Guyana Times Wednesday May 29, 2019

Wildlife Commission collects P2 jaguar from Lima Sands Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 3938

guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH WednESday, may 29, 2019

SPU pays banks $132M interest to sit on $30B ...supposed to prepare closed estates funds for sale, no word on divestment Page 3

Day 5 of floodwaters

No intervention from health department to Black Bush Polder residents Page 13

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Green State Development Strategy finally launched P11 ...PSC hopes to see economic programmes transcend regime change

Home of Anna Regina’s Chief Constable P2 burglarised ….Region 2 TV reporter, wife robbed House-to-house registration

P3

GECOM’s posture shows complete, utter disregard for CCJ, High Court – Attorney

Pomeroon man P8 charged for killing drinking buddy

Yakusari Primary School, Black Bush Polder, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) remains closed as the compound has been flooded since last Friday

Page 9

Hundreds stranded in Suriname after ferry service suspended

Fuel shortage hits Region 1 Page 9

Former Page 16 Jamaican PM Edward Seaga dies

New GPL Chairman optimistic of ending power woes …admits constant blackouts are “thorn in the flesh” See story on page 7

Sawmill P10 destroyed by fire …arson suspected

Guyanese man P8 charged for human trafficking in Florida

2 news

wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Wildlife Commission collects Home of Anna Regina’s Chief Constable burglarised jaguar from Lima Sands ...Region 2 TV reporter, wife robbed

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urglars, between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, carted off with cash, a quantity of jewellery, several pieces of electrical appliances and other valuables after breaking into the home of Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) Chief Constable.

Rasheed Oullah and his family, who reside in Anna Regina Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, retired to bed late Monday evening.

However, as his wife woke up at about 05:30h on Tuesday morning to prepare breakfast, she noticed that the front access door to the bottom flat of the house was opened.

It was at this time that she realised that a 40” television was missing and immediately raised an alarm.

As the family rushed to her screams, they also discovered that a 110-240 voltage transformer, a box containing several pieces of gold jewellery, US$250 and $90,000 were missing.

In addition, a gold hand band and other pieces of jewellery belonging to Oullah that was left on the dining table were also gone.

Three mobile phones and other pieces of valuables were also taken by the burglars.

Speaking with Guyana

…says persons can be fined $2M for trapping protected animals

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The home of Region Two Chief Constable Rasheed Oullah

Times, the Chief Constable explained that the two-storied wooden and concrete building was secured at about midnight after which he retired to bed.

He noted that at that time, it was raining heavily and could possibly be the reason that he did not hear any unusual sounds.

He added that when checks were made for the locks that were broken off the doors, they were nowhere to be seen. He, nevertheless, informed the police and an investigation was launched.

The house was dusted for fingerprints by crime scene experts. No arrests were made.

TV reporter robbed

Meanwhile, also on Monday night, Shawn Marks, a reporter attached to RCA-TV, and his wife were

robbed just minutes away from their home in Charity.

Based on reports received, Marks and his wife were on their way home when they were attacked by two armed men who took away his wife’s purse containing his iPhone 7 and an undisclosed sum of cash. Marks related that the matter was reported to the Charity Police Station.

With a ministerial outreach planned for the Essequibo Coast today, residents are hoping to get answers from Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan about Government’s plans to address the rise in criminal activities in Region Two Residents have complained bitterly about the lack of efficiency by the police ranks on the Essequibo Coast.

he Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission has confirmed that it took possession of the young female jaguar which was being held at Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam). The jaguar was captured by a Lima Sands resident, Marvin Calvan, on May 22, 2019.

The official who spoke with Guyana Times on Tuesday confirmed that the country’s national animal was collected by the Commission. In a subsequent statement to the media the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) stated that the GWCMC took custody of the jaguar after consultation with Calvan and his sister. The Commission noted that the jaguar was moved to a cage and the trap was removed and destroyed.

The Commission noted that a sample of blood was taken from the animal which has since been released.

GWCMC used the opportunity to remind the public that under Regulation 4 (7) of the Wildlife Conservation Management and Sustainable Use Regulation 2019, the jaguar is a pro-

The young female jaguar which was captured by residents of Lima Sands

tected species. Additionally, the Commission also stated that Under Section 69 of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2016, it is an offence to have wildlife in possession or to display to the public without the necessary authorisation.

Any person who violates this will be liable to pay a fine of $750,000 to $2 million and face imprisonment of up to three years.

According to the Commission, communities with wildlife-related issues should report these to them so that the appropriate means can be developed to ensure mutual existence between the animal(s) and residents. The GWCMC also

warned that persons should not trap big cats – such as jaguars – during conflict situations.

Questions about the whereabouts of the jaguar came into disrepute after the State-owned newspaper published an article in which it posited that imposters might have collected the animal.

Meanwhile, Calvan had told Guyana Times that he took special care to ensure that the animal was not harmed. He explained that it was necessary to capture the jaguar as it was eating the livestock of farmers in the community.

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news

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wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Wednesday, May 29 – 01:30h and 14:30h-16:00h and Thursday, May 30 – 02:00h and 14:30h-16:00h.

SPU pays banks $132M interest to sit on $30B funds

...supposed to prepare closed estates for sale, no word on divestment

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, May 29 – 13:00h-14:30h and Thursday, May 30 – 13:55h-15:25h.

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

WEATHER TODAY

Lightly cloudy skies with light rain showers can be expected to prevail throughout most of the day, followed by light cloudy skies in the late afternoon. Partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Closed: The Skeldon Sugar Estate

ly passed, the rug could be pulled out from under the Government if the Caribbean Court of Justice overturns this decision.

Winds: East South-easterly to easterly and East North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 00:42h and 13:06h reaching maximum heights of 2.23 metres and 2.26 metres.

Low Tide: 06:39h and 19:02h reaching minimum heights of 0.99 metre and 0.91 metre respectively.

saturday, may 25, 2019

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

Closed: The East Demerara Sugar Estate

No word on divestment

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Closed: The Rose Hall Sugar Estate

overnment has repaid some $132 million in interest owed on the $30 billion bond borrowed for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

This is according to Finance Minister Winston Jordan. When asked by Guyana Times during an interview on Tuesday, Jordan revealed that the money was paid as of last week.

“The first payment came up on 24th of (May). We have been able to make that payment, with some stress. But we did make it, we didn’t default on it.

The interest is $1.6 billion. The next payment is in November. Every six months,” Jordan said.

The SPU under NICIL secured the $30 billion through commercials banks, both in Guyana and the Region, as part of the diversification initiatives. The bond was secured solely by bondholders in the Government, and not against any assets of NICIL or GuySuCo. The commercial lending rate for Guyana at the time was 13.0 per cent, while the NICIL bond was issued at 4.75 per cent, which is 8.25 per cent lower than the rate that most companies borrow at in Guyana.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has previously said that in the case of the GuySuCo bond, “In five years, at a 4.75 per cent interest, which is 355 basis points above our treasury bill, the Government of Guyana will have to pay back from the proceeds of NICIL nearly US$40 million in about five years just to service $30 billion.”

He has also previously said that instead of selling off, steps should be taken to resuscitate the industry in full capacity so that the workers can start earning an income again.

And according to the former President, the People’s Progressive Party would not be recognising selling off of the estates under a Government that should

have been in caretaker mode.

“We are not recognising any deals. That is not the routine. When I spoke about the routine functioning of Government, it does not involve privatisation now. Any privatisation done in this period with a Government that has fallen, with a Government that should had resigned, with a Government that is on a caretaker capacity would be seen as an illegal arrangement,” Jagdeo had said.

Jagdeo had informed reporters that the only investor that would enter into a deal with a fallen Government is one that is into underhand businesses and with the intention of getting a lucrative deal before a new government gets into office.

While things have changed with the ruling of the Appeals Court that the No-confidence Motion of last year was valid-

In November 2018, the SPU had released a list of five bids that were submitted for the sugar estates of Enmore, Skeldon and Rose Hall.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) closed off the bidding process for offers on the estates on October 31, 2018.

However, since this year began, no word has come from the Government as to the position of those four sugar estates it had shut down which had resulted in thousands of sugar workers being left jobless.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder told Guyana Times when contacted that he did not have that information, since the management and decisions made in relation to those closed estates in question are not in his domain.

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, may 29, 2019

Views on 32 years of service

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

GPF and

professionalism

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few years ago, a former Commissioner of Police told the nation at his swearing in ceremony to hold him accountable. That was in the context of him being held responsible as the Top Cop presumably for the actions of the Force and crime fighting under his tenure.

Some years after, the current President, said he wanted an “unbribable” Top Cop. After that, the Officer appointed threatened to charge members of the public who offer bribes to the Police while at the same time urged ranks to desist from accepting.

There is a tremendous sense of moral value in the statements made by the three individuals; statements that are well-intended and good for public confidence. However, people want to see a sustainable manifestation into reality. This is not suggesting any impropriety on the part of the individuals to which the various statements can be attributed, but the reality on the ground is starkly different.

The threat to charge people for offering bribes, ironically, may have stemmed from numerous complaints from the public. While the Commissioner is spot on that bribery is a two-way street and arguments can probably be made that some members of the public may engage for ease of convenience, there are many instances of them being forced to do so.

The term, “royal run-around” is commonly used to sum up the sentiments of customers who believe they are deliberately being frustrated when seeking a particular service and/or the timeconsuming voluminous-paper-work bureaucratic process to close a transaction. Many can relate when accessing some public services as some minibus operators who allege harassment by the Police and claims that relief is only through bribes.

While it is legally not right, these situations create the environment for bribery since tremendous value is attached to time and the easing of the pains of frustration. This of course is not confined to Guyana but common in many, if not all, societies with varying prevalence.

The argument has always been for the systems to be fixed to maximize efficiency and confidence through the removal of “redtapes”, unnecessary long wait and favouritism. If that were to be done and officers who are found circumventing the process for personal gains are disciplined, then the possibility of removing/reducing bribery, may raise its head.

There is the strong belief that situations are deliberately exploited by some public officers to force the offering of a bribe. While there is national concern over the dangers and flagrant breaking of traffic laws by some road users, there are complaints by some minibus operators who claim of being compliant but made to face trumped-up charges so that a bribe can be paid.

With an average traffic ticket in the vicinity of about seven thousand dollars, with lengthy delays when stopped, including being asked to visit the police station, the imposed understanding is for the “offering” of half that amount in order to proceed and to avoid frustration.

Over the years, terms like “a towel” or a “granger” are used to indicate the amounts in question. This has become fodder for satire with other terms like, “write” or “left”, made popular. The former suggests a seeming bluff to issue a ticket while the latter, “leave something” as the alternative.

Reportedly, there have also been instances where some ranks blatantly demand an amount from drivers in effort to satisfy their alleged thirst or hunger. This practice is seemingly more prevalent during random stops and when some traffic cops “hide” and then suddenly present themselves at points along the various roadways.

Aspects of this prompted a response from the subject minister which suggested that such traffic operations be conducted in the vicinity of the stations and that ranks must not hide and “ambush” drivers.

The current Commissioner of Police also made it clear that if ranks are uncomfortable with their salaries, they should leave the job. That’s a fair comment especially when there have been numerous complaints of harassment for bribery leveled against some members of the Force.

It would have been very useful if the Commissioner had stated that cops who are found guilty of demanding bribes will be charged. While it might have been implied, the clarity of language might have been more impacting.

For sure those guilty of breaking traffic laws be made to face the relevant penalty. This however has to be professionally enforced to build public confidence. What would also be useful, is to have sustained education on procedures of stop and search, traffic operations, issuing of traffic tickets and other areas considered to be of contention to the general public. Likewise, the same for public agencies that provide vital services. The few that have taken some steps towards that must be commended.

While education in the context alluded is not a panacea, it helps to reduce ambiguities leading to better understanding of processes.

However, even with such good intentions, the current reality would cause optimism for holistic success to be low. This is premised on the seemingly engrained proclivity of some public officers for the status quo to remain so that benefits continue to flow. That underscores the need for sustain action as against words.

Public Relations and Press Officer Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan being congratulated by Police Commissioner Leslie James for his 32 years of service to the Guyana Police Force on Tuesday. Ramlakhan joined the GPF on May 27, 1987 and has worked in most of the seven Divisions (GPF photo)

From Colombia, Venezuelan defectors arm themselves to ‘liberate’ their homeland

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earing camouflage shirts and combat boots, a Venezuelan militia group stands in formation in the Colombian city of Cucuta as their commander, a former Venezuelan army sergeant, outlines plans to seize towns across the border before heading to Caracas to help oust President Nicolas Maduro.

Eight men, who said they were defectors from Venezuelan police, army and intelligence services, had gathered near the two nations’ tense frontier, from where they said they will lead an attack aimed at overthrowing Maduro and handing the reins of power to opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Dubbing their planned offensive “Operation Venezuela,” the ex-army sergeant, Eddier Rodriguez, said there were around 150 men ready to take part with his group. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the status of the eight men or the size of the militia.

“Our goal is to liberate the country,” said Rodriguez, 37, who said he is currently working as a security guard in Bogota. “We’re troops willing to give our lives if necessary, all 150 of us.”

The Venezuelan defense

Venezuelan military deserters of the National Guard are seen at the Simon Bolivar International border bridge between Colombia and Venezuela, on the outskirts of Cucuta, Colombia (Reuters/Juan Pablo Bayona/File Photo)

ministry and the information ministry - which handles media enquiries for the government - did not respond to a request for comment about the formation of militias in Colombia.

Victor Bautista, border director for Colombia’s foreign ministry, said any groups who actually took up arms would be considered a paramilitary organization and would be detained by authorities if they were found.

“That would be totally rejected by our government and fully taken up by the appropriate authorities to apply corresponding legal measures,” said Bautista.

A Colombian intelligence official, who asked not to be identified, said the intelligence service had detected an unspecified number of

Venezuelan militia groups in the country but could not act against them because they had not yet committed any crimes. Separately, a high-level Colombian government official who asked not to be named said arrestable offences could include illegal possession of weapons and conspiracy to commit a crime.

An estimated 1.2 million Venezuelans have crossed into Colombia in recent years, fleeing a painful recession and hyperinflation in their homeland that has left millions of people suffering from hunger and shortages of basic goods. They include increasing numbers of defectors from the armed forces, some of whom are forming militias with the intention of pushing for the overthrow of Maduro.

While such militias are vastly outnumbered in the face of Venezuela’s 150,000-strong military, the men told Reuters they were willing to face any consequence if they can rid their country of Maduro’s government, underscoring the frustration and desperation of many Venezuelan migrants.

Guaido cited the constitution in January to assume an interim presidency, saying Maduro rigged last year’s election. He has appealed to Venezuela’s armed forces to turn against Maduro.

The United States and most Western nations have recognized Guaido as the South American country’s rightful leader. Maduro accuses him of being a coup-monger and so far has retained the loyalty of the bulk of the armed forces.

Rodriguez said his group had been meeting different “resistance” groups in Colombia. He did not provide further details of those groups, or of how they planned to cross the border and launch an attack.

He said they had acquired handguns, easily available along the border, and were seeking to raise funds to buy further weapons, explosives, bullet-proof vests, food and water. (Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, may 29, 2019

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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

Corruption becomes culture Dear Editor, Recently, Cathy Hughes, the Honorable Minister revealed an irrational stance on corruption when she insulted members of the public that they are corrupt just like her Government and that corruption is a culture in Guyana. In effect, Minister Hughes aims to deter members of the public from calling out corruption within her Government be-

cause she is also allegedly involved in it.

Minister Hughes must know that corruption becomes culture because corrupt practices are copied, especially from role models or from those in powerful positions.

To this end, Minister Hughes cannot escape the fact that she is spreading corrupt values. Specifically, it has been widely report-

ed that Minister Hughes is being handed government contracts to her personal business for selfish gains.

And this is evidence of corruption by a powerful government minister who has no other option but to defend this scourge because of her alleged involvement.

She has no moral grounds to stand and fight it.

Further, Minister Hughes needs to be re-

minded that corruption robs human beings of basic needs like food, water, health care and shelter.

This is exactly the tragedy in Guyana where the majority of Guyanese, including members of my own family fall into hopelessness, suicide and emigration.

Life is unbearable in Guyana because of corruption primarily in government. And most would

agree that Guyana is ruled by thieves.

Editor, without a doubt, Minister Hughes is unfit to effectively serve in her capacity because of her alleged involvement in corruption. How can a minister not see that her behaviors embolden corrupt practices which destroy lives?

Further, Minister Hughes and others with similar values in govern-

ment have caused Guyana to remain poor in spite of our vast natural resources. And the Government of Guyana must understand that corruption is a brainless and destructive act which is ever supported or defended by decent human beings.

