Guyana Times Daily July 7, 2018

P9

Caricom bureaucracy, not structure, hinders integration – Granger THE BEACON OF TRUTH

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

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Issue No. 3616

PRICE

WCD man beats brother to death over food

WHAT'S INSIDE: Following complaints

Doctors appointed to Leguan Cottage Hospital P11

Page 7

Contraband in prisons

5 ‘corrupt’ wardens fired

Row over horse ends in shooting Page 10

Page 9

$80 vat included

Police thwart gas station robbery P16

…1 in custody

St Rose’s High School to be demolished next P10 week

No conflict of interest in US$10M to environment watchdog – ExxonMobil

...as company faces Parliamentary Natural Resources Committee

Page 3

Officials from oil giant ExxonMobil answering questions before the National Assembly’s Natural Resources Committee on Friday. In photo are Country Manager Rod Henson; Senior Director – Public and Government Affairs, Deebra Moe; and another representative of the company

Flood-hit Region 9

Floodwaters persist, residents urged to take precaution Page 15

New THAG President P16 to forge stronger ties with Govt

Fuel/fare hike

Business Ministry P14 finally meets with minibus association

2 news

saturDAY, july 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Camp Street Prison

Reconstruction plans finalised – Prison Director

…facility to get 60 steel cells

O

n the heels of the anniversary of the devastating Camp Street Prison fire and riot,

Prison Director Gladwin Samuels on Friday confirmed that the re-construction details of the

Georgetown penitentiary have been finalised.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Samuels said

An aerial view of the burnt out Camp Street Prison

efforts are being made for the speedy reconstruction of the facility. “…the method that we’re using for the re-construction of the Camp Street [Prison] for the accommodation of prisoners will be done using three parts. These will be done with the use of pre-fabricated cells… We have recently finalised all of the construction details for those cells. So, steel cells should commence… will be delivered to Guyana within 2018,” he explained.

According to the Prison Director, upon reconstruction, the facility will accommodate a total of 60 new steel cells, which is ex-

pected to house some 180 “hard-code criminals”.

“Sixty cells have [to be] constructed. Twenty cells will be allotted to each part as the divisions are called, and each cell will accommodate three prisoners so that the facility they will be constructing initially will accommodate 180 prisoners. Those prisoners, based on our segregation, we will be looking at the high-risk prisoners to be relocated there,” he asserted.

Samuels further revealed that prison officials are in the process of finding suitable contractors to complete the rehabilitation works.

“All things being equal,

we should be going to tender at the end of this month, we should be going to tender at the end of this month in order to have those works allocated to the suitable contractors in order to have those works executed,” he noted.

Meanwhile, he also mentioned that the expansion of the Mazaruni Prison is moving full steam ahead.

Some $1.5 billion was awarded in the 2018 Budget for the expansion and rehabilitation of the prison infrastructure.

The Camp Street Prison was completely flattened by fire on July 9 which left one prison officer dead and several others injured.

During the fire, four convicts – Uree Varswyck, also called “Malcolm Gordon”; Mark Royden Durant, also called “Royden Williams” and “Smallie”; Cobena Stephens, also known as “OJ”; and Paul Goriah escaped.

On March 3, 2016, 17 prisoners died at the same prison after a fire was set during hours of unrest at the major prison facility.

news

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saturDAY, july 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, July 7 – 12:00h-13:30h and Sunday, July 8 – 13:00h-14:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, July 7 – 10:55h-12:25h and Sunday, July 8 – 12:10h-13:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers can be expected in the morning while light cloudy skies can be expected in the afternoon. Thundery skies are expected to give way to party cloudy skies in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-westerly to East North-easterly and North-easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 11:16h and 23:47h reaching maximum heights of 2.31 metres and 2.37 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 04:45h and 17:14h reaching a minimum height of 0.89 metre at each scheduled low tide.

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

No conflict of interest in US$10M to environment watchdog – ExxonMobil O

fficials from oil giant ExxonMobil made a first-time appearance before the National Assembly’s Natural Resources Committee on Friday, where they gave an account of their activities in Guyana and defended the recently announced US$10 million grant made to Conservation International (CI).

Leading the team was Country Manager Rod Henson, who was asked about the implications of conflict of interest when part of that money will go to Conservation International of Guyana: a pro-environment, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).

“CI is an international NGO... Don’t you think that CI being grantee of US$10 million is actually a conflict of interest? They are the international watchdog which our Government has been partnering with as it relates to environment and conservation,” Committee member and opposition Parliamentarian Pauline Sukhai questioned.

Committee Chairman Odinga Lumumba backed up his colleague’s observation, noting that the local CI has effectively been relieved of credibility when it comes to “any issue in Guyana with oil spills, environmental problems, etc.”

In his answer, however, Henson denied that this was a conflict of interest. In fact, Henson affirmed that the Government of Guyana had prior knowledge that the company would partner with CI. Henson stressed that this initiative is a good thing, as CI could build capacity to improve its oversight.

“This is our ExxonMobil Foundation initiative. This is not directed or approved by the Government. This is a good thing. I am not aware that Conservation International has a sole role and a unique role as a watchdog. ExxonMobil uses this organisation or partners with this organisation around the world,” he responded.

A scene from the sitting of the Natural Resources Committee

The company announced on Monday that its philanthropic arm would be investing US$10 million into Guyana’s conservation efforts and into collaborations with the University of Guyana. According to a statement from the company, the US$10 million will be provided in tranches over a period of five years. It is understood that the initial grant money will fund a feasibility study that will work out the scope of the programme.

ExxonMobil Foundation

The ExxonMobil Foundation engages in a number of philanthropic activities in the United States, with a focus on advancing education and training. But with the company’s local subsidiary having discovered over three billion recoverable barrels of oil off Guyana’s coast since 2015, the foundation has turned its attention here.

“Once defined, Conservation International Guyana and the University of Guyana will deliver the education, training, research and retention programmes that will help ensure that economic growth reinforces Guyana’s environmental development goals. The investment is also intended to expand conservation areas in the Rupununi Wetlands,” the ExxonMobil statement detailed.

According to the statement, money will go towards “mangrove restoration, and management and support improvements to community-based fishing on Guyana’s coast, a sector the Government of Guyana has identified as critically important to the wellbeing of the Guyanese people, and support the work of the University of Guyana’s Greening Research and Innovation Centres.”

President of the ExxonMobil Foundation, Kevin Murphy, was quoted affirming that the money would go towards supporting the Government’s objectives in the Green State Development Strategy.

“This partnership will support the highest conservation priorities for the country, as well as education and training for sustainable employment,” he said. “It (also) demonstrates the value we place on our long-term relationship with the citizens of Guyana.”

Threat to environment

An environmental study undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had previously found that the likelihood of an oil spill offshore Guyana as part of the ExxonMobil exploration is considered unlikely to occur because of the extensive preventative measures employed.

It has nevertheless found that an oil spill is considered possible, and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) has conducted oil spill modelling to evaluate the range of likely spill trajectories and rates of travel.

The location of the Project at 190 km (120 miles) offshore, prevailing northwest currents, the light nature of the Liza field crude oil, and the region’s warm waters would all help minimise the severity of a spill.

“Accounting for these factors, the modelling indicates only a 5-to-10 per cent probability of any oil reaching the Guyana coast without taking into consideration the effectiveness of any oil spill response, and in the unlikely event that a spill were even to occur,” the study found.

The results from the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) into the Liza Phase 2 development project had also relieved ExxonMobil’s subsidiary from the presumption that its operations would cause damage to Guyana’s wildlife and the environment – that is, pending an independent assessment.

The report’s findings were that damage will be “negligible to minor” when it comes to various categories. That is, save for damage to marine mammals, which the report does find will be moderate.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, july 7, 2018

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

CPL: Taking advantage of the opportunities

I

t has now been confirmed that Guyana will host seven of the T20 matches in the 2018 Edition of CPL, including two of the playoff games. The historic announcement that Guyana was given the opportunity to host playoffs was made on Wednesday by CPL’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Pete Russell.

Now in its seventh year, the CPL has been truly established as one of the leading T20 leagues in the world, and compares favourably with the likes of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Australian Big Bash League (BBL). In addition to the high level of entertainment provided for families, many stakeholders in the Caribbean -- including governments and private sector bodies -- are well aware of the huge economic potential the CPL has for host countries and the region as a whole.

Hosting of the CPL games here is the kind of intervention that is needed to give a much needed boost to the country’s ailing economy. It is well known that, over the past two years or so, several businesses have been complaining of poor sales; companies have had to lay off workers, and some companies are even closing down, due to unprofitability.

Guyana, through the CPL, has benefited significantly from hosting the event, since the inception of the tournament in 2013. It was reported in the media that the CPL’s economic impact on Guyana in 2017 was around US$14,183,035. This figure has been arrived at by using organiser spend, visitor spend, and media value, and was calculated for Hero CPL by world-renowned researchers SMG Insight.

In addition to the huge economic impact over the years, hundreds of jobs were created, hotel rooms were booked, and there was a huge trickledown effect which saw many other sectors benefiting. There was also significant value for Guyana in terms of the country being given coverage through the television broadcast of the event. Based on official statistics released, the CPL spent just under US$ 1million in Guyana during the 2017 event, with over 40% of that figure going to local staff and suppliers. In essence, the CPL games here are a good example of the tremendous benefits that could be derived from a sporting event of such magnitude.

The fact that seven games have been confirmed for Guyana is indeed good news for fans. It should be pointed out that destinations like Trinidad and Tobago and the USA had expressed interest in hosting the Playoffs; however, according to Russell, the decision to bring the two matches to Guyana was a fairly easy one. Russell was quoted in the media as saying: “We’re obviously delighted because of the fan base we already have in Guyana. We think it’s due reward for the support that the fans have shown us over the past five years. So we’re very excited about the games, we obviously think they’re going to be sellout matches.”

CPL has indeed been a success story, not only as it relates to the development of cricket in Guyana and the region, but because of the potential for growth and the ability to create the kind of opportunities that would seek to improve the lives of citizens.

Each year, the National Stadium at Providence, home ground of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, attracts sold out crowds. Also, with tournaments such as these, it is not only the sold out stadiums that warrant the prestige; it is a chance to showcase one’s country on the global market, since television viewership would usually span each continent.

It is hoped that all stakeholders -- including the Government, private sector bodies, small business owners and so on -- would once again capitalise on the many opportunities available to this country because of its hosting these matches. More particularly, the tourism sector must come up with a sound plan regarding how it intends to take advantage of the thousands of returning Guyanese and other overseas visitors who will be here for the games.

World Cup 2018: Fans enjoying the game between Brazil and Belgium at a local bar in downtown Georgetown on Friday. (Carl Croker photo)

Accusations against the Prize are false and without merit (Part 2) Dear Editor, Paloma Mohamed is now highly successful and recognised. But she was once a local dramatist and poet who had not yet achieved any international accolades when she won her first Guyana Prize for the play Duenne. She progressed from there to win more Guyana Prizes for Best Book of Drama, including for Anansi’s Way (2006).

A local unknown, unpublished writer, with his first collection of short stories, became the youngest winner of the Guyana Prize to date. Ruel Johnson emerged as a significant talent, recognised by the judges as outstanding for his Ariadne and Other Stories, in 2002. He won the Best First Book of Fiction, having entered an unpublished manuscript to defeat two published shortlisted books. His other first-time manuscript was a collection of poems: The Enormous Night, which was shortlisted for the First Book of

Poetry.

It was against foreign competition that the second youngest writer to win the Guyana Prize emerged from the local writing community. Subraj Singh also won the Guyana Prize for the Best First Book of Fiction in 2014, for Rebell and Other Stories. Once again, a first time local writer was identified by the Guyana Prize judges as a major talent when there were on the shortlist established intellectuals with published books living overseas. So-called hallowed and chosen overseas based writers must have been once more overlooked by the clique of judges, who must have bypassed their friends to award the prize to an unknown, disadvantaged local.

Increasing belief in themselves must have been among the gains for local Guyanese writers when yet another one of them beat the overseas competition in 2012. Dramatist Mosa Telford, a local writer with

no previous publication or international achievement, won the Guyana Prize for Drama with Sauda. This time among the vanquished was a successful threetime Prize winner named Bascom, who was by then resident overseas.

Neither must it be forgotten that Cassia Alphonso, an entirely new poet writing verse in Creolese, also won as a first-timer living in Guyana. Very significantly, she shared the Poetry Prize with the very established writer Ian McDonald, who, as a local resident, became a multiple winner of the Prize for Poetry.

Another distinguished local resident won the Best First Book of Poetry with an unpublished manuscript when Dennis Craig was awarded for On The Seashore. Although a veteran writer, it was his first collection.

Among that significant list of Guyana Prize winners are works which were entered as unpublished manuscripts. They had to

compete against published books entered by publishers from abroad. It has been a consistent policy of the juries that these manuscripts had to be of publishable quality to be awarded a Prize.

It ought to be obvious by now that the Guyana Prize created opportunities for local writers who were previously unknown to gain recognition and to emerge.

Surely, the Prize has helped to create an environment in which a number of local developing writers are motivated to write and to improve. The list of examples provided above is evidence that many of them have achieved; some have gone on to become more successful, more accomplished, and to join the corps of established writers.

Those examples prove the accusations against the Prize to be false, ultra vires, and without merit.

Yours faithfully, Al Creighton Secretary, Guyana Prize

PM Region 6 Office being used to fill out visa forms Dear Editor, I will like to bring to the attention of the Prime Minister a matter of concern about his Office in Region Six. A few days back, my aunt ask me to accompany her to the Prime Minister’s Office to lodge a complaint concerning some matters that are affecting her. I agreed and went with her.

When we got there, we were ask to have a seat and wait. There were quite a few others in the waiting area, so we all started various conversations and

shared ideas, and so on.

While deep in the conversations, many talked of the reason for being there.

Most of the persons waiting said they had come to the office to fill out their visa application forms. I asked, “Who does that here?” The reply was that Mr. Harbhajan does that, and people come daily to do it. In fact, one of the persons visited the office several times to do same with relatives.

