Guyanatimes 25 june 2018

Guyanese graduates as valedictorian at IMO Int’l Maritime Law Institute P12 THE BEACON OF TRUTH

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

Monday, June 25, 2018

Issue No. 3604

Showdown in National Assembly

PPP to confront Govt on hiring of special prosecutors

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

13th Chinese Medical Brigade commended for their service P13

Page 7

– questions put for details on emoluments, case load

UG students demand new exams, removal of lecturer

Le Repentir Cemetery still in a bad shape – Town P14 Clerk

…as some initial works halted

Page 15

Jagdeo says PPP/C will not peddle violence P3

– promises to fight for Guyana’s future in 2020 General Elections

GRA tax amnesty

Full interest, penalty waiver winds down

P11

Miss Earth 2018 Xamiera Kippins (second form left) flanked by runners up after the pageant on Saturday evening at the National Cultural Centre (Carl Croker photo)

Guyanese miner kills Venezuelan who was beating girlfriend Page 7

Lone gunman attacks, robs hotel owner

Page 7

AFC moves ahead with plans for LGE without APNU

– but still awaiting negotiations on way forward P9

2 news

monDAY, june 25, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

National Payments System bill

Bill could have far-reaching implications – MP

...must be supported by reliable Internet, cyber security

T

he National Payments System Bill of 2018, which will among other things, allow for facilitating more electronic transactions in society, is slated to be read again the next time Government business is dispensed with in the National Assembly.

According to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) frontbencher Irfaan Ali, however, the new law could have negative effects on consumers, unless Government sets appropriate guidelines… for instance, it could increase the cost of doing business, as well as be subject to unreliable Internet.

“With respect to the payment system, cost of transactions will go up to customers because someone has to pay for the service. It could be quite high if not regulated by strong guidelines.”

“Cyber security will have to be addressed since the entire system can be shut down,” Ali also posited. “Internet connection will have to be better and safe as well as reliable.

Residents in rural and hinterland will have to wait for payments. (The bill should be) more friendly to elderly and low-income customers.”

G u y a n a ’ s poor Information

Opposition parliamentarian Irfaan Ali

Communication Technology (ICT) capabilities are well known.

According to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) country strategy report on Guyana for 2017 to 2021, Guyana has been lagging in this area. And because of this, everything is affected; from the service Government entities provide to the public, to the ability to implement effective policies.

“The limited use of ICT not only impedes the development of a robust

data gathering/dissemination mechanism necessary for evidence-based decision-making, but also affects the Government’s front-office functions directed at businesses and citizens, including the facilitation of business climate and procedural services for citizens,” the report had stated.

“This is reflected in Guyana’s low position in the e-Government Survey published by the United Nations, where it ranks 126th out of 193 countries, with a score of 0.37 out of one, well below the regional and sub-regional averages,” the report notes.

According to the report, the ability to design policy is further constrained by the limited collection and use of data. The bank acknowledged that while Guyana’s overall statistical capacity building has improved over the years; it is still behind its LatinAmerican and Caribbean (LAC) counterparts.

The bill

The bill in question contains provisions for persons to use “electronic money” through SIM cards and software accepted as a means of payment. There are also

provisions for presenting cheques in electronic form.

And then there are the penalties, which range from a fine of $500,000 and two years’ imprisonment when convicted as an individual to a $2 million fine as a body corporate. Part 12, section 51 speaks to various offences and penalties designed to keep the payment system running smoothly.

The penalties apply to section seven and eight (attaining a licence before providing payment system or service). The Act states that banks, as direct partici-

pants in the system, do not have to acquire a licence.

The same applies for money transfer service providers.

However, section three (a) adds that they must comply with all other requirements of the Act. The penalties also apply to section 13, which prohibits transferring licences, as well as section 23. Section 23 mandates compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) laws.

In section 32, operators are also prohibited from outsourcing its services

without the bank. In section 33, they also have to seek approval in order to use agents. And then there are those who refuse to comply with any order issued by the Bank of Guyana as an administrative measure.

According to section 50 (4), “a person who fails to comply with an order issued, pay a fine imposed or otherwise comply with administrative measures taken by the bank in accordance with this section commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction as specified in section 51.”

Lone gunman attacks, robs hotel owner

T

he owner of Caesar’s Palace Hotel is now counting her losses after she was attacked in the hotel’s lobby and robbed by a gun-toting bandit in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Fifty-two-year-old Roxanne Rollex was reportedly sitting in the lobby while a relative was working as the receptionist when the robbery occurred.

Guyana Times understands that at about 00:15h, a man entered the building

and approached the receptionist and enquired about a room.

However, the man subsequently left but sometime after returned brandishing a shotgun in his hands. He pointed the gun at Rollex and demanded that she hand over her handbag which was nearby.

The fearful woman complied and handed over the $10,000 handbag which contained three mobile phones, totalling $145,000, $65,000

in cash and several important documents.

The perpetrator quickly exited the building and escaped in an unknown direction. The matter was reported to the Police and an investigation was launched.

Guyana Times understands that the Police have retrieved CCTV footage to help them with their investigation.

Up to late Sunday evening, the detectives were still to make an arrest.

3 Jagdeo says PPP/C will not peddle violence news

monDAY, june 25, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, June 25 – a night retraction from 03:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Tuesday, June 26 – a night retraction from 03:30h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, June 25 – 14:45h-16:15h and Tuesday, June 26 – 15:30h-17:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery rain showers with light cloud intervals can be expected throughout the day and into the evening, will temperatures ranging between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South Easterly to Easterly and East Northeasterly to North-easterly between 1.34 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 02:18h and 14:47h reaching a maximum height of 2.45 metres and 2.37 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:20h and 20:34h reaching minimum heights of 0.76 metre and 0.84 metre.

SATURDAY, June 23, 2018

LOTTERY NUMBERS N

06 07 08

15 22 25

26 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

DAILY MILLIONS 01 04 07 08 26 LUCKY 3 3 9 6

2

Afternoon Draw DRAW DE LINE

05

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13

5

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Evening Draw

14 18 21

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

– promises to fight for Guyana’s future in 2020 General Elections

D

espite concerns over his comments about election rigging, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has set the record straight, explaining that his party will not peddle any form of violence but it will not sit idly by and allow injustice to take place, especially during the next General and Regional Elections.

His comments comes amid criticisms over his warning and that of his party, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), to the Government, of possible consequences to come if they make any attempt to tamper with the election, results both at the Local Government and national levels.

“We are not a violence peddling party. We are about progress, but we are not a walk over too. If the moment they (Government) believe they can walk over us, that’s the end. They will rig the election. If they feel we are not a walk over, they will have to think twice about doing it,” he explained.

Nevertheless, Jagdeo said despite these concerns, it is extremely hard for the coalition to rig an election.

He said pre 1992, the electoral process was compromised for many reasons.

But based on the new system, while there still may be some loopholes, it is better and allows for greater scrutiny.

“We know they (Government) will try.

That’s the nature of the beast. But we can’t give up, we have to fight. Look at what Cheddi Jagan did, when it was worst under (Forbes) Burnham. They didn’t even have a media.

But open societies don’t allow dictatorship to strive and we could expose them,” he added.

The PPP/C General Secretary has advised his supporters against worrying over the issue. “If you think our party is not looking at it, then you’re wrong.

We are looking at every single possible way they can rig the elections. From padding the list, the voters list, to the GRO (General Register

Opposition Leader and PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo

Office),” he stated.

Jagdeo said his party is engaged in planning for the next elections already and is working assiduously to get into election mode from now. He noted that polling agents will be recruited and stationed even at the some 300 plus A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) strongholds.

“So, what we are doing?

We’re checking. We are not sitting on our hands and just complaining about it. We have people who are checking to see if there is any spike in registration. We are going to be visiting some of those places that looks suspicious. We are doing something about it,” he asserted.

For this reason, Jagdeo said that is why the PPP/C is arguing for greater diversity at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as well. “We are arguing that they have to find a transparent way of scrubbing the list.

We have started to train our polling agents to go into the places where we know they could steal.”

He continued, “We are not sitting down and letting this fear paralyse us. And so this is what I have been saying, and I noticed that some people have been saying Jagdeo preaching violence. But it’s not violence.

We filed our election petition because we feel the last election had irregularities and we pointed out that.”

The former Head of State also pointed out that regard-

less, the PPP/C still treats the Government as legal and legitimate. The Party is also engaged in discussions and debates at the level of the Parliament and have been playing its part as the Opposition on many fronts and pertaining to many issues.

However, Jagdeo said if that changes and the Government allegedly rigs the elections, he is worried that the PPP/C might not be entitled to the same form of struggle. He said, “People of Guyana, not just PPP/C people, but all Guyanese will become then freedom fighters to liberate this country.

That is how we have to characterise the struggle. If they believe they can threaten to burn a couple of buildings in Georgetown and we will sit on our hands, then they will steal it,” he added.

The PPP/C General Secretary also used a sce-

nario whereby he said if the PPP/C helps to shut down Berbice, Essequibo and the entire country, then Government may feel inclined to think about their decision.

“We don’t believe in violence. Look at the history from 1992 to now. Look at the last elections. We lost 4500 votes after they stole, you didn’t see us burn any building. When they lost the election by 30,000 votes, they were running down the streets and burning buildings,” he recalled.

Jagdeo said the PPP/C will be fighting for the future of Guyana. “This is what bothers them a lot.

Because a lot of APNU supporters from the past who supported them just in the last elections. They’re eyes have been opened. They realise that this Government has no intention of helping poor people even the business community. Many of them are coming to the PPP, they are joining our party.”

Only recently, Jagdeo also raised concerns again about thousands of Haitian nationals who arrived in Guyana, but many of them have not left the country. He alleged that they may have been trafficked here.

He also raised concerns over the Government moves to create new townships as a means of trying to tamper with the current system and create an avenue for them to allegedly tamper with the votes. Although this has happened previously, the PPP still managed to sweep a major victory at the last LGE.

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guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, june 25, 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

GuySuCo poverty

A

fter unilaterally shutting four of the seven estates under its corporate umbrella, and throwing 5700 of its workers directly – plus another 2000 private cane farmers’ employees indirectly – on to the bread line, GuYSuCo announced the formation of a “Coordinating Committee to lead, coordinate and monitor its ‘Sustainable and Resilient Communities Programme’ and ‘Alternative Livelihoods Initiative’, which were supposed to deal with the fallout from its arbitrary decision.

At the launch, there was not a single representative of the sugar workers; so, as it was during slavery and indentureship, the workers presumably do not know what “alternative livelihood” may be suitable for them.

The Minister of Public Security was there, however; possibly because, as in the days of slavery and indentureship, the poverty-stricken demographic might become restive.

This latest “initiative” is supposed to complement some other “initiatives” GuySuCo was supposed to have launched after the first closure at Wales more than two years ago.

In Dec 2017, we had been informed about an EU-funded study which advised, in the words of then GuySuCo CEO Errol Hanoman, “This whole exercise has to be marketdriven or market-led, because you don’t want the guys to get into growing things where the local market is saturated and there is no outlet for their produce at a viable price.”

We were never informed how much it cost to get this nugget of wisdom from the foreign “experts”, which any local “bora producer” could have proffered.

At the time, the CEO had warned darkly against those who thought it was a waste of time to bring in foreign experts: they did not appreciate the need for ‘scientific” studies that would attract foreign direct investors, one of whom, he hinted, was already in the wings. However, we were informed by the now ex-CEO that “the next step would be to train trainers to train GuySuCo former employees.”

We are still to be informed about the status of these trained trainers. As it is, however, not a single sugar cane worker has been transitioned into a farmer.

Then there was to be the Industry-Skills Training Enhancement (IN-STEP) programme at the GuySuCo Training Centre at Port Mourant. They just enrolled the first 100…but admitted they were “retrenched workers, school dropouts, unemployed youths.” One cannot take sugar cane workers and suddenly turn them into ‘welders and fabricators”.

Finally, there was the Small Business Bureau (SBB) that funded a programme which, by January of this year, had trained 110 ex-workers in “sewing, cookery, leather craft and fabric design.” The head of the SBB, Dr. Porter, according to the official report, “disclosed that GuySuCo will hire some of the recent trainees to work in the remaining factories and estates.”

It would therefore appear that the rejigged GuySuCo may be diversifying onto arts and crafts.

The “initiatives” of the Government and GuySuCo to confront the tragedy they have wrought in the sugar belt invokes the species known as “poverty pimps” in the US. As one publication describes them, “Poverty pimp" is a label used to convey that an individual or group is benefiting unduly by acting as an intermediary on behalf of the poor, the disadvantaged, or other "victimised" groups.

Those who use this appellation suggest that those so labelled profit unduly from the misfortune of others, and therefore do not really wish the societal problems that they appear to work on to be eliminated permanently, as it is not in their own interest for this to happen. The most frequent targets of this accusation are those receiving Government funding or that solicit private charity to work on issues on behalf of various disadvantaged individuals or groups, but who never seem to be able to show any amelioration of the problems experienced by their target population.”

At the launch of In-STEP, the Minister of Natural Resources, who is now not responsible for oil, extolled the commodity’s potential for solving Berbice’s economic disaster. Does this mean his US$500 million “oil and gas facility” for Crab Island is on stream again?

Guyana Times photographer Carl Croker clicked this photo with three youngsters at Swan, Soesdyke/Linden Highway during the Savannah Drive on Sunday

Contempt, mockery and duplicity of the Mayor, Town Clerk and favoured cabal are unbearable Dear Editor, Almost every day, one can hear cries coming from the Council of bankruptcy; of revenue shortfalls; of the need for a wider revenue base; of being unable to provide the quality of services that they ought to undertake, due to a lack of adequate funding; of being cash strapped, whilst at the same time officials of the Council are frequently proceeding on wasteful overseas luxury junkets; of paying themselves extra for carrying out duties that they were elected to carry out; of maintaining large retinues of staff, including bodyguards, chauffeurs, personal assistants, immense secretarial and administrative staff etc.

Someone needs to ex-

plain to the citizenry why the members of the Renegotiating Committee for the scandalous Parking Meter Contracts had to be paid large sums extra to sit on the committee.

Someone needs to explain why the Mayor and selected Councillors and staff, who were involved in Mashramani activities, had to be paid large sums for doing nothing. Someone needs to advise the citizenry what were the tangible benefits derived for the City from all the countless expensive jaunts overseas.

It is simply mind blowing that a supposedly ‘broke municipality’ would even contemplate hosting a ‘City Week’ celebration. How could they allocate a whop-

ping 20 million dollars to fetes and merriment when they claim they have had to close day care centres due to lack of funding; when they have stopped stray catching in the city, due to a lack of funds; when the municipal abattoir and all of their buildings are in the most ruinous state?

I hope they don’t intend to harass the already fragile business community to contribute financially to their fete.

How could the Council not be maintaining our city roads, not replacing defective street lights, not repairing bridges, not cleaning choked drains, not fogging for mosquitoes; but instead are putting up expensive and fancy billboards about

a green city whilst maintaining a mammoth staff strength of nearly 1000 persons; whilst spending hundreds of millions on contractors who have not tendered for jobs they were given etc?

There is no area of service that the Council are responsible for providing -not a single municipal department -- that is free of the most brutal sort of corruption. The Georgetown Municipality have bred a world-class Mafia, and it has all begun with their duplicitous Human Resource Department, which is well known for putting square pegs in round holes.

Sincerely, Jermain Johnson

Visiting city-based lawyers shortchanging Region 2 residents Dear Editor, There are several reports of lawyers based in Georgetown taking cases from Essequibians and not adequately representing them. Some of these lawyers collect the full fees (amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars) upfront, and after a few appearances, stop showing up in court while the case is still in its early stages.

The hapless, vulnerable clients, who lack consum-

er education, are taken advantage of by these unscrupulous sharks. They do not know that there is something called a ‘retainer’, which is paid initially, and monies can be paid in instalments as the case progresses; so they pay in full initially to these lawyers, who are aggressive when demanding payment. The result is that persons with outstanding court matters for which they have paid don’t know what to do.

One lawyer even told her client that she is afraid to travel by speedboat, a phobia that was not revealed when she collected six hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($650,000) in the early stages -- the full payment.

Now she is not available, or asks someone without detailed knowledge of the case to stand in for her, as the case remains without closure.

This is not an isolated case. Others fail to an-

swer their phones after being paid by the complainant and defendant, a conflict of interest that is totally unjustifiable.

I will write the Guyana Bar Association (if that is the right body) and make formal complaints against these ‘lawyers’ who apparently took an oath to uphold their clients’ interests.

Yours sincerely, Karan Chand Region Two resident

guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, june 25, 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

Poll: CCJ Appeal is to prevent Jagdeo from presidency – voters question CCJ's impartiality and fairness

Dear Editor, Voters feel that the Guyana Government’s appeal (led by the People’s National Congress (PNC)) at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is to prevent Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo from seeking another term as President.

Jagdeo is enormously popular, and the poll reveals if he were the Presidential Candidate of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), he would win handsomely against any opponent (including incumbent President David Granger) of the ruling PNC-led coalition.

