Guyana Times Thursday August 8, 2019

President to meet GECOM Chair, Commissioners today

...GECOM should be guided by the primary law of our country – Opposition Leader

“Iam glad that the entire Commission is meeting with the President . As a holder of the constitutional office of Leader of the opposition I intend to request a meeting with the Commission . I expect the Chairperson and commissioners will want to hear our views too .

As regards the President naming a date in mid December for elections (as reported by local news entity Demerara Waves) would mean that the President will be acting in flagrant disregard of the CCJ’s ruling and in violation of article 106 of our Constitution . If this is true it would seem that it is designed to influence the use of what we know would be flawed list emerging from a rushed , unscrutinized house to house registration that will deregister tens of thousands of Guyanese voters . This will result in chaos in Guyana. Gecom should be guided not by the unilateral action or unconstitutional desire of the President but by the primary law of our country ," – Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

“President, Cabinet will not resign”– Harmon

…says President waiting on GECOM to dissolve Parliament, call

GRDB unable to bring paddy bug infestation under control – farmers

thursday, august 8, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

29 Peace Corps volunteers sworn in

Twenty-nine young American volunteers will spend the next two years living with Guyanese families to execute community projects geared at fostering education, health, and protecting the environment.

The 32nd group of Peace Corps volunteers to serve in Guyana was sworn in on Wednesday by United States Ambassador SarahAnn Lynch at her residence.

The 29 volunteers underwent 10 weeks of training to prepare them for their deployment. During the training sessions, they learnt about Guyanese culture, creole language, tech-

nical theory and practical training on model school programmes, all while living with a Guyanese host family.

Peace Corps Country Director Kury Cobham said that the 29 volunteers were committed and ready to take on the assignments with the utmost professionalism, commitment, and passion.

“A group of Americans from dynamic and varying backgrounds –- all coming to give of themselves and of support to where they are most needed. Today marks the culmination of their 10 weeks of pre-service training. This time was not

only meant for the training team to educate them on Guyanese culture, giving them a foundation in Creolese and drill in key technical skills relevant to their sectors, it was also a critical time for them to reconfirm their commitment to fulfil the expectations placed upon them by Peace Corps,” Cobham noted.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Lynch, a former volunteer herself, spoke of the work Peace Corps has done over the years in Guyana. She noted that Peace Corps Guyana has fielded 1400 volunteers, who have served and lived in Guyanese communities, working alongside the people, sharing their aspirations, helping

them address their challenges and celebrating their achievements.

“The Peace Corps’ special ingredient in Guyana and globally is a people-to-people approach to learning, reinforcing, and building capacity at the community level. And 53 years later, volunteers are still serving the people of Guyana, having lived and worked in all 10 regions of this country,” the US envoy noted.

Turning her attention to this current batch, Ambassador Lynch highlighted the task ahead of the new volunteers as they head out to serve in eight of Guyana’s 10 regions.

“You are being posted

to eight of Guyana’s 10 regions, and 40 per cent of you will be serving in some of the neediest Indigenous communities… But let me remind you that you are committing to two years of service – service to your country, the United States, and service to the Guyanese citizens in your communities and beyond. As with those before you, we expect excellence; we expect professionalism; and we expect commitment during your two years of Peace Corps Service,” the Ambassador said to the volunteers.

This batch consists of 10 volunteers in the education sector, 10 in the environmental sector and nine in the.

Addressing the volunteers, Education Minister Nicolette Henry recognised the sacrifices they had to make to be able to work in communities in Guyana.

“I urge you to feel free to explore and enjoy what we have to offer, so that the exchange may be balanced in many respects as you interact with our teachers, students, parents, communities, and the nation by large. I trust the experience will contribute, in a large way, to your personal as well as your professional growth,” Henry posited.

The 10 volunteers assigned to the education sector will serve at 26 schools throughout the country, working to improve the literacy programme from Grades One to Four.

Meanwhile, the health sector will see volunteers working with young persons to improve their health and well-being outcomes by educating them on the harmful effects of alcohol and drugs.

Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony for the 32nd batch of Peace Corps Volunteers was attended by First Lady Sandra Granger; Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams; Junior Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Valerie GarridoLowe, officials from Peace Corps Guyana and partnering stakeholders.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Thursday, August 8 – 11:00h -12:30h and Friday, August 9 – 12:00h – 13:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, August 8 – 09:50h -11:20h and Friday, August 9 – 11:10h – 12:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers will prevail in the early morning hours, leading into light rain showers during the afternoon and evening. There will be clear skies during the night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly North-Easterly to East SouthEasterly between 1.34 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 10:22h and 22:47h reaching maximum heights of 2.29 metres and 2.31 metres.

Low Tide: 03:50h and 16: 16h reaching minimum heights of 0.83 metre and 0.97metre.

thursday, august 8, 2019 |

Govt announces close to $1B in contracts

The coalition Government has announced that it has given its approval for the awarding of close to $1 billion in contracts— ranging from road works to hydropower.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Ministry of the Presidency Director General Joseph Harmon read out a litany of contracts that were awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and approved.

The single biggest contract was worth US$2.251 million, for the supply and installation of a 150 kW hydropower plant at Chiung River, Kato, Region Eight. According to Harmon, this contract was awarded to B&J Civil Works. Other contracts dealt with road works, rehabilitation of schools, and the construction of bridges.

But this comes at a time when the Government is supposed to be in caretaker mode after losing a NoConfidence Motion (NCM). But Harmon explained the Government’s understanding of what it means to be a caretaker government. Some of the limitations on their power, according to Harmon, include restrictions on overseas travel by the President or ministers.

“In its interim mode, the Government shall exercise restraint by not engaging in any initiatives that are likely to be considered controversial, such as embarking on new policy initiatives, programmes or projects including the signing of new international agreements or embarking on new major infrastructural projects”.

“Secondly, to attend to matters considered urgent and in the public interest, such as matters of security, the maintenance of public infrastructure and systems for public health, housing and education and other routine functions.

We will continue to implement projects approved by Parliament and in respect of which, contracts have been signed and work commenced before the interim period”.

Republic. The lawmaker had urged his government to maintain neutrality when dealing with Guyana’s caretaker government.

The lawmaker in question was Trinidad Member of Parliament Rodney Charles, who represents Naparima. He was quoted in Trinidad’s Newsday publication berating the twin island’s Energy Minister, Franklin Khan, for being in attendance at the event.

According to Harmon, the Government will also ensure that new projects carried out will not be too difficult to carry out. At the same time, however, Harmon insisted that the Government still retains its full array of powers.

“Cabinet agreed that the Government retains its full powers that is Executive, statutory and common law. Ministers shall continue to exercise jurisdiction and responsibility for all agencies and departments that come under their portfolio”.

Further, he added that all public service rules remain in force and applicable and the (armed services) are expected to continue to perform and execute their statutory duties.

Caretaker rebuffed It was only last month that the presence of a Trinidadian Minister at the Guyana Government’s investment outreach in Trinidad and Tobago had drawn criticism from a lawmaker in the twin island

The event, which was picketed by pro-Opposition supporters— who held placards urging the coalition to comply with the Constitution— was held by Guyana’s government at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Port-of-Spain. But Charles pointed out to Minister Khan that a question mark hangs over Guyana’s government following the Caribbean Court of Justice rulings.

The parliamentarian was quoted reminding Khan that the CCJ ruled that the Guyana Government should operate as a caretaker government with the main purpose of calling elections as soon as possible.

“The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the highest Court in Guyana, recently ruled that the present government in Guyana led by President David Granger should operate as a caretaker government with the primary purpose of calling elections as soon as possible to determine the will of the Guyanese peoples. That is its only job,” Newsday quoted Charles as saying.

According to Charles in the news report, it was doubtful whether hosting the investment outreach could be classified as

a caretaker responsibility. Moreover, Charles in the news report, also referenced Trinidad Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s foreign policy of non-interference. He noted that Khan was out of order for attending the Guyana government-hosted event. Moreover, he questioned the repercussions if the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) won the next elections that must be held following the passage of the NCM.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has always maintained that the Government should be acting in a caretaker capacity only and not be entering into large scale contracts. Jagdeo’s position was vindicated by the CCJ on July 12, when it ruled that the Government should be in a caretaker status.

CCJ President Adrian Saunders had outlined that the Cabinet, including the President, should have already been resigned, thus, reaffirming that the APNU/ AFC coalition is, in fact, and should be in a caretaker mode leading up to elections.

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Hypocrisy from a disparity

In a recent panel discussion, the Attorney General reportedly threatened “dire consequences” if house-to-house (HTH) registration is not allowed to proceed. He also reportedly labelled former Member of Parliament Charrandas Persaud’s action in the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion (NCM) an “act of treachery”, which government supporters may not be happy about, since it could reduce Government’s five-year term.

During the said discourse, he also reportedly stated that it would be difficult to calm Government supporters within a short space of time. That was in the context of them feeling disenfranchised if they are not on the voters’ list through HTH registration, which he contends as the only means of obtaining a credible list.

Aside from him deliberately misinforming on the latter, given that the legislation has enshrined procedures to continually update the voters’ list, so as to avoid anyone being disenfranchised, it is not the first time since passage of the NCM that he has heightened fears over post-election violence. In May this year, he warned of “dire” and “catastrophic” consequences if the Caribbean Court of Justice were to uphold the NCM.

In both instances, the Attorney General may be accused of heightening inherent fears of violence that surround elections, given the fragility of that process and what occurred historically. Also, he may be accused of tacitly telling Government supporters to act in a particular manner if the NCM were to shorten Government’s term in office, and may be giving them an excuse to act similarly if the HTH process is discontinued.

The HTH matter is currently before the Chief Justice in the High Court. Like his previous warning to the CCJ, his most recent comments during the panel discussion could be seen as another attempt to try and influence the Chief Justice, who incidentally upheld the NCM.

From all his related utterances, the Attorney General is seemingly attempting to peddle fear if things are not in Government’s favour, while blowing the proverbial silent whistle to its supporters.

It is a dangerous ploy, as history would attest, and may be within the realms of possible incitement. More so, given the position he holds, he cannot be oblivious of relevant sections of the law that speak to incitement. If he is, then that in itself is cause for concern. If he is not, then the questions of either misinterpretation or disregard could possibly surface.

A few years ago, former President Bharrat Jagdeo was condemned by the APNU/AFC Government and sections of society which believed that he had publicly uttered racially divisive statements. Charges were filed by a private citizen. His lawyer described the charges and the process as “frivolous, vexatious’ and “colossal misuse and abuse” of the relevant section of the law.

Even a cursory perusal of what Mr. Jagdeo said would show clearly that he was condemning racial acts which he believed were perpetrated by supporters of the then Opposition, the APNU/AFC coalition. He distinctly pointed out that, had anyone in the PPP engaged in such despicable racial acts, which he described, that person would have been kicked out of the Party. How could that even have been considered as racially divisive statements?

Many saw that action against the former President as not just an abuse of the system, but also as a possible reminder of what can be meted out to those who oppose.

History is replete with instances of what was harshly meted out to many who had opposed the PNC, the dominant Party in the current APNU/AFC coalition Government.

Given the historical reality, one may be tempted to ask if that explains the noticeable silence from sections of civil society on the matter of the Attorney General allegedly heightening tension through his utterances. Aside from the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), there is little being said about this particular issue.

The disparity cannot be missed: a former President was charged for condemning racism, while a leading official is seemingly stoking fears and heightening tension unreservedly.

Importantly, it should be asked if the Attorney General was in either case speaking in his personal capacity or echoing the Government’s position. Up to this point, the Government has not refuted his utterances.

It should be noted that, not too long ago, the Minister of State publicly rejected the CCJ’s jurisdiction, claiming it cannot rule for Guyana, since the country has its own independent laws. Very swiftly, the PNC’s General Secretary, who is also the Government’s Chief Whip, refuted the Minister’s statement.

One is therefore left to assume that the Attorney General’s position may be that of the PNC and the Government. If that’s the case, then there is tremendous cause for worry, since the Government is expected to safeguard the wellbeing of the citizenry. By extension, the Government reportedly warning of “dire consequences” and being unable to calm its supports within a short space of time does not offer much reassurance for the impending and critical elections.

The country’s hard-fought democracy is seemingly under severe threat, especially since passage of the NCM. The voices of all are therefore needed to safeguard it. If deaf ears and blind eyes will be turned to the disparity noted, then hypocrisy will prevail. Maybe it already does on one side.

As Venezuela’s crisis deepens, the most vulnerable are joining the exodus

By Anthony FAiolA And RAchelle KRygieR

Mayerly Sánchez stood in the slow-moving food line at the refugee camp, 10 miles from the Venezuela frontier. Deaf and mute, the 31-year-old single mother rubbed her stomach and gestured toward her mouth.

“She wants to eat,” her nine-year-old son, Antonio, explained.

Sánchez and Antonio, and tens of thousands like them in Colombia, embody a new phase in the largest refugee crisis in Latin American history. Years into the mass exodus from crumbling Venezuela, a fresh swell of the country’s most vulnerable – impoverished women and children, the elderly, ill and disabled – are now pouring out, overwhelming the capacity of Colombia, by far the single largest host nation, to absorb them.

Six months after the Venezuelan Opposition began its US-backed effort to drive President Nicolás Maduro from office, conditions for the people have perhaps never been worse. They’re struggling under ever-deepening shortages of medicine, food, gas and water, and widespread power blackouts in a disintegrating socialist State plagued by one of the world’s highest homicide rates.

Venezuelans expect the new round of sanctions President Donald Trump announced this week to increase their suffering. The

executive order he signed Monday freezes all property and assets held by the Venezuelan Government and its officials, and prohibits transactions with entities including the central bank and the State-run oil company — putting the country on a footing similar to that of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

But long before the United States began imposing sanctions, hunger – and dwindling hope for change – spurred an outflow now stretching into its fourth year. Yet if migration in previous years was characterised by large numbers of relatively better-off professionals and able-bodied men, the latest arrivals, aid workers and officials say, are increasingly poorer and more vulnerable Venezuelans for whom migration is more difficult, but who now see little alternative.

From November to June, the most recent peri-

od for which data is available, petitions for legal status from women and the elderly in Venezuela, for instance, have outpaced those of Venezuelan men.

Shelters and charities working in Colombia are warning of sharp increases in the numbers of pregnant women, children, and elderly migrants, many of whom are entering the country via dangerous, illegal routes.

