Guyana times daily august 9 2017 new

8 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3296

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

PRICE

Controversial Broadcast (Amendment) Bill

International press bodies urge President not to assent Page 7

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Suspect P12 serial robber nabbed with gun, ammo Blackout woes

Minister frustrated, disappointed with GPL P11

Impounding of stray P16 animals’ waiver ends Parking meter fiasco

“I have P10 nothing to say as yet” – Mayor

Another plane crashes at Eteringbang Page 13

Two weeks after a fatal plane incident, another domestic air carrier crashed moments after taking off from the Eteringbang airstrip in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). However, on this occasion, the pilot was rescued alive, bearing minor injuries. The pilot, Captain Dominique Waddell was air-dashed to the Eugene F Correia International Airport at Ogle around 14:00h on Tuesday

“No money, no wuk”

Page 16

Cleaners threaten “dirty” schools for new term

… union wants 2013 Cabinet decisions implemented

Shrouded in secrecy

P9 Exxon contract placed on ‘lock down’ … after ‘unauthorised persons’ attempt to access – Trotman

Alleged letter to Police Service Commission

Granger directs PSC to halt Police promotions Page 3

... PPP warns it’s another attempt by Govt to breach Constitution

Hundreds P11 of Dynamic passengers left stranded at CJIA

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WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

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WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, August 9 – 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, August 10 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, August 9 – 05:15h-06:45h and Thursday, August 10 – 05:50h-07:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Alleged letter to Police Service Commission

Granger directs PSC to halt Police promotions

– PPP warns it’s another attempt by Govt to breach Constitution

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he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is warning Government against any attempt to subvert consti-

not to succumb to these unconstitutional and unlawful directives, but to continue to discharge its mandate in the

over persons holding or acting in such offices, including the power to remove such persons from office.

Weather: Thundery to heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, while clear skies can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from Easterly to East South-easterly between 2.68 metre to 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 05:25h and 17:47h reaching maximum heights of 2.71 metres and 2.65 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:22h and 23:37h reaching minimum heights of 0.51 metre and 0.55 metre respectively.

President David Granger

Claims of interference on the Police Service Commission are reminiscent of the case of Carvil Duncan, former head of another commission. Duncan, who had headed the Public Service Commission, had reason to move to the courts to challenge the President’s decision to suspend him from the offices he held after allegations of fraud had surfaced.

While that case was in the court, Patrick Yarde was appointed as head of the Public Service Commission in Duncan’s stead.

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tutionally mandated commissions in wake of the alleged dispatch of a letter by President David Granger to the Police Service Commission (PSC), directing a certain course of action on promotions.

According to the party in a press release on Tuesday, the situation was drawn to the attention of the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, that a letter was dispatched to the commission. The letter allegedly instructed the commission not to proceed with any promotion in the Guyana Police Force until further directed by the President.

“This is yet another vulgar and authoritarian attempt by the President to trample upon the independence and functional autonomy of a constitutional agency,” the PPP has stated. “The President and his Government continue, on a daily basis, to violate the rule of law, assault important democratic institutions, and breach in the most egregious fashion the Constitution.”

It pointed out that Article 226(1) of the Constitution states: "In the exercise of its functions under the Constitution, a Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority”.

According to the party, the Police Service Commission is one of the Commissions to which Article 226 (1) makes reference. The party noted that by these directions, “it is clear that President Granger demonstrates absolute disrespect and disregard for the letter and spirit of the Constitution, and therefore continues to contravene its provisions with impunity.”

The party went on to urge the Police Service Commission

manner provided for by the Constitution.

While the Police Commissioner has power over ranks below the rank of Inspector, the Police Service Commission, according to Chapter 212 (1) of the constitution, has the power to make appointments to any officers in the Police Force at the rank of or above Inspector.

It also has the power to exercise disciplinary control

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WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017

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

Controversial Broadcast (Amendment) Bill

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cursory research would reveal that freedom of the press is generally defined as the right to circulate opinions in print without censorship by the Government.

Freedom of the media is understood to be the freedom of communication and expression through various mediums, such as electronic media and published materials.

Freedom of expression is the right to express one’s ideas and opinions freely through speech, writing, and other forms of communication, but without deliberately causing harm to others’ character and/or reputation by false or misleading statements. Freedom of the press is also part of freedom of expression.

Even if a more extensive research is conducted, it would not change the basic tenets of what constitute the freedoms alluded to. These are not only enshrined, but have been growing across this evolving world, reaching places once considered impossible. With the aid of evolving technology, which continues to enlighten and empower, its global spread is unstoppable, and consolidates with every passing day.

Unfortunately, there are still parts of the world where freedom is yearned for. For those who have attained and experienced freedom, the sense of empowerment and identity it precipitates is beyond belief. In such circumstances, a return to what originally obtain could never be contemplated.

Here, in Guyana, an extensive period of post-colonial rule has been marred by oppression, when the most basic of freedoms -the right to express one’s self -- was cruelly taken away. That was not only physically done in many instances, but the prevailing repression and persecution inundated our minds with fear; fear to publicly identify with the overflowing desire to break the shackles of domination. Eventually, as the old cliché of time offering hope would bestow, the freedom of expression and the media returned, after almost three decades. What followed over the years was unprecedented; a plethora of media entities of various mediums was established across the country.

The right to expression then mirrored that of the free world -the bastion of democracy. In this once oppressed nation, through the newly established media houses, both print and electronic, criticisms which were often extremely harsh of the Government were unleashed, and became not only acceptable, but a norm. It was unheard of up to that point, and any suggestion of a semblance of muzzling through the articulation or writing of anyone was met with robust unified and widespread condemnation.

That exemplified a transition in mindset, from one that was forced to be fearful to one that was not prepared to relinquish freedom. It also exemplifies the empowerment freedom brings to a nation and its people.

That is why the recently passed Broadcast Amendment Bill is seen by many as a wanton attempt to infringe and erode that hardearned freedom. Even if one were to see it from the Government’s perspective, the mere enshrining of a right by the authority, under the guise of public service announcements (PSA), to dictate to the media what must be broadcast, and when, is a direct violation of what constitutes freedom of the media.

The fear started in the public domain over this Bill, which is awaiting assent by the President, is profoundly real. Given that these freedoms are enshrined, the constitutionality of the current Bill cannot escape scrutiny.

Is the action of the Government, through the Bill, a manifestation of them fearing criticism through public airwaves? If not, is the imposition of what to broadcast and when an attempt to garner free mitigation of criticism through Government’s preferred content? At a conservative rate, one hour per day for an entire year can accrue to about ten million dollars. That is what broadcasters would be prevented from potentially earning for the slot they have to free up. In that context, one can easily regard the Bill as trampling on the right to earn. Clearly, one way or the other, the Bill infringes on rights.

What has become heartening is the swift response by at least two international bodies, the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders, urging the Administration to review and consult. The glaring lack of consultation during the crafting of the Bill, and the fact that the Bill has been introduced by an Administration which is, by and large, the same as that during the oppressive period, exacerbates the fear.

The media establishments, and by extension the workers, that stand to be affected by the consequences of the Bill would be hopeful that the red flags raised would become noticeable by both civil society here and the international community, seen as the protector of such freedoms. If the pronouncements of the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders are any indication, then it appears that the wind may be blowing the flags from obscurity. Even with such hope, the history of what transpired over the infamous three-decade period teaches a different and haunting lesson. Consultation, followed by redrafting, can therefore thwart a repetition of the nation’s history. Was that history a lesson learnt?

The Queen’s Baton began it’s journey through Guyana as part of it’s Commonwealth tour. The Speaker and Parliamentarians of Guyana were part of the relay which commenced on Tuesday morning. In photo PPP MP Vindhya Persaud carries the baton in company of Dr Barton Scotland, Minister Annette Ferguson and PPP’s MP Vickram Bharrat (Carl Croker photo)

Another crisis looms

Dear Editor, Another constitutional crisis looms as the approaches to achieving Local Government ideals purposed by the Supreme Law of our Land, become further divorced by the methods of the APNU/AFC Government.

The recent abhorrent pronouncement by Ronald Bulkan, Minister with responsibility for Local Government that the non-appointment of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commissions (GECOM) will have minimum effect, is a mouthful of gibberish which further fuels the situation and flies in the face of all sane and rational Guyanese.

No doubts exist that leading up to the last General and Regional Elections as well as the Local Government Elections (LGE), there were many prior problems which still remain unresolved.

Contextually, these relate to the problematic, non-transparent administration of elections and other issues

by GECOM. Other problems have since evolved further compounding matters, and these will certainly advance stronger impacts to the level of non-acceptanceof results if not resolved.

The alarming statement from Bulkan, seeks to provide a measured acceptance that the many known problems could remain unattended. Among others, significant to the foregoing are: 1. The displacement of and the need to update nu-

merous voters on GECOM Register of Registrants, due to the movement to new housing areas developed under the PPP/C. 2. The requirement for cleansing of the Voters list to remove deceased person whose names have remained on the List for much too long.

3. The addressing of the serious issues with boundaries for many Constituencies of Local Authority Areas.

4. Ensuring that the employment and Training of GECOM staffs are balanced.

Etc. The fact is that nothing specifically is being done at GECOM in the absence of a Chairman and the outlined foregoing activities require time. In fact, all Guyanese and stake-holders must be made aware that at a recent GECOM meeting, Chief Executive Officer Mr Keith Lowenfield and the Deputy Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud categorically informed the invitees of the PPP and PNC that GECOM work is at a stand-still because there is no Chairman.

Further, participants of the meeting were told that all GECOM is doing presently, is distributing ID cards and some training to their staff. While it is obvious that the Guyana Election Commission is currently paralyzed and ineffective, other serious issues in the Local Government System are not been look

at. So Minister Bulkan’s reasoning seems in conflict with every other key stakeholder.

Local Authority Areas are extremely important to our people in this country.

However, after the PPP/C won the Local Government Elections and the vast majority of Regional Democratic Councils, it is clear that the APNU/AFC coalition Government is doing everything to frustrate and stymie development in these areas. The unacceptable biased and power drunk approach to addressing issues continues unabated in LAAs where the APNU/AFC lost in the last LGE. This we know will be remembered by citizens at the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The fact that Minister Ronald Bulkan alludes to the possible Local Government Commission having a role in the process is most farcical.

All citizens must know that the Local Government Commission is about delivering balanced service to the people through the Local Government Organs and not about Local Government Elections.

Mr Bulkan’s advisors need to guide him properly to avoid him been embarrassed every time he opens his mouth to pronounce on any matter of public and national interest. Or probably his advisors need to be advised on these issues to avoid him misleading this nation. However, the consis-

tency of these actions makes one wonder whether it is a focused or deliberate act to misguide the populace as part of the Coalition’s propaganda.

The Minister should know better and avoid looking foolish as his colleague, Nicolette Henry, when she could not differentiate between Phagwah and Diwali.

Mr. Bulkan should know the Commission cannot function at the Election’s body if there is no Chairman. He MUST be aware that relative to many of the outstanding issues, no decision should be taken without the Chairman and Commissioners approval.

It is a fact that the Administrative arm of the Guyana Election Commission can only embark on limited functions which are under their purview, as prior mentioned, that is, to distribute ID Cards and having refresher training for the staff members.

The Election Commission is therefore handicapped without a Chairman as no Commission Meeting can be held, and this has been happening since the last 10 months, since Surujbally proceeded on leave and his subsequent demission of office.

Appoint the GECOM Chairman and bring the Local Government Commission now, not yearend.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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

Flippancy with a COI GuySuCo is bent on propagandising subjects creates a very sick aura Dear Editor, I refer to E.B. John’s letter on August 3, 2017 titled “Letter was full of assumptions”. Editor, it is clear that, this GuySuCo Director is bent on either propagandising subjects or publicising his ignorance and incompetence– words of Anthony Vieira. Based on the questions Mr John posed I am compelled to provide a response to ensure that this nation is not poisoned with pure nonsense emanating from a high corporate office.

Firstly, if Mr. John has a modicum of research skill or simple courtesy to enquire from Estate or Ministry of Agriculture staff, he would learn that the Albion ethanol plant is a joint project involving the Ministry of Agriculture and the GuySuCo and funded mainly by Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through a technical cooperation (TC) to assist Government of Guyana in defining a critical path

for the Agro-Energy sector through support of small scale bioenergy demonstration programmes and dissemination of results. In other words, the IDB, in support of Government’s efforts, assessed the project, and approved funding to support an intended policy position on Agro-Energy.

The end-result is, a model plant that employs technologies from Brazil and Canada at a cost that was publicized in the media. Apart from achieving each project objective such as flows, ethanol quality, percent fuel blend, blend quality, etc. the plant produced ethanol continuously for GuySuCo’s internal use until mid-2015. In addition to this, it served as a training and investigative ground for number of University of Guyana students who completed final year research papers for their Bachelor’s Degree programme doing specific studies in the various process-

es employed. Mr John, the Albion ethanol plant became “non-operational” and is in “non-production” mode after mid-2015 because GuySuCo’s CEO dictated that operations cease. This is a certain fact.

Secondly, the outdated technologies being referred to in sugar factories and the need for replacements is not unique to a sugar factory in Guyana. Typically, the transition of factory from a producer of one type of product to another takes many years and huge capital sums. In our case, that process commenced with Blairmont facility in the early 2000’s to upgrade it from a raw bulk producer to a direct consumption producer, a process which continued on in the 2008-20011 period at the Enmore facility. In a rather mind-boggling way, GuySuCo has chosen to close operations of its most equipped direct consumption factory at end of 2017. This is a certain

fact.

Thirdly, the Skeldon Factory will always appear as a puzzle to the incompetent. The present CEO of GuySuCo was a Director for the company that designed Skeldon Factory, supervised its construction & testing and final handing over. If it now a puzzle for him, then, that explains the uniqueness of his incompetence. In any case, he is quite familiar with the Skeldon puzzle. That is a certain fact.