This is one of several findings of an ongoing opinion tracking poll being conducted by the North American

Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA).

The Constitution bars a person from running for President for more than two five-year terms. Jagdeo served as President for two terms, and it was during his Presidency that the twoterm law came into effect with his signature. A voter challenged the law as unconstitutional and the Guyana courts ruled in his favour. The Guyana courts ruled that term limits have to be approved by the voters in a referendum. The PNCled coalition Government disagreed and appealed the ruling at the CCJ. The Government has been unwilling to take a risk with a referendum that could

be rejected by voters given the immense popularity of Jagdeo. The appeal came to be known as the Third Term Case. The full seven Judges (four blacks, two mixed and one white) of the CCJ is due to rule on Tuesday.

The CCJ’s prospective ruling has been embroiled in controversy. Indo-Guyanese complain there are no Indian Judges on the bench. And a few months ago, right after the matter was heard at the CCJ, it was reported in the media that members of Guyana’s Cabinet and other officials of the Government said they had “inside information” that the CCJ would rule against Jagdeo seeking a third term. The officials of the Government

were also heard saying that the CCJ which has no Indian Judges, would rule based on “race” to deny Indians equitable space in Guyana and the Caribbean.

The media further reported that several CCJ Judges were friendly with officials of the Government, and one of them was frequently seen in Guyana socialising with Cabinet members and other officials of the Government. And there was a reported conflict of interest with the CCJ President’s (Chief Justice) assistant (an Afro-Guyanese) who is the grandson of the Chairman of Guyana’s Election Commission (James Patterson) whose appointment itself is mired in con-

troversy and before the Guyana courts.

Voters in the latest survey say the CCJ and the case itself have become “too politicised” causing them to lose faith and confidence in the independence of the Judges and the court. A large majority said the whole third term appeal is to prevent Jagdeo from running because the ruling coalition cannot defeat Jagdeo in a free and fair election. A majority said the Government has gone to the CCJ because it is not confident it can win a referendum on the issue. And half of the respondents in the survey say the court would not render a fair and impartial verdict in the third term matter.

Asked whether Jagdeo should be able to run again for another term as President, almost every supporter of the PPP answered in the affirmative.

Traditional supporters of the PNC and those who once supported the Alliance For Change are divided on the issue. A large majority say Jagdeo would win a free and fair election if he were the PPP’s nominee.

Asked if the third term issue should be settled by a referendum allowing voters to decide on the issue, rather than having the CCJ deciding the issue, almost everyone said yes.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

We, the people, are not disheartened Dear Editor, The Caribbean Court of Justice will on Tuesday make their intention known on ‘the third term issue’, and it is an almost foregone conclusion that they will rule in favour of the Attorney General of Guyana. Except a miracle occurs, their ruling would be in favour of the PNC. I deliberately said a ruling in the PNC's favour, because that is what they (CCJ) are all about: keeping a political ally in power.

They would like to see continuation of black domination, black dictatorship, at the helm in Guyana.

They (CCJ) know fully well what the PNC is capable of, and they would return Guyana to the hard days of strict state controlled power base, poverty and destruction. And The PNC is already on that road with those unilateral appointments.

They have struck a severe blow at the heart of our democracy and decision making, where the President

could have arbitrarily appoint an Afro-Guyanese as the GECOM Chairman, and by filling up most of the other positions there with political and racial appointees.

These are the vivid examples of the settling in of racial and political dictatorship in Guyana, and they (CCJ) are further lending credence to that.

With that ruling, they are further reducing our ability to choose who governs us, as Mr Cedric Richardson has stated in his appeal to The Caribbean Court. Reducing our ability to choose who governs us is a return to the days of Burnhamism, when they chose for us, and not we ourselves; rigged elections and the rest of it.

But this decision is not without warning. We saw this coming when the court freed those two murderers in the Lusignan massacre. The freeing of the two without a trial was another nail in the coffin of democracy and fairness where they (CCJ) are concerned, so their decision comes as nothing new.

Horrible judgments are part and parcel of their politics that turn out for justice. When mass murderers could have walked free without a trial, there is nothing else left to one’s imagination as to what this court is capable of.

So, taking that much time to make a decision that was public knowledge (Basil, the big mouth clown said it) is tantamount to a facade and a window dressing.

But I here sounded an alarm that the CCJ must be careful of that decision, because they in essence are returning us to the days of PNC dictatorship -- when our best and brightest, even our thieves and con artists would, like fleas, turn up for refuge at their ports of entry.

As the brutal nature of the regime begins to bite, Guyanese would again seek refuge at Caribbean and foreign destinations. The United States has already shown a disdain for us in the reduction of the amount of immigrant visas it affords Guyanese; and sure enough, Caribbean States would soon follow.

Be careful CCJ, be very careful with your decision; because you are fashioning our demise as a nation and as a people to make that conscious decision at a fair shot at the democratic process, and for peace and prosperity in our own country.

Democracy lies with choice, and our choice is dampened with your decision, when all you are telling us is to have a tunnel vision

and "unilaterally" choose a failed regime to further fashion a failed state. That is what your ruling is telling us; this is the message.

Finally, we, the people, are never daunted by the many obstacles placed in our path. Troubled, I may say, but never disheartened; for we know what the future is all about. We know that we have that long, arduous

road ahead of us to get back up into the freedoms of yesterday, but we labour on.

For those of us who took the 23 years of peace and progress for granted, and are now blindsided by the harsh realities of today’s dictators, I say take courage, the dawn will soon come.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

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monDAY, JUNE 25, 2018

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Foundation

Overcoming test anxiety: A high school student’s perspective and solutions

By Haley Blank, Montclair Kimberley Academy

F

inal Exam – Question #1 (Multiple choice): What are the primary components of anxiety associated with tests or other academic evaluations? o Thoughts o Emotions o Physical sensations o Behaviours o All of the above Final Exam – Question #2 (Essay): Name 5 action steps to take to deal with test anxiety.

(Answer Sheet: See below) I remember my first attack crystal clear. I was in my freshman

year of high school and it was the weekend before midterms.

I was putting immense pressure on myself to succeed; I told myself I had to get all A's or I'd never be considered "smart" and "successful".

I was lying in my bed attempting to slowly fall asleep as I tried calming my nerves. It was Saturday night, and the first midterm was Tuesday. However, I was unable to fall asleep due to my sporadic breathing. I felt like I couldn't catch my breath, a wave of intense darkness had cast over my mind consuming my thoughts and air. I started breathing faster and faster feeling my oxygen escape me.

I tried again to fall asleep while struggling to conquer the idea

that if I fell asleep my body would forget to breathe, and I would die. I ran into my parents' room freaking out, unable to understand what was happening to my body and mind. I thought whatever was going on had to correlate to a physical illness.

Next I knew I was in the car driving to the hospital. My heart had never beaten faster in my life. I wrestled in the back seat of the car on the 20-minute drive to the emergency room feeling as if I wanted to jump out of my body. The trip felt like an eternity and we finally arrived at 03:00h; my dad and I ran into the emergency room. I was put through a series of tests with

many different doctors. They all came to the same conclusion: I have anxiety.

This was the first of the many recurring anxiety attacks I've had before assessments or major papers. I've learned how to handle them much better, but before handing in an essay or taking a test I always slightly feel jittery and lose my breath.

A little bit of anxiety is good; it motivates you to try your best.

But too much, I learned, can be crippling.

Going through life with anxiety for tests or major assignments, you may feel as if no one understands you. However, there is a huge community of people with anxiety, like the

performer Adele, who know what it's like. For those who don't know, anxiety makes you feel helpless and completely out of control of your own body.

Most fail to understand that anxiety leads to many other mental disabilities. It's a serious disorder that affects people from all different age groups. It's not just something you can fix easily.

Seeking the necessary help and learning how to calm yourself down will tremendously assist your mental state. I decided to write this article to give high school students like me more information about test anxiety and how to overcome it.

What is test anxiety?

More than four decades ago, Spielberger1 defined test anxiety as an "unpleasant state characterised by feelings of tension and apprehension, worrisome thoughts and the activation of the autonomic nervous system when an individual faces evaluative achievement-demanding situations."

Modern day definitions describe test anxiety as excessive fear or worry about situations involving formal evaluation, like tests or major papers. Worry often involves thinking that self-worth, motivation, or even acceptance by peers, parents, or teachers depends on academic achievement. This anxiety may be experienced before a testing situation, during preparation for testing, and/or during the testing situation itself. Test anxiety can be broken down into four parts: 1) Thoughts: Worry and doubts about the ability to succeed. This includes exaggerated beliefs that academic failure or low achievement is very likely.

Pressure to do well while believing success is not possible, or thinking that you are not good enough, can cause trouble concentrating which negatively

affects academic performance.

2) Emotions: Some may experience intense feelings of distress, and discomfort surrounding testing situations, including negative emotions of fear, helplessness, anger, irritability, and disappointment, while others may only be affected physically.

3) Physical sensations: Heightened awareness of physiological arousal, which can include headache, nausea, diarrhoea, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, light-headedness, and feeling faint.

4) Behaviours: Avoidance of tests, difficult assignments or challenging tasks as well as restlessness when preparing or taking assessments.

How common anxiety?

H i g h stakes tests

is

is remarkably little research on test anxiety among high school students, even though about 20 to 40 per cent of students suffer anxiety that impairs test performance. Students do not outgrow test anxiety, as it is also common among college students contributing to lower academic performance and grade point averages. Reducing test anxiety during the high school years has the potential to produce many positive benefits.

In the short-term, it may enhance emotional well-being, optimise school performance, and improve motivation and engagement in learning. In the long-term, it may improve academic achievement in college and attainment of professional aspirations.

interventions to reduce test anxiety.

Interventions are categorised based on their approach as behavioural, cognitive, cognitivebehavioural, or skill building.

An important first step of any intervention is understanding how test anxiety gets in the way of test preparation, test taking, or both.

Behavioural interventions aim to reduce anxious arousal.

Relaxation training (muscle relaxation and/or deep breathing exercises), biofeedback, and systematic desensitisation are just a few ways to combat test anxiety with behavioural approaches. Reducing anxious arousal using relaxation training means learning how to release tension from different groups

test

What causes test anxiety?

have become a regular part of the high school experience. Whether these tests are used to make sure schools are providing quality education, to mark important individual student milestones like high school graduation, or to gain acceptance to college, one thing is clear: they increase the pressure on students. Yet, there

Although test anxiety has many different causes, it seems to be more common among those who have a tendency to interpret physical sensations of anxiety as threatening.

These people feel pressured to maintain excessively high or perfectionistic standards, experience difficulty tolerating uncertainty, and/or have specific academic skill deficits.

Test anxiety can worsen through a repeating cycle of worry, physical arousal, poor academic performance, and negative beliefs about the meaning of this performance.

First, worry interferes with concentration and memory, making it hard to learn material during test preparation and/or hard to remember information during test taking. Problems with concentration and memory contribute to low achievement or academic failure. This further decreases self-confidence, intensifies worry and anxious arousal, and fuels damaging beliefs that learning and academic success are unlikely.

Over time, test anxiety may result in reduced effort, lower self-esteem, and loss of motivation for school-related tasks. Pressure and expectations for high achievement from parents, peers, school, or the community can also aggravate test anxiety.

Strategies to reduce test anxiety

Mental health professionals are trained to deliver a few different types of effective

of muscles in the body or practicing deep breathing to avoid the shallow breathes that increase anxious feelings.

Biofeedback teaches individuals to reduce anxiety by applying feedback on heart rate, skin temperature, and muscle tension to control these biological p ro c e s s e s .

With practice, individuals learn to apply relaxation techniques when worried or anxious.

Systematic desensitisation helps people overcome avoiding situations that make them feel anxious. By combining relaxation techniques with gradual exposure to increasingly unpleasant or fearproducing situations, individuals develop confidence in their ability to manage their fear and worry.

Cognitive interventions teach individuals to identify selfdefeating or unrealistic thoughts that undermine confidence and concentration during test preparation and test taking situations. The specific thoughts that contribute to test anxiety differ from person to person, but there are some shared ideas. For example, thoughts like, "I am going to fail", "I'm not good at math/science/English", "If I don't succeed, it means I'm not smart enough or good enough", "Everyone else will do better than me", or "I will never be able to pass this class" tend to be fairly common. Mental health professionals help individuals by identifying three ways to prevent these negative thoughts. First, identify and replace the negative thoughts with ones that are more realistic ("I will study and try my best").

Second, focus on coping and problem-solving skills ("If I get anxious, I will try calm breathing"). Finally, emphasise positive affirmations ("I know I can do this"). Cognitivebehavioural approaches combine both cognitive and behavioural interventions. (www.

anxiety.org)

TO BE CONTIUNED

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monDAY, june 25, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Showdown in National Assembly

PPP to confront Govt on hiring of special prosecutors – questions put for details on emoluments, case load

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he much criticised hiring of special prosecutors is expected to be placed under the microscope during today’s sitting of the National Assembly, when Government will have to respond to several questions on notice from the parliamentary Opposition.

According to the order paper, questions will be put to Attorney General Basil Williams by his predecessor, Anil Nandlall. The questions are derived from the fact that estimates show $109 million being allocated to the Attorney General’s Chambers in the 2017 Budget under programme 523.

In addition, Nandlall contends that in the 2018 Budget, undisclosed funds were allo-

PPP frontbencher Anil Nandlall

cated for hiring special prosecutors, including foreign lawyers. He is therefore seeking answers on this issue.

“Could the honourable

Minister provide this House with information on the number of special prosecutors that have been hired, their salaries and benefits, travel and hotel costs, etc, incurred and the number of cases they have been handling for the period January 2017 to March 2018?” Nandlall questioned the State.

In an interview with Guyana Times, Nandlall stressed the implications for the State’s involvement in retaining special prosecutors on a scale of this magnitude. In the first place, he pointed out that this practise is not supported by the law.

“It is absolutely unlawful for (the State) to be paying special prosecutors. Since 1966, when we became inde-

Guyanese miner kills Venezuelan who was beating girlfriend

A

2 7 - y e a r - o l d Venezuelan who was thrashing his girlfriend during a misunderstanding at Blackwater Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) on Saturday evening was stabbed to death by a Guyanese miner who intervened.

Rafael Angel Gonsalves Prieto, a punter of Venezuela, reportedly attacked his girlfriend at around 01:50h but was fatally stabbed by the Grove, East Bank Demerara miner who came to her res-

cue.

Based on information received, Laurens Susana Rodriquez Cabrera was dancing with a Brazilian national at a popular bar at Blackwater Backdam when the now dead man attacked and threw her onto the ground.

The man reportedly whipped out a knife, sat on the woman’s chest and started to cut off her hair.

The 27-year-old suspect, whose name was given as Francisco Hosea, went to the woman’s rescue during

which he dealt Prieto several stabs to the body including his upper lip, left upper arm and his abdomen thus causing his intestines to protrude. The injured man reportedly fell to the ground where he died almost instantly.

The suspect then fled the scene but was later apprehended. Prieto’s body was taken to Eteringbang Landing where it awaits a post-mortem examination.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned with the capital offence of murder.

pendent, the prosecutorial functions of the State were taken away from the Attorney General office and given to an agency called the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

“That agency is an independent agency and it ought not to be influenced in the discharge of those functions.

Government has no role to play in the prosecution of criminal offences. That is not a function of the Government but the State agency.”

The former Attorney General also noted that while serious offences like drug trafficking and murder are being prosecuted by Police prosecutor, the State shells out millions to prosecute members of the former Administration and perceived Opposition supporters on charges that are not even in violation of criminal laws.

“Millions of dollars are expended to hire special prosecutors. And these special prosecutors are hired to prosecute us,” Nandlall noted.

“They are not hiring special prosecutors to prosecute the serious offences being committed every day in this country, like robbery, murder, piracy, drug trafficking. These are the real oils of the society. So the public will judge whether that is the best use

Attorney General Basil Williams

of taxpayers’ money.

It had been reported that Cabinet appointed six Attorneys; Michael Somersall, Hewely Griffith, Lawrence Harris, Patrice Henry, Compton Richardson, and Trenton Lake as Special Prosecutors in the event that legal action might ensue from audit reports into the Pradoville 2 Housing Scheme and the 2007 World Cup cricket, among others.

Attorney General Williams has long contended that nothing is wrong with Government’s move to hire special prosecutors to go after ‘State assets’ as similar situations existed in Guyana before.

Williams had also highlighted that Government’s rationale for hiring special prosecutors was because the State prosecutors under the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were uncomfortable with handling such cases.

Article 116 says “there shall be a Director of Public Prosecutions whose office shall be a public office.”

Article 187 outlines the DPP’s functions which includes to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court and noted that the powers conferred upon the Director shall be vested in him/her to the exclusion of any other person or authority and that Director shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

Article 187 also notes that the powers of the Director may be exercised through other persons acting under, and in accordance with, the Director’s general or special instructions.

In these circumstances, there has been no indication whether the DPP granted permission for the Government to establish its own prosecutions unit.