Sincerely, Annie Baliram (PhD)

No longer will we be ‘one people’ or ‘one nation’

Dear Editor, Recent events in our nation have brought Jean Jacques Rousseau’s famous quote “When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich” sharply to mind, for we are entering that period in our history where it is happening before our eyes. The Guyana of my youth was characterised by friendships that crossed social, ethnic and economic barriers; parents did not interfere with these relationships and being ‘rich’ or ‘poor’ was never an issue, integrity of character was the only benchmark applied. I fear that this is already under threat and two recent events show that the divide has gotten wider and is almost beyond repair.

The murder of young Patrick Fraser, who was simply hanging out with friends, with no thought that anyone viewed him

as any different and the shooting of Kristian Jeffery, who thought it would be acceptable to walk in the company of friends through Agricola after the Buju Banton concert are harbingers of things to come. Parents of the ‘haves’ will now be securing the gates; building the high fences, both physical and mental, to secure their offspring and friendships outside of the socio-economic circle will not be encouraged and eventually forbidden. The rich will retreat into security compounds and gated communities (already a feature) and the poor will be further isolated in ever growing pockets of despair.

Inequality will always exist in non-utopian societies, but democracy, the equal power of one vote, is a check to the politicians and parties that form Governments, or so it

should be. Merton’s Strain Theory states that society puts pressure on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals though they lack the means. The responsibility lies with Government to bridge this gap, unfortunately, our nation is being administered by a cabal of the most uncaring. In four short years, they have exacerbated the gap between the rich and poor to the brink of the unthinkable; they would rather destroy democracy and the balance it brings than give up the power and perks of office.

The strain is being evidenced by the sharp rise in violent crime. It cannot be solved by the sponsoring of entertainment and sharing of tickets, that story of “bread and circus” has played out its usefulness aeons ago.

Editor, change is upon us, the expatriate community is growing daily, their

salaries far exceed even the dreams of our large middle class. They will begin by renting homes but as the history of oil development shows, they will inevitably build their secure compounds, travel in heavily armoured convoys, employ armed services to escort them and live separate from the ‘locals’. The strain will be felt by those outside those compound walls, our children will not form these bonds of friendship that enrich lives and last lifetimes; the rich will live on the hills and the poor in the valleys of despair. No longer will we be “one people” or “one nation”. The poor have started eating and Granger has put us on the menu. The only hope for all Guyanese lies in that equality promised at the ballot box on Election Day. Respectfully, Robin Singh

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wednesday, may 29, 2019

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Foundation

Type 1 diabetes: what is it?

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aybe a kid you know always eats a snack during a soccer game or goes to the school nurse before lunch to get a shot.

If you have a friend or a classmate like this – or this sounds just like you – you’re not alone. Thousands of kids all over the world do stuff like this every day because they have type 1 diabetes (say: dye-uh-BEE-tees). What is it?

Let’s find out.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose (say: GLOO-kose), a sugar that is the body’s main source of fuel. Your body needs glucose to keep running. Here’s how it should work: You eat.

Glucose from the food gets into your bloodstream.

Your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin (say: IN-suh-lin).

Insulin helps the glucose get into the body’s cells.

Your body gets the energy it needs.

The pancreas is a long, flat gland in your belly that helps your body digest food. It also makes insulin. Insulin is kind of like a key that opens the doors to the cells of the body. It lets the glucose in.

Then the glucose can move out of the blood and into the cells.

But if someone has diabetes, the body either can’t make insulin or the insulin doesn’t work in the body like it should. The glucose can’t get into the cells normally, so the blood sugar level gets too high. Lots of sugar in the blood makes people sick if they don’t get treatment.

What is type 1 diabetes?

The two major types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2.

In type 1 diabetes (which used to be called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes), the pancreas can’t make insulin. The body can still get glucose from food but the glucose can’t get into the cells where it’s needed.

Glucose stays in the blood, which makes the blood sugar level very high and causes health problems.

To fix the problem, someone with type 1 diabetes needs to take insulin through regular shots or an insulin pump.

Type 2 diabetes is different from type 1 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still makes insulin, but the insulin doesn’t work in the body like it should and blood sugar levels get too high.

No one knows for sure what causes type 1 diabetes, but scientists think it has something to do with genes.

Genes are like instructions for how the body should look and work that are passed on by parents to their kids.

But just getting the genes for diabetes isn’t usually enough. Something else has to happen — like getting a viral infection – for a person to develop type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented. Doctors can’t even tell who will get it and who won’t.

What are the signs of type 1 diabetes?

When people first have diabetes, they usually: pee a lot because the body tries to get rid of the extra blood sugar by passing it out of the body in the urine

krih-NAHL-eh-jist), a type of doctor who helps kids with diabetes, growth problems, and more.

How is type 1 diabetes treated?

drink a lot to make up for all that peeing eat a lot because the body is hungry for the energy it can’t get

from sugar lose weight as the body starts to use fat and muscle for fuel because it can’t use sugar normally feel tired a lot because the

body can’t u s e sugar for energy Getting treatment for diabetes can stop these symptoms from happening.

A doctor can do tests on a kid’s blood to find out if he or she has diabetes.

If your doctor thinks you might have type 1 diabetes, he or she might have you visit a doctor called a paediatric endocrinologist (say: pee-dee-AHT-trik en-doh-

Kids who have type 1 diabetes have to pay a little more attention to what they’re eating and doing than kids without diabetes.

They need to: take insulin as their doctor prescribed eat a healthy, balanced diet with accurate carbohydrate counts check blood sugar levels as prescribed get regular exercise Kids with diabetes will have to do special things sometimes, like eat a snack on the bus during a long school trip. Or they might have to wake up earlier than everyone else at a sleepover to take their insulin and have some break-

fast to keep their blood sugar levels under control.

What else should I know?

Although this might seem like a lot of work, the good news is that new products and equipment can help make it easier for kids to take care of their diabetes. Scientists are looking for ways to make it easier to check blood sugar levels and give insulin. They’re also trying to find ways to get insulin into the body without shots. And there’s hope that one day a cure will be found.

Even though kids with diabetes have to do some special things, it doesn’t keep them from doing the stuff they love. They can still play sports, go out with their friends, and go on trips. So if you have a friend with diabetes, let him or her know you can deal with it.

Being friends is all about having fun together, not having a perfect pancreas! (kidshealth.org)

Diabetes: Dealing with feelings H

aving diabetes can stir up a lot of different feelings, especially when you first find out you have it. It’s a big change to suddenly have to visit the doctor more often, take medicine, and watch what you eat.

But dealing with diabetes will get easier and become part of normal daily life – like brushing your teeth or taking a shower.

Let’s find out how you get there.

How do kids with diabetes feel?

When they’re first di-

agnosed, kids with diabetes may worry about what it will mean. Some might worry about having to take insulin shots. Other kids might be upset if they have to change the way they eat.

And all kids with diabetes may wonder, “Why me?” and think, “It isn’t fair.”

Having diabetes also can make kids feel sad, angry, upset, or alone because most of their friends don’t have to worry about their blood sugar levels. It’s just not something a kid wants.

Faced with all this, some kids with diabetes might pretend they don’t have

it. They might hope they can pretend it away by not thinking or talking about it.

Or, they might want to hide it because they feel embarrassed, different, or like they did something wrong to get this illness.

Kids might worry that their diabetes is causing a lot of trouble for their parents or brothers or sisters.

Or they might be angry with their parents because they make them take medicines or eat healthy foods.

Sometimes a kid might feel angry or jealous of a brother, sister, or friend who doesn’t have diabetes.

How can I handle my feelings?

It’s OK to have lots of different feelings about diabetes. Finding out you have it means you have to make a big adjustment.

You’ll have to get used to taking care of your diabetes and making that care part of your everyday routine. It’s not easy to change what you’ve been doing.

But the more you learn about diabetes, the more you will feel in control and able to handle it as part of everyday life. Eventually, most kids with diabetes start feeling comfortable with their treatments (believe it or not!) and with the tools (like blood glucose meters or insulin shots) they need to use to stay healthy.

Find ways to talk about it

Finding someone to talk to can help a kid feel better. It doesn’t change that

a kid has diabetes and has to deal with it. But talking can feel good — kind of like, “Whew, now that’s off my chest!” Parents are good people to talk with, and so are other grown-ups in your life, like grandparents and other relatives. A school counsellor or your friends also can be helpful to you.

When you have questions or feelings about diabetes, you can tell your doctor too. Maybe your doctor can help you find other kids with diabetes. They can be really good to talk with because they’re going through the same stuff. A diabetes support group – kind of like a club for kids with diabetes – is one way to discover you’re not the only kid with diabetes.

Some kids find it tough to open up and talk about their feelings. If this is you, maybe you can find another way of expressing what it’s like for you. For instance, you could write a letter or draw a picture to show how diabetes makes you feel. You might choose to share this with a parent or someone who’s close to you, or you might decide just to keep it private.

It’s especially important to tell your parent or your doctor if you’re feeling really sad or really angry about things. There are good ways to help you feel better if strong feelings are bothering you.

And if someone is bullying you or teasing you because of diabetes, be sure to tell an adult. (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

news

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wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

New GPL Chairman optimistic of ending power woes …admits constant blackouts are “thorn in the flesh”

Part of GPL’s interconnected system

By Jarryl Bryan

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ew Chairman of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Board of Directors, Rawle Lucas is optimistic that in conjunction with staff at the entity, he can come up with strategies to relieve Guyanese of the burden of constant power outages.

In an interview with this publication on Tuesday, Lucas acknowledged that blackouts are a problem.

In fact, he described it as a thorn in the side and noted that policies to reduce blackouts will be pursued by the Board.

“The issue of blackouts has become like a thorn in

the flesh. And we cannot keep living with these thorns in our flesh. We have to try and do something about it. And I want to assure you that it will be a main area of focus, certainly of this Board.”

One thing he believes can be done is to take a look at GPL’s infrastructure, which would include the interconnected system. Supplying power to this system are engines run by the Power Producers and Distribution Incorporated (PPDI).

“I do believe that there are things that we can do with respect to improving the performance of the entity. You know, one can look at the asset management and the financial management

and some of the technical issues which might be driving some of these unpleasant outcomes and blackouts.”

“I’m fairly certain that there are areas that GPL has little or no control over that result in these unfortunate incidents. But I also believe that there are areas where we might be able to find some opportunities to minimise if not eliminate the challenges we are facing.”

When it comes to renewable energy, Lucas made it clear that integrating renewable energy into GPL’s system will be pursued. He noted the importance of renewable energy in the context of the Green State Development Strategy and reducing global warming.

Lucas is no stranger to chairing State Boards, as he previously served as Chairman of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Prior to the appointments of Lucas and his fellow Directors, GPL had been without a Board since early 2018.

Serving along with him on the GPL Board are Reggie Bagwandin, Kirk Hollingsworth, Morsha Johnson-Francis and Tara Singh. Meanwhile, the re-

SPU pays banks...

“Cabinet made a decision that we are going to right size the industry and just concentrate of three estates for sugar that falls under the Agriculture Minister. There was a Special Purpose Unit created under the Finance

Minister to divest the four estates; Wales, Rose Hall, Skeldon and Enmore. They are looking at that, I should not pronounce on that, because that is not within my portfolio. You will have to talk to the Finance Minister for that,” he stated.

From page 3

When asked on Tuesday, Minister Jordan could not immediately say what was the status on the divestment of the four estates.

However, he promised to facilitate a press conference between the media and NICIL.

maining four seats are reserved for Guyana Public Service Union representative Gillian Pollard, Guyana Energy Agency Chief Executive Officer Dr Mahender Sharma, Private Sector Commission representative Komal Ramnauth and someone nominated by the parliamentary opposition.

The new Board comes at a time when GPL’s service has been heavily criticised by citizens. This is because of regular power outages, maintenance work and announcements that there are issues with the interconnected system.

In fact, on Tuesday, a statement was sent out in which it was related that GPL had restored electricity supply to the counties of Demerara and Berbice following a temporary fault in its Demerara-Berbice

GPL Chairman Rawle Lucas

Interconnected System.

“According to Public Relations Officer (ag) within GPL, Wadecia Donald, at 08:35hrs on Tuesday, Demerara and Berbice were affected by power outages. Restoration efforts commenced at 08:45hrs in Demerara and at 08:38hrs in Berbice,” the statement read.

“Over in Berbice, power was eventually restored almost immediately, except for villages from Cumberland

to Auchlyne. The remaining communities had the restoration of their electricity at 11:19hrs. On the other hand, the county of Demerara was fully repowered at 11:16hrs,” it added.

According to the statement, engineers within the company are currently working to assess the cause of the power outages, with GPL expected to issue a press release at the completion of that assessment.

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wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyanese man charged for human trafficking in Florida

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Guyanese man is facing human trafficking charges in the United States after allegations that he engaged in sexual activities with a minor who had been trafficked by a relative.

Latchman Kaladeen, 49, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, was on May 17, 2019, identified by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office in Florida as one of nine men allegedly involved in sexual activities with the same minor.

The men were charged with human trafficking, conspiracy to commit human trafficking and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Kaladeen, according to Hernando Sheriff Al Nienhuis, was previously deported in 2005 and is current-

Latchman Kaladeen

ly on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer and is expected to be deported again once the current case is completed.

According to Sheriff Al Nienhuis, Kaladeen had also been arrested last year for solicitation of a prosti-

tute and was able to avoid a detainer by using one of several aliases which the department has identified.

According to a report in the Tampa Bay Times, the Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip in May 2017 about ads on the now-shuttered website, Backpage, featuring the girl. An undercover operation was launched within 24 hours and led investigators to a filthy Hernando County home with bare concrete floors strewn with animal urine and faeces, the Sheriff said, where the victim lived with the accused trafficker. The victim was taken to a safe house for juvenile victims of trafficking outside the area.

According to the report, the two-year investigation relied on interviews and doc-

uments to work through the prior six months, Nienhuis said. Investigators found that the accused trafficker posted the ads on Backpage and took money from clients, and sometimes left the girl with them overnight in other counties. Also arrested were Luigi Barile of Spring Hill who was arrested in Hernando County, Matthew Doyle of Spring Hill arrested in Hernando County, Joseph Easton of Inverness, Bryan Joseph Giguire, James William Hancock, Shawn Christopher Henson, Jason Michael Raulerson and Lawrence Edward Kemble.

Doyle is a 39-year-old Fire Service lieutenant, while Luigi Barile is a 38-year-old restaurateur and co-owner of the popular Chefs of Napoli II.

Pomeroon man charged for killing drinking buddy

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drinking spree which turned deadly landed a 37-year-old man before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday slapped with the capital offence of murder. The charge against Dexroy Garraway known as “Bam-Bam” stated that on May 22, 2019, at Takutu Landing, Puruni Road, Mazaruni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), he murdered Eric Nurse called “Black boy”.

Garraway of Lower Enterprise Pomeroon was not required to plea to the indictable charge when it was read to him by Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

Police Prosecutor Shellon Daniels told the court on Tuesday that on May 22, 2019, Garraway was consuming alcohol at a shop in the company of Nurse when the accused went into a room that was occupied by a female.

Dexroy Garraway

According to the prosecutor, the woman raised an alarm and shouted for help and Nurse ran to her rescue.

The prosecution is contending that Nurse approached Garraway and dragged him out of the room when a scuffle ensued. A short while after, the woman exited the room and saw Nurse lying face down, with injuries to his body. The man was picked up and rushed to a nearby medical centre but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Garraway was subsequently arrested and questioned, during which he allegedly confessed to stabbing Nurse eight times. The court further heard that the accused was recently released from prison after serving two years for a wounding offence. Garraway was remanded to prison and the case will continue at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on June 5, 2019.

Wildlife Commission collects...

According to the Regional Democratic Council of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), the trap consists of two sections with a small area to hold the bait, which was a live dog; the other section traps the beast.

Between the two compartments is a trap door, which is held opened by twine. It is triggered shut when the animal enters the cage to approach the dog.

“When the oversized cat steps on this twine, the door falls shut, locking the cat inside and cannot be pushed open from the inside. All this time the bait dog is safely in its compartment,” the Regional Administration explained in a Facebook post.

However, the post sparked much outrage on social media, after it was revealed that the owner was charging persons to see the animal, which was said to be in distress. The Regional Executive Officer (REO), Denis Jaikarran, also paid to see the jaguar in a cage. Adults were being charged $100 while children, $60.

The Guyana Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Panthera Corporation,

From page 2

aimed at conserving jaguars.

Founded in 2006, Panthera is an organisation devoted exclusively to preserving wild cats and their critical role in the world’s ecosystems.

The jaguar is the third-largest feline in the world, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

Globally, jaguar populations are on the decline mainly due to the loss of habitat and conflict with people. As a result, these animals are listed as a “near threatened” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The jaguar is protected by the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2016 which states that the collecting, holding in captivity, hunting, killing, or otherwise molesting “protected” species is prohibited.