“Colombia is calling on the world for more solidarity,” said Carlos Holmes Trujillo, Colombia’s Foreign Minister. “We have done everything we can. We have taken humanitarian action. We have defined public policy for this. We have assigned national resources, and local ones. But the magnitude of this migration surpasses our capacity to handle it.”

With more than four million displaced, Venezuelans now make up the world’s second largest refugee crisis, after Syrians – but they

haven’t received nearly as much help from the international community. Spending on Syrians peaked at more than US$5000 per displaced person, the Organisation of American States reported in July. Venezuelans have received about US$300 per person. A US$738 million appeal by the United Nations and other organisations last year has netted less than a quarter of that goal.

Analysts say European nations – fearing waves of Syrians washing up on their shores – have given more generously to set up camps to keep them in the Middle East.

Some of those Governments consider the Venezuelan crisis, in contrast, a remote and politically driven by-product of the standoff between the Trump Administration and Maduro that is less likely to affect them.

Yet countries such as Colombia also have been reluctant to embrace large camps, viewing them as barriers to the long-term integration of Venezuelan migrants.

“Both Syrians and Venezuelans have been classified by us as ‘people in need of protection’, but countries have handled them differently,” said Yukiko Iriyama, Deputy Director of the UN refugee agency in Colombia.

“The thing is, in Syria, the whole crisis happened close to Europe,” she said. “The state capacity in this region is nothing like in Europe.” (Excerpt from Washington Post)

Tribute to Sushma Swaraj ji

Dear Editor, Reference is made to Page 4’s beautiful picture of Sushma Swaraj ji as published in Guyana Times on August 7, 2019. She is well known among Guyanese in the diaspora, if not in Guyana. There are several of us (in the diaspora and in Guyana) who have reasons to mourn the demise of this iconic figure. She closely interacted with a few of us since the 1990s, as we pressed for closer relations between India and the diaspora, and we lobbied for greater financial assistance for Guyana and the Indian diaspora.

Although Shrimati Sushma never visited Guyana or the Caribbean region, the people were close to her heart. She was very sympathetic to and supportive of Guyanese and Caribbean causes. She supported an increase in financial assistance – and scholarships, the Know India Programme, and she introduced the Senior KIP, which Ravi Dev and myself, championed at a meeting in August 2016 in Delhi— to Guyana and the greater Caribbean region. It was our connection with Indian politicians and lobbying decades ago that led to greater assistance to Guyana.

Sushma was very approachable. She was always willing to engage and interact. She rarely turned down a request and facilitated her guests. She had no ego and arrogance. She was willing to listen and to take advice. Her smile, intellect, composure, nationalism, demeanour, charisma, friendliness, encouragement and support for the diaspora would be missed. Guyanese politicians should be like her.

I have very fond mem-

ories of the charismatic Indian politician. I met her several times in India, New York, and New Jersey, including at her residence shortly after she became External (Foreign) Affairs Minister, where we had extensive discussions on Guyana and the Caribbean region. My first encounter with her was during her stint as Information Minister in the late 1990s and again in New York when she inaugurated Asia TV station in Edison into the new century. Several prominent Guyanese were invited to that event that was graced by Members of Congress and the US Administration. Many Guyanese subscribe to TV Asia that is broadcast internationally on cable. I interacted with her at several diaspora gatherings (PBDs) in India. Beside that encounter, I had lengthy conversations with Sushma on the Caribbean region and the diaspora in North America and Europe and even met her when she served as in the Delhi Assembly as Chief Minister and as Opposition Leader. She was a patron and financial supporter on conferences relating to Guyana and the greater Caribbean in India and the Caribbean. I helped to plan and organise several of these conferences including the last one held at Benaras Hindu University last January. And she supported requests for increased financial aid to Guyana and the region going back to the late 1990s when she was minister of government.

Sushma ji, as she was fondly called, had a very friendly, down-to-earth and warm personality. She was also very knowledgeable of world affairs, having served

as Foreign Minister for five years. Aside from the late PM Atal Beharri Vajpayee and Lal Kishan Advani, she showed the greatest interest among Indian politicians on Indians in the diaspora. She was very close to the aging Advani (approaching 90) on diaspora and other affairs and would interact with us in New York and at PBDs in Delhi. She often solicited ideas on the diaspora and issued messages related to their events.

Sushma was among the nominees for PM position of the BJP in 2014, but she stood down making way for Shri Narendra Modi, who led the party to victory and became External Affairs

Minister. She was very popular and won all of her contests to Parliament, except once when she lost to Sonia Gandhi in 2004 from the Bellary constituency in Karnataka.

In December 2010, she was the keynote speaker on a conference on Indian culture in the diaspora praising overseas Indians for their cultural retention and for promoting India’s soft power. The forum provided an opportunity for us Guyanese to have an exchange with the respected Minister. In 2013, she invited the esteemed Ravi Dev and myself for a special summit in Delhi on a conference on preservation of doc-

uments pertaining to Indian indentureship document and history. The Indian government was committed to digitising historical documents in Guyana so that diaspora countries would be on the same wavelength to facilitate research. But regrettably, government support was not forthcoming and the idea was shelved.

Guyanese politicians would have met her in 2018 in Delhi at the parley for MPs of Indian descent. She also interacted with former President Donald Ramotar in 2010 in Delhi and in Gandhinagar, and she had exchanges with Foreign Minister Carl Greendige on international issues and

on foreign aid for Guyana. They would attest to her friendliness. Sushma interacted with Guyanese and Caribbean people at the first International Yoga Summit in New York at the UN in 2010.

I am grief-stricken and will miss the firebrand leader of the ruling BJP. She had very good innings, although she has dismissed at 67. She served with honour and integrity; there was never any allegation of impropriety against her. Guyanese politicians should take a page from the book of Sushma.

Yours faithfully, Vishnu Bisram

(PhD)

Demanding Govt calls elections as mandated by Constitution

Dear Editor, I noticed an opinion piece penned by my former high school teacher, GHK Lall, in a section of the media on the current House-toHouse activity. I previously wrote to you when the exercise was commencing, stating that this exercise will eviscerate my right to vote in the upcoming General and Regional Elections.

Mr Lall is claiming that this exercise will take six weeks, I would urge him, as he has urged me many times, to examine all the facts. Recently, I saw a release of the GECOM work plan which showed that the exercise would take us into early next year. After collecting the data, the fingerprints must be sent to Jamaica for processing into the database, which I understand takes two weeks.

Any errors must then be sent back and the person then located to have errors corrected and then sent to Jamaica for a further two weeks.

“A list that is current, accurate, credible and reliable and representative of all eligible Guyanese voters before all Guyanese is the only way to go”. I have researched this, doing Houseto-House will not achieve this. My advice to Mr Lall is to urge those whom he is connected to to have a period of continuous registration – this is how I have registered. That way, all those who are fourteen and above will be added to the National Register of Registrants Database. Also, simultaneously have a period of Claims and Objections, so anyone with a dead grandmother on the list can

take in her death certificate and remove her. This way, people like me, who currently live abroad, but have intentions of returning home during the term of the next elected government, can have a say.

He is calling for political sensibility to prevail, I believe the Opposition has been nothing but generous on time, carrying on with a myriad of court rulings. The CCJ has been clear to respect the Constitution. I believe the Government is letting their hand of immaturity show, with their desperate cling to power. I call on my fellow young people to observe what is happening.

In 2015, we were promised this government of change and I have observed many of my classmates graduate UG and are still seeking employment.

Concluding, he asked what the hurry is, well, the way I see it, a motion of no-confidence was passed since December 21 last year. We are a few months shy of a year since the Constitution dictates ninety days. How many ninety days have since passed? Surely he can see it’s the Government that is “defecating upon the Constitution”.

I urge my fellow Guyanese, especially the youth, to see the farce at play, we don’t need a softer approach. We need to hold a hard-line and demand the Government to call elections as mandated by our Constitution— which was subsequently supported by the highest Court of the land.

Regards,

Nutana Singh

Page Foundation

Fears and phobias Pt II

A phobia is an intense fear reaction to a particular thing or a situation. With a phobia, the fear is out of proportion to the potential danger. But to the person with the phobia, the danger feels real because the fear is so very strong.

Phobias cause people to worry about, dread, feel upset by, and avoid the things or situations they fear because the physical sensations of fear can be so intense. So having a phobia can interfere with normal activities. A person with a phobia of dogs might feel afraid to walk to school in case he or she sees a dog on the way. Someone with an elevator phobia might avoid a field trip if it involves going on an elevator.

A girl with a phobia of thunderstorms might be afraid to go to school if the weather forecast predicts a storm. She might feel terrible distress and fear when the sky turns cloudy. A guy with social phobia experiences intense fear of public speaking or interacting, and may be afraid to answer questions in class, give a report, or speak to classmates in the lunchroom.

It can be exhausting and upsetting to feel the intense fear that goes with having a phobia. It can be disappointing to miss out on opportunities because fear is holding you back. And it can be confusing and embarrassing to feel afraid of things that others seem to have no problem with.

or even walking near flowers where there could be a bee can all trigger the phobia.

Sometimes, though, there may be no single event that causes a particular phobia. Some people may be more sensitive to fears because of personality traits they are born with, certain genes they’ve inherited, or situations they’ve experienced. People who have had strong childhood fears or anxiety may be more likely to have one or more phobias.

Having a phobia isn’t a sign of weakness or immaturity. It’s a response the brain has learnt in an attempt to protect the person. It’s as if the brain’s alert system triggers a false alarm, generating intense fear that is out of proportion to the situation. Because the fear signal is so intense, the person is convinced the danger is greater than it actually is.

Sometimes, people get teased about their fears. Even if the person doing the teasing doesn’t mean to be unkind and unfair, teasing only makes the situation worse.

What causes phobias?

Some phobias develop when someone has a scary experience with a particular thing or situation. A tiny brain structure called the amygdala (pronounced: uh-MIG-duh-luh) keeps track of experiences that trigger strong emotions. Once a certain thing or situation triggers a strong fear reaction, the amygdala warns the person by triggering a fear reaction every time he or she encounters (or even thinks about) that thing or situation.

Someone might develop a bee phobia after being stung during a particularly scary situation. For that person, looking at a photograph of a bee, seeing a bee from a distance,

Overcoming phobias

People can learn to overcome phobias by gradually facing their fears. This is not easy at first. It takes willingness and bravery. Sometimes people need the help of a therapist to guide them through the process.

Overcoming a phobia usually starts with making a long list of the person’s fears in least-to-worst order. For example, with a dog phobia, the list might start with the things the person is least afraid of, such as

looking at a photo of a dog. It will then work all the way up to worst fears, such as standing next to someone who’s petting a dog, petting a dog on a leash, and walking a dog.

Gradually, and with support, the person tries each fear situation on the list – one at a time, starting with the least fear. The person isn’t forced to do anything and works on each fear until he or she feels comfortable, taking as long as needed.

A therapist could also show someone with a dog phobia how to approach, pet, and walk a dog, and help the person to try it, too. The person may expect terrible things to happen when near a dog. Talking about this can help, too. When people find that what they fear doesn’t actually turn out to be true, it can be a great relief.

A therapist might also teach relaxation practices such as specific ways of breathing, muscle relaxation training, or soothing self-talk. These can help people feel comfortable

and bold enough to face the fears on their list. As somebody gets used to a feared object or situation, the brain adjusts how it responds and the phobia is overcome.

Often, the hardest part of overcoming a phobia is getting started. Once a person decides to go for it – and gets the right coaching and support – it can be surprising how quickly fear can melt away. (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

…make amazing architecture with candy and toothpicks

What do you need

A bag of gumdrops (If you can’t find gumdrops, try using bits of rolled-up clay, mini-marshmallows, or partly-cooked beans. Be creative!)

A box of round toothpicks

What do you do

Making squares & cubes

1.Start with four toothpicks and four gumdrops. Poke the toothpicks into the gumdrops to make a square with a gumdrop at each corner.

2.Poke another toothpick into the top of each gumdrop. Put a gumdrop on the top of each toothpick. Connect the gumdrops with toothpicks to make a cube. (A cube has a square on each side. It takes eight gumdrops and 12 toothpicks.)

3.Use more toothpicks and gumdrops to keep building squares onto the sides of the cube. When your structure is about six inches tall or wide, try wiggling it from side to side. Does it feel solid, or does it feel kind of shaky?

Making triangles & pyramids

1.Start with three gumdrops and three toothpicks. Poke the toothpicks into the gumdrops to make a triangle with a gumdrop at each point.

2.Poke another toothpick into the top of each gumdrop. Bend those three toothpicks in toward the centre. Poke all three toothpicks into one gumdrop to make a three-sided pyramid. (A third-sided pyramid has a triangle on each side. It takes four gumdrops and six toothpicks.)

3.Use more toothpicks and gumdrops to keep building triangles onto the sides of your pyramid. When your structure is about 6 inches tall or wide, try wiggling it from side to side. Does it feel solid, or does it feel kind of shaky?

Making 4-sided pyramids

You can make a very big structure out of squares and cubes, but it’ll be wiggly and will probably fall down. If you try to make a structure out of only triangles and pyramids, it won’t be wiggly, but you’ll probably run out of gumdrops and toothpicks before it gets very big. A four-sided pyramid has a square on the bottom and triangles on all four sides. When you make a structure that uses both triangles and squares, you can make big structures that are less wiggly.

1.Build a square, then poke a toothpick into the top of each corner.

2.Bend all four toothpicks into the centre and connect them with one gumdrop, to make a four-sided pyramid.

3.What other ways can you use squares and triangles together? How big a structure can you make before you run out of gumdrops? What’s going on

Even though your gumdrop structures are standing absolutely still, their parts are always pulling and pushing on each other. Structures remain standing because some parts are being pulled or stretched and other parts are being pushed or squashed. The parts that are being pulled are in tension. The parts that are being squashed are in compression.

Sometimes you can figure out whether something is in tension or compression by imagining yourself in that object’s place. If you’re a brick and someone piles more bricks on you, you’ll feel squashed and you’re in compression. If you’re a long steel cable attached to a couple of towers and someone hangs a bridge from you, you’ll feel stretched –you’re in tension. Some materials – like bricks – don’t squash easily; they are strong in compression. Others – like steel cables or rubber bands – don’t break when you stretch them; they are strong under tension. Still others – like steel bars or wooden toothpicks – are strong under both compression and tension. (exploratorium.edu)

President to meet GECOM

Chair, Commissioners today

...GECOM should be guided by the primary law of our country – Opposition Leader ..."President, Cabinet will not resign" – Harmon

Ministry of the Presidency Director General Joseph Harmon has ruled out the President and Cabinet resigning in accordance with what the Constitution of Guyana says and the calls

ing on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to advise him.