I am so surprised that the Prime Minister’s Office in Region 6, which is a

Government office, is being used as a personal business place by the Prime Minister’s Representative.

This begs for an investigation into the functioning of the Prime Minister’s Office, and the work of the office holder who, by the way, has a special guard dressed in brown and black, who is believed to be a member of the Guyana Police Force.

This is total misuse of public office. Why is it that tax payers have to pay the rent, the bills, the Guyana Police Force, the PM’s Rep,

etc to do private business in a public office?

I hope the PM will ask for an investigation to be done; and we all know that the PM knows it’s happening, so he will ensure the investigation goes his Rep’s way, just like what happened at NCN Berbice with his AFC member who misused her office.

The people of Region Six are looking forward to hearing the outcome of this matter.

Sincerely, Avinash Persaud

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saturdAY, july 7, 2018

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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

Region 6 is destined for a long, rough ride Dear Editor, The activities of the Region 6 Tender Board are kept under such strict ‘confidentiality’ that even the Regional Chairman and his Deputy -- and by extension, the entire Regional Democratic Council -- are at a loss for information relating to tenders.

At the statutory meeting held on 5th July, the Regional Chairman, Mr David Armogan, revealed to the RDC that the minutes of the Tender Board meetings are not given to him at all, and he questioned the rationale for this, since he is the administrative officer in charge of the Region.

It would seem that the Tender Board operates as an autonomous body, with no responsibility to report to the RDC. The Regional Chairman is the head of the RDC, and is mandated to exercise general direction and control over the affairs of the RDC, carefully monitoring its capital and current work programmes as well as economic ventures funded from its economic projects fund.

On the other hand, the Regional Executive Officer, as the head of the Regional Tender Board, must supervise the implementation of the RDC’s work programmes, subject to the general direction of the Regional Chairman, acting with the approval of the RDC. In other words, the responsibility of the RDC is

collective, and a Regional Chairman must not act on his/her own; neither should the REO. When the REO sits as the head of the Tender Board, he/she must report to the Regional Chairman, and that is done by submission of the minutes to him, so that he is kept informed. How else can the Regional Chairman monitor the capital expenditure programmes of the region?

Therefore, it follows that since the Regional Chairman is unaware of what is happening at the Tender Board, the RDC Councillors will also not be aware of what contracts are awarded, to whom they are awarded, and at what cost, since the RDC councillors on the Tender Board are tight-lipped about this.

It must be noted that RDC Councillors would have voted for the approval of the Annual Budget Estimates, but this, sadly, is all the contributions they are entitled to make, apart from some budgetary items’ proposals.

It is submitted that RDC councillors should play an integral part in the oversight of these contracts, but when they are not informed, how will they do such monitoring?

At the statutory meeting, the RDC was informed that many inexperienced contractors, especially from the Alliance for Change, are awarded contracts, while experienced contractors with the capacity in terms of machinery

Is anybody listening/ taking corrective action?

Dear Editor, My good friend and colleague Mr E B John has been painstakingly pointing out the litany of deficiencies within the several branches of the Civil and Public Services of our country. His latest includes a frightening list of maladies in the Public Health Services (ref. his letter in sections of the media).

Akin to this has been reports of malpractices leading to severe inconveniences, punishment, discomforts and possibly deaths in public health institutions, as well as other forms of poor

public services.

The silence from the responsible ‘authorities’ -- governmental, public personnel, and political aspirants -- has been deafening, and the obvious lack of corrective action begs a multitude of questions as to who really cares about the populace, whose votes are constantly being courted and whose patience must be at breaking point. Can we please see some corrective action, or at least hear some consolation?

Sincerely, Nowrang Persaud

and equipment are guilefully cast aside. Moreover, there is, from outside of the Region, an influx of contractors who are given preference above those in the Region, even though our contractors are the lowest evaluated bidders.

No wonder Region 6 is falling apart socially and economically. We are suffering from the fallout of the closing of the two estates, yet our contracts are now being given out to persons from outside of the Region.

It was also disclosed that a water ambulance for Orealla was budgeted for in the 2017 Regional Budget, and $10 million had been allocated for its purchase; but, until now, that capital item has not been received.

The question is: Was the contract awarded? And if so, was the money paid to the contractor?

In that same year, this happened to a harrowing plough that was to be purchased to rehabilitate the playgrounds in the Region.

In addition, a Health Centre built at Plegtanker, East Bank Berbice in 2017 is still inoperable!

Now there is another twist to the bulldozer fiasco. The contractor having claimed to have repaid the $14.8 million, the Region is still trying to trace where the money went. If it was paid to the Region or into the Treasury, in which case the Region would have lost the money. In the meantime, it will cost the Region over $200 million to reha-

bilitate the dams in the farming areas which have been getting progressively worse since the bulldozer’s service was lost a year ago.

Recently, a contract for $100 million dollars was awarded by the MoPI to 6 ‘fly by night’ contractors who are all AFCaffiliated hacks. This contract was never advertised.

These contracts are for the weeding and cleaning of the sides of the Corentyne Highway. At an Alternative Livelihood Development outreach programme, workers were told that they would be made contractors.

Why is it that this contract was not broken down into small parts and awarded to some of the sugar workers? The only tool needed is a brush-cutter!

Three years after ascending to office, this Coalition Government is still perennially busy awarding its families, friends and party hacks!

The above constitutes evidence that Region 6 is the focus of many corrupt practices at both the Regional and Government levels. There must be a thorough investigation into what is happening at the National and Regional Tender Boards.

Procurement corruption is now syndicated.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf, RDC Councillor, Region Six

IAC congratulates Dr Lomarsh Roopnarine for winning 2018 book award

Dear Editor, The Indian Action Committee (IAC) wishes to congratulate Dr Lomarsh Roopnarine, PhD, Professor of Latin American and Caribbean History at the Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, USA, for having become a co-winner of the Caribbean Studies Association Gordon K. & Sybil Lewis Book Award 2018, for his publication titled ‘The Indian Caribbean: Migration and Identity in the Diaspora (2018)’.

The IAC has noticed that a total of 31 books were judged for this award, and Dr Roopnarine’s book shared it with Katherine Zien’s ‘Sovereign Acts: performing race, space and belonging in Panama and the Panama Canal Zone’.

The IAC understands that Dr Roopnarine, a Berbician, obtained his secondary education at Line Path Secondary School in Skeldon, Administrative Region No. 6; and his BA,

MA and PhD all at the University at Albany, State University of New York.

The IAC has noted that the committee chaired by Professor Anton Allahar wrote that Dr Roopnarine’s ‘The Indian Caribbean: Migration and Identity in the Diaspora (2018)’ makes an important contribution to an understanding of the arrival, settlement, and eventual intra- and extra-regional movement of people of Indo-Caribbean descent, addressing the key question areas of Caribbean scholarship and identifying relevant theory, methods, and history; and also including several countries within the Caribbean and Caribbean diasporas outside the region.

The IAC welcomes this publication, and is looking forward to future work from this renowned researcher.

Yours sincerely, Indian Arrival Committee

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saturDAY, JUly 7, 2018

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By Nancy Colier

B

eing a mom is perhaps the most all-inclusive and demanding job in the history of “man”kind.

It’s impossible to capture what running a family with school-age children entails these days, but here’s a very, very, very short list of Mom’s job…

-Life management: schooling; homework; tutoring; forms; academic, athletic and social schedules; playdates; activities; camps; birthdays; health care; appointments; child and family travel; holidays; vacations; weekend planning; scheduling; grocery shopping (remembering everyone’s faves); cooking; cleaning; laundry; house repair; date night planning (if still applicable).

-Provide primary connection and emotional glue for all members of family: knowing names and details of who’s who in the children’s lives, who’s being mean and nice, the latest crush, who got the lead in the play, when the next Maths quiz happens, who needs a tube of glitter for the science project, and all the other infinite events that go on in everyone’s day-to-day life.

-Serve as that person who makes everyone (else) feel appreciated, seen and known.

Oh, and did I forget, in addition to everything just mentioned (and the infinite things not mentioned), moms usually work full or part-time jobs outside the universe that is the home (where children believe moms begin and end).

And finally, in their “free” time, most moms are picking up stuff, putting out fires, answering cries for help,

Foundation

and responding to the unending stream of needs that is the essence of modern mom-hood – all set to the soundtrack of “can you…would you…will you…”.

What’s most remarkable about the mom job, however, is, ironically, not the enormity of it. What’s most remarkable is the fact that (from my research) most moms feel unappreciated. Moms from all walks of life describe feeling unacknowledged and unseen for what they do and are for their families. Being a mom these days (and maybe always) seems to be a job that’s taken for granted, thankless for the most part. It also appears to be unique in that it comes with the expectation that appreciation is not and should not be needed or wanted by the one doing the job. And in fact, to want or need appreciation as a mom would be self-serving, inappropriate, and even shameful.

As a psychotherapist, I talk to women all day about their internal experience, the private experience they don’t usually share with others. Again and again, I hear moms express the deep longing for appreciation, the wish for some acknowledgment from their kids and partner, that they might notice what mom does to make everyone else’s life go well and just plain happen. As a mom myself, I am remarkably aware of how little appreciation is offered for the amount of effort that being a mom requires, how infrequently gratitude is expressed for all the important details we attend to. I am also aware that it can feel shameful to admit that I might want my family to occasionally notice and express

unprompted appreciation for what I do for each of them individually and also for the family as a whole. It feels self-indulgent because as moms we’re supposed to be selfless, and certainly not need anything as childish and greedy as appreciation, or at least not want it any day besides Mother’s Day. To appreciate something is to value it, be grateful for it, and recognise/acknowledge its importance. As human beings, we all long to be appreciated, to have our goodness seen, our positive intentions and efforts recognised. We want to be known and valued for what we do that’s helpful. To want and need appreciation is a primal human longing.

At the same time, kids should experience a time in their life when they get to be fully taken care of without having to be aware of or grateful for anything or anyone, when they’re allowed to be oblivious to the fact that someone is providing for them. There needs to be a totally self-centred period in a child’s life. And, there needs to be a time when the perfunctory, learnt but not yet felt “thank you” is enough for appreciation. It’s not a child’s responsibility to be grateful to her parents for doing their job as parents. And yet, there also comes a time in a child’s life when it is important that she recognise that her parents exist as human beings, that they have feelings, are deserving of appreciation, and are working hard on their children’s behalf. This recognition is an important step in the healthy development from childhood into young adulthood. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

Continued from Friday

Don’t:

Do not deny him of his feelings Avoid statements such as "Don't be disappointed", "Don’t feel that way", "Get over it", or "Life isn't fair."

When a parent is unwilling to listen or consider the child's feelings, the child will inevitably stop going to the parent when they are struggling. The question, "Why won't my child talk to me?" is never one you want to ask yourself.

Do not confuse sympathy with empathy Feeling sorry for a child strips him of his self-efficacy.

Sympathy tempts parents to enable. Do not call coaches, teachers, or instructors and demand they cater to your child or change what they are doing to benefit your child. This teaches your child to play the victim.

Do not lecture Refrain from emotionally detaching and using reasons, logic, or rationalisations to explain the situation. Save this for after you have helped your child metabolise the difficult feeling through empathy. The chances are strong that you won't even need this step.

Jimmy tried out and was humiliated, and although I'm grateful he was not decapitated by a behemoth man-child throwing a 60-mile-an-hour fastball, he was intensely disappointed. His self-esteem was in jeopardy. I felt his humiliation, shame, and disappointment deeply.

Yet, I was amazed that he did not cry. He did not blame others or throw a fit. He actually didn't say much at all. I respected his need to not immediately talk about it, but I was warm, supportive, and loving.

That night when he was getting ready for bed, he came to me and said, "Mom, I'm not strong. I'm weak."

This was it. This was the moment, I thought to myself.

Softly and slowly, I said to him, "I know you don't feel strong or powerful, buddy, and that hurts. I get it. I have felt that a lot in my life too." Next I said, "Buddy, it took a lot of courage for you to get out there and try out. Honey, you are like your papa. You are brave, you are fast, and you are tough. Keep trying, buddy. It will come."

This spring, he made a travel team, and although he is benched for half of the innings, he is practising, playing, and growing. Jimmy may be a twig, but he has a heart as big as a tree trunk.

Children who cannot handle disappointment throw fits, quit, play the victim, and cheat. They are at risk for developing narcissistic traits. Helping them handle disappointment is as important as ensuring they are eating healthy and getting enough sleep. It is critical and will allow them to hit it out of the park in life.

(Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

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saturDAY, july 7, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WCD man beats brother to death over food A

61-year-old man died on Thursday evening after he was fatally beaten by his younger brother, whose food he went to purchase but ate it instead.

Dead is Nazir Khan, called “Karie”, of Lot 37 Bella Dam, West Bank Demerara.

According to information

After the beating, the 61-year-old man, who does handy work around the village, went to another neighbouring house, where he subsequently died.

The owner of that house, Kissoon Lallbeharry, related to Guyana Times what transpired after Khan went

and I check he, I say “this man ain’t blowing at all, this man dead.” Then I went and call other neighbours where he does deh, friends and so, and they come. Then we get in touch with the Police,” Lallbeharry related.

According to the neighbour, Khan did not relate to

The house where Nazir Khan died after receiving a beating at the hands of his brother

received, at about 18:30h on Thursday, the accused, who works with a garbage disposal company, had sent Khan to purchase a box of food for him from a nearby shop.

However, after some time had elapsed and the man did not return with the food, the suspect went in search of him in the company of a friend.

Khan was found at a neighbor’s house, where he was confronted and admitted to his brother that he had eaten the food since he was hungry. The suspect then became enraged and he along with his friend began to beat Khan.

to there.

“He come [Thursday] afternoon and he tell me he ain’t feeling well, that he head hurting. So I put he to lie down on the ground because he was drunk and I didn’t want he fall off the bench and I went upstairs to watch the news,” the man related.

