Guyana Post Newspaper

Keeping you updated on current events...

ONLINE DAILY NEWSPAPER

Saturday, February 27, 2021

Guyana gears to receive COVID vaccines FOUR ESCAPE FROM LETHEM LOCKUPS

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MINISTRY DISTURBED BY BRUTALITY METED OUT TO WOMEN, GIRLS

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Guyana Post Saturday, February 27, 2021

Nandlall backtracks on threat to Cevon’s Waste Management Company

Government had made a move to have Cevon’s Waste Management Company vacate the property at Mandela Avenue by way of court proceedings. The CEO of Cevon’s, Morse Archer, made an appeal to the Government to resolve the matter. He has had that request fulfilled. Attorney General Anil Nandlall had called on the company to remove from the property by March as the Government claimed that the acquiring of the land was not done legally. However, Mr. Archer maintained that his investment was genuine and the right process was followed. As he wrote to the president seeking

resolutions outside of the court. Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, has signalled the Government’s approach to the matter. He said that the Government will move to “regularise” the situation with the involvement of the National Sports Commission since the company had given a rundown of how much money was invested and how many jobs were created. “(Mr. Archer) has outlined how much money he has invested and the important partnership that he has entered into, which all seem genuine. The matter is being investigated and is being reviewed to see

how best the situation can be resolved. “The land does not fall under the Lands and Surveys Commission. So, the wrongs committed by Mr. Trevor Benn in abrogating under his supervisor authority over the land remains questionable. We will decide on the way forward; we will have to regularise the situation” Mr. Nandlall said Mr. Nandlall when asked what was meant by regularising the matter he responded that any such decision will have to rest in the hands of the National Sports Commission, the owner of the land. There will be guidance from the

Government on the way forward. “One of it will have to involve bringing on board the national sports commission. They own the land by law… They will have to address the matter and we have to look at what projects they may have had for the land and those kinds of confederation,” Nandlalll added He said that at this stage he is unable to say what may be the outcome but paying more, extracting the land from the commission, amounts to other options that remain on the table. Just weeks ago Nandlall wrote to the Cevons seeking this

removal off the property by March 1, or face the courts, some weeks after the new building was constructed. He was precipitate since he has since found out that the government has no control of the land and that he had no power to threaten Archer. Archer reached out to the Government explaining that his investment was genuine and that he would have a lot of folks unemployed in the event that the government acts outside its jurisdiction. Mr Archer added that it is his opinion that he has done nothing wrong in acquiring the land and that it remains strange

that in the process no one stopped him but waited until all was done then approached him. Mr Archer said that in the process of acquiring the land he approached the Mayor and City Council and was later referred back to the Minister of Housing, who did a validation and valued the space for $47 Million. During the later part of the deal, Mr Archer said he had paid $100 Million for the land and then it was later signed off by the Department of Lands and Surveys clearing the way for the head office to be built after more than five years of applying for the land.

Coalition MP says Govt places political expediency ahead of good economics

With the Government looking to pump more than $2B into the Sugar Industry, APNU-AFC Opposition Member, Coretta McDonald, is are calling on the PPP/C Government to be truthful to the sugar workers about the failing industry. Speaking on the allocation of monies in the Budget for the reopening of some sugar estates, MP. Mc Donald blasted the Government on its continued dishonesty about the industry, which it continues to fund while neglecting profitable ones. “The Sugar Workers info@guyanapostonline.com

APNU-AFC Opposition Member, Coretta McDonald

have been the backbone of this economy for decades and we appreciate their dedicated work. However, it is time, to tell the truth. “It is time to tell them

that they are producing a product at 0.41 Cents and selling at 0.13 cents, a loss of hard-earned taxpayers’ dollars and the transition is inevitable,” Ms Mc

Donald said. Ms. Mc Donald questioned why the Government continues to fund an industry, which over years has failed rather than fund a project like the bauxite industry that is more promising. She pointed to the fact that these questions might be answered since the Government will continue to fund the sugar industry in the interest of political gains rather than fund the bauxite industry which has been more profitable but the Government has shown no interest. “This Government

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has zero interest in policymaking for each Guyanese. Its decisions are driven by political discrimination and political considerations. “Let me show the evidence…Guyana currently supplies 6.6% of refractory grade bauxite to the world market. We are considered a great natural supplier of this resource but despite this fact, the Government refuses to rescue the bauxite workers and has decided to put $2B into Guysuco in this budget.” In the past, the APNU-AFC while in

Government closed down several sugar estates claiming that they were unprofitable. This caused some level of outrage by the then PPP/C Opposition, who said the Government then had closed an industry on which thousands of families depended. Since then, the PPP/C campaigned on the promise to re-open the sugar industry. This year it re-opened some estates, and in the 2021 budget has allocated some $2 billion for the revitalization of the industry.

Guyana Post Saturday, February 27, 2021

Roysdale Forde appeals Chief Justice’s decision to dismiss elections petition

Following the dismissal by Chief Justice, Roxane George, of the case in the relation to the APNU-AFC Election Petition, the petitioners have formally signaled an intent to appeal the

decision. Chief Justice George, on January 18, last, dismissed Election Petition 99P for non-compliance with the law, in the manner in which Former President David Granger was served

while being an important party to the petition. Rule 9 (1) of the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Rules, states that the petitioners have the statutory obligation to effect service within five

Minister Collin Croal justifies lack of consultation

Minister of Housing and Collin Croal,

With nearly every speaker on Opposition Parliamentary end outspoken of the Government’s lack of consultation on the 2021 Budget, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, has defended the Government’s decision to not consult with them. Minister Croal, in the presentation during the 2021 Budget Debate, pointed out that while the acknowledgment of consultation has been heard from the opposition, the info@guyanapostonline.com

Opposition cannot see it fit for the Government to consult them when they don’t recognize them as a legal Government. “Much has been said that they were claiming that they were not consulted but they have refused to recognize a People Progressive Party Civic government and a president, a duly elected president. “If you do not recognize, how can we recognize you as the leading opposition?” Minister Croal added that even if those claims were true, the Opposition would not be able to do so since they don’t have the knowledge to do so. Their track record has shown that they are incapable of having development. “They cannot discuss any budget in a sensible way because they don’t have the knowledge or

skill to do so and more importantly they cannot do so because they have failed… “The APNU-AFC failed to implement the lofty plans that they bragged about while in Government. They failed to come up with strategies to many problems that face our country even with the goodwill they enjoyed in 2015.” The Main Opposition APNU-AFC has been touting the fact that even then representing more than half of the voting populations, they were never consulated on the budget and other various projects. A P N U - A F C Opposition has claimed that the Government chose to consult with those they know will agree to the measures that will, in the long run, benefit them.

days after the presentation of the petition. According to the Chief Justice that was not complied with and as a result, the matter was dismissed. Withstanding that effect, just one month after, a notice of appeal was filed, yesterday by the APNU-AFC, Roysdale Forde, who represented petitioners, Monica Thomas and Brennan Joette Natasha Nurse. In the appeal, the petitioners expressed dismay at the decision of the Chief Justice. The petitioners are asking the Court of Appeal to set aside the decision since the judge would have erred in the manner in which the case was dismissed by misdirecting herself when

she applied the doctrine of strict compliance with service of the affidavit in a timely manner. The petitioners have noted also in the Judgement, the Judge failed to recognize the overall objective of the petition by mainly focusing on the service of the document rather than looking at the real matter at hand. It was during the case management period of the matter that Attorney General Anil Nandlall pointed out that the petition, having been filed on September 15, 2020, should have been served on the former President five days thereafter which would have been September 21, 2020, since the fifth day

September 20, 2020, was a Sunday. But according to an affidavit by Nurse, the petition along with the relevant documents was not served on the former President until September 25, 2020– four days outside of the statutorily prescribed period. Having regards to the circumstances, Nandlall urged the court that the petition ought to be dismissed. Chief Justice George agreed and dismissed the matter. Petition 88p, which challenged the manner in which the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections were done was left since that matter was filed in accordance with the law.

Foulis kills 72-year-old by pushing him into a fire

Marco Suedatt

A 22-year-old Foulis youth, Marco Suedatt, was this morning charged with brutally murdering a 72-year-old Pensioner, whom he reportedly shoved into a fire. Suedatt, who was not required to enter a plea to a charge of murder appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court and was remanded until May 18. It is alleged that Suedatt on February 22, at

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Enmore, ECD, murdered 72-year-old Mathura Etwaru, a pensioner. Reports suggest that on the day in question, the elderly man and Suedatt were seen in a heated argument near a supermarket. That argument quickly escalated. Suedatt reportedly pushed Etwaru to a fence and as the argument continued Etwaru was later held and shoved into a nearby fire. Suedatt, while the

Elderly Man being burnt alive, picked up his bicycle and rode away. The burnt body of Etwaru was discovered by a 51-year-old man in the area who later alerted the police. The Guyana Police Force in its investigation reviewed the CCTV footage from the supermarket and saw what had transpired and later arrested Suedatt, who then admitted to the murder.

Guyana Post Friday, February 26 2021

Give public servants 10% hike–Ramjattan

allocation set aside for public servants, the Opposition APNUAFC is demanding that the government give a 10% wage increase across the board for all public servants. Opposition Member of Parliament and Former Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, With the during the 2021 Budget Government only Debate demanded the noting that there has Government give a been a $10B Budget

10% wage increase for 2020. “As a simple demand of them, I proposed that there be a wage increase of 10% across the board retroactive to January pending the negotiation at all stallholders in Government and at the GPSU…. “It is in recognition of the hardship faced by public servants today, in this COVID period.” Mr. Ramjattan

said. The Coalition since the announcement of the 2021 budget has criticized the People’s Progressive Party Government for failing to increase public servants’ salaries and the minimum wage. “Please if you have any heart ensure that it happens. We would like a lot more but 10% is what we seek at this time,” Mr. Ramjattan added.