“In general terms, what the information is…the President has advised the Leader of the Opposition that he, nor his Cabinet,

there will be any resignations.

Pertaining to the question of the dissolving of Parliament, Harmon said this is a matter which rests with the President. He added that the present disso-

that have been made by the parliamentary Opposition.

Harmon revealed during a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday that President David Granger, instead of heeding calls to dissolve Parliament and set a date for elections, is wait-

will not be resigning, and that the Constitution provides for the President and Government to remain in office until the new Government and the new President is sworn in,” Harmon said, in answer to questions about whether

lution of Parliament has to, of course, do with advice which he receives from GECOM about their readiness to conduct elections.

“So a question of a date for elections and dissolution of Parliament is based primarily on the readiness of

GECOM. Once that is given to the President, he will make a decision with respect to a date and dissolving Parliament”.

The new GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, is expected to meet with Granger today along with all the GECOM Commissioners.

Response to Opposition Leader Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo recently wrote to President David Granger demanding his resignation. In the letter, Jagdeo reminded the President that since July 12, 2019, the CCJ delivered its consequential orders on the matters of Zulkficar Mustapha versus the AG and others, Christopher Ram versus the AG and others, Bharrat Jagdeo versus the AG and others and Charrandas Persaud versus Compton Reid and others Jagdeo had listed several conditions for the President to accede to, including that the President and his Cabinet immediately resign and that the President issue a proclamation dissolving Parliament.

He had also called for the President to fix a date for the next General and Regional Elections, not beyond September 18, 2019. The President, however, responded to the Opposition Leader on Wednesday, saying that he will not resign nor dissolve Parliament, since the Caribbean Court of Justice did not issue orders to that effect.

It was only recently that Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who is also a lawyer by profession, described Articles 106 (6) and (7) of the Guyana Constitution as “legal fiction” when he was called out by PPP Member of Parliament Juan Edghill for not complying with its provisions, that is, for the Government to resign and

"I am glad that the entire Commission is meeting with the President . As a holder of the constitutional office of Leader of the opposition I intend to request a meeting with the Commission . I expect the Chairperson and commissioners will want to hear our views too . As regards the President naming a date in mid December for elections (as reported by local news entity Demerara Waves) would mean that the President will be acting in flagrant disregard of the CCJ’s ruling and in violation of article 106 of our Constitution . If this is true it would seem that it is designed to influence the use of what we know would be flawed list emerging from a rushed , unscrutinized house to house registration that will deregister tens of thousands of Guyanese voters . This will result in chaos in Guyana. Gecom should be guided not by the unilateral action or unconstitutional desire of the President but by the primary law of our country ," Opposition Leader , Bharrat Jagdeo

have elections within three months.

“We’re not going to resign! We are not going to resign because we are still… there’s absolutely nothing in the Constitution that indicates a formal resignation. That was gone through by the CCJ and it was even gone through by the High Court”.

Article 106 (6) of the Constitution states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence”.

Meanwhile, Article 106 (7) states: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election”.

A No-Confidence

Motion (NCM) was passed against the Government on December 21 of last year. However, elections were not held and there was no resignation. Instead, Government went to court unsuccessfully arguing that the NCM was not validly passed. The case reached the CCJ, where the regional court ruled against the Government, but stopped short of issuing an order fixing an election date. Instead, CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders had said that when the NCM was passed on December 21, 2018, Article 106 of the Constitution had immediately been activated.

At present, GECOM is before the courts after a challenge from accountant Christopher Ram, who is seeking an injunction on the House-to-House Registration exercise. The Court is slated to rule on this matter on August 14, with a meeting between new GECOM Chair Retired Justice Claudette Singh and her commissioners reportedly scheduled for the next day.

thursday, august 8, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Pakistani slapped with fraud charge

APakistani was slapped with a fraud charge on Wednesday and taken to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Thirty-seven-yearold Imran Khan of Lot ‘C’ Church Street, Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD), appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The charge alleged

that between March 5 and March 8, 2019 at Georgetown, with intent to commit fraud, he conspired with others to forge his Pakistani passport stamp in favour of himself, to show that it was issued by the Central Immigration and Passport Office.

According to the Prosecutor’s case, Khan entered Guyana via Suriname, but failed to present himself

Bar fight lands man before court

A23-year-old man was taken before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday, charged for inflicting grievous bodily harm during a fight at a bar.

Quincy St Jules stood before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and denied the charge when it was read to him.

The charge alleged that on July 20 at Alexander Street, Kitty, Georgetown, he inflicted grievous bodily harm on Haffi Skane.

The prosecution’s case, presented by Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, stated that on July 20, the two men

were imbibing at Seepaul’s Bar, Kitty, when they got into a heated argument and a fight broke out. According to the Prosecutor, St Jules started to kick the Virtual Complainant on his right leg, which was seen bandaged in the courtroom.

The Magistrate, after listening to the Prosecutor’s facts, released St Jules on $170,000 bail. The case will continue on August 14. As a condition for bail, St Jules was ordered to report at the Criminal Investigation Department, Eve Leary, every Friday until the conclusion of the matter.

to an immigration officer. The prosecution is contending that Khan then conspired with others to forge a stamp in his passport to show that he presented himself to immigration.

Police ranks acting on information contacted the defendant and asked him

to present his documents, but during the confrontation, ranks realised the immigration stamp was forged. The defendant was subsequently arrested. On Wednesday, he was released on $200,000 bail and the case will continue on August 14.

Fisherman remanded for rape of Venezuelan woman

Fisherman Jamol Bunbury was on Wednesday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on a charge detailing that, on August 3, 2019, he allegedly entered the home of a 26-year-old Venezuelan woman and raped her.

The 21-year-old defendant, a resident of the North West District in Region One (Barima-Waini), was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that he engaged in sexual penetration of a woman without her consent.

In the matter, heard in-camera, it was stated that the victim was allegedly at a party with her cousin, and

Bunbury was also allegedly at the same party. Reports are that, after the party, the woman and her cousin went home and proceeded to go to bed.

Shortly after, the woman was awoken by someone holding her hands and shining a light in her face. Bunbury then allegedly forced himself on the woman, but the matter was reported and an investigation was carried out, thus Bunbury was charged.

After hearing the prosecution’s case, the Chief Magistrate remanded Bunbury to prison, and set the case for continuation before the Mabaruma Magistrate on August 20.

Instigating…

…mayhem

Basil Williams -- the AG and PNC stalwart who was conferred with silk by David Granger! -- has once again confirmed that the PNC doesn’t give a damn what anyone thinks of its thuggish reputation. Speaking to an audience that included top western diplomats, in a panel discussion at the Marriott, organised by AMCHAM to discuss the implications of the CCJ’s consequential orders for business in Guyana, Williams warned, “They (the PPP) are willing to go to the election with an “anyhow” list. They are ready for their properties and all these things to be subjected to those same post-election type of violence that we had in the past. I don’t want to say, ‘Well, y’all go, go to the election’, because the consequences would be dire”.

Now, this isn’t even a “thinly-veiled” threat!! What Williams is doing is announcing that if the PNC don’t get their way with H2H registration, all hell will break loose in Georgetown – “those same post-election type of violence that we had in the past.”

Now, who was it that unleashed post-election violence in the past? Between 1968 and 1992, with the PNC flagrantly rigging elections, the violence was inflicted by using the army to quell protests. Remember those two killed on the Corentyne in 1973?

In 1992, the PNC invaded the elections HQ, and that action was called off by Hoyte only when the President of the US was called!!

After the 1997 elections, the PNC protested in the streets of Georgetown, and hundreds of Indian Guyanese were beaten by their roving bands of thugs, while businesses were torched and robbed.

The 2001 elections led to even greater levels of PNC violence, as Desmond Hoyte unfurled his strategy of “slow fyaah and mo’ fyaah”, which culminated in endemic violence by the Buxton-based “Mash 5 escapees”.

While the 2006 elections might not have been accompanied with violence, that was more than made up for by the Buxton-based gang looting and shooting with abandon.

Williams’s language in his outburst at the Marriott is revealing on the reason why Indian Guyanese were beaten and businesses torched. In the first sentence, “they” refers to the PPP, who demand elections, but in sentence that follows, the “they” becomes those whose properties will be burnt and who will suffer violence.

Indian Guyanese are equated with the PPP, and must be dealt with condignly whenever the PNC don’t get their way.

The PNC in effect tied with the PPP in 2011, and then won in 2015, so there was no violence, was there? And that’s because the PPP just doesn’t have the strategic control of Georgetown through easily accumulated mobs. And for the upcoming planned rigging? The PNC’s shock troops are waiting. All they need is the excuse!

…Guyana’s “bloody history”

The Chronic is really foaming at the mouth under the ministrations of Moses Nagamootoo as he fights desperately to remain in the PM sweepstakes. The paper wrote that Basil Williams “ties Guyana’s bloody history to PPP…with three massacres and their alleged operation of several state-sponsored death squads”!! This is very rich, isn’t it? The PNC couldn’t get back into office after 1997, so they launched a frontal attack on the state with their proxies holed up in Buxton, and they now blame the PPP for the massacres the Buxton gangs committed?!

But according to declassified files of the US Embassy, there’s “A taped conversation between GPF Commissioner Winston Felix and opposition party PNC/R executive committee member Basil Williams (which) was anonymously and widely distributed.” In that tape, the clearly compromised Felix and Williams reveal their insider knowledge about one of the massacres – the one at Agricola.

Why doesn’t Williams advise the PNC and Granger to accept Jagdeo’s challenge to have a CoI into the massacres and the entire “troubles”??

…disappearances

Winston Felix continues to deny there’s some hankypanky going on with all those Haitians coming into Guyana but no record of them leaving. He seems to think that confirming over 8000 arrived but that 1100 rather than 13 left gets him off the hook!!

ONLY 6900 missing, is that okay??

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

Dismissal of PSM staff by Minister unlawful – BoI report reveals

…staff reinstated, no disciplinary action against Minister

The Board of Inquiry

(BoI) into the dismissal of Public Service Ministry (PSM) staff has been completed, with the inquiry finding that the letters of dismissal to the public servants were unlawful and recommending their reinstatement.

This was revealed by Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, during a press conference earlier today. According to Harmon, the inquiry made these findings and completed its report, which was then forwarded to President David Granger.

Harmon noted that the reinstatement of the three staff from the personnel and accounts department: Andrew Grant, Gail Williams and Andrea Dazzel retroactively takes effect from July 25, 2019 - the date they were originally dismissed.

“The President agreed with the recommendations… the Board found that the letters to the three public servants were unlawful and having regard to its determinations and findings, recommended that the letters be im -

mediately withdrawn”.

“The public servants will be reinstated immediately and be restored to their respective positions within the Department of Public Service and will continue to enjoy all benefits they previously enjoyed prior to their termination,” Harmon added.

According to Harmon, the report also recommended that Public Service Minister Tabitha Sarabo-Halley be advised of the need for due process and of policies relating to disciplining staff.

“I believe that the three public servants have been called and of course they will have to be debriefed. The issue of course was the actions that were taken ought to have been taken by a permanent secretary in the Ministry”.

“The Ministry was without a permanent secretary for some time. A permanent secretary was appointed on August 1 of this year and the new Permanent Secretary is now following up on these actions to ensure a speedy implementation of these decisions of the CoI,” Harmon said.

This publication was

unable to access the report. However, the former Minister of State made no mention of disciplinary measures against the Public Service Minister.

Sarabo-Halley was sworn in as a minister on April 26, 2019. By June 3, it was reported that she had sent the aforementioned staff packing. After initially denying that the dismissals ever happened, the Government subsequently confirmed that the workers were sent home and an investigation was launched.

Several staff members were said to have also received similar letters. Employees who have been removed were called PPP “moles” by political ac -

tivist David Hinds, who is said to have a close relation with the subject Minister.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, at one of his press conferences, had alluded to the fact that those workers were initially targeted and arbitrarily dismissed by Minister Sarabo-Halley after he blew the whistle on transactions at the Ministry of the Presidency which he claimed saw the children of a Government Minister receiving payments amount -

ing to over $20 million in the last two years.

The Opposition had at the time been revealing information about alleged corrupt practices within the Government.

One of those revelations is that the children of a senior Minister allegedly received over US$86,000 in 2018, monies that were transferred from the Department of Public Service, followed by another transfer this year.

Jagdeo had noted that the staff at the PSM were

sent packing shortly after his first disclosure because the Government believed that those workers had leaked information to the Opposition about corrupt actions by the administration.

The dismissals touched of a barrage of criticism, resulting in the Government appointing Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) Chairman and former People’s National Congress (PNC) Executive Lance Carberry to carry out the inquiry.

Overseas-based Guyanese robbed

Four persons holidaying in Guyana were on Tuesday evening robbed at gunpoint at the Corentyne, Berbice home they were staying.

Reports are Babita Hera, Rayon Monya, Raywattie and Budnarine Tekaram were at their Fryrish home at about 21:30h, when they were attacked by two masked men.

The men gained access by jumping a fence before invading the home.

At the time, the four were imbibing in the bottom flat of the two-story house.

The bandits held them at gunpoint and robbed them of a quantity of cash, cell phones and jewellery.

Two cell phones and eight gold rings were

among the items taken. The men made good their escape. The Police were contacted and acting on information, one man was arrested and is assisting with the investigation.

thursday, august 8, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Farmer kills rancher with bow and arrow

Arancher from Karaudanawa Village, South Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) was on Monday night killed by a farmer, after he was allegedly spotted in the company of the suspect’s wife. Dead is 32-yearold Pius Ernest, also of Karaudanawa Village. Reports are the incident occurred at about 22:00h when the 50-year-old farmer saw his spouse in the company of Ernest, and

without inquiry, he allegedly armed himself with a bow and arrow and shot the rancher. According to Police, one of the arrows hit the upper section of the Earnest’s body, resulting in his death. In February, a farmer of Barima, North

West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), was also killed with a bow and arrow. The deceased, Orlando

Joseph, was involved in an argument with another male resident when the situation escalated. The sus-

pect armed himself with a bow and arrow and shot the farmer in the upper region of his body.

Food safety addressed to eliminate contaminated, substandard edibles

…Risk-Based Food Inspection Manual to be implemented

In order to produce food that is safe, nutritive, and of high quality, stakeholders involved in food safety regulations were on Wednesday featured in a workshop targeting how desired standards and guidelines can be achieved.

The workshop, held at the Grand Coastal Hotel, was in partnership with the Public Health Ministry, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and other regulatory branches that address food safety.