Lallbeharry recalled that he came down about an hour later and Khan was still asleep so he went back upstairs to watch another newscast and it when he returned again to check on the man that he realised he was dead.

“When I come down back

him what had happened to him but suspected that his brother had something to do with his death since he was arrested at the scene.

“Me na know what wrong [the two brothers] get… he didn’t tell me nothing, he didn’t tell me that “man meh brother beat me or man what happen… [But] after the commotion when the bai dead and people start come out, somebody go and wake up [the brother] where he live ‘cause he de drunk too.

When he come, I tell the Police that this is Karie’s brother who does take care of him and the Police tek he and put he in the car. They

lock he up,” Lallbeharry stated.

Meanwhile, Khan’s body was taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, where a post-mortem examination was conducted on Friday morning by State Pathologist, Dr Nehaul

Singh. The cause of death was given as brain hemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head, compounded by compression injuries to the neck.

Meanwhile, Khan’s brother and the friend, who participated in the beat-

ing, remain in Police custody assisting with the investigations. Nevertheless, the Police are compiling the case file to seek legal advice.

Khan was described as a good and helpful individual who usually consumed alcohol. (Vahnu Manikchand)

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saturDAY, july 7, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IN THE COURTS Mother, son charged for throwing water on each other

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mother and her son appeared on Friday before Georgetown Magistrate Leron Daly each slapped with one count of breaching the peace.

Yvonne Alder pleaded not guilty to throwing water on her son, while Andre Alder confessed to the charge after it

was read to him by Magistrate Daly.

It has been alleged that on July 3, while at their Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Georgetown home, Yvonne and Andre Alder threw water on each other, causing the peace to be breached. Andre Alder told the court that his mother first

threw the water on him.

According to the prosecution’s case, on the day in question, Andre Alder was playing music at an inappropriate level when his mother asked him to turn it off. He allegedly refused, and this led to an altercation, which resulted in the peace being breached.

This mother-and-son duo had recently appeared before Magistrate Daly, and had been placed on a bond to keep the peace. Andre Alder was on Friday fined $20,000 for the offence, while his mother was placed on $10,000 bail, and her case has been set to continue on July 9.

Albouystown man charged for assaulting Policemen

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andy Barrack, 43, of Lot 34 Albouys Street, Albouystown was on Friday placed on $100,000 bail by Georgetown Magistrate Leron Daly after he appeared before her to answer to two counts of assault and a simple larceny charge.

Barrack denied all three of the charges when it was read to him. It is alleged that on July 2, 2018, with intent to prevent lawful apprehension, Barrack assaulted Police Constables Mark Griffith and

Ryan Pollard.

According to the prosecution’s case, the constables had gone to Barrack’s home to arrest him in connection with an alleged robbery committed on Cindy Ramnaresh.

In the process of making the arrest, Barrack reportedly refused to be arrested, and dealt the constables several lashes instead.

Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh objected to Barrack being placed on bail, telling the court that Barrack had pre-

viously been arraigned on a charge of possession of firearm without being the holder of a licence thereof.

Barrack’s attorney, however, explained that on the day of the incident, his client was mourning the loss of a family member, and had asked the constables for some time. The constables, nevertheless, became outraged and began to forcefully arrest Barrack. He said it was during that time that a scuffle broke out between the

men, and the constables were allegedly assaulted.

The simple larceny matter against Barrack was discharged after the virtual complainant refused to give evidence. The Police prosecutor, however, asked that the parties involved in this matter pay a $10,000 fine for wasting the court’s time.

Barrack was eventually placed on $100,000 bail for the assault charges, and the matters were set to continue later in July.

Slip-slidin’ away…

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…in sugar

ack in the day, Paul Simon poignantly evoked the haunting recognition of unrealised dreams that eventually hit most of us as the years go by: “You know the nearer your destination/ The more you're slip slidin' away.” And it has ever been so for all who were dragged from their native lands in four continents to toil in the sugar plantations of Guyana.

The African slaves were told they had no “souls” and they’d be possibly “saved” if they were to serve their white masters faithfully. That promise certainly went “slip-slidin’ away” – even after the poor slaves were “emancipated” after centuries of toil, rape and humiliation. With their fields flooded, provision grounds seized and their imports and incomes taxed to pay for importing Indentureds – West Indians, Portuguese, Africans, Indians, Chinese - to undercut their bargaining power, they have never reached the “promised land”.

And fifty years after the white man departed, their native successors – the PNC-AFC government -- keep on ensuring the dream of living with any sort of dignity, much less the “good life”, keep slip-slidin’ away for sugar workers. With them away from the bright lights of Georgetown -- where the elite live and the media shine their spotlight -- it is easy to forget that those 7000 sugar workers who were summarily fired have been plunged into lives of increasingly not-so-quiet desperation.

What we get when reading the papers are press releases about the “initiatives” that are supposed to ‘save” the rump industry, issued from air conditioned offices of the new massas. Tough love!! The latest has been for the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) to borrow, in effect, $30 billion by issuing a 5-year bond that’s backstopped by the Government!! Now, if the Government bears the risk of default, why didn’t they issue T-Bills, as they can do at a lower rate of interest, and extend a loan to GuySuCo?? And they could’ve saved the massive bond-issuance costs!

The SPU further revealed they’ll use that US$150 million to “develop two co-generation facilities, upgrade the existing sugar factories to produce white sugar, restructure GuySuCo’s debt, and engage in training and education for the workers and management of GuySuCo.” Now, isn’t this exactly what the Government’s CoI had recommended be done to bring the ENTIRE GuySuCo to a point of sale!??! But the PNC Government claimed they couldn’t put more money into the corporation – and promptly shuttered 4 estates and fired the aforementioned 7000 workers!!

With the SPU merrily borrowing money to ‘reorganise” GuySuCo but the Minister of Agriculture not recognising the Board the SPU boss created; and with no Board in place, the future of the remaining sugar workers keeps slip slidin’ away.

Along with the fired ones.

…Teachers’ salaries

Something’s seriously wrong in the State of Guyana.

Here it is, the PNC-Government’s pumping billions into the administration of UG under its ex-YSM, bow-tied VC and his CABINET, with all sorts of new technology and oil courses etc. But in the meantime, the teachers in the primary and secondary levels, who’re tasked with providing the student brains to justify those expenditures, haven’t been able to get their measly salaries adjusted since the Government slid into office with their support!!

Negotiations had gone on since 2016, when the GTU presented their proposal. President Granger sashayed down to their HQ last Independence Day and asked them to “bear strain” for his “High Task Force” to make its recommendation.

Which has since been made; and was sent to Cabinet, then sent to the Finance Ministry, where it seems to have dropped into the singularity of a Black Hole. From these -- of course it is speculated -- it would have emerged into an alternate universe!!

In the meantime, isn’t it time the GTU follow its membership’s advice and strike?

…Hydro-power

Well, after three years of blanking the Jagdeoinspired AFHEP, the PNC’s finally gotten their hands on Norway’s US$130 million – which they’re putting into solar panels.

So, will they now thank Jagdeo for obtaining the Norway REDD funds? Don’t hold your breath!!

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

News

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saturDAY, july 7, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Caricom bureaucracy, Contraband in prisons not structure, hinders 5 ‘corrupt’ wardens fired integration – Granger …as Prison Director talks tough on smuggling

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Caricom’s Heads of State at the 39th Meeting of the Heads of Government in Montego Bay, Jamaica

resident David Granger wants an end to the bureaucracy and red tape that hinders the progress of true, holistic integration of Caribbean States. Speaking to members of the Guyanese media corps at the 39th Regular Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in Jamaica, the Head of State explained that Guyana, with an abundance of natural resources, is more than half the size of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) states and the potential of these resources is being ignored.

“Guyana can provide much to the Region as a whole in terms of food security, in terms of agriculture, in terms of the environment, in terms of tourism and in terms of marketing.

I believe that the Caribbean has underexploited its resources… the CSME needs to adopt a fresh approach to production, particularly agricultural production, distribution and marketing and if we take that approach some of the problems we complain about will be solved,” the

President is quoted by the Ministry of the Presidency as saying.

This year, the Region is celebrating the 45th anniversary of signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas; however, President Granger, who holds responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification and food security in Caricom’s Quasi-Cabinet, said he is disturbed at the fact that the Caribbean is still not producing more of the food that it consumes on a daily basis, but this, he said, is not as a result of any flaw in Caricom’s structure.

“I am very hopeful for this conference, I think there have been some predictions of gloom but I believe that if we make the right decisions, the entire Region can move ahead much more quickly. There is nothing wrong with the institutions that we have established, what we need to do is to ensure that there is better implementation of the decisions… There is no fault in the rules; there is a fault in the implementation,” he said.

Speaking of Guyana’s bilateral ties with sister-Car-

icom States, the President said that he looks forward to building on the existing relationship between Guyana and Barbados under the leadership of the Region’s newest leader, Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

Similarly, ties with Trinidad and Tobago will also be strengthened, particularly as it relates to the development of the oil and gas sector. “This is the vision that I have for the Caribbean Community that all parts of the Caribbean must see this new resource [Guyana’s oil] as a part of the Community and they should be willing to share their expertise with us and be willing to invest in it… I would like to affirm that the doors of investment, the doors of infrastructure, the doors of Information Technology and of innovation will be open to our colleagues in the Caribbean,” he said.

The 39th Meeting of the Heads of Government commenced on July 4 in Montego Bay, Jamaica under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, who takes over from Haiti’s President, Jovenel Moïse.

s the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) work to clamp down on the smuggling and attempted smuggling of contraband into the several penitentiaries, some five prison officers who are suspected to be in collusion with the criminals have been relieved of their duties.

This is according to Prison Director Gladwin Samuels on Friday during an interview with media operatives.

He explained that these prison officers have been implicated in the May 1, 2018 incident where a parcel containing suspected cannabis was thrown into the Lusignan Prison holding bay area. “…We also have five officers who have been interdicted from duty following the May 1 matter at the Holding Bay where our CCTV footage would have revealed that a number of what is suspected to be contraband items were thrown into the Holding Bay facility… Based on the reviews we would have conducted, it is clear that the officers were working in collusion with each other in order to facilitate the movement of the suspected contraband into the prison,” he explained.

Samuels further disclosed that legal advice has been sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“I am advised that the Police have sent for legal advice, but they have not received such yet. Hopefully this will be soon, and I trust that the necessary actions

Some of the items recently smuggled into the Lusignan Prison

will be taken against these officers so that the message which we have been trying to send all the years, will be clear, that persons who are bent or are involved in such practices will not be condoned,” he said.

Nevertheless, the Prison Director claimed the upsurges in occurrences of these incidents are not as a result of poor management.

“It is quite disturbing, it is quite embarrassing to have to face these situations on a daily basis, but this is not a situation where by the prison administration is failing to act. The reality of it is, despite we would do vetting and so forth, these prison officers are drawn from communities…and from some strange reason, despite they’re given their dos and don’ts, they allow themselves to be sucked into the financial gains that

these activities can bring you,” he said.

On Wednesday last, two parcels containing narcotics, 18 packs of cigarettes, a quantity of zip locks, 12 packs of bamboo and a plastic bottle containing El Dorado five-year-old rum was found in close proximity to a chicken pen at the New Amsterdam Prison after being thrown over the fence of the said prison.

Additionally, on July 3, 2018, a man attempted to throw a parcel containing 1002 grams of narcotics, a large quantity of tobacco leaves, four cellphones without SIM cards, one charger, one earpiece and 33 packets of Bristol cigarettes into the Lusignan prison but dropped the items when he was noticed by prison security and made good his escape. turn to page 11

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saturDAY, july 7, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Row over horse St Rose’s High School to be demolished next week ends in shooting …1 in custody

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43-year-old horse cart operator was on Thursday taken into Police custody after he discharged a loaded firearm at a vendor, who reportedly untied his horse at West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

According to Police information, the incident oc-

curred at about 02:15h.

Guyana Times was told that the suspect reportedly tied his horse in front of the home of vendor, Srinwell Campbell.

However, the vendor untied the animal and released it. This newspaper was told that this annoyed the horse’s

owner, who then armed himself with a firearm and went to Campbell’s home.

The suspect then barged through the vendor’s house door and discharged several rounds in his direction.

Fortunately, the vendor managed to flee unharmed.

The matter was reported to the Police and the suspect was apprehended. However, while being transported to the Police station, the suspect reportedly jumped out of the moving vehicle thus resulting in him receiving injuries.

As such, he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was treated and handed over to the Police. He is expected to make his court appearance in the new week.

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St Rose’s High School

he commencement for the demolition of the aged wooden St Rose’s High School is set to begin on Monday, where the building will be torn down to make room for the much awaited modernised building.

Information dispatched from the institution’s Board of Governors revealed the works were scheduled during the August vacation to prevent any incidences since the students would not be present at the worksite.

Meanwhile, the tearing down of the building is expected to last for four weeks under the guidance of PD Constructing

Inc. This process will be limited primarily to the aged wooden section and any other relevant adjoining areas that are in a state of disrepair; and which are also slated for reconstruction. The reconstruction project is expected to take place immediately after the demolition exercise by Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd, and will last for an additional 24 months.

The intended new replacement structure will incorporate several aspects of the original school building design and will integrate the

design of the Marian and other wings on the property.

This includes the retention of the green space courtyard area, a unique feature of the school.

In February of this year, a $16.9 million contract was approved by Cabinet for the demolition of the St Rose’s High School. At that time, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had stated that the tearing down of the old building would’ve commenced during the Easter vacation. However, these plans did not materialise and the works were postponed to this month.

Stealing deodorant costs man $20,000

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errick Persaud was on Friday fined $20,000

by Magistrate Leron Daly after he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with simple larceny.

Persaud confessed to the crime. He admitted that on

July 5, 2018, he stole one Gillet deodorant valued $1280; property of Bounty Supermarket.

On Friday, he told the court that he had gotten out of a city hospital where he was a patient for a period and needed the deodorant.

According to the Police, the man is a known character to the Police and he was arraigned on previous occasions for similar charges.