8 news

monDAY, june 25, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Natural gas explosion

Clean-up exercise continues

– preparations afoot to construct apparatus to trap gas

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GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison

ust over two weeks after an underground gas pocket exploded aback a residence in Diamond, East Bank Demerara, the intense cleaning-up exercise is still ongoing, while officials at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) are making preparations for the construction of an apparatus to cap the methane gas that was detected.

“If everything goes according to plan, then we could be looking at perhaps another week or so to make sure that the site is clear enough

H

for us to get access to do the operational works that were intended. But you know the weather has to be also cooperative,” Commissioner

of GGMC, Newell Dennison told Guyana Times on Sunday. continued on page 10

Guyanese graduates as valedictorian at IMO Int’l Maritime Law Institute

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uyanese, Thandi Rosalea McAllister, graduated as valedictorian at the International Maritime Administration’s (IMO) International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI). McAllister is a legal officer attached to the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD).

The class of 2017-2018 comprised students from 41 different countries. The 29th Graduation Ceremony of the IMO-IMLI was held on June 9, 2018, in Vittoriosa, Malta, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported.

It further started that the ceremony was attended

by Secretary General, IMO, Kitack Lim; Professor and Director IMLI, David Attard;

Thandi McAllister delivering the valedictory address

Ministers of the Government of Malta and friends and family of the graduates.

McAllister in her valedictory address emphasised the need for maritime lawyers

Funding…

to chart the safe and proper course of safety and security on the waterways and noted that there needs to be more integration in the maritime and logistics sectors from a

policy, as well as a practical perspective.

“Current maritime challenges concern issues of security, safety, fisheries governance, climate change and marine environmental protection and preservation among others. The oceans will remain the crucible of international maritime trade and with more than 90 per cent of the world’s goods transported by sea, it is unlikely that the array of challenges will soon diminish,” McAllister explained.

Mc Allister stressed that her study is timely as there are unprecedented developments aimed at updating the maritime law to cater for new and emerging challenges. She noted that though there continue to be tremendous developments in the industry, the challenges faced by the oceans could still threaten the limited available resources.

This daunting reality, she said, demands a uniform global response of States, Civil Society and Scientific, Technical and Legal experts.

She charged her fellow graduates to build on the professional and personal relationships forged to maintain the industry.

“Each of us has a role in the protection and preservation of the oceans. This is our non-delegable duty.

Let us be excellent ambassadors of the rule of the law of the sea and of international maritime law, remembering that each of us is as important as the other in securing the oceans and the resources thereof for the use and benefit of future generations.”

McAllister acknowledged her sponsors, The Nippon Foundation, for their generosity and lauded Professor Attard for his outstanding work in instilling the requisite skills and knowledge to the class of 2017-2018.

Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry Foreign Service Officer, Donnette Streete, also graduated from this programme with a distinction. She was awarded the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Prize for her performance as the best graduating Lloyd’s Register Foundation Scholar.

…for “we own” alf of the PNC supporters live in Georgetown and its environs. And with politics in Guyana dominated by the doling out of patronage, the cash spigot of the City has always been seen as crucial to the party’s fortunes. But the handouts have never been so blatantly disbursed. Take that $57 million that the PNC-atthe Centre gave to the PNC-at-City Hall to hand out as it pleases to its councillors to fund “projects” in their wards.

The PPP’s complained this is nothing more than campaign funding for the upcoming Local Government elections.

And, OF COURSE, it is…but so what?

How’s it different from the $500 million the PNC-atthe-Centre doled out two years in a row to “spruce up” the City? Does anyone think the good burghers of our fair capital are in the least concerned that more than $1billion was squandered to build that wood-ants Jubilee Stadium?? Workers from their ranks got a piece of the action!

Does anyone think those same burghers give a hoot about the daily revelations - via letters to the press - about the overseas junkets by City officials? Or their hiring of relatives to do jobs that are never done, but the payments are pocketed? Or of friends and relative getting to break all sorts of rules on vending etc?? Or the Auditor General’s revelations?

It’s “a-wee own”, dear readers. G/town’s a cash cow for the PNC folks, and the cow’s maintained by the party through YOUR taxes. That’s what the annual bailouts mean. But they don’t exhaust the gift that keeps on giving.

In addition to “bread,” there must also be “circuses” for the faithful…and those don’t come cheap. Take the Carnival that was just introduced – putatively by “private bodies”. Are you aware of the cost for just the Police protection provided for the wine-down? It took the Cricket folks months to negotiate players’ protection – but wasn’t even mentioned for the Carnival insiders!! It’s “a-wee own”!! And let’s not even mention the clean-up costs!!

But while you may not realise it, dear readers, the funding for the faithful in the City goes even beyond the legal channels. Take, for instance, the Stabroek Market Square, that’s been in the news recently for being a den of iniquity and all that. But it’s ALWAYS been so, hasn’t it??

“Marks” – especially from the countryside – have always been fleeced there. Even though the largest Police Station in the country is a block away, there’s a Police Outpost, and the City has hundreds of Constabulary in its employ!!

It’s just another way to ensure that loyalty to the PNC from its underclass is rewarded.

Who knows when they’ll be needed for another riot?? …for global leadership For a while, BRICS was riding high. You remember them, don’t you, dear reader? Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa? They were the “emerging economies” that were going to step up to the crease of global leadership after the US and Europe stumbled into their financial meltdown in 2008. After all, they were literally the locomotive for global economic growth with their stellar GDP growth rates – and as the pundits said money talks and bullshit walks!!

Well, after a decade, it appears money doesn’t talk as loudly as everyone thought!! While the other members of BRICS might’ve slowed down, China and India are still leading in global growth rates, with the latter now taking the lead; but “global leadership”? Naah! Part of the problem is it wasn’t always “money” that delivered leadership. It was money BACKED by force…and if the money wasn’t there, force could move mountains!! Like Chairman Mao said, “Power comes out of the barrel of a gun!!”

The question is whether BRICS can project their guns globally! …AFC’s survival Granger and his PNC haven’t even deigned to speak to the “dead meat” AFC about whether they’ll prop up the latter at the upcoming LGE. There isn’t even a word for “to raise from the dead”!!

It’ll take The Second Coming!!

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

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AFC moves ahead with plans 123rd ICT hub for LGE without APNU launched at – but still awaiting negotiations on way forward Cumberland

monDAY, june 25, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

President David Granger

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he smaller partner in the coalition Government, the Alliance For Change (AFC), has started planning for the Local Government Elections (LGE), slated to take place in December this year.

Following a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the AFC on Saturday, the party said having already commenced its campaign, it has now started with the identification of candidates.

The meeting was held at the Wamlan Pai Kulanau Pona at the Sophia Exhibition Centre, Greater Georgetown.

During robust discussions at the NEC, it was revealed that negotiations with coalition partner A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) with regard to contesting the LGE on a joint platform will continue.

Further to that, the meeting mapped out a pre-campaign plan of action and the broad outlines of strategic plans for the campaigns in each of the nine administrative regions in which LGE

will be contested.

The processes for identifying candidates, concerns of citizens, campaign structure, methodologies, organisation and funding and other matters were also discussed and decisions taken.

The NEC will reconvene on July 28, to further advance the LGE campaign.

Having felt it was disadvantaged in the 2016 Local Government polls with regards to the allocation of candidates, the AFC had been mulling whether it should contest the LGEs alone this time round. However, the party subsequently initiated discussions with its coalition partner to discuss the way forward.

The AFC had said the party has proposed nine major points to be negotiated; the upcoming LGE being the first. The AFC is reportedly demanding 60 per cent of the total seats secured after the LGE. This demand comes after AFC Councillors in the Georgetown municipality has been sidelined by the APNU’s Councillors on a number of issues inclusive of the controversial parking meter project.

In April, AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan had said the parties are still trying to put certain mechanisms in place to ensure that they contest the elections with a good slate of candidates.

“We have made a decision that we are going as a coalition. We have to trash out a number of issues preferably in relation to candidacy candidates, and number of other things,” he had told the press, while noting

AFC Leader Raphael Trotman

that the AFC has noticed some unfortunate development in the Georgetown municipality.

Ramjattan was referring to the attitude of APNU Councillors, including Town Clerk Royston King towards AFC members, which he claimed is “bothering us.”

The AFC Chairman indicated that statements in this regard have been made and will be officially raised through communication with APNU officials.

In mid-January, Trotman had announced the possibility of the party breaking away from the APNU for this year’s LGE. The AFC leader went as far as to reveal that there was a strong opinion of body within the party that the AFC should go alone, which may have been prompted over delays with reviewing the Cummingsburg Accord.

The AFC has, of recent, come under fire for the perceived submissive role it played when it joined forces with APNU. In 2017 top leadership of the AFC had decided to revise its govern-

ing agreement with APNU. Days later, General Secretary of the People’s National Congress (PNC), the leading party in the APNU coalition, Amna Ally, said the APNU is prepared to contest the LGE without the AFC. However, the President had hinted that contesting LGE as a coalition would have been the best option.

Meanwhile, despite several infightings among coalition members, especially at the level of the City Council, Ramjattan sought to defend both parties when he was asked to comment on the issue. He claimed that the relationship particularly at the Central Government level is cordial.

The 2015 Cummingsburg Accord only catered for arrangements between the two parties regarding the General and Regional Elections. To this end, the AFC proposed as part of the nine points up for negotiation that an agreement on LGE be crafted.

The minority coalition partner detailed some of its positions for negotiation in the LGE Accord. The AFC’s NEC, after a May 1 meeting, had allowed additional time for the two coalition partners to have a definitive written agreement in the form of a Local Government Elections Accord.

LGEs are scheduled for December. Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson assured that the entity has done its ground work and is now awaiting the announcement of the date to be fully prepared for the Local Government polls.

Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes and students cut the ribbon to open the new ICT hub

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he Public Telecommunications Ministry on Thursday last opened an ICT Hub at Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), making it the 123rd in the country thus far.

Minister Cathy Hughes, speaking at the launch of the facility at the Ordnance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) building, noted that the computers are for everyone to use and urged persons to make full use of them.

“It is no good of us having the technology, having the computers, having the free Internet access and nobody comes to use it.”

Hughes added that at the end of the year, a team will visit the Information Technology (IT) hubs to conduct training programmes for interested persons.

Meanwhile, Director of Community Development and Social Management, Phillip Walcott noted that the department continues to partner with communities and organisations as they work to provide Government services to the people of Guyana.

“Without your support, without your partnership, without your cooperation, we could not have been standing here on behalf of the NDMA, and the Ministry of Public Telecommunication,” Walcott stated.

While the Public Telecommunication Ministry through its NDMA department has provided laptop computers and an Internet service for the functioning of the computer centre, special thanks were extended to the Rotary Club of New Amsterdam.

10 news UG could roll out oil and gas programmes next year monDAY, june 25, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

– as institution moves to open Dept of Petroleum Engineering

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uyana’s premier tertiary level education institution, the University of Guyana (UG), is moving aggressively to get on board with the impending oil and gas sector by putting certain measures in place.

During last week, the University hosted one of a two-part series lecture that focused on Guyana’s nascent oil and gas sector, which saw the attendance of several of its students and interested persons.

Deputy Vice Chancellor for Planning and International Engagement at UG, Dr Barbara Reynolds said her institution is actively engaged in talks with advisors to craft a strategy for the UG to play its role.

These advisors include Professor Andrew Jupiter and Professor Clement Imbert, both of Trinidad and Tobago eminent practitioners in the field of oil and gas, as well as Dr Vince

Adams.

“We have a draft strategy that we will develop and finalise so that we can engage external partners on oil and gas. It is our intention to establish a Department of Petroleum Engineering within the next academic year,” Dr Reynolds revealed.

In addition to that, the University is in discussion with the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) and the University of the West Indies (UWI) where they are discussing plans to establish joint programmes in petroleum engineering and an associate in either engineering and a masters in petroleum engineering.

Dr Reynolds said, “Those are not the only two programme offerings we would need as a country but we intend to build out from them and offer more courses in oil and gas.

Further, the University currently has a group of ex-

UG Deputy Vice Chancellor for Planning and International Engagement, Dr Barbara Reynolds

perts working to enhance and improve the world languages programme being offered. “We are working on ensuring that over the next academic year, we have an updated and current Bachelor of Arts in French,

Spanish and Portuguese and a pre university programme in Dutch and mandarin at the associate and masters level,” she added.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor for Planning and International Engagement noted that this will be especially useful for persons working in the older and gas industry, as the industry will attract a lot of foreign nationals who come from diverse backgrounds and speak various languages.

Three weeks ago, the University secured a $100 million grant as part of Government’s effort to help the institution establish an oil and gas programme. Last year, the Natural Resources Ministry, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the university signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a $100 million philanthropic education grant for the peri-

od 2017-2018.

The grant provided the UG, Faculty of Technology with much-needed equipment for its geology labs, curriculum development, training, outreach, and field research, all linked to the emerging oil and gas sector. It also provided specific allocations for all other faculties for student-centred enhancements at the university.

Professor Griffith had explained that this is one of the University’s most significant grants, with the GGMC. Griffith said it is an investment by the Government in the institution, in an area critical to the nation’s economy. He said the project is a result of UG long-standing relationship with GGMC. He highlighted the fact, that many of the Cmmission’s staff through scholarships has received their higher education at the institution.

To date, 87 per cent of the finances have been pumped into realising UG’s oil and gas programme.

Some $55 million was used for equipment and supplies to the Faculty of Technology’s laboratories, pursued by the GGMC, Some $10 million was expended on training; some $16 million was for infrastructural projects through UG. When Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, handed over the first tranche of the funds ($45 million) to the Vice Chancellor last year, he noted the Government views the initiative as an investment in education, and development.

The Minister noted that the project is significant since “it represents a renewed and enhanced relationship with the Ministry and GGMC with the University of Guyana,” even as the oil and gas sector develops. Additionally, Trotman said similar efforts are also needed in the gold and diamond mining sectors as they will not be neglected in the period, post-2020 when oil production begins.

Clean-up...

FROM PAGE 8

He explained that the Commission will have to await the completion of the clean-up exercise for an assessment to be done before work can commence on the construction of the contraption apparatus.

“It is intended that we will construct an apparatus, we will construct the conductor casings that we would want to put into the vent; those things will have to be constructed. But I wouldn’t want to preempt what it is exactly that would have to be done because there might be modifications of what is intended and what we observe, after the full clean-up and actually get a good look at the orifice that has been presented to us,” Dennison said.

Previously, GGMC’s Senior Petroleum Technologist, Mitchell Prince, had explained in a briefing with the Ministry of the Presidency that the plan is to run two sizes of casings into the orifice to seal it off. He noted that they are going to be using an 18-inch casing on the outside and a four-inch diameter casing on the inside, then seal around it with concrete and build a valve at the top.

Asked whether the apparatus can be constructed beforehand, Dennison related that, “In part, it can be constructed but it is better that see what we’re working with first. It is something that can be done concurrently.

Once we see what the orifice has presented to us, then we can make some assumptions

to the dimensions. So while actual work on the vent is being done, construction of the apparatus can be ongoing at the same time so it doesn’t have to be one and then the other.”

The GGMC Commissioner noted that the cleaning exercise is expected to wrap up in a week’s time while the construction and installation of the apparatus will take another two to three weeks to be completed.

Questioned about the financing of these works, Commissioner Dennison disclosed that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has made certain materials available to be used for the construction of the apparatus, while GGMC will be making provisions for the additional works. He opted not to preempt the cost, saying that “it might be a moving target.”

At about 18:00h on June 15, 2018, construction workers were drilling a well at Lot 1200 Section A Block X, Great Diamond, residence (between Sixth and Fifth Avenue) when they hit a natural gas pocket causing an immediate explosion, which caused an eruption which lasted the entire night, with fluctuating eruptions as high as 30 feet, of various substances.

Local stakeholder agencies had since come together to monitor the situation and tests conducted found traces of methane gas at the location.

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monDAY, june 25, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GRA tax amnesty

Full interest, penalty waiver winds down A

s the curtain comes down on the first amnesty period this weekend, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is urging defaulters to take advantage of this limited-time initiative to settle their tax liabilities without having to pay any interest or penalties.

Back in January, the Authority had put in effect the amnesty, which was announced by Finance Minister Winston Jordan during his 2018 Budget presentation.

This amnesty lasts from January 1 through September 30, 2018.

However, taxpayers who file and pay all principal taxes on or before June 30, will benefit from a waiver of all interest and penalties, while those who settle their all principal taxes between July and the end of September, will have 50 per cent of interest and penalties waived. The tax amnesty relates to interest and penalties for income, corporate, property, capital gains and withholding taxes up to and including the Year of Assessment 2017 (Year of Income 2016).

To this end, the GRA is encouraging delinquent taxpayers to take full advantage of the full wavier before the amnesty period ends this Saturday.

The category of taxpayers who can benefit are those who are delinquent in the filing and payment, those who filed their tax returns

but may have mistakenly underreported or understated their income or overstated deductions or credit and taxpayers who have deliberately not declared their true income and those who are already subjected to completed audits and a determination was made that the additional taxes owed to the GRA are still outstanding.

