rose Street in Queenstown, Georgetown.

For the first time in this pageant, each delegate was draped with her sponsor’s sash in the presence of the directors of Hits and Jams Entertainment, sponsors, families, and friends.

The nine delegates are: Aliya Wong - Miss Sleepy Trading; Ashanti Corlette - Miss Triple Ds;

Carolann Correia - Miss Stove Top Restaurant; Judell Price - Miss Fireside Suites; Laquana Johnson - Miss Sawa Industries; Rayshana Gillis - Miss Star Party Rentals; Shequana Holder - Miss Hard Rock Café; Tiseena Harry - Miss Aronco Services Inc; and Trevlind Harry - Miss AJM Enterprises.

After the sashing ceremony on Thursday evening, all the delegates were optimistic, and each plans to bring her ‘A’ game as the competition heats up.

Each delegate will repre-

sent a village, and will showcase the respective cultures of its people. Some of the villages include Victoria, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD); Uitvlugt, on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD); and West Ruimveldt in Georgetown.

Leading up to the finale, the nine delegates will compete in several preliminary competitions; and on the day of the pageant, they will be competing in swimwear, fantasy wear and intelligence segments.

On August 27, only one delegate will drive away

with the first prize of a jeep in this year’s Jamzone competition.

Speaking at the sashing ceremony, one of the Directors of Hits and Jams Entertainment, Rawle Ferguson, said he is excited that the event will return to Splashmin’s Resort, where it started 23 years ago. He noted that, come August 27, patrons can win $1.5 million in cash prizes as the entertainment group plans to reignite the games at this event.

“As you can recall, when we hosted that first set of Jamzone events at Splashmin’s, there were lots of games and lots of excitement for the entire family. We want to bring back this type of relaxation, where persons can come and have their barbeque done, splash in the water, and have a grand time…

“Bringing back the event to Splashmin’s has been on

the cards for the two years, but due to ongoing works at the venue, it was not possible. But this year, we are coming stronger and better,” Ferguson has said.

Further, he said security would be a top priority on the day, and the committee is already in talks with the Guyana Police Force to have an incident-free event.

“But we also urge the patrons to act responsibly… don’t enter the venue with any weapons, whether sharp instruments or firearms… we can only do so much, so we depend on the patrons to be their brothers’ keep, and let’s have a good time.”

Pageant Director Wazim Khan promised that patrons are in for a treat, as the nine delegates are prepping for the big day. He commended the directors of HJ Entertainment for building the Jamzone brand – which has become a household name, not only in Guyana,

but in the Caribbean.

He noted that delegates are presently undergoing rigorous training sessions. “On pageant day, they will not be in front of a crowd at the Culture Centre, but rather before a massive crowd at Splashmin’s, and this is totally a different ball game… we wish them the very best, and we are optimistic that they will adjust and put up a good show,” Khan added.

The hope is to reintroduce the Miss Jamzone international leg of the competition, which will see delegates from around the region gathering in Guyana.

Jamzone summer break is set for Sunday, August 27, and early bird tickets are already on sale at a cost of $2000. These tickets are available at HJ Office, Stove Top Restaurant, Fireside Suits, and other locations.

The ticket prices will eventually be increased as pageant day draws closer.

The nine delegates vying for the title of Miss Jamzone 2023 (Photos by Potsalt Media)

Directors of Hits and Jams Entertaiment, Kerwin Bollers and Rawle Ferguson, along with Pageant Director Wazim Khan and the nine delegates

New NCD Executive installed

Commission has engaged in a number of activities to carry out its mandate.

Most notably, last year, the Human Services Ministry through the NCD distributed a oneoff $100,000 cash grant to children living with disabilities across the coun -

try. This complemented the lifetime public assistance announced in 2022 as well that serves to aid all persons living with permanent disabilities as well as those with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and cancer patients.

Eligible persons were advised to register through the NCD after which a medical report establishing the disability was required only once as approved persons would be no longer subjected to medical or any other tests going forward.

Case “woefully misconceived...

She is also asking for substantial costs to be awarded to the respondents, namely, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Attorney General.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Friday installed the newly appointed members of the National Commission on Disability (NCD) at his Brickdam Office.

The NCD functions as a multi-sectorial approach to helping people living with disabilities promote their rights and live full and productive lives.

The commission also seeks to develop and implement policies that will aid in the improvement and equalisation of opportunities for persons living with disabilities.

Among the newly appointed members are: Health Ministry represen -

tative, Dr Arianne Mangar; Education Ministry representative, Nicole Johnson; Labour Ministry representative, Prandatt Basdeo; Human Services & Social Security Ministry representative, Mahendra Budhram; Foreign Affairs Ministry representative, Sharmayne Balram; NGO representative person with disabilities, Ganesh Singh; NGO representative person with disabilities, Anjalena Beshpatty; NGO representative, Omesh JhagrooDisabled People's Network of Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); Human Rights NGO representative, Vidushi Persaud; representative from the organ -

isation representing organised labour, Porandatt Narine; Berbice Chamber of Commerce representative, Samantha Reid; and caregiver of persons with disabilities, Dr Ruemetta Overton.

The new members are expected to serve from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026.

Officially launched in 1997, the NCD, by an act of Parliament in June 2010, moved to be governed by the Guyana Act No 11 of 2010 Persons with Disability Act 2010. It comprises 12 members appointed by Cabinet and selected by agencies and organisations.

Over the years, the

No bail for prison guard accused of throwing ganja over prison fence

Aprison officer was remanded to prison on Thursday after being accused of trafficking marijuana, which the Police said was concealed in a bottle that he threw over the prison fence.

Twenty-six-year-old Keifer Lindore of Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), is accused of trafficking 108 grams of marijuana on July 16 at Camp Street, Georgetown.

After the allegation was read to him by Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus, Lindore entered a plea of not guilty and was refused bail and remanded until August 2.

Lindore is attached to the Camp Street Prison.

According to reports, at approximately 22:00h on July 16, Lindore, who was scheduled to undergo a drug test, entered the prison compound. He had to subject himself to a search and was, however, allegedly caught throwing two bottles of Ensure drinks over the prison fence.

When the bottles were retrieved, a quantity of

leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis were found inside one while the other contained ‘fronto’ and ‘bamboo.’

The Police prosecutor objected to bail being granted to Lindore while citing the prevalence and seriousness of the offence and that the incident was captured on CCTV.

Back in January, a female prison officer was charged with a similar offence after a quantity of marijuana was discovered in the guard hut at the New Amsterdam Prison.

It is alleged that on December 30, 2022, at the New Amsterdam Prison, Sarafine Pitt of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), had 604 grams of cannabis in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Bail was granted to her in the sum of $100,000 after she denied the charge.

Police had reported that about 05:30h on December 30, 2022, they responded to a report at the New

Goolsarran is the Chairman of the National Accreditation Council. He previously served as the Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).

During his weekly programme—Issues in the News—Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC explained that the GPSSA and the GPSU are organisations that the National Assembly has recognised, as per the Constitution, to submit nominees for positions on the PSC.

He revealed that the basis for the GPSU’s challenge is that the GPSSA is not certified by the Trade Union Recognition Board.

“Immaterial”

But Nandlall has dismissed this GPSU’s contention, arguing that it is “immaterial”, since the Constitution does not speak about the need for the National Assembly to consult with a trade union in coming up with nominees for the PSC.

He said that the Constitution provides,

among other things, that “two members are to be appointed by the President upon the nomination of the National Assembly after it has consulted such bodies as appear to it to represent public officers or class of public officers.

“…not trade unions representing classes of public officers. So, whether this body is registered under the Trade Union Act or has complied with some provisions in the Trade Union Recognition Act is completely immaterial. It could be a friendly society, it could be a religious organisation, it could be a coop society, it could be a limited liability company…the Constitution says ‘bodies’, it didn’t say trade union,” Nandlall added.