Fourthly, to use the Brazil example to seemingly argue a position that ethanol may not be a good option is rather disingenuous.

It is simply because Brazil’s industry is equipped with factories capable of directing its juice from sugar to ethanol or vice versa at a moments’ notice depending on market prices. That is a certain fact.

Sincerely, Sookram Persaud

If Trinidad can do it, so can Guyana Dear Editor, We have upcoming oil production with significant cash guaranteed for the national develop of the country, therefore the Government could look at possibly forming a national aviation department which could be quasi Government/private with majority Government owned to utilize and offset the costs of operating any new Government aviation assets.

Trinidad has National Helicopters Services Limited which enabled local Trinidadians to be trained to support their oil and gas industry and to enable the government to justify the acquisition and ownership of new helicopters which operate in various missions around Trinidad and Tobago.

A visit to the National Helicopters website states: National Helicopter Services Limited (NHSL) formerly the Air Division (Helicopter Unit) of the Ministry of National Security is a joint venture between the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GOTT) as an 82% shareholder, and The National Gas Company of Trinidad

and Tobago Limited (NGC) holding the remaining 18% of the issued share capital.

The Company was incorporated on October 3rd 1989 and commenced operations on February 1st 1990.

NHSL was formed for the purpose of providing o ffshore helicopter services to the Oil/Gas sector and other commercial entities as well as continuance of services to Government i.e. support to the National Security forces, Medical Evacuations (Medevacs) between Tobago and Trinidad and Emergency and Disaster Air Support.

NHSL is the holder of an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) and Approved Maintenance Organization Certificate (AMOC) issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) to carry out requisite aviation functions. National Helicopters did so well over the years, they were here in Guyana supporting the Government of Guyana when GDF and the Police required security support with their helicopters to fight crime and to support the early stages of the oil and gas exploration projects in Guyana.

Never again should our

Government be bringing in a foreign Government's equipment to support us while our brothers and sisters in the GDF are underfunded with their helicopters and airplanes not working. The Government needs to invest more in the GDF and Guyanese so we can develop the skills and requisites to participate in the upcoming oil and gas industry from all levels. If Trinidad can do it, so can we as Guyanese.

I hope to never to see National Helicopters operating on Oil and Gas projects in Guyana while the GDF Air Corps assets remains old and grounded for lack of funding and support and the Air Corps ranks deprived of opportunities to develop the same capabilities like their Trinidadian brothers and sisters.

Sincerely, Maurice Stephens

Dear Editor, Quite interesting would be the findings as well as the recommendations of this COI into the assassination plot to kill the President of Guyana. Very interesting reading it would be, because what is gathered from the questioning or interrogation, can be descrived as a big charad.

For a matter of such grave importance to treat with such flippancy with a COI creates a very sick aura, of this Government.

A matter of such magnitude, or one that has serious implications, that is - the assassination of The head of State - should not be treated so lightly as a Commission of inquiry.

Like I indicated in an earlier letter COI's cannot prosecute anyone, they can only make recommendations, the powers of prosecution are vested in a court of law, which I am absolutely sure would have gotten to the bottom of this “so-called” plot.

So let's just take a look at some of the findings of the COI: 1. Would there be a total disregard for the

tainted shady characters that are involved and the so called evidence emanating from such sources?

Only time will tell.

2. Andrif Gillard's testimony of being presented with a "Big, Long, Black gun," whereas Khan is the licensed firearm holder of a Taurus weapon, a totally different make of a firearm from the "Long, Big Black rifle". Is it a figment of his imagination?

3. The allegation that the police did shoddy work. Well, the facts tell a different story. The police did investigate the alleged assassination statement of Gillard and found that he is a "professional con-artist who had motive to make treasonable comments about Khan. Gillard owes Khan huge sums of money which he cannot repay, hence his assassination claims.

From all indicators, this COI is fast tracking into a "Blame the Police" game which might very well see a massive shake up Police Force.

Sincerely, Neil Adams

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wednesDAY, August 9, 2017

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(continued from Tuesday)

BY EMMA M SEPPÄLÄ, PHD

What we tell our children: Play to your strengths.

What we should be telling them: Make mistakes and learn to fail. arents tend to identify their children by their strengths and the activities that come naturally to them. They say their child is a “a Maths person,” a “people person,” or “an artist.” But research by Stanford University’s Carol Dweck shows that this mindset actually boxes your child into a persona, and makes them less likely to want to try new things that they may not be good at. When a child receives praise primarily for being athletic, for example, they’re less likely to want to leave their comfort zone and try out for drama club. This can make them more anxious and depressed when faced with failure or challenges. Why? Because they believe that, if they encounter obstacles in a given area, that make them “not good at” the activity.

But our brains are wired to learn new things. And it can only be a good thing to learn from our mistakes while we’re young. So instead identifying your child’s strengths, teach them that they actually can learn anything – as long as they try. Research by Dweck, author of best-selling book Mindset on this topic, shows children will then be more optimistic and even enthusiastic in the face of challenges, knowing that they just need to give it another go to improve. And they will be less likely to feel down about themselves and their talents.

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guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

What we tell our children: Know your weaknesses, and don’t be soft.

What we should be telling them: Treat yourself well.

We also tend to think that criticism is important for self-improvement. But while self-awareness is of course important, parents often inadvertently teach their children to be too self-critical. If a parent tells a child that she should try to be more outgoing, for example, the child may internalize that as a criticism of her naturally introverted personality.

But research on self-criticism shows that it is basically self-sabotage.

It keeps you focused on what’s wrong with you, thereby decreasing your confidence. It makes you afraid of failure, which hurts your performance, makes you give up more easily, and leads to poor decision-making. And self-criticism makes you more likely to be anxious and depressed when faced with a challenge.

Instead, parents should encourage children to develop attitudes of self-compassion – which means treating yourself as you would a friend in times of failure or pain. This doesn’t mean that your children should be self-indulgent or let themselves off the hook when they mess up. It simply means that they learn not to beat themselves up. A shy child with self-compassion, for example, will tell herself that it’s okay to feel shy sometimes and that her personality simply isn’t as outgoing as others – and that she can set small, manageable goals to come out of her shell. This mindset will allow her to excel in the face of challenge, develop new social

Examinations’ Results

skills, and learn from mistakes.

What we tell our children: It’s a dog-eat-dog world – so look out for number one.

What we should be telling them: Show compassion to others.

Research shows that, from childhood onward, our social connections are the most important predictor of health, happiness, and even longevity.

Having positive relationships with other people is essential for our well-being, which in turn influences our intellectual abilities and ultimate success.

Moreover, likability is one of the strongest predictors of success –regardless of actual skills. Wharton professor Adam Grant’s book Give and Take shows that you express compassion to those around you and create supportive relationships instead of remaining focused on yourself, you will actually be more successful in the long term – as long as you don’t let yourself be taken advantage of.

Children are naturally compassionate and kind. But as psychologist Jean Twenge has written about in her book Generation Me, young people are also becoming increasingly self-involved.

So it’s important to encourage children’s natural instincts to care about other people’s feelings and learn to put themselves in other people’s shoes.

It’s true that it’s a tough world out there. But it would be a lot less tough if we all emphasised cutthroat competition less, and put a higher premium on learning to get along. (psychologytoday.com)

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s much as I’ve been trying to ignore the impending release of my results, I figured it would be a good idea to discuss my feelings, since I’m sure others can identify with my nervousness.

I’d like to be able to say that every time you write an exam, it gets a little easier, but I don’t believe it’s true.

I am every bit as frightened now as I was two years ago. However, every time I bring up my anxiousness, the response is usually that I don’t have anything to worry about, of course I’m going to do well. Don’t I always?

Ashley Anthony What they fail to realize is that our success is not effortless. Even the best students experience nervousness around “results time.” It does not comfort us to hear of what we have accomplished in the past, because there will always be nagging doubts at the backs of our minds; like, “I didn't study as hard this year”, or, “I didn't interpret that question correctly”, or even, “the last time was a fluke”.

In fact, statements like these, for me at least, are more anxiety-inducing than soothing. While it's good to know that people believe in you, it can feel as though they expect great things which you aren't always sure you’ve delivered. It only adds to the pressure.

So what should you say? Of course there isn’t a single right answer, but I always prefer when the comforter mentions that it’s okay if these results aren’t perfect, and reminds the individual that a single grade cannot make or break them. It’s time to reassure students that you believe they have tried their best, and to remind them that worrying cannot change the inevitable.

The exam has passed. Even if when the results are revealed persons are less than satisfied, this dissatisfaction should be used to fuel positive behavioural changes, such as adapting one’s study patterns, or even reassessing the people we associate with.

Finally, my last, and perhaps most important, advice is to try your best not to compare yourself with others.

Do not be concerned with how many subjects they’ve done, or how many ones they’ve gotten. Remember that life is not a competition (even if at the moment CSEC seems to be), and that nobody's perfect, no matter how flawless their grades might be. We are all learning all the time.

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WEDNESDAY, August 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Controversial Broadcast (Amendment) Bill

International press bodies urge President not to assent

By Lakhram Bhagirat

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he International Press Institute (IPI) is calling on the Government to address the serious concerns raised by the local media groups over pending amendments to the Broadcast (Amendment) Bill.

Government on Friday last used its one-seat majority in the National Assembly to pass this controversial Bill, which mandates broadcasters to air up to 60 minutes of ‘public service announcements (PSAs)’ for free.

The IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications, Steven M. Ellis, urged the Guyana Government to address criticism regarding the amendments before they become law.

“We are troubled that this bill appears to have been drafted and passed without time for sufficient consultation with all relevant stake-

Steven M Ellis, International Press Institute’s Director of Advocacy and Communications

Margaux Ewen, Advocacy and Communications Director for Reporters Without Borders’ North America Bureau

public service content – also raise questions about the Government’s commitment to ensuring that Guyanese radio and television stations can operate independently from state and political control. We urge lawmakers to address those questions, and revise these amendments as

until 2011, when former President Bharrat Jagdeo granted several radio and television licences prior to demitting office.

During a 2013 visit to Guyana, IPI had urged Government to ensure that granting of television and radio licences under the newly introduced Broadcasting Act be conducted in a transparent and impartial manner.

Do not assent

holders, including Guyana’s private broadcasters and local civil society groups,” he said.

“Elements of this legislation – in particular provisions related to the broadcasting of

necessary,” Ellis added.

The press freedom advocacy body has said that concerns over broadcasting freedom in Guyana are not new.

It has cited the radio monopoly which had been in place

And the international non-profit, non- governmental organization Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), aka Reporters Without Borders, is urging President David Granger not to assent to this controversial bill without “consultations with broadcasters, in order to take into account their recommenda-

tions”.

RSF has said the current bill, passed without consultation, raises multiple press freedom concerns.

However, in Parliament last Friday, during his closing presentation on the Bill, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said the only consultations mandated for the bill are those Government has had with the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) and the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU). Nevertheless, he asserted that the GNBA had indeed had consultations with broadcasters in 2016.

“But what is most worrying about the Bill is its process of adoption, which involved no consultations with any broadcasters even though repeated attempts were made to meet with Prime Minister Moses

Nagamootoo both leading up to, and during, parliamentary debate last week.

Nagamootoo claims that broadcasters were consulted in 2011 when the original bill was drafted, but the legislation adopted last Friday involved several amendments for which broadcasters were never given the opportunity to provide their input,” the RSF has said.

According to Advocacy and Communications Director for RSF’s North America Bureau, Margaux Ewen, it would appear that the legislative process in Guyana failed to adequately address broadcasters’ concerns regarding a new law that would impact their dayto-day operations and could even threaten their existence. As such, RSF urges President Granger not to assent to this legislation until these concerns can be ad-

President David Granger

dressed through meaningful consultation.

Tabled by Nagamootoo, the amendments include a provision requiring private broadcasters to allocate, free of charge, up to 60 minutes of public service programming daily. continued on page 9

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WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Traffic offender fined $75,000 Interventions…

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aurent McGarrell was on Monday arraigned before Georgetown Magistrate Sunil Scarce on a slew of traffic related charges: driving without a driver’s licence; driving without third party insurance; driving without a safety helmet; carrying a pillion without protective head gear; driving a motorcycle while being under the influence of alcohol; and driving a motorcycle without consent from the owner.

Except for the last two allegation stated above, the accused readily pleaded guilty to the charges, and was fined a total of $75,000. The accused told the magistrate that his “brain is not working, since he is studying his dead wife” and is not in the right frame of mind. Magistrate Scarce has since ordered

Laurent McGarrell

that he be examined by a psychiatrist.

McGarrell was last week arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on a charge of causing the death of his 20-year-old wife, Gaitri Sahadeo, who was killed in a motorcycle accident along the Providence Highway on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) on

June 23, 2017. A breathalyzer test done on the defendant after that accident had reportedly determined that he had a blood alcohol level of 40 micrograms.

McGarrell was released on $100,000 bail for causing the death of his wife.

Monday’s session saw him maintaining his guilty plea on four of the traffic charges, while maintaining his not-guilty plea with respect to driving under the influence and taking the motorcycle without the owner’s permission.

He was fined $7500 on each of the charges in relation to driving without a helmet and carrying a pillion without the protective head gear, and was fined $30,000 for unlicensed driving; while the breach of insurance offence also attracted a penalty of $30,000.

Mc Garrell, further,

was disqualified from acquiring or being able to hold a driver’s licence for any class of vehicle for a period of twelve (12) months.

He faces the Chief Magistrate on Wednesday in relation to the death of his wife, while he returns before Magistrate Scarce on August 29, 2017 for trial to commence into the two charges he has denied.