Since its introduction, the GRA said it has been receiving and reviewing numerous applications for the amnesty. However, according to the Authority, some taxpayers are facing setbacks because of employers not providing them with emolument statements for the periods in which tax returns were due or outstanding. To this end, the GRA is urging employers to move with haste to assist taxpayers with such inform a tion.

Moreover, the country’s premier tax collection body posited that it has also observed that some requests are being made for amnesty by taxpayers who have no records of tax returns submitted. Against this backdrop, the Authority reiterates that in order to have interest and penalties waived, taxpayers must file true and correct returns and pay all principal taxes.

The GRA pointed out that the amnesty does not cover outstanding returns and taxes for the current year;

GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia

that is, Year of Assessment 2018). Taxpayers who also file incorrect returns during the amnesty period will not benefit and will subsequently be subject to the attendant penalties.

M e a n w h i l e , Commissioner General of the revenue body, Godfrey Statia, in a public notice, is reminding taxpayers that the agency will not be accepting cash payments exceeding $2 million.

“Taxpayers wishing to pay by cheque and part by cash will be allowed to as long as the cash does not exceed $2 million and is paid at the same time. Partial payments to avoid the $2 million maximum cash payment will not be accepted,” the GRA Boss said.

According to the Authority, this decision has been taken both in context of the security risk such cash transactions pose on both the agency and the public, as well as Section 12 (3) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism

regulations.

“As such, any payments exceeding $2 million should be made via cheques or other electronic payment options,” Statia stated.

At the Private Sector Commission’s (PSC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week, the Commissioner General underscored the importance of companies to be tax-compliant,l as he disclosed that less than 300 large taxpayers amount for 68 per cent of total revenues collected by the Authority.

He recalled previously

lamenting that many businesses do not consider tax implications, thus falling prey to needless penalties because of non-compliance and forego concessions that currently exist.

“Tax is a key factor that could affect the profitability and efficiency of the new smart factories, supply chains, and product offerings being considered.

Through careful, early tax planning, not evasion, and effective communication between all stakeholders, maximum use can be made

of the opportunities that exist. The GRA need not and would not be a barrier to these opportunities,” Statia recently told stakeholders in the Private Sector.

The GRA boss further noted that practices such as tax avoidance schemes that were previously carried out with impunity are now being scrutinised and with the implementation of initiatives, such as ASYCUDA along with a host of others, many loopholes will be minalised and eventually eliminated.

12 news Indar calls for more exportation of local goods monDAY, june 25, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

– laments high trade deficit

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resident of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Deodat Indar, is calling on stakeholders to increase their exportation of locally produced and manufactured goods, as he highlights the continuous increasing of the country’s trade deficit.

During a presentation at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) last Thursday, Indar drew attention to the figures from the Bureau of Statistics regarding Guyana’s exports in the first quarter of 2018.

He noted that from a total export of US$325 million between January and March, 59 per cent is raw gold; bauxite represents 9.6 per cent; and shrimp and prawns 8.8 per cent. However, what was more startling, the GCCI head pointed out, are figures like 2.5 per cent for timber export, one per cent for sugar, and fruits and vegetables

GCCI President, Deodat Indar

one per cent as well. “[Those are] very strong figures for such very large industries…that is something that needs to be looked at seriously, because those are main foreign currency earners… and this is just the first quarter information… So that is telling a story that we need to export more in the

different sectors, not just the primary commodities. Our finished product, manufactured goods and so, needs to be exported, and in that way we can build our export capacity,” he posited.

Indar, recently elected PSC Vice Chairman, went on to highlight some of the bottlenecks in Guyana’s exportation capability. He explained that while Guyana has a liberalised trade policy with many agreements with different countries, the country does not always reap the benefits.

“We have bilateral agreements with Colombia, with Costa Rica, DR (Dominican Republic), in Argentina and in China; as well as partial scope agreement with Brazil.

So we have all of these agreements, but the question is: Is it to the benefit of the Guyanese businesses?” he asked.

The GCCI President turned his attention to the ‘CARICOM Bloc’, saying that

although the region remains accessible, the single economy aspect is something that continuously needs to be worked on. He outlined that the local private sector finds that while there is some level of integration between Caribbean partners, there are some things that still need to be ironed out; such as certain clauses in the Treaty of Chaguaramas.

He mentioned as an example that if Guyana wants to export honey, it cannot go to Trinidad, or even via Trinidad, and this stifles honey exportation here.

He outlined that despite the Bureau of Statistics’ figures showing trade deficits for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, there seems to be a closing of the gap; which says that more locally-produced goods are being used, and local consumption of manufactured goods is being promoted. This, he said, is a good trend, and would lessen the effects of Guyana suffering

from export shocks and commodity prices.

According to Indar, Guyana has recorded continuous trade deficits in recent years, and there are different reasons behind this.

“But the thing is: if we go into agreements initially, we find ourselves importing more than we export. How do we deal with that? That’s a conversation that the private sector has to work with the Government on, to try to set up all of the institutions, all of the competitive structures that are needed to take different sectors and make them export-ready. We do have some, and I think we need to broaden those,” the GCCI Head asserted.

Moreover, he further outlined that foreign direct investments have also been on the decrease from 2014 to 2017, and when that happens, it affects aspect of the influx of foreign currency that Guyana badly needs.

He noted that most of the

imports are being bought and the invoices are in US currency; so, to balance out the trade and ensure there is a stable foreign currency market, foreign direct investments are always a good thing, not only for the country, but (for) the private sector as well. Against this background, he noted that there needs to be more encouragement of non-oil investments.

“So although Guyana might be 127 on the World Bank’s [Ease of Doing Business] Index, that does not stop an investor from coming to Guyana and invest in oil projects, because that’s happening now right before our eyes.

But what we need to do is look at the non-oil projects, those are the ones that are on the periphery support system – in infrastructure, medicine, education, security, and all of those other things – we need to look at investments in those areas that are non-oil,” he opined.

Kippins crowned Miss Guyana Earth 2018 T

wenty-three-yearold Xamiera Kippins of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD) outshone her six rivals on Saturday evening to cop the title of Miss Earth Guyana 2018 when the competition was held at the National Cultural Centre.

Kippins was a front-runner to the title during the preliminary competition, and her winning the coveted crown came as no surprise to many.

Apart from the title, she received the accolade for Artistic Director of the pageant, Melissa Payne, is being assisted by Managing Executive of the pageant, Dr Omesh Balmacoon, in crowning the new Miss Earth Guyana, Xamiera Kippins, at the National Cultural Centre on Saturday evening (Carl Croker photo)

the best Beauty for a Cause Project, which showcased the solutions to improper disposal of non-biodegradable waste through recycling.

Coming in first runner-up was Luann Pellew, followed by Akisha Payne in the second runner-up spot, and Anita Baker copping the third runner-up position.

Kipping is no stranger to pageantry, having participated in several, including Miss Guyana Universe. She would have outdone her fellow contestants in several segments on Saturday evening.

Although, Kippins was favourite, sections of the small audience were not in agreement with the judges’ decision.

Some thought that Payne should have been crowned the queen, but according to the newly crowned beauty ambassador, she worked hard from the time the pageant was launched to the night of the grand coronation, and

believes that hard work truly deserves success.

Kippins will represent

Guyana at the international pageant slated for the later in the year in China.

The newly crowned queen during the culture wear segment

news

13

monDAY, june 25, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Unregistered drugs Consultation to ban plastic a widespread bottles taken to Essequibo issue – GA-F&DD ...department to take legal action against defaulters

Unregistered drugs are an issue the GA-F&DD is grappling with

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he Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-F&DD) will be moving against those suppliers who would have supplied institutions in the public health care system with unregistered drugs.

According to the GAF&DD Director, Marlon Cole, the department has received complaints from patients who have received unregistered drugs, and those complaints indicate that this is a widespread problem.

“We have environmental officers in all the regions who are appointed Food and Drug Inspectors and carry out our mandate on our behalf. We have regional coverage there. We have persons that would go to the Customs Department and refer entries we would have an interest in.

So we have some protection at ports,” he explained.

Cole further explained that inspections are carried out at storage bonds and places where these drugs are distributed by the department’s own city inspectors. And then, of course, he noted the mechanisms in place for consumers to lodge complaints…for instance, in the case of wrong labelling.

“We will be taking legal action against some importers who are knowingly and deliberately releasing and distributing unregistered drugs into the national health care system. We have been receiving complaints about drugs that are not safe and efficacious after they’ve been used, and we are heavily dependent on those reports emanating out of the health care system,” he explained.

“In addition, we would be embarking on our pharmaceutical vigilance system in addition to doing some surveys,” Cole explained. “But the problem with unregistered drugs is widespread, and we’re tackling it in the same way we’re dealing with food.”

Drugs

Last year, the Public Health Ministry introduced a new system for procuring of

drugs and medical supplies, with the aim of enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the drug supply chain in the country.

This was accompanied by several changes in the bidding documents, which were intended to create a more level playing field among competitors. Following the massive shortage of drugs in the country, the then Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton, admitted that the change in the procurement system is probably the likely cause for the drug shortages being experienced.

Previously, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence had said that, in 2016 and 2017, several firms were awarded contracts to supply pharmaceuticals to the health sector, but failed to deliver.

The International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA) was one of those companies that failed to supply all of the drugs it was expected to deliver, because it was not qualified to import some specialised pharmaceuticals.

In January 2016, IPA was awarded two contracts to supply the GPHC with pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. On one of the contracts — for $36.5 million — the company delivered only 80 per cent of the pharmaceuticals, because it was not qualified to supply the remainder.

The remaining 20 per cent of drugs consisted of narcotics, including morphine, which required special certification for importation. It is understood that in order for a firm to import narcotics-type pharmaceuticals, it must be registered in order to be granted a licence.

But the company was not registered to import those categories of drugs, and was therefore denied a licence by the GA-FDD. It has been argued that pre-qualification (a practice from which Government has moved away) could have prevented a company that is not registered to provide specialised drugs from getting the contract.

O

fficers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently held their first consultation on the banning of "Single Use Plastic" in Region Two, Pomeroon/Supenaam, at the Regional Board Room at Anna Regina.

Following a presentation by Candacie Brower-Thompson, Senior Environmental Officer of EPA, and viewing the effects caused by dumping plastic in the environment, residents were satisfied with the presentation and gave their full support in favour of the ban.

Odessa Duncan, another Senior Environmental Officer of the agency, in her presentation, stated that plastic is very dangerous to the environment, and especially to marine life.

Plastic is not biodegradable, and remains in the environment for as long as between thirty-five and forty years.

The results of a survey done in Georgetown showed that an average of 7000 tons of plastic products are dumped yearly.

President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce, Suean Seunarayan, has advised that the EPA should work along with the Education Ministry to introduce environmental teaching programmes in schools, especially at the secondary level.

Wilfred Jagnarine, proprietor of Lake Mainstay Resort, was in agreement

with enforcement of the ban. He said it should be done as soon as possible, and not wait for another three years.

He noted that littering has become a norm, and revealed that the shoulders of the main access road to the resort are inundated with garbage, which he deems an eyesore to tourists visiting his resort.

Residents are calling for a full time EPA office to be set up in Region Two, so as to deal with the many environmental issues facing the

people on a daily basis.

They also objected to the location for the prosed garbage site, claiming that it would be unhealthy for farmers in the area.

Those in attendance were representatives of the Public Health Ministry, Education Ministry, Guyana Police Force, farmers, Anna Regina Town Council, executives of the Tourism Ministry, officials from the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce, and businessmen and women, among others.

13th Chinese Medical Brigade commended for their service

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he Public Health Ministry and the Chinese Embassy have hosted a dinner to bid farewell to the 13th Chinese Medical Brigade and welcome the 14th batch of Chinese doctors to Guyana.

Delivering remarks at the occasion, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo congratulated the outgoing medical team for successfully completing their one-year voluntary stint in the country.

“During this period, I have met with members of the team and have appreciated their commitment, not only to the duty, but to reach out to our people in the rural communities. I recall warmly the team’s visits with us to Berbice and elsewhere,” he said.

According to a report published by the Department of Public Information (DPI), the Prime Minister wished the outgoing team members success as they reunite with their families in China, and expressed optimism that one day they would return to Guyana, where they now have many friends. “…we will remember them, and should we visit China in the future, we would certainly request Jiangsu Province and, more especially, the City of Lianyungang,” he declared.

In her remarks, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence said Government recognises the wide range of knowledge and expertise the Chinese Government has,

A member of the 13th Chinese Medical Brigade receives a token of appreciation from Sita Nagamootoo

over the years, extended to the people of Guyana through the annual mission of the Chinese Medical Teams.

She noted that Guyana has witnessed the deepening and strengthening of the relationship between the two countries, engendered by the interaction of the Medical Teams -- the health care providers -- and the beneficiaries.

“As the Minister of Public Health, I wish to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for the solidarity, support and invaluable service to the Health Sector,” she said.

Minister Lawrence also extended gratitude to the members of the outgoing team for their expertise and assistance in the recently concluded four-day Health Expo held at the Sophia Exhibition Centre.

The 13th Chinese Medical Team comprised a total of 16 specialists, 11 of whom were stationed at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC),

while five members were assigned to the Linden Hospital (LHC). The doctors shared their knowledge and experience with their colleagues at

the GPHC and the LHC; and held some 11 outreaches in rural and remote areas.

Dr. Li said the team has developed a deep friendship with the Guyanese people and their colleagues at the respective hospitals.

Leader of the incoming 14th Medical Team, Dr. Shen Jian, assured the outgoing team that his batch of doctors would continue in their footsteps.

Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Missions, Chinese Embassy in Guyana, Chen Xilai, congratulated members of the outgoing team for their success over their oneyear period.

He also noted that the re-

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence receives a token of appreciation from members of the 13th Chinese Medical Brigade

the two hospitals in the areas of Pathology, Radiology and Genealogy, among other things.

The leader of the outgoing 13th Medical team, Dr. Lui Yi, highlighted that the group would have treated some 30,000 patients and conducted some 3000 operations at

lationship between Guyana and China would continue to grow, since it has been 25 consecutive years since the Chinese Medical Team has been coming to Guyana.

The most recent 14-member team will see 10 doctors stationed at the GPHC and four at the LHC.

14 NEWS

monDAY, june 25, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

President hosts thanksgiving service Le Repentir Cemetery still in a bad shape in observance of St John's Day – Town Clerk

…as some initial works halted

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President David Granger (centre) is flanked by members of the brigade

s part of St John's Day observances on Sunday, President David Granger hosted members of the St John’s Association of Guyana at the Baridi Benab at State House, where a thanksgiving service was held.

Father Malcolm Rodrigues officiated at the service, which featured singing of hymns, reflection on

the life of St John the Baptist, and recital of special prayers.

St John's Day marks the birth anniversary of St John the Baptist, who is seen as a major religious figure who led the movement for baptism to be done near the Jordan River.

In his message on the occasion, President Granger called on citizens, communities, corporations and lo-

cal democratic organs to support the invaluable work of the St John's Association of Guyana.

He recognised the organisation for its more than 85 years of selfless service to the people of Guyana. "The Association’s sustained work in providing ambulatory, disaster response, emergency, first-aid medical care and public health education train-

ing and services has been commendable," the President said. The President, in September 2016, accepted an invitation to become the patron of the Association.

The Guyana Chapter was established in 1933, and has trained thousands in a number of areas, including first aid and disaster preparedness.

Upgrade works in Tucville to be completed by July month-end

U

pgrade works in Georgetown’s Tucville (Trade Union Congress Ville) area in observance of that community’s 50th anniversary are expected to be completed by the end of July, according to senior representative on the Community Development Board, Christopher Jones.

The scope of works include the installation of street lights, planting of palm trees along the community’s parapets, establishment of water fountains, placing of benches, and erection of a welcome monument at the head where Go-Slow Avenue meets Mandela Avenue. Several other improvement works are all aimed at creating a recreational environment for residents of the ward.

This development project began a few weeks ago, and has since been successful in the placing of plant pots along the streets, the clearing of the ward’s major trench to facilitate the water fountains, and progress on the welcome monument, which is 90 percent complet-

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W

hile works are underway at the Le Repentir Cemetery to improve the state of its surroundings, Town Clerk Royston King has revealed that the area is still in a terrible state.

King told this publication that persons were contracted to do works at various areas along the cemetery, which included land clearing and digging of some drains.

However, the current inclement weather has hindered some of those works, which are still at their initial stages.

“We continue to do major

were affecting the integrity of the tombs and other structures, as well as the wellbeing of people who live in close proximity.

“Because of the condition of the cemetery, and because it constituted an emergency, we needed to do something with the facility; and that is why we have engaged some small contractors to do initial clearing and cleaning of the cemetery. The water in the canals at the cemetery was very high,’’ King declared.

“It is, in fact, affecting the integrity of the tombs, and that will affect the integri-

Town Clerk Royston King

The major trench being cleared in the ward

ed.

According to Jones, the Public Infrastructure Ministry has already given approval to the Planning Committee’s request for street lights to be installed in the ward, and this should commence shortly.

In addition, he said, the fountains are being sourced, and should be ready for in-

stallment by July.

Coordinator Jones has said he is very pleased with the support he has been getting from the residents, who are equally excited at ongoing developmental works.