The Attorney General reminded that the GPSSA was established in 2002, and is registered under the relevant laws; and moreover, the National Assembly had, some 10 years ago, passed a resolution confirming its recognition of the organisation as a body with which it can consult, or can submit nominees as per the Constitution.

According to him, the GPSSA has been submitting nominees for over 20 years.

He went on to highlight, “And no one has ever questioned the qualifications of this body… to make this nomination. No one, for the past 20 years…”

“After 20 years, the GPSU suddenly awakes from a slumber and begins now to challenge, legally, the qualification of this body to send a nominee,” he said, calling the legal challenge “a disguised attempt to sabotage constitutional democracy, and to sabotage the work of the Government.”

Last week, President Dr Irfaan Ali swore in six members of the PSC.

In addition to Goolsarran and Bowen, the other members are Manniram Prashad, Maurice Gajadhar, Melcita Bovell, Chandrawati Ramson, and Janice Bowen.

These members have been appointed to serve for three years.

The PSC is a constitutional body responsible for overseeing the Public Service in Guyana.

It is in charge of appointing, promoting, and disciplining public service officials and fashioning rules and regulations to govern the activities of public servants in office. (G1)

Remanded: Keifer Lindore

Amsterdam Prison of the discovery of suspected narcotics in the guard hut area.

A search was conducted on the prison officer by the prison authorities and they allegedly found a black plastic bag wrapped with transparent plastic containing a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis in the officer’s handbag.

As such, the prison officer, along with the suspected cannabis, were handed over to the Police. (G1)

Newly-appointed members of the National Commission on Disability (NCD) in a meeting with Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

NA Municipal Environmental Dept struggling to find staff …as

garbage piles up

municipality, one can see heaps of garbage.

“While we are servicing residential waste, it is the policy that every household should have in their possession a garbage receptacle. Additionally, there is the municipal dumpsite, but for some reason, some residents prefer to dispose of their garbage in an illegal way,” McIntosh said.

cles are serviced in a timely manner,” he has said.

Indiscriminate dumping would not be tolerated, Mayor McIntosh has said, while noting that a campaign has commenced to clear the road shoulders of garbage.

Aserious garbage-disposal problem had developed in the town of New Amsterdam in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), and the municipality does not see this changing unless citizens get involved.

During a press conference on Friday, Mayor Wainwright McIntosh said residents have been indiscriminately dumping garbage along the road shoulders. On the other hand, some residents have been complaining that they have not been visited by the Town Council for several weeks in terms of removal of garbage.

This, they say, has resulted in bins overflowing and garbage piling-up. It has also led to the dumping of garbage on the road shoulders.

McIntosh is however contending that it is unfair to the workers in the Health Department when persons dispose of furniture and other items on the road shoulders. At the entrances to many streets in the

McIntosh, who took office earlier in the month, has said his policy is to ensure that residents receive the service they deserve. He acknowledged that the municipal Health Department is being challenged, and apart from a shortage of staff, there are only two vehicles engaged in the removal of solid waste in the town.

“We cannot be in every area at the same time, hence there is a schedule; and once every home has a garbage receptacle, we will ensure those recepta-

“The workers of the Council did not dump the garbage there. They did not put an entire chair along the Council’s parapet or the Government’s reserve, and so I am asking residents to be more responsible, because we will be holding you accountable,” McIntosh has warned.

A campaign against illegal dumping and littering is soon to commence, the mayor has informed.

Labour shortage

Meanwhile, Seline Outar, the Environmental Health Assistant, has said there is a shortage of labour at the department. Outar, the acting head of the de-

partment, explained that the Health Department has only two labourers, and they play a critical role in the management of solid waste.

“I must apologise to the citizens of New Amsterdam for our poor collection of solid waste of late. The reason for this is that the department has been struggling to get labours. For the past three to four months, we only had two labourers,” Outar has said.

According to Outar, the Council is accepting applications for labourers to work in the Environmental Department. However, despite the municipality not being able to meet its obligations to residents, Outar says the business community can help by disposing of their solid waste in a proper manner.

Current systems in place include having the municipality remove solid waste from business places as often as required for a fee, and for businesses to take their waste to the landfill site on Esplanade Road. There is a fee attached to accessing the site. Currently, one compacter truck and a trac-

tor and trailer are used to service the entire town’s solid waste disposal needs.

According to Outar, another issue significantly impacting the municipality’s ability to effectively manage the town’s solid waste is the fact that residents do not separate their waste.

“Our citizens do not separate solid waste. We mix everything together, and the compactor truck cannot take certain waste that householders give. For example, if you want to throw away a chair, a barrel, or those sorts of things, we cannot put that into the compactor truck. That is why we have the trailer working with it.”

The municipality is expecting a second compactor truck, which should have arrived a few weeks ago, but has encountered shipping delays. Additionally, inmates from the New Amsterdam Prison will soon be joining the municipal workforce to assist with the removal of solid waste from residential communities.

The mayor has said he is hoping for improved collaboration between the

Town Council and residents of the town. “I would like to encourage persons to apply for the position as labourers at the Health Department. Working with just two labourers would have placed a significant challenge on us. I would also like to make a conscious call for us to stop littering or dumping along the road shoulders. It creates an unsightly atmosphere. We want to make out town attractive, not only for residents, but for tourists visiting New Amsterdam. Let us cooperate and work together,” Mayor McIntosh has appealed.

Meanwhile, five persons have each been fined $25,000 for littering.

Sergeant Paula Solomon of the Town Constabulary has said the five were first-time offenders, and hence were not given the maximum fine of $100,000. The five included two business persons. The fines were instituted on the five between May and June.

“Before then, no other persons were fined,” Solomon revealed. The fines have been paid to the Town Constabulary. (G-4)

GFS still to determine cause of Saffon Street fire

Investigators from the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) are still working to determine the cause the fire that razed an entire block, including a supermarket and several other businesses, just under a week ago on Saffon Street, Georgetown.

According to an official from the GFS, the investigation is still underway, and no definitive conclusion has been reached regarding the origin of the blaze.

On July 8, firefighters battled for hours to contain the rampant fire at the property opposite the La Penitence Market. The GFS received reports of the fire at about 02:26h. Unfortunately, the recently opened supermarket was no match for the raging flames.

Responding to the scene

were six water tenders, one hydraulic platform, one fire boat, and a hose layer from the Central, Alberttown, Campbellville, West Ruimveldt, Eccles, and Fire Service Headquarters.

The firefighters faced the heat and smoke to quell the inferno, successfully rescuing five Chinese nationals who were trapped inside the building. Three of the rescued individuals were sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation, along with one firefighter. By then, the two-storey building had been completely destroyed. Eyewitnesses reported that the upper floor first collapsed, while the second floor was completely charred. Additionally, at least two other wooden buildings along Saffon Street towards James Street were also burnt.

In a subsequent statement, the Guyana Fire Service reported that they managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the market and nearby buildings located to the south and east of the origin building. Due to the extent of the fire, several key streets were blocked off.

However, hours later, there were still pockets of fire, reigniting a wooden section of the structure. When <<<Guyana Times>>> arrived on the scene, three fire tenders were already activated.

A bystander relayed that he had noticed a small amount of smoke in the morning, but within a short time, it grew significantly. However, after some time, the Fire Service was able to put out the flames. (G9) The fire completely engulfed the building

NA Mayor Wainwright McIntosh

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony announced a healthcare initiative on Friday that will transform medical services in the country. He revealed that the Health Ministry is gearing up to implement progressive measures to enhance healthcare access and efficiency.

One of the key initiatives is the establishment of an electronic health record system, set to be introduced soon. Dr Anthony said in a month or two, calls will be made for proposals to implement this system.

He emphasised that this system will pave the way for a seamless and centralised healthcare database, ensuring that every individual seeking medical treatment in the public sector will have their medical records securely stored in one place.

In a significant move to safeguard patient data, a Data Protection Bill was presented in Parliament on Thursday. The Bill aims to uphold the confidentiality of medical records generat-

ed through the electronic health record system. Any unauthorized breach of patient information will be met with severe consequences, including financial penalties amounting to millions of dollars.