Only recently, the Government was forced to launch an investigation into the alleged killing of a jaguar during a hunting expedition in Guyana.

A photo of the dead jaguar began circulating on social media and had sparked debates about the need to protect this endangered species of animal.

Moving on…

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…with the country’s business ow that the “Independence” Carnival’s finally over, maybe it’s time to take stock as to what exactly went on…or went down – over the last week.

The first thing that struck your Eyewitness was the irony of juxtaposing “Independence” with a festival that’s so imitative of the Trini experience, he wondered whether we’d just exchanged political colonialisation for cultural colonialism!!

When Barbados decided to import some of the Trini jump-up, they, at least, had the grace to call their variant “Crop Over”. That is, a replication of the celebration the slaves had when the sugar crop was done for the season and they were allowed to let off steam by dancing and singing – which was forbidden during “crop time”. But T&T’s Carnival has its origin from the French planters who brought their slaves with them after they fled the Haitian Revolution. And this adds another level of irony to our using T&T’s Carnival to celebrate our Independence – the Trini Carnival has its origin in an explicitly anti-reactionary freedom movement!!

Another thing that struck your Eyewitness was the crassness of the PNC using the entire series of activities as an extended election-campaign mobilisation exercise!

They didn’t even pretend this might be about Guyanese appreciating becoming independent of Britain. But we should’ve suspected this was the plot all along – the fella heading the whole shebang being no other than ex-GDF Officer Larry London, who was behind the Jubilee Park at D’Urban Park where half-a-billion is still unaccounted for!!

Did you wonder where the PNC got $40 million to buy those tickets for Buju Banton’s concert at the National Stadium?? But figuring their average supporter would buy their version of Buju’s shout out to Roger Khan, “I is” Broomes had him record a message of support to President Granger, who he said, couldn’t fit him into his schedule. Broomes also took him on a tour of our ghetto neighbourhoods to press the flesh – and also to a Rasta community at Victoria. One wondered what the latter thought of their guest dealing with that sickness of Babylon – cocaine!!

Your Eyewitness would’ve preferred if someone from the PNC Government could’ve had the guts to reflect on their first 28 years at the wheel of state and identified where they’d gone wrong. Of course there were challenges – especially external ones like the Venezuelans blocking the Hydro Project in tandem with OPEC’s oil price jump.

But weren’t there lessons from their policies that excluded half of the country?

Or the concentration of powers in the hands of the Executive Presidency custom created by Burnham? Or the need not to fiddle with the electoral machinery?

Must we be doomed to repeat the PNC’s past?? …from the NCM Your Eyewitness is getting very restive with the CCJ still not announcing its verdict on the NCM – even though they took submissions almost three weeks ago. After all, the President of the CCJ himself, Justice Adrian Saunders had very sharply informed the attorney representing GECOM about the need for an urgent resolution to the case: “If the vote of no-confidence was valid and if Parliament ought to be dissolved… with each passing day beyond that three-month period – a dagger is being thrown at the Constitution every day”.

Now that’s a very persuasive reason for a decision without further delay… not to mention that the CCJ had even berated the Appellate Court for throwing “delaying daggers” The concern, of course, is that now that the games (Carnival!) are literally over, folks are already feeling the tension in the air over the new game by GECOM to stick its middle finger at the Constitution.

To make a 2020 elections a fait accompli! …on integrity After the Integrity Commission was finally constituted, it took another year to get going. But hopes were raised when they announced a list of 176 defaulters. However, those hopes were dashed when the President confessed he was a defaulter – but his name wasn’t on the list.

Sacred integrity cows?

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

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wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Fuel shortage hits Region 1 C

ommunities in Region One (BarimaWaini) are grappling with a fuel shortage, which is significantly affecting businesses, households and even the regional administration.

Prices for services like transportation are tripling and major projects have been suspended as a result of the limited fuel supply in the district.

Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley told Guyana Times that the shortage began some five weeks ago, but now, the situation has evolved into a crisis.

Due to the limited supply and high demand of the commodity, residents are forced to pay between $8000 to $10,000 per five gallon of gasoline in Mabaruma. In Matarkai, the price can go as high as $15,000.

In cases where taxis usually cost $1000, the fare is now as high as $4,000.

School children are forced

Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley

to pay $200 from Kumaka to Mabaruma, up from a fee of roughly $60.

“It is affecting us tremendously,” Ashley stated.

He said regional projects and activities are at a standstill because of the shortage. “It also puts a threat to those emergency calls that we get for patients who are

sick to get to the hospital,” the Regional Chairman explained.

From his assessment, the shortage of fuel is as a result of the crisis in neighbouring Venezuela.

Region One gets fuel from the Spanish-speaking nation, and with the permission of the relevant authorities, the fuel is transported across the border. This practice is only legal up to the Pomeroon River mouth in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

But over the past weeks, the supply has dwindled due to the worsening social and economic situation in Venezuela.

Ashley is calling on Central Government to intervene. With no GuyOil service station in the region, the Chairman has recommended that the State-owned entity send fuel tankers to the area to supply retailers.

A formal letter has already been dispatched to the Communities Ministry.

Hundreds stranded in Suriname after ferry service suspended …temporary service offered

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ollowing the suspension of services offered by the MV Canawaima Ferry, which plies the Suriname-Guyana route, due to technical issues, the Management of the Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service has announced that the MB Sandaka will ply the route to assist stranded passengers to return home.

On Monday, it was revealed that the services of the MV Canawaima would be suspended to facilitate the necessary rehabilitation works. However, at the time of that announcement, no alternative systems were put in place, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in both countries. However, after much outcry, the management of the ferry service announced on Tuesday that the MB Sandaka will service this route between May 31 and June 2, 2019, to facilitate the stranded passengers.

“It will depart Moleson Creek Terminal-Guyana at 09:00hrs (check-in: 06:30hrs to 08:00hrs) and depart South Drain-Suriname at 11:30hrs (check-in: 08:00hrs10:00hrs) – their respective local times,” the Public Infrastructure Ministry posted on its Facebook page.

The notice stated that the alternative vessel is not outfitted to facilitate 20 and 40 feet containers and trucks with height and width in excess of three metres and 2.7 metres respectively.

The MB Sandaka, which was also recently rehabilitated, usually services the

The MB Sandaka vessel

Leguan to Parika route but has plied the GuyanaSuriname route in the past when the MV Canawaima was undergoing maintenance.

Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson told Guyana Times on Monday that the MV Canawaima vessel was being powered by a tug for some time now which has encountered some issues.

He was unable to say how much the rehabilitation project would cost since the Surinamese, he said, will be responsible for rectifying the issues.

He was also unable to say how long the service would be down given the fact that Surinamese will be working on the boat.

Meanwhile, Terminal Manager Gale CulleyGreene is quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying

that the Canawaima Ferry has been experiencing mechanical difficulties for some time and a decision was taken to have the vessel assessed and repaired.

She further disclosed that if the Canawaima Ferry is docked, a replacement vessel would be sourced.

The matter is engaging the attention of both Guyanese and Surinamese authorities.

Persons who would like more information on the ferry service can contact 3392744/ 339-2787 for more information.

The Canawaima Ferry Service Inc was introduced to Guyana on October 28, 1998, under the Companies Act Number 29 of 1991 of the Laws of Guyana. It is jointly owned by the Governments of Guyana and Suriname as each country owns 50 per cent of the issued share capital.

Decomposed body of cane harvester fished out of canal

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he decomposed body of a cane harvester was fished out of a canal in the cane field in Berbice, Region Six. The man’s slippers were found a short distance away.

Dead is 65-year-old Hukumchand Inshanally also called “Oil” and “Sugrim” of Lot 43 Persaud Street, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne.

He reportedly left home for work on Friday last but never returned.

According to his wife Neerpati Inshanally, her husband was expected home at about 13:00h on Friday last. She said that at about 14:00h, she asked her son to enquire from one of his colleagues if he had left work to go home. According to the grieving widow, her son returned and informed her that he was informed that his father was not seen at work on Friday last. The widow explained that she became worried and went to one of her husband’s close friend’s home and he too said that he had not seen Inshanally.

“The foreman said he shared work to him the morning and they leave the backdam like 01:30 to 02:00 so he suppose to be home by that time. Is then I tell him that ‘Oil’ ain’t come home,” the woman related.

She said that his super-

Dead: Hukumchand Inshanally

visor then explained to her that Inshanally was placed in a new group to work so his regular colleagues might not have noticed him during the day.

The grieving wife said Inshanally would normal-

ly walk home from the cane field which is situated at Hampshire, Berbice, instead of waiting on the lorry.

This newspaper was told that Inshanally might have made his way out of the field and took a wrong track, which took him to a field with young cane where there was no bridge to cross.

The corners of the canal there are extremely deep after mud was removed to build the dam.

On Sunday, as family members were still searching for the missing man, someone saw a body floating in a canal in the cane field.

Neerpati told this publication that when she enquired from officials at the Albion Estate, she was told that the estate had to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, the police are also investigating.

10 news

wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sawmill destroyed by fire …arson suspected

A section of the ravaged sawmill

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fire suspected to be an act of arson has completely destroyed Lumber Master Guyana Inc – a sawmill at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

The fire reportedly started at about 01:30h on Tuesday.

Reports are the blaze was first noticed in the factory and quickly ravaged

the living quarters of the General Manager, Khemraj Mangroo, along with several vehicles and equipment.

Speaking with this publication on Tuesday, the still shaken manager explained that he was awakened by the loud sound of exploding bottles. He said that as he peeped through his bedroom

window, he saw huge flames emanating from the factory.

Mangroo explained that in order to run to safety, he removed a few louvre panes from one of the windows and ran into the bushes. He said that he immediately informed his employer of the fire, and he, in turn, contacted the Guyana Fire Service

General Manager Khemraj Mangroo pointing in the direction where the fire was initially spotted

(GFS). Mangroo stated that within minutes, the entire sawmill and living quarters were engulfed in flames.

By the time the fire tenders arrived at the scene, there was nothing left to be saved, this newspaper was told.

“Apparently the fire tenders were sent to the Police Outpost at Yarrowkabra to look for a small fire and not to the correct location of the sawmill…It was from all indication a miscommunication but if they had come to this location initially at least they could have saved something,” Mangroo said.

The General Manager

posited that apart from the vehicles being destroyed, a tractor was also set on fire.

The tractor, he noted was parked some 80 feet away from the factory.

“The fire officials are convinced that it is an arson… after looking at the evidence, there is no trail of a fire from the factory to the tractor… it clearly shows that someone had set the factory on fire then went over to the tractor and put that on fire as well,” he added.

A truck, tractor, pick-up truck, loader, edger and two LT-70 sawmills were some of the equipment that was destroyed as a result of the

fire. Mangroo estimated the losses to be in the millions.

Additionally, he noted that several million dollars in dressed lumber were also destroyed by the fire.

The business, he explained, was established in 2015 and has since been exporting dressed materials. The establishment has about seven persons on its payroll. Mangroo, however, confirmed that the business was insured.

Meanwhile, the fire officials and Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the inferno.

brands all posted increased sales volumes, contributing to the growth experienced in 2018.

Even as it anticipates an increase in cigarette sales, the company said it continues to support laws and regulations prohibiting the sale of these products to anyone under the legal minimum age of 18.

In order to achieve this, the company worked directly with retailers to uphold the law and it even supported distributors in providing training and point-of-sale materials for use by retailers to help uphold the minimum age laws.

Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact,

smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the USA. “We understand the concerns about our products and are working hard to conduct our business responsibly, in an industry seen by many as controversial,” Demtoco said.

Demtoco last year recorded a 14.4 per cent increase in profits before tax, making a stunning rebound after five consecutive years of decline.

Chairman Marcus Steele attributed this success to the firm’s strong leadership and its key business partnerships, notwithstanding the challenge it now faces with complying with the new regulations and the challenges it continues to face with the illicit trade.

Demtoco forecasts better performance for 2020

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he Demerara Tobacco Company (Demtoco) is anticipating a hike in the sale of cigarettes locally. The expected improvement in spending power comes in light of the development of the country’s lucrative oil and gas industry. “…with the prospect of oil production in 2020, we anticipate improvements in the purchasing power of our consumers which should lead to increasing opportunities for business sustainability and growth,” said Demtoco’s Managing Director, Christopher Brown, in his review published in the 2018 Annual Report.

“The economic forecast for Guyana suggests brighter prospects for the country and for Demerara Tobacco Company,” he noted.

Last year, sales grew by 4.5 per cent from $6.1 billion in 2017 to $6.4 billion in 2018. Demtoco said this resulted mainly from its consumers “appreciating and choosing our brands, versus the illicit competition”.

Despite the fact of an increasing presence of the illicit trade, the company said it was able to maintain volume stability relative to 2017.

In fact, Demtoco’s Bristol, Pall Mall and Dunhill

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wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Green State Development Strategy finally launched ...PSC hopes to see economic programmes transcend regime change

Head of the Ministry of the Presidency’s Project Management Office, Marlon Bristol

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he Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) was officially launched on Tuesday after a meeting between the 11th Advisory Committee, with officials providing details on proposals for the doc-

ument that can make a tangible difference in the lives of Guyanese.

According to head of the Ministry of the Presidency’s Project Management Office, Marlon Bristol, the GSDS is a living document. This means

consultations and discussions for improving the document will continue to be held.

“A living (consultation) means we are always open to the wishes and views of the Guyanese people. The GSDS is a living document, so the stakeholders who are here will constantly be engaged in consultations of various nature to have the document reflect the wishes and desires of the Guyanese people,” he said.

He explained that Tuesday’s meeting will serve to have such discussions, as well as to officially launch the strategy. Asked about some of the document’s components that can provide opportunities for Guyanese, Bristol revealed what options are being considered and implemented.

“There are a lot of new sectors and new jobs coming on stream and generally we have been supported through a project with the ILO (International Labour

Albouystown man convicted of killing minibus driver

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fter several witnesses had testified and submissions were made by both State and Defence Attorneys, the trial’s empanelled 12-member jury, after almost two hours of deliberation, returned a unanimous guilty verdict against murder accused Terry Cromwell at the Demerara High Court on Tuesday.

Cromwell was indicted on a murder charge in connection to a 2016 shooting incident. The Albouystown, Georgetown, resident was accused of killing Elvin Lorrimer between March 21 and 22, 2016, in the vicinity of the Linden Minibus Park, Georgetown.

Defence Attorney Stanley Moore after hearing the jury’s decision, requested a probation report to be prepared before his client is sentenced.

As such, Justice Navindra Singh accepted the request

and deferred sentencing to June 20, 2019, when the prepared probation report will be presented.

According to reports, Lorrimer was standing on the roadway at the Linden Minibus Park on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, at about 21:00h, when two men rode up on a CG motorcycle, one of whom discharged rounds at him before riding away.

Lorrimer was hit to his chest and left foot and was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

Cromwell was arrested after an eyewitness positively identified him as being one of the men on the motorcycle on the night in question.

It is unclear whether the driver of the bike, who was held for assisting Cromwell in escaping, is still in custody and whether he will also face charges.

Prosecutors Abigail Gibbs, Tuanna Hardy and Teriq Mohammed appeared on behalf of the State.

Meanwhile, at the conclusion of Tuesday’s court session, as Cromwell was led away by police officers, family members of the convicted man broke down in uncontrollable tears while others tried to comfort them.

Attorney-at-Law Paul FungA-Fat, who in a bail application told the court that his client has no previous convictions. The lawyer also told the court that while a search was being conducted

by Police ranks at the wash bay, his client was about to drop off a bicycle when he was intercepted. According to the lawyer, about six other persons were at the same location but only his client was arrested. According to the lawyer, in these circumstances, his client should be granted bail in a reasonable sum.

Police Prosecutor Adduni Innis, however, objected to bail on the grounds of the prevalence of the offence and the penalty the offences

attracts.

Innis further stated that on the day in question, Police ranks acting on information carried out a search at a wash bay when the defendant was seen with a bag. According to the prosecution’s case, upon noticing the ranks, the defendant dropped the bag. The ranks then approached him, recovered the bag and conducted a search when the narcotics were discovered. The defendant was subsequently arrested.

Magistrate Marcus upheld the prosecutor’s submission and the father of one was remanded to prison.

The case will continue at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on June 5, 2019.

Convicted of murder: Terry Cromwell

50-year-old remanded to prison for ganja, cocaine trafficking

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50-year-old miner of Quarter Mile, Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), was remanded to prison for narcotics possession.

Elroy Grenion appeared on Tuesday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Principal Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus, who read the charge which stated that on May 25, 2019, at a wash bay in Third Avenue, Bartica, he had in his possession 122 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

Another charge stated that on the same day at the same wash bay, he had four grams of cocaine.