Community meetings are usually held on a weekly basis, and residents are briefed on the progress of works.

The various projects cur-

rently cost about $1.7 million, and is being financed by members of the community.

The development project commenced earlier in the month, and already a welcome monument has been constructed at the head of Go-Slow Avenue on Mandela Avenue. It carries the name of the community.

President to attend GEF Assembly in Vietnam resident David Granger departed Guyana on Sunday evening for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to attend the Sixth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), where he will be delivering a special address.

A section of the Le Repentir Cemetery

The Head of State was accompanied by his Political Ass is tan t, William Cox, and his Aidede-Camp, Major Mark St. Clair.

The Assembly and associated

meetings will be held at the Furama International C o n f e r e n c e Centre in Da Nang, Vietnam.

The GEF Assembly, governing body of the GEF, comprises 183 coun-

tries. It meets every four years to review policies, review and evaluate its operations, review membership of the facility, and consider for approval, amendments to the Instrument for the Establishment of the Restructured Global Environment Facility.

works in the area of drainage. They’re still digging the drains and trimming overhanging trees and bushes in that particular facility. It is still in a bad shape. We were hindered somewhat by the current weather when the project is ongoing,” he said.

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) are looking for a contractual arrangement that would enable the other important components of the restoration project to kick into gear.

“It will come up for discussion at the level of the Finance Committee. We have just asked for initial works to be done. The committee will now have to look at a contractual arrangement that will enable the works to progress, and consider all the timelines and all the other things that are involved for the project,” he explained.

King said the small rehabilitation works were necessary because of the deplorable appearance of the cemetery and the overflowing of canals after heavy downpours. These, he said,

ty of our public health in the cemetery itself; and in those that are contiguous to that facility. It is of some concern to us that we need to fix it.”

When Guyana Times visited the cemetery, some areas were inaccessible while the water level was estimated to be a few inches high.

“It is a facility that we really need to fix, and we couldn’t continue in the land anymore in its current state.

We need to change that so that we can secure the integrity of public health,” the Town Clerk said.

In January of this year, the council had announced the commencement of a $150-million-dollar restoration exercise at the cemetery. This is the first time that a contractor has been hired to assist in maintenance of the premises.

In fact, it was revealed that the fences and gates would be restored, and interest would shift to constructing another crematorium.

The development of roads in the cemetery was also part of the package.

15

monDAY, june 25, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

VOX POPULI

What the people say

I SAY...

Government has recently launched a policy to have teen moms re-integrated into the school system. What are your thoughts?

Denica Henry “Having an education is the right of every child. We are not in a position to stifle anyone’s development. We have all made mistakes, and we have all had to face the consequences. It is hard enough that a young girl will be looked down upon for getting pregnant at a young age. Why restrict her from completing her education? If we care about Guyana’s future youths, then we need to start taking care with our present youths. I am the product of a 16-year-old who didn’t get to complete high school, and she regretted not being able to. I am not a mistake, and I wish that critics of teenage mothers (would) stop calling their babies that.

Everyone deserves the rights to live, love and be happy. Together with the Government, the wider society can also do its civic duty and look out for our younger generation”.

Diana Ahmad “This is definitely a step in the right direction! Educating a young mom is pivotal for her future. She becomes more marketable and empowered to make informed decisions that will benefit her and her kids’ lives. It would also help combat some of the social issues we have today. An educated woman is a force to be reckoned with. And women are the driving forces behind society. Everyone should have the right to an education, and reintegration is a step in the right direction. I am 100 per cent in support of this move”.

Wayne Forde “It is a good initiative.

What good would come from depriving a teen mom from continuing her education?

If anything, the need for an education is amplified; she now has to not only provide for herself, but her child too”.

George Gonsalves “It should’ve never been illegal in the first place.

Knowledge is power, and when you empower women, you empower the nation”.

Kemel Khan “No, we do not need more Government bailout. Let her feel the squeeze for a few years, and then she will better appreciate (the wisdom of staying in the school system)”.

UG students demand new exams, removal of lecturer S

tudents at the University of Guyana Tain Campus have accused a lecturer of unprofessional grading in four courses for third- and fourth-year students; and as such, have called for her removal.

While the students are calling for their grades to be revised, they have vowed to strike if the lecturer remains at the educational facility.

Close to three dozen students have expressed their concerns, and have written to the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry in relation to their dissatisfaction with grades given to them.

Fearful of victimisation, the students have asked to

remain anonymous. They claim they are being treated unfairly by the female lecturer who tutors four subjects: Agribusiness Management, Extension Education, Field Crops, and Rural Sociology and Extension.

According to the students, they went into exams with an average of 55 marks out of a possible 70 for coursework in the Agriculture faculty. The final exam has a maximum of 30 marks, and in order for them to have secured an ‘A’ or ‘B’, they needed at least 19.5 of the 30 marks. In those four courses, only a few students were able to secure such, with many of them arguing that their grades should have

University of Guyana, Tain Campus

been higher.

The students, in January, penned a letter to the Dean.

Dated January 3, 2018 and copied to the Director of the Berbice Campus Dr Gomathinayagam

Subramanian, the letter, after mentioning the name of the lecturer, reads in part: “We believe that the grades received were not fair and (were) highly improbable.

Some of the students only

required an average of 50 % or slightly above for the final examination in order to obtain a suitable final grade. However, the final grade obtained revealed a drastic decline. As this is an issue faced by many students, we look forward to an expedient redress from the administration, in order to restore our confidence in the Administration of the University of Guyana.”

The students claim the grading was very poor last semester, and is even worse this semester.

According to some of the affected students, they may have been victimised by the mentioned lecturer, while there is a question mark

over any review by the administration, knowing that some of them will be graduating in November.

This publication sought on Friday to get a comment on the issue from the Director of the Berbice campus, but was told comment would not be possible until Tuesday.

The students related they were promised that the administration would look into the matter since January, but nothing has been done.

The young men and women believe that they are continuously being overlooked by the administration, even though they are paying in excess of $200,000 for tuition.

Fishermen’s families remember loved ones ahead of National Day of Mourning

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lmost three months after the vessel captained by Ramesh ‘Ravo’ Sancharra was gruesomely attacked in one of the worst acts of piracy in Guyana’s history, Sanchara remains one of 11 men whose bodies have not been recovered, and they are presumed dead.

On Sunday, at Sancharra’s Good Hope, East Coast Demerara residence, family members and friends gathered to say farewell with solemn Hindu rites for the dead.

Sancharra’s wife, Kawalpatty Mangru, tearfully recalled that her husband had been a fisherman for more than 30 years. “He like fishing. He does work; he doesn’t do nothing else.

Meh miss him!” Mangru

Kawalpatty Mangru and her sons

said.

Sancharra’s vessel was one of four carrying some 20 persons off the coast of Suriname when it was attacked on April 27. His son, Rajendra Sancharra, said he was about to have breakfast when he received the devastating news on the morning

after the attack.

“Three from my father boat they chop and tie with battery. They had two other survivors,” Rajendra told the Department of Public Information. “It’s a very, very sad situation,” he added.

Sancharra’s memori-

al comes the day before the country honours the fishermen’s memory with a National Day of Mourning.

A Department of Public Information report stated that President Granger made the proclamation in regard to the National Day of Mourning on Friday.

“Well, that is a good thing that he has done; and maybe he could do it like every year,” Rajendra said of the President’s decision.

On Monday, June 25, all authorities, boards, commissions, corporations, public agencies, and citizens will fly the Golden Arrowhead at half-staff as a demonstration of solidarity with the families of the men killed in the gruesome and grisly acts, and to accord due homage, respect and reverence

to the memory of the victims.

Family members of Danesh Persaud, called “Vicky”, and Mahese Sarjoo were headed to Suriname to commemorate the loss of their loved ones. The Guyana Embassy in Paramaribo is hosting a prayer service in honour of the men on

Monday.

Sancharra family members have said they would like to see justice served for their father and the other men who lost their lives.

Tarmattie Ibrahim, called Kavita, wife of Danesh Persaud, has said, “We need justice!”

Sancharra’s eldest son performing the Hindu rites

16

guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, june 25, 2018

Regional

British grandparents Haitians won’t be needing visas murdered in Jamaica to enter Barbados anymore

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wo British grandparents found dead at their home in Jamaica are thought to have been murdered, Police have said.

Charlie Anderson, 75; and his wife Gayle, 71, from Manchester, had recently retired to the Caribbean island. They were found dead by neighbours in their home in Mount Pleasant on Friday afternoon.

Their sons said in a statement they were “completely devastated” by the deaths of the “hugely popular” couple. The couple, who were also known as “Halford “and “Florence”, lived in a rural community in Hope Bay, Portland, on the Northeast of the island.

It has been reported locally they had recently called in Police to investigate money they said had been fraudulently taken from a credit card. Jamaican Police confirmed they were involved in another ongoing investigation but said they had not yet established a motive for the killing.

T

Gayle and Charlie Anderson were described as “pillars of the community”

The couple’s deaths come as Jamaican authorities seek to tackle a crime wave which has resulted in more than 1600 murders in 2017.

So far this year more than 600 people have been killed, including seven people who had returned to the island after living abroad.

A limited state of emergency has been put in place in two high crime areas in an effort to cut the murder rate. In a statement, the couple’s sons said: “Our par-

ents Charlie and Gayle enjoyed a long and happy marriage of 55 years and leave behind their four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

“They were hardworking people, building a business with integrity and making sure we were always provided for. Charlie and Gayle were pillars of the community in Manchester and Jamaica, and were hugely popular and loved by many.”

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Nicaragua protests: Baby killed in Managua clashes

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t least four people, including a baby, have been killed in the Nicaraguan capital after security forces opened fire on protesters, activists say.

So-called “combined forces” launched an attack on a student protest at a university in Managua, the Nicaraguan Centre for Human Rights said.

The baby was killed by a Police bullet while being taken to a babysitter, his mother said. The Government denied it. More than 200 people have reportedly died in two months of demonstrations.

The protests were triggered by Government cuts to pensions and social security announced in April. Talks between President Daniel Ortega’s Government and the Opposition to resolve the crisis collapsed earlier this week.

Many students have set up protests camps in Managua, including at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), where hundreds live in tents and use homemade mortars in clashes.

Two people were killed in the campus area on Saturday, according to ac-

tivists.

The combined forces – made up of Police, anti-riot squads, paramilitary groups and pro-Government vigilantes - also raided six neighbourhoods in eastern Managua, where the other deaths allegedly occurred.

The Government blamed local criminals for the death of the 18-month-old baby.

But his mother rejected their story. “He was killed by a Police gunshot. I saw them. They were Police.

Nobody told me,” Karina Navarrete told a news channel. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Multibillion-dollar energy investments for T&T T

rinidad and Tobago (T&T) could expect $23 billion in investments in the downstream energy sector over the next four years, according to “a secret” Ministry of Energy document.

The projects have the potential to create thousands of jobs during construction and hundreds of high-paying jobs when operations begin. The document, obtained by the Sunday Guardian, identifies six projects that National Energy is actively pursuing and which the company feels confident of bringing to fruition. The projects range from a methanol to polyolefin plant,

two aluminium-based, and one melamine-based downstream operation.

However, an energy economist has warned that the Government should be careful not to count the proverbial eggs before they hatch. The document notes that except for the methanol to olefins complex, the other projects do not require significant natural gas.

However, there is caution since for the last five years T&T has had natural gas shortages, creating possible difficulties for any new investments.

The document reads: “The estimated capital investment for these proj-

ects is US $3.5 billion. All of these projects except for the Methanol to Polyolefin Project are expected to use a minimal volume of natural gas.

The estimated gas usage for the Aluminium Ingot Processing Flats Complex is circa 14 million standard cubic feet per day and for the Methanol to Polyolefin in 1.73 million tonnes per annum.”

Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley has in the past indicated that there were several energy projects which the Government was working on, but which they were not ready to announce. (Excerpt from

Trinidad Guardian)

he newly elected Mia Mottley-led Administration has abolished the “illegal” visa requirement for Haitian nationals entering Barbados.

Telling online newspaper Barbados Today that he was shocked when he learned last weekend that such a requirement was in place, Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson said with Haiti being a member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), there was no logical reason to impose visa requirements on its citizens.

“It should not have been on in the first place. I was shocked to learn that on Saturday,” Hinkson said.

Hinkson also revealed that his ministry was in the process of preparing a white paper on immigration with a view to deepening the integration movement and this country’s relationship with the rest of the Region.

“We are going to look clearly at reforming the immigration legislation of Barbados as well as the policies of it.

Clearly our Immigration Act is outdated,” he said, going on

to make reference to a section of the legislation which bars “imbeciles and mentally and physically handicapped persons” from entering the country.

He insisted that Barbados ought to respect the regional conventions and treaties that it has signed, while stressing that with Caricom being the only region in the world with which Barbados has a trade surplus of over 50 per cent, it was important that the island addresses its relationship with the rest of the Caribbean.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Indian President concludes first visit to Suriname

P

aramaribo got cleaned up and had a quick paint job to welcome the first visit by an Indian President to Suriname, a country where a large Indian Diaspora coexists and prospers in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious democracy and that is exactly what the Government of Suriname showcased when Indian President Ram Nath Kovind arrived last Tuesday at the Johan Pengel International Airport.

The Indian President and his delegation expressed their gratitude and happiness with the cultural presentation and warm spontaneous reception of all segments of the population during their three-day visit to Suriname.

Kovind’s visit was a boost to the Bouterse Government; an endorsement from India, a BRICS member, and an important global player today. Kovind comes from the Indian state of Bihar, where the bulk of the 39,000

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Mrs Kovind on their arrival in Paramaribo received a medley of cultural expressions from Suriname’s ethnic groups

Hindustanis were recruited between 1873 to 1917 to work the sugar plantations of Suriname. And this is the reason why Indian languages are still spoken in Suriname today, and this is why strong ties exist between the two countries.

According to the External Affairs Ministry of India, New Delhi pledged over US$80 million in grants and lines of credit to fund various projects in Suriname.

India has committed US$20 million for setting up a solar project to provide clean

energy to 49 villages. India also extended a line of credit of US$27.5 million to support a power transmission project in Pikin Saron area and another line of credit of US$3.5 million for maintenance of Chetak helicopters during Kovind’s visit.

Suriname reaffirmed its support for India’s aspiration to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The two leaders expressed concern over global terrorism and pledged cooperation. (Excerpt from Caribbean News

Now)

Trump decries ‘invaders’ entering US from Mexico

P

US President Donald Trump

resident Donald Trump on Sunday compared people entering the US from Mexico to invaders and said they should be immediately sent back without appearing before a judge.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in response that such a step would be illegal and violate the constitution that Trump swore to uphold.

“We cannot allow all of

these people to invade our country,” the President said on Twitter as he was being driven to his private golf club in Northern Virginia. “When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no Judges or court cases, bring them back from where they came.

Our system is a mockery to good immigration policy and Law and Order.”

“Most children come without parents ... Our

Immigration policy, laughed at all over the world, is very unfair to all of those people who have gone through the system legally and are waiting on line for years!” he continued.

Trump has been criticising immigration judges for weeks, both exaggerating the number currently hearing cases and saying that hiring more – as some members of Congress have proposed – would be unnecessary.

Trump made his anti-illegal immigration stance a centrepiece of his presidential campaign and he has pushed for strict policies since taking office. He said during a campaign appearance Saturday in Las Vegas that being for “strong borders, no crime” is a winning issue for Republicans to run on in November’s congressional elections. (Excerpt from

Jamaica Observer)

monDAY, june 25, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

Erdoğan claims victory in Zimbabwe election Turkish presidential election 'to go ahead as planned' after blast R ecep Tayyip Erdoğan has claimed victory in Turkey’s presidential election, but the Opposition has not conceded defeat, as not all ballots have been counted.

“The Turkish public has mandated me as president according to unofficial results,” Erdoğan said on Sunday night. “I hope nobody will damage democracy by casting a shadow on this election and its results to hide their failure.”

The official Anadolu Agency reported that, with 95.5 per cent of votes counted, Erdoğan had won a 52.72 per cent share of the national vote, while the opposition CHP party’s candidate, Muharrem İnce, was on

Erdoğan addresses a large crowd of supporters in Istanbul

Jazeera)

30.75 per cent.

The pro-Kurdish party, known as the HDP, won more than 10 per cent of the vote, allowing it to enter Parliament for a second consecutive term, diluting the majority of Erdoğan’s ruling

(Al

party, the AKP, but falling short of the numbers needed to overturn that majority after a surprise showing by the AKP’s nationalist allies.

The results, if they stand, will be a disappointment to the Opposition, which

mounted a dynamic election campaign that hoped to push Erdoğan into a second-round runoff against İnce, and to wrest control of the legislature from the AKP. Erdoğan and his party have governed unopposed for 16 years.