Persaud was fined $20,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in three months imprisonment.

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saturDAY, july 7, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Following complaints

Doctors appointed to Leguan Cottage Hospital what problems we have and how we’re going to solve them. So each Regional Health Officer is presenting their achievements and challenges and solutions,” Minister Cummings stated.

She noted that in the coming days, information pertaining to these discussions and other areas of the healthcare systems will be disclosed.

“What I know for sure is that we’re working assid-

D

The Leguan Cottage Hospital

ays after the publication of an article

by Guyana Times about the absence of medical professionals on the island of Leguan, the Public Health Ministry on Friday announced that two doctors were appointed to serve the community.

During a visit by this publication to this island last weekend, residents complained bitterly about

the need for medical professionals in the community.

On Friday, Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings, informed this publication that two doctors were appoint at the Leguan Cottage Hospital.

“I managed to find out that at Leguan, there are two doctors there; Dr Ricola Cummings and Dr Perry and they’ve gone

5 ‘corrupt’... from page 9

On June 23, 2018, a man also managed to evade security at the Lusignan Prison after throwing a large quantity of cannabis and other items over the fence.

Those are just among the most recent instances of smuggling at the holding facilities.

As such, Samuels noted that while CCTV facilities are available, additional security measures will soon be put in place within the various penitentiaries.

“We are putting additional security measures in place… Our 2018 budget is catering for improvement of our CCTV systems. The system we have at the holding bay…is quite modern…

We just got the approval for the spending of the 2018 allocations so within a matter of weeks, the contractor will be on the ground to en-

hance the CCTV coverage at the Holding bay. We will also be enhancing the New Amsterdam prison and the Mazaruni Prison which has become somewhat out dated, will be fully overhauled,” he posited.

Ever since the July 9, 2017 Camp Street prison fire, which resulted in prisoners being transported to several jails countrywide, the smuggling and attempted smuggling of contraband has become prevalent.

Just last week, the Government had announced that they intend to have scanners implemented at the entrances of each prison.

This, Samuels revealed, will be looked at even closer when representatives of an overseas company which manufactures scanners for prisons visit Guyana in September.

there this week, so they’ve been placed there.”

It was related that while this problem was resolved, a meeting was facilitated on Thursday where the Regional Health Officers (RHO) were engaged on matters surrounding the functioning of the various hospitals in that region.

“I just came back from a meeting in Essequibo where we’re introspecting to see where our gaps are,

uously to ensure that we deliver quality and effective care to the residents of Leguan.”

During the visit by Guyana Times to the island, it was revealed that the major issue being faced when accessing healthcare services was the lack of medical personnel at the island’s medical facility. However, for specialisd treatment, residents would have to cross the

Essequibo River and travel almost an hour to reach the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).

Another issue raised by the residents was the absence of the X-ray facility despite a building being constructed and an X-ray machine procured. The X-ray department at the hospital was expected to be fully functional before the end of 2017, but this is yet to become a reality.

Man slapped with 5 B&E charges

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oger London on Friday appeared before Georgetown Magistrate Leron Daly to answer to five counts of break and enter.

The father of five denied all five charges after they were read to him by the magistrate.

The court heard the following about London: That on February 5, 2018 at Bel

Air, Georgetown, he broke and entered the home of Hugh George and stole therefrom items valued at $2.4 million.

That on February 22, 2018, while in the vicinity of Georgetown, he broke and entered the dwelling house of Cherry Hickman and stole therefrom items valued at $124,000.

That on February 9,

2018, while in the vicinity of Georgetown, he attempted to rob Jevon Dyal.

That he broke and entered the homes of Carmen Daniel and Garvin Nedd on February 14 and April 11, 2018, and stole therefrom $92,000 and $50,000 respectively.

London was remanded to prison until August 31, when the case is set to continue.

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A

wedding is one of the most important moments in life.

Choosing the perfect dress is sometimes like a dream come true, literally, since many women dream of wearing one since they were but girls. While also taking into consideration the veil, the perfect jewellery, the location, the menu, the cake, etc, a future bride cannot run down the aisle without one important item: the wedding bouquet, that important item for a bride whose significance is little known.

Incorporating flowers into wedding ceremonies has been done since Roman times, as a symbol of fertility, which meant that herbs, orange blossoms, garlic and other similar plants were never missing from the wedding preparations.

Both Greeks and Romans thought that their smell would keep evil spirits away from the bride; therefore, guaranteeing happiness and loyalty in the marriage.

However, the exquisite combination of herbs was not carried by the bride in her hands, but, instead, was worn in the form of a garland in her hair. At the end of the ceremony, the edible herbs were given to the newlyweds to eat, as they were also supposed to increase their sexual desire.

But, throughout the Victorian period, the practices changed. Queen Victoria herself carried a bouquet made of a few herbs and mostly fresh flowers, thus making fashionable the bouquet as it is known today.

The bouquet was also the bearer of a message, since each flower had its own special meaning. In some parts of the world, only certain flowers were considered to bring good luck for the marriage (such as daffodils,

daisies, irises, magnolias, orchids, roses), while other flowers were forbidden from being displayed in the wedding bouquet (like lavender, poppies, marigolds).

Colour of the bouquet The colour of the bouquet also was of major importance: the more intense it was, the more intense were the feelings of the bride considered to be. Today, all these traditions have no serious meaning, as each bride picks the bouquet based on her preferences, her favourite colours, her and her bridesmaids' allergies, etc, and, also, in tone with the wedding dress, thus suiting her uniqueness and her style on the most important day of her life.

Tossing the bouquet But, let's not forget about the most important tradition related to the wedding bouquet: its tossing. After it all, the bouquet ends up in the hands and the home of a lucky single lady who is said to follow the bride and be the next to get married.

While this is a much-anticipated moment at the wedding, it was not a tradition in the past centuries. Earlier in time, getting a piece of the bride's dress was considered good luck, and it meant that everybody would pull on her dress during the festivities, making the bride feel uncomfortable and preventing her from properly enjoying her own wedding.

In order to stop this practice, the brides started throwing personal objects, such as the garland and, later, the bouquet, to pass on their good fortune to another person, thus making the women who wanted to get married eager to catch them.

rides find a lot of great and wonderful ideas on Pinterest, in bridal magazines, and at their friends’ weddings. Sometimes the most ordinary things can be made extraordinary, simply by hiring an experienced, dedicated, and creative designer and decorator. Centrepieces, walkways, flowers, table arrangements, backdrops, stage design, and many other details are aspects that brides worry about in the months leading to their special day.

Wedding decor is an essential part of a successful wedding.

Although many brides think it might be cost-effective and fun to decorate their wedding venue them-

T

selves, the reality is that i of work and is often costly ly aware of and understa a professionally decorate atmosphere. The best wa perienced, passionate, d ative, organised, honest and decorator. When brid effort it takes to decorate to all the other stresses o comes essential to hire a decorator. Give Tasha’s help create beautiful mem

he best thing about memories is making them.

Make a personalized gift for that special someone. The process is simple and hasslefree ,Whatsapp your pic to 653-6948......AJ SIGNS prints whatever you desire on T shirts, magical cups, ke rings, bottles , laptop covers , bags, pillows and more.

The possibilities are endless.....There is nothing l personalising a gift with your very own quotes or pictur On the plus side your gift will be one of a kind. Personali gifts also appeal more to an individual’s emotions so th tend to remember them for a very long time!

Some very popular choices are couple, Father o the Bride, Mother of the Bride, Maid of Honour, and Best Men T-shirts and the list goes on! Wedding branding ideas can give your special day a truly personal touch with their stylish intricacies and exclusive feel.

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y 7, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

the reality is that it takes a significant amount k and is often costly to do. Brides should be fulre of and understand what it takes to achieve ssionally decorated wedding and their desired phere. The best way to do this is to hire an exced, passionate, dedicated, hardworking, creorganised, honest, and trustworthy designer corator. When brides think about the time and t takes to decorate an entire hall, in addition he other stresses of planning a wedding, it beessential to hire a professional designer and tor. Give Tasha’s Modern Décor a call, let us eate beautiful memories to last a lifetime.

about king them. ed gift for that mple and hassle-6948......AJ SIGNS ts, magical cups, key llows and more. here is nothing like wn quotes or pictures. of a kind. Personalised al’s emotions so they ng time! e couple, Father of aid of Honour, and oes on! Wedding special day a their stylish eel.

I

s your big day coming up? You must have made a million plans already about how you would look and what you will wear. So, what really happens when you find out that your partner has decided on a colour that will pour a bucket of ice on your preparations? Most couples these days decide on coordinating their outfits before this situation arises.

Some like to go overboard and match each and every detail, while some take the route of total contrast.

All these moments of selecting and deselecting colours and designs become a part of your wedding albums. You can have wonderful photos if the colours and designs of your outfit match perfectly. Let us give you some styling tips to attain that perfect match without looking like coordinated twins!

The colour Sit down and talk to your partner about what colour he/she prefers for the wedding outfit. Make a list of your picks and shortlist a final three. This will keep it simple while selecting the dresses as well. Walking into a lehenga store and asking for a particular colour is much less hassle than surfing through each outfit they have. That will only get you confused. Set your priorities first!

Bride first Well, probably the easiest way to go here is to decide the bride’s outfit first and work towards the groom’s outfit later. It is much more difficult to pick and choose an extensive lehenga than choosing a matching sherwani. Once you have picked out the bride’s outfit, things get easier.

Colours for grooms The bride could be wearing a singlecolour or have a multicoloured lehenga.

Think about an extra dupatta on the bride’s outfit. The groom’s outfit should be that colour or should match the embellishment or embroidery in the outfit. That is a failproof trick!

Monotone Bride

If the bride is wearing a singlecolour lehenga, the groom should select a neutral shade like golden or cream, and incorporate his bride’s outfit colour into his pagdi or dupatta of the sherwani.

If the groom is wearing a suit, he could use a pocket square to coordinate with the bride’s outfit. The point is to keep the co-ordination subtle.

Multi-coloured Bride To keep up with the subtle coordination, when the bride is wearing a very colourful outfit, select the leastprominent colour on her outfit to form the base of the groom’s outfit. This will give a subtle elegance to the entire combination.

Pastels go great together If you still like different colours, go for their pastel versions. They almost look good together in all colours. Opt for powder pinks, dreamy teals, salmon colours or muted yellows. They always make a statement together! It can go with any colour of your partner’s outfit.

Golden Bride For a golden bride, the groom should be the one who brings in the element of colour to their combination. The groom should opt for brighter shades like emerald green, navy blue or deep reds. This will make sure they dazzle together!

14 news

saturDAY, july 7, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyanese mission to assess consular services in Puerto Ordaz

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Guyanese delegation will be visiting the Venezuelan town of Puerto Ordaz in the new week to conduct an assessment of its consular services provided there.

The delegation, for the July 12 to 16 visit, will be led

by Director of the Frontiers Department at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Barbara Halley.

According to Minister of State Joseph Harmon, the visit is aimed at improving the consular facilities available in Puerto Ordaz, where thousands of Guyanese reside close to the border between Guyana and Venezuela.

“So what we are doing [in Venezuela] is a reassessment of the consular services that are provided to Guyanese who are residents abroad. Puerto Ordaz, based on my information, there is a large amount of Guyanese living there… 15,000 thereabout and so wherever our Guyanese citizens live, we are looking at providing better consular services for them,” Harmon explained.

The Minister of State added that the visit will also enable the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Citizenship to plan a more

effective response to the influx of Venezuelan migrants and returning Guyanese nations from the Spanishspeaking nation.

“In the event of the migration of Venezuelans coming and going, we can provide a better facility at Puerto Ordaz,” he noted.

According to Minister Harmon, there is currently a Honourary Consul operating in that town, however, “when things happen”, he is forced to pack up and relocate to another place.

“So we need to have a much more solid arrangement where Guyanese people can actually get the kind and quality of service that they deserve… and so the mission is going to look at these issues,” the Minister noted.

Back in January, unrests broke out in Puerto Ordaz as Venezuela continued to plunge deeper into economic and political crisis, resulting in widespread looting due to the shortage of basic necessity items.

At the time Minister Harmon had said the Guyana Government has put systems in place to facilitate those Guyanese who wish to return home as well as citizens of the Spanish-

back in January.

Over the past two years, Venezuela has been experiencing worsening economic turmoil following the decline of oil prices on the world market. The country is in its fourth consecutive year of

recession.

Reports coming out of the Spanish-speak state reveal that there is massive food shortage and limited access to basic healthcare and basic amenities such as electricity in certain parts.

Additionally, there continues to be rampant outbursts of looting and violence across some of the most affected cities in the neighbouring country.

Fuel/fare hike

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

speaking nation wanting to seek refuge here.

“We are in touch with our Consul and what I can say to you is that in the event that life, limb and property of Guyanese citizens who are there and who require assistance of the Government to relocate to Guyana, we are prepared to provide that service… We have [also] made arrangements at our side of the border to receive…

Venezuelans who might be fleeing from violence in those communities. We have an international obligation to provide certain limited facilities for them and we are prepared to do that,” the Minister of State had said

Business Ministry finally meets with minibus association

T

he Business Ministry (MoB) has finally met with officials from the United Minibus Union (UMU) to address pending issues affecting the transportation sector after calls had been made to increase the minibus fares following the recent hike in fuel prices.

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin met members of the UMU and a representative of the Consumer Protection Division on Wednesday, and their discussions were centred on a proposal submitted by the union in regard to the fare increase.

In its proposal to increase the fares for minibus travel, the Union highlighted a number of increases in the operating costs faced by minibus owners over the years. They added that in those instances, there had been no corresponding increase in minibus fares.

Meanwhile, the quality of the service provided by minibus operators was also discussed. It was agreed that the MoB would undertake an analysis of the cost of operating minibuses along the various licensed routes for the purpose of assessing the pro-

posal for a fare increase.

To this end, the United Minibus Union provided data on various aspects of the sector, and agreed to provide additional data where necessary upon request.

Additionally, the need for mandatory training for drivers and conductors as well as better enforcement of existing laws and regulations were also discussed.