Reports are that the June 23rd fatal accident occurred on the eastern carriageway of the Providence Public Road at about 00:30hrs when the motorcycle suffered a blowout. Sahadeo, who was the pillion rider, had sustained severe injuries to her head because she had not been wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.

She later succumbed to her injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).

Taxi driver on assault charge placed on bond … failure to comply will result in jail for 9 months

A

taxi driver was placed on a bond to keep the peace for the next two years after he was found guilty of an assault charge.

Failure to keep the peace will result in him serving a ninemonth prison sentence.

Gobin Hansraj appeared at the Leonora Magistrate’s

Court where he was handed a nine months suspended sentence for the offence.

Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool read the charge which stated that on April 7, 2017, Hansraj assaulted Krishna Henry and Romeo Henry.

The prosecution’s case

however revealed that the defendant fought with and injured one of the Virtual Complainants (VC) who was later unable to work for a number of days.

According to Romeo Henry, the defendant is in the habit of “picking” trouble. He told the court that Hansraj injured his finger which prevented him from working for two weeks.

Krishna Henry pleaded with the court to warn the defendant not to interfere with

his family any longer, as he has been doing so for over a year.

The defendant who was previously before the court and remanded on a similar charge was warned by Magistrate Liverpool to desist from his current behaviour.

As a means of ensuring that the defendant stops his course of action, Magistrate Liverpool sentenced him to nine months in prison and placed him on a two-year bond to keep the peace.

…working in suicides? here was a statement just made by a local PAHO rep that the suicide rate that put us on top of the world rankings back in 2012, has now plunged considerably. From 44.2 per 100,000 to 20.6. Now if this last figure is accurate, that’d be some real good news - but your Eyewitness has his doubts. He says the 20.6 per 100,000 figure is from a Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) review report - but the WHO site says it’s actually 29.0.

Now don’t get your Eyewitness wrong…even if it’s the latter figure, the decrease is significant. But he has a problem with ALL figures emanating from certain demographics in Guyana - specifically from the rural grassroots. In the last few years or so - especially after we hit Al Jazeera and BBC with our suicide rankings - suicide has become a cause celebre. Which, in case it slipped you, is “a controversial issue that attracts a great deal of public attention.”

After endless handwringing by the present government, which studiously refused to sustain the previous PPP government’s anti-suicide “Gatekeepers” Programme”, every aspiring beauty queen suddenly started declaring their life mission is to “end the scourge” of suicide. Every group looking for the spigot of public funding to be turned on in their office, started “raising consciousness” about suicide. Some of the connected ones - connected to the political directorate of the day, that is - did garner significant funding. Your Eyewitness called them “Suicide Pimps”…and boy have they been hocking their wares!!

Workshops were held…training sessions were held…vigils were held…marches were held and thousands of column-inches were written about the former. But from where your Eyewitness sits, he couldn’t see any of these folks addressing the major at-risk demographic that all the figures has identified: the rural, male Hindu. Whether the rate was 44 or 29 per 100,000 the one constant was that male suicide victims outnumbered females by at least 3 to 1 and Hindus were about three quarters of the overall victims. But your Eyewitness ain’t seen none of the Suicide Pimps checking them out.

So call your Eyewitness a sceptic - but he’d like to see the numbers. In absolute numbers suicide in Guyana for the longest while has hovered around 225 and that works out to 30 per 100,000 annuallyand it’s been the same types of folks killing themselves.. Ain’t nothing’s changed.

So who’s kidding whom? Nobody’s really gives a damn about suicide in the cane cutting crowd. It’s like the “war against drugs” in the states.

Only when the stuff left the ghetto and hit the suburbs, did the govt take notice. …on garbage This City Council and its ruling Gang of Four will never learn, will it? But why should they, when those in charge have made them sacred cows. There was a big hue and cry about the Parking Meters that were going to skin the burghers of - and visitors to - GT dry.

But did the Minister of Local Government head the contract off at the pass when he had the authority to deny permission via proposing appropriate by-laws?

No siree Bob!!

Did the AG and Finance Ministry do anything after they issued their scathing reports on the (pun intended) highway robbery? Not in this lifetime! Well after all the sturm and drang of the mioddle class enjoying the sunshine outside City Hall, a “review” was ordered. This was done - but like the original secret contract, has been under wraps. Doesn’t look promising that anything’s changed, has it?

And right after, comes the sole sourcing of new garbage collectors after City Hall fires the original colectors who they owe $300M!!

The more things change… …on contractors Reg 10 contractors are bitching about being squeezed out from contracts in their region. Maybe they should have a word with their comrades in Region 6.

They were pretty miffed when their “Indian Monument” was contracted to a Reg 10 contractor!

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

News

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WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Shrouded in secrecy

Exxon contract placed on ‘lock down’ …after ‘unauthorised persons’ attempt to access – Trotman

By Jarryl Bryan

W

ith calls mounting for the release of the contract with ExxonMobil, Government says that clandestine attempts by unauthorised persons to access the documents have prompted the authorities to place the contract on ‘lock down’.

In an interview with Guyana Times, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman said there were observations of “unusual activities” being made to access the petroleum contract documents, which the Government of Guyana made with ExxonMobil Corporation.

“So Government is going to secure it,” Trotman said.

“I can’t say that we know who it is exactly, but we do believe unauthorised persons (are making attempts).

We just detected it and we have taken measures to secure it.”

Given the high classification of the documents, the Minister was asked whether an investigation would be launched to determine culpability. He responded in the negative. Trotman

Exxon’s operations in the Stabroek block

was also asked how the Government would treat with requests from the public for the full contract to be made public.

“I have released to the public the most important parts, in terms of how much Guyana would be getting,” Trotman said. “We’re under the advisement services of a team of experts from abroad and we will continue to abide by their advice.”

What we know

According to the information released by Government, we do know that Guyana will receive a two per cent royalty on gross earnings from the oil on a barrel to barrel basis. In ad-

dition, Guyana will receive 50 per cent of the profits from Exxon’s sale of petroleum on the world market.

In the past, Government has sought to justify the two per cent royalty by contrasting it with the 50/50 share of the profits; an arrangement that the Government has said is a reasonable one, arrived at through the advice of experts.

Oil is currently at US$50 a barrel. But with the world market price for oil a volatile rollercoaster at times and Exxon having to clear its initial investment cost, some have opined that a revenue sharing arrangement would be a better option than a profit sharing

Pressure mounts on Granger...

It also mandates all current broadcast licence holders to reapply to be licensed within 30 days of the passage of the bill, or lose their right to broadcast.

The Guyana Press Association (GPA) has said it agrees that private broadcasters should play a role during emergencies and disasters, but highlighted that the amendment would give authorities the ability to dictate time slots if they did not agree with the ones allocated by stations.

This new legislation gives Government the right to decide the content and frequency of the PSAs, while defining PSAs as “the broadcast of a programme produced for the purpose of informing and educating the public, and promoting policies and activities of the Government that benefit the public as a whole.”

The broadcasts, which also include time for presidential addresses and disaster warnings, are to be allocated between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

GPA, in a statement, told IPI that the bill “will disrupt and violate contractual obligations that stations will have with advertisers and programme sponsors.”

The local media representative body has also said it would work with international groups to “convince the Government of the need to halt or reverse this process, given the severe consequences these amendments pose to

freedom of the press and the commercial viability of private radio and television stations.”

Since their announcement, these proposed amendments have been condemned by local broadcasters, the Opposition political party, and various other stakeholders. Those concerns and criticisms have apparently fallen on deaf ears, or Government is just oblivious of the criticisms, since the amendments continue to be pushed.

The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) has also called for the President and broadcasters to meet, arguing, “This is the best option to avoid what may be a protracted legal matter that would be unhelpful

from page 7

in achieving the desired objectives of the parties concerned."

Prior to the passage of the bill, a number of broadcasters said in a statement that they had not been consulted on the contents of the bill, either during its preparation or to date. They say they are hoping the authorities would now afford them opportunity for consultation, before this important piece of legislation is passed.

Chairman of the GNBA, Leslie Sobers, has said that broadcasters who fear revocation of licences should be more concerned about the content they air than with the provisions of the recently passed amendments to the broadcast legislation.

one.

It is understood that based on the profit sharing agreement, 75 per cent of total oil revenues would initially go towards recovering Exxon’s initial investments.

The 50 per cent share will thus apply to whatever profit is left, at least until Exxon has cleared its expenditure.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres. Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (Exxon’s subsidiary) is the operator and hold a 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds a 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds a 25 per cent interest.

It was in May 2015, that the oil giant confirmed its significant oil discovery at its Liza 1 exploration well, where more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs was encountered.

In late June 2016, Exxon’s drilling results at Liza 2 revealed more than 58 metres of oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs in Upper Cretaceous formations. The well was drilled to 5475 metres at 1692 metres water

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

depth. Drilling results confirmed recoverable resources to be between 800 million and 1.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Data from the Liza 2 well test is being assessed.

The company later announced that it made its third significant discovery in its drilling explorations offshore Guyana. Its partner, Hess Corporation, had noted that the Liza 3 exploratory well’s net value could be US$6.2 billion based on calculations from the Bank of Montreal (BMO) Capital Markets.

Drilling on Payara began on November 12, 2016, with initial total depth reached on December 2, 2016. In January of this year, the oil giant had announced it had struck oil in its Payara-1 well, targeting the same type of reservoirs as the well’s Liza counterpart.

In June, 2017, Exxon was granted its formal production licence. Before that, reviews were done of the technical and environmental aspects of the Liza Project Development Plan submitted by Esso Exploration and Production (Guyana) Ltd in December 2017.

Additional oil was discovered in the Payara reservoir some 130 miles offshore Guyana last month, increasing the total Payara discovery to approximately 500 million oil-equivalent barrels.

Exxon’s oil find in Guyana has attracted international attention, with a number of seminars being held over time. In addition, assistance is being provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to boost Guyana’s administrative capacity to handle the expected inflow of revenue.

10 news

WEDNESdAY, august 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Parking meter fiasco

“I have nothing to say as yet” – Mayor

T

he life of the Parking Meter Re-negotiation Committee came to an end with it submitting its final report and finding to the Mayor of Georgetown on August 2, 2017, but almost one week later, the report is yet to be circulated to Councillors. Georgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase Green acknowledged receiving the report, stating, “I am still looking at it as I said before there will be a special meeting held by Council, a copy would be given to every Councillor so they will have enough time to look at it and then we will look at the options that were recommended by the parking meter team,” she said.

“I am reading the report in detail and so presently I have no information to give to the public,” Chase Green responded when asked about the content of the report.

M&CC had entered into a contract with Smart City Solutions Inc on May 13, 2016, for parking meters to be implemented in Georgetown.

However, the project came under intense scrutiny and rejections from various public and private stakeholders, the Opposition and even some central government officials over the clandestine way it was being foisted unto the populace, its prohibitive pricing

The Parking Meter Committee was established on April 26, 2017, one month after Bulkan suspended the paid parking initiative. Its members consist of Malcolm Ferreira (Chairman), Roopnarine Persaud, Noelle Chow-Chee (Vice Chairman), Ivelaw Henry, Trichria Richards, Carlyle Goring, and Heston Bostwick.

Since its establishment, the Committee has consulted with various stakeholders inclusive of the Movement Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green

and the contracting company’s general disregard with the way the new mechanism was introduced to the public, among many other concerns.

After becoming effective in late January 2017, several large protests were staged in front of City Hall calling for the contract to be revoked, while multiple stakeholders took the M&CC and the SCSI to court over the matter.

Under pressure, on March 21, 2017, the Minister of Communities who had initially passed the By-laws bringing parking meters into effect, ordered that it be suspended for a period of three months to facilitate the re-negotiations of the terms of the contract.

Against Parking Meters and civil society. Consultations are ongoing and stakeholders are encouraged to visit the Councillors’ office to meet with the committee members and submit their proposals.

When asked about the possibility of refunding citizens who would have bought parking meter credit in bulk quantities, the Mayor said it is too early to make a pronouncement, adding she will have to await the report from the Committee

and would act accordingly.

The Committee’s Terms of Reference (ToR) was drafted and voted upon by the majority of members of the M&CC. The ToR provides the Committee with the authority to “engage with all stakeholders within the parameters of the framework agreed upon by the Council, Cabinet and Smart City Solutions (SCSI) to seek to determine what terms of the agreement can and should be negotiated to bring the contract in harmony with

the desires of the Council, Central Government, SCSI and the citizenry.

The Mayor has since excused herself from all matters related to the renegotiation of the contract since it was herself, Town Clerk Royston King and Councillor Oscar Clarke who signed and implemented the controversial project.

The PPP Councillors also have recused themselves since they noted they were against paid parking from the inception.

Tobacco company calls for executive intervention – says Guyana’s bill more oppressive than Caribbean peers

D

emerara Tobacco Company Limited (DEMTOCO) has taken its advocacy to the highest office of the land, calling on President David Granger to step in and forestall making the Tobacco Control Bill a law unless certain provisions in the Bill are changed.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the company noted that the Government used the passage of the Bill in other countries as justification for the new bill in Guyana. But DEMTOCO said the countries that were cited have actually implemented less stringent laws than the ones passed

Managing Director of DEMTOCO, Maurlain Kriton

in the National Assembly last month.

The company pointed

President David Granger

out that both Trinidad and Jamaica have no provisions in their bills which designate a person’s private

home as a work place under any circumstances. In addition, the company emphasised that both countries included provisions in their bills to allow outdoor designated smoking areas.

“Both Jamaica and Trinidad removed the provision from their Bills, which included a person’s private home as a work place if that owner were to employ a gardener, a helper or some other help around their home,” the company stated. “Those countries viewed the guaranteeing of the right of the privacy of one’s home as a fundamental principle.” continues on page 11

news

11

WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Blackout woes

Hundreds of Dynamic passengers left stranded at CJIA

Minister frustrated, disappointed with GPL F P

– Captain Gouveia says airline now faced with a major backlog

BY ASHRAF DABIE

ublic Infrastructure Minister David Patterson is disappointed with the recent spate of blackouts and will dedicate the parliamentary recess to intervene and find solutions.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister Patterson expressed his frustration with the frequent power outages, noting that the explanations are so simple. Therefore, he will be visiting the power stations to ascertain first-hand what interventions can be made to restore normalcy.