According to Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Shamdeo Persaud, one item on the agenda included the Risk-Based Food Inspection Manual, which will be altered specifically for Guyana. This is in light of the recent passage of the Food Safety bill, which warrants the establishment of a Food Safety Authority.

“This manual that they recommend to countries is to adopt for local use. Our recent developments under food safety, especially the imminent launch of the new Food Safety Authority, we thought we could bring all the stakeholders together who are involved in food safety procedures, regulations and so on. We will go through the manual. We have already done some work on it. During this workshop, we will have a final look at it and get a Guyana version of the manual that would then be used by the respective agencies in the implementation of risk-based inspection of food,” Persaud explained.

He insisted that the main objective is to produce food items of an undeniably reputable standard for both local and international

markets. It has been shown that dishes prepared in the household are safe and uncontaminated by bacteria or other impurities.

“The objective here is to make foods available for both our local population and food products for export that are high-quality, wholesome, and safe. I can say on a greater part, most of the household foods are safe. The Ministry of Health, through the Food and Health Department and Environmental Health Unit, has been actively advising households about how to purchase, prepare, store and use food safely,” the CMO related.

Generally, it is recommended that food be consumed within two hours of preparation and if stored, the temperature must be of a specific degree. Good personal hygiene is also mandatory during handling and it must be done in an environment that is free of pests and has adequate storage facilities.

Presently, restaurants and roadside vendors are

yet to meet some of the standards established. Nevertheless, the first objective is to have all food handlers issued with the relevant certificate to operate.

Persaud stated, “At the level of the commercial food providers, most of them like restaurants, cook shops [and] even the roadside vending, there are some bit of regulation. The Food and Drug Department and the Environmental Health Unit, and the regional and municipal inspectors would go around and ensure that food handlers are first of all, certified. We’re not quite there yet with everyone. There is still some work to do”. All food handlers are required to ensure that their hair is secured, jewellery are removed, and they are dressed appropriately as part of personal hygiene requirements. Water used during preparation must also be free of any toxins, since some bacterium can survive intense heat and cold.

The CMO specifically mentioned improper storage of meats, which is common in marketplaces and other trading stations. In most cases, animals are slaughtered and hung for many hours instead of being stored on ice. Consumers also opt to buy fish that is stored at room temperature since some amount of ‘freshness’ is guaranteed. Contrary to this, Persaud insisted that seafood stored in a colder temperature is safer to use.

Over the past months, the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GAFDD) has visited a few restaurants, where appalling sanitary conditions were unearthed. While some establishments were forced to close, others were given a deadline to mend the issues highlighted.

GRDB unable to bring paddy bug infestation under control – farmers

Despite assurances from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) that the current paddy bug infestation is being adequately addressed on the ground, this is a different reality for farmers.

Some rice farmers who reached out to this publication are calling for aerial spraying to be allowed, claiming that if not, losses will be worse than last crop.

The GRBD recently announced that it’s expanding its paddy bug campaigns with intent to completely eradicate the issue.

Last crop, in the 52-72 area and Crabwood Creek, 17 farmers were forced to dump their paddy, after mills refused them because of the damage as a result of the paddy bug infestation.

According to the GRDB, it has now adopted the strategy of using trained and experienced personnel to conduct spraying.

The new approach will see the GRDB not only spraying the fields, but also

the perimeter to avoid the bugs getting to the actual rice crop, GRDB’s Allison Peters had stated.

However, Extension Officer Ramglan Singh is of the view that the GRDB is making a mockery of the issue.

He explained that the GRDB has only contracted two motor blowers to the entire Region Six. The project commenced in the Number 52-74 rice cultivation area only.

“It has approximately 300 miles access dams, irrigation dams and drainage dams and two motor blowers will take them several months to complete just 5274,” the Extension Officer revealed.

However, that does not include the Black Bush Polder, Crabwood Creek, Lower Corentyne, both East and West Canje and East Bank Berbice, where rice is also being cultivated.

In two weeks of work, the GRDB motor blowers have treated about ten miles of the more than 300 miles of dams in the 52-74 area.

Both the 52-74 and Crabwood Creek Water Users Associations are willing to step in, Singh said.

“Unfortunately, one of the extension officers informed me that a chemical supplied by the GRDB is finished and with only two motor blowers being supplied to the entire region… several months to complete that kind of exercise. We are waiting on the GRDB to coordinate this activity from the level of the Water Users Association and the Farmers’ Organisation so that it can be expedited …

this most important activity to eradicate the paddy bugs”.

However, farmers are calling on Government to

allow aerial spraying, noting that the paddy bugs are in the savannah and field, and dam spraying will not eradicate the insects.

“We are urging the Head of the Extension Services of the GRDB to take a more serious step and to collaborate with the local authorities in order to move the exercise faster because in one week from now some of the rice will start flowering. In fact, some has already begun to flower but there are reports of massive paddy bug infestation in fields,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, one farmer, Dhaniram Persaud, who cultivates 308 acres of rice at Crabwood Creek, told Guyana Times that 210 acres of rice are about to bare. Currently he is applying insecticides for the bugs. According to Persaud, it cost him about $75,000 in labour and a further $75,000 in chemicals for each application, which cost him about $200,000 in total. He has to apply the chemicals once every 3 days and estimates that an additional $2M will be spent in trying to eradicate the pest. According to Persaud, even with that, he might still not get the quality of rice expected because of the attack by bugs.

The GRDB has been engaging in several seminars to better educate both farmers and rice mill employees in the areas of rice grading, checking for dockage, and moisture. She noted that they have already conducted three workshops in Region 5 and 6, and would soon move to Region 3 to continue in that direction.

MARAD puts mariners on guard for GPL’s cable laying project

…GPL says no such works scheduled for today

The Maritime Administration Department

(MARAD) in a notice dated August 5, 2019, informed that the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Incorporated commenced a cable-laying exercise on Wednesday across the Demerara River, but the power company has denied. In a public notice published in Guyana Times on

Wednesday, the Maritime Department said it “hereby notifies all vessels calling Port Georgetown and those within the port that the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) will undertake submarine cable burial activities across the Demerara River”.

Several main thoroughfares to be closed for road works

The Public Infrastructure Ministry has announced a series of closures along Rupert Craig Highway, Mandela Avenue, and Sheriff Street, Georgetown, which will affect pedestrian and vehicular activity in the coming weeks.

Closure began at Third Avenue, Subryanville, and will continue until August 21. This is to facilitate drainage and road works under the Sheriff StreetMandela Avenue Road Enhancement Project. As such, north-bound motorists on Sheriff Street in -

tending to enter Third Avenue are asked to use Fourth Avenue and then Church Road, while those traversing south-bound along the same roadway are asked to use Second Avenue and then onto Church Road.

The project is valued at US$31.03M, and the contract, spearheaded by Sinohydro Corporation Limited, was awarded since November 2017.

Meanwhile, Meadow Brook Drive, at the intersection of Mandela Avenue, will be closed on August 10 and 11 from 07:30h to 19:00h daily.

This is to facilitate the relocation of pipelines belonging to the Guyana Water and Light (GWI). North and south-bound motorists are advised to use Princess Street and Jamon Drive, exiting Meadow Brook Drive through Takuba Road.

Additionally, a section of the Rupert Craig Highway and Ogle Access Road will be closed for electrical works. Traffic proceeding west-bound will be directed to the southern lane while there will be partial closure of the Courida Park access road.

The notice further informed, “this operation which will be conducted from their Kingston, Georgetown facility, would commence on August 7, 2019 for a period of 12 days and will incorporate the use of the M/T Mindy Lynn, M/T Red Dawn, D/B Gaico Marine and D/B Gaico Marine 2”.

As such, the Department warned mariners to pay heed to the navigational signals while moving along this route. It also asked that mariners contact the VHF Ch 16 or via Georgetown Lighthouse if required.

Although this is the case, the Public Relations Officer of the power company, Shevion Sears, told this newspaper that the works are scheduled to happen, but

GPL is not certain when this will take place.

“It is scheduled to happen, but the date that they published, which is today (Wednesday), is inaccurate. They are still discussing (when works will begin) so we don’t know as yet,” she explained.

When asked if works will be done on the same Kingston to Vreed-en-Hoop cable, she responded in the affirmative. “It’s the same line,” Sears added.

On June 15, GPL informed that remedial works to rectify the damaged submarine cable across the Demerara River linking the Vreed-en-Hoop and Kingston power plants were completed.

The cable 69kV subma-

rine cable laid on the river bed along the channel of the Demerara River, and connecting its Vreed-enHoop and Kingston Power Stations, was the first cable to be damaged.

GPL had warned that residents along the West Bank and West Coast of Demerara may not be relieved of power failures just yet.

Last month, a credible source at GPL related that it is awaiting a “part” to rectify that submarine cable. The 13.8kV submarine cable, which rests along the upper Demerara River within proximity of Craig, East Bank Demerara, was dislodged by a barge sailing along the Demerara River on June 6, 2019.

Driver in Police custody after New Hope fatal accident

The driver of motor pickup GRR 1909, which was involved in the two-vehicle smashup at New Hope, East Bank Demerara (EBD) last Friday, was taken into Police custody shortly after he was discharged from the St Joseph Mercy Hospital.

This was confirmed by a Police source close to the ongoing investigation. This newspaper was told that statements are still being taken on the matter.

Meanwhile, a PostMortem Examination (PME) conducted on the body of 59-year-old Oswald

Roberts, also known as “04”, on Monday had given his cause of death as multiple injuries.

Roberts, of Lot 489

Kuru Kururu, SoesdykeLinden Highway, was the driver of the Route 42 minibus.

According to reports, the Nissan Titan pickup bearing registration GRR 1909 was proceeding south along the eastern carriageway of the East Bank Highway at a fast rate, when the driver lost control and started to swerve dangerously along the road. As a result, the vehicle ended up in the lane of

the minibus, BWW 2940, which was proceeding in the opposite direction (heading to Georgetown), causing a head-on collision.

A total of 11 passengers were injured following the crash, and were all transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for further treatment— having been taken to the Diamond Hospital where Roberts was pronounced dead on arrival. The 45-year-old motor pickup driver, who is a resident of North East Lusignan, East Coast of Demerara (ECD), and his front seat passenger identified as Ashley Persaud, were also among those rushed to the hospital.

Data collection hindering launch of Sexual Offences, Child Abuse Registries

The old method of data collection is currently hindering the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Registries from becoming accessible to locals.

This was related to Guyana Times by Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) Director Ann Greene in a recent interview.

“We are still working on the Child Abuse Registry. We got to go back five years to get information to put on it. Every person that we put up there, we got to check to see the outcome of every case and I can tell you that it’s not an easy task, but we are coming with it. We are still working on it,” she explained.

Further, the Director pointed out, “Guyana with us and data collection ain’t

2

ain’t…we are not the best people in doing that, but we are changing the whole system now, so we have to actually get some foot soldiers to check things out”. Greene was keen to note that although the Registries are very much anticipated, it cannot be made public just yet, as the Child Care Agency is obligated to ensure it publicises accurate information.

When asked about where the department is sourcing records, the Director informed that most of the data is being pulled from the local courts. In fact, she pointed out that CCPA has acquired the services of a law student who is assisting in analysing to help “sort out” this aspect.

According to her, it is

one of the things happening “in terms of… we now have an electronic data collection system so everything now that is done is done in the system, but to put up information we got to go back about five years and is going back that five years to get that information is what … because we didn’t have an electronic

system before”.

Nevertheless, the Director assured that as child abuse and sexual offences occur, they are presently being entered into the database.

Although several deadlines have already passed for the Registries, Greene said they “might be ready for next year”.

nabbed with loot from Anna Regina phone stall

Police in G Division (Essequibo Coast and Islands) have arrested two suspects who were found with a quantity of cell phones stolen from a stall in the Anna Regina Market last month.

Guyana Times understands that acting on information received, Police ranks went to the homes of the two suspects on Wednesday and carried out searches during which the items, including phone accessories and a R1 Drone, were found.

The ranks conducted a search at the Lot 59 Bush Lot, Essequibo Coast home of one of the suspects, aged 26, and found six cellphones, four cellphone chargers, one cellphone battery, one pair of earphones and the drone. Meanwhile, at the Lot 196 Richmond Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast home of the other suspect, a 21-year-old, the Police found one Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone.

Cellphone dealer Anthony Singh was contacted by the Police and identified the items found as the ones stolen from his stall at the Anna Regina Old Market.

Singh’s business, Xtreme Tech Phone Centre, was broken into some time between July 12, 2019 and July 13, 2019.

The phone dealer had previously told this newspaper that he usually stocked up on cellphones on Fridays, because that day is the Market Day in Anna Regina. The man recalled that at the close of market on Friday, he secured his stall with everything intact, but upon his return the following morning, he discovered it was burglarised.

The perpetrators had broken the concrete wall on the northern side of the stall to form a whole in order to access interior of the stall, from which they took several high-end cell -

phones as well as some of the cheaper ones.

The two suspects are in Police custody, assisting with the investigation.

The Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Registries were launched back in September 2018.

The Child Abuse Registry will be helpful in providing information in relation to a person’s biography. Greene pointed out in a previous interview that the perpetrators of sexual abuse would be publicised and exposed to the public, who would be able to access the requisite information on the Internet.

“It is really to put online the persons who would have committed offences

against children. If anybody wants to employ anybody, you could run the Child Abuse Registry,” she explained.

Once completed, the database will include information such as the type of abuse, the person’s age, name, address and other relevant information.

The perpetrators’ pictures, will also likely be available through the Registry, since the department is cognisant of the fact that some people have identical names.

THURsday, aUgUsT 8, 2019| gUyanaTimesgy.com

Truck driver found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving

ruck driv-

Ter, Mohandass Meenkum, also called “Marvin”, was on Wednesday found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

The thirty-six-year-old of Betsy Ground, Berbice, was found guilty by Magistrate Renita Singh for the September 21, 2018 death of Rajendranauth Harold Singh.

Meenkum was remand-

ed to prison until August 28, pending sentencing.

Police Prosecutor Inspector Althea Solomon led the State case.

Harold Singh, 52, also called “Jerry” of Lot 28 Reliance Abandon, East Canje, was riding a motorbike bearing registration plate number CF 1615— which is owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Meenkum, reversing mo-

tor canter GWW 1831, had just come out of his Betsy Ground, East Canje yard when the accident occurred.

An autopsy performed on the body gave the cause of death as multiple injuries, including a fractured base bone of the chest, three fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.