Officials from the MoB agreed to examine these matters and make recommendations for the consideration of Cabinet and the Union. The two sides would then meet again in one month’s time.

Over the past weeks, the cost of gasoline has been significantly increased countrywide, and minibus drivers were protesting for an increase in fares. In some instances, the fares were even raised by the minibus operators, and commuters were left with no choice but to pay the amount of money that was demanded. = Notices were put up in the vehicles demanding fares be increased by as much as $40. However, UMU President Eon Andrews had

expressed views against this act.

While stating that he understood that drivers operate in a free-market system, he explained that this meant that persons were left with the decision of choosing whether or not to pay the increase. It was also communicated earlier this month that minibus operators are unwilling to lower the proposed fare hike of $20 or $40 even if the price for gasoline is decreased, because they are faced with many burdensome expenditures, which are compounded by the fluctuating gas prices.

Desperate to get the attention they need, drivers blocked the Vryheid’s Lust access road along the East Coast Railway Embankment.

Several tyres were burnt, and an old car was set on fire to garner the attention needed, with the hope of having the fuel crisis addressed.

Several protests were also organised by drivers of the various routes subsequent to this incident. Gas station prices for fuel have increased rapidly, from $215 per litre to prices ranging from $230 to $250 per litre.

news

15

saturDAY, july 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Flood-hit Region 9

Floodwaters persist, residents urged to take precaution …Harmon commits to deploying more resources

M

inister of State, Joseph Harmon, on Friday visited the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region (Region Nine), where he charged the Regional Administration to work collectively with every stakeholder and to utilise every available State resource at its disposal to ensure that they serve the residents affected by flooding, even as the waters continue to recede after rising as much as five feet in some areas.

Minister Harmon, who first stopped at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Boardroom to meet with officials of the Regional Administration, Ministries and Government agencies, said Government is committed to bringing relief to the residents. He told the officials that every effort must be made to reach every res-

others, we have one administration, and so the resources of the administration must be put to the use of the people… if we have to take meals out to the people, we have to do so. When we speak about administration in these circumstances, we are talking about all of the resources of the region being applied to that situation.

“Every Government department must chip in with (its) resources, so that the citizens are not affected in a major way. I am asking that we coordinate and cooperate where the resources of the region are concerned. This is not a normal situation, and therefore we have to act a little bit unusual. What that ‘unusualness’ means is that we have to pool our resources for the benefit of the people,” Minister Harmon is quoted by the Ministry of the Presidency as saying.

Commission (CDC) and the Regional Administration, which have been working in tandem to respond and to continue to monitor the situation on the ground.

At present, 59 persons have been evacuated and placed in three shelters which were established, and they are being tended by the region with support from the CDC. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has also been providing support through a boat shuttle service for residents from 06:00 hours to 18:00 hours every day.

Minister Harmon noted that, overall, he is satisfied with the arrangements put in place, as the response and preparation this year has far surpassed those that were in place last year.

“Two years ago we had this situation, and this year I am happy to see that there

A flooded section of the Lethem road

collapsible bottles, detergents and cleaning supplies, beddings and blankets, among other materials.

Minister Harmon noted that since the flooding is expected to be an annual occurrence, the administration will work to fast-track the construction of a bond for the CDC in the region, which would provide storage for materials in the event of a disaster.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman Brian Allicock, in an invited comment, said the water has begun to recede, although it remains high in some areas. The region, he

noted, is continuously monitoring the communities in the South Rupununi, particularly since 31 of the villages have had their access cut off due to the floodwaters.

However, he said that he remains hopeful that the water would recede by this evening.

“Yesterday (Thursday) we got scared because the water was coming in so rapidly, but thank God, this morning (Friday) the water stopped coming in. What is happening is that it is going and coming. In the forecast from Brazil, there is rain for the next couple of days, and

we have a back-up of the waters in the rivers over there into the Takutu. Currently, we cannot access Karasabai by road, and even when you go by boat, you have to wade through waist-high water to get into the village; so they are totally cut off. The South villages, 31 villages in total, have been cut off. Nothing can go in or come out so far, but the water is receding and I hope to hear positive news,” Allicock said.

The CDC continues to monitor the situation in the region, and will provide support as it becomes necessary.

SSR report “vigorously interrogated” by NSC

T

An aerial view of the flood situation in Region Nine

ident who has been affected by the flood, which resulted from the overtopping of several rivers, particularly the Takutu River, due to heavy rainfall in the region and over in neighbouring Brazil.

“I want to say that in a situation like this we don’t have administration and

The State Minister said the current weather patterns in the region and in Brazil will see the water rising and receding at frequent intervals; but with a coordinated approach, some semblance of order can exist. He acknowledged the rapid response by the Civil Defence

is a greater level of coordination of the operations here, and I am very pleased about that. So I am asking that you work together with the region,” he said.

The CDC, on Friday, carried in the supplies requested by the region, including water purification tablets,

he Security Sector Reform Report is currently being reviewed by the National Security Committee (NSC), comprised of local security stakeholder agencies. This is almost seven months after that document was handed over to Government.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, told reporters at Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing that while the report is before the Council of Ministers, it is also being looked at by the NSC. “I know there was at least one special session of the committee where they

looked at these recommendations, and there’re some additional work that’s taking place on it; and once that is done, you’ll certainly get a report out of what is taking place. But I can say to you that the report is being vigorously interrogated (scrutinised), so that it in fact reflects what is needed in a modern police force,” Minister Harmon explained.

The US$4.7 million Security Sector Reform Programme was initially launched in 2007, but was scrapped two years later, after major disagreements between the then admin-

istration and the United Kingdom Government over some of the condition of the plan.

During a meeting with then British Prime Minister David Cameron back in 2016, President David Granger had requested that the multi-million-dollar security sector pact be revived.

British security expert Colonel Russell Combe was brought in to conduct an assessment of the local security sector, and he compiled a report which detailed steps to be taken to improve services. continued on page 16

16

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saturDAY, july 7, 2018

News

Police thwart gas station robbery P

olice in B Division (Berbice) have nabbed four men after they reportedly thwarted a planned robbery of a gas station in Port Mourant, Berbice.

Reports are the four men, who are known to Police, were nabbed at Number One Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, following a car chase and shootout with law enforcement officers.

Guyana Times understands the incident occurred at about 14:00h on Thursday. Speaking

operation at the gas station the men were planning to rob.

However, as the men approached the gas station in a white Toyota motorcar, they realised they were being followed and drove away. The Police gave chase and the driver of the car lost control of the vehicle, ending up

The car in the Albion Police Station compound

with the media, Divisional Commander Lyndon Alves said that Police received in-

formation that the men were hatching a robbery. He noted that ranks set up a sting

in a ditch at Number One Village.

This publication was told that three of the suspected bandits then exited, firing shots in the process and the Police returned fire. However, following a brief chase the men surrendered and were taken to the Albion Police Station The

driver of the car, who was reportedly trapped in the car was nabbed.

Police were however unable to locate the weapons the men were carrying. They have since combed the area but came up empty handed.

An investigation has been launched.

Mae’s graduation

Envision Guyana the way you “would like to live” – former Education Minister

New THAG President to forge stronger ties with Govt T

N

ewly elected President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mitra Ramkumar, has said his team would continue to strengthen its relations with the Government to further develop the local tourism industry. Ramkumar told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that building stronger relations with the Government is a priority on his ‘immediate agenda’. “I want to take it to a new level and collaborate in every aspect. We need to speak with one unified voice, and that needs to be key in every event we have,” he said.

Ramkumar added that visitors to Guyana are focused on the experience, and not on whether the holiday package is offered by THAG or the Government.

Therefore, he said, “We need to work together to give them that Guyana experience.”

He noted the collaboration would ensure the promo-

New THAG President, Mitra Ramkumar

tion of Destination Guyana, which he believes will benefit all Guyanese.

Minister of Business with responsibility for Tourism, Dominic Gaskin, said his ministry would continue to foster stronger relations with THAG, and stressed the importance of public-private sector partnerships.

Ramkumar, who is also the Chief Financial Officer of Roraima Airways, was elected as the new President of THAG after elections were held at the Association’s Annual General Meeting on June 29.

According to a THAG press release, other Executives include Vice President Camille Boodhoo, Managing Director of Old Fort Tours & Angelina’s Travel Service; Treasurer Harrinand Persaud, Chief Financial & Marketing Officer of King’s Jewellery World; Committee Member Alexandra Correia, the Market Research and Investor Relations Manager for the Correia Group of Companies; Committee Member Davie Sukdeo, Senior Sales Manager of the Guyana Marriott Hotel; Committee Member Kevin Daby, General Manager of Grand Coastal Hotel; and Committee Member Jacqueline Allicock, General Manager of Surama Ecolodge.

US$100,000 study to upgrade Lethem Aerodrome

O

ne-hundred-thousand United States dollars (US$100,000) has been awarded for consultancy services to conduct a pre-feasibility study for the upgrading of the Lethem Aerodrome, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) into a regional airport.

This was announced by Minister of State Joseph Harmon at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing on July 5, 2018. The contract was awarded to Colombian company GSD PLUS SAS Consultancy.

The general objective of the study is to determine the main costs and benefits associated with this project and analyse how the economic development impacts could be maximised. The study will perform a diagnostic of problems, limita-

he 2018 graduating class of Mae’s Schools was charged by former Education Minister Priya Manickchand to envision the Guyana they would like to live in and involve themselves in work that would get the country there.

The students were congratulated for their hard work and told that they were already winners as millions of children across the world are unable to complete their primary education.

Manickchand pointed out to the graduating class that they are all intelligent students who could and must do well where ever they go.

She used statistics to show that schools all across the country are doing well and pointed out that children that topped the region at CXC had come Anna Regina, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). She urged the graduates to go on and shine and involve themselves in the civic life of the country so that together we could take Guyana forward.

Manickchand especially recognised Maefield Rodrigues, who she said is a pioneer in the private school industry. She hailed

Former Education Minister Priya Manickchand (left) with Mae’s student, Anjalie Dhoray who secured a perfect score in Social Studies. Also in photo is Anjalie’s mother, Christine Dhoray

the teachers for giving consistently good results to those they teach but implored them to keep consciously examining their methods for relevance and effectiveness.

Nalia Rahaman, 11, of Westfield Prep, is the country’s top student at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations, having secured a perfect score of 529.

The elated student explained that she was very happy to have been informed that she had secured the top spot this year. Rahaman sat the examination at a tender age of 10 with the aspiration of becoming an author.

The top student for Region One (Barima-

Waini) was Romario De Souza; from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), it was Alex Muntaz; from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), it was Darren Ramphal; from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), Kaydee Ali prevailed; as did Anne Khemraj from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Rajiv Babulall from Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), Kenneth Edwards from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Lotasha Stanislaus from Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), Nikolai Kissoon from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), and Shakina Mc Gregor from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

SSR report “vigorously... from page 15

Lethem Airstrip

tions and trends of domestic and regional air transport services with the aim to make Lethem an important hub for air transportation between Northern Brazil, Guyana and the Caribbean.

Additionally, the study will develop a framework and recommendations for the institutional and opera-

tional setup at the proposed Lethem Airport based on the diagnosis performed and an efficient operation standard.

Preliminary designs and improvement measures regarding infrastructure, technology and safety in accordance with ICAO requirements must also be provided.

While the report focuses primarily on reforms within the Guyana Police Force, there are measures included to address issues plaguing the Prisons and the Fire Services, as well as the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF’s) Coast Guard.

At the handing over of the report back in January, Combe had said the presentation of the report was neither just the beginning nor end of efforts to reform the local security sector.

“The report is dynamic. It’s not to represent just the beginning. Activities supported by the United Kingdom have already commenced: the training of (Police’s) Strategic Planning Unit last year, and then in November there was consultancy on the marine capability of the Police Force; and indeed, (we were) engaged with the Coast Guards as well… So this is not the beginning, nor is it the end,” he had noted.

The UK security expert had further stated that his Government does not want to see the report sitting on the shelf, gathering dust. In fact, he noted that the report was compiled in such a way that it can be broken up and separated into its parts, to be dealt with by different groupings. Colonel Combe is expected to oversee the implementation of his recommendations until March 2019, when his tenure would be up.

saturDAY, july 7, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

PM Nawaz China and Russia hit back at US tariffs Ex-Pakistan Sharif sentenced to 10

C

hina has hit back after US tariffs on Chinese goods came into effect and President Donald Trump threatened to impose more.

China's Commerce Ministry said it had lodged a new complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Meanwhile, Russia has announced extra duties on US imports in retaliation for earlier US steel tariffs.

Beijing has accused the US of starting the "largest trade war in economic history".

US tariffs on US$34 billion of Chinese goods came into effect on Friday.

China retaliated by imposing a similar 25 per cent tariff on 545 US products – including cars, soya beans and lobsters – also worth a total of US$34 billion.

Russia is introducing extra duties on a range of

years over corruption

A

US lobsters are among goods subject to Chinese retaliatory tariffs

products imported from the US that can be replaced by locally made equivalents.

They include road-building equipment, products for the oil and gas industry, and tools used in mining.

Trump has already imposed tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels, and started charging levies on the imports of steel

and aluminium from the European Union, Mexico and Canada.

The US tariffs imposed so far would affect the equivalent of 0.6 per cent of global trade and account for 0.1 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to Morgan Stanley.

The US President said America might tar-

get Chinese goods worth US$500 billion – the total value of Chinese imports in 2017.

The White House had previously said it would consult on tariffs on another US$16 billion in products, which Trump has suggested could come into effect later this month.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Pakistani anti-corruption court has found former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif guilty of corruption and sentenced him to 10 years in prison and a US$10.5 million fine, a move that could be a blow to his PML-N party's chances in an upcoming general election.

Judge Muhammad Bashir read the verdict before a packed courtroom in the capital Islamabad on Friday.

The case relates to the ownership of four apartments in the upmarket Park Lane neighbourhood of London, the capital of the United Kingdom.