According to the Minister, the issue remains with the transmission and distribution line. “Over the years our transmission and distribution line has deteriorated. I keep saying this and I don’t want persons to think that we know the problem and should be addressing it. It’s still functional and can transmit electricity very efficiently but we should be able to isolate the disturbances.”

In other instances, it is difficult to identify the troubled area, bringing the entire system offline. “Often the team may think they found the problem and put on back the

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

system, only to have to take it off back when they realise they haven’t and this has led to the deterioration of the protection system,” Minister Patterson pointed out.

Issues surrounding the transmission and distribution line is compounded further with other non-technical matters, including receiving clearance from the Guyana Revenue Authority and the wharves. The Minister explained that new equipment was procured but is stuck due to clearance issues which should have been addressed quickly and easily.

Tobacco company calls...

DEMTOCO pointed out that neither country sought to bar previous employees in the tobacco industry from working with Government.

Noting that the Bill will impact on retailers of a legal product, the company said that the Government can regulate the industry in a more reasonable manner.

The company therefore echoed the calls of the Private Sector and other stakeholders that the Bill be sent to a committee. In addition, it called on the President to intervene and have any excessive measures removed as well as to have the Bill sent to a committee.

Trinidad banned public smoking in 2010, while Jamaica followed suit three years later. In Guyana, while the need for the Bill was supported by most, several of its clauses have been deemed excessive.

Within days of its passage, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) had come out urging Government to consider the civil rights aspect of the Bill. The Commission had stressed that the bill be referred to the Special Select Committee.

“Guyana has, over many years, come a long way in controlling the practice of smoking in public places and the public as well as various operators of bars, hotels, cinemas, other businesses and smokers themselves should be applauded,” the commission said.

The business association added, “We are aware that the Government of

from page 10

Guyana believes that the World Health Organisation’s Protocols dictate that Government should not engage in dialogue with the tobacco industry. The Private Sector Commission views this as an inconsistency.

Ours is an independent jurisdiction called Guyana and most democracies were built on dialogue.”

Provisions

Among the provisions of the Bill is a ban on smoking in indoor workplaces; public transport, stadiums, parks and national sites. In the Bill, smoking is also prohibited in any area within five metres of a health care, educational or child care facility.

Part Five, section 16 (3) states “Any person who smokes in any place where smoking is prohibited commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of ten thousand dollars for the first offence, and twenty thousand dollars for any second or subsequent offence.”

The Bill provides for a number of other fines and penalties, ranging from $200,000 and six months imprisonment. Corporate bodies can also face fines of up to $9 million for infringing on the ban regarding advertising. The Bill also regulates the sale of cigarettes, as well as prohibits all forms of tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion. It also provides for the creation of a National Tobacco Control Council that will provide advice to the Minister of Public Health.

“I met with the staff of Guyana Power Light Incorporated (GPL); they’ve explained the issues they have, such as manpower and those equipment that have been ordered and not coming in quickly as they should.

I’m meeting with the Board and (will) ensure that they are equipped as fully as possible to address these issues,” Minister Patterson explained.

The Minister further explained that GPL is currently financially stable. As such, monies should be invested towards enhanced generation so that issues such as tree trimming and burnt generators will not affect distribution.

The Public Infrastructure Minister acknowledged that the issues facing GPL are common in other countries.

However, he emphasised that efforts will be intensified to correct these.

ollowing a mechanical failure which disrupted the operations of Dynamic Airways on Saturday last, hundreds of passengers are now left awaiting their flights out of Guyana so as to return home or set off on their summer vacation.

The Dynamic aircraft, which was booked to capacity destined to Guyana, was grounded at the John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York for more than 24 hours over the weekend.

As a result of this interruption in transporting passengers to and from their destinations, the international carrier is now faced with a major backlog as it is now forced to prioritise those travellers who have missed their flights during the delay.

Responding to the outbursts as passengers are now

Hundreds of passengers stranded at CJIA as a result of the backlog

‘kicking up a storm’ at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Dynamic’s local franchise holder, Captain Gerald Gouveia clarified that there is currently no delay in flights and that the carrier has resumed its scheduled operations. With that being said, he noted that the ongoing hiccup is due to the airline’s efforts to transport those who were already in waiting.

“Since we had the issue with the first mechani-

cal problem a couple of days ago, because Dynamic is such a big plane, you end up with a backlog happening,” explained Gouveia.

“The plane now is just running on a circuit back and forth to New York to clear off the backlog of passengers,” he said. “Nothing is causing a delay, it is just because of the first delay, the plane is now coming to Guyana just to load up passengers, go to New York and come back,” he explained. turn to page 13

12 news

WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

City Hall’s garbage woes

Smaller contractors accepting portioned payments – Mayor …Cevons, Puran contractors not terminated

G

eorgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase Green, said the municipality has not terminated its contractual obligations with Cevons Waste Management and Puran Bros Disposal since they pulled their service. She added that the three small contractors they hired are open to accepting portioned payments for their services.

Over the weekend, garbage contractors Cevons Waste Management and Puran Brothers Disposal pulled their services for the second time in less than a month after being owed over $300 million. The companies decided to withdraw their services to City Hall, as the lack of payment to the companies continues despite promises to be paid.

According to the companies, in a joint state-

ment on Saturday, the issue of non-payment for services rendered has been a long-standing one. The companies revealed that City Hall’s debt dates as far back as 2015 and promises proffered by the Council have not been honoured.

Following the companies withdrawal of services, Town Clerk Royston King wrote to both companies on August 4, 2017, instructing them that their services have been terminated.

“I however, write on behalf of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown to inform you that the recent actions by your company to withdraw garbage collections services (from 7th July to 11th July) and the intended action to do so with effect from the 6th August, 2017 is viewed by the Council as a termi-

Smaller contractors hired to assist in collection of garbage in Georgetown

nation of the current contract, since there is no provision within the current contract between the Mayor and City Council and your corporation for the suspension of garbage collection services,” King said in his correspondence.

However, Mayor Chase Green says otherwise.

“I am not certain the contract with the two others are scrapped, the letter was

so kind to say that look you are in breach of your contract with us but we have not scrapped it. We are still in negotiations with them to find a consensus as to how we are going to pay the $300 million. In the interim while they have withdrawn their services, we have got some other small contractors on board to ensure that the city is kept clean at all times,” she said.

“While the small contractors have agreed they will take their money in portions, the larger contractors want all their money at one time and we did have a proposal where we would be paying them a particular amount and the $300 million over a period of time but they were not willing to accept that,” Chase Green added.

She said that the municipality needs over $1 billion to ensure smooth running but notes that they have not seen an increase in their budgetary allocation for a number of years and every possible revenue booster is met with several hurdles.

“In this city alone would take a billion dollars so you talking about a lot of money to maintain this city if you want a modern city,” she said.

Sometime in December 2016, the M&CC would have appealed to the Government for a $600 million bailout and they did not accept the appeal. Out of that $600 million, $300 million was for the contractors.

For quite some time, the M&CC has been accused of being cash strapped, and on multiple occasions, work around the city has had to be halted, since the municipality was unable to pay workers.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the Council and its partners (the contractors) reached an agreement, which in substance said that the City Treasurer would focus on payment of the current accounts while working to find an arrangement to settle the outstanding debts for 2016 while

avoiding service disruption.

The Council has said that it would be putting alternative measures in place for garbage collection, and urged residents to ensure they properly dispose of their waste and await the arrival of the garbage collectors. They also say that the Treasurer’s Department would be intensifying its revenue collection drive to recover money owed to the city.

At a meeting with stakeholders in April 2017, the Mayor had informed that the Council is cash strapped and requested businesses pay more for commercial waste disposal. Mayor Chase Green had told business folks that City Hall cannot afford to keep up with the weekly amount of $1.8 million to clear commercial waste.

Though there have been talks of the implementation of a new fee for commercial waste, City Hall officials have remained mum on just how much they are proposing to charge. Notwithstanding, the Mayor threatened that should businesses refuse to pay the new fee, City Hall will have to resort to using the law to discipline them.

Town Clerk Royston King noted that even if citizens pay all of their outstanding taxes, the Council would still fall short of enough money to cover everything it has to do. King said the implementation of a new fee is in order because the service of waste disposal is a very expensive one that the Council cannot afford at the moment.

Suspect serial robber nabbed with gun, ammo

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) on Tuesday conducted an intelligence-led operation that resulted in the arrest of a male and a female in a motor car parked in front of their Daisy Street, South Ruimveldt Georgetown residence with

an unlicensed 9mm pistol and seven matching rounds of live ammunition.

This is according to GPF Public Relations Officer Jairam Ramlakhan, who also disclosed that the arrested male suspect has been fingered in several recent armed robberies, and the duo is being processed for court.

13 Another plane crashes at Eteringbang airstrip news

WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

– Pilot suffers minor injuries; air-dashed to city hospital – Aviation Authority launches investigation

Captain Dominique Waddell was said to have escaped with minor injuries as he was air-dashed to the city via at the Eugene F Correia Airport at Ogle

Loved ones relieved that Captain Waddell’s injuries were not life-threatening

BY SHEMUEL FANFAIR

T

wo weeks after a fatal plane incident, another domestic air carrier crashed moments after taking off from the Eteringbang airstrip in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni). However, on this occasion, the pilot was rescued alive, bearing minor injuries. The pilot, Captain Dominique Waddell, was air-dashed to the Eugene F Correia International Airport at Ogle, East Coast Demerara around 14:00h on Tuesday, following a late morning crash to the Wing’s Aviation single-engine Cessna aircraft which he navigated.

A Roraima Airways plane rushed to the area around 12:00h and brought the pilot to safety. He was said to have been travelling alone. Captain Waddell escaped with minor injuries and was responding to emergency medical personnel who were assessing his condition at the Ogle airport.

His muddied shoes and other belongings were seen at the emergency medical operation. Family members had anxiously rushed to the airport but were relieved to see that Captain Waddell did not suffer life-threaten-

ing injuries. This newspaper was told that the pilot is a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rank. As such, a GDF ambulance transported him to a private medical facility after he was tended to by a team that included several Army service members.

An official attached to the Wings Aviation Company, disclosed that the pilot did not suffer any major injury and noted that the emergency response was taken as a precautionary measure.

Roraima Pilot, Captain Gerry Gouveia Junior, briefed this publication on the rescue operation.

“We had a plane in the area doing some shuttle work along with the aircraft so when we heard of the incident, our pilot was quick to respond as part of the search and rescue team. Once we were able to find the pilot, we brought him out immediately to Georgetown,” the pilot disclosed.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) later in day pointed out that it has launched an investigation to “ascertain the circumstances leading to the crash of a single engine CESSNA aircraft – bearing registration number 8R-GPR.” GCAA confirmed that the crash time was registered at approximately

from page 11

Hundreds of Dynamic...

With that, Dynamic’s franchise holder highlighted that passengers are being transported in and out the country, despite the backlog. However, Gouveia did indicate that the airline is working to correct the irregularities and passengers can expect a return to the normal scheduling by Thursday of this week.

This is not the first time passengers were left stranded, both at the CJIA and JFK airports, as Dynamic Airways is notorious for a

series of delays and cancelations in flights ever since the commencement of operations in Guyana, some three years ago.

However, this report comes just months after the local franchise holder, Captain Gouveia, boasted a 95 per cent on-time rate for Dynamic’s operations in 2017. At the same time, this disruption in services is in accordance with the airline’s work to commence flying in and out of Guyana on a daily basis.

11:00h. Based on reports re-

ceived, the Wings Aviation plane was on a shuttling mission from Eteringbang to Ekereku when the incident occurred.

The Aviation body fur-

ther noted that officials from the Accident and Investigation Group assisted by a GCAA team visited the crash site to commence investigations. On July 25,

Captain Collin Martin, a retired Guyana Defence Force Major, was piloting a Roraima Airways aircraft when it crashed killing him almost instantly.

14 news

wednesDAY, august 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GPL’s Vreed-en-Hoop station fire results in extensive power outages – residents fearful of criminal elements during blackouts

S

everal businesses and residents who reside in several communities on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) have expressed much frustration at disruptions to their electricity service.

For at least 24 hours on Monday into Tuesday evening, several villages along the West Bank were out of power, which resulted in losses to a host of refrigerated goods. The Guyana Power and Light (GPL), in a release, blamed the most recent disruption on a fire to one of its cables at the Vreed-en-Hoop power station which “caught fire triggering a shutdown of the Demerara/Berbice Interconnected System”.

This fire occurred at 18:45h on Monday evening.

However, just hours prior, another power outage was recorded in several lower West Bank villages including Sisters, Good Intent, and Wales where there was no electricity reportedly between 03:00h Monday and just before 12:00h later that day. Nevertheless, the power company observed that restoration efforts for Monday evening’s fire commenced at 18:55h and pow-

er was restored by 20:00h in a few upper WBD villages. However, villages from Versailles all the way to Vriesland were without power. “Our engineers are working assiduously to repair the cable and restore power by 19:00h. GPL regrets the inconvenience caused,” is what GPL disclosed late Tuesday.

The La Parfaite Harmonie housing scheme – one of the nation’s largest residential areas – has also been affected. A concerned resident informed this publication that a similar blackout was registered last week. The female inhabitant stated that the situation is especially frustrating, as mobile phones cannot be charged and that refrigerated meats had started to spoil.