The Government had so far denied the APNU+AFC claims and said that persons must not be misled by them in their false claims that there will be no wages and salary increases in 2021 for public servants. As such the G o v e r n m e n t maintained that over $10B has been budgeted in the estimates under the

head, ‘revision of wages and salaries and a huge part of that sum will go towards salary increases for the public sector workers. The Coalition has thus far rejected this move. The allocation will not favour all and as such in order for that to only happen there must be an increase in percentage across the board, the coalition added.

A second UN term for a champion of causes crucial to the Caribbean

By Sir Ronald Sanders (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the U.S. and the OAS. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own) United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has announced his availability to serve a second term when his current term ends on December 31. Arguably, Guterres is the UN SecretaryGeneral that has paid the greatest attention to the concerns and challenges of the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Over the last four years, the policies and priorities he has vigorously pursued and tirelessly advocated have aligned with the interests of the people of the Region.

When three Caribbean countries experienced grave destruction in 2017 and 2019, Guterres made it his business to fly to them, not only to witness the devastation but to make the world aware of the catastrophes, and to formulate plans to help. Visiting Barbuda in 2017, weeks after the ravages of Hurricane Irma, he walked with the people who had suffered in the disaster that left no inhabitable house and no functional building. Guterres told the world, “I have been in areas torn by conflict. In my own country, I have seen earthquakes, I’ve seen storms […] I have never seen such a high-level of devastation like the one that I witnessed in Barbuda.” Moving from Barbuda to Dominica, which was worst affected because its population was much larger, the UN Chief declared, “the link between climate change and the devastation we are witnessing is clear, and there is a collective responsibility of the international community to stop this suicidal development.” He immediately launched an agenda on the theme of connecting climate change to natural disasters. Justification for his campaigning and advocacy was bolstered two years later, in 2019,

when Hurricane Dorian demolished islands of the Bahamas chain. Again, turning up to focus world attention on the catastrophe, Guterres told global audiences, “Hurricane Dorian has been classified as Category 5. I think it’s Category Hell.” The Secretary-General recognised the links between natural disasters caused by climate change, the accumulation of unsustainable debt by countries struggling to rebuild infrastructure and economies, and the crucial need for better debt forgiveness; debt rescheduling; and access to concessional financing from the International Financial Institutions. He has championed this stance relentlessly. As recently as January 25, he told a Climate Adaptation Summit meeting in The Netherlands, “We are facing a climate emergency. We are already witnessing unprecedented climate extremes and volatility, affecting lives and livelihoods on all continents. According to the World Meteorological Organization, there have been more than 11,000 disasters due to weather, climate and water-related hazards over the past 50 years at a cost of some US$3.6 trillion. Extreme weather and

climate-related hazards have also killed more than 410,000 people in the past decade, the vast majority in low and lower middleincome countries”. And, he added, “We must expand the provision of liquidity and debt relief instruments to developing and middle-income countries that lack the resources to relaunch their economies in a sustainable and inclusive way”. Guterres was commanding world attention to issues confronting the Caribbean region with the authority that Caribbean countries alone cannot muster. He has also stressed that “The share for Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in total climate finance remains small, representing only 14 per cent and 2 per cent of flows respectively”. In that context, he has argued for “support for regional adaptation and resilience initiatives, that would allow, debt-for-adaptation swaps for the Caribbean or the Pacific Islands and provide much needed liquidity to vulnerable countries in dire need”. Similarly, since the middle of 2020, he has been warring for developing countries, particularly small states, over the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In his unflagging championship,

on January 25, he told the World Economic Forum in Davos, “Inclusive and sustainable recovery around the globe will depend on the availability and effectiveness of vaccines for all, immediate fiscal and monetary support in both developed and developing countries, and transformative longer-term stimulus measures”. Declaring that “Vaccines must be seen as global public goods — people’s vaccines”, Guterres told the world’s leading economic and financial leaders, “If developed countries think they will be safe if they vaccinate their own people while neglecting the developing world, they are wrong”. He argued that what is required is “full funding for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator and its COVAX facility led by the World Health Organization (WHO)”. Countries in CARICOM, which now have no vaccines and little prospect of getting sufficient, under the existing COVAX programme of the WTO to inoculate their populations, strongly agree with Guterres’s position. It is significant that he attended CARICOM Heads of Government

Meetings in 2019 and 2020 to hear their concerns first-hand. On January 28, the SecretaryGeneral outlined his priorities. They reflect concerns expressed by CARICOM leaders, including promoting vaccine equity, providing access for the world’s poorest countries; combatting climate change and biodiversity loss; conquering the grave impacts of poverty and inequality; and strengthening multilateralism to ensure delivery of public health, peace and a healthy environment. Undoubtedly, there’s good reason for all CARICOM leaders to take leaves from the books of Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, who pledged his support by letter to Guterres on January 12, and British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who on the same day, “warmly welcomed the secretary-general’s decision to run for a second term and congratulated him on a successful first term”. António Guterres, by just doing his job with fidelity to the countries he represents – including small states – has proven himself very worthy of the unequivocal support of CARICOM countries.

International News

Guyana Post Thursday, February 25, 2021

COVAX VACCIN E-SHAR ING SCHEM E DELIVE RS FIRST DOSES TO GHANA Coast later this week, the Covax alliance says. Vaccinations are expected to start in Ghana next week, and, as well as health workers, those over 60, people with underlying health conditions, and senior officials are due to be prioritised. The vaccines delivered to Accra

Ghana has become the first country to receive coronavirus vaccines through the Covax vaccine-sharing initiative. A delivery of 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in Accra on Wednesday. The first recipients are due to

be healthcare workers. The Covax scheme aims to reduce the divide between rich countries and poorer nations unable to buy doses. The programme is planning to deliver about two billion vaccine doses globally by the end of the year.

were produced by the Serum Institute of India and developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. The vaccine has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its roll-out in Ghana is not part of a trial. The doses being sent to lower-income countries such as

Ghana are funded by donations. As well as procuring and delivering the vaccines, Covax partners are supporting local authorities in areas such as training people to administer the jabs and helping provide an adequate cold-chain storage and delivery system.

Ghana, which has a population of over 30m, was chosen as the first recipient of the free vaccines after promising quick distribution and meeting the criteria set by Covax. Further deliveries are expected to neighbouring Ivory

Johnson and Johnson vaccine: FDA finds the single-shot jab safe

A review by US regulators of the singleshot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine has found it is safe and effective. It paves the way for it to become the third Covid-19 vaccine to be authorised in the US, info@guyanapostonline.com

possibly within days. The vaccine would be a cost-effective alternative to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and can be stored in a refrigerator instead of a freezer. Results from trials were released by

Johnson & Johnson last month. The Belgian company Janssen, which is owned by the pharmaceutical giant, said its data showed the product was highly effective against severe disease. It comes as Ghana

became the first country to receive coronavirus vaccines through the Covax vaccine-sharing initiative. The briefing document published by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives more detail on

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the data submitted by Janssen to the regulator. The FDA concludes that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has “known benefits” in reducing both symptomatic and severe illness. Results from vaccine trials conducted in the US, South Africa and Brazil found its efficacy against the worst outcomes of the virus was “similarly high” but overall protection was lower in South Africa and Brazil, where virus variants have become dominant. Data showed it was more than 85% effective at preventing serious illness, but only 66% effective overall, when moderate cases were included, when considering cases at least 28 days after vaccination. Notably, there were

no deaths among participants who had received the vaccine and no hospital admissions after 28 days post-vaccine. An external committee of experts will meet on Friday to recommend whether the FDA should authorise the vaccine, possibly adding to a coming surge in vaccine availability in the US. AWhite House official said the administration anticipated distributing at least three million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week, should it receive emergency authorisation from the FDA. The company says it plans to deliver 20 million doses in total by late March, in line with an agreement to supply the US with 100m doses by the end of June.

International News

Guyana Post Thursday, February 25, 2021

ECUADO R INCREA SES DEATH TOLL IN PRISON RIOTS TO 79

The number of inmates killed in riots at three separate prisons in Ecuador this week has increased to 79, authorities said on Wednesday, after they regained control of the facilities.Hundreds of police officers and

military personnel were deployed after coordinated fights between rival gangs broke out in the prisons’ maximumsecurity wings on Monday night. Authorities said the gangs began a

battle for leadership within the prison system in December when a leader of Los Choneros, considered the most powerful gang, was killed in a shopping centre several months after being released.

E c u a d o r i a n President Lenin Moreno said Tuesday was a “tragic day for the country” – as dozens of prisoners were first reported dead – and blamed overpopulation within the prison system, as well as a lack of personnel and resources, for the violence. In earlier messages, he expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and pledged to hold those responsible accountable. “What happened yesterday was no coincidence,” Moreno said in a video posted on Twitter. “It was organised from

outside the prison, orchestrated by those who are in dispute over leadership and drug trafficking across our national territory.” The national agency responsible for the prisons (SNAI) said 37 inmates were killed in the Pacific coast city of Guayaquil. Thirtyfour others were killed in Cuenca, Ecuador’s third-largest city and eight were killed in the central city of Latacunga. The detention facilities where the riots took place account for 70 percent of the country’s prison population. On Tuesday, television footage showed some prisoners

jumping from high walls and others forcing open prison doors but police and the military stopped them. SNAI said all those killed during the rioting were prisoners. “Thanks to the actions carried out between this institution and the National Police, the situation … is under control,” the agency said in a statement. Police said inmates in two prisons in Guayaquil tried to continue fighting on Wednesday, but at least 400 officers reinforced security there. Moreno declared a state of emergency in Ecuador’s prison system in 2019 after at least 24 were killed in