In court on Tuesday, Grenion was represented by

Organisation (ILO). We’ve been supported on understanding what we call green business opportunities. And those business opportunities exist in very simple ways.”

“For example, we try to give incentives to communities and individuals and businesses, where they may exist.

There’s something called opting in for eco payment services. And that will apply to Indigenous and coastal communities. We also had a project, medium and small enterprises, development, which looked at financing projects and project ideas that people might have that contributes to reducing emissions.”

He gave waste management as an example of a business that companies can get into which would qualify them for incentives. Bristol explained that renewable energy is another field that Government could look to provide incentives for.

“So those are part of a plethora of new ideas that will come on stream for small businesses in particular… (in terms of) timeline, well its immediate!” Bristol further explained to Guyana Times.

Bristol noted that a lot of work to implement the GSDS is already ongoing. He explained that with Tuesday’s launch, much of these efforts being coordinated at different Ministries will become more streamlined.

PSC

Meanwhile, Private Sector Commission Executive, Ramesh Dookhoo, who was present at the meeting, noted that after much complaints over the lack of an economic strategy, this is a step in the right direction.

“The Private Sector has participated in all of the dis-

PSC Executive Ramesh Dookhoo

cussions and many of the working groups that were created to make this strategy a reality. We’ve also been complaining about the country not having an economic strategy moving forward… we’re not totally there yet. But today is a watershed day in the life of the GSDS.” “One of the really dire concerns of the Private Sector is how do economic plans and policies transcend regime change. And I hope that we have addressed that. I’m not sure that we have. But the Private Sector would like to see economic programmes transcend regime change.”

Dookhoo also noted that a lot of work remains and there must be cooperation among the Private Sector, social activists and civil society as a whole.

The GSDS is largely based on the Low Carbon Development Strategy initiated by the former Government.

It is a framework that is supposed to incorporate economic development programmes with strategies to promote the fight against global warming. Along the way, these pro-

grammes are supposed to be funded from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had previously said that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) would scrap the Green State Strategy when it got back into power, since it would put strain on the treasury.

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wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

House-to-house registration

GECOM’s posture shows complete, utter disregard for CCJ, High Court – Attorney

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he decision by the Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n

(GECOM) to proceed with the house-to-house registration process, while legal

proceedings are pending, is a complete and utter disregard for both the local High

Court and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

This is according to former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who on Tuesday said that one gets the clear impression that GECOM is acting with the specific intention of defeating and frustrating orders, which these courts may make. He added that clearly, this is not conduct becoming of a constitutional agency.

“It is no secret that this house-to-house registration exercise will cost millions, if not billions of taxpayers’ dollars and if it is found to be unlawful, or, is halted by the court rulings, I hope that those who are engineering it will be held responsible for the public monies expended and, indeed, wasted. This may include criminal and civil proceedings, personally, against those responsible,” the attorney said.

Legal proceedings were filed challenging the legality and constitutionality of the house-to-house registration, and came up before the acting Chief Justice Roxane George on May 14, 2019, and the case was adjourned to June 26.

However, even as the case is pending, GECOM has issued public notices and advertisements, which suggest that GECOM is proceeding at break-neck speed with the house-to-house registration process.

Delay in CCJ ruling

On May 8, 9 and 10, a bench of five Justices from the CCJ heard submissions from all parties in the No-confidence Motion and GECOM cases.

The crucial decision was on the calculation of what constituted a “majority” to give effect to Article 106 (6): “The President and the Cabinet shall resign if the Government is defeated by a vote of majority of all elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of con-

GECOM’s Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

fidence.” That time has already elapsed, and another week is about to expire.

During the hearings, Justice Adrian Saunders had asked the attorney representing GECOM, Stanley Marcus: “If the vote of

Marcus allowed that democracy could not be sacrificed for “speed”, upon which Justice Saunders cited the constitutional alternative of Article 106 (7), which reads: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly, agree, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

However, even as Guyana awaits the CCJ judgement, GECOM-sponsored advertisements about house-to-house registration have sprung up. According to GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, going ahead with the exercise is flouting the law.

In an interview with Guyana Times, GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj made it clear that he respects the process the CCJ has to go through before it arrives at a decision. But he noted that GECOM’s use of that time to proceed with house-to-house registration is in breach of the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act of 2000.

“If it is found to be unlawful, or, is halted by the court rulings, I hope that those who are engineering it will be held responsible for the public monies expended and, indeed, wasted. This may include criminal and civil proceedings, personally, against those responsible” – attorney no-confidence was valid, and if Parliament ought to be dissolved, and if the parties don’t agree to extend the three-month period, then we have a choice between a situation where with each passing day beyond that three-month period a dagger is being thrown at the Constitution every day; and, on the other hand, having an election which is a little bit less than perfect. Now, which of those two options is better for democracy?”

Hosting Venezuelans could cost TT$620M/year

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he Central Bank Governor has estimated that it will cost the state around TT$620 million a year to support the Venezuelans who have migrated to this country.

Dr Alvin Hilaire said at first he was skeptical about that figure but then said after looking at the impact on Colombia, that 600-odd million-dollar figure seemed plausible.

Colombia has so far taken in almost 1.2 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees. This has cost that country around 0.4 per

cent of its GDP. The South American country has had to seek financial aid to support the Venezuelans with the World Bank recently giving them a grant of around US$31.5 million.

Dr Hilaire believes this is something this country may need to explore.

“There has been set up in the Inter American Development Bank, a facility of around US $100 million, we should be able to access that given the seriousness of our situation.”

Dr Hilaire said several sectors will also be impacted.

“The labour market surely,

the housing market, social services and then you have national insurance, health and security”. But the Central Bank believes there are positives, particularly in the labour market, once the Venezuelans here are issued the work permit exemptions.

“The economic benefits could be anything where humans move and bring anything with them, they bring their skills, they bring their approach to things, so there could potentially be large benefits over time, and they can contribute to taxes but not in the immediate fund.” (Trinidad Guardian)

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wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Day 5 of floodwaters

No intervention from health department to Black Bush Polder residents

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s the flooding in Black Bush Polder reaches day five, there has been no intervention from the health department in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

This has led to residents expressing concern over health issues and the spread of disease, after floodwaters in Yakusari kept rising since Friday last. Residents

who reached out to Guyana Times express worry over the spread of diseases since many pit latrines in the area are inundated. After five days of being under water, no one from the health department has gone to Yakusari, which is the village worst hit by the floods. In some sections of the residential areas, there is a stench emanating from the water. Speaking

with this publication, Dharmindra Debesarran, a father of five, said he is very worried about the situation. The area is a farming community and the continuous water on the land is killing the crops. The school yard has remained under water for five days.

Some farmers cannot do anything to assist themselves.

Balwansingh Somar, another affected resident, rears chickens, which have been forced to live in the water – a situation which is leading to their demise.

“Twenty-five foul dead out fuh me because of the flood. My dog can’t come in me own yard. He ah sleep outside,” he related.

Adding to the burden is the fact that the pump at Number 43

Village is also out of operation. Since the water began to rise on Friday last, residents have pointed an accusing finger at the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) which has responsibility for the three main canals which drain the four polders. Some of the sluice doors are silted while outfall channels at Adventure, Eversham and Number 43 Village are all blocked with silt.

After the two Polders of Johanna and Yakusari were inundated on Friday, efforts were made to clear the Yakusari main drainage canal of vegetation.

A resident pointed out that he used to pay over $15,600 as land taxes to the Black Bush Polder Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) for the small plot of land where he lives but nothing has been done to

improve the drainage in the community. He added that now the tax has increased to

$48,600 but yet the community’s drainage is non-functional.

Some farmers related that their entire crop has been lost as a result of the flood. “One overnight rain fall and it duck out everything,” a farmer told this publication. Officials from the regional administration have since visited the community on several occasions, monitoring the cleaning of the vegetation in the canal but the floodwaters are still high. A resident told Guyana Times that the hymac deployed to the area has to be repaired more often than it actually works.

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wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Ghana delegation meets Energy Oil spill response training Director, Minister of State wraps up …discuss possible cooperation in oil and gas sector

Ghana’s Minister of Energy and Deputy Minister (Petroleum), Dr Mohammed Amin Adam; Director, Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe and other members of the Ghanaian delegation on Tuesday at the Ministry of the Presidency

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irector of the Energy Department, Dr Mark Bynoe on Tuesday met with a high-level Ghanaian delegation here in Guyana to engage the Government on areas of mutual interest in the oil and gas sector.

The team was led by Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Energy In Charge of petroleum Dr Mohammed Amin Adam and included Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana, Napoleon Abdulai and 15 others.

The team later paid a courtesy call on Minister of State Dawn HastingsWilliams, who was accompanied by Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman.

During the meeting with the team, Dr Bynoe, who was accompanied by Oil and Gas Advisor, Matthew Wilks and Project Co-ordinator and Legal Advisor in the Department of Energy, Joanna Simmons, said the delegation was visiting during a most interesting time in Guyana’s evolution.

“I think anybody who

says Guyana is not the hottest place to be and I am not speaking about climatologically but in terms of what we have found thus far in the oil and gas sector would not be lying. It’s a time in which also, we are keen to ensure that as a Department though young…we seek as best we can to ensure that these resources are managed in an efficient manner and an effective manner for all of Guyana,” he is quoted by the Public Information and Press Services Unit of the Ministry of the Presidency as saying.

Dr Bynoe noted that the Department does not underestimate the momentous task ahead and it continues to seek partnerships to ensure that it obtains the best value for the nation. “We do not pretend to have all the answers to all the challenges that are before us, but we are very much positioned and we are keen to learn from others; the good, the not so good and even the indifferent experiences so we do not have to trod the same

path which others may have trod before us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Adam said he was pleased for the opportunity to discuss issues relative to co-operation with the Department.

Additionally, during the delegation’s meeting with the Ministers of State and Natural Resources, they discussed areas of collaboration particularly in the areas of mining, oil and gas, capacity-building and training in the oil and gas sector, forestry and timber production.

Minister HastingsWilliams said that the two countries share similar characteristics and sectors and can, therefore, look to each other for best practices, expertise and guidance where the need exists. Dr Adam echoed similar sentiments, noting that Guyana and Ghana have shared strong ties since 1957 and he is looking forward to taking same to a higher level of collaboration. The meetings were held at the Ministry of the Presidency.

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three-day oil spill response training workshop wrapped up with members of the Volunteer Emergency Response Team (VERT) programme participating in a simulation exercise at Splashmin’s Resort on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

The workshop, which is a collaboration between the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and ExxonMobil, was launched on May 21, 2019, and engaged VERT participants in sessions geared towards capacity-building in oil spill response.

In an invited comment to the Department of Public Information, ExxonMobil’s Oil Response Advisor, Thomas Tomblin, expressed being impressed with the team’s response.

“They were inquisitive and super sharp… we’ve done this in the past and we’ve gotten some interaction, but these guys were spot on, they were great.”

He explained that the VERT participants were engaged in a two-day class session on the Incident Command System (ICS) training before moving on to some simulated exercises. On Thursday last, the participants were split into five teams where they were trained to deploy and use oil spill response equipment. “We’ve got containment boom, we’ve got skimmers, we’ve got shore seal boons, we have shoreline protection, so they’re going to get a good opportunity to test all of those tech-

Participants at the simulation exercise at Splashmin’s Resort, Linden-Soesdyke Highway

Two particiapants in training

niques,” Tomblin said.

VERT participant, Renata Robinson is satisfied that volunteers are now in a better position to respond to an oil spill if it occurs. “From the training, we can provide some liaison to the professionals, and we can also go in the fields to help and assist in deploying basic equipment like our booms and our skimmers.”

Another participant of the programme, Leslyn Garraway, said while the workshop was challenging,

“it was a learning experience”.

CDC Director-General (DG), Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig disclosed that the oil spill response training will be a continuous element of CDC’s training programme. “Apart from training the VERT participants, all volunteers who work in the communities will have exposure to oil spill training as well as other training sessions offered by the CDC,” the DG related.

Become a foster parent, provide a home for positive upbringing – MoSP urges

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esidents within Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) are urged to take a leap of faith and become a foster parent.

Acting Senior Probation Officer Lauristan Choy of the Ministry of Social Protection (MoSP), at a recent outreach, appealed for well-meaning persons to house the less fortunate, to provide them with a home for positive upbringing.

“There is a lot of children in institutional care and while we are equipped to provide them with necessary necessities … We would love for people to come and apply to be foster parents so that the children can become a part of a family setting for a positive life,” Choy is quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying.

Choy stressed that the

Ministry remained committed to bringing families together, and steps were being taken to achieve this goal.

According to the acting Senior Probation Officer, child negligence is the highest form of child abuse within the region, and the Ministry hopes to reduce it.

He explained, according to the DPI, that specialised parental training is one of the many programmes offered to parents to achieve the Ministry’s goal of helping parents to understand their roles and responsibilities. It was highlighted that this training is set to tackle all forms of child abuse.

“We [the Ministry of Social Protection] are trying to move from corporal punishment. We want to push positive discipline hence, a focus on alternative discipline. We want to change that narrative

Acting Senior Probation Officer Lauristan Choy

where parents can see that those same punishments lead to violence. Whenever the child gets older, they exhibit the same kind of behaviour to their loved ones.

This often times lead to many unfortunate events, because of that mind-set.”

The acting Senior Probation Officer is optimistic that this narrative will help to create positive young people and, by extension, a positive Guyana.

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wednESday, may 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Where is the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)?

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here is the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)? They have gone awfully quiet, even as democracy is under assault in Guyana. Justice is not only denied when people deliberately or otherwise break the law and or when a Government recklessly railroad the Constitution, but also by the sloth of the judiciary itself. Justice delayed is justice denied. It is six months since the Noconfidence Motion ended the life of the Government. The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) gambled that the sloth of the court will buy them time to avoid the elections. The CCJ’s sloth was Dr Leslie Ramsammy one of the elements in APNU/ AFC’s formula to buy time. The country is at a standstill, the economy is reeling from uncertainty, the elected Parliament does not know if it has any legal standing and the people’s welfare is held hostage. Everywhere, the same question is being asked, with utter exasperation – where is the CCJ? Only Guyana, Barbados, Belize and Dominica are using the CCJ as its last court for appeals. All the other Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries still proceed to the Privy Council of the UK as their apex court. In fact, the people of Grenada, Antigua and Bermuda and St Vincent and the Grenadines have rejected the CCJ as their final court. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have failed to overcome barriers to replace the Privy Council with the CCJ. The majority of Guyanese have never been comfortable with the CCJ as our final court. The recent cases going to the CCJ from Guyana have stirred the debate again. The sloth in handing down its decision on recent cases that have a direct bearing on the health of Guyana’s democracy have further caused Guyanese to question the decision to replace the Privy Council with the CCJ. It is now three weeks since the CCJ heard four cases relating to the Guyanese Constitution. In each of these cases, the hearings were preceded by the submission of legal briefings, with the hearings intended only for clarifications. People now are suspicious of the delay. The reasons posited by politicians for having the CCJ are it would be easier, cheaper, more accessible and timelier than the Privy Council of the UK. Well, given Guyana’s experience, in all the cases that have gone to the CCJ so far, none of these reasons apply. Nothing the CCJ has done so far gives anyone confidence that the CCJ could more rapidly address judicial disputes than the Privy Council of the UK. In certain constitutional matters, time is of the essence. Both the Guyana Courts of Appeals and the CCJ, by their sloth, have aided and abetted the Government to sidestep the Constitution of Guyana. The Guyana Government’s main goal is to buy time.

First, the Guyana Courts of Appeal, with a March 21 deadline for holding elections, held its decision more than a month until the deadline passed. The CCJ is now holding its decision in a way that might prevent it from even slightly remedying any violation of the laws. By the time, its decisions are handed down, there would be even further violations of the law. As the court takers its sweet time, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has already embarked on house-to-house registration that its own legal advisor told them is not necessary, further compounding the problem.

In one case, the so called “GECOM Chairman” case, the appeal was lodged many months ago, but was heard only on May 8. Now, while Guyana is awaiting the ruling on this case, the Chairman whose arbitrary appointment violated the Constitution is acting as an instrument of the governing party, in effect as a fourth member representing the ruling party on the seven-member GECOM. In the other three cases, constitutional deadlines have passed and the governing party is achieving its goal, not of either winning or losing in court, but buying maximum time. The CCJ by its sloth in decision-making has fallen into the trap of the Granger-led APNU/AFC which cares not of the decision the CCJ makes, but only that the CCJ consumes time, allowing APNU/AFC to use State resources to buy as many votes as possible.

Guyana’s Parliament on December 21, 2018, voted in favour of a No-confidence Motion against the Government.