This publication was told that when there is electricity, there is often load

shedding in the Parfaite area which often affects electrical equipment. With regard to the current power cut, residents in the housing scheme are said to be “locking up tight” in fear of possible attacks by criminal elements that lurk in the neighbourhood.

Some of the other affected communities include Patentia, Stanleytown, Nismes, Bagotville, La Grange and Schoonord.

Despite these frequent power outages and undesirable service, GPL managed to improve its revenue collection by raking in $17 billion in the first half of 2017, which was an increase from $14.7 billion for the same period in 2016. According to the 2017 mid-year report released by Government, the increase in revenue is as a result of more timely payments.

news

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WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

4-yr-old killed in Tuschen accident

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Family continues to demand justice The Ultimate Betrayal

T

he Mahatma Gandhi once said something to the effect that decency is not merely an appeal to the court of justice, but an appeal to the court of conscience. He also said that a man can change, and may even choose other friends and colleagues, as long as he steadfastly refuses to compromise his principles.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy There was a picture in the newspapers over this past weekend, showing Moses Nagamootoo standing next to David Granger at a ceremony paying homage to Forbes Burnham. It was a sad and vexing spectacle of a man totally lacking conscience, absolutely compromising his principles and selling his soul to the highest bidder just for the taste of power.

Following Cheddi Jagan’s death in 1997, Nagamootoo was fond of raising his cup in salute to Cheddi and proclaiming: “This One is for You, Pa”. But, in many ways, every day in the last several years he has betrayed the man he once called pa, whom he once revered as his hero and as the undisputed Father of the Nation. The image of Nagamootoo bowing in reverence, honouring and paying homage to Burnham, stands as the perfect picture of betrayal, an abomination.

That David Granger was paying tribute to Forbes Burnham -- his life-long hero, a man Granger has always embraced as the Father of the Nation -- seems fit and proper. Granger, now the Leader of the People’s National Congress, was leading the supporters of the PNC in their annual pilgrimage to honour their founder-leader. They stood on solid ground, espousing their politics and their principles. I defiantly reject their politics and principles, but I do not deny them their right to their beliefs. That politics and those principles by which they have lived are abhorrent to me, but there was nothing wrong or repugnant about what Granger and the supporters of the PNC did last weekend, and for 32 years now.

Yet, the obscene picture of Nagamootoo standing there in reverence of Burnham represents a visual portrayal for all Guyanese and for the world to witness Nagamootoo now proclaiming Burnham as his hero, the Father of the Nation, and a disciple of freedom and democracy.

It is a shocking transformation, because, between 1968 and 2011, a period spanning 43 years -- from his teenage years to those of a pensioner -- Nagamootoo wrote and spoke passionately of Burnham as a brutal dictator; an “abomination”; a man who led Guyana to greater and more profound poverty; left Guyana one of the most indebted nations on Earth; brutally rigged elections; responsible for the death of the Ballot Box Martyrs; under whose rule a centrally directed group of thugs and assassins killed people like Walter Rodney, Father Darke, and many others.

His speeches and conversations, and his writings, represent a rich catalogue of the brutal and odious rule of Burnham.

Does he possess the courage to look people in the eye and say that all those things he wrote about the dictator; all those claims he made of being harassed, intimidated, wrongly jailed, kidnapped, beaten to a pulp -- things forever enshrined in the Hansards of Parliament, in Mirror and in the Thunder under his name -- were lies and fictions of his imagination?

But the sad tale of the picture of Nagamootoo standing next to Granger in total subservience to Burnham’s memory is also a stark repudiation of Cheddi Jagan. In one cruel picture, he transformed Cheddi Jagan from being his pa and his hero and the real Father of the Nation into an ogre, the man who must have brainwashed him, misinformed him, and made him speak and write of Burnham in such ugly ways between 1968 and 2015.

During the 2015 election campaign, Nagamootoo claimed in front of Jagan’s loyal supporters that he was still a Jaganite. It was a cruel lie. One cannot embrace Jagan while in reverence of Burnham. They stood poles apart for different things. Jagan wanted freedom for his people, Burnham wanted power.

Now that he has repudiated Jagan, will Nagamootoo now go to Berbice -- go to the belly of Jagan’s supporters -- and tell them why he now is salivating in the bosom of Burnham? Will he go and now tell his comrades for more than forty years that Jagan was wrong about Burnham, and that Jagan is not the Father of the Nation? Will he apologize to all the PNC supporters and tell them Burnham was never a dictator, and that he, Nagamootoo, was an inveterate liar for more than forty years?

…claims being pushed around by Police Commander, DPP

F

amily members of 4-year-old Ramkarran Mohan of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), who lost his life after being struck down by an errant driver some five months ago, have said they are yet to receive justice.His grandmother, Bibi Nazmoon Khan, claims the family is currently being “pushed around” by the Police Commander at the Leonora Police Station and by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The woman is alleging that on a weekly basis she is contacted by the Police Commander, who continuously explains to her that he is yet to receive a response from the DPP, Shalimar Ali-Hack. She revealed that she was advised by the Commander to visit the DPP, which she and other family members did.

“He tell we to go to the DPP, and we went there and they give us a form to fill out. The form was a complaint letter, and they tell we to bring it back,” Khan stated.

The letter was reportedly completed by the family’s legal counsel and submitted to the office of the DPP. However, on the second visit to the office, the family was reportedly instructed to report to the Vreed-enHoop Police Station, which received a file with instructions that they select a coroner to launch a further probe into the matter.

However, there has since been no word to the family as to the course of the investigation, or whether that coroner was selected.

As such, Khan is calling

Ramkarran Mohan

for the matter to be further publicised, for fear that there will be no justice for her grandson.

The dissatisfied woman revealed to the Guyana Times that the driver whose vehicle had killed Mohan was last month involved in another accident, this time involving a minibus.

Khan said, “Everybody telling me that I will not

get justice. I don’t know where to turn to and what to do, because I see like everybody against us. It’s been five months, we need the public to see what’s going on”.

Mohan, called “Ram”, of Lot 1088 Tuschen New Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), died at the West Demerara Regional Hospital after he

was struck by, and dragged under, a moving car, a short distance from his house.

On the day of the accident, the child was struck down walking with his uncle and brother after purchasing a ball.

Reports are that the driver continued driving after hitting the child, and it was only after the teenaged uncle of the boy ran in front of her vehicle that she stopped.

The child was picked up and rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. A post-mortem conducted on his body revealed that the child’s death was as a result of a fractured skull and brain damage.

Following his demise, the female driver, whose father is reportedly a member of the Presidential Guards, was released on self-bail, and has since been seen in the area.

The family had launched a protest, calling for justice to be served for Mohan, but they are still awaiting such.

Impounding of stray animals’ waiver ends

T

he Public Security Ministry wishes to inform the general public and animal owners that the waiver on the impounding of stray animals has ended.

“The impounding of stray animals will re-commence from (today) August 9, 2017.

These impounding exercises will begin in all communities across Guyana,” the Department of Public Information announced.

The Ministry also appealed to both cattle owners and all road users to make

every effort to ensure that our roads and communities are safe.

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WEDNESDAY, august 9, 2017

News

‘No money, no wuk’: Cleaners threaten dirty schools for new term …Union wants 2013 Cabinet decisions implemented

T

eachers and students turning out for the new school term in September could be greeted with unkempt classrooms, as sweeper-cleaners have vowed not to clean schools if their demands are not met.

Marching to chants of “No money no wuk, school gon dutty September!” close to 100 sweeper cleaners from schools in and around Georgetown protested in front of the Ministry of the Presidency on Tuesday, demanding that they be paid their rightful salaries and be allowed their annual leave.

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is yet unable to determine who had made the call to cut the sweeper-cleaners’ salaries, but has vowed to dig deeper.

For the July/August holiday period, many single parent women have received a salary of $9000 or less. According to them, the horror unfolded when they checked their bank accounts.

“It is unfair to us that we are cleaning schools and

Sweeper-cleaners on the protest line in front of the Office of the President

we are not getting any proper salary. It unfair to us, we have children to go to school,” one protestor shouted over the raucous crowd.

Another protestor, almost in tears, said, “How are we going to send our children to school when the Government didn’t put any money for us?

What’s gonna happen? We are single parents, and we need to have money”. She contended that this happens every year around this time.

“This month I draw $5000, and so you think it is fair? I have my daughter to go to a private school and it is $80,000. What can $5000 do?

Another protestor declared, “It is really unfair that when we go for our salary and when we push in, it is just $5000.

The protestors decried their situation, noting that, after many years, they have not been placed in the permanent bracket. This has rendered them ineligible to receive benefits other public servants are given.

Another protestor told Guyana Times she has been working with the Government for some 21 years, and over those years she has never been granted leave. “I need leave! I need vacation leave with money! I

need my money and my leave together!” she declared.

The Guyana Public Service Union, representing the cleaners over the years, has said the current administration seemed to have taken a backseat approach to an issue it forcefully supported while in opposition.

The conditions under which the cleaners work are unacceptable, and there is clearly no effort expended to improve them. GPSU’s first Vice President, Mortimer Livan, met with reporters following the protest. He said the situation is developing further into an economic disaster for the workers and

their families, as they are, on many occasions, the only source of income.

“These workers go to work every day, and perform exceptionally despite the economic challenges that they face... Our call today is to pay them what is deserving; that is, value for their unconditional service. This is an unfortunate development of unmentionable proportions being meted out to sweeper-cleaners in this country”, he said.

Livan noted that the union condemns “this uncaring and unkind posture of the authorities, and demands that the conditions under which this category of workers toil be remedied forthwith”.

He said neither of the two Governments has implemented some decisions made in Cabinet under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in 2013, which included that the wages of the sweeper-cleaners be set in accordance with the minimum wages’ order and time-

GPSU’s first Vice President, Mortimer Livan

ly payment.

He said the matter was brought up again with President David Granger.

However, even with his directives, nothing has been done.

Guyana Times has been told that a meeting to discuss the matter was arranged between Union representatives and Government officials.

Mental health system to be strengthened – 59 reported suicide cases in first half of 2017

I

n an effort to strengthen the public health system, the Public Health Ministry expended $10.8 billion of the $31.2 billion budgeted in the first half of 2017. More than 95 per cent of the amount was recurrent expenses, while the capital expenditure at mid-year expended 12 per cent of the $3.1 billion budgeted.

The Public Health Ministry through the Mental Health Unit highlighted that mental health issues continue to affect the society and at mid-year,

there were 59 reported cases of suicide.

According to the Finance Ministry’s mid-year report, the training of health professionals on mental health is ongoing, and 106 of the 300 targeted individuals have completed training this year.

It was highlighted that the mental health institute is working to ensure at least 50 percent of non-specialised health care providers in Guyana, are trained to address mental health issues.

The unit has recognised that

it would be more effective to identify and treat with mental illnesses at the primary health care level. It was noted that farming communities need to be targeted due to easy access to pesticides and the high suicide rates from persons living in those communities.

According to the report, the mental health institute currently under renovation is expected to be completed in the second half of the year. Also, an additional sum of $312.2 million of the budgeted $2 billion was ex-

Man on trial after denying narcotics possession allegation

R

on Haynes, who denied possessing a quantity of seeds, leaves and stems suspected to be cannabis (marijuana), made another appearance before Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate Christel Lambert.

Police say the accused was found with the prohibited items on a boat near a bar along the Vreed-enHoop Stelling Road earlier this year.

On Monday, Constable Stephen testified that he is the rank who had searched Haynes on May 6, 2017 in a boat behind the Midnight Bar at the Stelling area.

The police witness recalled that five men were seated in the boat acting suspiciously, and were searched.

Constable Stephen explained that “a guy,” whom he identified as Haynes, placed something under

the Captain’s seat moments before he was searched.

Stephen claimed that the accused had thrown an item in the river and reportedly said, “Officer, is just a joint.”

The policeman further told the court that another rank, Constable Harris, had searched the area where Haynes was sitting and had found a transparent bag containing items which were believed to be cannabis. All 5 men had been arrested at 11:30h, but 3 were released by 16:00h on the day in question.

Under cross-examination

by Haynes’s attorney, Paul Fung-a-Fat, the police constable admitted that one of the suspects had escaped police custody.

Detective Sergeant Norris Harry, who is attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), also took the stand

and testified that several confrontations were held between Haynes and the other initial suspects, which included Davindra Singh and Colin Lewis.

Cross-examined, Detective Harry admitted that he, Constable Harris and others were accused of stealing some $20,000, but the police witness maintained that the accusations were not true.

“The drugs were found by the Captain’s seat,” Harry asserted.

Fung-a-Fat queried if the detective was “out to get” Haynes, but the police rank outrightly rejected the attorney’s suggestion.

The trial continues on August 15, when Shane Chitram of Wales, West Bank Demerara is expected to take the stand before Magistrate Lambert.

pended for the improvement and maintenance of health infrastructure across the country.

As part of its efforts to help low and middle-income countries like Guyana combat the scourge of suicide, the World Health Organisation developed the Mental Health Gap Action Programme [mhGAP]. mhGAP is aimed at scaling up services for people with

mental, neurological and substance use disorders.

The training of these professionals using the mhGAP-IG standard stems from initiatives outlined in the National Mental Health Action plan 20152020 which addresses mental health at the community level. The Ministries of Agriculture, Education and Social Protection are all expected to play important roles in spreading awareness to targeted groups

countrywide.

Guyana was announced as having the fourth highest suicide rate in the world with an estimated 29.0 per 100,000 by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO).

Dr William Adu-Krow, the local representative of PAHO/WHO said while in 2012 Guyana had that disturbing suicide rate, the rate has since plummeted to 20.6 per 100,000 people.

Mom fears teen missing

T

wo months ago, 18-year-old Kevin Livian left his hometown of Airy Hall on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), to search for employment in the interior of Guyana and his family now fears him missing, since they have not had contact with the teen since he left home.