President Erdoğan called early snap elections in April hoping to pre-empt worsening economic trends and to catch the opposition by surprise. He looked set to win easily in a presidential race and in Parliament in alliance with the nationalists, projecting an image of a Commander-in-Chief fighting external enemies inside Turkey and across the border in Syria, and triumphant against terror groups. (Excerpt

from The Guardian)

Saudi women hit the road as driving ban is lifted

W

omen in Saudi Arabia are now allowed to drive for the first time since the religiously conservative kingdom overturned the world's only ban on female motorists as critics note activists who fought for the right to drive are still in prison.

The lifting of the prohibition on Sunday, which follows a sweeping crackdown on prominent women's rights activists who staunchly advocated for the right to drive, was first announced last year as part of the then newly-appointed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plans to reform the country.

"Now every woman has the right to drive a car anywhere in the kingdom," State broadcaster al-Ekhbariya quoted traffic authorities spokesman

Colonel Samy bin Mohammad as saying on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia, which has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women, started issuing its first driving licences for female motorists earlier this month.

On Thursday, it launched a three-day campaign called "place your trust in God and drive" to educate women on driving and raise awareness about safety regulations.

Activists in the region welcomed the lifting on the ban but cautioned that there were still many hurdles for women wanting to get behind the wheel.

"This is a very good step, but of course there are so many challenges that women are facing now with the lifting of the ban," said Suad AbuDayyeh, Middle East consul-

Prior to last year's royal decree, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world that did not allow women to drive – Faisal Al Nasser

tant for the Equality Now non-governmental organisation.

"The fees for having lessons are six times more than men," she told Al Jazeera from Jordan's capital, Amman.

"This is one of the restrictions and this makes women

not being able to access driving licenses in a fast way, in addition to the limited driving schools in Saudi Arabia."

Following the lift of the ban, videos and pictures posted on social media showed women behind the wheel.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Police: 25 injured in building explosion in Germany T wenty-five people were injured, four of them severely, when an explosion destroyed an apartment building in the western German city of Wuppertal, Police said Sunday.

Police said the explosion rocked the several-story building shortly before midnight Saturday with a large bang, scaring people in surrounding homes so much they ran out into the street in a panic.

The detonation was so severe it destroyed the building's attic and the top three floors, the German news agency dpa reported.

Fire then broke out in several different parts of the

A car and a house are destroyed after an explosion in Wuppertal, Germany, June 24, 2018. German Police say an explosion destroyed a several-storey building in the western city of Wuppertal

apartment building and firefighters had trouble dousing

the flames because parts of the building kept collapsing. They

were able to rescue four severely injured from inside the building and sent them to the hospital. Another 21 people were slightly injured and treated by emergency staff at the scene.

Police said Sunday they were still trying to get the fire under control and were investigating the cause of the explosion. They would not comment when asked if the explosion could possibly be terror-related. A car nearby was destroyed, buried under window frames that were blown onto it by the impact of the explosion. Emergency personnel on Sunday picked up bricks and furniture on the street from the explosion. (Excerpt from MSN)

Z

imbabwe's President E m m e r s o n Mnangagwa says elections will go ahead as planned on July 30, despite what he said was an attempt on his life on Saturday.

Forty-one people were injured in the blast at a rally in the city of Bulawayo, which occurred close to Mnangagwa as he was leaving the stage.

Officials said security arrangements would be reviewed. The vote is the first since Robert Mugabe was ousted and Mnangagwa has vowed they will be peaceful.

Mnangagwa said Saturday's explosion happened when an object "exploded a few inches away from me - but it is not my time".

He said the violence was senseless and appealed for unity. Opposition Leader Nelson Chamisa also condemned the attack, saying any political violence was

"totally unacceptable".

Those hurt included two Vice Presidents, the ZanuPF party chairwoman, members of a state TV crew and security personnel.

The President was in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city and an Opposition stronghold, to campaign for his Zanu-PF party ahead of the July election.

He is favourite to win the poll, but analysts say he also has enemies – both for overthrowing his former mentor, Robert Mugabe, and for being a previous enforcer of the Mugabe regime.

The elections are the first in Zimbabwe since Mugabe was forced out after 37 years in power, and the first to be monitored by international observers since 2002.

Mnangagwa has said the vote will be free and fair.

Campaigning has been dominated by economic issues.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

5 NGO workers gangraped in India's Jharkhand state

A

t least five women working for an NGO have been abducted and gang-raped at gunpoint in eastern India's Jharkhand state, Police have said.

"An FIR (First Information Report) and a statement in court has been lodged. We are trying to identify the criminals. Our probe is ongoing," Ashwini Kumar Sinha, superintendent of Police in Khunti, told Al Jazeera.

"A team of street play artists had gone to perform in a school in Kochan, the remotest area of Khunti when some men came and threatened them. Nine men and women were abducted. Five women were raped while the men were beaten," he said.

The women were performing a play raising awareness of human trafficking in the Khunti district on Tuesday when armed men abducted them at gunpoint, it was reported on Friday.

Attackers filmed the assault and used the video to blackmail the women not to go to the Police. The women were working for Asha

Kiran, an NGO supported

by Christian missionaries, police officer Rajesh Prasad told AFP news agency.

"We have been questioning several people," Prasad told AFP. Police rounded up some supporters of Pathalgadi, a self-rule movement associated with hostility to outsiders. The National Women's Commission on Friday ordered state Police to provide them with a report about the gang rapes.

Sister Julia George, project director at Asha Kiran in Ranchi, told Al Jazeera that men arrived at the scene on bikes and overpowered the NGO workers.

This is the latest high-profile sexual assault in India.

Three girls were raped and set on fire in India in one week in May, two of them in Jharkhand state. In 2012, the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student on a moving bus in New Delhi sparked street protests.

In 2016, 39,000 rape cases were reported in the country. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Mystery extinct ape found in ancient Chinese tomb

A

n ape that is new to science has been discovered buried in an ancient tomb in China. The gibbon has already become extinct, suggesting humans wiped out primate populations long before the modern age.

Living primates are in

peril, with many on the brink of extinction.

The new gibbon, named Junzi imperialis, may be the first to vanish as a direct result of human actions, according to scientists led by the Zoological Society of London.

"All of the world's apes – chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-

utans and gibbons – are threatened with extinction today due to human activities, but no ape species were thought to have become extinct as a result of hunting or habitat loss," said lead researcher Dr Samuel Turvey.

"However, the discovery of the recently extinct Junzi

changes this, and highlights the vulnerability of gibbons in particular."

The partial skull of the gibbon was found in a burial chamber dating from about 2300 years ago in Shaanxi Province, central China, alongside the bones of other animals, including lynx, leop-

ards and a black bear.

The tomb, and perhaps the ape, may have belonged to Lady Xia, the grandmother of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang, who ordered the building of the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Warriors. Gibbons were seen as having noble characteris-

tics in Chinese culture and were kept as luxury pets.

Gibbons, which are the smallest apes, are found in the tropical rainforests of Asia. One Chinese gibbon, the Hainan gibbon, is now probably the world's rarest mammal with only 26 individuals left. (Excerpt from BBC News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, june 25, 2018

ARCHIE

Take care of personal business and update your (March 21- look or personal style. A April 19) physical challenge needs to be addressed cautiously.

ARIES

Getting along with your TAURUS peers, friends or relatives will (April 20- help you round up the help May 20) you need to get things done.

Learn from those with more life experience.

dilbert

Keep an eye on your perGEMINI (May 21- sonal finances, pending setJune 20) tlements or any health issues you face. Taking action quickly will help you turn a potential loss into a gain.

If you take a different route, you’ll discover some(June 21- thing you did not know existJuly 22) ed. Don’t hesitate to stop and investigate what you find.

Life is full of surprises. Live in the moment.

CANCER

Peanuts

Take action, get involved LEO and do your part. Don’t let (July 23- someone else’s change of Aug. 22) plans stop you from following through and keeping promises you made to one of your peers, friends or children.

Calvin and Hobbes

Take a moment to figure VIRGO out the best way to respond (Aug. 23to someone using emotional Sept. 22) tactics to persuade you to do something. A practical suggestion will help to alleviate persistent pressure.

Don’t let laziness cost LIBRA (Sept. 23- you. If you let someone Oct. 23) down, it will be difficult to regain the trust required to build a good relationship. Do your part and more.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

TODAY’S WORD — CABLED (CABLED: KAY-buld: Transmitted a message by telegraph.)

Express your feelings SAGITTARIUS overtly.

Taking action and (Nov. 23doing something nice for Dec. 21) someone you love will affect how you get along. A new look will draw compliments.

Average mark 13 words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 17 or more words in CABLED? The list will be published tomorrow.

SATURDAY’S WORD — CHARACTER cache cachet carat care carer caret cart carter catch catcher cater

char chart charter chat cheat chert crate crater hare hart hate

hater hear heart heat ache acre arch archer area race racer

racket rare rate rater rather reach react rear reata retch rhea

tare teach tear terra trace tracer trachea each earth errata etch

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

Size up what’s going on SCORPIO with the people you deal (Oct. 24with daily.

Listen and reNov. 22) spond carefully to avoid a misunderstanding.

Tense dynamics between you and a peer can be expected.

solution for last published puzzle

Only offer to do so much if CAPRICORN someone asks for help. Make (Dec. 22- sure your motives are honorJan. 19) able. Changing how you live or handle domestic affairs will help save time and money.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Don’t let emotional situations grow out of control. If you discuss your feelings, concerns and intentions, you’ll avoid tension and added stress. Make love, not war to build stronger relationships.

If you take a creative approach, you’ll gain popularity, interest and support to help you complete your pursuit. New friendships will unfold.

monDAY, JUNE 25, 2018

19

Colombia’s triple hammer blow dumps Poland out of World Cup S

ometimes the answer comes by changing the question.

Rather than asking whether he should play James Rodríguez – now he was sufficiently recovered from his calf injury to start – or Juan Quintero, and coming up with a fairly obvious response, José Pekerman selected both and was rewarded not merely with a result that keeps alive Colombia’s hopes of making the last 16, but with a performance that made them look like a side that could go a long, long way in the tournament.

Rodríguez and Quintero are contrasting styles of No 10, the modern dynamic runner and the more traditional variant, to be celebrated, perhaps, for what might most politely be referred to as his cerebral approach and economy of movement. Playing them together seemed a major risk, but along with Juan Cuadrado, Colombia’s creative trident picked Poland apart with clinical beauty.

On loan at River Plate from Porto, Quintero is a throwback, more cask than six-pack in tone, a player whose reluctance to submit to the more rigorous aspects of professionalism has frus-

Colombia’s Juan Cuadrado scores their third goal

trated a series of coaches.

His talent, though, is not in question, and in one cleverly disguised reverse pass for Abel Aguilar after 20 minutes he gave notice of his imagination, his capacity to see avenues others cannot see.

That should have been a warning to Poland, but it was not. They remained oddly sluggish, a world away from the side that had qualified so impressively, offer-

ing little but brawn and, at times, brutality. Colombia for a time seemed as though they may be drawn into the scrap, but instead they began to play, even after a 32nd-minute injury to Aguilar left them without either of their first-choice central midfielders.

Cuadrado began to make inroads on the right, driving into the space behind the left wing-back Maciej Rybus, but the goal, when

it came, was a result of smart interplay between the two number 10s. Again it was the reverse ball from Quintero that unlocked the Polish gate, but this time the recipient was Rodríguez, who had drifted to the right to take a corner. His cross was perfect and Yerry Mina, who had returned to the side after surprisingly being omitted from the opener, for Óscar Murillo, nodded in from close range.

Quintero was the creator of the second as well. The widespread expectation had been that he would last only 70 minutes; as it was, he lasted 73, and three minutes before he went off he played in Radamel Falcao to score with an incisive prod of his left foot.

And with that, Poland were done. Desperately seeking a lifeline, they lost shape and discipline, and when possession was lost from a throw-in deep in the Colombia half, they were eviscerated by Rodríguez.

Cuadrado was the beneficiary this time as Colombia began to look the side they did at the last World Cup. Like so many Pekerman sides, Colombia are at their best when they can break with rapid, geometric precision.

Poland, unfortunately, continue to be at their best when they are not in tournaments. Adam Nawalka’s switch to a back three, although he had trialled it in the pre-tournament friendly against Nigeria, seemed in retrospect a warning. All through qualifying he had used either a 4-4-2 or 4-2-31; this was a sign that team was effectively over and that, at the worst possible time, he was trying to forge

a new one.

Tactically, perhaps, setting a wing-back in Rybus against Cuadrado was a risk, but Poland’s struggles were about far more than that. There was a strange lifelessness about them while Robert Lewandowksi, who had seemed out of sorts towards the end of the season, most notably in the Champions League semi-final, was again listless, nothing like the figure who scored 16 goals in qualifying. Only once was there a glimmer of the true Lewandowski as he took down a long ball over the top to create a chance from nothing, only to drive his finish into David Ospina’s midriff.

For Poland the pattern is frustratingly familiar at major tournaments, and has been since 1986. They qualify well, hopes are raised and then they find that on the highest stage the shirt hangs heavy, players lose faith in what got them there and the result is a safety-first style that results in grouchiness and early exits. Colombia, meanwhile, fight on. Unless Poland do them an unlikely favour they will probably have to beat Senegal to qualify, but at least now there is hope. (The Guardian)

Senegal, Japan keep World Cup hopes alive with 2-2 draw

J

apan and Senegal remain well placed to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup - and a last-16 date with England or Belgium - after an entertaining draw in Ekaterinburg.

Sadio Mane put Senegal ahead from close range after an awful mistake by Eiji Kawashima, the ball flying past the Japan keeper after his attempted punched clearance hit the Liverpool forward.

Japan were level before halftime through Takashi Inui’s lovely curling finish, before Yuya Osako hit the crossbar.

Nineteen-year-old defender Moussa Wague thought he had sealed Senegal’s second straight Group H win with a fine finish from an angle but substitute Keisuke Honda salvaged a point for Japan moments after coming on.

Japan and Senegal have four points after two games, while Group H rivals Poland and

Colombia are both chasing their first points of the tournament when they meet in Kazan at 19:00 BST.

Senegal frustrated by late equaliser

2-1 win over Poland last week by becoming the first African

Despite another point,

Senegal will be d i s a p pointed they could not follow up their

Japan’s Yuto Nagatomo vies with Senegal’s Mbaye Niang during the 2-2 draw in Group H at the Ekaterinburg Arena

side to win two group games since Ghana in 2006.

But 16 years on from their debut World Cup, the Teranga Lions continue to win new fans in Russia.

While Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia are already making plans to return home after failing to secure a point, Senegal can still ensure Africa has at least one representative in the last 16.

However, Aliou Cisse will be frustrated his players failed to build on

Mane’s opener after Kawashima’s howler.

Senegal were well in control but failed to build on their strong start and Inui’s smart finish, af-

ter Yuto Nagatomo created the chance, saw Japan draw level with their first shot on target.

Even after Wague restored Senegal’s advantage with a sweeping finish, they were unable to see the game out - keeper Khadim N’Diaye’s failed clearance leading to Honda’s equaliser.

In 2002, the likes of Henri Camara and El Hadji Diouf helped Senegal reach the quarter-finals under Bruno Metsu. If Senegal’s class of 2018 hope to emulate that achievement they will have to cut out the mistakes.

Japan were one of the first teams to book their place in Russia, qualifying last August.

Having gone out early in Brazil four years ago with one point, they now have four at this tournament and could be set for an extended stay.

They started slowly and Kawashima’s blunder threatened to prove costly. (BBC Sport)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monDAY, JUNE 25, 2018

Kane’s triple fires England to victory over Panama W

ell, that was fun, in between the painful bits. First, it is necessary to issue the disclaimers. Yes, Panama unravelled like a cheap cigar in Nizhny Novgorod. Faced with England’s excellent firsthalf movement, they fell apart like a wicker-rimmed hat left to bake in the sun. At times Panama played a genuinely ugly brand of football, hacking and whingeing and spoiling like the bloke you never invite back to the midweek seven-a-side.

In between this England performed with incisive, coldblooded composure to win 6-1 and rack up their highest World Cup score, an unarguable, entirely deserved entry in the tournament history books for this well-drilled and highly mobile team.

Albeit they did so against opponents who were often wretched, the poverty of Panama’s play raising questions about the upshot of opening the great competition up to more nations in the chase for cash.

It was not just the fouling and moaning. Although it was mainly the fouling and moaning. It was also the selfdefeating nature of it all.

Panama can play, as they showed here at times. But they came to spoil. Before the World Cup opener in Moscow at least one Russian volunteer could be seen lurking on the main concourse with a sign reading “Free Hugs”. Perhaps

Harry Kane is congratulated by England manager Gareth Southgate as he comes off after scoring a hat-trick against Panama

Panama should try something similar pre-match just to get it out of their system, so irresistible was the urge to grip and grapple and grasp, a ludicrous pantomime of manon-man hug?action that led directly to two first?half goals.

Enough of that, though.

England were the story here, producing the one thing that has been missing in the orderly progress of the last year or so: a ballsy, freewheeling allout thumping of game but moderate opposition.

Harry Kane had a wonderful time when he wasn’t being strangled. This was not one of the classic hat?tricks, comprising two wonderfully spanked penalty kicks and a

deflection Kane knew nothing about. But he ran off to safety 18 minutes after half?time with five goals in 1.75 World Cup games, equal with Geoff Hurst as England second alltime scorer in the competition, behind Gary Lineker with 10.