It had been reported that Harold Singh was on his way home from work, and was proceeding in a

northerly direction, while the canter— being driven by Meenkum— was reversing west out of a yard towards the public road. The motorcycle collided with the right-side rear of the canter, and the impact sent the cyclist flying. He landed on the western parapet a few feet away from the bike and sustained injuries about his body. There was no damage to neither the canter nor the bike.

NGO launches sexual abuse prevention programme in Regions 2, 7

In continuing its work of educating and bringing awareness to child abuse, especially sexual abuse, the non-governmental organisation (NGO), Blossom Incorporated, has commenced a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Programme (CSAPP) in Regions Two (PomeroonSupenaam) and Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). This programme is aimed at educating residents on how to effectively prevent and respond to sexual abuse cases.

The project is specifically targeting Indigenous communities within these two

regions, especially since this issue is prevalent and many cases fall below the radar.

Some of these communities include Bethany, Mashabo, Capoey and Wakapao in Region 2 and Karrau in Region 7.

With support from UNICEF Guyana, this programme is also expected to improve access to child protection services for residents in these remote locations. Through community assessment, it was found that the lack of knowledge in areas of knowing what constitutes child sexual abuse, the existence of the Sexual Offences

and Protection of Children Acts, and correct reporting practices are significant barriers to prevention in these communities.

Meanwhile, other major influencing factors include teenage pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, unemploy-

ment and school dropouts.

Only recently, a report on practices of adolescents had revealed that Region Seven was among the regions with a high rate of teenage pregnancies.

Following this revelation, the Government

of Guyana, through the Health Ministry, has since announced plans to address the issue. But even so, Blossom Incorporated is taking the first step of approaching and addressing the issue in a more strategic, evidence-based way.

Some of the activities that will be undertaken include: conducting outreach sessions to raise awareness on the Sexual Offences Act, the Protection of Children Act, and educating community leaders, residents and other stakeholders on child sexual abuse and correct reporting practices.

To keep this project ongoing until February 2020, the charity organisation will collaborate with the Social Protection, Education and Public Health Ministries and the Guyana Police Force to address specific needs in the communities. The organisation also engages and supports key individuals in the communities to establish a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Group to monitor this issue and ensure that all actual and suspected cases of child sexual abuse are reported to the relevant agencies.

Burnt 7-year-old to undergo surgery overseas

Seven-year-old Shanya Persaud is presently battling for her life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital with third-degree burns on 97.8 per cent of her body.

The child’s face was completely burnt along with most of her body, but surprisingly, the child is conscious and responds to doctors and relatives through the use of her fingers.

Her parents are aiming to fly Shanya to the United

States for surgery, following a surgery she underwent on Monday.

The surgery will cost about US$40,000 in addition to the cost of tickets for the child and her mother.

The family, with the aid of the Georgetown Public Hospital, will soon be reaching out to the public for monetary assistance to save Shanya’s life.

The child, who is being described as brave, walked out of her burning North Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara

(ECD) home on Sunday last.

The three children –Shanya and her brothers, aged nine and 13 – were left at home alone while their mother went to a wedding nearby. Reports are there was a power outage and a candle was lit by the children’s mother and left burning.

Around 01:00h on Sunday, the children were awakened by intense heat.

The two boys reportedly saw flames and quickly ran out of the house, leaving Shanya

who was still asleep.

Shanya reportedly told relatives that she woke up to find her feet on fire. The child told her family members that she was unable to see, but walked through the fire and out of the house into the street.

After hearing her name being called out, the child reportedly responded however by that time, her skin had been burnt off.

The child was quickly picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

She remained conscious for the entire ride talking to family members. Her mother reportedly showed up to the scene of the fire in an intoxicated state. This has allegedly led to a family dispute, with several condemnatory relatives reportedly being banned by the mother from visiting the child at the hospital. Nevertheless, the relatives reached out to Guyana Times on Wednesday asking for assistance to save Shanya’s life.

Unattended mosquito coil causes fire

…Berbice pensioner’s home gutted

Apensioner is now homeless after her Rose Hall Town, Berbice home was flattened by fire on Wednesday evening.

Datrin Desika lived alone in the two-bedroom wooden house situated on Middle Street, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne.

When this newspaper visited the scene, Desika said that she lit a mosquito coil and shortly after she left home to visit a neighbour’s house to get some water. The woman related

that as she was returning home, she saw the house on fire.

Initial reports indicate that the fire was threatening a second building, which is situated next to a lemonade factory.

Quick response from members of the Rose Hall Fire Service prevented the fire from spreading. The shaken pensioner is being supported by neighbours.

Over the past week, there were three other fires in Berbice which left a total of six persons homeless.

Taxi driver killed over fare

…suspect claims self-defence

Forty-two-year-old Owen Lynch, the Princes Street, Georgetown taxi driver who was stabbed to death in Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Tuesday night by a passenger he had picked up at Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was reportedly killed over the taxi fare.

Lynch’s body was discovered lying motionless around 21:45h with multiple stab wounds. Enquiries revealed that Lynch, a taxi driver attached to Swift Cabs Taxi Service, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, was dispatched to Sophia to make a pick-up.

The man reportedly ventured to the location where he picked up a pas-

senger who requested to be taken to Cemetery Road, Mocha Arcadia. However, when the cab arrived at Mocha, the passenger refused to pay Lynch the requested sum.

The driver reportedly called the taxi service to report the matter to the dispatcher, who instruct-

ed him to leave. That was the last time anyone heard from Lynch. His body was discovered with an ice pick nearby, the Police said in a press statement.

When Guyana Times visited the now dead man’s mother, Coreen Hilliman at her Stevedore Housing Scheme, Georgetown home, the woman burst into tears and said that Lynch was her only son.

“It was very hard for me to lose my only son, my only son… it is very difficult; my son, everybody know he, he would fret from time to time, but when it comes to certain things, he would be there; he don’t make joke with his money, he always does say that his money is for his children,” Hilliman cried.

The woman reportedly received the news of her son’s demise from his girlfriend.

She explained that her son’s girlfriend placed several calls to Lynch’s phone on Tuesday night, all of which went unanswered. When she finally received an answer, it was from the Police instructing her to visit the Providence Police Station.

After the girlfriend and Hilliman went to the Police Station, they were taken to the murder scene where they saw Lynch’s body.

The grieving mother disclosed that the only information she received regarding what transpired came from the dispatcher.

“The base woman told me that she told him if they don’t want to pay, then turn back and put them off…that is all, so I can’t say what happened

after then or anything because she said that he didn’t have the opportunity to call her back to say that well, he turning back with the drop or whatever. I don’t know what occurred, I don’t know if he decided to say well, they gon pay he the money or if they stick he up or what. I don’t know,” Hilliman said.

She described her son as a “stand-up person” (frank) and one who cared for his two children, who both reside in French Guiana.

A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) Police have arrested one person –a 48-year-old Mocha, Cemetery Road mason, who they said confessed to killing Lynch in self-defence.

The suspect reportedly confessed to stabbing Lynch several times to his body with an object.

The mason reportedly divulged to Police that he was out imbibing with a friend in Sophia when he called the Swift Cabs Taxi Service for a cab to trans-

port him to his home.

When Lynch arrived, the suspect alleged that it was agreed that he would be taken to the location for $1500.

While journeying home, the suspect told Police that Lynch took a wrong direction and as such the duo went back to Sophia.

Upon returning to Sophia, a friend of the suspect reportedly instructed that he ventured back home to Mocha using the same taxi at an additional cost of $500.

After once again arriving in Mocha, the suspect claimed that he gave $2000 to Lynch who demanded an additional $500.

However, the suspect is alleging that he had exited the taxi and had begun walking to his house when he was attacked by Lynch. The man told Police that he defended himself, stabbing Lynch before leaving the scene. He was later informed that the taxi driver had succumbed.

The man is being held as Police continue their investigations. (Kizzy Coleman)

Family demands justice for man shot by Police

A25-year old man is now battling for his life at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after he was shot by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Saturday at his Sophia, Greater Georgetown home.

Injured is Patrick Goodluck of Lot T 72 North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, who was shot to his back at about 17:00h on Saturday after returning from the sea wall. His sister, NakacIe Goodluck told Guyana Times that she was at home when she heard screams and upon running outside she saw a huge crowd of people, shouting to inform her that her brother was shot.

She said she and other relatives headed for the Prashad Nagar Police outpost where they were informed that the man was taken to the Sparendaam Police Station to be “cleaned up.” However she said she was told that her brother was crying out for pains and he was subsequently taken to GPHC.

“When they bring him now they just drop him off, leave an officer to guard he and gone. They ain’t tellin us what he get shoot,” she

Goodluck, who is currently unemployed, underwent a surgery on Tuesday to remove the bullet which struck his spine. He remains a patient in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU). His sister explained when she visited her brother and tried speaking to him he was unresponsive but awake.

The man’s sister was almost moved to tears as she complained, “I need justice for my brother,” the woman said.

The GPF’s Public Relations Officer, Jairam Ramlakhan when contacted referred all questions to the East Coast Commander, Calvin Brutus. Commander Brutus on the other hand said he could not relay any information into the investigation.

US immigration agents arrest 680 workers in Mississippi

US immigration authorities arrested nearly 700 people at seven agricultural processing plants across Mississippi on Wednesday in what federal officials said could be the largest worksite enforcement operation in a single state.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement they detained about 680 people who were working illegally at the plants. They said they also seized business records as part of a federal criminal investigation.

Some of those detained will be released for “humanitarian reasons” and required to appear in U.S. immigration court, the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Mississippi, which partnered with ICE, said in a statement. Others will be transported to an ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana, it said.

ICE did not specify the nationalities of the workers arrested. The Mexican Consulate said it was traveling to the area to assist its nationals who might have been involved. Past large operations to enforce immigration laws at workplaces have included the arrest in 2008 of more than 300 workers at a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa.

During the administration of former President Barack Obama, ICE prioritized the arrests of recent border crossers, people who had previously been ordered deported and those seen as a threat to public safety.

President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a centerpiece of his presidency, however, and ICE has stepped up its activities considerably since he took office in January 2017. (Reuters)

A video released by ICE showed buses arriving at a Canton, Mississippi, processing facility where agents searched workers and checked their identification documents. Some workers had their hands restrained with nylon ties, the video showed.

Unpopularity contest to decide Guatemalan presidential election

Puerto Rico court declares new Governor's swearing-in unconstitutional

Conservative Alejandro Giammattei could make it fourth time lucky in Guatemala’s presidential runoff on Sunday, if misgivings about his opponent among urban voters outweigh her support in the Central American nation’s poor Mayan highlands.

Whoever takes office in January will face a testy relationship with US President Donald Trump, who last month strong armed the outgoing government into

signing an agreement that will turn Guatemala into a buffer zone for US-bound migrants.

Giammattei and his centre-left rival, former First Lady Sandra Torres, both criticised the deal, but Trump’s threats of economic sanctions are unlikely to leave either of them much room to manoeuvre if the next administration does not honour it.

Potentially complicating such tough decisions,

neither candidate is hugely popular.

Torres, 63, has high negative ratings in the densely populated urban areas, in part because of her connections to an investigation being conducted into alleged illicit electoral financing in a previous campaign.

Her base is in rural areas such as the highlands where she is remembered for social programmes during her former husband’s administration.

Turnout is expected to be on the low side and the winner is unlikely to command a strong mandate, especially after electoral authorities excluded other popular candidates from the first round in June –conservative candidate Zury Rios on the grounds that close relatives of coup leaders are barred from top office, and anti-corruption crusader Thelma Aldana because of an arrest warrant against her in a corruption case that supporters said was trumped up. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Barbados: Governor General for corporal punishment

Governor General Dame Sandra Mason supports retaining corporal punishment to help reduce deviancy among some of Barbados’ youth.

“I don’t believe you should lash somebody to kill them, but a little smack here and there can’t hurt,” said Dame Sandra yesterday during celebrations for the island’s newest centenarian, Eunice “Golda” Amanda Phillips.

During a brief con -

versation before toasting Phillips’ milestone, Dame Sandra alluded to the fact that in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, as a teacher at South District Primary, Phillips also would have taught her wards about manners, values, respect for self and one another, as well as respect for older people.

However, according to the former judge, these lessons are sadly lacking in today’s society. This was why, while referring

to herself as “old school”, Dame Sandra – who began her career in education at Princess Margaret Secondary School and later tutored in family law at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus –insisted there was nothing wrong with lashes.

I’m not telling them to kill their children, but a little smack here and there would help them sometimes,” stated Dame Sandra. (Barbados Nation News)

Kenyan President pays tribute to Marcus Garvey

President of the Republic of Kenya

Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday placed flowers at the shrine of Jamaica's first National hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, at National Heroes' Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

The ceremony formed part of the itinerary of the President's three-day State visit to the island.

The President and his

wife, Margaret, were special guests for the celebration of the 57th anniversary of Jamaica's Independence.

President Kenyatta, who arrived at the park shortly after 09:00h, was greeted by a delegation headed by the Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Olivia Grange.

Prior to laying the wreath, President Kenyatta was introduced to members of the

receiving party, which included representatives from the Government, the ministry, National Reparations Council, Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), and the Rastafarian community.

Among the officials were Anthony Thompson, son of noted Pan-Africanist, the late Ambassador Dudley Joseph Thompson; UNIA President Steven Golding; retired professor of literary and cultural studies who taught at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Carolyn Cooper; author Miguel Lorne; and Heru Menelik of the UNIA.

Following the floral tribute, President Kenyatta engaged members of the Nyahbinghi drummers who chanted and provided a steady beat during the ceremony. He also met with representatives from the Rastafarian community who attended. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Puerto Rico's Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected as unconstitutional the swearing-in of Pedro Pierluisi as Governor, reopening the political crisis in the self-governing US territory. The ruling by the Caribbean island's top court cleared the way for Justice Minister Wanda Vazquez, who is next in the line of succession, to replace Pierluisi as acting Governor.

The latest political contretemps follows massive street protests that on Friday forced the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rossello, who came under fire over corruption scandals and leaked electronic

chats with associates.

Shortly before leaving office, Rossello effectively made Pierluisi his successor by appointing him secretary of State, next in the line of succession.

But Pierluisi was never confirmed in the position by Puerto Rico's Senate, which was in recess, leading the court to declare he "cannot continue in the position of governor".

"The assumption of the Office of governor was unconstitutional" it said, unanimously rejecting the Government's argument that the omission of the Senate confirmation was covered by an amendment to a 1952 law.