Mother of the missing teen, Tessa Livian, contacted Guyana Times and relayed her fears, while disclosing that her son used to reside with his grandmother in Airy Hall, while she lives in Wakenaam, Essequibo River, with his two other siblings.

This publication heard that Tessa last communicated with her son in late May 2017 and subsequently learnt that he intended to leave for the interior with a friend for work.

The distraught parent elucidated that she had allowed her son to leave home on the basis that he had

Missing:Kevin Livian

promised to return in June, the latest.

However, the teen never made any form of contact with his mother or relatives since his departure and his mother related that she became anxious when she was not getting through to his mobile phone, but was pacified when someone told her that signal coverage is a problem in the hinterlands.

A hopeful Livian fruitlessly awaited the arrival of

her son during June month and she became suspicious upon becoming aware that the unnamed friend her son reportedly had left to go with was at home, prompting her to question him about her son’s whereabouts.

“When I ask he weh Kevin deh, he said that Kevin in the backdam since June,” she stated.

Tessa indicated that she has since filed a missing person’s report at the Parika and Bartica Police Stations, in hopes that information would surface leading her to the whereabouts of her son.

Moreover, the grieving mother proclaimed that the teen has never “disappeared” or “ran-away” from home prior to the incident and it is for this reason that she fears that the worst may have befallen her eldest child.

Anyone with information on Kevin Livian’s whereabouts is asked to contact his mother, Tessa Livian on cellphone number 604-9347 or the nearest Police station.

WEDNESDAY, August 9, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Trump warns North Korea will be met with ‘fire and fury’ if threatens US

U

S President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned North Korea it would be met with “fire and fury” if it threatens the United States.

Earlier Pyongyang said it was ready to give Washington a “severe lesson” with its strategic nuclear force in response to any US military action.

Washington has warned it is ready to use force if need be to stop North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs but that it prefers global diplomatic action, including sanctions.

The consequences of any US strike would potentially be catastrophic for South

President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un

Koreans, Japanese and US military personnel within range of North Korean retaliatory strikes.

US military and intelli-

gence officials said any military action against North Korea could unleash a barrage of missiles and artillery in retaliation targeted

on Seoul and US bases in South Korea and elsewhere that would likely claim hundreds of thousands of lives.

“North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen,” Trump told reporters at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday over its continued missile tests, that could slash the reclusive country’s $3 billion annual export revenue by a third. (Reuters)

Milan kidnap case: Model ‘held to pay for cancer treatment’

T

he alleged captor of British model Chloe Ayling held her because he needed to raise money for cancer treatment, Italian police documents have revealed.

In his police testimony, Lukasz Herba said he got involved with the group behind the alleged kidnap near Milan because he had leukaemia.

Ayling’s lawyer Francesco Pesce has said the 20-year-old was told she would be sold in the Middle East “for sex”.

Ayling was allegedly held by a group called Black Death for five days.

She came home on Sunday, after talking to police investigators, 26 days

17

Lukasz Herba

after she flew to Milan for a photo shoot.

Italian police say she was attacked by two men, drugged with ketamine and

abducted, apparently to be sold in an online auction.

It is alleged the kidnappers attempted to sell her online for £230,000 and de-

manded her agent paid a ransom fee.

Pesce said Ayling, from Coulsdon, south London, had gone shopping with her captor because she had been threatened with death.

“She was told that people were there watching her and were ready to kill her if she tried anything,” he said.

Herba, a Polish national who lives in Oldbury, in the West Midlands, told police he had a change of heart once he met Ayling, according to documents seen by the BBC. He told investigators he drove her to the British consulate in Milan and released her before the sale went ahead. (BBC)

Disney to pull new movies from Netflix

W

alt Disney Co (DIS.N) will stop providing new movies to Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) starting in 2019 and launch its own streaming service, the company

The streaming services will give Disney “much greater control over our own destiny in a rapidly changing market,” Chief Executive Bob Iger told analysts in a conference call,

said on Tuesday, as it tries to capture digital audiences who are ditching traditional television.

The new Disney-branded streaming service will follow a similar ESPN service that will be available starting in 2018, the company said.

Shares of Netflix fell 3.7 percent in after hours trade, and Disney stock fell 3.1 percent.

describing the moves as an “entirely new growth strategy” for the company.

Disney has some experience with the direct-to-consumer model in Britain and could make more money in the long run from its own service, but the move could be “financially less advantageous” in the near term, said Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser. (Reuters)

British woman shot in Brazil ‘after getting lost’

E

loise Dixon, her partner and their three children were driving in Angra dos Reis on Sunday, when their car was approached by an armed group, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported.

She was shot twice, once in the abdomen, but is recovering in hospital.

Ms Dixon’s family were unhurt, the paper added.

O Globo said the fam-

ily had apparently been searching for water to buy in Angra dos Reis - a coastal resort about 90 miles (145 km) from Rio de Janeiro.

According to the O Dia newspaper, they ended up in the Agua Santa - or holy water - community because of a difficulty in understanding the language.

The slum area is known to have drug traffickers. (BBC)

UN warns Venezuela over ‘use of excessive force’ Gunmen kill three on Mexico beach

Witnesses say Venezuela’s security forces fire buckshot at short range at protesters

T

he United Nations Human Rights Office has warned of “widespread and systematic use of excessive force” being used against protesters in Venezuela.

It also speaks of other human rights violations,

including “violent house raids, torture and ill-treatment”.

It says that the security forces are allegedly responsible for at least 46 deaths which occurred in protest-related violence.

The findings are based

on interviews.

A statement released on Tuesday says that “in the absence of responses from the Venezuelan authorities to requests for access, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein deployed a team of human rights officers to conduct remote monitoring of the human rights situation in the country “. The UN human rights team conducted interviews remotely because its requests for access went unanswered by the Venezuelan authorities.

Witnesses told the UN that the Venezuelan security forces had fired tear gas and buckshot without warning.

“Security forces have reportedly also resorted to the use of deadly force against demonstrators,” the statement reads. (BBC)

G

Automatic weapons were heard firing on the beach in San Jose del Cabo

unmen have killed three people and wounded two others on a popular beach in north-western Mexico, officials say.

The victims, all men, were resting under a palm tree in San José del Cabo, in Baja California Sur state,

reports say. Their identities have not been confirmed.

No arrests have been made. There was panic among tourists when the incident happened, witnesses say.

Mexico has seen a spike in violence in recent months.

The two wounded, a man

and woman, were taken to a hospital, prosecutors said.

The Palmilla beach was evacuated following the incident. A tourist said: “We heard the shots and just ran to get somewhere safe.

It was automatic weapons fire.” (BBC)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, august 9, 2017

ARCHIE

Be wary of anyone asking too many personal questions.

(March 21- Protect your passwords, credApril 19) it cards and any information that could be used against you. Offer friendly chatter, nothing more.

ARIES

Your enthusiasm and conTAURUS tributions will be appreciated (April 20- and rewarded. What you disMay 20) cover about others will give you greater insight into your capabilities. Romance is highlighted.

dilbert

Emotions will get you into GEMINI (May 21- trouble. Be careful what you June 20) reveal to colleagues or anyone who may not have your best interests at heart. Protect personal information and passwords.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Express your emotions and discuss matters that are of concern to you. Your ideas will be well-received and will set the stage for positive change. Romance is featured.

A change of scenery will do you good. Set up a business meeting or attend a function offering information that will help you improve the way you do things

An emotional situation VIRGO (Aug. 23- will help you express your Sept. 22) true feelings and prompt you to make improvements to important relationships.

Communication will be key.

Romance is highlighted.

LIBRA Make personal changes (Sept. 23- that will boost your confidence.

Oct. 23) Updating your look or working on projects that add to your skills, knowledge and experience will contribute to you getting ahead.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Stick close to home and SCORPIO explore innovative ideas and (Oct. 24possibilities that can help you Nov. 22) make progress. A business trip or meeting with someone interested in your talents looks promising.

A passionate approach to SAGITTARIUS your endeavors will make you (Nov. 23- difficult to beat. Do whatever Dec. 21) it takes to bring about changes that will improve your relationship with a child, parent or sibling.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Partnerships, negotiaCAPRICORN tions and joint ventures are (Dec. 22- featured. Discuss your plans Jan. 19) with someone who has as much to contribute as you do.

Romance is highlighted and will ease your stress.

Children, parents or orgaAQUARIUS nizations that require your (Jan. 20- help should be handled with Feb. 19) patience. Use innovative tactics to get people to pitch in and help.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Speak from the heart.

PISCES Your sincerity will capture at(Feb. 20March 20) tention and help you get your way. Let your creative ideas lead to personal change and the acquisition of new skills.

Romance is highlighted.

wednesDAY, august 9, 2017

2nd gold for

Atkinson in Berlin

A

lia Atkinson won a second gold medal Monday on day-two of the Berlin leg of the FINA/ Airweave World Cup tour.

The Jamaican swimming star won the 100-metre breaststroke in 1:03.16. Finland’s Jenna Laukkanen won the silver medal in 1:04.56 while the bronze medal went to Belgium’s Fanny Lecluyse in1:05.81.

Atkinson has been in good form since the start of the tour cruised into the final with a comfortable win in the second qualifying heat in 1:05.71. She was .73 seconds clear of the Italy’s Arianna Castiglioni (1:06.44) and 2.10 seconds ahead of Castiglioni’s compatriot Sara Franceschi (1:07.81), the other two qualifiers from the heat.

Meanwhile, Laukannen won the first heat, the faster of the two, in 1:04.87. She was ahead of Denmark’s Rikke Pederson (1:06.01), Italy’s Martina Carraro (1:06.97),

L

Alia Atkinson

Lecluyse (1:07.23) and Lena Kreundl (1:07.47).

In the final Atkinson was quickly off the blocks and blazed the first 50m at 29.37, just ahead of Laukannen who hit the half-way mark in 30.61s. Atkinson stormed home in 33.79 opening her

ONDON - The London hotel at the center of an outbreak of sickness that has struck down scores of competitors at the World Athletics Championships said on Tuesday it was not the source of the illness.

Several Botswana, German, Canadian, Irish and Puerto Rican athletes staying at the Tower Hotel, near Tower Bridge, have been taken ill over the last few days, with some put into effective quarantine and others forced to miss their events. Thirty German competitors arriving on Tuesday will be moved to other accommodation.

Competition organizers said on Monday that the illnesses were a result of gastroenteritis, but public health officials said on Tuesday that laboratory tests have confirmed two cases of norovirus among approximately 30 illness victims. Norovirus, sometimes called "the winter vomiting bug," is easily spread, partly because the virus can survive for several days outside the body, Britain's National Health Service says.

It advises sufferers to avoid contact with others for at least 48 hours after the symptoms have passed. Tower Hotel, used annually as the base for the London Marathon, said in a statement: "We have worked collaboratively with the EHO (Environmental Health Officer) and the IAAF to investigate the origins of the illness and can confirm that the hotel was not the source.

"We have followed strict hygiene protocol, ensuring that those affected are not in contact with other guests and all public areas have been thoroughly sanitized."

London 2017 organizers said on Monday night that a number of teams had reported cases of gastroenteritis. "Those affected have been supported by both team and LOC medical staff, in addition we have been working with Public Health England to ensure the situation is managed and contained," the organizing committee said in a statement.

lead over the Fin who closed in 33.95.

Atkinson would later win a bronze medal in the 100m Individual Medley. She touched the wall in 58.12 finishing behind silver medallist Sweden’s Sara Sjostrom 57.30 and gold medallist Katinka Hosszu 56.51. (SportsMax)

One of the highest-profile victims was Botswana's Isaac Makwala, who was withdrawn from the 200-metre heats on Monday after vomiting in the call room where athletes make their final preparations.

Makwala is now hoping to be cleared to race in Tuesday's 400m final, where he had been among the main threats to world record holder Wayde van Niekerk.

"According to IAAF medics I am apparently suffering from food poisoning which has affected several other athletes in the athletes' hotel," Makwala wrote on his Facebook page late on "Lets hope they will allow me to run my final tomorrow." Irish athletes were staying at the Tower and their 400m hurdler Thomas Barr was another to suffer, missing his semi-final on Monday.

"I wasn't feeling great yesterday evening and later in the night I was hit with a bout of gastroenteritis," he said. "My whole year has been focused on the World Championships and to not be able to go out and compete for Ireland today is beyond disappointing."

At least seven Canadians were affected, including Eric Gillis, who was forced to drop out of Sunday's marathon after around 20 miles.

"I was one of the athletes in quarantine," Canadian sprinter Aaron Brown said. "I was in my room the entire day in the dark. I was like a vampire. I was holding my stomach the entire night."

Brown recovered well enough to race in Monday's 200m heats and ran an impressive 20.08 seconds, only to be disqualified for a lane violation. Olympic champion Elaine Thompson was also physically sick before the 100 meters final on Sunday, though the Jamaican said that was not unusual for her and hadn't had any effect on her below-par performance. She finished fifth. (Reuters)

19

Venus wins but Mladenovic, Ostapenko upset in Rogers Cup

V

enus Williams prevailed in a three-setter but French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and 13th seed Kristina Mladenovic crashed out of Rogers Cup with first round defeats on Monday.

Williams outlasted a lengthy rain delay and pesky Romanian opponent Irina-Camelia Begu to win her opening match 6-1 3-6 6-3.

Less than a month after her run to the Wimbledon final, where she lost to Spain's Garbine Muguruza, 37-yearold Williams again had to turn back time against a young challenger.

After taking the opening set in dominant fashion, the American found herself in a fight as Begu rallied back to win a set before rain suspended action for more than an hour.

The decisive set was a rollercoaster with Williams moving ahead 3-1 only to lose consecutive games before bouncing back to seize three straight games and the match.