Kane will take the headlines. But it was a wonderful afternoon also for Jesse Lingard, who will long remember Panama, possibly even after the bruises have faded. Revenge is best served cold. That was never likely to happen for Lingard on an afternoon where the air inside the stadium sat like a steamcooker, the kind of drowsy, heavy heat that hits you in the chest and sinks down into the

lungs.

But Lingard did something excellent here, responding to some blunt and painful treatment by running harder, playing with more rather than less verve on the half?spin in those forward positions and helping to kill the game in the first half.

The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium is another Russian mega-drome, beached on its side like an enormous white Wagon Wheel. England’s fans had staked out their upper tiers with a row of flags hanging limp from the railings, the usual tour of the Isles from Bury to Stoke to Southampton and Hull. What followed was glorious reward for all

that travel and expense, the post-Marseilles anxiety, the constant boisterous support.

It was reward, too, for Lingard, who is not the flashiest player nor an obvious star on the stats. Yet he has become one of Gareth Southgate’s reliables, an everwilling runner with a fine touch and the occasional moment of brilliance.

Some have sneered at his fun, extrovert persona, his groovy range of celebrations (there was a little Fortnite nod here). But look past the tribal stuff and Lingard is also something uplifting: an academy kid living the dream, wringing every last drop of life and joy from a starring role for his boyhood mega-club, now doing the same in front of the world in an England shirt.

His first act was to find himself chopped to the floor in the Panama area by an expert short-arm elbow from Gabriel Gómez. Lingard felt his cheek and got on with it. Moments later Armando Cooper dragged him down with the kind of noyou-don’t-son hack familiar to desperate Sunday league players everywhere.

England had just taken the lead, John Stones heading in powerfully after a ludicrous triple-tag wrestling bout at a corner had made the space.

By which point Gómez had taken it upon himself to follow Lingard everywhere, but he was notably absent as his man sprinted on to Jordan

Henderson’s pass and was bundled down Román Torres and Fidel Escobar in the area.

Kane buried the kick.

Peak Lingard arrived after 36 minutes, revenge for that throbbing cheek fully realised with a lovely goal to make it 3-0. It was a familiar Lingard move too, a turn and spring, taking the ball in his stride in space and producing a sublime curling shot on the run into the far corner of the net.

Stones and Kane scored again.

Panama pulled themselves together and were gracious in defeat, Hernán Darío Gómez coming across after half-time to offer warm congratulations to Southgate.

For now Kane, Lingard and the travelling support will always have Nizhny Novgorod and a gloriously fun shellacking of a third-tier minnow that still felt significant. Yes, England have yet to play a half-decent opponent here, and could yet bomb out horribly when they do.

But who cares, really?

Compare this with the paralysing horror, the fear, the constipated style of the last five tournaments. England did not expect. They came to Russia with no real sense of hope, but with a gathering affection for this team and the admirable Southgate. They are already in credit. This was free. This was fun. This was a day that felt like a quiet kind of redemption whatever happens next. (The Guardian)

Buttler hundred seals England’s series whitewash of Australia in thriller

A

n unbeaten and freakishly nerveless century from Jos Buttler came to the rescue for England yesterday, almost singlehandedly securing a nailbiting one-wicket victory over Australia and thus a first ever 5-0 whitewash of their historic rivals in any format.

How Eoin Morgan needed his star wicketkeeper’s intervention in sunny Manchester after the world’s most destructive batting line-up had given the latest reminder that, for all their recordbreaking talent, a collective meltdown is still not totally out of the equation. Chasing just 206 following Moeen Ali’s careerbest four for 46, England had stumbled to a troubling 114 for eight in the 30th over and a slice of history was slipping from their grasp.

But Buttler’s 110 not out from 122 balls – to go with Adil Rashid’s patient 20 and Jake Ball surviving 10 balls at No 11 – ensured the celebrations did not contain a pang of regret.

“It was just pure elation,” replied a champagne-soaked Buttler when asked to sum up the moment his punched four through the covers finished off this epic with nine balls to spare. “We didn’t really have the right to win the game so it was a great feeling.”

Tim Paine, the Australian captain, added: “Right now he has to be the best white-ball wicketkeeper-batsman in the world. MS Dhoni is pretty good but [Buttler] is at the peak of his powers.”

Paine, whose stop-gap leadership of the one-day team will now be reviewed,

admitted the scoreline “stings a lot”, not least after the 6ft 8in Billy Stanlake nearly salvaged something from this grim series when his three strikes reduced England to 66 for five in 16 overs before the interval (in light of Australia’s earlier collapse to 205 all out in 34.4 overs).

Though Jason Roy had been bowled by Ashton Agar when trying to launch his third ball into the pavilion, it was Stanlake’s pace that did the true damage, forcing Jonny Bairstow to chop on, sneaking an edge to slip off Joe Root and then lighting up M o rga n ’s stumps.

With Alex Hales tamely edging K a n e Richardson behind for 20 – the No3’s eyes lighting u p at a wide one amid a breather for Stanlake – the only cheers around Old Trafford during this harrowing minisession were courtesy of England’s goal-fest in Nizhny Novgorod.

Things scarcely improved after the resumption, M o e e n

squirting to point on 16 off Marcus Stoinis and Richardson removing Sam Curran, on debut, and Liam Plunkett in successive deliveries – the latter chasing a wide one à la Hales – to see England still 92 runs short with two

wickets remaining.

Buttler, 47 not out at this stage, just needed a partner and found one in Rashid, the pair shaving off 81 runs in 16 overs and seeing off the threat of Stanlake. But when the junior man was caught in the deep, it brought Ball to the crease for the tense finale.

Rather than pinch a single off the final ball of the over, Buttler instead decided to launch his first six to bring up his sixth and slowest one-day century, cutting the target to five. Then followed some cat and mouse, with Ball surviving 11 balls, before his illustrious team-mate delivered the coup de grâce.

Perhaps it was fitting that a series dominated by England’s gluttenous top order should end with a packed house gripped by such drama. In Buttler they witnessed a true master at work,

showing all the s t r e e t smarts that make him the next captain of this side.

There was

some fine glovework to match his gimlet-eyed batting too, with his run-out of Paine via a spectacular pickup, roll and throw reducing the tourists to 100 for five after the Australian captain had won his fifth toss in a row.

It was the wicketkeeper’s second piece of sharp work in the collapse that followed a promising 60-run opening stand, having stumped Shaun Marsh off Moeen while the No 4’s hind leg was hovering behind him in the air like a dog enjoying a good stretch.

Moeen, on a pitch offering grip, had made his presence felt from the moment he was thrown the ball in the seventh over, cleaning up Aaron Finch’s stumps for 20 with a quicker ball and then profiting from a sweep to short fine-leg by Stoinis two balls later.

When the recalled Plunkett persuaded Travis Head to chip to midwicket for 56 and Buttler’s two alert interventions sent Marsh and Paine packing – the latter ending the series with 36 runs from five innings for the lowest series aggregate by an Australian captain in a fivematch series – the tourists were in tatters.

All the while Curran was perhaps wondering if his debut would see just two costly newball overs sent down. But in the 25th over he returned from the James Anderson End – named after the man who presented his cap – to strike twice and, at 20 years and 21 days, become England’s youngest ODI wicket-

Jos Buttler celebrates after hitting the winning runs

taker.

Alex Carey, the man putting pressure on Paine for the wicketkeeper spot, had led a mini-revival of 59 runs in 10 overs with D’Arcy Short up to this point but edged tamely behind. Two balls later Curran was beaming again, with Agar shouldering arms to a straight one and the stumps duly demolished behind

him.

From there the innings went down the gurgler, with Richardson the second man run out and Moeen and Rashid claiming the last two wickets to finish with 12 apiece for the series. They now share the English spin record over five matches and their vice-like grip over the tourists has been deeply impressive. (The Guardian)

SCOREBOARD

Australia Innings (50 overs maximum) AJ Finch b Ali 22 TM Head c Morgan b Plunkett 56 MP Stoinis c Ball b Ali 0 SE Marsh st †Buttler b Ali 8 AT Carey c †Buttler b Curran 44 TD Paine (c) † run out (†Buttler) 1 DJM Short not out 47 AC Agar b Curran 0 KW Richardson run out (Ali/†Buttler) 14 NM Lyon lbw b Rashid 1 B Stanlake b Ali 2 Extras: (lb 3, w 7) 10 TOTAL: all out (34.4 Overs, RR: 5.91) 205 Fall of wickets: 1-60 (AJ Finch, 6.3 ov), 2-60 (MP Stoinis, 6.5 ov), 3-90 (TM Head, 11.5 ov), 4-97 (SE Marsh, 12.6 ov), 5-100 (TD Paine, 14.1 ov), 6-159 (AT Carey, 24.1 ov), 7-159 (AC Agar, 24.3 ov), 8-181 (KW Richardson, 27.6 ov), 9-193 (NM Lyon, 31.3 ov), 10-205 (B Stanlake, 34.4 ov) BOWLING: JT Ball (5-0-29-0), SM Curran (6-0-44-2), JE Root (3-0-32-0), MM Ali (8.4-046-4), LE Plunkett (4-0-19-1), AU Rashid (8-0-32-1)

England Innings (target: 206 runs from 50 overs) JJ Roy b Agar 1 JM Bairstow b Stanlake 12 AD Hales c †Paine b Richardson 20 JE Root c Marsh b Stanlake 1 EJG Morgan (c) b Stanlake 0 JC Buttler † not out 110 MM Ali c Lyon b Stoinis 16 SM Curran c †Paine b Richardson 15 LE Plunkett c †Paine b Richardson 0 AU Rashid c Stanlake b Stoinis 20 JT Ball not out 1 Extras (lb 7, w 5) 12 TOTAL (48.3 Overs, RR: 4.28) 208-9 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (JJ Roy, 0.4 ov), 2-19 (JM Bairstow, 5.1 ov), 3-23 (JE Root, 5.6 ov), 4-27 (EJG Morgan, 7.4 ov), 5-50 (AD Hales, 13.1 ov), 6-86 (MM Ali, 23.1 ov), 7-114 (SM Curran, 29.3 ov), 8-114 (LE Plunkett, 29.4 ov), 9-195 (AU Rashid, 45.5 ov) BOWLING: AC Agar (10-2-341), B Stanlake (10-1-35-3), NM Lyon (10-0-32-0), KW Richardson (9-0-51-3), MP Stoinis (8.3-037-2), DJM Short (1-0-12-0)

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21

Hamilton wins French Grand Prix – Vettel finishes fifth

L

ewis Hamilton won the French Grand Prix, the first the country has held for 10 years, with a controlled and dominant run from pole for Mercedes. But his championship rival Sebastian Vettel made an error on the opening lap that forced him almost to the back of the field and he could manage only fifth. The Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo came in second and fourth respectively with Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen securing the final podium place.

Hamilton had the race in his hands from the moment he avoided contact on the first lap at turn one that cost his teammate Valtteri Bottas, who finished seventh, and Vettel. While they were forced into fighting back, Hamilton made the most of his position.

Having started at Paul Ricard a point behind in the title race, the result means he has retaken the lead and is now 14 points in front of Vettel.

The German’s comeback was impressive but fifth would have been as much as he might have expected, while Verstappen put in another solid performance to take his second podium in a row and his third in four races.

“Great work guys I am so happy for England,” said Hamilton. “It’s a beautiful Sunday.”

It is Hamilton’s first win at the French Grand Prix, having competed at MagnyCours twice before in 2007 and 2008, the last time the race was held. His 65th career win will be hugely satisfying coming as it did, after the setback he received in losing his championship lead to Vettel, when the German’s win and Hamilton’s fifth place in Canada, gifted a 15-point swing in Vettel’s favour.

However in Canada they had not employed their new, upgraded engine, but in France they had and it proved to be formidable. Mercedes dominated practice and locked out the front row in qualifying.

Silverstone next.

The race’s crucial moment came when a messy entry into turn one was hugely costly for Vettel, who made a quick start but locked up and clipped the rear of Bottas. The German

Lewis Hamilton celebrates with the trophy

The win is Hamilton’s third of the season, putting him equal with Vettel and, in taking the lead in the title race once more, it is the fourth time in eight races it has changed hands between the pair.

The championship remains finely balanced but Mercedes will be buoyed by the clear evidence that their new engine has matched and potentially bettered the progress Ferrari made with their new unit in Canada. In a title fight that is likely to be decided by tiny margins in a fierce development battle, every success will be celebrated.

Hamilton and the team will not be complacent but this is a hugely positive sign as they head in to the bulk of the European season, with backto-back races at Austria and

dropped to 11th with a broken front wing and was forced to pit at the end of the lap, while the safety car was called out after further incidents in their wake.

Vettel took the soft tyres and emerged in 17th, his race already reduced to damage limitation. Bottas had a left rear puncture and also pitted for the soft tyres, with the pair now at the back off the field.

Vettel was investigated for causing a collision and given a five-second time penalty by the stewards.

Crucially, however, Hamilton escaped it all at the front and made it through in front of Verstappen who was up to second by taking avoiding action across the run off, for which he was not penalised.

Vettel charged on the

restart on lap six and moved swiftly through the pack, making it to 12th by the end of lap seven. He was into the points in 10th, passing Nico Hülkenberg on lap 12 but was already 24 seconds back from Hamilton. The British driver however was able to consistently pull away from the chasing Verstappen and Ricciardo.

Vettel’s run continued and he took fifth place from Carlos Sainz on lap 20 heading towards the chicane on the Mistral straight. The Red Bull’s pitted on laps 26 and 28 and Vettel took fourth from the Australian though the stops.

Mercedes kept Hamilton out until lap 33 when he stopped for the soft tyres, emerging behind Räikkönen who had yet to pit.

Vettel lost fourth to Ricciardo on much fresher tyres through Le Beausset on lap 35 but out front, after the stops had shaken out, Hamilton was still leading, five seconds clear of Verstappen and still 15 to the good on Vettel, who was struggling on worn tyres which had taken a pounding as he came through the field.

Ferrari had no option but to pit the German once more on lap 40, taking the ultrasofts and his penalty, emerging still in fifth but he could do no more. Räikkönen on softer, fresher tyres passed Ricciardo for third on lap 48 but too could not make any further impression. Hamilton had not been troubled at the front of the race, he maintained the gap to Verstappen sealing a clinical finish.

Kevin Magnussen in the Haas was sixth; the Renault’s of Sainz and Hülkenberg in eighth and ninth and Sauber’s Charles Leclerc once again driving superbly to take 10th.

(The Guardian)

Federer loses to Coric in Halle Open final

R

oger Federer suffered a surprise defeat to Borna Coric in the final of the Halle Open and will lose his world number one ranking.

Croatia’s Coric, 21, won 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-2 to end the Wimbledon champion’s run of 20 consecutive victories on grass.

Federer, 36, was bidding to win the event for the 10th time and secure his 99th career title heading into Wimbledon next week.

The Swiss’ defeat means Rafael Nadal will take over as world number one.

Coric had claimed his first win over a top-10 player on grass earlier in the week when he knocked out Germany’s Alexander Zverev.

The Croat fended off two set points before clinching the opening set after 57 min-

Federer will begin his quest to win his ninth Wimbledon title and 21st Grand Slam on 2 July

utes.

Federer put pressure on Coric’s serve in the second set and converted a break point in the eighth game to force a decider.

Coric then broke Federer in the sixth game of the final set when the Swiss sliced a backhand long, before going on to claim his second ATP title.

Federer, who skipped the clay-court season including the French Open, began his grass season last week by winning the title in Stuttgart. (BBC Sport)

22 “Pandit Ravi” captures Caribbean’s best to attend Aliann Pompey maiden Foodtown Golf title Track & Field Invitational GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monDAY, JUNE 25, 2018

S

ome of the Caribbean’s top stars of track and field will be in Guyana to compete at the Aliann Pompey Invitational, which speeds off on June 30 at the Leonora Track & Field Centre.

Athletes from across the region, including Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Grenada and the Dominican Republic, and others will be vying for top honours at the synthetic track.

The invitational was officially launched last week with a number of events in both male and female categories. Some of the events

were: the Men’s 100m, Men’s 400m, Women’s 400, Javelin, and others being contested.

Winston George, Kevin Abbensetts, Compton Caesar and Alisha Fortune are among some of the confirmed highprofile Guyanese who are set to participate in this phenomenal track and field meet.

Meanwhile, the Level 1 category prize bracket will see the winner taking home US $1,500, while second and third place winners receive US$1,000 and US$600. The races which attract these prizes include the Men’s and

Women's 400m, Men's Triple Jump, and Women's 100m.

Level 2 top finishers will cart off US$1,000, US$600 and US$400 respectively.

These races are the Men’s and Women's 400m Hurdles, Men’s 110m and Women's 100m hurdles, Men's 100m and Women's Triple Jump.

The other category, Level 3, attracts US$500, US$200 and US$100, which will be awarded to the top performers in the Men’s and Women's 200m, Men’s and Women's 800m, Men's Javelin, Men's 5000m and Women's 1500m.