Syria torture: German court convicts ex-intelligence officer

A German court has sentenced a former Syrian intelligence officer to four-and-ahalf years in jail for complicity in crimes against humanity. Prosecutors in Koblenz successfully argued that Eyad alGharib, 44, had helped to arrest protesters in 2011 who were later tortured and murdered. The case was unprecedented for its hours of witness testimony describing info@guyanapostonline.com

widespread torture in Syria. Another Syrian Anwar Raslan, 58 remains on trial. Both fled Syria’s civil war and got asylum in Germany - but were arrested in 2019. German prosecutors invoked the principle of “universal jurisdiction” for serious crimes to bring the case. The agency the men worked for played a crucial role in suppressing the peaceful

pro-democracy protests that erupted against President Assad’s regime in 2011. Prosecutors argued that the two men were “cogs in the wheel” enabling a vast state torture machine to operate. Eyad al-Gharib was charged with bringing at least 30 protesters to a notorious Damascus prison to be tortured in 2011, while working for Syria’s most powerful civilian intelligence

agency, the General Intelligence Directorate (GID). His defence lawyers argued that he feared punishment for disobedience if he did not carry out orders, and highlighted his willing co-operation with German authorities and assistance in providing evidence against Anwar Raslan. Al-Gharib says he defected from Mr Assad’s regime to help the opposition and then

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fled Syria in 2013, arriving in Germany in 2018. Eyad al-Gharib was a relatively lowlevel operative among thousands of others in the Syrian regime’s highly developed network of coercion and repression. The verdict is a legal landmark. The prosecution was intended as a test case, to build up a body of evidence about the actions of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad that could be used in other trials, not just in Germany. Al-Gharib’s conviction starts to chip away at any sense of impunity felt by Syrians still working for the regime who might be involved with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The German human rights lawyers behind the case have spent years using the

principle of universal jurisdiction to reach out across borders to pursue other allegations. Their targets have included the former US President George W Bush for crimes including violations of the UN Convention against Torture. line Anwar Raslan is suspected of being involved in the torture of at least 4,000 people in 2011-12. He is charged with 58 counts of murder as well as rape and sexual assault. He is accused of being a high-ranking officer in charge of the GID’s al-Khatib prison in Damascus, known as “Hell On Earth”. If convicted, he faces life in prison. Rare moment of justice For some Syrians the trial, which began in April 2020, was a rare chance for justice after countless atrocities.

International News

Guyana Post Thursday, February 25, 2021

APAN INCREASES PROTECTION FOR US MILITARY AMID ‘SEVERE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT’

Imran Ramsaywack

Hong Kong (CNN) Japan’s military performed 25 missions in 2020 in defense of US ships or planes, a sign of the growing integration of two of Asia’s most powerful armed forces. The number of what Japan calls “asset protection” missions

was up from 14 in 2019 amid a “severe security environment,” according to an announcement from Japan’s Ministry of Defense. The Japanese military said the 25 missions involved Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF)

protecting US Navy ships on four occasions while those ships were gathering information on ballistic missiles or other warning or surveillance activities. In 21 instances, the missions involved protecting US aircraft that were in joint training with their

Japanese counterparts. Japanese authorities would not say when or where the missions took place, only that they “contributed to the defense of Japan.” American and Japanese forces participated in a wide range of exercises last year in and around

Japan and as far away as the Indian Ocean. A US Air Force B-1 Lancer and US F-16 fighters from Misawa Air Base, Japan, conducted bilateral joint training with Japan Air SelfDefense Force F-2s off the coast of northern Japan, April 22, 2020. Defense analysts said if a hostile power took on the United States military in any of the asset protection missions, Japanese forces could hit back at that foe. “If American assets were suddenly attacked then the SDF would be expected to counter attack to prevent follow-up attacks on US vessels or planes,” said Corey Wallace, an assistant professor at Kanagawa University in Japan.

However, Japanese security expert Narushige Michishita, vice president of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, said it was unlikely the forces faced any real danger of hostilities. “Certainly, some countries’ forces conduct dangerous maneuvers during USJapan exercises, so the Americans and the Japanese might have experienced a few unnerving events on some occasions,” he said. But both experts said the SDF announcement indicates the growing importance of the US-Japan security relationship amid a time of increased threats in the region.

Deadly sea crossings’: 41 migrants drown in the Mediterranea

At least 41 people drowned when their boat capsized in the Central Mediterranean on Saturday, the latest shipwreck involving migrants and refugees fleeing conflict-stricken Libya and seeking a better life in Europe. The United Nations migration and refugee agencies, IOM and UNHCR, said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the drowned people were among at least 120 migrants on a dinghy that left Libya on February 18. According to info@guyanapostonline.com

testimonies gathered by the UNHCR, the dinghy started taking in water after about 15 hours at sea, and eight people died before a merchant vessel came to help. “After about 15 hours the dinghy started to take in water, and the persons on board tried in every way possible to call for help,” a joint statement by the IOM and UNHCR said. “In those hours, six persons died after falling into the water, while two others tried to swim to a boat spotted in the distance and drowned.

“After about three hours, the vessel Vos Triton approached the dinghy to carry out a rescue but in the difficult and delicate operation many persons lost their lives.” The vessel rescued the survivors and took them to the Sicilian port town of Porto Empedocle in Italy. The missing included three children and four women, one of whom left behind a newborn baby currently in Lampedusa. The shipwreck was the latest along the Central Mediterranean migration

route, where about 118 migrants have died this year. Since 2014, more than 20,000 migrants and refugees have died at sea while trying to reach Europe from Africa. More than 17,000 of those have been on the Central Mediterranean which is described by the UN as the most dangerous migration route in the world. In the years since the 2011 uprising that removed and killed longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, wartorn Libya has emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants. Human smugglers based in Libya launch vessels, many of them flimsy rubber dinghies or rickety fishing boats, crowded with migrants who hope to reach European shores to seek asylum. The journey – after years of suffering and

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torture in the country of origin, during travel and in Libya – starts with leaving in the middle of the night, often on overcrowded, unseaworthy boats without food and water. Questionable life jackets for the treacherous conditions are only for those who can afford them. In addition to the casualty figures are the ones forcibly returned to Libya, described as “hell” by those who survived the ordeal on their transit. Since February 2017, at least 36,000 people have been intercepted by the Libyan coastguard and returned to the North African country, UN figures show. The European Union has reportedly spent more than 90 million euros ($109m) in funding and training the Libyan coastguard to stop the crossings.

An Associated Press investigation revealed the EU sent more than 327.9 million euros ($397.9m) to Libya, largely channelled through UN agencies. EU nations such as Italy and Malta have often refused docking permission to humanitarian rescue boats. “The duty to rescue people at sea must always be respected, regardless of their nationality and legal status, in line with international obligations,” the UN statement added. “That migrants and refugees should continue to try desperately to reach Europe via the Central Mediterranean is demonstration of the need for an immediate international effort to provide them with viable alternatives to these deadly sea crossings.

SPORTS

TIGER WOODS IS AWAKE AND RECOVERING FROM SURGERY AFTER SERIOUS ACCIDENT

Golf legend Tiger Woods

Los Angeles (CNN) Golf legend Tiger Woods is awake and recovering from surgery, according to a statement posted early Wednesday on his official Twitter account. Woods, who was involved in a serious car accident on Tuesday near Los Angeles, is “responsive, and recovering in his hospital room,” the statement said. Woods suffered serious leg injuries and was trapped but conscious when emergency responders reached the scene of his one-vehicle rollover crash on a stretch of California road known for speeding and accidents, authorities said Tuesday. Woods, 45, was driving shortly after 7 a.m. PT in Rancho Palos Verdes, near Los Angeles, when the SUV he was using crossed a median and went across two lanes of road before hitting a curb, hitting a tree and landing on its side off the roadway in the brush. A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who was the first to arrive said he found Woods still in the driver’s seat, wearing his seatbelt, and that the golfer was able to tell him his name was Tiger. The 15-time major champion was lucid and calm, but potentially in shock, and didn’t seem to be concerned with his injuries at the time, Deputy Carlos Gonzalez said. Los Angeles County

Fire Chief Daryl Osby told CNN’s John Berman that Woods was alert and oriented and was trying to “self-extricate” but he was stuck. Firefighters used a pry bar and an ax to free the golfer, who this past weekend hosted a PGA Tour event in the area but didn’t play because of a recent back surgery. They broke the windshield with the ax and used the bar to pry the seats and metal from around Woods’ legs, Osby said. They put Woods in a neck collar, attached leg splints and used a backboard to get him through the giant hole in the windshield to an ambulance. He went to the hospital in serious but stable condition with injuries to both legs, Osby said. Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, said the golfer was in surgery with multiple injuries, according to Golf Digest. How the crash happened The crash, which destroyed the front of the Genesis SUV courtesy vehicle, could have been fatal, but the airbags and seatbelts helped Woods survive, Gonzalez and Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. The sheriff said he thinks Woods was traveling at a high rate of speed down a hilly part of the road when the crash occurred. There were no skid

marks or other indications of braking, Villanueva added. Villanueva said that section of road is “downhill on a curve,” and he and Gonzalez said the area is known as a trouble spot for speeding and accidents. Deputies responding to Woods saw no evidence of impairment, Villanueva said, and they didn’t ask hospital officials to take a blood draw, he said. A Los Angeles law enforcement source told CNN that no field sobriety test was administered because of the seriousness of Woods’ injuries. A tweet from the sheriff’s department earlier said rescuers used the Jaws of Life to get Woods out of the vehicle, but Osby said firefighters in fact used a tool for prying and an ax to remove the windshield and free Woods. Woods was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a trauma center. CNN has reached out to the hospital for his condition. The sheriff’s department said Woods was the only occupant of the car. Another car, not involved in the initial rollover incident, stopped after the crash and was rear-ended, according to Los Angeles County PIO Henry Narvaez. The days leading up to the crash Woods likely was headed for the Rolling Hills Country Club in nearby Rolling HIlls Estates for a shoot with Golf Digest and Golf TV, according to Daniel Rapaport, the Tiger Woods correspondent for Golf Digest. Woods had a 7:30 a.m. call time, with shooting supposed to begin around 8. It was the second day of shooting. Rapaport told CNN’s “Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” that Woods was not playing or