“If anybody breaches confidentiality, the fines start at 20 million dollars, and it goes up to 100 million dollars. That’s how seriously we would like to take this whole issue of confidentiality”, he said.

Further, in a bid to enhance accessibility and reduce waiting times, the Health Ministry plans to launch a mobile appointment system. Patients will be able to schedule appointments with doctors and healthcare facilities using their smartphones, eliminating the need for physical visits or long queues at hospitals.

"Once we start this electronic health record, somebody will be able to go on their smartphone, make an appointment at the hospital so that you cut down waiting

time … the problem we have now is that we have to wait a long time for them to find your paper file… but you will be given a smart card…” he said.

The Minister explained

that the mobile appointment system will be a game-changer for healthcare in Guyana. He said it will empower citizens to take control of their health, enabling them to make appointments conve-

niently and efficiently.

As part of this digital healthcare transformation, each patient will receive a smart card. This smart card will serve as a secure access key, allowing healthcare professionals to retrieve the patient's medical history effortlessly, resulting in more accurate diagnoses and tailored treatment plans.

The initiative underscores the collective effort to improve the overall health and well-being of all Guyanese citizens.

Only a few days ago, the Guyana Government announced that they will be injecting $100 million into every administrative region to address staffing accommodation across the sector. This is to create a worldclass healthcare system with proper infrastructure for Guyanese.

This was announced by Dr Anthony during the Regional Health Officer’s Meeting – organised to foster a collaborative approach between the Administration and its healthcare partners

to effectively deliver healthcare across the regions of Guyana.

He outlined that over the last two years, each region would have received $100 million to address infrastructure and other shortfalls. This is separate from the regional budgetary allocation.

Attention has revolved around primary healthcare, where consultants from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) would have analysed the system and recommended 216 areas of intervention. To do this, he recognised that infrastructure, human resources, and equipment deficit were important aspects to be revamped.

The Government intends to bolster the primary healthcare programme in such a way that patients can be treated at health posts, rather than being referred to hospitals for most illnesses. By the end of the month, 19 telemedicine sites will also come onstream to push this initiative. (G9)

Electronic records, mobile appointments to revolutionise medical services Basil Williams appeals $10M defamation judgement

Former Attorney General Basil Williams, SC, has appealed a recent judgement that orders him to pay $10M in damages for defamation to his successor Anil Nandlall, SC. He is arguing that that decision is not only erroneous, but is misdirected in law.

In a Notice of Appeal filed with the Court of Appeal, Williams, who is appearing on his own behalf, advances, inter alia, that the entire decision of Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry is against the weight of the evidence, and that she erred in law and misdirected herself when she failed to give him adequate time to conduct his defence.

The denial of a fair hearing, he argues, is contrary to Article 144 (8) of the Constitution, and is a violation of his fundamental right to a fair hearing before an independent and impartial court.

In the circumstances, he is asking the Appellate Court to set aside and/or reverse Justice SewnarineBeharry’s ruling, and that costs be awarded to him in the court below.

In the decision, handed down on June 30, High Court Judge SewnarineBeharry, after deliberating on the evidence led by both parties, found that Williams had tarnished the reputation and professional standing of Attorney General Nandlall when he made remarks accusing him of steal-

ing law reports from the State.

Those allegations were always vehemently denied by Nandlall, who had testified that when he was appointed Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs in 2011, he had requested that, as a condition of his service during his time in office, the Government take over payment arrangements that he had with LexisNexis UK in relation to the Commonwealth Law Reports.

He had further testified that those terms and conditions had been agreed to by then President Donald Ramotar, and were made part of his terms of employment, resulting in him receiving 14 volumes of the Commonwealth Law Reports under this arrangement.

When the APNU/ AFC Coalition came into Government in 2015,

Nandlall had briefed Williams on this arrangement; however, through press reports, he had learned that Williams had commissioned a special audit into the Law Reports, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry said in her decision.

“During the course of the investigation, the Auditor General contacted [Nandlall] for a response, and later submitted his findings in a report in January 2016. This report did not implicate either [Nandlall] or the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Legal Affairs in any wrongdoing,” the Judge had said.

Notwithstanding this, the Judge said, whenever Nandlall, a critic of Williams, was publicly critical of Williams, the latter would threaten to embarrass Nandlall by making the Law Report issue contentious, and implicating him in some law books scandal.

“This caused [Nandlall] to issue a public statement disclosing that the law reports were a condition of his service,” the Judge noted.

For his part, Williams relied on the defence of justification, knowing that he could not prove that his statements were true, according to the Judge.

She said the former Attorney General also insisted on pursuing the defence of fair comment “although there was no factual basis for such a defence.”

In assessing the sum of damages to award to Nandlall, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry explained that she considered that Williams’s defamatory statements were made during a press conference that was reported on by several media entities and livestreamed on Facebook.

Moreover, she also took into consideration Williams’s failure to apologise or publish an apology to

Nandlall. As such, damages in the sum of $10M were awarded to Nandlall, the Attorney General.

Interest on the said sum has been awarded at a rate of six per cent per annum from April 4, 2017 to June 29, 2023, and four per cent per annum thereafter until the sum is fully paid.

Williams has also been

ordered to pay Nandlall $1,650,000 in costs on or before August 18.

Nandlall, who filed the lawsuit in April 2017, was represented by Darshan Ramdhani, KC, and Attorney-at-Law Rajendra Jaigobin; while Williams had represented himself.

Back in 2017, the Police had charged Nandlall with the offence of larceny by bailee.

That charge had stated that between May 8, 2015 and May 29, 2015, while being the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, and having 14 Law Reports valued at $2.3M belonging to the Legal Affairs Ministry, he fraudulently converted them to his own use.

However, the charge was discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC in October 2020, a few months after the PPP/C had been returned to office. (G1)

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

Former Attorney General Basil Williams, SC

Regional Brazil's Embraer plans to build electric flying taxi factory near Sao Paulo

The Brazilian plane maker Embraer says a new factory will be built near Sao Paulo to produce electric flying taxis which it hopes will take to the skies from 2026.

The aircraft, to be made by its subsidiary Eve, will resemble a small helicopter with enough space for up to six customers.

It is envisaged a trip will cost US$50-US$100 (£39£78) per person.

Eve says it already has orders for almost 3000 air taxis.

It hopes to assemble a prototype this year. US regulators recently released a timeline for air taxis to be flying there as early as 2025.

The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft will not need a runway but can travel long distances like an aeroplane. Electric motors should re-

duce noise and pollution compared with standard planes.

It has been argued the aircraft could help reduce traffic congestion in crowded cities, without being too expensive for customers. They have also been seen as an alternative for transporting cargo.

The factory will be built in the city of Taubate about 140km (87 miles) from Sao

Venezuela will not halt productive oil operations amid contract disputes – Oil Minister

Venezuela is not willing to halt productive operations during contract audits that have led to the arrest of businessmen and officials, and to disputes with customers and partners of state company PDVSA, the country's Oil Minister said on Friday.

of late payments and pending invoices. Shipments have resumed with new contract terms and customers.

Paulo, Brazil's economic capital.

The drone-like passenger vehicles will initially be used in taxi fleets, AFP news agency reported.

The first flights will have a pilot but a later rollout of self-piloted vehicles is also in the company's plans.

The vehicles will be 100% electric, allowing for emission-free flights. (BBC News)

Guatemala's Arevalo slams 'corrupt' raid on his party's offices

Guatemalan presidential candidate

Bernardo Arevalo called a Friday morning Police raid on his party headquarters a "corrupt" show of "political persecution" just a month before the high-stakes run-off election.

Police raided the headquarters of Arevalo's Semilla party, the Attorney General's office announced earlier on Friday, saying it was carrying out a July 12 court order that had canceled the party's legal status.

Video from outside the Semilla party offices posted by newspaper Diario La Hora showed at least a couple of dozen uniformed Police officers standing guard, preventing anyone from entering or exiting the building.