The island has been shaken by weeks of street protests, set off by the leak of 889 pages of hacked text messages in which Rossello and his inner circle made fun of women, gays, hurricane victims, journalists and politicians.

The leak touched a deep well of public discontent that has brewed since the devastating 2017 Hurricane Maria, which left 3,000 dead and Puerto Rico in shambles.

A debt crisis, government corruption scandals, and a painfully slow recovery from Maria have added to the island's political woes.

(Jamaica Observer)

Honduras protest turns violent amid anger at President

There have been violent clashes between Police and protesters demanding the resignation of President Juan Orlando Hernández in Honduras. Thousands took to the streets of the capital Tegucigalpa on Tuesday.

Several buildings were set alight and Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.

The protests come

days after Prosecutors in the US alleged that Mr Hernández's 2013 presidential campaign had been financed by drug money.

Pressure has been growing on Mr Hernández to step down ever since his brother Juan Antonio Hernández was arrested in Florida in November and accused of conspiring to smuggle large quantities of cocaine to the US.

At the time, President Hernández said that while

the arrest of his brother had been a heavy blow for the family, no one was above the law.

But allegations of President Hernández's links to drug trafficking resurfaced last week when a court document linked to his brother's case was declassified.

The document alleges that a man identified as "co-conspirator 4" and later referred to as CC-4, took part in a conspiracy to use US $1.5M in drug proceeds to bolster CC-4's presidential campaign.

CC-4 is described in the document as having been "elected president of Honduras in late 2013", when Juan Orlando Hernández won his first term in office.

He was re-elected to a second term in 2017 in polls which his opponents said were fraudulent. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Trinidadian driver: “I did not see woman on the road”

The driver in a viral video that showed a car apparently running over a woman who lay on the road following an epileptic seizure said on Tuesday, he saw no sign that anyone was in the path of his vehicle.

While public outrage over the incident has been swift, the driver insisted people were only focusing on half of the story.

The 47-year-old from San Juan asked not to be identified, saying that since the incident he has been receiving death threats.

He told Guardian Media

that said he simply did not see Simone Ferreira lying on the roadway.

The driver said, “They keep saying I run over the woman’s head and the woman’s hand. That is not so. The only thing I could tell you I run over is her bag. When I swing the corner all I could see is something like it is garbage, because the garbage truck wasn’t far behind me, so all I felt was like I touching something like garbage with my wheel. The sun does also hit you straight in your eye at that time and the front of my car was higher than the back com -

ing over that incline”. He added that Ferreira was also fortunate that on that day his vehicle was not working properly and, therefore, he had to drive slowly.

He insisted he would have felt if he ran over someone.

“I am a driver for almost 30 years and I consider myself a damn good driver and I must feel if I roll over someone, and if I roll over her head, she would have been dead. If I rolled over her hand it would have been broken,” he added. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Pakistan expels Indian Ambassador as Kashmir dispute escalates

Pakistan said on Wednesday it would expel India’s Ambassador and suspend bilateral trade with its arch-rival after New Delhi stripped its portion of the contested Kashmir region of special status.

Neighbours China and Pakistan, which both claim parts of Kashmir, have voiced fierce opposition to India’s removal of a constitutional provision that had allowed the country’s only Muslim-majority state to make its own laws.

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have twice

Hwaged war over Kashmir and in February engaged in an aerial clash. India, which has been battling insurgents there for 30 years, said the special status had hindered Kashmir’s development and it wanted to fully integrate the region with the rest of the country.

Moin-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s newly appointed Ambassador to India, has yet to take up his post but will now not move to New Delhi, while Indian Ambassador Ajay Bisaria will be expelled, Islamabad said in a statement on Wednesday.

“It is very obvious that our ambassador wouldn’t be in Delhi, and obviously the man who is here will also leave,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a telephone interview with Pakistani TV channel ARY News.

A spokesman for India’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Pakistan’s move.

Thousands of Indian security forces kept a lid on protests in Kashmir on Wednesday, helped by the continued suspension of telephone and Internet services after the Himalayan region’s special status was scrapped this week.

Streets in the main Kashmiri city of Srinagar were deserted for a third day, with almost all shops shut, barring some pharmacies. Armed Federal Police manned mobile checkpoints across the city, limiting people’s movement.

Knots of young protesters threw stones at soldiers, Police and a witness said, amid anger over the telecoms clampdown that began on Sunday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Around

UN: More than 2 million Zimbabweans on the brink of starvation

More than two million Zimbabweans are on the cusp of “starvation”, the United Nations food agency has said, launching a US$331.5 million aid appeal to help the southern African country recover from a devastating drought.

World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley said on Tuesday that 2.3 million people in rural Zimbabwe were in “crisis emergency mode” and need food aid now.

“We are talking about people who truly are march-

ing towards starvation if we are not here to help them,” Beasley said. “We are facing a drought unlike any that we have seen in a long time.”

The El Niño-induced drought cut the maize harvest by half, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared it a national disaster.

The drought comes with Zimbabweans enduring a severe economic crisis – prices of staples such as sugar, cooking oil and rice have more than doubled since June, jacking up inflation to more than 175 per cent.

Beasley said those in need of emergency food aid in rural Zimbabwe would increase to 5.5 million by next year. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Clashes erupt in Yemen’s Aden, 3 dead

Southern separatists clashed on Wednesday with presidential guards in Aden, the seat of Yemen’s Government, and three people were killed and nine injured, local officials and residents told Reuters.

The violence highlighted a rift within the Saudibacked coalition battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in a more than four-year war that has

killed tens of thousands of people and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.

The separatists and the internationally recognised Government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi are nominally united in their battle against the Houthis.

But they have rival agendas for Yemen’s future, and a missile strike in Aden last week that killed dozens of southern soldiers raised

friction between them.

Just before Wednesday’s clash, hundreds of separatist supporters attended a funeral for some of the southern soldiers and a prominent commander near the hilltop presidential palace.

As the crowd chanted anti-Government slogans, gunfire was exchanged with presidential guards. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Hong Kong facing worst crisis since handover – senior China official Canada murders: Bodies found in hunt for 2 suspects

ong Kong is facing its worst crisis since it returned to Chinese authority from British rule in 1997, the Head of China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office said on Wednesday, as more anti-Government protests rocked the Asian financial hub.

“Hong Kong’s crisis ... has continued for 60 days,

and is getting worse and worse,” Zhang Xiaoming, one of the most senior Chinese officials overseeing Hong Kong affairs, said during a meeting in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

“Violent activities are intensifying and the impact on society is spreading wider. It can be said that Hong Kong is now facing the most

severe situation since its handover,” he said.

Hong Kong has faced months of sometimes violent protests that began with opposition to a now-suspended extradition law and which have evolved into a direct challenge to the Government of embattled leader Carrie Lam and calls for full democracy.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Kenyan MP with baby ordered to leave Parliament

Female Members of Parliament have walked out of Kenya’s Parliament in solidarity with a colleague who was ordered to leave because she had taken her baby.

Zuleika Hassan said she had brought her fivemonth-old baby with her to

work because of a domestic emergency and Parliament didn’t have a crèche.

According to the House rules, “strangers” are not allowed into the chamber, children included.

Some of her male colleagues described her actions as shameful.

Speaker Christopher

Omulele ordered Hassan out of the chamber and said that she could return without the baby.

Some MPs shouted and others started shoving each other.

Hassan called on Parliament to create a more “family-friendly atmosphere” if it wanted more women to become MPs.

“I have tried really hard not to come with the baby, but today I had an emergency; what was I supposed to do? If Parliament had a nursery or a crèche, I would be able to put my baby there,” she said.

Hassan’s supporters have condemned her treatment which comes during World Breastfeeding Week.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Canadian Police have found what they believe to be the bodies of two teenagers suspected of three murders.

Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, have been on the run since late July when three bodies, including those of an Australian-US couple, were found in northern British Columbia.

The teenagers were lat-

er seen 3300 kilometres (2,050 miles) to the east, in Manitoba, where Police concentrated their search.

The two bodies were found near the town of Gillam on Wednesday.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy told media on Wednesday: “I’m confident it is them, but to identify them officially and to be

sure we have to go to autopsy.”

The manhunt has kept Gillam, a community of about 1300 people, on edge for weeks.

“It’s huge to be able to hopefully give people an opportunity to exhale, and to hopefully eventually go back to normal, to not be afraid of who’s out in the woods anymore,” MacLatchy said.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Turkey, US agree to form joint operation centre for Syria safe zone

Turkey and the United States agreed on Wednesday to establish a joint operation centre in Turkey to coordinate and manage a planned safe

zone in northeast Syria, a move that appeared to reduce the chance of imminent Turkish military action.

The two countries gave

few details of the deal, which followed three days of talks between military delegations and months of stalemate over how far the safe zone should extend into Syria and who should command forces patrolling it.

The proposed zone aims to secure a strip of land stretching more than 400 kilometres (250 miles) along Syria’s north-eastern border with Turkey, much of it controlled by the

that

with US

(March 21April 19)

SUDOKU

An offer looks promising, so make plans to find out more. A trip will be eye-opening and should be shared with a loved one. Romance is on the rise, and a commitment can be made.

TAURUS Keep your life simple. If you let too many people know what you are up to, you can expect to face interference. Work hard, finish what you start and then take a breather.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

(June 21July 22)

(July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23Oct. 23) (April 20May 20)

SCORPIO

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

(Dec. 22Jan. 19)

(Jan. 20Feb. 19)

(Feb. 20March 20)

Stick close to home and to the people you love and trust. Don’t venture into a high-pressure situation that requires you to donate time, money or services.

Your intuition won’t let you down, but someone you work with will. If you want something done, do it yourself. Take responsibility for your actions and decisions.

Emotional situations will develop if you let anger take the reins. Concentrate on personal growth, health and happiness, not on what others are doing. Take the high road.

Don’t leave room for error, or someone will take advantage of your mistake and use it against you. Attention to detail, precision and doing what you do best will pay off.

If you reconnect with a former co-worker, you’ll be offered information that will help you embark on a new beginning. Update your skills, knowledge and technology.

Avoid taking physical risks. Use your intelligence to outsmart anyone trying to make changes you don’t agree with. Knowledge is power, so use what you know to come out ahead.

Travel, communication and education are highlighted. Be ready to fend for yourself and to dismiss anyone who tries to fill your head with false or exaggerated information.

Making a domestic or lifestyle change may sound inviting, but you must discuss your intentions with those who will be affected by your plans.

Spread your wings and try something new. An opportunity will develop if you show interest in something that someone else is doing. Love and romance are highlighted.

Get involved, do your part and focus on personal growth, understanding and what you can do to make the world a better place. Don’t let indulgence blind you.

Romelu Lukaku to join Inter

Romelu Lukaku is set to join Internazionale, after Manchester United accepted the Italian club’s latest offer of £70m, including add-ons for the striker.

The Belgian travelled to Milan on Wednesday, and will have a medical at the Serie A club’s headquarters on Thursday.

The player’s representative, Federico Pastorello, spent most of Wednesday in talks with United’s rep resentatives in London to finally sort out the long-run ning saga, and the two sides came to an agreement in the early evening.

United had already knocked back one bid from Inter, and had been hoping to receive a fee of around £80m for the Belgium international, but were in the end persuaded to accept the latest offer.

Lukaku was desperate to join Inter, and his relationship with the United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, had deteriorated in the past week. He was fined by United for missing training without permission this week. Inter had previously offered £64.7m including add-ons paid over two years, and were initially hoping that the Belgian would join on loan for the first year.

However, United’s resistance led

Lotto-Soudal explain fatal injuries in Bjorg Lambrecht crash

Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht died after a lacerated liver led to internal bleeding and a cardiac arrest, following his crash at the Tour de Pologne.

The 22-year-old died in hospital on Monday, after crashing 60 miles into stage three of the event in Poland. In a statement, his Lotto-Soudal team doctor Maarten Meirhaeghe said: “Bjorg died from a big liv-

er laceration which caused a massive internal haemorrhage. As a consequence, Bjorg suffered a cardiac arrest.”

He added: “Bjorg had the biggest stroke of bad luck that was possible by the way he crashed. With such internal hemorrhages, a miracle is needed; a miracle which he wasn’t given.

“The place and the time did not influence the consequences. Even if such trauma would have happened inside a hospital, chances of a bad outcome are real.”

Race director Czeslaw Lang said on Monday that Lambrecht died during an operation in hospital.

Tuesday’s fourth stage of the race saw a moment of silence held at the start and finish of the stage, while Lambrecht’s LottoSoudal team led the peloton to the finish in Kocriez as a mark of respect.

Lambrecht was riding in his second season at the top level of professional cycling, and had been regarded as one of Belgium’s most promising riders.

He won the under-23s’ version of the LiegeBastogne-Liege race in 2017, and finished second in the U-23 World Championships last year.

(BBC Sport)

to Inter being under pressure from new manager Antonio Conte to raise their bid on Wednesday. Inter’s final offer consisted of an initial £64.7m plus a further £5.3m in add-ons. United have managed to include a sell-on clause in the deal, but would have to pay part of the fee to Everton.

The player has agreed a five-year deal with Inter worth around £300,000 a week. Conte is a long-time admirer of Lukaku, and wanted to sign the Belgian when at Chelsea. He will be delighted to have got his man.

Lukaku scored 27 goals in his first season at the club, but managed only 15 in 2018-19. He joined United from Everton for £75m plus £15m in add-ons in July 2017.

The fee paid for Lukaku is a transfer record for Inter, the previous record for the Italian club being in 1999, when Christian Vieri joined from Lazio for €46m (£42.5m).

United will be pleased that the saga is over, and Solskjær is confident he can be competitive with the options available up front. He has Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Alexis Sánchez and Mason Greenwood from

David Luiz in line to join Arsenal

David Luiz could be on his way to Arsenal after he did not train with the rest of Frank Lampard’s squad on Wednesday, with Chelsea believed to be open to letting him join their London rivals.

The 32-year-old signed a new two-year deal in May, having come within weeks of becoming a free agent in what was an unusual step for Chelsea, who have a policy of not offering more than one-year deals to players over 30. Yet, with the new head coach offering no guarantees Luiz would be in his first-choice side, it is understood that David Luiz asked to leave Stamford Bridge after Arsenal rekindled their interest in him. They had failed to land him at the end of the January 2018 window.

Attempts to sign Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig have so far come to nothing, after the German club set the France Under-21 international’s asking price at £70m, while Juventus have quoted them £50m for Daniele Rugani. That has led Unai Emery, Arsenal’s manager, to turn to David Luiz, with Chelsea likely to demand around £20m for a player they re-signed from Paris SaintGermain in 2014, while they are also confident of signing Celtic’s Kieran Tierney.