L.A. County sheriff’s deputies investigate an accident involving golfer Tiger Woods on Tuesday along Hawthorne Boulevard on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

hitting, but was giving oncourse playing lessons to celebrities. “He was in good spirits on Monday when he did that,” Rapaport said of the shoot. Woods had hosted the Genesis Invitational over the weekend, and was seen intermittently on Saturday and more often during Sunday’s final round. Woods was at the course Monday with NBA legend Dwyane Wade, actress Jada Pinkett Smith and actor David Spade. “The reason I picked up a golf club. Yesterday was a pretty cool day! Thank you @tigerwoods @golfdigest for this dope opportunity!” Wade wrote on Instagram Tuesday. “Guess who I had the most awesome golf day with yesterdayyyyyy??? Yes! The magnificent @ TigerWoods !!!! Yes ... dreams come true. I can’t wait for you to see my golf journey with Tiger. Stay tuned!” she wrote. Spade joked about Woods’ ability as an instructor. “Golf lesson with this guy today. And you know what? He’s not bad... He picks things up very quickly. Good listener,” he tweeted with a photo of himself and a smiling Woods. Recent injuries Woods, who has won a record-tying 82 PGA Tour events, announced earlier this year that he had a

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recent back operation, the fifth of his professional career. Woods told CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz in video posted Sunday on the PGA Tour’s Twitter feed that he was “feeling fine” but a “little bit stiff” after his most recent procedure. He said he was scheduled to get one more MRI. Woods previously had back surgery -- a spinal fusion -- in 2017 and made his return almost a year later. He went on to launch a remarkable comeback, winning the Masters in 2019. Any progress last year was hampered by yet another back injury and the pandemic, which heavily disrupted the golf calendar. “We have been made aware of Tiger Woods’ car accident today. We are awaiting further information when he comes out of surgery. On behalf of the PGA TOUR and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said Woods last played competitive golf at the rescheduled Masters in November. He also played golf in a father-son event called the PNC Challenge in December in Florida. Woods was the host of this weekend’s PGA Tour event, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera

Country Club in Pacific Palisades, and some proceeds went to his foundation. World No. 3 golfer and friend Justin Thomas got emotional while talking about Woods ahead of the Workday Championship at The Concession event in Bradenton, Florida. “I’m sick to my stomach,” he told PGA Tour Entertainment. “You know, it hurts to see one of your -- now one of my closest friends get in an accident. Man, I just hope he’s all right. Just worry for his kids, you know. I’m sure they’re struggling.” Jack Nicklaus, whose record of 18 major titles Woods has been chasing, tweeted his well wishes. “Barbara and I just heard about Tiger’s accident, and like everyone else, we are deeply concerned,” he wrote. “We want to offer him our heartfelt support and prayers at this difficult time. Please join us in wishing Tiger a successful surgery and all the best for a full recovery.” Corrections: This story has been updated with the correct status of Woods’ vehicle as well as the correct spelling of the Los Angeles County spokesperson’s last name. Also, the LA County Sheriff’s Department initially said Woods was cut from his vehicle using the Jaws of Life. It has since said that is not the case. This story has been updated to reflect that.

Guyana Post Saturday February 30, 2021

Laptop disappears from MP’s bag in National Assembly

Member of Parliament Catherine Hughes

Police have been called as the laptop of Member of Parliament Catherine Hughes went missing.

The MP reportedly left the laptop along with some documents in her brief case in the dome of the Arthur

Chung Convention Centre where the National Assembly has been convened. The former minister

discovered the laptop missing when she returned from lunch. The documents remained intact but the laptop is missing. This publication understands that the police have been called in and a search is expected to happen. Hughes husband, Attorney at Law, Nigel Hughes in a social media post said “just when you thought things could not get worse in the National Assembly, a laptop is stolen from a MP’s bag in the Dome in the National Assembly during the budget debates.” The MPs are currently debating the 2021 national budget.

Guyana Post Thursday, February 25, 2021

THE POLICE HAVE ARRESTED FOUR OVER THE RAPING OF A 98-YEAR-OLD, WOMAN

Four people are in police custody following the rape of a 98-year-old woman of Corentyne. Those arrested are a 38-year-old fisherman, a 53-year-old laborer, a 23-year-old laborer, and a 24-year-old laborer, all of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne. On Tuesday morning the caretaker just around 07:30hrs went to the home of the victim to wake her and to take her out. She later observed that the door was opened, which is unusual.

According to the police statement, this caused the caretaker to call out for the victim who responded that “the boys come in and beat her up and push their hand down her throat and choke her”. The caretaker observed that blood was on the victim’s clothing and bedspread. Sometime later, the police were then called in and an investigation was launched where it was discovered that the woman was indeed violated.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan heads list of 48 promoted GDF Ranks from January 01, 2021. Heading the list of promoted Officers is Acting Colonel and Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan who was made Substantive in her rank. Eight Substantive Majors have also been promoted to the rank of Substantive Lieutenant Colonel. Those Majors are Mohinder Ramjag, Anson Weekes, Matthew Chichester, Andy Pompey, Dale De Mendonca, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan Kennard Liverpool, Earl President of the Co- Chief Magistrate Ann Edghill, and Miguel operative Republic of McLennan were made Benjamin Guyana and Commander Substantive in her rank. in Chief, Mr Irfaan Ali in See the following The following 14 accordance with Part III statement below from the Substantive Captains are Section 16 of the Defense Guyana Defence Force newly promoted Majors: Act 15:01 of 1977 of In accordance with Substantive Captain the law has promoted 48 Part III Section 16 of Troy Cordis Guyana Police Defense the Defence Act 15:01 Substantive Captain Force Ranks, in the wake of 1977, the Chief of Kirk Marlock of Guyana’s 51st Republic Staff (ag)Brigadier Substantive Captain Anniversary Godfrey Bess is pleased Esan Reid The promotion is said to announce that His to be in effect from with Excellency the President Substantive Captain effect from January 1, and Commander-in- Bernard Cunjie 2021, and heading that Chief Dr. Irfaan Ali has list is said to be Officer approved the promotion Substantive Captain is Acting Colonel and of 48 Officers with effect Cleon Coppin info@guyanapostonline.com

Substantive Daryl Britton

Captain

Substantive Mirza Wahid

Captain

Substantive Dawn Singh

Captain

Substantive Denolle Sankar

Captain

Substantive Captain Jermaine Newton Substantive Sven Douglas

Captain

Substantive Oral Thom

Captain

Substantive Dwighton Bess

Captain

Substantive Paul Castello

Captain

Below is the list of the Substantive Lieutenants who have been promoted to the rank of Substantive Captain. Substantive Lieutenant Samuel Klien

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Substantive Lieutenant Substantive Lieutenant Steffon Cameron Keevin Salaru Lieutenant Coast Substantive Lieutenant Guard, Wayne Richmond Teffurn James is leading Officers’ promotion at the Coast Substantive Lieutenant Guard. He was promoted to the rank of Substantive Pete Da Silva Lieutenant Commander. Substantive Lieutenant Additionally, Sub Lieutenant Carlos Moore Trevon Poole has been promoted to Substantive Lieutenant the rank of Substantive Lieutenant. Rohan Marshall Meanwhile, Substantive Substantive Lieutenant Majors Michael Charles, Obitre Hytmiah Sean Welcome, and Bhageshwar Murli, who Substantive Lieutenant serve in the Guyana Dishon Harris People’s Militia (GPM) have also been promoted Substantive Lieutenant to the rank of Substantive Lieutenant Colonel. Steffhon Branche Substantive Captains Substantive Lieutenant Salim October, Lancelot Curtlan Melville Khan, Mahendra Carpen, and Marlon Daniels have Substantive Lieutenant been promoted to the rank of Substantive Major. Shaheed Zaiboon Also in the GPM, Substantive Lieutenant Substantive Lieutenants Lakshman Persaud and Neil Asregadoo Patrice Jacobs have been Substantive Lieutenant promoted to the rank of Lawrence King Substantive Captain.

Guyana Post Thursday, February 25, 2021

ACME Manager found dead in her Office

54-year-old Sandra Dee-Barker of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara was found dead in her office at ACME building this morning. Reports are that

Barker was found motionless in her office on the third floor of the ACME General Store located at the corner of Regent and King Streets, Georgetown.

MAN SHOT DEAD DURING J’OUVERT

According to staff, the woman was last seen alive on Monday just around 17:30h. The woman’s body was discovered by a 25-year-old colleague motionless. It was examined by Emergency Medical Technicians, at the scene. No marks of violence were seen norr were there any signs of breakage found on the building The dead woman was later identified by her brother, Philip Barker, of Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown. The body is currently at the Lyken Funeral home awaiting a post mortem.

A Tiger Bay man’s night out with friends turned tragic after he was shot and killed during J’ouvert Dance on Mandela Avenue. Dead is a 24-year-old, Tiger Resident, Dale Christopher. Initials reports sugget that it was just before midnight at the Mandela location, between Princess and Norton Street, Christopher was attending the dance with a group of friends.

Black Bush Polder man gets 18 years for killing brother

Con’t pg10

A Black Bush Polder Man was today jailed for 18 years for stabbing his brother to death back in 2017. The convict, 24-yearold Gopaul Sewsankar, previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter committed against his brother 19-year-old Vishal Sahora of Lot 85 Yakusari, Black Bush Polder before Justice Simone MorrisRamlall. Reports are that Sahora, one of his brothers, Samuel Sewsankar, and a friend of Sahora

Jagdeo’s. The document was prepared by NICIL Director, Winston Brassington. Page 38 of that document, item 61, showed that Boyer under the name of his company, National Hardware was sold 103.88 acres for $510M (US2.55M)— $4.9M per acre. The document showed that other buyers of land in Liliendaal paid way more than Boyer paid. Scady Business Corp. paid $115M for 4.7 acres — $23M per acre. Even though the circumstances surrounding that sale are questionable, Boyer was essentially handed the lands at a gift price. The transactions were also flagged in the NICIL audit report done by Chartered Accountant and Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran. Goolsarran, in his report, said that “By order No. 45 of 2008 dated 29 December 2008,

info@guyanapostonline.com

were imbibing under the friend’s house when the suspect approached Sahora requesting to borrow his motorcycle. Sahora refused and Sewsankar became annoyed and dealt him a slap. A scuffle ensued between the two brothers. Sewsankar then pulled out a knife he had in his possession and stabbed his brother to the chest. Sahora later was rushed to the Mibicuri Hospital where he succumbed while receiving treatment. Over three years later

It was sometime during the dance shots rang out and Christopher was seen laying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Christopher was picked up and rush to Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police are still trying to ascertain whether the shooting was random or a target. With limited details of the matter, the father

of the dead the man said unaware of the details of the shooting or why his son was shot. “I just got the message this morning, one of them call and said he got shot…… I haven’t even seen the body. Another man rides up, and tell me that your son is dead, that’s all I know. He went to some party.” The man is hopeful that details surrounding the shooting will come to light

GOVERNMENT SELECTS....

and in court, attorney representing Sewsankar, said that his client is a first-time offender who is involved in a commonlaw relationship and has a four-year-old daughter. It was also noted by his lawyer that while his actions are not excused, the incident arose between brothers that we drinking and the accused has expressed remorse of what he did to his brother. Justice Ramlall ch felt that 18 years was sufficient for the crime committed in the circumstances.