Below is the starting list (so far) for the third installation of the ‘AP’ Invitational Men’s 100m Akeem Stewart (GUY) Davin Fraser (GUY)

Men’s 110m H Men’s 200m Eddie Lovett Akeem Stewart (GUY) (USVI) Ruebin Walters Davin Fraser (GUY) (TRI) Emauel Archbald Wellington Zaza Emauel Archbald (GUY) (LIB) (GUY) Emmanueal Callen- Aaron Lewis (TRI) Emmanuel Callendar dar (TRI) (TRI) Jaquone Hoyte Rhys Phillips (BAR) Kevin Abbensetts (BAR) (GUY) Kevin Abbensetts Owen Adonis (GUY) (GUY) Owen Adonis (GUY) Stephon Smith (GUY) Christopher Valdez Winston George (DR) (GUY) Stephon Smith Christopher Valdez (GUY) (DR) Yancarlos Martinez Yancarlos Martinez (DR) (DR) Jeremy Bascom Carlwyn Collins (GUY) (GUY) Yannick Williams Daniel WIlliams (GUY) (GUY) Adam Harris (GUY) Kyle Greaux (TRI) Compton Caesar GUY) Burkheart Ellis (BAR) Kyle Greaux (TRI) Men’s 800m Men’s Triple Jump Men’s Javelin Devaun Barrington Geiner Moreno Kleon Spellen (GUY) (GUY) (COL) Marlon Nicholson Damon Williams Leslain Baird (GUY) (GUY) (GUY) Odwin Tudor (GUY) Leevan Sands Tramaine Beckles (BAH) (GUY) Quamel Prince Lloyd McCurdy Timothy Sameul (GUY) (GUY) Sealey (GUY) Danille Melville Miguel van Assen Clarence Greene (GUY) (SUR) (GUY) Anfernee Headecker Troy Doris (GUY) (GUY) Shawn Semple Cristian Napoles (GUY) (CUB) Malique Smith Donald Scott (USVI) (USA) Women’s 100m Women’s 200m Tahesia HarrigAshley Kelly (BVI) an-Scott (BVI) Mirabel Laetita Kineke Alexander (MAR) (SVG) Kai Selvon (TRI) Mirabel Laetitia (MAR) Lavern Jones FerJodean Williams rette (USVI) (JAM) Onassha Rogers Jonielle Smith (GUY) Reyare Thomas (TRI) Jordan Lavendar (USA) Tawanna Meadows Lavern Jones-Ferrette (USA) (USVI) Jasmine Abrams Jenea McCammon (GUY) (GUY) Alisha Fortune Reyare Thomas (TRI) (GUY) Kenisha Phillps Chante Moore (GUY) (GUY) Jasmine Abrams (GUY) Alisha Fortune (GUY) Women’s 1500m Women’s Triple Women’s 800m Jump Claudrice McKoy Andrea Landazury Leyanna Charles (GUY) (COL) (GUY) Leyanna Charles Liadagmis Povea Joanna Archer (GUY) (GUY) (CUB) Joanna Archer (GUY) Natricia Hooper Kezra Murray (GUY) (GUY) Kezra Murray (GUY) Tamara Myers Mikaela Smith (USVI) (BAH) Ana Tima (DR) Chantoba Bright (GUY) Yosiry Urrutia (COL)

Men’s 400m Kirani James (GRE) Chidi Okezie (NIG) Winston George (GUY) Stephan James (GUY) Arinze Chance (GUY)

Men’s 5000m Marlon Nicholson (GUY) Odwin Tudor (GUY) Tyshon Bentnick (GUY) Cleveland Forde (GUY)

Carlwyn Collins (GUY) Dequawn Nkosi Vancooten (GUY) Brian Roman (GUY) Shawn Semple (GUY) Joshua Walcott (BAR) Daniel WIlliams (GUY)

Winners and Foodtown representatives: from left - Diane Holder, Rudy Ramalingum, Clifford Reis, Tina Dhanasari, Avinash Persaud, ‘Ravi’ Persaud, Aleem Hussain and Shakira Hussain

L

usignan Golf Club (LGC) Secretary Rabindranath “Pandit Ravi” Persaud putted his way to the inaugural Foodtown Restaurant Golf Tournament title at last Saturday’s well-attended invitational.

Persaud has been in Winners’ Row several times in the last few months, and has been gaining form ahead of the Lusignan Open in July and the International Guyana Open Invitational set for November.

The competition, which teed off at 12:30h, saw a tussle for the title, as a number of high profile golfers, including Clifford Reis, reigning Open Champ Avinash Persaud, Maurice Solomon, Nazeem “Papo” Haniff, LGC President Aleem Hussain, former Women’s champ Dr

Joaan Deo and others took to the Greens.

Persaud, who competed in the ‘B’ Flight category, took the overall Best Net score, 65/16, while A Flight was dominated by Persaud with 70/2, and C Flight by Reis with 74/25. Best Gross award for his 72, meanwhile, went to the Guyana Open champ.

Other good scores were returned in the three Flights as follows: A Flight – Mark Lashley 75/9; “Papo” Haniff 77/8, and Vijay Deo 77/9. B Flight winners were Richard Haniff 66/11, Hilbert Shields 69/18, and Fazil Haniff 70/16; while C Flight was won by Solomon 83/22.

“I was determined to keep my head clear and not to let any bad plays discourage me.

(I was determined) to play a good game, and I was re-

warded for it,” said the new champ.

Meanwhile, owner and CEO of Foodtown Restaurant, Mr Rudy Ramalingum, and representatives of the restaurant, who provided food for the golfers, were recipients of the gratitude of LGC President Hussain, Secretary Rabindranath Persaud and Deo; who, standing, thanked the sponsors.

In congratulating the winners, Ramalingum, whose business had been one of the sponsors of the Guyana Open 2017, indicated his delight at being able to contribute again to the Golf Club, and expressed a commitment to continue his support. He said this was his first visit to the Golf Club, and he was heartened at what he had seen.

Sri Lanka's Vandersay sent home from the West Indies Women’s 400m Soniqua Walker (JAM) Aliyah Abrams (GUY) Ashley Kelly (BVI) Alita Moore (GUY) Dominque Blake (JAM) Jordan Lavendar (USA) Kineke Alexander (SVG) Maya Stephens (CAN) Pariis Garcia (PUR) Chante Moore (GUY) Shenika King (GUY) Rushell Clayton (JAM)

Women’s 400mh Grace Claxton (PUR) Janeil Belille (TRI) Katrina Seymour (BAH) Rushell Clatyon (JAM) Zurian Hechavarria (CUB) Tia Adana Belle (BAR

S

ri Lanka have sent leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay back home from the tour of West Indies owing to conduct that was in breach of his player contract. A press release from the board said the team management had reported an "incident" following which this decision was taken.

Sri Lanka have had a difficult time in the Caribbean.

They lost the first Test by a huge margin, became the subject of a ball-tampering controversy in the second, and the penalties handed out mean they won't have the services of their captain Dinesh Chandimal in the third.

Chandimal along with the coach Chandika Hathurusingha and manager Asanka Gurusinha are awaiting sanctions on another charge, relating to their role in holding up play for two hours on the third day in St Lucia in protest against the umpire's suspicions that they had altered the condition of the ball.

(ESPNCricinfo)

Jeffrey Vandersay

guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, JUNE 25, 2018

23

Berbice Zone Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’…

Trafalgar KO defending champs T

he West Berbice community of Trafalgar sent defending champions New Amsterdam (NA) Kings crashing out of this year’s Berbice Zone Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ competition, inflicting on them a crushing 3-0 defeat as quarter-final action concluded on Saturday night at the Old Stelling Road in New Amsterdam.

The game was played in front of another large crowd, and Trafalgar joined Hopetown, Outsiders and Lichfield in last night’s semi-finals and final played at the same venue.

Following completion of the Round of 16 play earlier in the evening, Trafalgar squared off against the reigning champs in the third quarter-final game; and even though the contest was an evenly contested one in the first period, one could sense that the visitors were gaining momentum in the final period.

Their hero, Kevin McKenzie, opened his account in the 16th minute

– join Hopetown, Outsiders and Lichfield in semis Complete Results Guinness Goal(GG)-2 Goals Quarterfinal Round Game-1

Hopetown-2 vs Mahaicony-0 Darren Douglas-13th Akeemo Watts-16th

Game-2 Game-3

East Bank Gunners 2-0 in a penalty shootout after their clash ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Over $700,000 in prize money and trophies are up for grabs, while a place in the national playoffs is the other incentive to be derived for winning the competition.

East Bank Gunners-0 vs Lichfield-0 Lichfield won 2-0 on penalty kicks Round of 16

Game-1

Hopetown vs Young Strikers Hopetown won via walkover

Game-2

Outsiders-0 vs Street Knights-0 Outsiders won 1-0 on penalty kicks

Game-3

Orealla Falcons-1 vs East Bank Gunners-2 East Bank Scorers Ronaldo August-14th Quin Hazel-16th

Roach's double strike gives WI hope more freely after starting from his overnight score of 33. He registered his seventh Test half-century to take the team forward while Dowrich held one end up.

The 'keeper-batsman fell first, when he was trapped plumb in front by Lahiru Kumara in the 56th over.

Windies had 168 on the board then but lost two more quick wickets - of Devendra Bishoo and Holder - to slip to 189 for 8. Kemar Roach and Miguel Cummins pushed the total past 200 to frustrate the visitors even more before they were shot down for a modest score.

Lahiru Kumara picked up four wickets as Windies folded for 204

A

t one point, Sri Lanka were 16-2 in reply to the host side’s 204, compliments of a brilliant Kemar Roach spell which saw the openers being removed.

Kusal Perera was caught behind by Shane Dowrich without scoring while Mahela Udawatte saw trapped LBW for four.

Danushka Gunathilaka tried to settle things after that with Kusal Mendis, and to some extent the ship began to calm with Gunathilaka being the aggressor.

Earlier in the day, Dowrich (71) and Jason Holder (74) led the Windies recovery but Sri Lanka came hard in the opening session of the second day of the third Test in Barbados on Sunday (June 24). Dowrich and Holder gave Windies a promising start to the day - stretching their stand to 115 - before the visitors

picked up the remaining five wickets to nose ahead in the contest. Windies were eventually shot down for 204 before the Sri Lanka openers went into Tea unhurt.

Slight drizzle delay delayed the start of proceedings on the second day but bright blue skies welcomed the teams for the crucial session. With the old pink ball not offering much movement, Sri Lanka had to bank on the bounce on offer and the two-paced nature of the track. They kept probing but both Dowrich and Holder rode their luck to survive the first hour.

Holder, particularly, lived a charmed life as edges either went away from the fielders or fell short during his 123ball stay. Starting on 132 for 5, Windies needed the set duo to carry on and lift the team out of trouble. They did just that with Holder scoring

SCOREBOARD West Indies 1st Innings KC Brathwaite c Gunathilaka b Lakmal 2 DS Smith c de Silva b Lakmal 2 KOA Powell c Mendis b Kumara 4 SD Hope c Mendis b Rajitha 11 RL Chase b Rajitha 14 SO Dowrich † lbw b Kumara 71 JO Holder (c) c MDK Perera b Rajitha 74 D Bishoo c Mendis b Kumara 0 KAJ Roach not out 11 ML Cummins c Mendis b MDK Perera 2 ST Gabriel c †Dickwella b Kumara 2 Extras (b 4, lb 6, w 1) 11 TOTAL all out (69.3 Overs, RR: 2.93) 204 Fall of wickets: 1-3 (DS Smith, 0.6 ov), 2-8 (KC Brathwaite, 4.3 ov), 3-8 (KOA Powell, 5.2 ov), 4-24 (RL Chase, 13.4 ov), 5-53 (SD Hope, 23.1 ov), 6-168 (SO Dowrich, 55.5 ov), 7-183 (D Bishoo, 61.4 ov), 8-189 (JO Holder, 62.6 ov), 9-201 (ML Cummins, 68.1 ov), 10-

204 (ST Gabriel, 69.3 ov) BOWLING: RAS Lakmal (19-552-2), CBRLS Kumara (23.3-558-4), CAK Rajitha (17-1-68-3), MDK Perera (10-3-16-1) Sri Lanka 1st Innings MDKJ Perera c †Dowrich b Roach 0 ML Udawatte lbw b Roach 4 MD Gunathilaka lbw b Holder 29 BKG Mendis b Gabriel 22 DM de Silva lbw b Gabriel 8 ARS Silva not out 2 N Dickwella † not out 4 Extras (b 9, lb 9, nb 1, w 1) 20 TOTAL (32.1 Overs, RR: 2.76) 89/5 Yet to bat: RAS Lakmal (c), MDK Perera, CAK Rajitha, CBRLS Kumara Fall of wickets: 1-0 (MDKJ Perera, 2.3 ov), 2-16 (ML Udawatte, 6.3 ov), 3-75 (BKG Mendis, 26.1 ov), 4-81 (MD Gunathilaka, 27.2 ov), 5-85 (DM de Silva, 30.1 ov)BOWLING: KAJ Roach 8-4-13-2, ST Gabriel 8.1-1-32-2, ML Cummins 7-2-14-0, JO Holder 8-411-1, D Bishoo 1-0-1-0

Game-5

Tucberg Giants-0 vs Mahaicony-3 Jose Ali-(GG)-19th Ewart Abel-5th

Game-4

beat Mahaicony 2-0, thanks to a goal from Darren Douglas in the 13th minute and another from Akeemo Watts in the 16th.

Derick Taylor’s solitary strike in the 9th minute booked Outsiders’ place in the last four over Dam Boys, while Lichfield outlasted

Soccer Ville-2 vs Dam Boys-3 Dam Boys Scorers Orlan Hinds-9th and (GG)-18th Soccer Ville Scorer Akeem Cadogan-(GG)-19th

Game-6

Trafalgar-3 vs NA Kings-0 Kevin McKenzie-16th and (GG)-19th

with a neat flick into an empty goal, and he was back in action three minutes later when he netted a Guinness goal to seal a well-deserved victory and a place in the last four for his team.

In the first quarter-final matchup, Hopetown, another team from West Berbice,

Game-4

Trafalgar-3 vs Platinum Squad-0 Adrian Prince-(GG)-19th Ryan Schultz-12th

Outsiders-1 vs Dam Boys-0 Derick Taylor-9th

Part of quarter-final action in the Berbice Zone of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition

Orealla Scorer Rawlston Alpin-13th

Game-7

NA Kings-3 vs Top-7-1 NA Scorers Joshua Butt-5th Ray Redock-9th Own Goal-16th Top-7 Scorer Shaquille Batson-2nd

Game-8

Lichfield-1 vs Twenties-1 Lichfield won 2-1 on penalty kicks Lichfield Scorer Allan Garnett-4th Twenties Scorer Ronaldo Cassiano-15th

Fraser-Green victorious at National Cycling Championships

U

nited Kingdom-based biker Claire FraserGreen dominated the competition at the National Cycling Championships over the weekend, impressing in the time-trial championships on Saturday then claiming the female National Road Race Trophy on Sunday.

Fraser-Green outdid Shenika Teixeira and Abigail Jeffrey to earn her sixth national road race title, after winning her sixth successive time-trial title on Saturday.

In the 53-mile race from Homestretch Avenue to Timehri’s bottleneck and back, Fraser-Green stopped the clock in two hours, 46 minutes and 14 seconds, miles ahead of Teixeira and Jeffrey, who crossed the line together in a time of 3hours, 20 minutes and 21 seconds.

In the male side of things, Warren “40” McKay won the spoils in the veteran category ahead of Nigel London and Mark Spencer. The father of 10 recorded a winning time of three hours and 51 minutes; as did junior champion Brighton John in the 85-mile event.

The senior will saddle up on Sunday on the same route also from 07:30hrs. However, racers will then proceed to Moblissa

on the Linden Highway.

Time-Trial and road race champion Raynauth Jeffrey is expected to be tested by standout riders like Shaquel Agard, Paul DeNobrega, Andrew Hicks, Hamza Eastman, Jamal John, Romello Crawford and Alonzo Ambrose.

On Saturday, FraserGreen and USA-based Jeffrey emphatically defended their Time-Trial titles to highlight Day 1 of the National Cycling Championships. Fraser-Greene completed the 20km course in 40 minutes and 12 seconds, more than five minutes ahead of the other competitor, Shenika Texeira (46m: 59s). In the male category, Jeffrey (senior) and John (junior) and Jaikarran Sukhai (veteran) emerged winners in their respective categories. Jeffrey (28m: 36s) finished almost a minute ahead of Andrew Hicks (29m: 24s), while the junior champion, John, finished third overall in 29 minutes and 34 seconds.

John was victorious over Berbician Ajap Gopilall (34m: 32s) and Movan Fraser (34:52s) in the junior ranks.

Sukhai topped the podium for the vets, leading Stephen Fernandes (32m: 57s) and Paul Thomas (33m: 45s).

monDAY, JUNE 25, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Roach's double strike

gives WI hope

Pg 23

Kane’s triple fires England to victory over Panama

Pg 19

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