Within the first 24 hours after the vote was taken, no less than both the President and the Prime Minister conceded elections must be held in accordance with the Constitution by March 21, 2019. But soon thereafter the diabolical minds within APNU/ AFC conceived of a plan to get around the constitutional requirement of an election within 90 days. That included a reinterpretation of the Constitution, the imposition of voodoo Mathematics etc and a roadmap of judicial roadblocks to buy time. This past week, President Granger in a succinct statement summarised the goal and sent a stern message to the CCJ – “we hope to stay in office for the full term”. Unwittingly perhaps, the CCJ is delivering.

Linden municipality moves closer to implementation of building by-laws The municipality of the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) is moving closer towards the implementation of its building by-laws, which will regulate the construction of all buildings within the town of Linden.

Linden Town Clerk Orleena Obermuller has stated that the laws have been posted for residents to peruse and make their claims and objections to the clauses before it can be sent to be approved. The move towards the implementation of the building by-laws, according to officials, will see safer monitoring of the construction of buildings within the community.

“The building bylaws are there so we can regularise how the structures of buildings are done...should be done, how

you manage your building waste and so on,” the Town Clerk noted.

She added that it will also address the issue of illegal construction or persons who are doing construction works without the municipality’s approval as well as provide grounds for persons to be taken to court for rates and taxes.

Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell said once the by-laws get on stream it will provide guidelines on how buildings should be constructed.

“We were able to sit down and put it together and see how we could use it in Linden. I know Georgetown has the building by-law and some of the older municipalities.

So it’s just taking it and coining it to Linden...Once that by-law is passed then,

of course, we would be able to implement the laws that governs that in terms of how people are building and the haphazard ways in which they are building,” she stated.

The implementation of the by-laws is expected to see the Council having a more hands-on approach on ensuring buildings are constructed according to specification.

Arrindell has re-emphasised that no structure in the community should be erected without the knowledge of the Council even if it’s being constructed in residents’ backyards. She alluded that many residents are currently engaged in poultry farming in their yards without proper drainage systems in place. Even these types of construction, the Mayor

noted, should be first approved by the Council so as to ascertain the best place for construction.

“What the public doesn’t know is that once your building is passed here, before you go and put down your foundation, you need to notify us so we’ll be there at the initial stages to ensure that it’s built to specification. That doesn’t happen at this time so once it’s passed then we’ll be able to monitor what’s happening,” the Mayor said.

The by-laws have been placed at various points across Linden for residents to peruse including the hospitals, post offices and the Linden Enterprise Network at Mackenzie.

Residents are encouraged to visit the Council to make their claims and objections following perusal.

Germany hosts Latin America and Caribbean conference in Berlin

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ore than 20 Foreign Ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean have converged on Berlin, albeit without Venezuelan representation. Germany is trying to revitalise lagging diplomatic and trade ties with the region.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is hosting more than 20 of his counterparts in the German capital on Tuesday. The event kicks off Germany’s Latin America and Caribbean initiative, which was introduced by Maas in February.

Germany has been taking steps in recent months to deepen ties with Latin American countries, emphasising Germany’s “shared values” with the region.

The agenda at Tuesday’s

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, front 2nd left, talks to the Foreign Minister of Mexico, Marcelo Luis Ebrad Casaubon, front left, prior to a group photo as part of the Latin America-Caribbean Conference 2019 at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, May 28, 2019. At right, flags will be displayed at the Federal Foreign Office during the Latin America and Caribbean Conference. More than 20 Foreign Ministers from the region take part in the conference, which lasts several days

conference is expected to include talks on improving trade and business, cooperation on developing stronger legal institutions, tacking climate change issues, along with expert panels covering science and technology.

“Latin America is one of the world’s most strongly

democratic regions,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We are seizing the initiative to reinvigorate and inject fresh impetus into our relations.”

“We want to join forces on the world stage in our efforts to promote democracy, human rights and fair rules. We want to

help expand our foundation of shared values.”

Roughly 1000 guests are expected at the conference, including Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser, who will discuss business relations, and the UN human rights commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, who will discuss women’s rights. (MSN)

Antiguan Govt says Canadian banks want to withdraw from island

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he Antigua and Barbuda Government is defending its position regarding the sale of Soctiabank operations here even as it announced that all the Canadian banks operating here have expressed a desire to leave the country.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne, speaking on his private radio station, told listeners that “the Canadian banks have indicated their desire to leave, all of them, and I would expect that as they leave, that they will give local entities the first right for refusal and again we make no apologies about that”.

Browne did not name the Canadian banks desirous of leaving here, but apart from Scotiabank the other Canadian entities operating here are the Royal bank of Canada and the Canadian Imperial bank of Commerce.

Last November, the

Prime Minister Gaston Browne

Trinidad-based Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL) announced that it was seeking to acquire Scotiabank operations in several Caribbean countries.

Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana had initially expressed reservations about the proposed acquisition, with St John’s indicating that it would not be issuing a vesting order to facilitate the move.

The RFHL statement said that the banks being acquired are located in

Guyana, St Maarten, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

It said that the purchase price is US$123 million, which represents US$25 million consideration for total shareholding of Scotiabank Anguilla Limited; and a premium of US$98 million over net asset value for operations in the remaining eight countries.

Antigua and Barbuda has said that it wants assurances that local banks will be given priority to purchase Scotiabank’s operations on the island and that local persons’ investments and savings will be protected.

Browne told radio listeners that his administration’s policy regarding the sale of the bank is “not anti-capitalist, it is not anti-investment

(but) it is just about protecting and growing the domestic economy.

“Our domestic banks are so small that generally speaking they are not quite bankable for corresponding banking services,” said Browne, a former senior banking executive, adding that the departure of the Canadian banks presents an opportunity for local banks to expand.

“The only how are banks are going to get to the stage where they are large enough is through inorganic growth, through acquisitions. So whereas the Canadian banks have signalled their intention to leave it is quite an opportunity for the local banks to build capacity and grow rapidly so that they can become more resilient,” Browne said, adding that the growth would ensure the maintenance of existing corresponding banking relations. (Jamaica Observer)

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wednesday, may 29, 2019

Regional Former Jamaican PM Edward Seaga dies

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dward Seaga, a former Jamaican Prime Minister who shaped the island’s post-independence politics and cultural life, died Tuesday at 89.

Seaga’s death was announced on Twitter by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

Seaga, Jamaica’s Prime Minister from 1980 until 1989, was the only remaining member of the generation of leaders who drafted the constitution when the Caribbean island gained independence from Britain in 1962.

His political career began in the late 1950s and he won a parliamentary

seat in 1962. He was West Kingston’s representative for 40 consecutive years and held a parliamentary seat longer than anyone in Jamaica’s history.

Born May 28, 1930, in Massachusetts to LebaneseJamaican parents, Seaga renounced his US citizenship at a young age to show his loyalty to Jamaica. He studied anthropology at Harvard University and published several papers on Afro-Jamaican folklore and Obeah, a religion combining Christian and African rituals.

Prior to entering politics, Seaga was a major re-

Prime Minister Andrew Holness and former Prime Minister Edward Seaga

US boycotts UN arms forum as Venezuela takes chair

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he United States walked out of the Conference on Disarmament on Tuesday to protest against Venezuela assuming the rotating presidency of the UN-sponsored forum – as it did a year ago when Syria took the chair.

The Trump Administration, which has stepped up sanctions against the Government of Nicolás Maduro, has not ruled out military action to remove what it and dozens of other nations consider an illegitimate government.

As Venezuela took up the one-month presidency of the Geneva talks, US disarmament ambassador Robert Wood left the session and announced a "boycott" while Maduro Ambassador Jorge Valero chairs it.

A representative of Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó, the "interim leader", should assume the seat, Wood said.

Guaidó invoked the country's constitution in January to declare himself interim president after saying

US Ambassador Robert Wood attends a session of the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations in Geneva

Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

Valero blasted the Trump administration for the move on Tuesday, calling it "ridiculous". Valero called Trump as a "war-mongering racist", insisting that only Wood walked out on Tuesday.

Latin American delegations including Argentina, Brazil and Chile who also recognise Guaido stayed away from the Conference.

Syria and Russia denounced what they called its politicisation. More than US$4.5 billion in Venezuelan assets

have been frozen or confiscated under US-led sanctions that are crippling vital imports of food and medicines, Valero added.

Maduro maintains control over Venezuela's State institutions, calls Guaidó a puppet of Washington and blames US sanctions for the country's economic crisis. Millions of Venezuelans have left the country in recent years, fleeing hyperinflation, unemployment and food and medicine shortages. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Barbados defends decision to allow importation of marijuanabased prescription drugs

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he Barbados Health and Wellness Ministry is insisting that the decision that medical marijuana products be authorised for use in Barbados was based on the best available scientific evidence from clinical studies.

And it says the five medicinal marijuana drugs which will be imported will be used only when traditional medication fails to give any relief for chronic pain, spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, severe nausea and loss of appetite.

It was last Tuesday that Minister of Health

and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic announced that the drugs had been approved for importation by the Barbados Drug Service on the recommendation of the Barbados National Drug Formulary Committee.

Responding to concerns raised by some members of the public, the ministry issued a statement reiterating its position that the smoking of marijuana would not be part of the process since there was no scientifically proven medical benefit.

The drugs to be imported, it explained, were all approved by the United

States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

They have been identified as nabiximols such as Sativex®, purified cannabidiol oral solution such as Eidiolex®, synthetic non-psychoactive cannabinoid, namely Anabasum®, synthetic cannabinoid capsules – Nabilone® and synthetic cannabinoid capsules, Marinol®.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Anton Best stressed that the drugs would be prescribed when other pharmaceutical products proved ineffective. (Excerpt

from Caribbean360)

cord producer who operated the West Indies Record Ltd distribution company and played a role in introducing ska to the world.

At 29, he was appointed to Jamaica’s upper legislative house by LaboUr Party founder and Jamaica’s first Prime Minister, Alexander Bustamante.

As Opposition Leader in the 1970s, Seaga railed against the socialist agenda of then-Prime Minister Michael Manley, saying it crippled the island’s

fragile economy.

When Seaga’s Labor Party ousted the incumbent Manley and the People’s National Party’s “democratic socialist” administration in 1980, Seaga described the landslide victory as a “declaration against communism in Jamaica.”

In 1989, Seaga’s party lost the general election to Manley after he transformed into a centrist. But Seaga remained Labour’s leader for many years afterward and he built national institutions such as the annual festival celebrations, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission and the HEART National Training Agency, among other institutions.

Andrew Holness, the current Prime Minister from the Labour Party, is a Seaga protégé. First elected to Parliament in 1997 at the age of 25, he was a special assistant to Seaga, who was chief of the Labour Party until Bruce Golding took over in 2005.

PM Holness mourns Seaga

Prime Minister Andrew Holness expressed condolences to the family of for-

mer Prime Minister of Jamaica Edward Seaga who passed away on Tuesday.

Seaga, who fell ill earlier this month, turned 89 on Tuesday.

Holness in a post to his Instagram says Seaga leaves behind a rich legacy of loyal service to the Jamaican people. “Mr Seaga will live on through his stellar contribution to national development that defined our nation and provided service and value; indeed a legacy for generations now and generations to come.

“The nation has lost a leader with true human values. I offer my sincere and deepest condolences to his widow Carla and the rest of his family,” Holness said.

Seaga, is Jamaica’s fifth Prime Minister, from 1980 to 1989, and the leader of the JLP from 1974 to 2005 when he retired from active politics.

Since his retirement he has been an honorary distinguished fellow at the professorial level at The University of the West Indies, and also serves as chancellor of the University of Technology, Jamaica. (Excerpt from Yahoo! News and

Jamaica Observer)

Brazil to send prison gang leaders to federal jails after massacre – Justice Minister

Relatives of inmates react at the Institute of Forensic Science after prisoners were found strangled to death in four separate jails, according to the penitentiary department, in Manaus, Brazil May 28, 2019

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razilian Justice Minister Sergio Moro said on Tuesday that the prison gang leaders responsible for killing 55 inmates in prisons across the northern city of Manaus will be moved to maximum security federal jails.

Speaking at an event in Portugal, Moro said that the grisly spate of murders at the weekend were a result of a struggle between prison gangs, a public security issue in Brazil, the country with the world’s highest number of murders.

“The information we have is that there was a con-

flict between criminal gangs inside the prisons, which can happen anywhere in the world - but shouldn’t,” he told reporters. “We have an obligation to try to control these cases. We will transfer the leaders responsible for these acts in Manaus to prisons of maximum security.”

At least 40 prisoners in Brazil were found strangled to death on Monday in four jails in the Amazon city, where a fight between rival gangs resulted in 15 dead the day before, authorities said.

Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro

has vowed to regain control of the prisons along with building many more. But the vast majority of prisons are administered at the state level. For decades they have been badly overcrowded and out of control of local authorities, essentially serving as recruiting centres for drug gangs.

A federal task force is being sent to Manaus in an effort to halt the violence.

Prison clashes often spread rapidly in Brazil, where drug gangs have de facto control over nearly all jails.

(Reuters)

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wednesday, may 29, 2019

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Around the World

Japan attack: Child among 2 South African Deputy President killed in Kawasaki stabbing survives “disrepute” accusation

People have begun laying down flowers at the site of the mass stabbing

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knife-wielding man attacked a group of schoolchildren waiting for a bus in the Japanese city of Kawasaki near Tokyo.

At least 18 people were injured in a residential area.

Two of them, an 11-year-old girl and a 39-year-old man, have died.

A suspect, a man in his 50s, stabbed himself in the neck after his rampage and later died in hospital.

Violent crime is rare in

Japan and the motive for the attack is unknown.

The suspect was holding knives in both hands as he attacked the victims - 16 of whom were schoolgirls.

Police later named the victims of the fatal attack as Hanako Kuribayashi, who was in the sixth grade, and Foreign Ministry official Satoshi Oyama, who is believed to be the parent of another child.

The suspect has not been

named.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the attack, saying he felt “strong anger” against it.

The driver of the Caritas bus told NHK that he saw a man approach the queue of students.

He began stabbing the children and then boarded the bus and stabbed children inside as well, according to the BBC’s Japan correspondent, Rupert WingfieldHayes.

News agency Kyodo said the man was heard shouting “I’m going to kill you” during the attack.

He was apprehended by police and later died in hospital from injuries.

Emergency services arrived at the scene and set up medical tents to treat the wounded.

Locals have now begun placing flowers outside the site of the attack in a tribute to the victims. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Turkey launches operation against PKK fighters in northern Iraq

T

urkey’s military launched an operation with commandos, backed by artillery and air attacks, against Kurdish fighters in a mountainous area of northern Iraq, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

The military action began with artillery and air raids on Monday afternoon and the operation by commando brigades began at 8 pm (17:00 GMT) to “neutralise terrorists, and destroy their ammunition depots and shelters,” according to a Ministry statement.

It said the operation is in Iraq’s Hakurk region,

just across the border from Turkey’s southeastern tip, which also borders Iran.

The Ministry also said that nine PKK members had been killed in the operation as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighter group is based in northern Iraq, notably in the Qandil region to the south of Hakurk.

Video published by the Ministry showed helicopters landing commandos on mountainous terrain. It also shared photos showing shells fired by howitzers and soldiers perched on ridges, surveying hillsides with their rifles.

“The operation, with the support of our attack helicopters, is continuing as planned,” the statement said.

The military frequently launches cross-border air attacks against PKK targets in northern Iraq, but ground operations are less common.

The PKK has been fighting against the Turkish state in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey since the 1980s and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

It is designated a “terrorist” group by Ankara, the European Union and the United States. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

EU leaders at odds in search of “Mr or Ms Europe”

G

erman Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron disagreed on Tuesday over who should be the next chief of the European Commission as EU leaders began bargaining over names for the bloc’s top jobs in the next five years.

Held once every five years, the European Union election means the heads of major EU institutions will now be replaced.

Merkel said on arrival at the gathering that she backed centre-right German lawmaker Manfred Weber to be the next head of the EU’s powerful executive, the European Commission, after Luxembourg’s JeanClaude Juncker steps down on October 31.

Macron pushed back, listing the EU competition commissioner, Denmark’s Margrethe Vestager, the bloc’s Brexit negotiator, centre-right Frenchman Michel Barnier, and Dutch

S

outh Africa’s Deputy President David Mabuza was sworn in as a lawmaker on Tuesday, after a week’s postponement for him to address accusations he brought the ruling African National Congress (ANC) into disrepute, the party said.

The move clears the way for 58-year-old Mabuza, an important ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa, to remain his deputy, but again throws a spotlight on shadowy corruption allegations that have hit the ANC’s popularity in recent years.