Sharif was dismissed as Prime Minister last July over corruption allegations, with the Supreme Court ordering the anti-corruption watchdog to launch proceedings

against him and his family.

In 2016, an International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) leak of 11.5 million legal documents – dubbed the “Panama Papers” – showed the Sharif family had secured a US$13.8 million loan in 2007, using the apartments as collateral.

"Today, the anti-corruption court's verdict … has made it clear that these assets, the Avenfield apartments, were acquired through corrupt means," Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi told reporters outside the courtroom.

Following the verdict, a defiant Sharif told reporters in London that he had not been given a fair trial and that he would face his sentence, although he did not specify a date for his return to Pakistan. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Caricom leaders propose measures South Sudan rivals reach new be put in place for easier travel security arrangement deal

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley says a good place to start is with a single domestic space for hassle-free travel

C

aribbean Community (Caricom) leaders are proposing that measures be put in place to facilitate easier travel within the Community.

Among the suggestions put forward as the Caricom leaders met in Jamaica for the 39th Annual Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government were the establishment of a single domestic

space for hassle-free intra-regional travel, and the introduction of a Caricom multipurpose identification (ID).

According to Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Caricom has the capacity to allow persons easier travel, especially in light of security measures that are already in place at the various ports.

“Before a single person leaves any port, we know who

is there, who is a threat, and how they can be addressed.

Therefore, the single domestic space for hassle-free regional travel must be a place where we start if we are serious about the single market and the single economy, and if we want the buy-in of our citizens,” she said in her maiden speech to Caricom following her party’s May 24 clean sweep at the polls.

In terms of the multipurpose ID, the first female Barbadian Prime Minister said the cost to put this in place did not need to be borne

by Governments. “[It] is a cost that can be borne through partnership across Governments, to Private Sector and individuals in our Region,” Mottley said.

She also called for action to implement a regional ferry service that can be facilitated by the Private Sector. (Excerpt from

Caribbean360)

S

outh Sudan's warring sides have signed an accord on security arrangements after talks in neighbouring Sudan's capital, a step that could lead to a power-sharing deal.

"All parties have agreed to withdraw military troops from urban areas as part of the security agreement," Jamal Omar, Sudanese chief of military intelligence, said at Friday's signing ceremony in Khartoum.

The agreement comes days after arch-foes President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar agreed a permanent ceasefire, raising hopes of an end to the five-year conflict that has devastated the world's youngest country.

The latest ceasefire was violated hours after it began with the Government and armed Opposition trading blame for attacks that killed

Warring parties in South Sudan have agreed to withdraw military troops from urban areas as part of the security agreement [File: AFP]

18 civilians.

The ceremony for Friday's deal, the latest in the round of peace talks, took place at Sudan's Defence Ministry in the presence of Machar, South Sudanese Government officials and journalists.

Omar said a security committee would also be set

up to monitor the implementation of the deal, which allows the opening of humanitarian corridors to deliver aid.

"The security deal stipulates that there will be no military presence in churches, villages, schools and camps," he said. (Excerpt from Al

Jazeera)

Sargassum affecting turtle Palestinian killed as Mexico fireworks blast at nesting, tourism and Gaza protests against Tultepec warehouse kills 24 series of explofisheries in St Vincent Israel enter 4th month sions at a fire-

E

nvironmentalists have raised concern about turtle nesting and the presence of sargassum on a beach in the north-eastern section of the country.

The seaweed has now covered the entire beach and the deposits were several feet into the sea, affecting even the wave action on the rough beach.

When the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) visited Boat Bay near Sandy Bay, this week, the sargassum man found on the beach says he works to ensure that turtles are not killed or affected by human action when they come ashore to lay.

He said that when tur-

tles arrive at the beach to find it littered with the seaweed they go back out to sea.

He was unable to say how the situation might ultimately affect the turtles’ nesting efforts.

In the nearby village of Owia, there was also a large deposit of the seaweed in the bay making it difficult for fishing boats to manoeuvre.

Villagers must also contend with the stench of the rotting sargassum.

The sargassum is affecting tourism, fishing and recreation across the country, but especially on the eastern coasts of the island, which face the rougher Atlantic Ocean. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

A

Palestinian taking part in a border protest was killed on Friday, Gazan medical officials said, bringing to 136 the number killed in the confrontations that have often drawn a lethal Israeli army response since they began on March 30.

The Gaza Health Ministry said the 22-year-old died of a chest wound. It said Israeli shelling wounded eight people in the same location, east of Gaza City, though it was not clear if the two incidents were linked.

Israel’s military denied shelling, saying troops used “riot dispersal means” including gunfire as they confronted 3000 Palestinians at five points along the border fence, some rolling burning tyres and throwing rocks, and that “a number of terrorists” approached the border fence with a bomb.

“The explosive device went off within the Gaza Strip and injured several Palestinians,” it said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

A

works depot in Mexico has killed at least 24 people and injured more than 40 others.

The biggest blasts took place as emergency responders arrived at the scene in the town of Tultepec.

Authorities said four firefighters and five Police Officers were casualties in the blast, as well as a minor.

The town, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from Mexico City, is known as the country's pyrotechnic capital.

A market in the

Authorities said four firefighters and five Police Officers were casualties in the blast, as well as a minor

town has twice been badly damaged by explosions. More than 40 people died in blasts there in 2016.

At the time there were calls for the market to be closed, but President Enrique Peña Nieto promised to rebuild it and help

hundreds of local artisans who had lost their livelihoods.

An explosion earlier this year killed seven people.

Tultepec hosts Mexico's national pyrotechnics festival each year. (Excerpt from BBC News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, july 7, 2018

ARCHIE

Take part in activities that require skill and de(March 21- termination. Make physical April 19) changes that will enhance your looks. Let someone special know how much you care.

Romance is encouraged.

ARIES

Let others voice an opinTAURUS ion before you share yours.

(April 20- It’s best to remain silent if May 20) it will help you avoid getting into a dispute. Focus on self-improvement, not on trying to change others.

dilbert

Play an active role in GEMINI (May 21- whatever is happening in June 20) your community or with the people you usually hang with.

Mental stimulation will lead to a better physical relationship.

If you take pride in what you do, others will take note.

(June 21- Reach high and far to ensure July 22) that you’ve taken advantage of everything available to you to create new possibilities.

CANCER

Peanuts

Don’t wait until it’s too LEO late. If a situation appears to (July 23- be spinning out of control, put Aug. 22) an abrupt end to it before it costs you emotionally and financially.

Learn as you go and don’t VIRGO skip a beat. Your ability to (Aug. 23call upon people with whom Sept. 22) you have successfully worked in the past will pay off.

Calvin and Hobbes

Take charge and do your LIBRA (Sept. 23- own thing. Note what others Oct. 23) have to offer, but don’t entertain the thought of participating in a joint venture.

Focus on physical improvements and romance.

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD — ASPIRE (ASPIRE: uh-SPIRE: To desire strongly.)

SUDOKU

Average mark 21 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 27 or more words in ASPIRE? The list will be published on Monday.

THURSDAY’S WORD — STREAM same sate seam sear seat seta smart smear star stare steam stem

tame tamer tare team tear term tram tsar rase rate ream rest

east arms aster mare mart maser mast master mate meat mesa

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

solution for last published puzzle

Learn all you can and upSCORPIO date your qualifications to (Oct. 24suit the changing job marNov. 22) ket. Know your strengths and put a unique spin on what you have to offer.

Be reasonable when it SAGITTARIUS comes to money matters.

(Nov. 23- Spending money that you Dec. 21) don’t have will be viewed as irresponsible. Put greater emphasis on personal improvements, inner growth and romance.

Welcome change, and enCAPRICORN gage in activities that broad(Dec. 22- en your vision and help you Jan. 19) improve your living arrangements and a relationship with a loved one. Make love and romance priorities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Do what comes naturally. Don’t feel obliged to follow someone else or give in to emotional manipulation.

Set boundaries if someone tries to take advantage of you.

You may need a change, but making the right choice will be difficult if you let someone meddle in your affairs. Think and do for yourself, and avoid being led astray.

saturDAY, JUly 7, 2018

19

Griezmann seals France’s World Cup quarter-final win over Uruguay

D

idier Deschamps had no desire to answer a question on the eve of this game about whether France could end up as champions, a man who knows what it takes to win a World Cup stubbornly refusing to look too far into the distance. Deschamps, however, will only be able to avoid that subject for so long after France eased past Uruguay, courtesy of Raphaël Varane’s splendid header and an awful blunder by Fernando Muslera, to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2006.

Argentina and now Uruguay have been dispatched en route to the last four and, ominously for those teams left, it feels as though there is still so much more to come from France. What is clear is that the last thing they need is for anyone to give them a helping hand, but that is exactly what Uruguay did here.

It turned into a harrowing evening for Muslera, the Uruguay goalkeeper, who gifted France their second goal when he allowed Antoine Griezmann’s speculative shot to go through him. The shot dipped and swerved a little but Muslera, like everyone else in the stadium, knew that he should have made

France’s forward Antoine Griezmann put his side further ahead with this shot

a routine save after getting two hands to the ball.

For Uruguay there was never going to be a way back. Óscar Tabárez, their coach, can take encouragement from another tournament when they have punched above their weight, although he will also wonder what might have been had Edinson Cavani not been ruled out with a calf injury. How Uruguay missed him.

France had known exactly what to expect. Uruguay had conceded one goal in their previous seven matches and were never going to give France the space that Argentina afforded them. Uruguay formed two

narrow banks of four whenever France had possession and the question was how they could find a way through. For 39 minutes they struggled to come up with an answer but then a weakness was exposed.

Pepe had punished Uruguay from a set piece last Saturday and France did exactly the same.

The frustration from Uruguay’s point of view is that the freekick was given away so carelessly.

Rodrigo Bentancur was caught in possession deep inside the Uruguay half and, desperate to try to prevent Corentin Tolisso from getting away, recklessly brought him down, leading to a free-kick in a dangerous position

wide on the left.

Griezmann approached the ball, retreated and then stepped forward again before delivering an inswinging free-kick that seemed to catch Uruguay by surprise, perhaps because of the stutter in his run-up. Varane, timing his run perfectly, got across Cristhian Stuani to send a superb glancing header into the far corner.

It was a terrific header and, from the neutral’s point of view, exactly what this quarter-final needed. Up until that stage it had been a game of chess with France trying to make the more attacking moves. There was a surge of excitement inside

the stadium whenever Kylian Mbappé was on the ball but the teenager was too fast for his teammates at times. One pass from Paul Pogba, beautifully slid on the inside of Diego Laxalt, encouraged Mbappé to dart in behind the left-back. Effortlessly going through the gear, Mbappé accepted the invitation and got to the byline to cut the ball back but the rest of the France attack were still catching their breath, trying and failing to keep up.

Mbappé could and should have put France ahead earlier on.

Olivier Giroud nodded the ball back across goal but Mbappé, unmarked and eight yards out, seemed to mistime his jump and his header sailed over the bar. Otherwise France, for all their possession, created little up until the opening goal, which said as much about the lack of imagination to their attacking play as it did the resilience of Uruguay’s defending.

The challenge for Uruguay was to find a way to respond to Varane’s goal – something they nearly did within a couple of minutes. Martín Cáceres, the Uruguay right-back, met Lucas Torreira’s deep free-kick with a powerful header that looked destined for the bottom corner

until Hugo Lloris, throwing himself low to his right, made a splendid save. Diego Godín was first to react to the loose ball but thumped a left-foot shot, from a couple of yards out, off target as Lloris, clambering to his feet, did his best to put the central defender off. Even allowing for the angle being slightly against him, Godín should have scored.

Tabárez withdrew the ineffective Stuani early in the second half, replacing him with Maximiliano Gómez, but the damage was about to be done again at the other end of the pitch. Griezmann, in space and 25 yards out after receiving a square pass from Tolisso, hit a left-foot shot that Muslera seemed to have covered. Only the Uruguay goalkeeper knows how it ended up in the back of the net. It was a horrible mistake.

The game then threatened to get ugly after a melee that was caused by Mbappé making far too much of some slight contact

by Cristian Rodríguez. Mbappé is a wonderful talent but did himself no favours with his playacting and ended up getting booked after Néstor Pitana, the Argentinian referee, had regained control. Not that France looked flustered thereafter. (The Guardian)

Maxwell, Head bail Australia out in thrilling finish

C

all this a dead rubber all you want; this game had more life in it than perhaps all the others in this tri-series put together. Zimbabwe, backed vocally by the small crowd that turned up in freezing conditions in Harare, put up their best performance of the tournament, falling agonisingly short in the end. In a series desperately lacking close contests, the last game before the final provided a memorable finish to warm the hearts of those that sat shivering in the stands. They might not have got the result they came for though, with Marcus Stoinis smashing Donald Tiripano over midwicket for four with one ball remaining to ensure Zimbabwe finished the series winless.

Cricket - even T20 cricket isn’t nearly like football, where it can be quite impossible to miss when a game turned on its head. Not least because in football, those moments coincide with bulging nets and raucous celebrations. Without a shot played in anger, slowly, almost imperceptibly, Australia turned around a game that, for a good half hour, looked like it was Zimbabwe’s to lose. If you hadn’t been paying much attention, there would have been a startling moment when you realised you weren’t going to get the upset you’d popped in front of the TV for, b u t what looked a routine

Australian stroll to victory. It wasn’t quite as simple as that in the end, but the win did come thanks to a century partnership between Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell - the latter making 56 off 38 - as Australia chased down the 152-run target.

Having put up a below par score, Zimbabwe began spectacularly with the ball, Wellington Masakadza and the precocious Blessing Muzarabani keeping Australia on a leash in the Powerplay. An ill-timed hoick by Aaron Finch to cow corner deprived the visitors of their captain and trump card. A couple of overs later, Muzarabani drew an outside edge from the other opener Alex Carey for a simple catch behind the wicket. Australia’s middle order, which had looked so thoroughly secondstring against Pakistan on Thursday, looked like it might get another s e v e r e

examination; with the asking rate climbing slowly and Zimbabwe looking a different side to the one Australia had steamrolled earlier in the week.