In a post on Twitter, Arevalo called the raid a "flagrant demonstration of the political persecution we have denounced." The presidential hopeful has blamed the Police action on a "corrupt minority" but did not go into further detail.

The raid follows an investigation into alleged irregularities in the registration of over 5000 Semilla members, which the party has denied and which has been widely criticised by rights groups as improper interference in Central America's biggest democracy.

A court ordered the suspension of the party earlier this month after the June 25 first-round presidential vote, in which the centre-left Arevalo, running on an an-

ti-corruption platform, secured a surprise second place and advanced to the Aug 20 run-off.

But the constitutional court, the country's highest judicial authority, quashed the suspension, granting Semilla an injunction last week. On Friday it stressed that ruling, urging the Attorney General's office to respect the ongoing electoral process.

The targeting of Arevalo's party has thrown the race to succeed outgoing conservative President Alejandro Giammattei into disarray.

Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Washingtonbased Organisation of American States, condemned the raid on Friday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Argentina's cabinet chief says harvest should bring economic relief

Argentina's financial crisis, which has been marked by exchange rate volatility and soaring inflation, should start abating in November and December, with large foreign currency inflows from the wheat harvest, cabinet chief Agustin Rossi told Reuters on Friday.

Argentina's prolonged financial crisis has been aggravated by a ferocious drought that reduced crucial agricultural exports by an estimated US$20 billion this year.

"This situation ends in November, December of this year," Rossi, who is also a vice-presidential candidate in October elections, told

Reuters from his office at the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires.

"Next year you will not have a drought, you will have savings of $4 billion because you will have the first stage of the Nestor Kirchner gas pipeline (which will transport natural gas from the Vaca Muerta shale formation) in operation," Rossi said.

"This will lead to a favourable trade balance and recover reserves, and imply a more controlled exchange rate. This immediately lowers inflation and recovers the purchasing power of wages."

Rossi said that Argentina should not devalue the cur-

In June, a contract between PDVSA and Maroil Trading, a Genevabased company owned by Venezuelan tycoon Wilmer Ruperti, became entangled in a dispute over payments, triggering the suspension of most exports of petroleum coke from the South American country.

Earlier this year, contracts with some crude oil buyers were also temporarily suspended while PDVSA reviewed billions of dollars

"Our goal is to explore, produce, refine and export every product we can," Oil Minister Pedro Tellechea told journalists on the sidelines of a conference in Caracas.

"We are not willing to paralyse a productive process, which would slow down Venezuela's growth. On the contrary, we are here to encourage that growth," he added.

PDVSA this month also authorised two term contracts to export this year up to 1.6 million tons of petcoke, an oil byproduct mostly used to fuel cement kilns in countries from France to

China. Investigations related to the review of unpaid bills have been transferred to the office of Venezuela's General Attorney, Tellechea said.

Venezuela maintains "a good relationship" with Ruperti, and is open to registering new buyers for the petcoke PDVSA produces as long as they fulfil requirements, complete an administrative process and offer competitive prices, the Minister added.

A lawyer representing Maroil told Reuters earlier this month the company had not faced legal action from its customers amid delays to ship intended cargoes, and that it was in talks with PDVSA over the contract dispute. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Belize on alert for New World screwworms

The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) says it is closely monitoring the outbreak of New World screwworms in Central America where Panama has declared a State of Zoosanitary Emergency and reported cases in cattle, pigs, dogs, and horses.

The New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is a parasite that can affect all mammals, including humans.

The authorities say female flies of the Calliphoridae family and Chrysomyinae subfamily

are attracted to wounds and exposed mucous membranes where they lay eggs. After a period of 12 – 24 hours, the larvae emerge and feed on the skin and underlying tissue of the host. This causes a condition known as a wound or traumatic myiasis, which can be fatal.

Belize said it had become free from the New World screwworm in 1992 and has maintained this status since then.

“The possibility of reintroduction of the parasite into Belize is a potential threat to the livestock, small stock and avian in-

dustries, wildlife, and humans. To ensure that the country remains free from the New World screwworm, BAHA has recategorised the risk of importation of animals from the affected countries as high and has heightened importation conditions to include mandatory veterinary inspection at ports of entry. “

BAHA is reminding the public that the illegal importation of animals and animal products remains a threat to the health, safety, food security, and livelihood of all Belizeans. (Jamaica Observer)

Chile's battered leftist leader Boric grapples with thorny tax reform

Chilean President Gabriel Boric is struggling to replicate the success of other Latin American leftist leaders in reforming tax codes after vowing as a candidate in 2021 to undertake a restructuring of his country's free-market system.

rency to calm inflation, which went over 115% in the last 12 months, while its poverty level is nearing 40%. That has triggered deep concern in the ruling Peronist bloc, which hopes to triumph in October with current Economy Minister Sergio Massa as the presidential candidate and Rossi as his running-mate.

The Government has been keeping access to foreign currency restricted to prevent further draining of central bank reserves, and Rossi said that a further devaluation of the peso would only cause more difficulties.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Propelled into office by a popular revolt over the shortcomings of Chile's longtime orthodox economic consensus, Boric was part of a pink tide of South American leaders elected on platforms that promised higher social spending and other policies to reduce inequality.

An initial legislative proposal, which included hikes on high earners and would have generated revenue equivalent to 2.7% of the country's GDP, was rejected by lawmakers in March.

Finance Minister Mario Marcel, who helped pass a mining royalty bill despite early opposition from industry and investors, has been meeting with political leaders, business groups and others to build support for a

revised tax bill.

That version, which is expected to be scaled down and includes measures to reduce tax evasion and the use of informal labor as well as boost investment incentives, faces an uncertain future.

Unlike the mining royalty bill, the proposed tax reform will require a twothirds majority in the opposition-controlled Senate before it can be sent to the lower house of Congress. Boric wants the Senate to take up the bill by the end of this month.

That task may prove Herculean in light of an economic slowdown and political setbacks that have led to a sharp drop in public support for the government.

A rebound in the fortunes of the political right and a recent scandal that led prosecutors to investigate high-ranking officials in Boric's administration for possible embezzlement of funds or tax fraud have further clouded the tax reform agenda. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Eve released images of how the future aircraft might look in flight

Chile’s President Gabriel Boric delivering a speech during the first session to draft a new constitution, in Santiago, Chile, June 7, 2023

Around The World OIL NEWS

Russia pounds Ukraine's grain, UN warns of hunger from price rises

Oil rallies for 4th straight week on tightening supply

Oil prices rose nearly 2% on Friday to record a fourth consecutive weekly gain, buoyed by growing evidence of supply shortages in the coming months and rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine that could further hit supplies.

Brent crude futures rose US$1.43, or 1.8%, to settle at US$81.07 a barrel, with a weekly gain of about 1.2%. US West Texas Intermediate crude ended US$1.42, or 1.9%, higher at US$77.07 a barrel, its highest since April 25. WTI gained nearly 2% in the week.

"The oil market is starting to slowly price in a looming supply crunch," Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn said.

"Global supplies are starting to tighten and that could accelerate dramatically in the coming weeks. Increased war risk could also impact prices," Flynn said.

Russia hit Ukrainian food export facilities for a fourth day in a row on Friday and practised seizing ships in the Black Sea, in an escalation of tensions in the region since Moscow's withdrawal this week from a UN-brokered safe sea corridor agreement.

A shutdown of the grain corridor could hit supplies of ethanol and biofuels that are blended with oil products at a time that global grain markets are already tightening, which would lead to refiners using more crude oil, Flynn said.

The seizure of ships could also add risks to oil and other goods exports in the region, he added. The Kremlin on Friday said Ukraine's "unpredictable" actions pose a danger to civilian shipping in the Black Sea, and the situation around Russian exports requires analysis.

In the US, crude inventories fell last week, amid a jump in crude exports and higher refinery utilisation, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday. Earlier on Monday, the EIA had forecast that US shale oil and gas production was likely to decline in August for the first time this year, adding to concerns of supply tightness.