That £34m deal was also completed on the final day of the transfer window, and it appears likely that the Brazilian could be on the move again in the final hours before the market closes

David Luiz wants to leave Chelsea despite signing a new contract in May

for Premier League clubs –something he has made a habit of during his career in Europe. He first signed for Chelsea on the final day of the January 2011 window for £21.5m, before being sold to PSGermain -- where he briefly worked under Emery -for £50m, a world record fee for a defender at the time.

David Luiz, represented by Kia Joorabchian, arrived in England after four seasons with Benfica, whom he had joined on loan on the final day of the 2007 January window. In total, he has generated an estimated £117m in transfers during 12 years in Europe.

Philippe Coutinho, another Joorabchian client, had also explored the possibility of moving to North London, but has rejected Tottenham’s offer to take him on loan. (Excerpted from the Guardian)

whom to choose.

United were interested in signing Christian Eriksen and Paulo Dybala, but have ended their interest in both players. The club decided that Dybala’s wage demands were excessive, and Eriksen would prefer a move to Spain if he were to leave Tottenham this summer.

Dybala is earning more than £300,000 a week at Juventus before tax, and was looking for an increase in that at United. A further complication was his image rights, which are expensive, as well as agents’ fees of up to £12m.

It has been a mixed transfer summer for United. They finished sixth in the Premier League last season, a demoralising 32 points behind the champions, Manchester City, but have been able to add the central defender Harry Maguire from Leicester for £80m, Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace for an initial £45m, as well as Daniel James from Swansea for £15m in this window.

They also look like keeping hold of the midfielder Paul Pogba, who has been the subject of consistent interest from Real Madrid through the summer. Pogba had said in June that “it could be a good time for a new challenge”, but Solskjær said last weekend that, after beating Milan 5-4 on penalties to maintain their 100% record this summer, he had “no doubts at all” over Pogba’s commitment to the club.

Asked then if Pogba would feature on the opening day of the season, when United face Chelsea at Old Trafford, Solskjær replied: “He should be okay. I hope so, anyway.” (Guardian)

Rogers Cup: Rafael Nadal beats Dan Evans in Montreal

British number two Dan Evans pushed Spanish great Rafael Nadal in their first meeting, before going down in straight sets at the Rogers Cup.

The 29-year-old qualifier lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 in a secondround match disrupted by rain in Montreal. He could not convert two set points before losing the tight opener, Nadal upping his game at the start of the second to take control.

Nadal, 18-time Grand Slam winner, playing his first match since losing to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon semi-finals last month, struggled to cope with the Briton’s aggressive and accurate approach play in an entertaining first set.

Evans has moved to the cusp of the world’s top 50 after an impressive year which has seen him rise from 190th to 53rd, proving again in Montreal against Nadal that he has the ability to cause problems for the top players.

The Briton the ideal start by

breaking 33-year-old Nadal’s serve in the first game of the match, and holding to love in the next, before the world number two fought back to 3-3 and go on to claim two set points at 5-4.

Nadal had lost only one of his previous 75 matches after winning the first set - against Nick Kyrgios in Acapulco this year - and it looked ominous when he broke Evans in the first game of the second set.

A second, lengthier rain delay disrupted the Spaniard, as he allowed Evans to break back in the first game after the resumption, but a break of the Briton’s next service game proved decisive, as Nadal wrapped up victory.

Kiddy cricketers set to showcase talent at interval displays during West Indies/ India Series

the National Stadium at Providence

Kiddy cricketers from Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica are gearing up and sharpening their skills to showcase their abundant talent during the West Indies vs. India Home Series matches in August.

Supported by Cricket West Indies and presenting programme partner Scotiabank, more than 350 primary school boys and girls from across host venues Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica will be sharing the international stadiums with the West Indies and Indian cricket stars during the lunchtime interval displays on Thursday 8th, Sunday 11th, and Saturday 31st August respectively.

The children participating in the interval displays represent the top primary school cricket teams from each territory, having participated and excelled in the 2019 Windies Kiddy Cricket Festivals and earning the right to attend the international matches and perform in front of thousands of spectators. The schools performing in the displays are: Guyana – Strathspey Primary, New Guyana School, Smith Memorial, Zeelugt Primary, Tuschen Primary, Meten-Meer-Zorg Primary, #36 Village Primary and Latchmansingh Primary.

Trinidad -- Arima Boys RC, Avocat Vedic Primary,

Jamaica -- Combined primary schools’ parish teams from Manchester (2019 Kiddy Cricket Festival Champion), Trelawny (2019 Kiddy Cricket Festival Runner-Up), St. Catherine, St Andrew, Portland, St. Ann, Westmoreland and Kingston.

Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt expressed enthusiasm in seeing fruition of the programme.

“Building a solid foundation at the base of the cricket development pathway is paramount to the resurgence and success of West Indies Cricket,” he said; adding, “While West Indies Cricket has a rich history, the only way we can continue to write new chapters and successfully move forward into the modern age of cricket is by investing, supporting, and giving children in primary schools across the region the resources to meet their fullest potential on and off the cricket field.

“The annual interval displays give hundreds of our

Kiddy cricketers across the region the opportunity to attend and experience cricket at the highest level free of charge, with the added bonus of playing on the same field with their international cricket heroes. We know these experiences and exposure enable our children to build confidence, as they take away long-lasting memories which allow them to aspire to do better in their cricket and in life”, the CWI president articulated. (Excerpted from CWI)

Over the last 2 decades, Cricket West Indies and presenting partner Scotiabank have grown the WINDIES Kiddy Cricket programme to support cricket in over 1000 primary school across the Caribbean, ensuring that cricket coaching services, cricket gear, equipment and primary education materials are distributed to participating schools annually, so that boys and girls aged 7-12 learn the basic skills of cricket on the playing field, and are engaged in the classroom using cricket as a learning vehicle.

About the WINDIES Kiddy Cricket Programme: Annually, the Windies Kiddy Cricket Programme supports cricket camps, festivals, coaching sessions and primary education materials for over 135,000 children across 15 member territories -- an achievement CWI has accomplished with our longstanding presenting partner, Scotiabank.

Jofra Archer, England’s Ashes hopeful, in the wickets again for Sussex 2nd XI

England’s heavy first Test defeat at Edgbaston, to allow him more time to recover from a side strain. He followed up figures of 6-27 and 108 off 99 balls on the first day against Gloucestershire with 1-78 second Test at Lord’s starts on Wednesday, August 14, and England will be desperate for Archer to be fit, with injuries already ruling out fellow fast bowlers James Anderson and Olly Stone. Since the World Cup final on July 14, which Archer revealed he played in excruciating pain, the Barbados-born right-armer has featured in two T20 Blast

fixtures for Sussex, and also made brief substitute fielder appearances at Edgbaston, following Anderson’s withdrawal early on in the Test.

After an eye-catching display with bat and ball on the first day of the Second XI Championship fixture at Blackstone, Archer did not have things completely his own way on the second. His opening spell of eight overs went wicketless for 44 runs, and included his being hit for nine fours and a six. But a bit of extra bounce that England may find themselves needing at Lord’s proved the undoing of Gloucestershire batsman George Drissell in his second spell, as Archer had him caught in the gully. He finished the day with four more overs in the evening session, as Gloucestershire were dismissed for 279.

It leaves Sussex needing just 37 to win on the last day. (BBC Sports)

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592 Lager to power "592 Street Kings" tournament

─ launch set for August 19

─ Georgetown’s best 16 teams to participate

Through their 592 Lager Beer brand, the ANSA McAL Trading Limited will be throwing their support behind the ‘592 Street Kings’ street-ball tournament which is set for staging in September, after the official launch on August 19.

This tournament, which will see 16 of Georgetown’s best street-ball teams vying for some $675,000 in prize money, will be played on three consecutive Saturday nights (September 7, 14 and 21), with fans witnessing 19 high-octane matches. All three match nights will be staged at the Durban Park Tarmac (Square of the Revolution).

Thus far, street-ball juggernauts Gold is Money, Sparta Boss, Leopold Street, Tiger Bay, Broad Street, Albouystown, LA Ballers, Future Stars and Sophia are confirmed participants of the tournament. It will be a straight

knockout competition, with eight games on night one (September 7).

The eight winners will advance to the quarter-finals on night two (September 14). The winners of the quarter-finals will then advance to the semi-finals, which will be played on the same night; while the losers will be eligible to play in the plate section.

On the final night, fans will see the semi-finals and final of the ‘Plate Section’, along with the third-place playoff and final of the main section.

592 Lager Brand Manager Seweon Mc Garrell has noted that this collaboration with the organiser is his brand’s way of giving back and helping to develop athletes at the grassroots level.

“Our brand was brought out with the intention of targeting our grassroots communities across Guyana. This tournament

is just one of our ways of giving back to these communities and the youths. We want to give the young street ballers a chance to showcase their talent and to be crowned the 592 Street Kings of street ball in Georgetown” Mc Garrell stated.

At the tournament, patrons will have chances to win prizes and 592 merchandise.

The 592 Street Kings tournament is in its inaugural stage, but there are plans to move it to the outlying areas of Guyana following the Georgetown leg of the competition.

Winners of this inaugural year’s 592 Street Kings tournament will pocket $300,000, while runners-up will collect $150,000. The third place finishers will grab $100,000, while fourth placers would receive $75,000. Winners of the ‘Plate’ section will collect $50,000.

Trophy Stall comes on board Nand Persaud Sprint Classic more than 45 horses entered

CUSTOMER SERVICE

The much-anticipated Nand Persaud Sprint

Classic horse racing meet is due for staging on Sunday, August 11, at the company’s racing facility at Macedonia Estate, Number 36 Village, Corentyne, Berbice; and the event is being given a big boost with the sponsorship of Trophy Stall, which has branches at different locations in this country.

Under promotion of ‘Sky Plus Incorporated’ Promotions Group, this event will see the Trophy Stall putting up trophies for the events, and fully sponsoring the trophy for the Jockey category.

Champion jockey, trainer and stable will be rewarded with trophies and other incentives compliments of Trophy Stall.

General Manager of Trophy Stall, Ramesh Sunich, made the presentation of trophies to Mohendra Persaud, General Manager of the Nand Persaud Group of Companies, who is also the events coordinator, on Wednesday at the Trophy Stall’s Port Mourant Branch on the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice.

More than 45 horses have so far been registered to participate in this meet. Seven races are on the day’s card, and more than four million dollars in cash, trophies and other incentives are up for grabs.

The feature event is for animals classified E

and Lower over 4 furlongs for a winning purse of $300,000 and a trophy. Top animals expected to be in contention include Score’s Even, Simple Side, Golden Dancer, T and T, and Golden Blue Echo.

Uprising Star, War Story, Dazzling Girl and Awesome Bandit are among those animals in contention in the Two-Year-Old Guyana-bred race over 660 yards for the winning take of $150,000 and a trophy.

The J Class event has a number of entries, while the K Class race has the likes of Touch the Cash, The Rock, Touch Down and Irish Boy in contention.

Among those down to battle it out in the L Class Male race are Cool Mood, Awesome Banner and Plane land. The event for Female L Class animals will see the likes of Pinky, Promise, Royal Progressive and Wonder Girl.

The non-earners from the above two L Class races will also compete for a top prize.

Apart from Trophy Stall, other major sponsors include ANSA McAL through its Stag Beer Brand; 4R Bearings and Belts, and NPG Packaging and Plastics Inc.

Persons interested in entering an animal in any race, or having any other interest in this event, can make contact with Mohini on 600-4728, or Amanda on 618-5966 for more information. Event Coordinator is Mohendra “Mohin” Persaud.

Bennett collaborates with RCAC to host "Clean & Fresh" campaign

By TimoThy Jaikarran

Sensei Miranda Bennett, already providing martial arts training as a beacon of hope to participating students, has now envisioned that she could make a further impact on the lives of children outside of the martial arts sport.

As such, the ‘Miranda B’ Empowerment Club, in collaboration with the Ruimveldt Children's Aid Centre (RCAC), will be presenting 'Clean & Fresh’, an initiative that would see the RCAC being cleaned and repainted so the children there can feel comfortable in September.

This initiative is slated for completion during the period August 31 to September 1, (before the new school term begins) with work lasting from 9:00 hrs to 17 hrs daily.

In existence since 1992, the RCAC is a home away from home for children aged between five and 18 years and living within Rumimveldt, Riverview, Albouystown, Yarrow Dam and surrounding communities. It is an after-school centre that caters to the needs of more than 60 children, suppling them with hot meals, school supplies, and a safe haven, among other things.

A volunteer at RCAC for close to 5 years, Sensei Bennett is seeking donations of such items as paint (sky blue, orange, white and black; but other colours welcome), paint brushes, cleaning supplies and hardwood (1x4). She is also asking for volunteers to help with this great project, which she deems as a very worthy cause.

Sensei Bennett started her martial arts career in 2002, at the age of seven, under the instruction of Sensi Robert Alleyne. She went on to Banks DIH and learnt Wado with Master Winston Dumbar. In July 2012, Bennett joined Little Diamond International Martial Arts Academy, known today as the Guyana International Kyokushinkai Martial Arts Academy (GIKMAA), and under guidance of Dr Nazim Yassim, she worked her way up the ladder to earn the title of 2nd Dan Black Belt.

Her accomplishments include receiving awards such as Community Spirit and Ambassador Hall of Fame; being the first of two females in Guyana to receive a Kyokushin black belt; and representing Guyana in Suriname.

Persons desirous of responding to Sensei Miranda Bennett’s appeal or obtaining more information in this regard are invited to contact her on 675-5872.

She hereby extends deep gratitude to Global Seafood Distributors Inc and The Red Cherry Café for assistance received.

his

Kohli and co seeking extended dominance against Windies

By Brandon Corlette

he Virat Kohli-led India team are one of the most professional One Day International (ODI) outfits in World cricket. Led by Kohli, the World’s best batsman, India will play their first ODI in Guyana since 1977.

After the final T20 match at the National Stadium at Providence on Tuesday last, Kohli explained that his team would continue to play consistent cricket.

“In the last three (or) four years, we have been able to achieve that, and we are currently the number two ODI team in the World, and there is a good reason for that”, Kohli disclosed.

Ahead of the three-match series against West Indies, Kohli and his team will open their account in today’s first ODI from 9:30 hours.