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209.344 acres of land at Block LPT lettered XXX were transferred from GuySuCo to the government of Guyana. Of this amount, 103.88 acres were transferred to NICIL via order No. 4/2010 dated 12 March 2010. Three months later, on 17 June 2010, NICIL sold the said land to National Hardware for $510M via order No. 43 of 2010. This works out to 4.9M per acre. He noted too, “By order No. 47/2008 dated 30 December 2008 4.7 acres of land at RU Plantation Liliendaal was transferred from the Government of Guyana to NICIL. NICIL in turn sold the property on 2 January 2009, a mere two days later, for $115 M to Scady Business Corporation, an overseas company based in Tortola, British Virgin Islands . This is further evidence of the sale of

land without any form of competitive bidding.” Boyer later denied that he was given a favourable deal. Presented with the information about the purchase deal, and asked to comment, Boyer’s first response was, “When? What? Boyer then said that the price was the “highest price ever paid for land in Guyana.” Asked by a reporter how much he paid, Boyer replied, “Why must I tell you how much I paid for the land? It does not have to be public knowledge. It was government land; GuySuCo or whoever sold the land can tell you.” Boyer continued that he was the only bidder for the land. “I got it and that was the end of that.” Today, Boyer is making a fortune on that piece of land. A house lot is now being sold for $40 million, the equivalent of $160 million per acre.

Guyana Post Tuesday February 23, 2021

CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT TO MEET THIS WEEK

are The roll-out of COVID-19 Vaccines will be among major matters for deliberation when CARICOM Heads of Government hold their ThirtySecond Inter-Sessional Meeting, under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago, on the 24-25 February 2021.

Access t o vaccines is regarded as crucial to curbing the spread of COVID-19 infections in the Region where many Member States have experienced increases in positive cases. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)

expected to address the Heads on the pandemic. There will also be discussion on regional economic recovery and transformation. The Heads of Government will examine the status of implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy

(CSME), and any outstanding issues which need to be resolved to ensure that full benefits from the CSME are realised. The CSME is regarded as critical to the Region’s strategy to build economic resilience, and it is felt that the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need to accelerate the pace of the integration process. The Meeting is also expected to consider recommendations from the CARICOM Commission

COALITION MP SEES BUDGET 2021 AS VISIONLESS

Opposition Member Amanza Walton-Desir

As the 2021 Budget Debate opened in the 12th sitting of parliament, Opposition Member Amanza Walton-Desir has described the budget as visionless, one that does not show how the small man will benefit. Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, on Friday, February 12, announced info@guyanapostonline.com

Guyana’s largest Budget at $381.1 B dubbing it as a recovery budget from the COVID-19 Pandemic. In an opening debate statement, MP. Desir deemed such budget as one that has shown no vision for the future of Guyanese, even as they would have inherited a healthy economy from the former APNU-AFC Government.

Desir said that this is shown in the budget speech of the type of economy the new PPP/C Government has inherited but the Government seems to ignore the fact, even as the facts can be found at the click of a finger. While speaking to the interest of taxation, MP. Desir said that while the Opposition welcomes such moves, the budget does not speak to how those measurements will benefit the small man, where the trickle-down should occur. She said that with the removal of tax on certain areas, the Government has accomplished much by way of borrowing, which will in the end put Guyana into further debt. The Government has touted the 2021 budget as

one which acts as a road map to recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic and what the APNU-AFC has left. In budget 2021, the Government has given the Education sector the largest chunk of the budget of $60.6 Billion, while Health had taken the second largest allocation of $53.5 B. According to the Government, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to grow by 20.9%. in 2021 coming off of a 43.5% growth last year. This the Government, has said, will be done with no new taxes and with a diversified programme that will see Guyana benefit beyond revenues earnings from oil.

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MAN ON THE RUN AFTER MURDERING COUSIN AT BIRTHDAY PARTY

25-year-old, Reaz Mohamed,

Police are on the hunt for a man who reportedly murdered his cousin at his birthday party. Dead on 25-year-old, Reaz Mohamed, called ‘Boy’, a fisherman of Section ‘A’ D’Edward Village, West Bank Berbice. According to the police report, the incident occurred at Mohammed’s birthday celebration. The police said that Mohammed along with family, and some friends were all intoxicated when the incident occurred.

It was during that time Mohamed started using foul language against his father and in the process assaulted him. The suspect reportedly spoke to Mohamed, continued the assault. The cousin later became annoyed and armed himself with a knife, the incident then occuured. The suspect later made a good escape. As such, the police have since then launched an investigation and a manhunt for the suspect.

ESCAPEE’S FATHER CHARGED FOR HABOURING PRISON ESCAPEES

60-year-old Ralph Jones

60-year-old Ralph Jones appeared in court on Monday morning with four counts of harbouring and maintaining four prison escapees. Jones, a captain of 114 fourth Avenue Bartica is the father of Rayon Jones, one of four men who escaped from Mazaruni prison a week ago. The court heard that on 16th February, Jones knew that the four men being convicted prisoners at Mazaruni Prison had escaped from the

said prison, received, comforted, harboured and maintained them. The charges were indictable and Jones was not required to plead. His lawyer Adrian Thompson told the court that Jones’s son showed up at his home with the other 3 convicts and demanded food and money. Thompson said his client was fearful for his life and him not helping the escapees could have caused him his life. Magistrate Crystal Lambert refused to grant bail, he was remanded until March 5. The four men, Imran Ramsaywack, Kenrick Lyte, Samuel Gouveia and Rayon Jones remain on the run.

Guyana Post Tuesday February 23, 2021

MESSAGE FROM THE PPP ON GUYANA’S 51ST REPUBLIC ANNIVERSARY

As our nation celebrates its 51st anniversary as a Republic, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) takes this opportunity to express best wishes to all Guyanese, both at home and in the Diaspora.

M a s h r a m a n i represents our history of struggles and pride in self-governance and builds on the celebration after hard work. As a nation, we must reflect on where we came from and celebrate our efforts that have led

to Guyana becoming a country known for its rich diversity and resilience. The Party is cognizant that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the muchanticipated annual vibrant Costume and Float Parade on Mash

Day and other related activities across the country prior to and on February 23 would not be held. These celebrations have become fundamental in reflecting our revelry after hard work and Guyana’s rich diversity which defines our multi-ethnic, multireligious and multicultural composition. While the characteristic splendour of the multitude of colours splashed to the pulsating beat of the music will be absent and missed this year, it will not diminish the true significance of what Mashramani means to us as a nation, which 51 years ago

MASH GREETINGS FROM PNC

The People’s National Congress extends greetings to the Guyanese nation on the occasion of the 51st Anniversary of the Republic. The PNC was empowered by the Guyanese people to bring the nation to Independence in 1966 and to Republican status in 1970. It was honoured to have been returned to office, again, to celebrate the 50th anniversaries of both events in 2016 and 2020. These auspicious info@guyanapostonline.com

celebrations not only evoked emotions of patriotism and pride but, also, of satisfaction with its stewardship to the people while it was in office.The PNC, this year, as part of A Partnership for National Unity, is not in office. The Party, thoughtfully, had the vision to draft a blueprint for national development by launching the concept plan for the ‘Decade of Development: 2020-2029’ during which Guyanese should expect to enjoy a higher quality of life beyond 2030.

The PNC commits to continuing to work during the coming decade to improve the livelihood of all citizens in all sectors. The Party, most particularly, will work with our Parliamentary group and our political arms and agencies to enhance public health especially during this pandemic, public education, public security, economic growth; energy security; environmental security; regional development; social cohesion; social protection; and the defence

of our territorial integrity. Republican status represented a substantive fulfilment of our people’s aspirations to chart their own destiny by refashioning our economic and social relations, introducing new national institutions, affirming sovereignty and advancing towards the goal of self-reliance. The celebration of this 51st anniversary of becoming a Republic is an occasion of national pride. Happy Anniversary!