Meanwhile, US energy firms this week reduced the number of oil rigs by seven, their biggest cut since early June, energy services firm Baker Hughes said. At 530, the US oil rig count, an early indicator of future output, is at its lowest since March 2022.

UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei told Reuters that current actions by OPEC+ to support the oil market were sufficient for now and the group was "only a phone call away" if any further steps were needed.

Chinese authorities unveiled plans to help boost sales of automobiles and electronics, a move welcomed by investors hoping that it would reinvigorate the country's sluggish economy.

Next week, preliminary purchasing manager surveys from S&P Global will be key for investors trying to understand changing global demand, Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at US Bank Asset Management, said. (Reuters)

Russia pounded Ukrainian food export facilities for a fourth day in a row on Friday and practised seizing ships in the Black Sea in an escalation of what Western leaders say is an attempt to wriggle out of sanctions by threatening a global food crisis.

The attacks on Ukraine's grain, a major part of the global food chain, followed a vow by Kyiv to defy Russia's naval blockade on its export ports after Moscow's withdrawal this week from a UN-brokered safe sea corridor agreement.

The UN warned that millions of people in poor countries around the world were at greater risk of hun-

ger and starvation from the knock-on effect for food prices.

"Some will go hungry, some will starve, many may die as a result of these decisions," UN aid chief Martin

Griffiths told the Security Council.

In Ukraine, local governor Oleh Kiper said the grain terminals of an agricultural enterprise in Odesa region were hit by air, with

100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley destroyed.

Photographs released by the emergencies ministry showed a fire burning among crumpled metal buildings that appeared to be storehouses. Two people were injured, Kiper said, while officials reported seven dead in Russian air strikes elsewhere in Ukraine.

Moscow has described the attacks as revenge for a Ukrainian strike on a Russian-built bridge to Crimea - the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014. It accuses Ukraine of using the sea corridor to launch "terrorist attacks." (Excerpt from Reuters)

Legendary American singer Tony Bennett dies at age 96

Tony Bennett, the smooth American singer who had an enduring hit with "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and remained perpetually cool enough to win over younger generations of fans well into the 21st century, died on Friday, his publicist said.

Bennett was 96. He died at his home in New York City of age-related causes, his publicist Sylvia Weiner said in a statement.

No less than Frank Sinatra called the former singing waiter "the best singer in the business" after he became a star in the 1950s. Bennett went on to win 20 Grammy awards, including a lifetime achievement award.

The older he grew, the more diverse his collaborators became. Bennett was in

Europe heatwave: Temperatures to soar in Greece as fires still burn

Greece is bracing for more intense heat this weekend, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could climb as high as 45C (113F).

People have been advised to stay home, and tourist sites - including Athens' ancient Acropolis - will be shut during the hottest parts of the next two days.

It could turn into Greece's hottest July weekend in 50 years, one of the country's top meteorologists says.

Meanwhile, firefighters are continuing to battle dozens of wildfires.

Emergencies and civil protection officials are warning of a very high risk of new blazes across the country.

Western Attica - just

west of Athens - is among the worst-hit areas, along with Laconia in the southern Peloponnese and the island of Rhodes.

Greece's EU partners have provided help, including firefighting planes from France and Italy and more than 200 firefighters from Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. Neighbouring Turkey is also sending some aircraft to help.

Greece - like a number of other European countries - saw a prolonged spell of extreme heat earlier this month.

The latest heatwave comes at one of the busiest times for the country's tourism industry.

In its latest bulle-

tin, the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS) warns that central and eastern regions of Greece are likely to see temperatures reaching 44C on Saturday.

And it forecasts an even hotter Sunday, with 45C possible in central Greece.

After a slight drop on Monday a new heat surge is expected on Tuesday.

Officials fear this could be the worst heatwave since the summer of 1987, when hundreds of deaths were linked to the extreme weather.

Across Greece, a number of people have already lost their homes to wildfires. In one region, several villages have been consumed by the blazes. (Excerpt from BBC News)

his late 80s when he recorded a 2014 album of duets with the outre Lady Gaga and went on a world tour with her in 2015. Partners on his popular "Duet" albums ranged from former Beatle Paul McCartney and soul queen Aretha Franklin to country star Willie Nelson and U2's Bono.

Bennett revealed in early 2021 that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016, but he kept recording after the diagnosis and later tweeted, "Life is a gift - even with Alzheimer's."

Due to his illness,

Singer Tony Bennett performimg during Sinatra 100

- An All-Star Grammy Concert in Las Vegas, Nevada December 2, 2015. The star-studded tribute was held to mark the would be 100th birthday of legendary performer Frank Sinatra on December 12

Bennett retired from performing after his concerts at New York's Radio City Music Hall on Aug 3 and 5, 2021.

Bennett's career was filled with highs and lows.

He was in his 50s in the late 1970s when he found himself facing a decaying marriage, a cocaine habit, a $2 million tax debt and limited career prospects. He pulled out of it by turning over his management to his son Danny, who propelled his father to new heights of popularity by introducing him to younger generations.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Israeli forces kill 17-year-old Palestinian in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have shot and killed a 17-yearold Palestinian boy in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said, the latest bloodshed amid continued violence in the region.

The teenager, identified by the Palestinian Health Ministry as Muhammad Fouad Atta al-Bayed, was shot in the head by Israeli forces during unrest in the village of Umm Safa, which neighbours Ramallah, on Friday.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the boy from Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah, was taken to the Istishari Arab Hospital before dying of his wounds.

It added that Israeli forces had fired live ammunition, tear gas and stun grenades during confrontations with local residents.

The Israeli army said that a member of the paramilitary border police unit

opened fire after masked suspects threw stones and rocks at Israeli forces, according to The Associated Press.

It confirmed that a person was hit by gunfire but gave no further details. It said that soldiers opened fire in response to stone-throwing and explosives, hitting one suspect who allegedly had thrown a bomb.

There were no immediate details from Palestinian offi-

cials.

The killing of al-Bayed came as part of a yearlong period of violence, marked by repeated Israeli raids on the occupied West Bank, which has shown no signs of abating.

More than 150 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of 2023 in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

A view shows a grain warehouse being destroyed by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a compound of an agricultural company in Odesa region, Ukraine July 21, 2023

Last month, Israeli settlers repeatedly attacked Umm Safa [Mohamad Torokman/Reuters]

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Cut loose and have some fun, but don't go overboard when it comes to eating, drinking or temptation, especially if you are in an environment that includes professional associations.

(March 21-April 19)

Use your energy wisely. Taking on too much will leave you cutting corners and falling short. Plan your actions and execute your intentions with energy, enthusiasm and zeal.

(April 20-May 20)

Be methodical when making changes. Don't argue or let emotions cause an unstable situation to spin out of control. Discipline will help you focus on your goals and ease stress.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Speak up and discuss the possibilities. Open your doors to those looking for answers, and make yourself available. Helping others will give you insight into certain troublesome situations.

Set the standard instead of letting someone else dictate your actions. Look at investments that require discipline but offer high returns. A change of heart is likely.

An open mind will lead to opportunities. Consider what interests you and how to turn it into something that pays the bills. Travel, seminars, reunions and socializing will all be featured.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Do something that will make a difference. Planting flowers or trees, taking up a worthy cause or offering your services at your local food bank will help the planet and people in need.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

The knowledge you gain will encourage you to rely on yourself instead of on a certain smooth talker. Simplify your life and broaden your horizons. Learn all you can.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Don't take others' words to heart. Do your research and question anyone trying to convince you to do something that doesn't sit right with your conscience. Trust and believe in yourself.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Ask questions, listen to what others are going through and look for simple alternatives that will help you and others. Help out people having trouble seeing the truth.