The ANC easily won this month’s general election, though its vote share dropped due to anger over scandals and persistent inequalities since it took over after the end of apartheid and white minority rule in 1994.

Ramaphosa said last week that Mabuza requested a delay to his swearing-in at Parliament after a report by the ANC Integrity

President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa (left) talks with Deputy President, David Mabuza, after he was sworn in as a lawmaker for the ruling African National Congress (ANC), in Pretoria, South Africa May 28, 2019

Commission alleging he had “prejudiced the integrity” of the party and brought it “into disrepute.”

The former schoolteacher and premier of northeastern Mpumalanga province has struggled to shrug off allegations there over irregular tenders for a 2010 World Cup stadium, political killings, and gifts to former President Jacob Zuma.

He denies all wrongdoing and wants all the allegations levelled against him to be tested in a court of law.

ANC presidency office head Zizi Kodwa told Reuters that Mabuza had met members of the Integrity Commission in the past week. A report would be given to the party’s executive committee, he said, without giving any further details.

Ramaphosa, whose predecessor Zuma’s 2009-2018 presidency was dogged by allegations of widespread corruption, is due to announce his new Cabinet later this week. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Kushner heads to Middle East to seek support for US peace plan

U

S President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is leading a delegation to the Middle East, signalling a new push on a long-promised peace plan for the region.

Kushner has been accompanied by Jason Greenblatt, Trump’s special representative for international negotiations, and Brian Hook, the special US representative for Iran, the White House said on Tuesday.

A White House official told Reuters News Agency one reason for this week’s trip is to boost support for a June 25-26 US-led conference in Manama, Bahrain,

in which Kushner is set to unveil the first part of Trump’s long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

The Palestinians have already rejected the plan as extremely biased in favour of Israel and declined to take part in the Manama meeting. Palestinian leaders said they were not consulted about the conference and stressed any solution to the conflict must be political.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have said they will participate, but Russia and China have said they will not send delegations.

Washington has yet to

commit to an exact timetable with respect to the political aspects of the peace plan.

Kushner’s trip comes just days after Trump authorised $8.1 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies, bypassing the US Congress, which had frozen arms sales to the kingdom after the assassination of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 and stressed concerns over the human toll of a Saudiled campaign in Yemen.

But the Trump Administration defended the sales as necessary “to deter Iranian aggression and build partner self-defence capacity”. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Pakistan vet charged with blasphemy over medicine ‘wrapped in religious text’

A

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives at a European Union leaders summit after European Parliament elections to discuss who should run the EU executive for the next five years, in Brussels, Belgium, May 28, 2019

Social Democrat Frans Timmermans - but not Weber - as appropriate candidates.

The premiers of Spain and Sweden explicitly backed Timmermans, while those of Ireland and Croatia spoke for Weber. Luxembourg’s Bettel supported Vestager, while eastern leaders demanded geographical balance in awarding the prominent Brussels roles.

On Tuesday, a flurry of separate face-to-face meetings took place in Brussels

before all the leaders, including outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May, convened at 1600 GMT. The difficult-to-call process will lead to an arcane compromise. Unanimity is not required though it is hard to see a candidate succeeding against the will of more than just a handful of leaders, as that would risk damaging their future cooperation and stalling the EU’s decision-making. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Hindu veterinary doctor in south-east Pakistan has been charged under the country’s strict blasphemy laws after allegedly selling medicine wrapped in paper bearing Islamic religious text.

An angry crowd set fire to his clinic near Mirpur Khas, Sindh province, and other Hindu-owned shops were looted.

The vet said his use of the paper, apparently torn from an Islamic studies school textbook, was a mistake.

If he is convicted he could be sentenced to life in prison.

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws carry harsh penalties for anyone who insults Islam. Critics say they target a disproportionate number of people from religious minorities.

According to reports, the vet had used pages from the

The clinic and other Hindu-owned shops were targeted by the mob, witnesses said

school textbook to wrap up medicines for a customer with sick livestock. But the customer saw Islamic religious content on the pages and went to a local cleric who informed the police.

He has since been charged with insulting religious beliefs and defiling the Koran and faces life in prison.

Four shops, including the vet’s clinic and a medical store, were ransacked and

then set alight, local journalists reported.

Mirpur Khas police officer Javed Iqbal told the BBC that those involved in the attacks would be arrested. He said they had “neither love for Islam nor for their neighbours”.

Islam is Pakistan’s national religion and public support for the strict blasphemy laws is strong.(Excerpt from BBC News)

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wednesday, may 29, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

Call in a favor if it will help you get things done. An opportunity is only worth your while if it is useful.

Don’t buy into something that isn’t necessary.

CANCER

Emotions will emerge quickly if you feel someone is taking advantage of you. Try not to overreact or get into a dispute when you should just walk away.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

SUDOKU

Staying active will help alleviate stress. Greater involvement in something satisfying or beneficial will help you maintain a positive attitude. Be intelligent when dealing with troublemakers.

Get involved in something that will improve your standard of living, health or the way you present yourself to the world. Don’t overthink what needs to be done; do what feels comfortable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Pick up information that will help you make good decisions. Confusion while traveling can be expected and should be countered with preparation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Take an active role in whatever you do. Partnering with someone who shares your ideas will help you reach your goal without a hitch. Romance will improve your life.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Rearrange things at home and clear a space for entertainment or a hobby you want to start.

Communication will help bring you closer to a loved one.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

YESTERDAY’S WORD -- DESPOIL

Call on someone you know and trust for good advice. Getting a second opinion will put your mind at ease and help you move forward with your plans.

Romance is highlighted.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

The lessons of experience coupled with newfound information or skills will help you reach your goal. Strive for perfection and pay close attention to detail. When in doubt, ask for help.

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Make a change for the right reason, not because of an emotional incident or argument. Do what’s right and best, not what feeds your ego. Choose peace and love over discord.

Make changes at home that will add to your comfort. Don’t feel you must keep up with the neighbors or someone who is prompting you to do something that is risky or unpredictable.

The personal changes you make should be made for your own reasons, not because someone else is pressuring you to make them.

Moderation will be instrumental in alleviating stress.

wednesday, MAY 29, 2019

19

Rahul, Dhoni tons; Kuldeep’s return to form headline India’s win

Kuldeep Yadav and Virat Kohli celebrate a wicket

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he result of a warm-up match might not matter hugely, but India, who beat Bangladesh by 95 runs in what was the final preparatory fixture for either side, came away with more answers than questions - quite ideal a couple of days before the start of the World Cup. KL Rahul first scored a classy century to all but firm up the No. 4 slot for himself, and Kuldeep Yadav, out of form and under pressure, then put up a heartening performance with the ball, claiming 3 for 47.

For the record, in a 14 v 14 encounter - Bangladesh left out Tamim Iqbal and India Kedar Jadhav, though the latter did come out to field briefly - India batted first and put up 359 for 7, Rahul’s 99ball 108 from No. 4 and MS Dhoni’s thoroughly dominant 78-ball 113 the highlights of their innings. Bangladesh looked on course when Liton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim were batting together, but with Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal getting among the wickets, they ended on 264, with three balls left in the innings.

It was a strange sort of batting effort from the Indians, easily broken up into a few segments.

Shikhar Dhawan fell in the third over, and Rohit Sharma in the 14th, and by the end of the 15th over, India had only reached 58. Virat Kohli had stepped in and settled down by then, and while Dhawan and Rohit scored at 11.11 and 45.23 respectively, Kohli quickly passed the run-a-ball mark.

It wasn’t easy going for him, though. Mustafizur Rahman, who bowled beautifully, hitting the perfect length and getting the ball to move in the air and off the pitch, got Kohli to nick one between the wicketkeeper and a very wide slip, and Rubel Hossain also caught the India captain’s edge once. But Kohli was in good touch outside of those blips, and looked set for at least a half-century when Mohammad Saifuddin had his number. Saifuddin bowls usually in the 125kph range, and it really was a case of Kohli giving the bowler the charge and yorking himself in the process than any ex-

pertise on Saifuddin’s part, though his celebrations belied that, while also making for some fun viewing.

But from 102 for 4 after 22 overs, when Rubel had Vijay Shankar caught behind, it was all India. Slow till that point, India rode on Rahul’s class and Dhoni’s belligerence to move to 150 by 30 overs, then 199 after 35, and 243 by 40. Rahul played the pulls and cuts especially well, while Dhoni smashed it around, particularly against the spinners, with disdain.

Rahul’s century coupled with Vijay’s failure, might have effectively finished off the No. 4 debate for India, but maybe the Indians missed a trick by not giving the likes of Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik some batting time once Rahul and Dhoni had had their fun. Oh, Dhoni certainly had fun, targeting the shorter boundaries and sending the ball over the ropes seven times, including the one he hit to bring up his century.

After the abject performance with the bat against New Zealand, where they rolled over for 179 in 39.2 overs before going down by six wickets, this was a heartening performance from the Indian point of view. The performance of the star opening pair, however, remains a cause for concern.

It wasn’t a bad start for Bangladesh as they chased a big target, but Jasprit Bumrah pegged them back with a double-strike, sending back Soumya Sarkar and Shakib Al Hasan with consecutive balls. Liton and Mushfiqur, however, took

control of the chase - the Indians did not bring back their frontline pacers at any stage - with a 120-run stand.

They kept the required rate within reach and settled in nicely, till another two-intwo brought India back into the contest. This time, it was Chahal, who had Liton stumped and Mohammad Mithun lbw with a wrong’un to leave Bangladesh at 169 for 4 in the 32nd over.

But Mushfiqur, perhaps Bangladesh’s most dependable batsman in the last couple of years - an average of 50.88 as against a career average of 34.95 - was still out there, and was playing a little gem. After settling down in Liton’s company, Mushfiqur turned it on with a series of drives - off back foot and front - and some cracking slog-sweeps, a shot he has mastered.

Then Kuldeep led a turnaround. He was out of sorts during the IPL and then out of the Kolkata Knight Riders team, broken and battered, but after a wicketless warmup against New Zealand, he finally struck when he beat Mahmudullah’s hoick to hit timber. His expression changed, his body language improved, and he suddenly seemed to rediscover his flight and loop, and was getting both the legbreak and the wrong’un going. How much that meant to the team was also evident in the celebrations.

The third two-in-two of the innings came courtesy Kuldeep too, when he bowled Mushfiqur for a well-made 94-ball 90 and, off the next ball, had Mosaddek Hossain

3

SCOREBOARD

India Innings (50 overs maximum) RG Sharma b Rubel Hossain 19 S Dhawan lbw b Mustafizur Rahman 1 V Kohli (c) b Mohammad Saifuddin 47 KL Rahul b Sabbir Rahman 108 V Shankar c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Rubel Hossain 2 MS Dhoni b Shakib Al Hasan 113 HH Pandya c Sabbir Rahman b Shakib Al Hasan 21 KD Karthik † not out 7 RA Jadeja not out 11 Extras 30 (lb 3, nb 1, w 26) TOTAL (50 Overs, RR: 7.18) 359-7 Did not bat: Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, JJ Bumrah, YS Chahal, B Kumar Fall of wickets: 1-5 (S Dhawan, 2.5 ov), 2-50 (RG Sharma, 13.3 ov), 3-83 (V Kohli, 18.4 ov), 4-102 (V Shankar, 21.6 ov), 5-266 (KL Rahul, 43.2 ov), 6-325 (HH Pandya, 47.3 ov), 7-348 (MS Dhoni, 49.2 ov) BOWLING M Rahman (8-1-43-1) M Mortaza (6-2-23-0) M Saifuddin (6-1-27-1) R Hossain (8-0-62-2) A Jayed (3-0-41-0) S Hasan (6-0-58-2) M Miraz (5-0-40-0) M Hossain (3-0-32-0) S Rahman (5-0-30-1) Bangladesh Innings (target: 360 runs from 50 overs) Liton Das st Dhoni b Chahal 73

stumped with one that went the other way. From there to the end was only a matter of time.

It’s serious stuff now.

Bangladesh’s World Cup

Soumya Sarkar c †Karthik b Bumrah 25 Shakib Al Hasan b Bumrah 0 Mushfiqur Rahim † b Kuldeep Yadav 90 Mohammad Mithun lbw b Chahal 0 Mahmudullah b Kuldeep Yadav 9 Sabbir Rahman b Jadeja 7 Mosaddek Hossain st †Karthik b Kuldeep Yadav 0 Mohammad Saifuddin c Kuldeep Yadav b Chahal 18 Mehidy Hasan Miraz run out (Chahal/†Karthik) 27 Rubel Hossain not out 0 Extras (lb 10, nb 1, w 4) 15 TOTAL (49.3 Overs, RR: 5.33) 264 all out Yet to bat: Mustafizur Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Abu Jayed Fall of wickets: 1-49 (Soumya Sarkar, 9.4 ov), 2-49 (Shakib Al Hasan, 9.5 ov), 3-169 (Liton Das, 31.3 ov), 4-169 (Mohammad Mithun, 31.4 ov), 5-191 (Mahmudullah, 35.4 ov), 6-216 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 39.2 ov), 7-216 (Mosaddek Hossain, 39.3 ov), 8-216 (Sabbir Rahman, 40.2 ov), 9-262 (Mohammad Saifuddin, 48.4 ov), 10-264 (Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 49.3 ov) BOWLING M Shami (4-0-22-0) JJ Bumrah (5-0-25-2) B Kumar (5-0-19-0) K Yadav (10-0-47-3) V Shankar (6-0-46-0) YS Chahal (10-0-55-3) RA Jadeja (9.3-0-40-1)

campaign starts first, on June 2, against South Africa at The Oval, and India then play South Africa in their first game on June 5, in Southampton. (ESPNcricinfo)

French Open: Osaka fights back and Halep survives a testing 1st round

W

orld number one Naomi Osaka avoided a premature end to her bid for a third straight Grand Slam title by coming from behind to reach the French Open second round.

She twice had to stop Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova serving out the match before winning 0-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.

The Japanese, 21, faces two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka next.

Defending champion Simona Halep struggled in a 6-2 3-6 6-1 win over world number 47 Ajla Tomljanovic.

Schmiedlova, ranked 90th in the world, made very few errors until victory was in sight, but the pressure of a career-best win told as Osaka fought back.

US Open and Australian Open champion Osaka is playing in her first Grand Slam as the top seed.

Both Osaka and Halep were playing on Philippe Chatrier, the main court at Roland Garros, and both wobbled against low-ranked opponents.

Romanian Halep, whose only Grand Slam triumph

came in Paris last year, looked as though she would breeze through the match at first, winning the first set in less than half an hour.

But Tomljanovic broke Halep’s serve twice to take the second set, before the world number three closed out the match in dominant fashion after four breaks in the third.

Halep, 27, is hoping to become the first player to defend the women’s singles title since Belgian Justine Henin achieved the feat in 2007.

She faces Polish world number 87 Magda Linette in the second round.

American 14th seed Madison Keys enjoyed a much more straightforward win, beating Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina 6-1 6-2, while Belarusian 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated former Grand Slam finalist Dominika Cibulkova 7-5 6-1.

In one of the most anticipated ties of the round, Azarenka, 29, beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-4 7-6 (74).

Edmund into second round

British number one Kyle Edmund needed only seven minutes to book his place in the French Open second round as he wrapped up victory in his interrupted match against Jeremy Chardy.

Resuming at 5-5 in the fifth set after bad light stopped play on Monday, Edmund won 7-6 (7-1) 5-7 6-4 4-6 7-5 at Roland Garros in Paris.

British number two Cameron Norrie lost 6-3 6-0 6-2 to French qualifier Elliot Benchetrit, while Dan Evans was beaten 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-2 by Spanish 23rd seed Fernando Verdasco.

It means Edmund and British women’s number one Johanna Konta are the country’s only representatives in the second round of the singles.

Edmund has dropped to 30th in the world rankings, down from 14th at the start of the year, after five successive defeats on the clay which he once described as his preferred surface.

The Yorkshireman’s attitude to his form has been rather stoic, saying there

Simona Halep

was no need to panic because he knew he was a good player.

He showed glimpses of his undoubted talent on Court One throughout the opening set - finishing in style with a dominant tie-break - before the streaky Chardy, backed by a raucous home crowd, broke twice in the second set to level.

Edmund’s unforced errors

increased to 34 in the third set as he let a 4-2 lead slip, recovering to snatch back the break in the decisive 10th game.

The light began to fade in Paris and the danger of play being suspended grew as Chardy broke twice in the fourth and Edmund could not prevent it going to a gruelling decider.

Edmund crucially held off

two break points at 2-2 in the fifth before the match was suspended at 5-5 - to the displeasure of a booing French crowd.