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saw the end of the final aspect of colonial rule by achieving Republic status. This 51st anniversary comes at a time when our dear country is on a renewed path to prosperity and transformation through modernisation. This path may not have been traversed had Guyanese not stood up through relentless struggles for democracy to prevail following the constitutional transgressions of the then APNU/AFC regime and its blatant attempts to subvert the will of the Guyanese people following the March 02, 2020, elections. That five-month

period tested us as a nation and as a people. In the end, not only were our democracy and image restored, but our resolve strengthened and our commitment to safeguard our democratic processes, fortified. As we are faced with the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that we remain focused on our health and well-being. As such, despite not being able to revel in the same manner as before, we should remain mindful that we have struggled as a nation but that our efforts have not gone in vain. Happy Mashramani to all Guyanese

SPEEDING TRUCK KILLS ONE ON SOESDYKE-LINDEN HIGHWAY The Guyana Police Force is currently investigating an accident on the Linden Highway that caused the death of one while leaving another in a critical condition after a truck slammed into two parked pick-up trucks. Initial reports are that it was just around 20:00 hrs Saturday night on the Dora Public Road, Soesdyke/ Linden Highway when the incident occurred. A 34-year-old man of Yarrowkabra Village, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, was proceeding north along the road at a fast rate in his motor lorry. He lost control and as a result the right side front of the lorry collided with the right side front of one of the pick-ups, which then collided with 60-year-

old, Murvey Andrew Madhoo, of Independence Boulevard La Penitence, Georgetown, and Sherwin Rhodius. The two were standing between the two motor pick-ups. Both men were flung on the roadway and sustained injuries about their bodies. Murvey Madhoo was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor, while Rhodius, was taken to the Linden Public Hospital where he was examined by a doctor and admitted as a patient. His condition is regarded as critical A breathalyzer test was conducted on the driver of the lorry and no trace of alcohol was found

Guyana Post Tuesday February 23, 2021

“ Guyana 51st flag ceremony held at the historic Parliament”

info@guyanapostonline.com

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Regional News

Guyana PostTuesday, February 23, 2021

JAMAIC AN ABORTI ON RIGHTS ACTIVIS TS SAY NO TO REFERE NDUM From Jamaica Loop

P r o - c h o i c e advocates have come out strongly against a suggested referendum on abortion reform in Jamaica. The activists voiced their disapproval during a peaceful demonstration,

organised by community-based advocacy organisation We-Change, along Hope Road in St Andrew over the weekend. A We-Change representative told Loop News that the

doesn’t make sense on this particular issue because not many Jamaicans know that abortion is a healthcare issue, it is a human rights issue and women should be able to make the decision on what happens with their bodies,” the woman said. The push for the reform of the country’s abortion laws is being

group wanted to hear more from Members of Parliament (MPs) on their stance on the issue. “So far we have heard that (MPs) might opt to do a referendum but we are saying that a referendum

led by Juliet CuthbertFlynn, a decorated Olympian and Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness. As expected, staunch opposition to any relaxation of the abortion legislation is being led by a number of Church groups. Chairman of Jamaica Cause and Vice President of the

Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, Bishop Alvin Bailey last month called on Prime Minister Andrew Holness to “rein in” Cuthbert-Flynn for her public support of abortion. Cuthbert-Flynn has since said that she would support a referendum in order to push the discussion forward on the issue.

Barbados has been removed from EU blacklist

Barbados has been removed from the European Union (EU) list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, the European Council announced Monday. Dominica has however been added to the blacklist. In a statement info@guyanapostonline.com

the EU group said: “The Council today adopted conclusions on the revised EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, deciding to add Dominica to the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions (Annex I of the conclusions) and to remove Barbados from

that list.” Barbados was added to the EU list in October 2020 after it received a ‘partially compliant’ rating from the Global Forum. The council explained: “ It [Barbados ] has now been granted a supplementary review by the Global Forum

and has therefore been moved to a state-of-play document (Annex II of the Council conclusions) pending the outcome of this review.” The Ministry of International Business and Industry had requested the supplementary review on the grounds that deficiencies identified by the EU had been addressed. The EU council said

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Dominica has been included in the list as it received a ‘partially compliant’ rating from the Global Forum and has not yet resolved this issue. Other Caribbean countries on the list are Trinidad and Tobago and Anguilla. The list includes jurisdictions worldwide that either have not engaged in a constructive dialogue with the EU

on tax governance or have failed to deliver on their commitments to implement the reforms necessary to comply with a set of objective tax good governance criteria. These criteria relate to tax transparency, fair taxation and implementation of international standards designed to prevent tax base erosion and profit shifting, the EU said.

International News

Guyana Post Tuesday February 23, 2021

ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO DR CONGO DIES AFTER WFP CONVOY ATTACKED

Imran Ramsaywack

Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an Italian policeman and their Congolese driver have been killed in an ambush on a United Nations convoy in eastern DRC. The ambush on Monday occurred as

the convoy carrying Ambassador Luca Attanasio was travelling from the city of Goma to visit a World Food Programme (WFP) school feeding project in Rutshuru, according to the United Nations agency. It said several other passengers

travelling with the delegation sustained injuries during the attack. North Kivu Governor Carly Nzanzu told Al Jazeera the sevenmember convoy was not escorted by any security forces when the incident happened.

The WFP said it was seeking information from local authorities as the ambush occurred on a road that had previously been cleared for travel without security escorts. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the

attack, which took place at about 10:15am (08:15 GMT). Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio expressed his “great dismay and immense sorrow” over the attack and left a meeting in Brussels with European Union counterparts to make an early return to Rome. “The circumstances of this brutal attack are not yet known and no effort will be spared to shed light on what happened,” Di Maio said, paying tribute to the victims Nzanzu, the North Kivu governor, said local security forces had not been informed of the delegation’s presence in the area. “The rebels stopped the WFP convoy with

bullets, before bringing down the passengers on board including the ambassador. According to survivors, the rebels wanted money from the ambassador,” Nzanzu told Al Jazeera. “They took all the passengers and the ambassador to the bush. And a few minutes later on their way they killed the Congolese driver and then the ambassador’s bodyguard,” he added. Nzanzu said Attanasio was hit by bullets fired by the attackers during an exchange of fire between the rebels and Virunga park rangers supported by the DRC’s armed forces who were alerted to the attack.

Myanmar coup: Protesters defy military warning in mass strike

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Myanmar in one of the largest demonstrations yet against the country’s military coup. Businesses closed as employees joined a general strike, despite a military statement that said protesters were risking their lives by turning out. The statement prompted fears the protests could turn violent, but they info@guyanapostonline.com

remained peaceful throughout Monday. Myanmar has seen weeks of protest following the coup on 1 February. Military leaders overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government and have placed her under house arrest, charging her with possessing illegal walkie-talkies and violating the country’s Natural Disaster Law. Protesters are demanding an end to

the military’s rule and want Ms San Suu Kyi released, along with senior members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. “We don’t want the junta, we want democracy. We want to create our own future,” one protester, Htet Htet Hlaing, told the Reuters news agency in Yangon. A statement from the military carried on staterun broadcaster MRTV said that protesters were “now inciting the people,

especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a confrontation path where they will suffer the loss of life”. It cautioned people against “riot and anarchy”. The warning prompted Facebook to remove the broadcaster’s pages for violating its “violence and incitement” policies. It comes after at least two people were killed in protests on Saturday the worst violence yet in more than two weeks of demonstrations. Foreign pressure on military leaders has also been high. In a speech on Monday, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called for Ms Suu Kyi’s release. What’s the latest? Demonstrations have been taking place in all of Myanmar’s main cities, with people waving flags and chanting.

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Tens of thousands of people rallied in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, and more than 100 people were reportedly arrested in the city. But the mass strike also prompted action in smaller towns and more rural parts of the country. There were large protests in Mandalay, Myitkyina and the coastal town of Dawei. The day of action has been nicknamed the “22222 Revolution” because it is taking place on 22 February. It is being compared by protesters to demonstrations on 8 Aug 1988 - known as the 8888 uprising when Myanmar saw one of its most violent protests. The military cracked down on anti-government demonstrations, killing hundreds of protesters.

For many, the date is seen as a watershed moment in Myanmar. “Everyone is joining this,” protester San San Maw told Reuters in Yangon. “We need to come out.” “We came out today to join in the protest, to fight until we win,” another told AFP. “We are worried about the crackdown, but we will move forward. We are so angry.” Thompson Chau, editor of local media outlet Frontier, told the BBC’s World Service that the protests seemed “a lot bigger than before, with more roads blocked, highways blocked and shops closed everywhere we go”. “Today is more of a huge strike in a sense that everyone is not going to work. All the shops are closed.”

Guyana Post Saturday February 30, 2021

SPORTS

SIR CLIVE LLOYD HONOURED AS NEW CG INSURANCE SUPER50 TROPHY UNVEILED

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies and title sponsors CG Insurance have unveiled the sparkling new CG Insurance Super50 Cup Sir Clive Lloyd trophy, which will be presented to the winning team following the final on February 27. CG Insurance have commissioned the new elegant and contemporary glass trophy, which incorporates CG’s company colours, as

part of their long-term investment into West Indies cricket as official insurance partner which is focused on their title partnerships of all CG Insurance ODI Home Series and both Men’s and Women’s CG Insurance Super50 Cups. In a statement CG Insurance said: “We wanted this year’s trophy to embody the spirit of the islands and the spirit of the series. CG Insurance has offices in many of our

Caribbean nations and we felt this trophy was an opportunity to showcase the water that unites us and the movement and excitement of the sport. We are thrilled with the outcome and congratulate the team who gets to take this trophy home.” The CG Insurance Super50 trophy honours Sir Clive Lloyd’s captaincy of the West Indies teams winning back to back 50-over ICC World Cups in 1975 and 1979. Sir Clive said he was proud to have the trophy named in his honour and said he hoped it would inspire the next generation of West Indies cricketers. He also said it is a celebration of 50-over cricket in the West Indies, dating back more than 45 years ago and a tribute to his teams which won the inaugural Cricket World Cup in 1975 and again in 1979. “It’s a very nice trophy

and I’m very pleased. I have been watching the tournament and I am enjoying every moment of it. It is good to see we continue to produce cricketers in the region. It’s an excellent competition with the teams playing hard and fair and you can see the talent on display as we look to continue to improve and develop West Indies cricket,” he

said. “As a proud West Indian, I’m happy to have this honour. I also see it as not just for me but for all the members of the World Cup teams played alongside me and won in 1975 and 1979. This trophy has my name on it but all the others who played with me they should think they are part of it too.”