Rethink your strategy before you overreact, indulge or promise more than you can deliver. Focus more on looking and feeling your best and making the ones you love feel good about themselves.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

You'll develop unique ideas. Don't let anyone discourage you from pursuing your dreams or doing things differently. Trust your instincts and follow your heart; everything will eventually fall into place.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

The Ashes Series 2023: Test 4 of 5…

Wood cracks open Australia’s second innings

Another brilliant, high-octane spell from Mark Wood has cracked open Australia’s second innings, after Jonny Bairstow’s blitz continued England’s batting rampage at Old Trafford, as England did all they could to buy themselves enough time to beat a poor weekend weather forecast and level the Ashes series.

After Bairstow’s unbeaten 99, with 50 coming from his last 31 balls, had extended England’s lead to 275, Wood’s pace was again the x-factor in their attack. He removed Usman Khawaja in his first over, before returning deep in the final session to bounce out Steven Smith (claiming him for the second time in the game) for his 100th Test wicket, and Travis Head, to leave Australia tottering on 108 for 4.

Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh survived to the close, but it has been two chastening days for Australia, who will need all the help they can get to retain the Ashes here and avoid a decider at The Oval next week, for which they surely wouldn’t be favourites.

Bairstow had been stranded one short of a rollicking century when James Anderson was trapped lbw by Cameron Green to end a barnstorming last-wicket stand of 66, which left Australia ragged and rattled. The ‘big three’ quicksMitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins - returned a combined economy rate of 5.22, and for just the second time in Tests together, all conceded over 100.

In theory, England had two-and-a-half days to make it count, after scoring at an eye-watering 5.49 through their 107.4 overs. In reality, though, they looked sure to

have far less time than that to secure the win they need to take the series down to the wire, and remain on course to be only the second team to come back from 2-0 down to win.

The forecast for Saturday remained exceedingly bleak, while Sunday’s was not good; they will hope that, not for the first time, it proves wrong.

England batted longer than many had thought likely - they were 189 ahead at lunch, and 209 when the ninth wicket fell - but clearly valued as big a lead as possible, and with Bairstow carting the ball around, the overs were being used effectively. Bowling time, though, will likely be at a premium, but the four wickets they have taken means they may not need a huge window in the weather.

They got through Australia’s opening pair either side of tea. Khawaja and David Warner had progressed reasonably comfortably against the new ball, before Wood, in his first over, grazed Khawaja’s outside edge. Khawaja went for the DRS after talking to Warner, and the spike was confirmed.

Warner fell for another middling score when Chris Woakes claimed him for the second time in the game. After fizzing a delivery past the outside edge, Woakes had Warner in two minds, and Warner deflected down into his stumps.

Smith came close to falling second ball when he edged Woakes low to Joe Root at first slip. Root did not celebrate the catch at all, but indicated to

the umpires he thought it was out, and it was sent to the TV

England had resumed on 384 for 4 after their Zak

SCOREBOARD

Pat Cummins 23-0-129-1

official, Kumar Dharmasena. After much rocking and rolling, Dharmasena determined that Root had not got his fingers under the ball, in what was another borderline decision in a summer where there have been numerous examples.

Smith and Labuschagne worked hard to navigate their way through the final session on a surface showing signs of some variable bounce, which had been on display for Root’s wicket the previous day. But, once again, Wood made the difference, as he got Smith into difficulties with a short ball that he attempted to pull and could only get a glove through to Bairstow.

Unsurprisingly, England went at Head with the bouncer straight away, and it only took seven deliveries to pay dividends when he fended a glove into the gully, unable to get out of the line.

Crawley -inspired rampage the day before. They did not quite find top gear during the morning session, although these things are all relative, and 122 runs still came from 24 overs. Australia delayed taking the second new ball, and the softer, older version made strokeplay tougher work.

Stokes had signalled his intent early by charging down and hoicking Starc over midwicket, but he and Harry Brook didn’t completely throw caution to the wind. Stokes went to his half-century from 72 balls, before playing around a delivery from Cummins to give the forlorn Australia captain his first wicket of the innings. Brook’s fifty came from 80 deliveries, before he fell shortly after Australia opted for the new ball after 90 overs, the first time they had taken it in the series, when he top-edged

England 1st Innings

Zak Crawley b Green 189

Ben Duckett c †Carey b Starc 1

Moeen Ali c Khawaja b Starc 54

Joe Root b Hazlewood 84

Harry Brook c Starc b Hazlewood 61

Ben Stokes (c)b Cummins 51

Jonny Bairstow † not out 99

Chris Woakes c †Carey

b Hazlewood 0

Mark Wood b Hazlewood 6

Stuart Broad c & b Hazlewood 7

James Anderson lbw b Green 5

Extras (b 15, lb 9, nb 11) 35

TOTAL 107.4 Ov (RR: 5.49) 592

Fall of wickets: 1-9

(Ben Duckett, 2.1 ov), 2-130

(Moeen Ali, 27.1 ov), 3-336

(Zak Crawley, 56.5 ov), 4-351

(Joe Root, 61.1 ov), 5-437

(Ben Stokes, 83.1 ov), 6-474

(Harry Brook, 91.6 ov), 7-486

(Chris Woakes, 93.1 ov), 8-506

(Mark Wood, 95.6 ov), 9-526

(Stuart Broad, 99.3 ov), 10-592

(James Anderson, 107.4 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Mitchell Starc 25-0-137-2

Josh Hazlewood 27-2-126-5

to long

Starc judged the catch expertly near the rope, and as he ran in to his team-mates, mimicked scraping it along the ground in reference to his denied catch at Lord’s.

Cameron Green 15.4-1-64-2

Travis Head 7-0-52-0

Mitchell Marsh 9-0-57-0

Marnus Labuschagne 1-0-3-0

Australia 2nd Innings

Usman Khawaja c †Bairstow b Wood 18

David Warner b Woakes 28

Marnus Labuschagne not out 44

Steven Smith c †Bairstow b Wood 17

Travis Head c Duckett b Wood 1 Mitchell Marsh not out 1 Extras (b 1, lb 1, nb 1, w 1) 4

TOTAL 41 Ov (RR: 2.75) 113/4

Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Usman Khawaja, 10.2 ov), 2-54 (David Warner, 17.5 ov), 3-97

Hazlewood added Woakes (England’s first duck of the series) and Wood before lunch, then claimed what would likely sit among his least-decorated five-wicket hauls when Stuart Broad skied a return catch.

Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joins Marseille

The 34-year-old Gabon forward Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has scored just three goals in 22 appearances for Chelsea, after joining from Barcelona in a £10.3m deal last September.

Neither club have revealed whether Marseille paid a fee for the France-born player, but Aubameyang exits the Premier League for the second time in 18 months, having spent four years at Arsenal from 2018, before joining Barca in January 2022.

He scored 13 goals in 23 matches in his six months in Spain, but was unable to replicate that form under three different managers during a season-long stay at Stamford Bridge.

The 2015 African Footballer of the Year arrived at the end of the summer transfer window, and made

just one appearance under Thomas Tuchel, his former boss at Borussia Dortmund, before the German was sacked and replaced by Graham Potter.

A run of three goals in three appearances in October signalled a potential return to form, but Aubameyang failed to make the scoresheet again. He was left out of Chelsea’s Champions League squad for the knockout rounds after a slew of new signings arrived in January, including forwards Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke. Potter’s departure in April saw caretaker boss Frank Lampard restore Aubameyang to the first team, culminating in a poor display in a 3-1 defeat at former club Arsenal in early May.

After touching the ball just nine times in the opening

45 minutes - including four from kick-offs - Aubameyang was substituted at half-time, and never played for the West London club again.

A return to Ligue 1 follows spells in France at the start of his career at Dijon, Lille, Monaco and St Etienne, where he won the Coupe de la

Ligue in 2013.

Aubameyang is the latest departure during what has been a summer of change for Chelsea under new manager Mauricio Pochettino. Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic has signed for Manchester City, Kai Havertz has joined Arsenal, and Mason Mount

has moved to Manchester United, while goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and defender Kalidou Koulibaly have made the switch to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.

N’Golo Kante has also moved to Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Ittihad, while midfielders Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic have joined AC Milan, and former captain Cesar Azpilicueta is now an Atletico Madrid player.