But as the Powerplay ended, Zimbabwe moved the fielders

back out, and the pressure on Maxwell and Head eased. The ones and twos began to come easier, and Maxwell, having got his eye in, was threatening to return to the sort of form that turns asking rates to laughing stocks. An exquisite six over extra cover in the tenth over was a harbinger of the carnage to follow, and the partnership began to develop as Australia expertly took control of the chase. Zimbabwe’s bowling, which had looked so potent with the field in, again assumed the distinctly ordinary appearance that has been the downfall of their side in so many games over recent years. That over was the start of a period that saw

Glenn Maxwell

Australia score 51 runs in five overs, and even as Masakadza switched his bowlers around, it didn’t seem like anything would dissuade the pair from applying the finishing touches to what was turning into a decisive win.

But when the young Muzarabani - who was fabulous at both top and tail of the innings - returned, Zimbabwe perked up again. He coaxed a false shot to extra cover from Maxwell off just his second ball back, and suddenly the Australia of the first few overs seemed to have returned. Two more wickets fell quickly and the game became a tough scrap that went to the final over, but Australia were slightly better at holding their nerve, and that, really, was the difference in the end.

Earlier on, Solomon Mire put on another superb showing at the top of the order with 63 off 52 balls, anchoring a stuttering Zimbabwean innings, which could never assume the fluency required to post a good enough total. They lost three early wickets, which forced Mire and Peter Moor into consolidation mode at a time when they would have preferred to kick on.

At times the partnership almost seemed to be breaking up any momentum Zimbabwe built, rather than setting them up for the final flourish.

When Moor, who was 14 off 20 at one point, finally did get going, carting Stoinis for 15 runs in the 14th

over, he lost his wicket soon after. It was left to Mire again to be the sole torchbearer for the hosts, and while he did so admirably, the final total they put up wasn’t quite enough to place any real pressure on the Australians. Zimbabwe have real positives to build on for the

upcoming five-match ODI series against Pakistan which begins on July 13, particularly the form of Mire and Muzarabani. The table might show them to be pointless, but the performances on the field strongly suggest otherwise. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Zimbabwe Innings (20 overs maximum) C Zhuwaoc †Carey b Stanlake 0 SF Mire b Tye 63 H Masakadza (c) b Richardson 13 TK Musakanda c Wildermuth b Stanlake 12 PJ Moor † c Maddinson b Richardson 30 E Chigumbura c Richardson b Tye 2 MN Waller c Richardson b Tye 13 DT Tiripano run out (Agar/Tye) 0 B Mavut not out 6 WP Masakadza c Stoinis b Wildermuth 3 Extras (lb 1, w 8) 9 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 7.55) 151-9 Did not bat: B Muzarabani Fall of wickets: 1-0 (C Zhuwao, 0.1 ov), 2-21 (H Masakadza, 3.3 ov), 3-44 (TK Musakanda, 5.5 ov), 4-112 (PJ Moor, 15.3 ov), 5-116 (E Chigumbura, 16.4 ov), 6-141 (MN Waller, 18.3 ov), 7-142 (DT Tiripano, 18.5 ov), 8-142 (SF Mire, 18.6 ov), 9-151 (WP Masakadza, 19.6 ov) BOWLING: B Stanlake (4-1-212), JA Richardson (4-0-32-2), MP Stoinis (3-0-31-0), AC Agar

(3-0-22-0), AJ Tye (4-0-28-3), JD Wildermuth (2-0-16-1) Australia Innings (target: 152 runs from 20 overs) AJ Finch (c) c Musakanda b WP Masakadza 3 AT Carey † c sub (R Murray) b Muzarabani 16 TM Head c WP Masakadza b Muzarabani 48 GJ Maxwell c Chigumbura b Muzarabani 56 NJ Maddinson c Muzarabani b Tiripano 2 MP Stoinis not out 12 AC Agar not out 5 Extras (lb 4, w 8) 12 TOTAL (19.5 Overs, RR: 7.76) 154/5 Yet to bat: JD Wildermuth, AJ Tye, JA Richardson, B Stanlake Fall of wickets: 1-15 (AJ Finch, 2.1 ov), 2-26 (AT Carey, 4.3 ov), 3-129 (GJ Maxwell, 16.2 ov), 4-134 (NJ Maddinson, 17.3 ov), 5-139 (TM Head, 18.2 ov) BOWLING: WP Masakadza (40-32-1), B Muzarabani (4-0-213), DT Tiripano (3.5-0-27-1), SF Mire (2-0-17-0), B Mavuta (40-33-0), MN Waller (2-0-20-0)

20

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saturDAY, JUly 7, 2018

De Bruyne's brilliance knocks Brazil out of World Cup I

n years to come, when this stadium is a crumbling white elephant, they will sit in almost empty stands, hear the wind whisper across the marsh that surrounds it and believe what they can hear is the ghosts of giants.

In three games, Kazan has claimed the winners of 11 World Cups. First Germany went, insipid against South Korea. Then, in a full-blooded epic, Argentina were blown away by France. And then fell the biggest of all, Brazil, outwitted and outbattled by Belgium, who will face France in Tuesday’s semi-final.

Brazil had chances. A few ricochets in the box did not fall their way.The hysteria that always surrounds them, the sense of desire and expectation, perhaps becomes at times inhibitive.

Tite, almost certainly, will be blamed, because that is what managers are for, but his half-time switch to a 4-4-2, bringing on Roberto Firmino in place of Willian and shifting Gabriel Jesus to the right, did improve matters.

The problem was that by then they were already 2-0 down, having been eviscerated on the break by Kevin De Bruyne. Renato Augusto did

pull one back, heading in Philippe Coutinho’s chip with 14 minutes remaining but it was not enough.

He may have been almost derided by the end of his time in the Premier League but Roberto Martínez deserves enormous credit for Belgium’s victory. His approach was bold, startlingly so, setting out a team who looked like the sort of line-up you would use to chase a game if you were a goal down with half an hour to go – as, of course they had been against Japan in the last round.

Marouane Fellaini and Nacer Chadli, heroes of that comeback, were included and the system was a surprising one: a 4-3-3 with De Bruyne deployed as a false nine and Romelu Lukaku pulling right, seemingly to try to attack the space between Miranda and Marcelo.

Martínez, perhaps, observing how the one goal Brazil had conceded in the tournament had come from a corner headed in by Switzerland’s Steven Zuber had decided an aerial assault was the best option.

Both the players he brought in were involved in Belgium’s opener and he

Kevin De Bruyne fires in a low screamer to score

could perhaps also take credit for his deployment of De Bruyne who, dropping deep, sliced open the defence with a through-ball delicious in every aspect other than the player it released was Fellaini.

His forward clank never seemed likely to result in a goal but it did win a corner and, when Chadli delivered to the near post, Gabriel Jesus and Fernandinho jumped

together, the ball deflecting in off the midfielder’s right arm.

What was really striking, though, was how dangerous Belgium were on the break.

They rode their luck to an extent. Thiago Silva bundled an early corner against a post and Paulinho missed his kick when well-placed. Thibaut Courtois made a number of fine saves and bodies were put on the line again and again.

But that was always likely to be the case.

This, after all, is a Brazil side who had won 20 of their 25 games under Tite and was averaging more than two goals a game. Belgium were always going to have to endure and survive. They also, though, cut through Brazil over and over again.

De Bruyne, in that withdrawn role, ran the game,

Brazil seemingly unable to decide who should pick him up. Hazard and Lukaku, pulling wide, regularly had space to run into. It was Lukaku who was the architect of the second goal, carrying the ball forward from his own half, beating Fernandinho and Paulinho and then laying the ball right to De Bruyne. A step inside, a glance up to measure the strike and the ball was flashing beyond Alisson’s right hand into the bottom corner: a brilliant goal and only the first time Brazil had conceded two in a game under Tite.

Neymar, whose antics had made him such a controversial figure in the tournament, was down early, although this time he had taken a clout on the back of the head from one of Fellaini’s assortment of elbows. After that, though, his involvement, from a playing point of view, was fitful, so much so that Thomas Meunier was emboldened to make attacking sallies down the Belgian right. There was even, slightly bizarrely, an incident in the second half when he tangled with Fellaini and fell in the box, then seemed to discourage the Serb referee, Milorad Mazic, from checking VAR. (The Guardian)

Wimbledon 2018…

Wimbledon top seed beats Struff

T

op seed Roger Federer continued his flawless record at this year’s Wimbledon as he beat Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in another routine win.

The defending champion and eight-time winner needed one hour and 34 minutes to win 6-3 7-5 6-2 on Centre Court.

The Swiss great has not dropped a set in his three matches so far, extending his winning streak to 29 in a row.

Federer, 36, will play French 22nd seed Adrian Mannarino, who beat Russian Daniil Medvedev, in the last 16.

T h e 20-time G r a n d S l a m champion is bidding for a joint-rec o r d ninth sing l e s title at SW19, which would see him draw leve l with Martina Navratilova.

He looks refreshed a n d relaxed after skipping t h e clay-court season, with his early form indicating he is still the man to beat

this year.

“I really take every match one at a time, not necessarily as it will be my last, but I try hard every time,” he told BBC Sport.

“I will never underestimate any opponent.

“Regardless of how many matches I’ve played at Wimbledon, and especially on Centre Court, it is such a wonderful feeling playing out there. “ I t is the most special

court in the Venus Williams

world for me.”

Venus beaten by Bertens

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams became the eighth of the top 10 seeds to be knocked out after a third-round defeat by Kiki Bertens.

Ninth seed Williams, 38, was beaten 6-2 6-7 (57) 8-6 by the 26-year-old Dutchwoman on Court One. Williams’ fellow American Madison Keys lost nine consecutive games in her defeat to qualifier Evgeniya Rodina.

The 10th seed lost 7-5 5-7 6-4 in two hours 10 minutes against the Russian, who is ranked 120th in the world.

Venus Williams made a sluggish start to the contest and her body language in the first set belied her frustration.

At 5-1 Williams, who won Wimbledon in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008, saved a set point on her serve to avoid being broken for a third time.

However, 20th seed Bertens remained unflustered and clinically closed out the set with an ace.

World number nine Williams eventually found some rhythm in the second set as the pair twice traded breaks - Beterns missing a chance to serve out for the match at 5-4 up.

In the tie-break that followed, Williams won two mini breaks to have a 6-2 advantage only to fluff a chance to close out the set before she eventually levelled the match.

The pair exchanged early breaks in the third set

Serena Williams passed her first proper test with style by beating France’s Kristina Mladenovic to reach the Wimbledon fourth round.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, on a comeback after giving birth, went a break down against the former top-10 player but won 7-5 7-6 (7-2).

before Bertens squandered two break points in the eighth game as Williams held.

Williams saved two match break points on deuce at 7-6 down, but the pressure told and she struck a return low into the net to hand Bertens the victory in two hours and 40 minutes.

“It means a lot, I cannot really believe it. It was a tough match, a big fight but I am so happy I won this one,” Bertens said.

“I will have a little celebration, rest a little, but I can celebrate a little because I am in the second week of Wimbledon.”

While the women’s seeds have been tumbling early, Williams has advanced without dropping a set.

She faces fellow mum and world number 120 Evgeniya Rodina of Russia next.

With eight of the top 10 women’s seeds now out, the road for former world number one Williams to win an eighth Wimbledon singles title is looking ever clearer.

Not that she sees it

Serena into fourth round

that way.

“I think a lot of the top players are losing, but they’re losing to girls that are playing outstanding,” she said. “I think, if anything, it shows me every moment that I can’t underestimate any of these ladies.

They are just going out there swinging and

playing for broke.”

B u t then so is Williams, who has showed gradual improvement over the three matches she has played.

(BBC Sport)

Serena Williams

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21

Motor racers gearing for July 29 ‘Dynamic’ Motocross Challenge T

he track will be open to speedsters who wish to showcase their skills when the first of the 2018 Motocross Champion Series revs off on July 29 at Speightland, Lower Kara-Kara, Linden, Region 10.

The Motocross Challenge will be making a return to the Region 10 community after close to eight years in hiatus; and according to racer Steven Nobrega, who is a part of the planning committee, the event will be like no other, and will ask different tasks of riders, and will, in turn, bring greater thrills to fans.

“This track will be completely different from the norm. It will be longer and have a lot more turns; we also have an incline. It is a unique track, and I do not want to give out all the information now, as I want the guys to come out and experience the excitement”, he

Steven Nobrega in action

declared.

Nobrega is anticipating a massive turnout to witness the event, since several members of the grass racing fraternity have been invited to participate in the events. Among those expected to be on show are

Andy Rajkaran, Andrew Wong, Junior DaSilva, Vassie Barry; and the Spellen brothers, Kennard and Kenrick.

Daredevil riders from Georgetown, Bartica, East Coast Demerara, Linden and Essequibo are expected to sign

up. The event is open to ATVs and other off-road vehicles, but the organisers are asking that they register soonest for the event by making contact with Nobrega on 669-1900.

Race time is 11:00h and admission is $1000.

Global T20 Canada…

Windies “B” whip Winnipeg Hawks

T

he West Indies “B” Team continued their dominance of the inaugural Global T20 Canada tournament by inflicting an emphatic nine-wicket thrashing on Winnipeg Hawks at Maple Leaf ground, King City, Toronto.

In a sizzling hot summer day, Guyanese Anthony Bramble, skipper of the Windies Team, called the toss correctly and invited the Hawks to take first strike.

They advanced to a competitive 151-8 off 20 overs.

The Caribbean boys were spectacularly led by Barbadian first-class opener Justin Greaves with an unbeaten 89, as they replied with 155-1 in the 18th over.

The 26-year-old Greaves found the boundary on 13 occasions, and cleared it twice during his 58-ball innings; while the right-hander also shared a handsome unbroken 130-run stand with Brandon King, who contributed 44 runs.