The CG Insurance Super50 bowled off on Sunday, February 7 and will climax on Saturday, February 27 with the grand final under lights at the Coolidge Cricket Ground. Fans across the region can watch the matches on ESPN Caribbean and also get LIVE radio coverage on stations via broadcast partner Vibes FM

NEW ZEALAND V AUSTRALIA: CONWAY HITS 99 NOT OUT AS HOSTS WIN FIRST T20 From Loop same time as the T20s. The five-match series continues on Thursday in Dunedin. Conway, who was born in

Devon Conway’s unbeaten 99 off 59 balls helped New Zealand thrash Australia by 53 runs in the opening Twenty20. Playing only his sixth T20 international, lefthanded Conway helped info@guyanapostonline.com

the hosts recover from 19-3 to post 184-5 in Christchurch. Australia slumped to 19-4 as Tim South ee and Trent Boult s hared four wickets in the first five overs. They were bowled

out for 131 with 2.3 overs unused, with leg-spinner Ish Sodhi claiming 4-28. Victory was only New Zealand’s second in nine attempts against Australia in T20 cricket.

However, the tourists were without several first-choice players because a Test tour of South Africa - later postponed because of coronavirus concerns - was scheduled to be taking place at the

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South Africa, averages 91 in T20s for New Zealand after scores of 41, 65 not out, five, 63 and now 99 not out since making his debut in November. He made 69 not out, 91 not out and 93 not out in his successive T20 innings for domestic side Wellington before this match.

Guyana Post Saturday February 20, 2021

CARIBBEAN PEOPLE AT RISK OF PROLONGING COVID-19 TO THEIR DETRIMENT

The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own) People in the Caribbean, who refuse to take vaccinations to counter the Coronavirus, will cause the COVID-19 pandemic to remain longer in the region, endangering lives, livelihoods, and entire economies. Whatever genuine fears may exist, these people must be educated about the value of the vaccine to their own health and they must be encouraged by all influential agencies to take it. If they need convincing, they should look at the experience of other countries where more than 139 million people have taken the vaccine and not one of them has died from it. The Churches, whose leaders have been preaching against the vaccine, are doing neither their followers nor their countries any good. Similarly, the representatives of trade info@guyanapostonline.com

unions, who argue that their members have the right not to take vaccines, might consider enlightening them about the benefits of the vaccine to their individual well-being, their families, the wider community, and the businesses from which they derive a living. At the rate at which vaccines are currently available and being rolled out in the world, the Caribbean will be behind Britain and the U.S. in controlling the virus by at least a year. If a significant number of people remain unvaccinated, the delay will be even longer. Caribbean countries cannot afford a year, let alone a more extended period, to suppress the virus. Many economies are already in dire straits. Poverty is expanding, unemployment is rising, economies are declining, hospitals are besieged, and many more people are dying. This is why at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) on 17 February, all independent CARICOM countries joined Antigua and Barbuda in promoting adoption of a resolution calling for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

globally. Action is necessary to get vaccines into Caribbean countries so that at least 80 per cent of the people can be inoculated to build ‘herd immunity’. This is achieved when a large part of the population is immune to the disease. If enough people are resistant to the coronavirus, it will have nowhere to go and it will peter out. Right now, every country in the Caribbean is way behind developed countries with which they interact for tourism, trade in goods and other commercial and social activity. For example, at the time of writing (February 18), Britain has inoculated 23.7 per cent of its population with the first dose of the vaccine; the U.S 12.3 per cent; Canada 3.48 per cent; and many of the countries in the European Union almost 3 per cent. No country in the Caribbean has vaccinated more than 0.9 per cent of their populations. The main reason for this is that rich countries, representing only 16 per cent of the world’s population have bought, and are hoarding, 60 per cent of the available vaccine candidates. This means that 40 per cent is left for 84

Sir Ronald Sanders

per cent of the global population, including the Caribbean. This situation demands urgent attention if the Caribbean is to survive the already devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why the Antigua and Barbuda initiative at the OAS was strongly and fully supported by other CARICOM nations. It is also why the resolution received full support at the OAS. Twenty-nine of the Organization’s 34 member states, including the Caribbean, are among the over 100 nations that have vaccinated less than 1 per cent of their people. The Caribbean needs greater access to vaccines and at an affordable price. Hence, the donation of 570,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine by India to CARICOM countries is a great relief. The rollout has started in a few countries. But, there are not sufficient stocks to accelerate the inoculation programme to get all CARICOM countries to at least 80 per cent of their populations.

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The main vaccine manufacturers have to be urged to rampup their production at an affordable price. Concentrating on selling only to the rich nations will not eliminate the global pandemic. A research study, sponsored by the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research in Massachusetts, shows that even if wealthy countries are fully vaccinated by the end of this year, but poor countries remain largely shut out, “the global economy would suffer losses exceeding $9 trillion, a sum greater than the annual output of Japan and Germany combined”. What should worry every citizen and resident of Caribbean countries is that their economies have already declined so significantly that, even if there is recovery later in 2021 or in 2022, it will not be sufficient to return them to 2019 levels. Foreign direct investment in the Caribbean declined last year by more than 50 per cent. With many economies across the region in a state of prolonged inactivity, the downward

investment trend for 2021 is even more precipitous. The year 2022 is unlikely to get any better unless each country gets the virus under control. The populations of Caribbean countries, amounting to 20 million people, are competing with 450 million people in Latin America and another 360 million in the U.S. and Canada to achieve 80 per cent inoculations. They are also competing against 7 billion people globally. They cannot afford to leave themselves behind – they must get themselves inoculated. Leaders and influencers in every sector – the Churches, the trade unions and the media – have to support Caribbean governments that have tried their best with scarce and reduced financial resources to manage the coronavirus and now to inoculate against it. No Caribbean country can afford to be a year behind the nations with which they interact for their livelihood and development.

Guyana Post Sunday February 21, 2021

BARTICA MINER DIES LINE CREEK MAN FOUND DEAD IN HAMMOCK AFTER STABBING

A 29-year-old, miner was stabbed to death by a Brazilian National on Friday night Dead is Third Avenue, Bartica, Essequibo River, resident, Randolph Semple. Reports are that Simple was approached by a male Brazilian National just around 18:00 hrs at Pedymachi Black Water

Backdam, Cuyuni River at a shop, where he sat on his bike. The suspect, who was at the time armed himself with a knife and stabbed the accused in the back. He later retreated into a shop but later again armed him with a knife and stabbed Simple to his chest after which he made a good escape.

Simple who was at the time badly wounded and was calling for help collapsed 400 feet away from where he was stabbed and died. As such, police are currently on a manhunt to capture the suspect and to get to the bottom of what may have been the cause of the altercation.

Police are currently investigating the death of a 46-year-old farmer, who was discovered in his hammock in the Line Creek Village. The dead man is being identified as Aaron La Cruz.

According to the police statement, Cruz, who was suffering from a prolonged illness, visited a health centre in the area where he was treated and sent away. It was sometime later that Cruz was

found lying motionless in a hammock at his residence. Cruz’s body bore no marks of violence. He was pronounced dead by a doctor on scene and was handed over to the family for burial.

CANU BUSTS COCAINE IN MISSING CARPENTER FOUND BOX WITH LOCALLY HAND DEAD IN SEPTIC TANK MADE CRAFT

A woman is now in custody after she was found with drugs stashed in her private parts. The woman was attempted to board a Caribbean Airlines flight to Barbados from the Eugene Correia International Airport, Ogle info@guyanapostonline.com info@guyanapostonline.com

Police said the 23-year old woman was seen acting suspiciously. She was then called in for a search. During a physical search, the authorities discovered a bulky package wrapped in condoms in her vagina.

They suspected this to be narcotics. The woman was later questioned and admitted she had swallowed some 73 pellets. She is currently under observation and is expected to be charged.

Renowned journalist Enrico Woolford has sued Dr Leslie Ramsammy for sums totaling $85 million and Guyana Times for sums totaling $100 million. The action stems from a publication dated March 18, 2020. The caption read ‘Ramsammy’s Ruminations—Caricom, ABCE, Commonwealth, OAS—time for sanctions

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now, no more patience’. The article was further disseminated on the internet. The article stated, inter alia, that several people in the APNU/AFC were the driving force in hijacking the Caricom operations… Given the present assault on democracy in Guyana in the full view of local and international observers, in the first instance, we will

be pursuing sanctions against the following individuals and their families, who are part of the plot or complicit in rigging the March 2, 2020 elections in Guyana.’ Ramsammy proceeded to name Enrico Wolford. Woolford is alleging malice that stretches to his innocent family members

Regional News

Guyana Post Sunday February 21, 2021

ARGENT INA HEALTH MINIST ER RESIGN S OVER COVID VACCIN E SCAND AL

Argentina’s health minister has resigned after reports surfaced that people in the South American nation were using connections to jump the queue and receive COVID-19 vaccines. In a statement posted

on Twitter on Friday, Gines Gonzalez Garcia said individuals were able to sidestep proper procedure for vaccinations due to “unintended confusion” in his office while he was away. “Responding to your

express request, I present my resignation from the position of minister of health,” Garcia wrote in a letter addressed to President Alberto Fernandez, who had sought the minister’s resignation. “I express my gratitude to the vast majority of the Argentine people for their commitment and support for the policies we implement to rebuild our federal health system, with greater equity, access and quality,” Garcia also tweeted. The scandal broke after an Argentine journalist said he had received a COVID-19 jab after speaking directly to the minister. Garcia will be

replaced by one of his deputy ministers, Carla Vizzotti, who was responsible for securing the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, which the country has deployed since December. A r g e n t i n a gave priority to healthcare workers in its coronavirus v a c c i n a t i o n programme and vaccinations for people over age 70 began on Wednesday in the province of Buenos Aires. The country of 44 million people has reported more than two million cases of COVID-19 and 51,000 c o ro n a v i ru s -re l a t e d deaths, according to Johns Hopkins

University data. Deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines have lagged far behind what Argentina initially hoped for, however. As of Wednesday, about 250,000 people had received two doses. Argentina is not the only country in Latin America facing a coronavirus vaccine scandal, fuelling public anger and resentment. Peru’s health and foreign affairs ministers resigned this month after reports surfaced that hundreds of government officials, including former President Martin Vizcarra, received jabs before vaccines were widely

available. Interim Peruvian President Francisco Sagasti said last week that 487 officials took advantage of their posts to secretly receive early inoculations. Al Jazeera’s Daniel Schweimler, reporting from Buenos Aires on Saturday, said the presidents of Peru and Argentina hope to get the scandals behind them and rebuild citizens’ trust. “I think what will speak most resonantly to the populations is vaccinations,” he said. “Really, that’s how they will speak to their people: get the vaccinations in and rolled out as soon as they possibly can.”