The Blues have made just three signings - Brazilian winger Angelo Gabriel, 18, from Santos; France forward Christopher Nkunku, 25, from RB Leipzig; and 22-yearold Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal.

The curse of Chelsea’s number nine shirt?

Tuchel previously joked that Chelsea players thought the number nine shirt was

“cursed - nobody wants to touch it”, shortly before Aubameyang signed and took that number. The last 12 players now to wear the shirt - including three club record signings up front, but also a midfielder and a defenderhave struggled to make a prolonged impact at Stamford Bridge.

Chris Sutton (one), Mateja Kezman (four), Franco di Santo (zero), Radamel Falcao (one), Gonzalo Higuain (five), Romelu Lukaku (eight) and Aubameyang (one) are among the strikers to wear the shirt for one season and fail to reach double figures in the league.

Midfielder Steve Sidwell and defender Khalid Boulahrouz made less than 30 combined Premier League appearances for the club when they wore the number nine.

(BBC Sport)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the last of his three goals for Chelsea in a 2-0 win at AC Milan in the Champions League in October

Mark Wood picked up three wickets

Bairstow slammed 99 not out

KFC Elite League 2023…

Epic showdown expected in GDF-GPF battle tonight

Amonumental showdown is expected tonight at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s)

National Training Center (NTC) at Providence, as weeks of enthralling football action culminates in an epic clash of the disciplined forces’ football teams. The football clubs of the Guyana Defence

Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are battling for the right to claim the spanking new KFC Elite League Trophy, curated by the trusted partner of the GFC: Brass Aluminum and Cast-Iron Foundry (BACIF).

In this ultimate game of the league, the GDF, currently holding 22 points, need only a draw to claim the trophy. The GPF however, currently holding 21 points, must win in order to take the trophy back to Eve Leary. With each side having an ex-

cess of boisterous musicians and rabid supporters, this match can be deemed the most anticipated senior football clash of 2023.

“We’re super excited! We are actually privileged to be a part of GFF! As always, we are like family, so this is something that I’m super excited for! We’re going to try to get as much people out there, to ensure that this is one of the most fantastic games you’ve ever seen in Guyana,” KFC’s Marketing Manager Pamella Manasseh has shared.

Kares “One Guyana” T10 Blast… Everest sign venue agreement

Organizers of the Kares

“One Guyana” T10

Tape ball Blast have inked an agreement with the Everest Cricket Club to have that mega tournament culminated at the modern facilities of the Everest Cricket Club on July 30.

The historic ground rental agreement, which was confirmed between Everest CC President Manzoor Nadir and tournament co-director John Ramsingh on Wednesday, secures the use of the club’s lush outfield and new facilities, which organizers of the Blast plan to transform further to create a memorable experience.

“We opted for Everest very early in the planning because no other venue can give us the experience we are looking for. The outfield is excellent, making it ideal for topclass cricket. At the same time, the spectator experience is second to none from anywhere in the ground, which will give sponsors great value for money,” Ramsingh remarked.

In his remarks, Nadir, the Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly, noted that Everest CC is pleased to partner with the organizers and His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali for this inaugural cricket extravaganza. He said, “The rental fees are mainly to maintain the facilities, so we can have cricket all year round at Everest. We are a cricket club, and to have this grassroots form of cricket here is our pleasure.”

Among the other features of the Everest CC are LED screens for replays, sponsors' boundary boards, individual dugouts for the four semifinalists, Kidz Zone, and the GT Beer Party Mound.

The tournament begins on Saturday, July 29, with 32 teams vying for the top prize of a whopping $1M and the specially handcrafted trophy.

Matches on that day will be played at the Police Sports Club ground at Eve Leary, YMCA ground, Queen’s College ground, the Transport Sports Club ground, and the Guyana Defence Force ground. There will be the round of 32, round of 16, and quarter-finals, which will see 28 teams being eliminated.

On Sunday, July 30, the remaining four teams will have their semifinal match-

es live-streamed to the world, with international commentators calling the shots. Before the championship match, two celebrity sides, Team Kanuku and Team Roraima, will take to the field for a feature clash for $200,000, to be donated to charity.

Spectators may also win instant prizes on the day of the final by participating in novelty events such as bowling, batting, catching, and other cricket-related challenges.

Sponsors of this event are: Kares Engineering, GT Beer, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Premier Insurance, Regal Stationery and Computer

Centre, Guyana Tourism Authority, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal, Continental Transport Inc, Assuria, Ansa Motors Guyana, Star Rentals, E-Net; Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; USA Cricket Zone, First Change Builders, Impressions, Jacobs’ Jewellery, Beacon Café, RS53 RestoBar and Lounge, Zeus Enterprise, Hits and Jams Entertainment, Montra Restaurant and Lounge, and Trophy Stall.

Action on both days begins at 09:00h; while at Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, there will be the ceremonial bowl off on Day One.

The Head Coaches of both teams and their players have already got a glimpse of the League’s Championship Trophy during a face-off at KFC’s Vlissengen Road Headquarters.

When quizzed about the emotions in their camp ahead of D-Day, Police Head Coach Wayne Dover shared, “We feel very confident, as a team, going out on Saturday to get a victory, which is much needed. We will continue to prepare, and the vibes in the camp is very upbeat! So, we looking forward to Saturday to get this result, to make the Police the new champions of the Guyana Football Federation Elite League.

“Well, oh yeah, we sent a message in our last three games. We scored 20 goals and conceded one, so that is a good intimidating factor for them. We hope that they study that a lot, and not focus much on what they have to do, so that we could come up on top,” Dover added about intimidation tactics leading up to the feature game.

Accompanying Dover was an optimistic Jermine Junor, who described what a first Elite League Championship title would mean to the

Development in local athletics…

Sprint

Aiming to give back to the local athletics fra-

ternity, Arinze Chance, Guyana’s national 400-metre record holder and University of South Carolina standout athlete, is holding the inaugural Sprint Camp at the Guyana Police Force Ground on Sunday, July 23, and he is catering for athletes between the age of 10 and 16.

Participants will be engaged in sessions to benefit their personal development in terms of speed and technique, strength and power-training, recovery techniques, physiotherapy, and diet and nutrition.

“The idea is simple. All that we are trying to do is to foster the development of sport in Guyana. Track-and-field is obviously the first sport we are going to work with because I am a track-and-field athlete

Policemen.

“It would mean a lot!” Junor said. “Well, everybody is very happy about this game, first of all, because it’s the first time that Police Football Club in Elite League could be the champions. And we’re sticking to our guns in terms of the preparation and everything, because everything is going well right now in the camp!”

Conversely, the army boys were cool, calm and collected. Captain Kenard Simon responded to inquiries about the game by asking,

“Big game?”

Further, Simon stated, “Well, the feelings in the camp right now is normal. You know, everybody is just focused on what we have to do on Saturday; what we came in the league to do; and that’s it, not a big game.”

Equally composed, GDF Head Coach Joseph Wilson noted that it would be ‘business as usual’ for the soldiers.

“This business, as usual with the Guyana Defence Force Football Team, we always treat every game with the same kind of respect; with the same kind of energy; the same kind of focus,”

Camp set for July 23

he explained. “I have noticed that this game is being billed as a final; probably the final game in the league. And GDF Football Club has been treating every single game as our last game in our lives; that’s how we go about the business; that’s the winning mentality that we have,” Wilson remarked.

This particular clash is set to kick off at 21:00hrs. However, the KFC Elite League action commences at 18:00hrs with a battle between Fruta Conquerors FC and Den Amstel FC.

myself. As a professional, I’ve been involved in the sport, so next year is going to make my 20th year of being in trackand-field,” he explained.

“It was actually a no-brainer to keep this event. It’s the first of its kind, and we want to ensure that we get things done correctly as a group, because we have so many other plans that we have to develop

sport. So, all we are doing at A Record Chance is fostering the development of sport, whether it be through camps, training seminars, sporting events…,” he explained.