When the match resumed on Tuesday, Edmund started quickly by holding serve, then breaking to claim victory and book a meeting with Uruguayan world number 47 Pablo Cuevas. (BBC Sport)

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2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Preview…

England, India favourites but Windies will spring bag of surprises B

By Brandon Corlette

ased on their recent form in One-Day International (ODI) cricket, and their rankings, the world number one team, England, and world number two, India, are favourites to win the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup (WC) starting tomorrow, May 30.

But, with the mighty Australians clicking at the right time, they should not be ruled out as they seek to defend their title.

Known as perennial underdogs, Team New Zealand, the 2015 WC finalists, may also be on the radar for victory, but the West Indies may spring many surprises, as it is Chris Gayle’s farewell and that may motivate the Caribbean boys to clinch a WC title. The latest bag of surprises came when West Indies defeated New Zealand by 91 runs in their final WC warm-up.

It was the perfect blueprint for Windies: Gayle and opening partner Evin Lewis had a quick start while Shai Hope showed his class with another century at number

three. West Indies middle-order catalysts Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer got starts while the explosive middle/ lower order including Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Carlos Brathwaite and Ashley Nurse added the finishing touches.

If these batsmen click throughout the WC, the West Indies will be daunting opponents who will certainly spring surprises on the favourites, England and India.

West Indies still lack consistency, but as time progresses, the pace guns in Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach, and Oshane Thomas will shoot at the right time.

India are led by the modern great, Virat Kohli and with experienced campaigner Mahendra Singh Dhoni they look a formidable team.

Additionally, India have in their possession the World number one and number two batsmen in ODIs – Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

As if that wasn’t too much, India are equipped with the weapon, Jasprit Bumrah, the world number one ODI bowler. The wrist-spinners, Kuldeep

Australia are the defending WC champions

Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are also in the top 10 ODI rankings.

Team England have built a reputation of failing to capitalise on crunch moments, and have been eliminated at the ICC major events by teams such as Bangladesh and Ireland. However, post the 2015 ICC World Cup, they have been a confident unit, dominating bilateral series home and away. With the WC playing at home, they have all the advantages to claim the title.

Eoin Morgan have led the team brilliantly, playing an aggressive brand of crick-

et with the likes of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root, who are all ranked among the top 20 batsmen in the world.

The middle order is a dominant force with Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.

At their disposal, England have the pace sensation, Jofra Archer and the world number nine bowler, Chris Woakes.

Wrist-spinner Adil Rashid and off-spinner Moeen Ali are two trump cards in the English set-up.

Australia are welcoming their modern greats Steven Smith and David Warner back while the new-

ly appointed captain, Aaron Finch has looked in beast mode in recent times. The coming of Usman Khawaja has been evident as the second coming of Shaun Marsh in ODI cricket.

No doubt these are the four who will lead the charge for Australia while the pace machines in Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Coulter-Nile will be charging in. From a groundsman to the premier off-spinner in Australia, Nathan Lyon will lead the spin attack while effective leg-spinner Adam Zampa will add variety for the Aussies.

The Champions Trophy winners and West Indies’ first opponents, Pakistan are a team to reckon with as are Bangladesh and the new-era Sri Lankans. New Zealand are also filled with world-class players in world number three batsman Ross Taylor and the 2015 leading run-scorer Martin Guptill, who is currently ranked 10th ahead of his captain, Kane Williamson, in 12th.

The Black Caps also possess Trent Boult, a brisk left-arm seamer and world number two bowler. The Faf

du Plessis-led South African team have had their heartbreaks at ICC events, but they will be eyeing a first triumph during this WC. They have numerous players who are at the top of the rankings, including world number five batsman Quinton de Kock and the number seven ranked du Plessis.

With the return of Dale Steyn, South Africa look firm, with Imran Tahir and Kagiso Rabada, their top bowlers, ranking in the top 10.

Afghanistan have two top 10 bowlers in their team – Rashid Khan and his fellow spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman. With explosive players such as Mohammed Shazad and Mohammed Nabi, Afghanistan must not be forgotten at this WC. The 48 ODIs of this global showpiece will culminate on July 14 when the champion team will lift the trophy at the home of cricket – Lords, in England.

The hosts will play the first match of the WC on May 30, 2019 when they meet South Africa.

Prashad, Gouveia and Cadogan putt and Onward Soldier! Cottrell ready drive to wins in Joe Solomon Classic to take charge in WC bid

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A few of the winners and players in the day’s game standing with Joe Solomon. From left: Maurice Solomon; Kurt Clements; Hemraj Kissoon; Joe Solomon; Robert Hanoman; Troy Cadogan – partly hidden; Monnaf Arjune; LGC President Aleem Hussain; (Captain) Chatterpaul Deo, Patanjilee “Pur” Persaud and Daniel Bates

U

nder fine weather, in spite of the usually rainy May/ June season, the grounds at the Lusignan Golf Club were in excellent playing conditions, for the Joe Solomon Classic tournament on Monday, May 27. Having fast greens, negligible soggy areas and a tremendous sense of great camaraderie and nostalgic pleasure for Joe Solomon, Hemraj Kissoon, Robert Hanoman, Maurice Solomon and Mike Gayadin, along with some 40 golfers teed-off excitedly at 9:00 a.m. The day closed with Patrick Prashad, Ian Gouveia and Troy Cadogan finished off with top honors in their Flights.

Prizes were awarded to 1st and 2nd in each Flight, of handicap 0 – 7, 8 – 10, and 11 – 14, since the tournament was played as a 9-hole medal play tournament, to allow Guest of honour Joe Solomon to play out the tournament.

In the 0 -7 Flight, the top 6 places were won by

Patrick Prashad (32/5) – 1st; Monnaf Arjune (33/5) 2nd; followed by Mike Gayadin (34/8); Mike Mangal (36/5); Aleem Hussain (37/5); and Lakram Ramsundar (39/7).

Aleem Hussain also won the Nearest The Pin prize.

In the 8 – 11 Flight, winners were Ian Gouveia (32/8) – 1st; Patanjilee ‘Pur’ Persaud (35/8) – 2nd; followed by Mahindranauth Tiwari (37/8); Shanella Webster-London (39/8); and Hilbert Shields (43/8).

In the 12 – 14 Flight, winners were Troy Cadogan (second successive win) (31/13) – 1st; Kurt Clements (of Exxon) (32/14); followed

by Daniel Bates (of Exxon) (34/12); Maurice Solomon (36/12); Robert Hanoman (36/14); Pope Emmanuel (39/13); and Guest of Honour – Joe Solomon (41/14).

ExxonMobil players continue to do well, being in the Winners Row the 3rd week straight.

Of special note, which augurs well for female involvement in the game, was

the presence of the two local and two ExxonMobil female players, Shanella WebsterLondon, Eureka Giddings, Kari Ehmling and Errin Mitchell. Regular local player Dr Joaan Deo regretted that she was unavailable for play.

Minister Ronald Bulkan, who is a member of the LGC, was on hand to support the honoring of Joe Solomon.

Former Club President Hemraj Kissoon, who in addition to recognizing and praising Joe Solomon for his achievements in cricketing, pointed out that it was Joe who contributed significantly to his successful tenure as President of the Golf Club. Moreover, he was delighted that the current progress and development of the Club surpasses anything he or any other President had done. Former President Jerome Khan indicated that he considered it a pleasure to be present in support of the honor of Joe Solomon, and he also gives his support to the Club’s development.

ast bowler Sheldon Cottrell says there is a definite buzz in the West Indies camp as the team gears up for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.

With just three days left before the first match against Pakistan, West Indies are focused on the job at hand, said the 29-year-old Jamaican soldier.

“It has been a gradual build-up to the first game (of the World Cup).

I’m ready... can’t wait for Friday to come…. the entire team is ready. The chemistry in the team is something I’ve never seen before, everyone if bouncing around and enjoying every moment of it,” Cottrell said. “I got no hand-outs … I had to work really hard to get here. I’ve done well and I have been rewarded. It wasn’t an easy road, but I put in the hard work and now I’m excited and ready to face the challenge of playing in the Cricket World Cup.” He was speaking on Monday as they prepared for the second warm-up match against New Zealand, which will be played at the County Ground in Bristol. Cottrell has had a good run in the West Indies colours since his return to ODI format in March against England in the Caribbean. He was also effective with the new ball in the recent Tri-Nation Series in Ireland, and said he was hoping to use the

Sheldon Cottrell

match against the Black Caps to put the finishing touches on his preparation.

“I’m looking at the New Zealand game and I’m taking it very serious. It’s our last warm-up game before the actual thing starts so I’m taking it very much serious especially with what I want to do coming into the first game so I’m taking it very serious,” said the left-armer, who has played 14 ODIs. West Indies have been labelled underdogs for the

May 30 to July 14 showpiece. The Jason Holderled side will, however, be hoping to revisit the imperious form they displayed during the five-match home series against England earlier this year. In that fivematch rubber they matched the visitors in every department and held them to a 2-2 draw with one match being rained off. During that series Cottrell took a career-best 5-46 in Barbados which bowled the home team to victory. (CWI)

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Stacy Ann King had wickets and scored 34

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two

est Indies Women beat Ireland Women by 45 runs in the second T20I in Dublin to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the threematch T20I series. After winning the toss and opting to bat, West Indies turned out a commendable performance with the bat, with

all their top-order batsmen contributing significantly in a way that a mini-collapse of 4 for 18 runs hardly mattered. West Indies cruised to a competitive 157/6, smashing 21 in the last ten balls, and thereby yielding a productive slog phase. Captain Kim Garth was Ireland’s only shining light, picking up three wickets for 22 runs in her four overs. Ireland started off solidly but regular wickets and their inability to keep up with the required rate cost them dearly. Once again, Garth was the lone warrior with the bat, nudging her way to a mature fifty, with desperately little support from the other end.

After collapsing to 67 for 6 in the 15th over, MacMohan and Garth decided to play out their twenty overs, and despite the block-block-

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ttis Gibson has no qualms about being tipped to replace England coach Trevor Bayliss, particularly given his contract with South Africa is to expire later this year.

Bayliss will leave his role with England when his deal comes to an end in September, having been in charge of the Test, ODI and Twenty20 teams for the past four years.

Gibson, who has twice been part of England’s set up as a bowling coach, has been mentioned as a potential replacement – rumours he has no problems with.

Speaking to BBC Sport, the Proteas coach said: “My contract is up in

September.

“I’m happy to be linked with any job, because after that I might not have a job.

“I enjoyed both my stints with England. I know a lot of the guys in the dressing room.

“The way they are playing at the moment, I was very much involved in that for the first two years and they have gone on [in the] two years since I left.”

When Gibson – whose South Africa side face Bayliss’ men in Thursday’s Cricket World Cup opener at The Oval – was asked if he would enjoy working in England again, he replied: “I’ve been living in England for over 20 years, so that’s the answer.” (Sportsmax)

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Hayley Matthews was in fine form during her 33

smack approach by Garth, she fell short of smacks and more importantly, singles, as the West Indies pulled off a clinical win to wrap up the series 2-0. The third T20I will be played at the Pembroke Cricket Club in Dublin as well, on Wednesday (May 29). (cricbuzz)

SCOREBOARD

Windies Women Innings HK Matthews b Maritz 33 B Cooper c & b Garth 20 SACA King c Lewis b Garth 34 SA Campbelle † b Garth 19 CN Nation b Raack 4 NY McLean not out 16 Kycia A Knight c Maritz b MacMahon 11 SR Taylor (c) not out 2 Extras 18 (lb 2, nb 1, w 15) TOTAL 157/6 (20 Overs, RR: 7.85) Did not bat: ASS Fletcher, K Ramharack, SC Selman Fall of wickets: 1-32 (B Cooper, 3.4 ov), 2-70 (HK Matthews, 9.4 ov), 3-118 (SACA King, 15.1 ov), 4-118 (SA Campbelle, 15.4 ov), 5-124 (CN Nation, 16.5 ov), 6-136 (Kycia A Knight, 18.2 ov)

Ireland Women Innings (target: 158 runs from 20 overs) MV Waldron † lbw b King 25 GH Lewis b King 11 KJ Garth (c) not out 51 R Stokell c †Campbelle b Ramharack 7 SM Kavanagh lbw b Nation 2 U Raymond-Hoey b Fletcher 1 L Little c Cooper b Fletcher 0 S MacMahon not out 11 Extras 4 (lb 2, w 2) TOTAL 112/6 (20 Overs, RR: 5.6) Fall of wickets: 1-24 (GH Lewis, 4.1 ov), 2-47 (MV Waldron, 8.5 ov), 3-60 (R Stokell, 11.1 ov), 4-66 (SM Kavanagh, 13.3 ov), 5-67 (U Raymond-Hoey, 14.1 ov), 6-67 (L Little, 14.5 ov)

Bowling C Raack (4-0-26-1) KJ Garth (4-0-22-3) L Little (2-0-33-0) S MacMahon (4 -0-21-1) L Maritz (4-0-35-1) AL Kerrison (2-0-18-0)

Bowling SC Selman (2-0-6-0) HK Matthews (2 -0-16-0) SACA King (4-0-15-2) K Ramharack (4-0-22-1) ASS Fletcher (4-0-20-2) CN Nation (4-0-31-1)

Stuart Broad and Ottis Gibson share a light moment

Klopp claims Liverpool team to face Tottenham is his best yet

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ürgen Klopp has described Liverpool as the best team he has taken to a cup final and believes defeat in Kiev last May focused their mindset on winning this season’s Champions League.

Liverpool are aiming to become champions of Europe for a sixth time – and their manager to break a sequence of six consecutive final defeats – when they face Tottenham in Madrid on Saturday. Klopp insists his team are completely different from the one that endured painful

defeat in the Champions League final against Real Madrid last season, when he claimed Liverpool were happy to surpass expectations and reach Kiev.

Now, Klopp maintains, Liverpool will be satisfied only with lifting the first trophy of his Anfield reign.

And he has the best opportunity to end that wait on Saturday, given the quality and character at his disposal.

The manager said: “I have never been part of a final with a better team than this. Our boys mixed our po-

tential with attitude in the best way I have witnessed.

That is brilliant, exceptional, and it brought us where we are. In the days between Barcelona and Barcelona I would say nobody believed more in this team than the team themselves. That is why we are here.

“It is a sensational situation. We didn’t expect it, we wanted it really desperately but it looked like it slipped through our fingers in the group stage when we struggled in the away games. But we did it in the most mature way.”

Klopp noticed a determination to avenge the defeat against Real among his players as soon as they resumed pre-season training last summer. “It had a big influence on us,” he said of the 3-1 defeat. “When we stood in the queue in the airport in Kiev on the way home, all in tracksuits, heads down, disappointed, there was a lot of different emotions. But the plan was, we come again. Now we are there, that is just incredible.

“I think every team that loses a final thinks they will put it right. They don’t all have the chance.

We do. It was the kickstart for the development of this team. From the first day of pre-season when we were all together, it was a big step for the boys. This team is not even to be compared with the team of last year.

Last year we wanted to be in Kiev. This year we wanted to win it wherever the final is. There’s a big difference just in our mindset.”

Klopp confirmed Naby Keïta will miss the final with the groin injury he sustained at Barcelona while Roberto Firmino, who missed Liverpool’s past three matches because of a muscle problem, is on course to play. Firmino trained alone at Melwood on Tuesday but is expected to rejoin the group sessions on Wednesday.

The manager also admitted that a Champions League triumph would rank as the highlight of his career. “The biggest moment of my career was getting promoted with Mainz in 2004.

But winning the Champions League with Liverpool?

That would make me think of something new.”

Georginio Wijnaldum, whose two goals in the sen-

sational semi-final victory against Barcelona played a crucial role in Liverpool’s passage to Madrid, is equally excited about the match on Saturday but has described it as a “50-50” contest.

“Spurs are a good team and anything can happen over 90 minutes,” Wijnaldum said. “We might have finished higher in the league but a final is 50-50. I don’t really think about being favourites because both teams can win this game.”

“Anything can happen but we are relaxed and training well. I wouldn’t say we are a team under pressure. This is just another opportunity for us.”

The game on Saturday provides Wijnaldum with another chance to face his former Newcastle teammate Moussa Sissoko. The pair remain friends. “Moussa looked after me when I first came to England,” Wijnaldum said. “ He helped me settle in, he even brought me something to eat. We’ve come a long way but we still have memories of Newcastle.” (The Guardian)

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wednesday, MAY 29, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Hope, Russell shine in dominating Windies victory

N

ew Zealand, fresh from walloping India a couple of days ago, chose to bowl to have a challenging chase later on, and they got just that. A target of 422, courtesy of a century from Shai Hope and contributions from nearly every other batsman.

It was a proper chase, all right. Yet New Zealand lost before they could dig their teeth into it. Martin Guptill, playing against West Indies for the first time since the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal where he smashed 237, was out for five, Sheldon Cottrell saluting him off the field. Then they bid farewell to their chances of making a game of this when Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls also failed to get going.