Trophy Stall rides with Guyana Cup 2019

Guyana’s leading distributors of silverware, the Trophy Stall, continues its support of horseracing by committing sponsorship to the 13th edition of the lucrative ‘Guyana Cup’ horserace meet, which gallops off at the Rising Sun Turf Club in Region 5 on Sunday August 17th.

There are more than $20 million in cash and prizes up for grabs, inclusive of US$50,000 cash to be handed out on the day. At the South Road, Georgetown location of the Trophy Stall, proprietor Ramesh Sunich presented race organiser Nazrudeen Mohamed Jr. with half-a-dozen trophies which will be awarded to top performers at this Sunday’s race meet at Number 6 Village, West Coast Berbice.

Mohamed expressed gratitude for Sunich’s generous gesture, and Sunich declared himself always ready to support horse racing, which attracts fans from all walks of life.

Also generously supporting this event, after which patrons would benefit from a mega concert, are the following entities: B.M. Soat Auto Sales, Mazi Night Club, Pure Harvest Guyana Gold Grain Cereal, Auto Toy Store, and Poonai’s

Pharmacy & Animal Health Care.

A total of eight races is on the cards, and the prizes for the races are as follows:

– C Class and Lower feature race over a distance of one mile: $2 million, – Three-year-old Guyanabred – $1 million – G3 and Lower – $400,000 – L3 and Lower (open to non-winners from Trinidad & Tobago) – $350,000 – Two-year-old Guyana-bred – $300,000. – J3 and Lower over seven furlongs – $300,000. – L Class for Colts – $250,000 – L Class ‘Philly’ and Mare –$250,000

Some of the top animals expected to be on show on race day are: Just Call Me Bass, Crown the King (Jamaica), Doublin Fashion (USA), Chameli (Jamaica), Safara (Jamaica), Southern Express (T&T), Silver & Things (T&T), Sitarr (T&T), Kentucky Woman (T&T), Super Easy (T&T), and She’s a Princess.

Apart from the foreign contingent of horses that would be on show, several leading jockeys from overseas are expected to participate, which will add international flavour to the day’s events.

Fans will be able to enjoy both the horserace meet and concert for the price of $2,000.

“The priority is to keep Indian cricket on top, and play consistent cricket and win games for the team”, Kohli highlighted.

Shedding light on Shikhar Dhawan’s form, Kohli said Dhawan is an experienced campaigner, and will not be judged based on his performance in T20s.

Other top Indian cricketers Shreyas Iyer, Kedar Jadhav Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuleep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal will be expected to make an appearance in the ODIs, since they did not feature in the T20Is.

On the eve of the match, Iyer and spin trio Jadeja, Yadav and Chahal were seen at the National Stadium at Providence for their final practice session. With Providence being suited for spinners, these players will all be considered for play, given that Jadeja can handle himself with the bat.

India’s power-packed top order will be no surprise, the triple-threat of Rohit Sharma, Dhawan, and Kohli will be the pillar of the batting line-up.

Rishbah Pant has shown great promise, along with Manish Pandey, Jadhav and Iyer, who will all be contenders for the number four slot.

As is mostly the case with cricket games in Guyana, rain

4 Guyanese in Windies U-19 24-member training squad

─ Barbados

crowned U-19 champs, Guyana finishes 3rd

Sachin Singh, Ashmead Nedd, Kelvin Umroa and Kevlon Anderson are the 4 Guyanese who have been selected to participate in the West Indies Under-19 training camp.

Barbados have won consecutive titles in the past month: first the Under-17 title, and then the West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 Championship, which they won by 4.7 points ahead of the Windward Islands.

Round Five of the tournament was hampered by rain, with only two of the three matches seeing action. The Windward Islandsversus-Jamaica game at Cumberland had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled.

With the Rising Stars Championship title on the line, Barbados and Windward Islands entered Round Five of the competition sitting in the respective top two spots on the points table. Based on the points allocation, the permutations for bonus, and fast bowling points set out in the CWI tournament’s playing conditions, Windward Islands needed to win their match against Jamaica and thereby gain 1.1 points more than Barbados to be crowned champions.

Barbados needed only to win against the Leeward Islands and gain at least 5.1 match points.

When the clash between the Windward Islands and Jamaica was called off just after lunch, Barbados secured victory in their game to win the Rising Stars Under-19 Championship, after another impressive bowling performance saw them rout the Leewards and chase down their target in a hurry.

Although the title had been secured, neighbours Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago gave the tournament an exciting ending, with the Guyanese winning that encounter by one run. This was the second one-run victory in the competition, following Trinidad & Tobago’s one-run win over Jamaica in Round Two.

As previously noted, at the end of the Rising Stars Under-19 Championship, 24 players have been selected to stay on for three “Best vs the Best” additional games on August 9, 11 and 14, which Cricket West Indies will use to narrow down the West Indies U-19 squad for more developmental activities later in the year, as they hone preparation for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2020.

“The squad of 24 represents 17 of the 19 (the other two are currently recovering from injuries) players that have been in the programme since December 2018, plus seven players that impressed in the Regional Tournament,” said West. “With the Tournament reduced due to the inclement weather, the trial games provide further opportunities for the 24 to demonstrate their skills and make a claim for the group that will proceed into international engagements in the coming months”, He continued.

“The trial games will also provide opportunities to develop game planning and match awareness methods which will be crucial to the players’ growth and development as they move towards the World Cup in the new year. The games will also assist in building a strong team unity and togetherness that will underpin the way the squad performs and represents the region.”

West Indies Under 19 training squad members are: Kevlon Anderson, Daniel Beckford, Teddy Bishop, Rivaldo Clarke, Matthew Comerie, Matthew Forde, Elroy Francis Jr, Joshua James, Mbeki Joseph, Leonardo Julien, Avinash Mahabirsingh, Ricardo McIntosh, Kirk McKenzie, Kimani Melius, Antonio Morris, Ashmead Nedd, Rivaldo Ramlogan, Jayden Seales, Ramon Simmonds, Che Simmons, Sachin Singh, Kelvin Umroa, Zwandi White and Nyeem Young.

will have a say at some point in the game, but to what extent is the big question. Meteorologists have forecasted scattered thunderstorms during the early hours of the morning, which are expected to abate by noon.

Kohli is 19 runs shy of pipping Javed Miandad as the player with the most ODI runs against West Indies.

India’s probable squad: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 KL Rahul, 5 Manish Pandey/ Kedar Jadhav/ Shreyas Iyer, 6 Rishabh Pant (wk) 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Khaleel Ahmed/Navdeep Saini/ Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal

Massy’s Seven Seas backs Archery Guyana for indoor tournament

Archery Guyana’s upcoming indoor competition slated for the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue has received the support of ‘Seven Seas’, a brand distributed by Massy Distribution.

Seven Seas has been around for generations, having quickly become a household name over half a century ago. This outstanding brand has reached out to proudly support Archery Guyana by exclusively sponsoring the tournament.

The Seven Seas products are the culmination of a continuous process of rigorous and intense research and development, resulting in natural products known for their excellent quality and high standards in helping families live their TRUEAGE. Their range of products is built on the science of OMEGA-3.Seven Seas started with COD LIVER OIL, known as that yucky fishy-tasting liquid fed to children at a tender age by parents, but this led to establishing a range of essential health products as it was quickly leant that that taste was a small price to pay for enhanced hair, skin and nails; reduced joint inflammation and, more importantly, brain development.

Helping users to look younger, think smarter and be

radiant inside out are some of the benefits of using Seven Seas products.According to Brand Coordinator Mrs. Nirvana Thakur, at the simple handing over ceremony one at the Massy Distribution Office at D4 Starlite Square, East Coast Demerara last week, Seven Seas Omega-3 products are essential to enable us to become focused and disciplined, qualities which are necessary for anyone to achieve success in life and sports.She said Seven Seas sees itself as a natural collaborator with the sport of Archery, especially given the intense level of stability, precision and concentration required to succeed in that sport.

Naturally, therefore, Massy Distribution, through its brand, Seven Seas, looks forward to supporting and growing with the sport of Archery over the years to come.Archery Guyana’s appreciation was expressed by Mrs. Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon, Secretary-General of Archery Guyana. Seven Seas was thanked for its collaboration as a competition sponsor. Special thanks were also given to the Management of Massy Distribution and the Seven Seas brand as moves are made to advance and promote the sport of Archery in Guyana.

West Indies aiming to make amends post-World Cup campaign

─

Gayle 12 runs away from milestone

By Brandon Corlette

After that horrific showing in the International Cricket Council World Cup, West Indies will resume their One Day International (ODI) campaign today, August 8, at the National Stadium at Providence, facing India in the My Team 11 ODI Series.

Speaking to the local media on the eve of the match, West Indies captain Jason Holder declared his team would be looking to move forward after that World Cup performance.

“I felt the bowling was good in the World Cup. People like Sheldon Cottrell had bright sparks, and the other bowlers chipped in. I think consistency plagued us in the World Cup”, Holder disclosed.

West Indies face a formidable opponent in the World-class Indian outfit, which has defeated West Indies 3-1 in their last two ODI bilateral series, both at home and away.

With West Indies levelling the ODI Series against England in their most previous Home series, this will be a big plus for Holder and his team. However, when asked about his confidence against India, Holder was filled with uncertainty.

“We had a couple weeks to sit back and really think about what happened in the World Cup, but the players are fresh and have come with different ideas and concepts for ways of improvement”, Holder explained.

As captain, Holder has called upon the players to play their respective roles and skillfully execute their plans.

One of the biggest names in World Cricket, Chris Gayle, will take centre stage at the National Stadium at Providence, requiring only 12 runs to surpass Brian Lara as the leading run-scorer in ODI cricket. Gayle, who played nine ODIs at Providence since 2007, requires another 66 runs to become the highest run-scorer at this venue.

Holder, during his chat with the media at Providence, explained that this is a special occasion for Gayle, who has done great things in cricket.

“It is always good to have him in the squad, and he obviously brings a lot to the team”, Holder explained.

Sharing his assessment of conditions at Providence, Holder said the pitch would likely remain on the slower side, but should be a good one for cricket, and it would be similar to that used in the final T20 earlier this week.

When West Indies last played Bangladesh in July 2018, they scored 271. The highest ODI score at this venue is 309-6 in 49 overs, which West Indies scored against Pakistan in 2017.

The West Indies have played 15 ODI matches at Providence and have registered seven wins. However, India will be playing their first ODI against West Indies at this venue, and the match promises to be a belter.

Captain Holder will be aiming to break into

India’s top order, having been performing well with the new ball. Guyanese Keemo Paul, who was hit on his ankle in the final T20 against India, has been monitored, and will be a positive signal for today’s ODI, once selected.

It has been 30 years since India last played an ODI in Guyana.

West Indies’ probable XI: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis/ John Campbell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Oshane Thomas, 11 Sheldon Cottrell

Caribbean School Boys and Juniors Boxing…

Associated Packers Industry boosts upcoming tournament

some of the donated products

Associated Packers Industry boosts upcoming tournament

With the aim of boosting their newly independent brand, the Associated Packers Industry has joined forces with the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) to boost preparations for the Caribbean School Boys and Juniors competition

During the weekend of August 16 to 18, a group of Guyana’s school aged boxers will be competing against their regional counterparts at the Caribbean School Boys and Juniors tournament.

The locally hosted tournament will see participation from 10 Caribbean Countries with Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia already confirming their intention to compete.

At a simple handover ceremony at the Associated Packers Industry office on Sherriff Street Georgetown, Deputy CEO

of the company Marissa Bujan explained that the entity is keen on being a part of youth development, which resulted in their donation of various food items.

“On behalf of Associated Packers Industry we are proud to support such an event. We always support the idea of young people in sport as we find it very imperative for their development.

This is the first of its kind for us to be supporting youngsters with our Premyum brand,” Bujan shared.

The Associated Packers Industry is currently in the business of importing and distributing food items such as rice, oil, milk and flour, mainly under their Premyum brand.

On the receiving end of the benevolence was the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association’s Assistant Secretary Treasurer Stacy Correia, who expressed the association’s gratitude to the company.

“On behalf of the GABA, we just want to say thank you for the donation, this will go in aid of the 20 boxers we currently have

encamped at the Gymnasium for the upcoming Caribbean juniors and schoolboys competition. We just want to say thank you and we would like or hope that you would continue with your support,” Correia stated.

When questioned about the encamped

pugilists, Correia stated, “Well, it’s coming slow but we are making strides.”

The Guyanese boxers will continue their encampment ahead of the competition next weekend. They are currently under the tutelage of Clive Atwell, Seibert Blake, and Lennox Daniels.

How can there be DCB elections when the State suspended the Cricket Act?

On May 16, 2019 a petition was made to the Appeal Court by representatives of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association (EBDCA), the Eccles Cricket Board and Cricket Guyana Inc.

Those petitioners were GCB Secretary Anand Sanasie, DCB Secretary Lalta Digamber, ECB President Fizul Bacchus, EBDCA representative Rohan Sarjoo, and Eccles President Johnny Azeez.

They stood before the Honourable Madam Justice Dawn Gregory on May 30, 2019, and were successful in having an order directed to the following respondents/ defendants: The Attorney General, and the Minister of Culture Youth and Sport (now the Minister of Social Cohesion, with responsibility for sport).

That order prohibited the respondents from doing, taking, permitting, allowing, or executing any acts or steps; or causing to be done, taken, permitted, allowed or executed by the Executive of the State of Guyana under the provisions of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act No.14 of 2014, until the hearing and determination of the appeal challenging the constitutionality of the aforesaid Act on the ground and for the reasons that the provisions of the aforesaid Act are likely to contravene the appellants rights to:

1. Protection of property;

2. Freedom of association, as guaranteed by Articles 40, 141, 142 and 147 of the Constitution of Guyana;

(b) Any other or further Order as the Honourable Court may deem just.

(c) Costs

It was also ordered that, by consent, the respondents/ defendants be prohibit-

ed from doing, taking, permitting or executing any acts or steps to be taken or allowed by the Executive of the State of Guyana under the provisions of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act No.14 of 2014, until the hearing and determination of the summons.

It was further ordered by consent that the office bearers of the Executive Committee of the GCB elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on January 29, 2018 be allowed to discharge the functions and duties of the GCB until the hearing and determination of the summons.

Since the state had suspended the Cricket Administration, the important consideration is: How can there be a meeting if this Act is suspended?

This DCB meeting is set to take place on Sunday August 11, 2019.

The matter for discussion has continued to raise many eyebrows, and the future of Guyana Cricket and Demerara cricket is considered a questionable one. (Brandon Corlette)