West Indies “B” Team had come into this six-team tournament being seen as the ‘underdogs’ because of the plethora of T20 stars representing various competing sides, but they are proving effective in all aspects of the game. They now have three victories from as many matches, and there are still two games to be played before completion of the preliminary round on Sunday, while the next segment is slated to start on Tuesday at the same facility.

They are leading the points table with six points, while the Hawks, although in second place, have slipped to four points, having suffered two defeats from four

outings.

Player-of-the-match Greaves opened the innings with Shane Rutherford, but the left-handed Guyanese Rutherford was adjudged leg-before to axed West Indies fast-bowler Fidel Edwards. He headed back to the pavilion after scoring only five with the score on 30.

But once Greaves and the other right-hander, King, had linked up, there was no stopping the innings, as the two batted with consummate ease on a good surface.

Greaves, in particular, showed great inclination to be aggressive, having found the gaps to perfection on a relatively fast outfield.

Earlier, Australian David Warner (06), who took over the captaincy from Dwayne Bravo, again failed to make an impression with the bat,

spooning a catch to wide mid-on for Greaves to take a running and tumbling catch off medium-pacer Derval Green.

Bravo is in England plying his trade for Middlesex in the Vitality T20 competition.

Lendl Simmons, who partnered Warner, and number 3 batsman Ben McDermott put on 43 runs, but once they were separated quickly for 45 and 32 respectively, the Hawks experienced a middle-order collapse, losing Darren Bravo for four and David Miller for 10.

Bramble used his bowlers well, establishing a combination of spin and pace operating from both ends on a regular basis. He eventually called on eight bowlers, and they did not disappoint

in front of a small but vocal crowd.

Mark Dyal supported Simmons and McDermott with a steady 24 not out, as left-arm pacer Obed McCoy snatched three wickets for 39 runs from four overs. The St. Lucia-born McCoy has taken his wicket tally to 11, to be the top bowler.

At the presentation ceremony just after the game, Greaves said he was delighted to make a big contribution for his team today (Thursday), and will continue to work hard to score runs consistently.

The competition, which commenced last Thursday and is expected to conclude on July 15, will continue on Friday with one fixture.

Vancouver Knights will engage Edmonton Royals from 11:00hrs. (Ravi Madholall)

22

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saturDAY, JUly 7, 2018

Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ National Playoff teams named ...await Bartica zone champs

W

ith the final leg of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ zone competition set to be played in Bartica, the organisers have released the names of 15 of the 16 teams that will contest the national playoffs later this month.

Bartica, which saw its inaugural competition played last year, will be represented by the winner of their zone, scheduled to be played from July 13-15 in the mining town of Linden.

River View are the defending champions, and word from the community suggest they will have to be at their best to hold off some of the aspiring teams, who all exude

confidence ahead of next weekend’s showdown.

Police, who ended runners-up in last year’s competition, will be aiming to go one step better and be the Region’s sole representative in the national playoffs.

With the chance to compete at the nationals being a huge opportunity for the winning team, fans can expect three days of exciting action that could challenge some of the battles we’ve seen so far at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The national playoffs are set to be staged on July 27 and 28 at the Pouderoyen Tarmac and at the Haslington Market Square respectively, while the final will be played at the National Cultural Centre Tarmac.

Georgetown

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West Demerara

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Linden

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Berbice

Trafalgar-Champion Part of the action in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’

Roy Fredericks’ Floodlight Cup set for Albion

*awaiting Bartica

ExxonMobil U-14 final 8 action on today

Last year’s winner of the annual Roy Fredericks Floodlights Cup competition

T

he Blairmont Centre Cricket Club will be hosting its Roy Fredericks’ Floodlight Cup competition, dubbed “REVOLUTION”, at the Albion Community Centre on Saturday, July 21.

This is the 4th edition since the tournament began in 2015, and it will see competitive cricket being played in a day and night affair, with leading cricket clubs in Guyana already confirming their participation.

The day’s activities are expected to commence at 09:00h and conclude at 22:30h with seven teams competing for supremacy.

Two-time defending champions, Blairmont Blazers, will be hard pressed to retain their crown. They are expected to face stiff challenges from the other teams, such as Albion Cricket Club, Demerara Cricket Club, Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, Port Mourant Cricket Club, Young Warriors, and Upper Corentyne Association.

Guyana and West Indies batsman Roy Fredericks started playing cricket at the Blairmont Centre Cricket Club, and later went on to play with Demerara Cricket Club (DCC). Fredericks played 59 Tests, scoring 4334 runs at an average of 42.49. In the process, he produced 8 centuries and 26 half-centuries.

He gained international fame for the scintillating 169 runs he scored at Perth against Australia, playing against the likes of legendary pacers Dennis Lillie and Jeff Thompson.

This tournament has,

since 2015, been a tribute to the late distinguished cricket icon Roy Fredericks, and it has become one of the club’s major fundraisers.

At the day’s event, there will be lots of attractions for spectators: such as tassa drumming, lighted bails, 4 and 6 fans, bowl off, spectator catch, cartoon characters walking around, live commentary by international commentator Inderjeet Persaud, among other things.

Apart from the shortest version of cricket competition, other activities planned are volleyball and domino competitions. The club executive and members are seeking sponsorship for the events, and would welcome any contribution toward the success of this event.

Proceeds will go for intended purposes, which are: to maintain and develop the cricket club. The club’s main project is to build an indoor cricket facility to cater for the rainy season. For more information, interested persons are kindly being asked to make contact with assistant club secretary Ameer Rahim on 626-2563.

T

he ExxonMobil/Petra Under-14 League enters its quarter-final round today, and the top eight teams will battle for a spot in the semi-final round.

Given the impressive exhibition of skills, talents and wits so far seen, the final eight are expected to put on an even better show come Saturday.

The highly-anticipated matches will go down at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue on Saturday.

Today’s matches: Females 11:00 hrs – Tutorial vs South Ruimveldt Secondary 11:00 hrs - New Campbellville vs Tucville 11:50 hrs - East Riumveldt vs Vergenogen Secondary 11:50 hrs - Charlestown Secondary vs Uitivulgt Secondary Boys Male Quarter Finals 13:00 hrs - Marian Academy vs St Johns 13:00 hrs - North Ruimveldt Multi vs Tucville 14:00 hrs - Vergenogen Secondary vs Chase Academy 14:00 hrs - Buxton Youth Development vs Dolphin Secondary

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saturDAY, JUly 7, 2018

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Gabriel packs off Bangladesh inside 3 days

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urul Hasan held up West Indies' march towards the 1-0 lead for more than 90 minutes on the third day in Antigua, but eventually fell to give the hosts an innings and 219-run win shortly before lunch. Shannon Gabriel finished with his fifth five-wicket haul while Jason Holder and Miguel Cummins shared the other five.

So effective they were that the hosts didn't miss Kemar Roach, who didn't bowl in the second innings because of a hamstring niggle. By finishing the Test the way they did, West Indies may have given their strike bowler valuable time to recover ahead of the second Test starting July 12 in Jamaica.

This game was Bangladesh's second shortest in terms of balls faced.

In the last 66 years, the 59 overs that Bangladesh faced were the least a side faced in being bowled out twice.

Nurul's enterprising 64 was one of very few high

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh 1st Innings – 43 all out West Indies 1st Innings – 406 all out Bangladesh 2nd Innings Tamim Iqbal c Hope b Gabriel 13 Liton Das c Brathwaite b Holder 2 Mominul Haque b Gabriel 0 Mushfiqur Rahim b Gabriel 8 Shakib Al Hasan (c) c Holder b Gabriel 12 Mahmudullah c Chase b Holder 15 Mehidy Hasan Miraz c †Dowrich b Holder 2 Nurul Hasan † c & b Cummins 64 Kamrul Islam Rabbi b Gabriel 7 Keemo Paul, Miguel Cummins and Keiran Powell celebrate the victory

notes for Bangladesh in a disappointing Test. It is the fastest half-century for a Bangladeshi overseas. He struck six fours and two sixes in his 74-ball knock, a majority of which came

during the course of his 55run ninth-wicket stand with Rubel Hossain. This was also Bangladesh's best partnership of the match.

Nurul batted with positivity, riding the bounce to

tackle short deliveries and being picky with full balls.

Five of his six fours came behind the wicket, one of which was a clever ramp off a steep bouncer. His two sixes were more convention-

al: a loft over long-off off Gabriel and a pull over deep midwicket off Devendra Bishoo.

Mahmudullah fell off the first legal delivery of the day to set the tone for the downfall. The Jason Holder delivery pitched at length on off

Rubel Hossain b Cummins 16 Abu Jayed not out 0 Extras (b 1, nb 1, w 3) 5 TOTAL all out (40.2 Overs, RR: 3.57) 144 Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Tamim Iqbal, 3.4 ov), 2-14 (Mominul Haque, 3.6 ov), 3-16 (Liton Das, 6.4 ov), 4-36 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 9.3 ov), 5-43 (Shakib Al Hasan, 11.6 ov), 6-50 (Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 14.5 ov), 7-63 (Mahmudullah, 18.1 ov), 8-88 (Kamrul Islam Rabbi, 25.4 ov), 9-143 (Nurul Hasan, 38.5 ov), 10-144 (Rubel Hossain, 40.2 ov) BOWLING: JO Holder (15-330-3), ST Gabriel (12-3-775), ML Cummins (7.2-2-162), D Bishoo (5-1-16-0), RL Chase (1-0-4-0)

and squared the batsman up to take the edge that was well taken in the slips.

Kamrul Islam Rabbi took a number of blows to his body, as well as one on his helmet, before Gabriel blasted his stumps to complete his five-wicket haul. (ESPNcricinfo)

GT Beer “Keep Your 5 Linden-led Jump Rope team Alive” Futsal starts today performs at World C/ships

Guyana's first ever Jump Rope team took a photo op prior to the tournament’s commencement

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he sixth edition of the GT Beer ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ Indoor Competition is anticipated to provide riveting action from today (Saturday), when the tournament kicks off at the National Gymnasium.

Eager and determined teams are expected from Georgetown, Linden, Berbice, and from both west and east coasts and banks of the Demerara county.

Organiser Kevin Adonis, in an invited comment, said this year’s edition is expected to surpass last year’s in terms of excitement and fan support. He is urging teams to bring out their supporters to ensure that their hopes of ‘keeping their five alive’ are increased by the turnout of fans.

“The concept is one that I like. It allows a team only one opportunity to play for the prizes; and because of this, all the teams come well prepared to play at a high level, and so the fans are the real winners,” Adonis explained.

He added that thirty-two of the best teams in the country have been assembled, including defending champions West Front Road’s ‘Gold is Money’ and beaten finalist Future Stars.

Among the other teams making the shortlist are: Sparta Boss, Bent Street, Leopold Street, and most of the zone champions of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ competition.

In opening night action: Rhythm Stars (Mocha) tackle recently-crowned Berbice Guinness champions Trafalgar, and this encounter will be followed by the clash between Agricola and Broad Street.

Kingston then square off against Swag Entertainment out of Linden, before another mining community team, NK Ballers, take on Sophia.

In the final game of the night, Leopold Street play host to East Coast Melanie Damishana.

The fixtures for the next two playing days are seen

below.

On Thursday, July 12, Buxton Diamond engage West Demerara Showstoppers, while the young Uprising team from East Coast Demerara go up against Linden’s Silver Bullets.

ESPN then collide with East Coast BV, before Ann’s Grove and North East La Penitence take to the court.

The rejuvenated Tiger Bay unit then faces California Square, before Sparta Boss and Tucville bring the curtains down on the evening’s proceedings.

On Saturday, July 14, Albouystown and Upsetters get things going, before Future Stars and Alpha Warriors square off.

Back Circle then tackle Kitty Hustlers, before Linden’s Dave & Celena All Stars go up against Bent Street.

The reigning champs, West Front Road, then close the night with a clash against Alexander Village.

Tyrese Thornhill during one of his performances

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he first Jump Rope Team out of Linden departed these shores on July 1 to attend the World Jump Rope Championships and Camp at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, USA. The team has made history as the first from Guyana to participate in this event.

Members of the Linden team include team Leader Lindley Langhorne, Head Coach Shavin Greene, Assistant Coach Odella Hilken, and twelve jumpers: Ashanti Antigua, Akiela Johnson, Serena Drakes, Amnesha Charles, Rodwell Halley, Tyrese Thornhill, Prince Beckles, Adriell Wilson, Safron Grenville, Deshanti Grenville, Shannae Worrell and Jannee Greene.

Being the first year at a world class event, the jumpers participated in both novice and junior categories. Langhorne believes that hard work has paid off for the entire team, which he noted has pushed to perform at its best.

"It was not seen as an opportunity to participate, but as The following results were obtained: Speed 1 x 30 seconds Male 15 years and older Joint 5th - Rodwell Halley & Tyrese Thornhill Female 13-14 yrs 4th - Ameasha Charles 3-mins Speed Male 15 years and older

one to compete at this level. The team participated in the possible events for their age category and level", Langhorne stated.

31 countries were represented at the event, and there were over 800 competitors.

The first event Guyana participated in was the Female 4 x 30 Speed, and the team that made the first jump for Guyana comprised of Ashanti Antigua, Akiela Johnson, Serena Drakes and Amnesha Charles.

"It will be good to have the support of the relevant authorities to ensure the establishment of the Guyana Jump Rope Federation for the further development of the sport", Langhorne said. He added that a total of eight prizes were obtained, which were shared among six jumpers.

Adriel Wilson – 3rd Female 13-14 years Ameasha Charles - 5th Single Rope Freestyle Male 15 years and older Adriell Wilson - 5th Female 13-14 years Akiela Johnson - 2nd Female 15 years and older Deshanti Grenville - 4th

saturDAY, JUly 7, 2018

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

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Gabriel packs off Bangladesh inside 3 days Pg 23

Teamates celebrate with Shannon Gabriel

De Bruyne's brilliance knocks Brazil out of World Cup

Rubel Hossain is bowled to bring the match to an end

The ball deflects past Alisson off Fernandinho (No17) to give Belgium the lead

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