Tom Blundell, the wicketkeeper, rose to carve out a fine century to reduce the margin of defeat. When it did wrap up, New Zealand had managed a respectable 330, but the 91-run loss means no one will take West Indies lightly at the tournament proper.

F o r West Indies, the lament has long been that two or three fire, but find themselves having to make up for the failures of their colleagues.

On Tuesday, nine of the 11 players scored more than 20, and nine of the top 10 produced strike rates of 110. It was a batting performance inevitably evocative of England over the last four years, and if they manage to replicate this with consistency, their 36-year wait for a Shai Hope World Cup semi-final berth m a y finally draw to a close.

Hope stroked 101 off 86, without looking aggressive at almost any point during his innings except the start, where he dispatched Trent Boult - otherwise the best bowler of the game on either side - for 19 in his fifth over. The class of his shots, aided by the natural talent he oozes helped him score runs while not taking too many risks or generating the type of eye-catching power one expects to see from West Indies.

New Zealand's bowling performance was, to put it mildly, as ordinary as they've been all year. Boult kept a lid on a total that still ballooned to 422, but Matt Henry couldn't reprise Tim Southee's duties from the other end, with Chris Gayle teeing off in the opening six overs. At the death overs, when Henry returned, he was mercilessly savaged, conceding an eye-watering 107 in the nine overs he bowled.

Ish Sodhi, too, was ordinary, and while Mitchell Santner played the holding role as well as a certain other bespectacled left-arm

spinner has done for New Zealand over countless the consistency required against a side like the West Indies was missing throughout the innings.

The attempted Yorkers regularly became low full tosses or half-volleys, and with the margin of error almost non-existent, the runs rate never seemed to fall even as New Zealand began to take wickets reasonably regularly over the last 20 overs.

That batting performance was deftly backed up by the pace trio of Cottrell, Jason Holder and Kemar Roach, and the game was over before anyone else had rolled their arm over.

Holder and Roach in particular gave the batsmen nothing with their lines and lengths, and with New Zealand wary of taking too many risk early on, particularly after the early departure of Guptill, the result was a constant buil-up of pressure.

By the time Kane Williamson and Blundell put on a refined 120-run partnership, all they were doing was bolstering their confidence, instead Andre Russell of threatening to make a meaningful difference to t h e outcome of the game i n hand.

It was that sort of day for New Zealand where even this chic, high-class partnership would end in ugly, ungainly fashion. A mix-up when Blundell attempted a suicidal tthird run somehow ended up with Williamson stranded in the middle of the crease with all the hope of a three-toed sloth on t h e autobahn. To Blundell's credit, he did put that out of his mind and went on to compile an aesthetic 106 of his own.

With Tom Latham's availability in doubt following a broken finger, Blundell's form will be a sight for sore eyes within the New Zealand dressing room and among their fans.

While New Zealand's last seven wickets put up perfectly respectable resistance in the face of a no-win cause, one could argue West Indies had lost their intensity long before New Zealand officially lost the game. With the result a foregone Tom Blundell conclusion within the first 10, West

years,

3

SCOREBOARD

Windies Innings M Santner (9-1-71-1) CH Gayle c Williamson b Boult 36 New Zealand Innings E Lewis c Santner b Neesham MJ Guptill c Bravo b Cottrell 5 50 H Nicholls c Holder b Roach SD Hope † c Williamson b 15 Boult 101 K Williamson (c) run out DM Bravo run out (Nicholls) (Allen/†Hope) 85 25 R Taylor c Bravo b Thomas 2 SO Hetmyer c Boult b TA Blundell † c †Hope b Santner 27 Brathwaite 106 JO Holder (c) c Taylor b JDS Neesham st †Hope b Henry 47 Nurse 20 N Pooran run out (Boult/ C de Grandhomme c Allen b Ferguson) 9 Brathwaite 23 AD Russell b Boult 54 MJ Santner c Nurse b CR Brathwaite c Williamson b Brathwaite 19 Henry 24 IS Sodhi st †Hope b Allen 39 AR Nurse not out 21 MJ Henry st †Hope b Allen 1 KAJ Roach c & b Boult LH Ferguson not out 2 Extras 26 (lb 4, nb 4, w 18) Extras 13 (lb 1, nb 3, w 9) TOTAL 421 all out (49.2 Overs, TOTAL 330 all out (47.2 Overs, RR: 8.53) RR: 6.97) Did not bat: SS Cottrell, O Fall of wickets: 1-20 (MJ Thomas, ST Gabriel, FA Allen Guptill, 4.3 ov), 2-28 (HM Fall of wickets: 1-59 (CH Nicholls, 6.2 ov), 3-33 (LRPL Gayle, 7.2 ov), 2-143 (E Taylor, 9.5 ov), 4-153 (KS Lewis, 17.3 ov), 3-191 (DM Williamson, 25.6 ov), 5-222 Bravo, 23.6 ov), 4-234 (SO (JDS Neesham, 33.4 ov), Hetmyer, 30.3 ov), 5-267 6-261 (TA Blundell, 40.2 ov), (SD Hope, 35.4 ov), 6-285 (N 7-282 (MJ Santner, 42.5 ov), Pooran, 37.5 ov), 7-367 (JO 8-297 (C de Grandhomme, Holder, 44.2 ov), 8-379 (AD 44.2 ov), 9-315 (MJ Henry, Russell, 45.1 ov), 9-413 (CR 45.5 ov), 10-330 (IS Sodhi, Brathwaite, 48.3 ov), 10-421 47.2 ov) (KAJ Roach, 49.2 ov) Bowling Bowling SS Cottrell (3-0-16-1) M Henry (9-0-107-2) JO Holder (8-0-47-0) T Boult (9.2-1-50-4) KAJ Roach (5-1-18-1) L Ferguson (10-0-86-0) O Thomas (6-0-66-1) Grandhomme (2-0-18-0) CR Brathwaite (9-0-75-3) J Neesham (5-0-42-1) FA Allen (6.2-0-47-2) I Sodhi (5-0-43-0) AR Nurse (10-0-60-1)

Indies' focus dropped off in the middle, and as a result Oshane Thomas and Carlos Brathwaite will fell they didn't give their best with the ball. There's little doubt that won't happen when there's an actual World Cup game on the line.

These might just have been warm-ups, but a quietly resurgent West Indies are showing they aren't practice swat-aways for any side now. The team that reached the final in all of the first three World Cups in England are unlikely to be group stage cannon fodder any longer. (ESPNcricinfo)

Corona Futsal Tournament…

Bent Street, Back Circle, Tiger Bay, Future Stars book semi-final spots

A snippet of the Future Stars-West Front Road encounter

By Jemima Holmes

F

our ward teams are now one step closer to getting their hands on half a million dollars after the quarter-finals of the Corona Futsal Tournament 2019 saw keen competition from the remaining teams on Monday night.

With eight big names scheduled to compete in the quarter-finals, the night’s action did not disappoint with a number of thrills which kept the hundreds of spectators on the edge of their seats in the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

The first encounter of the night set the tempo for what was to come, as Future Stars and West Front Road went down to penalties to decide a winner.

Andy Duke of West Front Road was the lone marksman to hit the goal in the first half which gave his team some confidence against the ominous Future Stars; however, the second half had other things in store. West Front Road could not find the back of the goal again to extend their lead and became even more frustrated when Daniel Ross levelled the score for Future Stars in the 17th min-

ute. A successful shot from Colin Nelson gave West the lead again before Randel Bowman equalised just before regulation time was called.

Extra time bore no fruit and as such, the encounter went to the penalty line. Here, each striker found the back of the net, except for West Front Road’s final player which allowed Future Stars to advance.

With their coach missing from the sidelines on such a crucial night, the Bent Street outfit were determined to take home a win in his honour. A slow start saw the first goal being scored in the 10th minute by Seldon Holder.

The Bent Street lead was soon squashed by Meshaka Barrat, who caught the goalkeeper slipping and eased an equaliser in.

The levelled score seemed to lift the spirits of the California Square squad, but they never really got into the game. A brace from Pernel Schultz in the 14th and 17th minutes respectively extended Bent Street’s lead against the lacklustre California Square. Daniel Wilson added salt to their wounds with a final goal in the 20th minute for the 4-1 win.

Back Circle were the next team to taste victory in the quarter-final round after their encounter with North East La Penitence. A game that was evenly contested in the first half quickly slipped away from North East in the second after national player Trayon Bobb did some damage.

North East’s Keifer Bradt drew first blood in the fourth minute to give his team the lead. The excitement was short-lived as Dellon Kelly of Back Circle equalised a minute later and Bobb netted his first goal subsequently in the sixth minute.

With the score 2-1 at the half, North East had every opportunity to equalise and even take the lead, but those attempts were squandered. Bobb, however, made no mistakes and completed his hat-trick with goals in the 16th and 19th minutes. Another goal from Stephen Williams in the 18th sealed Back Circle’s 5-2 win.

The biggest upset of the night was without a doubt

Bent Street were in control of their game against California Square

saved for last, as Tiger Bay did the unthinkable. Sparta Boss, who are renowned in the futsal arena and were featured in last year’s final, found themselves backed into a corner by the determined Tiger Bay outfit.

The tension from the deadlocked game moved many fans to their feet as they eagerly awaited the first goal of the game. They were made to wait the entirety of regulation time to see such, as Tiger Bay’s Deon Alfred broke the chains in the second minute of extra time. Another goal from Alfred and Isaiah Andrew, both in the 24th minute, allowed Tiger Bay to hold on to a 3-0 lead.

It was at this moment that Gregory Richardson got into gear and found the back of the net. Eusi Phillips did the same in the 26th minute to move the score to 3-2, but Tiger Bay’s Leon Gravesande further extended it to 4-2 with another goal. A hopeful strike from Jeremy Garrett found the back of the net, but his 29th minute goal was not enough to mend the damage Tiger Bay had already done. Sparta Boss were sent packing with the 4-3 loss.

Bent Street, Back Circle, Tiger Bay and Future Stars will battle on Saturday, June 1 for a spot in the Corona final.

guyanatimesgy.com

wednESday, may 29, 2019

23

CPL 2019: Bramble motivated by 2nd homecoming

– sights set on Windies, T20 leagues

Anthony Bramble has been the most successful regional wicket-keeper in the past two seasons

By Brandon Corlette

A

brilliant gloves man, Anthony Bramble is set to make his return to the “Biggest Party In Sport” for a second time.

Bramble was picked up in round 15 of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) draft by his home franchise, Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) in the 2019 draft on Wednesday last.

Sharing his grateful sentiments in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, Bramble was a happy lad for the second opportunity he has given in CPL. “I am motivated with this selection, and happy to be included in a great franchise as the GAW,” Bramble detailed.

The lad, who plays his cricket for Albion Sports Complex, is one of five Berbicians selected by the GAW. Bramble, an imperious 28-year old Guyana Jaguars player, told this reporter that CPL was a league with recognition, with some big players featuring. If given an opportunity, Bramble will be eyeing upward mobility in his cricket. “It’s early days I don’t set myself any goal as yet,” he disclosed.

Flashback! Bramble jumps for joy in his 2016 CPL season for GAW

Bramble further added that the CPL was the yardstick for playing T20 cricket for West Indies and even other T20 leagues around the globe, and fittingly he has his sights set on those. He is set to make his return to CPL since his last stint in 2016, where he played 12 matches for GAW. It was not the best

of his seasons with the bat: in his 10 innings, he scored 70 runs to go with his nine catches and one stumping.

The hard-hitting Bramble has developed into a fine wicketkeeper-batsman in recent times, finishing the regional tournaments as the best wicketkeeper in successive years. He was further exposed to cricket in Canada, where he led the Cricket West Indies (CWI) B team, its developmental team, to the final of the inaugural Global T20 Canada.

Bramble, who is among the players who are seeking more opportunities to attain selection to the regional team and the A teams, had fantastic Regional 4-Day seasons. In the 2017-2018 season, Bramble finished with 613 runs in 10 matches. His fruitful season saw him scoring a career-best 196* and four half-centuries, at an average of 47.15.

The counter-attacking manner in which Bramble scored these runs has al-

ways been a joy to watch, and his sharp work behind the stumps is equally attacking.

Topping the wicketkeepers’ chart in 2017/18, Bramble had 42 catches and three stumpings; adding the icing to the cake, he was deservingly Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) player of the year.

Bramble, a lad from Skeldon in East Corentyne, Berbice, proved his consistency when he extended his dominance at the regional level.

In the just-concluded 20182019 season, he topped the charts for Guyana Jaguars; in terms of runs, he aggregated 580 runs at a stellar average of 52.72, including two centuries against some quality bowling. He polished off the performance with the bat with his 42 dismissals.

After his 58 First-Class matches, he has 2403 runs at an average of 31.20, including three centuries and 10 half-centuries. A wicketkeeper-batsman who has shown such promise and development in his cricket, Bramble

Bramble on the charge for GAW

is set to achieve greater things and a second homecoming in CPL may be the perfect stepping stone.

Hero CPL 2019 fixtures released Circle tennis action moves to Region 3

T

he Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) fixtures for the 2019 season have been announced as the best cricketing talent from across the Caribbean and from around the world are set to be part of the “Biggest Party in Sport”.

The 34-match season starts later this year, with the opening match happening on September 4 and the final on October 12, 2019.

So far, games are confirmed for Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago.

The first match will

see last year’s winners, Trinbago Knight Riders, take on St Kitts & Nevis Patriots while the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ campaign will get underway against St Lucia Stars. Fans will have to wait until Game 27 for a repeat of last year’s final with the Knight Riders taking on the Amazon Warriors.

To coincide with the release of the schedule, CPL has made selected tickets available for sale online for this year’s tournament. These include those for group games in Trinidad and Jamaica. These are available at www.cplt20. com.

Hero CPL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Damien O’Donohoe is excited about the upcoming sea-

T

son. “We are delighted with how Hero CPL continues to grow. Last season we saw more than 200 million viewers watch the tournament and Hero CPL also made a huge impact on the economies of the countries we visited. We are certain that this year we will see those numbers grow once again,” he said.

Speaking about the announcement of the tournament fixtures ,Hero CPL’s Chief Operations Officer (COO), Pete Russell said: “It is very pleasing to get the fixture list agreed for this year. It is always a challenge and we would like to thank everyone involved in helping to pull this all together.”

he Region Three circle tennis team, Visionary Youth Club won the feature match in the one day “Our National Game of Circle Tennis” programme when they defeated Houston All Stars at the Hyde Park Community Centre, Parika.

Houston batted first and racked up 203-4 off 50 deliveries. Nicholas Ramlall hit 86 not out (6s -9); Sheldon Christopher, 45, and Janell Christopher and Shaizah Joseph accumulated 18 runs apiece.

When it was Visionary Youth Club’s turn in the circle, they gave their boisterous supporters a classical display by reaching the target, 204 -5, off the very last ball. Travis Drakes top-scored with 116 (6s - 17), while Uron Armstrong and Christopher Forrester hit 20 and 15 respectively.

In an effort to revive the sport, other matches were played to give youngsters a feel of the sport. In those fixtures, Saint Pius scored 1724 with contributions from Shane Allicock (45) and Philip Fraser (33).

Visionary Youth Club could not reach their target and instead slumped to 90-2, with T Drakes making 20 and Nicholas Forestor 17.

Hailing from Region Six, Flying Stars United Force made 131-3 in their allotted deliveries. David Duncan (39) and Marvin Durant (25) were the outstanding batsmen.

Houston All Stars reached

their target comfortably, scoring 136-3. N Ramlall (35) and Shawn Grey (23) were their top scorers.

Coming up against St Pius, Houston All Stars made 109-3, with contributions from Shawn Grey (25); Ryan Ramlall (25) and Yanick Williams (23).

However, Saint Pius cruised to 116-2, with top scores from Abiola Shepherd (30) and Keith Brant (27).

Region Six’s Flying Stars United Force suffered a loss when they battled Region Three. Romping to 107-9, Region Three’s Visionary Youth Club made light work of the total and reached 1124 easily after a half-century from Travis Drakes (73).

In the final encounter, Saint Pius posted 179-2, after a half-century from Orin Paris (62), along with contributions from Burkley Josiah (31) and Omar Jones (29).

Region Six’s Flying Stars United Force in reply could not attain their target and instead made 141-1. Sharland Laundry top-scored with 57 not out (6s-5) and S Bacchus made 16.

The most promising female award was given to Elmini Ross while the best male player trophy was awarded to Travis Drakes, both of the Region Three team.

Social Cohesion Minister with responsibility for Sport, Dr George Norton was present at the circle tennis activities.

A glimpse of the circle tennis action

wednesday, MAY 29, 2019

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

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