CARICOM Chairman calls for equitable distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine

Office of the Prime Minister, Port of Spain – Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Chairman of CARICOM, Dr the Hon. Keith Rowley has called for the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine resources for the benefit of all nations. Dr Rowley made the info@guyanapostonline.com

call while addressing the World Health Organization’s Media briefing on COVID-19 today (Thursday 18th February, 2021). Prime Minister Rowley said that while there is an understandable rush to receive vaccines, small island states “are more than a little bit

concerned that there is, or is to be, hoarding and price gouging as well as undue preference in some quarters.” The CARICOM Chairman said small states have made and continue to make huge sacrifices in an endeavour to protect their populations from the worst ravages of the virus. He urged the WHO not to forget about small states. “All we ask as members of the family of nations is that we not be forgotten, ignored or worse, taken advantage of in this business of life and death.” Prime Minister Rowley thanked the WHO’s DirectorGeneral Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the staff at the WHO

for their continued leadership, guidance and dedication. He also said, “Now more than ever you are required to protect us from the many offshoots of the viral

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era and encourage the science not only to further understand the biology, physiology and management of the virus but the defeat of its power through equitable distribution of

its nemesis, the vaccine. We anxiously anticipate the promised relief and general benefits that a successful early vaccination program can bring to each of us.”

International News

Guyana Post Sunday February 21, 2021

ALGERIA FREES IMPRISONED JOURNALIST AND PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS AFTER PRESIDENTIAL PARDON

Imran Ramsaywack

Algerian authorities freed an imprisoned journalist and more than 30 other prodemocracy activists on Friday in a conciliatory gesture ahead of the second anniversary of their Hirak protest movement. Chanting “Free and Democratic Algeria,”

dozens of people gathered at the prison where journalist and activist Khaled Drareni had been held in Kolea, west of the capital Algiers. Standing behind a police cordon, they cheered his release. “I thank all those who have shown solidarity

with us in Algeria and abroad, because of our combat as free and independent journalists and the fight of all imprisoned journalists and all prisoners of opinion. We will all be free when all the prisoners are free,” Drareni said after his release.

Drareni was imprisoned for “inciting an unarmed gathering” and “endangering national unity,” charges linked to his coverage of the protest movement. His arrest drew criticism outside Algeria as a threat to press freedom.

Drareni founded the Casbah Tribune news site and worked for French TV channel TV5 Monde, among others, as well as for the international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders. “I’m brought to tears, Khaled has just been freed!” said Mahrez Rabia, a friend and radio journalist. The Hirak movement helped push out Algeria’s long-serving former president in 2019 and inspire new efforts to fight corruption. But protesters demand deeper change to Algeria’s secretive power structure, and new demonstrations were expected on Monday to mark two

years since the birth of their movement. P r e s i d e n t A b d e l m a d j i d Tebboune announced this week he was pardoning 33 activists, reshuffling the government and dissolving parliament to hold early elections, partly in response to protesters’ demands. The justice minister said on Ennahar television that Drareni was released as part of outreach by the president on the anniversary. The Justice Ministry said the activists were all being pardoned for “their activities on social networks or public gatherings”. Tebboune said that up to 56 or 57 activists would be released overall.

Rockets hit Iraq military airbase hosting US contractors

At least four rockets struck an Iraqi airbase on Saturday night, the Iraqi military said in a statement, while other officials said one person was wounded at the base where a United States defence company services combat aircraft. The wounded individual worked for the US company, the Associated Press news agency reported, citing four officials who info@guyanapostonline.com

spoke on condition of anonymity. No group immediately claimed the attack on Balad airbase in Salah al-Din province. Jamal Akab, the media spokesman for the province, told local media the missiles landed “near the perimeter of the airbase in an open area”. In January 2020, the base, which lies about 80km north of the capital, Baghdad, was attacked by eight Katyusha

rockets, wounding four members of the Iraqi air force, including two officers. US defence company Sallyport has its headquarters within the airbase, and currently has 46 personnel there contracted to provide services to support Iraq’s F-16 programme. The US has previously evacuated some of its contractors from the base for security reasons.

It was the second salvo of rockets to hit a base hosting US forces or contractors in less than a week. Armed groups that some Iraqi officials say are backed by Iran have claimed similar incidents in the past. Last week, one foreign civilian contractor was killed and nine others wounded after a volley of missile attacks at the military base inside

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Erbil’s airport, in the Kurdish-controlled region in northern Iraq. The attack was claimed by a littleknown armed group that called itself Awliya al-Dam – or the Guardians of the Blood. Iraqi officials said the group had ties with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) – the Iraqi paramilitaries established in 2014

from mostly Shia militia groups to fight the ISIL (ISIS) group. Saturday’s attack comes after NATO announced it would dramatically scale up its mission in Iraq from 500 personnel to 4,000 to battle the remnants of ISIL (ISIS), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this week. The increase comes as US-led coalition troops have gradually reduced their presence in Iraq over the last year. NATO’s training mission was launched in 2018 to help the conflict-ravaged country develop new academies and military schools for its armed forces. It was initially located in the capital, Baghdad, and in neighbouring Jordan.

Guyana Post Saturday February 30, 2021

SPORTS

AUSTRALIAN OPEN: NAOMI OSAKA BEATS JENNIFER BRADY IN WOMEN’S FINAL

Japan’s Naomi Osaka cemented her place as the outstanding star of the women’s game by beating American Jennifer Brady in the Australian Open final to win her fourth Grand Slam title. Osaka, 23, is unbeaten in major

finals after a 6-4 6-3 win in Melbourne. Osaka edged the first set when Brady, in her first Grand Slam final, paid for some glaring errors in the final game. The third seed seized control from that point, racing 4-0 ahead in

the second set before sealing a deserved victory. Osaka has now won two Australian Open titles after also triumphing at Melbourne Park in 2019, with her other Grand Slam successes coming at the US Open in 2018 and 2020. She has not suffered a defeat since February 2020 after extending her winning run to 21 matches. Osaka’s face lit up with a wide grin, raising her racquet above her head, when she clinched the title on her first match point after Brady looped a return long. Osaka is the first women’s player to win her first four Grand

Slam finals since Monica Seles in 1991. And asked if she could reach double figures in slam titles, Osaka replied: “I’m taking it in sections. Right now, I’m trying to go for five. After five I would think about maybe dividing the 10, so maybe seven or eight. Osaka proves again why she is seen as ‘an inspiration’ Softly-spoken Osaka has emerged as the sport’s biggest star in recent times and illustrated that yet again with another Grand Slam victory. On the court, her clean hitting and clear thinking has proved too much for her opponents to handle.

Off the court, she has grown into one of the world’s most marketable athletes and found her voice to become a prominent social activist. “I feel like the biggest thing that I want to achieve is playing long enough to play a girl that said that I was once her favourite player,” said Osaka. “I think that’s the coolest thing that could ever happen to me. I just think that that’s how the sport moves forward.” In her runnersup speech, Brady said Osaka was “an inspiration to us all”. “What she is doing for the game is amazing. I hope young

girls are watching and inspired by what she is doing,” Brady said. “I like to take things not big picture. I know that the people that I’m playing against are the best players in the world and, if my time comes to win another Grand Slam, it will come.” Around 7,500 fans were allowed to watch the final on Rod Laver Arena and Osaka lapped up the acclaim after her US Open victory came behind closed doors. “It feels incredible to have fans, I played the last Grand Slam without fans, to have this energy means a lot,” said Osaka as she clutched the Daphne Akhurst Trophy.

EVERTON END 22 YEARS WAIT From BBC FOR A WIN AT LIVERPOOL Sports

Everton produced an outstanding Merseyside derby performance to beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time since 1999. In a landmark result for both sides, Everton earned their first derby win anywhere since info@guyanapostonline.com

2 0 1 0 , w h i l e Liverpool have now lost four successive home matches for the first time since 1923. Everton finally rid themselves of their Anfield bogey with a brilliantly drilled

performance in which goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Michael Keane were excellent, while Richarlison led the line tirelessly. Richarlison put Everton in front after three minutes when he latched on to a superb pass from James Rodriguez to beat Allison.

Liverpool responded and Pickford saved well from Jordan Henderson, who went off injured in the first half, while Everton captain Seamus Coleman should have added to Richarlison’s strike only to head straight at Alisson from six yards. Sadio Mane wasted two headed chances for Liverpool in the second half while Pickford saved superbly from Salah, leaving Everton to wrap up their first derby win in 24 attempts when substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson scored from the spot with seven minutes left after Dominic CalvertLewin tangled with Trent AlexanderArnold. Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti was

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all smiles at the final whistle but this was more abject Anfield misery for his Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp, as his team’s flimsy Premier League title defence crumbles. This Anfield means more than just three points for Everton. It means the end of a miserable sequence stretching back to 27 September, 1999 when Kevin Campbell gave Walter Smith’s side a 1-0 win. Since then, Everton and their fans have endured unrelenting gloom when crossing Stanley Park - so it was no surprise this win was greeted with such joy by manager Ancelotti and his team. This will be a huge psychological lift for Everton, who have

now won eight of their past 12 away games and demonstrated here exactly why they are so good on their travels. Ancelotti’s smart game plan worked to perfection as he achieved the feat that eluded David Moyes in 11 years in charge as well as his successors, Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman, Sam Allardyce and Marco Silva. Everton struck early, then defended magnificently while always carrying a threat on the break, although it took heroics from keeper Pickford, the villain when Virgil van Dijk was injured in the derby at Goodison Park last October, in the vital moments to keep listless Liverpool at bay.

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