“There is a list of things we’ll be working on as a team, and as time progresses, we’ll be able to venture off into each one,” he added.

Attendance at this camp,

which commences at 11am and concludes at 3pm, is free of cost, and this camp is sponsored by the Guyana Police Force; Banks DIH Limited; F&H Printing Establishment; the Saulitude Global Sports Group; Darinz Delites Catering Co; West Indian Sports Complex; KeyNote Productions; and Dragonfly Drone Solutions.

Executive members of the sporting camp

Speaker of the National Assembly and President of the Everest Cricket Club, Manzoor Nadir (left), and John Ramsingh signing the venue agreement for the finals of the Kares “One Guyana” T10 Blast

The respective captains ahead of the much-anticipated clash

WI vs INDIA: Test 2 of 2…

West Indies show early fight

-in reply to India’s 438

Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine

Chanderpaul have frustrated India with a watchful half-century stand after the visitors finished their innings with 438 on the board on Day 2 of the second Test in Port of Spain.

India managed to end this opening pair’s resistance with the wicket of Chanderpaul, but Brathwaite and Kirk McKenzie ensured that it was the only success for the visiting team, as West Indies went into stumps on Friday (July 21) at 86/1, although they still have a deficit of 352 confronting them.

Brathwaite and Chanderpaul began watchfully in reply to India's sizeable total, with the Indian new-ball duo of Mohammed Siraj and Jaydev Unadkat bowling testing lines. Barring a delivery which Siraj strayed on the pads and was put away for a four by Brathwaite, and a firm push by the West India captain off Unadkat for three, the openers were kept in check by the pacers.

R Ashwin was introduced into the attack in the 11th over, and debutant Mukesh Kumar got the ball for the 14th. They continued to test the West Indian openers, who were happy to play the wait-and-watch game.

The second four of the innings, which came off Brathwaite's bat, was a guide past the slip cordon off Mukesh in the 18th over. The ball was changed three times, but it didn't help India much, as the pitch was not offering much for the bowlers.

Chanderpaul, meanwhile, hit his first boundary by paddle sweeping Ashwin in the 19th over, and repeated it in the same over for the same result. The openers took 22 overs to raise a half-century stand, batting with resolve to deny India wickets.

Ravindra Jadeja, who bowled in tandem with

short, and had Chanderpaul in trouble a couple of times, but he also was struck for two fours. The partnership, which extended to 71, was the highest opening partnership for West Indies against India since the 137 added by Brathwaite and Adrian Barath in Mumbai in 2011. However, it came to an end when Jadeja had Chanderpaul edging to short third man.

Debutant Kirk McKenzie announced his arrival in grand style, striking a six off Ashwin over long-off, and

on Jomel Warrican to score a couple of boundaries. But Jadeja's innings also came to an end in the opening session, as he went for an expansive drive only to edge the Kemar Roach delivery to the 'keeper, with West Indies using the DRS to send him back.

Despite the wickets, India had a productive session, as they managed 85 runs at a run rate of over 3.5. Ashwin's steady 56 then took India past 400 in the second session. It was slightly slow going for India for a large part of the post-lunch period, with Ashwin having

Warrican's over, and used his feet to the spinner to get some runs. A 23run association between Ashwin and Unadkat came to an end when the latter was stumped off Warrican.

Siraj was dismissed soon after, leg-before to Warrican, with West Indies using the review successfully this time. But India chose to review the decision with the ball seemingly hitting Siraj's front pad first, which could have resulted in the decision being overturned,

SCOREBOARD

India 1st Innings

Yashasvi Jaiswal c McKenzie b Holder 57

Rohit Sharma (c)b Warrican 80

Shubman Gill c

†Da Silva b Roach 10

Virat Kohli run out (Joseph) 121

Ajinkya Rahane b Gabriel 8

Ravindra Jadeja c †Da Silva b Roach 61

Ishan Kishan †c †Da Silva b Holder 25

Ravichandran Ashwin b Roach 56

Jaydev Unadkat st †Da Silva b Warrican 7

Mohammed Siraj lbw b Warrican 0

Mukesh Kumar not out 0 1

Extras (lb 4, nb 8, w 1) 13

TOTAL 128 Ov (RR: 3.42) 438

Fall of wickets: 1-139

(Yashasvi Jaiswal, 31.4 ov), 2-153

(Shubman Gill, 35.4 ov), 3-155 (Rohit Sharma, 38.5 ov), 4-182 (Ajinkya Rahane, 50.4 ov), 5-341

(Virat Kohli, 98.2 ov), 6-360 (Ravindra Jadeja, 103.5 ov), 7-393 (Ishan Kishan, 113.5 ov), 8-416

driving a Jadeja delivery through covers for a four; and he remained unbeaten, along with Brathwaite, at the end of the day's play.

Earlier, Kohli ended the wait for his first away Test hundred since December 2018 as his 29th Test century put India in a position of strength. Kohli equalled Sir Don Bradman's tally of Test hundreds early on Day 2, and was involved in a big partnership with Jadeja to power India's progress.

Although West Indies dismissed the set batters untroubled as they both stones and extended their partnership past 150, with ly. But the stand came to an er's end, as a direct hit from Joseph ended his Ishan Kishan

tive mindset, taking

to bat with the lower order for most of the period, but he managed to come up with an important contribution and score some quick runs towards the end, as he ensured India crossed the 400 mark.

West Indies did not allow the tail to wag too long, taking the last four wickets for 45 runs. Kishan, who was involved in a 33-run stand with Ashwin, got a lucky break when McKenzie failed to take a tough catch. But the Indian wicketkeeper-batter could not capitalize, as he

but the original decision on impact was upheld for the second time.

This was the second instance of DRS being un

der the spotlight, after broadcasters showed dif

ferent footage of Jadeja's caught-behind review when the decision was initial

ly made, with bat seeming

ly close to pad, and then changing it during the tea break, with the commentator Darren Ganga quoting that the right decision was made eventually.

With #11 Mukesh at the crease, Ashwin struck a flurry of boundaries to cross fifty, before he became the last to depart, as Roach picked up three, along with

(Jaydev Unadkat, 122.5 ov), 9-426 (Mohammed Siraj, 126.5 ov), 10-438 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 127.6 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Kemar Roach 22-2-104-3

Alzarri Joseph 22-0-97-0

Shannon Gabriel 18-0-74-1

Jomel Warrican 39-7-89-3

Jason Holder 21-3-57-2

Alick Athanaze 4-0-12-0

Kraigg Brathwaite 2-1-1-0

West Indies 1st Innings

Kraigg Brathwaite (c) not out 37 Tagenarine Chanderpaul

CWI U19 Regional 3-day tourney…

RAMPERSAUD CLAIMS 5-18

-as Guyana fight back against Windward Islands

- Dindyal, Yearwood strike half-centuries

Off-spinner Jonathan

Rampersaud has led the Guyana U19 fightback against the Windward Islands in round two of the Cricket West Indies Regional U-19 three-day tournament being played in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Rampersaud’s 5-18 helped Guyana bowl out Windwards for 86 in 42.5 overs, after Guyana had posted 69 all out in their first innings on day one.

In reply, Guyana were 229-6 after 81 overs at stumps, with Mavendra Dindyal scoring 77 and Shamar Yearwood scoring 64. Guyana lead by 212 runs heading into the third and final day of the match.

Rampersaud, an off-spinner from Berbice, bowled 15.5 overs and picked up 5-18 to bring Guyana back into the game.

In Guyana’s second innings, Aryan Persaud registered zero and Rampertab Ramnauth 04, but Dindyal and Yearwood revived the

Jonathan Rampersaud

innings, with Dindyal facing 127 balls for his 77, which included six fours and two sixes. Yearwood’s 64, made from 140 balls, included two fours and two sixes. At stumps Zeynul Ramsammy was on 35 and Rampersaud was on one.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul was dismissed late in the day

Virat and Jadeja ground out West Indies

Ashwin scored a fifty

Kemar Roach claimed three wickets