Earlier, Mladenovic was swept aside 6-2 6-3 by Czech Barbora Strycova while Ostapenko fell to American Varvara Lepchenko as upsets marked the start of the tournament.

Strycova's stunning triumph was followed by another surprise victory when 12th seed Ostapenko lost 1-6 7-6(2) 7-6(5) to American Lepchenko in two hours and 36 minutes.

After breezing through the first set, the 20-year-old Ostapenko's nerves began

Venus Williams

to show and unforced errors helped Lepchenko, 31, take the final two sets in tiebreaks.

Fan favorite Petra Kvitova, determined to improve following a knife injury to her hand inflicted by an intruder at home, beat Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1 7-6(5).

The Czech’s six aces and 32 winners were too much for the 28-year-old Navarro, who had no aces and just seven winners.

"I'm feeling pretty tired right now," said Kvitova, who was trailing 4-1 in the second set before winning the tiebreak.

"I'm trying to come back as soon as possible but it is just a matter of time," added the 14th seed.

Mladenovic ousted

Strycova reached the second round for the fourth straight year, while Mladenovic remains winless in four attempts on the Canadian hardcourts after

the first match on an overcast center court in Toronto lasted just 75 minutes.

"I started very well and felt good on court," said the 26th-ranked Strycova, whose only career title came in 2011 in Quebec City. "I was playing a lot of balls and being patient and I think that was the key in this match.

"In the second set she started to play a little bit better, she is a tough opponent. It is a great win for me."

Playing her first event since a first-round loss at Wimbledon, Strycova got off to blazing start by breaking the misfiring Mladenovic three times on her way to a 5-0 lead.

Japan's Naomi Osaka advanced 6-1 4-1 when Britain's Heather Watson retired injured while Russian Daria Kasatkina battled past Italy's Roberta Vinci 7-6(3) 7-6(1).

(Reuters)

Warren Weir hints at retirement after poor World Champs showing

J

Warren Weir

amaican 200-metre sprinter, Warren Weir, has left a cryptic message, suggesting he will call time on his storeyed career.

Weir, a part of Jamaica's 200 metre pool at the IAAF World Championships drew a tough lane in his opening heat and faded down the stretch to end out of qualifying spots in 20.60.

The race was won by Sydney Siame of Zambia in a national record 20.29, while Trinidad and Tobago's Kyle Greaux was second in 20.48. The qualification spots from the heat were closed up by Italy's Filippo Tortu, 20.59.

After the race, the 28-year-old Weir, alongside the image of a fist painted in the image of a Jamaica flag, had this to say on his Instagram page: "No greater joy than being able to represent my country at its highest level lots of joy and tears and extremely humble to represent my country one last time #TheEnd" While the athlete has not confirmed his status, nor has his management team suggested he is retiring, social media has been alert to the suggestion.

Weir has the distinction of earning a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics that was part of a Jamaican clean sweep, the Jamaican running 19.84 to finish third behind Usain Bolt's 19.32, and Yohan Blake's 19.44.

The slender Weir, would be at it again at the 14th IAAF World Championships of Athletics, where he claimed silver in 19.79 seconds, again behind Bolt, who won in 19.66. (SportsMax)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesdAY, AUGUST 9, 2017

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce welcomes son Zyon

S

helly-Ann Fraser Pryce the, 2015 World 100-metre champion has given birth to a baby

boy called Zyon. The twotime Olympic 100-metre gold medalist announced the birth of her son on so-

cial media.

On Tuesday, she revealed the good news on her Facebook page. "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Welcome Zyon D. Pryce, August 7th, 2017! To God be the glory, for the things He has done," she said.

Among the thousands of congratulatory messages she received in response to the announcement were those of fellow Olympians Juliet Cuthbert Flynn and Elva Goulbourne-Rose.

"Congratulations to you both. Continued blessings and get ready for no sleep. Lol," said CuthbertFlynn, the double silver medallist at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona who is now a member of parlia-

ment in the ruling Jamaica Labour Party government. Cuthbert-Flynn gave birth to her second child, a daughter, just over a year ago.

"Congratulations on a safe delivery. God continuous blessings on u and ur family always," said Goulbourne-Rose, the now retired long jumper who represented Jamaica at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia and the mother of two.

In March 2017, the 30-year-old sprinter, who won bronze in the 100 metres at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, announced that she was pregnant and would not participate at the IAAF World Championships currently on in London. (SportsMax)

Jadeja becomes No 1 Test all-rounder and bowler

R

avindra Jadeja has overtaken Shakib Al Hasan to become the No. 1 Test allrounder, to go with his No. 1 ranking in the Test bowling charts. Jadeja, who has been suspended for the third Test against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, is the leading wicket-taker in the series with 13 wickets at an average of 28.76. He has also contributed 85 runs, with a highest score of 70*, which came in the SSC Test.

Two centuries in the first two Tests against Sri Lanka also helped Cheteshwar Pujara move to No. 3 in the Test batting rankings, climbing up one place, while Ajinkya Rahane broke into the top 10, moving up five spots to No. 6. Rahane has scored 212 runs in two Tests so far, with one fifty and one century.

A fine all-round display from

Ravindra Jadeja

Moeen Ali in England's 3-1 series win over South Africa helped him retain his No. 4 spot in the allrounder rankings, while moving up three positions to a career-best 21st slot in the batting rankings. Moeen struck 252 runs and finished the series as the highest wicket-taker with 25 wickets at an average of 15.64, becoming the first player to score 250 runs and take 25 wickets in a four-Test series. His wicket tally in the series included a ten-wicket haul in the first Test at Lord's.

James Anderson's 20 wickets against South Africa pushed him up to No. 2 in the Test bowling rankings, displacing R Ashwin, while Jonny Bairstow moved to No. 7 in the batting charts, after finishing as the second-highest run-getter in the Tests against South Africa. (Cricinfo)

Sparring partner Malignaggi slams "scumbag" McGregor

L

os Angeles (AFP) - Former boxing champ Paulie Malignaggi says he has no regrets about quitting Conor McGregor's training camp, describing the mixed martial arts fighter as a "scumbag" who surrounds himself with "a bunch of yes men." McGregor is preparing to face boxing star Floyd Mayweather in a Las Vegas boxing ring on August 26 in what could be one of the richest fights in history.

The 36-year-old Malignaggi, who retired from boxing five months ago, walked out of training camp last week after he said McGregor used him like a pawn, disrespected him in the dressing room and housed him and the other sparring partners in dumpy accommodations.

"He's a scumbag," Malignaggi said of McGregor in an interview Monday with the American website The MMA Hour.

He also gave a detailed breakdown of how their sparring sessions went, no doubt providing Mayweather with a blueprint on how to beat McGregor. Malignaggi, a former multiple world champion, said despite training little during retirement he had no trouble getting the better of McGregor.

Malignaggi said McGregor is more

concerned about putting on a spectacle in training camp than getting ready for a serious boxing debut against one of the greatest fighters of all-time.

Malignaggi was also upset about training camp pictures made public that show the Irishman in a positive light.

"The guy is all about his ego. He's actually not trying to get better. He's got a bunch of yes men in his corner who tell him he's doing good even if he's doing bad. It is just about him and cheerleading," Malignaggi told MMA Hour. He said he asked McGregor to stop releasing misleading sparring photos that showed the MMA fighter getting the better of the exchanges. McGregor refused.

"At this stage I'm waiting for Ashton Kutcher to walk into the dressing rooms and tell me I got Punk’d. I thought it was a joke.

I thought there was no way this guy is that much of an asshole," he said.

'Some kind of crackhouse' "I showed up with the best intentions to camp and at a certain point you start to realize you are being used as a pawn where somebody's trying to get ahead at your expense and not through your help.

"I said 'I can't deal with this.' His team is a bunch of cheerleaders. They are not improving him. I don't need to be around these people. It is not like they brought me in for anything tactical."

He said the training camp accommodations were better suited to drug dealers. "They put me in some kind of a crackhouse," he said. Malignaggi indicated that Mayweather should have little trouble with McGregor over 12 rounds of boxing as long as he goes to the body on a regular basis. "From about six rounds on, he became very hittable," the former champ said. "So much more hittable that I was putting more weight on my shots and sitting down more on my shots, and of course, the body shots started to affect him more and more.

"In MMA the body shots aren't the same as in boxing in that there is consistency to body shots in boxing. There is a debilitating breakdown from the body shots in boxing.

Little by little you feel the air come out of you with fatigue." He said McGregor's biggest asset against Mayweather will be his excellent conditioning.

"Conditioning wise he could push the issue a little bit more than I could," he said.

PINS

Con’t

Ganging Up on the Pinned Piece (Relative) – The Key to Winning Pinned Pieces!

Here we have another simple example position designed to show how easy it can be to win a pinned piece, if you only gang up on it before capturing it. Because the easiest way to make sure you “win the doggy-pile” is to capture with a pawn first (because they are worth the least) – our second example also sees a pawn doing the “gang up” work! Of course you can also gang up on pinned pieces with other pieces. Here black wins a piece!

Using the Pin Against Your Opponent – The “Other Way” to Exploit a Pin!

The other major negative point of having pinned pieces is that they can't really defend their teammates. Even when the seemingly guard things, if and when push comes to shove, a pinned piece is crippled by the piece behind it. So, besides ganging up on pinned pieces, try to see whether or not they are guarding anything important, and if so, take it!

In this example game, white had just sacrificed a Rook on h8, forcing the black King to a most undesirable square.

White can play 1.Qxh6+!, exposing the g7-pawn for what it really is: A pinned piece! After 1...Kg8 2.Qxg7 is checkmate. Because Bishops and Rooks, and Queens o perate on long lines , tactics like this occur often in games!

Because it isn't necessarily illegal to move a relatively pinned piece (even if it's pinned to the Queen) – one should always be wary of a pin on the enemy piece turning into a tactic for the opponent. A broken pin instantly becomes a discovered attack for the opponent!

Jessica Clementson

Breaking the Pin – The “Problem” with a Relative Pin!

Here we see a classic example of a “broken” relative pin from the Smith Morra Gambit (an Opening Variation in the Sicilian Defense). In this example, black has just played the move 6...Bg4?, which is a common blunder. Though it pins the Knight on f3, the Bishop lacks protection, and the results of this are devastating! White now plays 1.Bxf7+!, temporarily sacrificing the Bishop for a discovered check after 1...

Kxf7 2.Ng5+! 2.Ke8 and 3.Qxg4, white wins back the Bishop, remains ahead a pawn, and black has lost the right to castle the King.

Legal's Mate – The World's Most Infamous “Broken” Pin!

Combining the ideas of a discovered attack, breaking the pin, and targeting black's weakest square – what tactic does white have in this posiiton?

6.Nxe5!! wins immediately (if 6...Nxe5 7.Qxh5 Nxc4 8.Qb5+, white wins back the material and remains ahead by a pawn with a huge lead in development): 6...Bxd1 7.Bxf7+ Ke7 8.Nd5 checkmate!

It's amazing that white can sacrifice such a large amount of material by breaking the pin on the f3Knight, yet the reward is clearly worth it.

sports

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By Delvon McEwan

amaica Tallawahs and Trinbago Knight Riders, two power houses, will match skills later this evening in the seventh match of the season as the 2017 edition of Hero’s Caribbean Premier League enter its fifth day.

In the manner in which these matches are in-

tensifying, Jamaica Tallawahs will have to produce a more solid allround performance than in Florida in their first two matches, if they are to get past the 2015 Champions.

At this early point of the League, reigning champions Tallawahs stand at one win from two matches while Knight Riders are placed on two victories from as many matches and atop the points table heading into tonight’s encounter.

In head to head rivalry, Tallawahs lead Knight Riders in victories seven to three from a total of 10 matches. However, the Tallawahs unit then as compared to now, is missing two key players in Chris Gayle, who is now representing the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Andre Russell, who is on a two-year ban.

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21

Isco has scored 10 goals in 2017 in all competitions, more than any other La Liga midfielder

R

eal Madrid beat Manchester United 2-1 on Tuesday to lift the European Super Cup for the fourth time as they became the first team to retain the trophy since AC Milan in 1990.

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro struck the opener with a left-foot strike midway through the first half while Spain midfielder Isco consolidated Real’s advantage with a slick finish in the 52nd minute at the National Arena in Skopje, Macedonia.

United’s new striker Romelu Lukaku got his first competitive goal for the club to reduce the deficit just past the hour with a simple finish on the rebound in the annual showdown between the European champions and Europa League holders.

That sparked a brief period of pressure from Jose Mourinho’s United side and they could have drawn level when Marcus Rashford burst through but he was denied by Keylor Navas’ save, ensuring Real won their fifth international trophy under Zinedine Zidane.

“We were superior for almost all of the game and it’s important that we’ve started the season by winning a trophy against a team that did everything they could to win,” said Real captain Sergio Ramos.

“Towards the end they had more chances and tried direct play with physical players but we stayed calm in the tense moments and kept the ball. Aside from the final minutes, we had a great game.”

Mourinho added: “We were playing a team full of fantastic players but we discussed (contested) the result until almost the end. We gave them a fight but have reasons to leave optimistic and proud.” (Reuters)

emerging talent could provide the ideal chemistry to orchestrate wins for the team in green, yellow and black. The presence of Lendl Simmons and skipper Kumar Sangakkara, two destructive batsmen, could lead and inspire any team.

They are complemented by a consistent bowling department comprising Krishmar Santokie, Kesrick Williams and Imad Wasim which could provide the necessary restrictions if bowling first or not.

However, the team in red will be gunning to make it three wins from as many matches as they bank on the form of their top order led by Brendon McCullum and their bowlers, especially spinners.

Therefore the odds for tonight’s clash scheduled to start at 20:00 hrs., are in Knight Riders favour unless Tallawahs could break their momentum to create an upset.

Makwala refused 400m spot to 'protect the other athletes' from illness

T

he IAAF has explained Isaac Makwala was refused entry to the 400m final to stop the spread of an illness they believe he is carrying.

Isaac Makwala was denied his place in Tuesday's 400 metres final to protect other athletes from contracting an illness, says IAAF head of medical services Pam Venning.

After being pulled from the 200m heats amid an outbreak of gastroenteritis at a team hotel in use at the IAAF World Championships on Monday, Makwala was withdrawn from the 400m line-up by world athletics' governing body just hours before the scheduled start time.

The 30-year-old was denied entry to London Stadium for the race and Botswana National Sports Commission chief executive Falcon Sedimo criticised the IAAF for a lack of communication on the issue.

A statement from the IAAF ahead of the final explained a 48-hour quarantine procedure recommended by Public Health England – who on Tuesday revealed 30 people had reported illness and two were confirmed as norovirus following laboratory testing – was behind the refusal to admit Makwala to the arena.

Venning gave further details on how the

decision was reached following an examination of the athlete on the previous day.

Asked if any other member of the Botswana delegation was present for the tests conducted on Makwala, Venning told the BBC: "No, because the athlete came into the medical centre of his own accord and was seen by one of our volunteer doctors and examined.

"When he was told he had a gastroenteritis disease he tried to leave but one of my other senior members of the staff brought him back in because we have an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the hotels and it is highly infectious.

"He'd taken a history, examined him, pulse, respiratory and taken a history and the history is very clear from this gentlemen that he'd had very similar symptoms to all the other athletes that have also been classed as having this gastroenteritis disease.

"My responsibility is to ensure the healthcare of all the athletes here and it's a very infectious and very virulent disease.

"We feel very sorry for the athletes that have to be withdrawn from competition but we have a responsibility to all the athletes and if we allow them all – the call room is a close, tight community and we have to protect the other athletes." (SportsMax)

CWI Regional U-19

Nedd 10 ‒ wkt haul leads Guyana to victory G uyana defeated Windward Islands by an innings and 58 runs to complete their second outright victory in their Cricket West Indies Regional Three-Day competition yesterday at St. Paul’s, St. Kitts.

Left -arm orthodox spinner Ashmead Nedd and wicket keeper batsman Adrian Sukwah dominated the day’s proceedings as Guyana took their overnight score of 2064 to 309-9 declared, before returning to dismiss their opponent for a paltry 97.

Nedd captured 7-20 to spearhead the Guyanese bowling attack. He claimed 5-37 in the first innings to

Ashmead Nedd

finish the match with figures of 12-57 in 32.2 overs to collect his first 10- wicket match haul in only his fourth Regional under-19 match.

Nedd was supported by Kevin Sinclair, who snared 2-36 from 17 overs.

Resuming on 206-4, Guyana lost their firs wicket of the day with the score on 221 when Renaldo Ali Mohamed was removed for 29. His overnight partner Ramnarine Chatura followed shortly after for 22 with the score on 230.

Thereafter Sukwah formed valuable partnerships with the rest of the batsmen and they propelled the score past the 300 margin before the declaration came.

Sukwah smashed 68 from 55 deliveries inclusive of four boundaries and three sixes.

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesdAY, AUGUST 9, 2017

Queen’s Baton Relay moves through Guyana

Junior tennis ace Ramdyhan takes up scholarship in USA

T

he Queen’s Baton on Tuesday morning graced the shores of Guyana and began its relay journey in Georgetown starting from the front of State House on Main Street at approximately 8:00 hours led by his Excellency President David Granger.

The President accompanied by Guyana Olympic Association president K. Juman Yassin then walked with the baton to the corners of Quamina and Main Streets where it was passed to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

The Prime Minister proceeded to the Bank of Guyana where he handed over to GDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier Patrick West who passed over to Minister of Education (ag), Nicolette Henry.

Minister Henry then made her way to the entrance of the British High Commission where she handed the baton to British High Commissioner to Guyana Greg Quinn who chose to jog to the Guyana Olympic Association Headquarters before handing over to Guyana’s lone Olympic medalist Michael Parris.

The relay continued with Minister of Indigenous

Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Greene hands over the baton to Commonwealth silver medalist Keevin Allicock

Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock being the next bearer. Minister Allicock then made his way up Quamina Street then onto Thomas Street where the baton was passed to the students of the Green Acres Primary School.

Representatives from several sports association including Keevin Allicock of the Guyana Boxing Association and Chelsea Edghill and Kaysan Ninvalle of the Guyana Table Tennis Association were on hand to carry the baton.

Today the baton will

leave Georgetown and head to the Kaieteur Falls in Region Eight. From there it will make travel to Surama, then to Annai in Region Nine before leaving for the Falkland Islands.

The Queen’s Baton carries a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II that calls for the Commonwealth’s athletes to come together in peaceful and friendly competition.

The Commonwealth Games 2018 Relay will be the longest and the most accessible ever, not just passing through, but spending qual-

ity time in each community it visits.

Its journey around the world began on 13th March 2017 at Buckingham Palace and the Baton is on a 388day journey through all nations and territories of the Commonwealth.

The Queen’s Baton will arrive on the Gold Coast for the XXI Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on 4th April 2018, where Her Majesty, or a representative, will remove the message from the Baton and read it aloud to officially open the Games.

U-17 Lady Jags play against B/dos today as CONCACAF qualifiers begin

By Michelangelo Jacobus

H

aving been encamped for two weeks prior to today’s kickoff Guyana’s National U-17 Females’ team will be in action today as they play the first of three

CONCACAF Caribbean Female U17 Qualifiers scheduled for August 9 - 13, 2017 at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, West Coast Demerara.

The team is made up of female footballers from Kwakwani, Lethem Orealla, West Coast Demerara and Georgetown with one overseas-based player.

Guyana is hosting Group D of the qualifiers and will be expecting stiff competition from Barbados and Cuba.

The U-17 Lady Jags will face Barbados in the first game today with the kickoff scheduled for 17:00hrs while Barbados will clash with Cuba on Friday (August 11) and on Sunday (August 13) Guyana will come up against Cuba; all games will begin at the same time and admission to the games are free.

GAME 1: Wed, 9th Aug - Guyana vs Barbados GAME 2: Fri, 11th Aug - Barbados vs Cuba GAME 3: Sun, 13th Aug - Guyana vs Cuba ADMISSION: FREE GAME TIME: 17:00hrs VENUE: National Track and Field Centre, Leonora Listed below is the complete Guyanese squad: Goalkeepers: Indera Amardeo, Vicky Jonannis, Ludesha Reynolds Defenders: Odessa Smith, Lendey Adolph,

Captain of the U-17 Lady Jags, Siacy Adams

Noami Aaron, Veyansa Hope, Tameka Atkinson, Althea Austin Midfielders: Alisha Adams, Ashana Williams, Latesha Sutherland, Tiandi Smith, Siacy Adams, Shontel Greene, Amanda McKenzie Forwards: Jalade Trim, Sasha Rodriques, Nailah Rowe, Shirin James

Coaching Staff

Head Coach Akilah Castello Assistant Coach Tricia Munroe Goalkeeper Coach Hope Clarke International Team Coordinator Paul Beresford Operations Person Naseya Brewster

There will be a missing force in women’s tennis locally as Nicola Ramdyhan takes up scholarship in the USA

By Delvon McEwan

L

ocal tennis ace Nicola Ramdyhan departed yesterday to take up scholarship in the USA where she would seek to develop tennis skill and to pursue a degree in Accounting at Clark Atlanta University in Georgia.

The former St. Joseph’s and Bishop’s High School student acquired the scholarship through renowned tennis coach Bill Adams who first spotted her during the Trinidad and Tobago International Tennis Federation (ITF) world ranking tournament in 2015.

Earlier this year, in an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Adams noted he was very impressed with her ability at first sight.

At that time Ramdyhan was enrolled in a fourmonth programme at his academy, becoming the first female Guyanese to make it to this platform, and the second from the Land of Many Waters after Duanne Lewis created history over a decade ago.

While blooming in confidence at a positive outcome, Ramdyhan shared a few words of advice to young females who would like to emulate or surpass her on the tennis court.

“I am optimistic of balancing my studies as well as my days on the court because that is what is required of me”, Ramdyhan boldly stated.

Breaking onto the scene at the tender age of seven, Ramdyhan found inspiration mainly in her mom, Shelly Daly-Ramdyhan, who was a national tennis champion.

Outside of the Guyana Tennis Association, most of Ramdyhan’s progress has gone unnoticed.

However, the Sheltez Tennis Club player explained that she has created a platform that other Guyanese; in particular females can try to follow.

“Take risk, take lots of risks and positive ones too.

It doesn’t have to be sport, but you could do something extracurricular because it helps with your social and educational life. Just believe in yourself and strive for whatever, you want to achieve,” the national tennis prodigy said.

He mother and coach, a former National female champion, said that she is confident that her offspring would be a good ambassador.

“I’m extremely happy and grateful for this, and outside (Nicola) being my daughter I know that she has the ability to represent Guyana well. This is nothing new to her in terms of representing Guyana but now it is on the bigger scale, so now I would hope that she continues to do all that she did and remember why she is doing it.” Daly-Ramdyhan stated.

The 19-year-old Ramdyhan extended gratitude to all those who would have contributed to her success so far.

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, august 9, 2017

A

n innings of great maturity on a testing pitch by the 19-yearold Shadab Khan alongside Javon Searles guided Trinbago Knight Riders to a thrilling four wicket victory against St Lucia Stars in Match 6 of the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League.

After the Knight Riders had restricted the Stars to 118 for 9 it seemed as if they had the match won. However, a fantastic spell of bowling from Shane Shillingford reduced the Knight Riders to 52 for 5 on a turning pitch that demanded a partnership of great responsibility from Shadab and Searles who inch-by-inch, marshalled the Knight Riders towards their target.

Eventually, they got there in a flourish as Searles clubbed back-to-back sixes before two balls later guiding a four to complete the chase, but they were made to work bitterly hard before then by some tight bowling.

Brendon McCullum and Sunil Narine had got the Knight Riders off to a typically quick start, Narine slamming a straight six before McCullum hit three of his own with some scintillating shots. After three overs they had 35 runs on the board but the trouble was their aggressive approach had cost them three wickets: Narine, McCullum and Colin Munro all back in the dugout.

It was not until the Knight Riders lost two more wickets: Darren Bravo— bowled when trying to cut and Denesh Ramdin—bowled by a quicker one, that the home team appeared to adjust their

Shadab guides Knight Riders home in thriller

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Bahamas’ Gardiner earns silver behind dominant van Niekerk

The Trinbago Knight Riders celebrate the wicket of the dangerous Andre Fletcher

approach. By that point they had been reduced to 52 for 5 and Shillingford had taken four wickets. When Dwayne Bravo’s brief resistance was ended by a searing yorker from Mitchell McClenaghan, the Knight Riders were 75 for 6 and the Stars were favourites for the first time in the match.

However, it was that wicket that brought together Shadab and Searles who combined brave boundary attempts with sensible placement and busy running to take the Knight Riders home.

Earlier in the evening, Trinbago bowled brilliantly after winning the toss to restrict the Stars to just 118 for 9. Slow left arm spin-

ner Khary Pierre opened the bowling and started with a maiden to Johnson Charles.

With the first ball of the third over Pierre trapped Charles lbw with one that didn’t turn.

After Pierre had bowled his four overs straight through—finishing with 1 for 15—it was the medium pace of Kevon Cooper that made the second breakthrough, finding Kamran’s edge with an off cutter.

Two boundaries from Fletcher off Dwayne Bravo’s first over—the ninth—were the last moments of joy for the Stars before a brilliant middle-over squeeze begun. It took the Stars 52 more balls to find the boundary again as Shadab, Narine and Cooper bowled with exemplary con-

trol.

The final four overs of the innings brought 35 runs and four wickets as the Stars desperately hit-out. That only ten of those runs came from boundaries was indicative of the nature of the pitch.

The TKR spinners—Pierre, Shadab and Narine—finished with 3 for 48 from their 12 overs, while Cooper took 3 for 21. Bravo and Ronsford Beaton’s four overs cost 43.

Little did they know quite how challenging a target of 119 would prove to be.

Trinbago Knight Riders 120-6 (Shadab 30*, Searles 29*, Shillingford 4-22) beat St Lucia Stars 118-4 (Fletcher 40, Sammy 25, Cooper 3-21) by six wickets. (SportsMax)

Wayde van Niekerk crosses the finish line ahead of Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner

T

he Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner has won his first senior world medal, after finishing second to dominant South African, Wayde van Niekerk at the IAAF World Championship of Athletics in London on Tuesday.

Van Niekerk ran a conservative backstretch before piling on the pressure over the last 150 metres to win in 43.98.

Gardiner, was second in 44.41, having expended a lot of energy in running a

national record 43.89 in his semi-final event.

Qatar’s Abdalelah Haroun, 44.48, picked up a bronze medal for his efforts, closing like a train in the final 100 metres to pip Botswana’s Baboloki Thebe, 44.68.

Jamaica’s Nathon Allen, 44.88, and his teammate, Demish Gaye, 45.04, finished fifth and sixth, while the United States’ Fred Kerley did not have the legs to stay with it, finishing last in 45.23. (SportsMax)

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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017

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Hero CPL 2017

Shadab guides Knight Riders home in thriller

Pg 23

U-17 Lady Jags play against B/dos today

Pg 22

– CONCACAF qualifiers begin The National U-17 Lady Jags team

As the Queen’s Baton Relay officially kicked off in Guyana on Tuesday, President David Granger joined the precession by carrying the baton from State House to the corner of Main and Quamina Streets, Georgetown where it was then received

by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, followed by a lineup of dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps. The Relay, which commenced at the Buckingham Palace in March this year, is a tradition that carries a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, calling for Commonwealth athletes to come together in peaceful and friendly competition.

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