Guyana Times - Saturday October 31, 2020

P11

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

American Airlines to resume services in Guyana on Monday

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4455

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

Guyana to use new resources to foster local innovation, research – President Ali See story on page 7

Schools can reopen – new COVID-19 Order

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

P8 1 more COVID-19 death, 45 new cases recorded Guyana’s must seriously address “brain drain” – US think tank P13 report

See stories on page 5 and 12

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana P14 moves to Barbados

…curfew now in effect from 10:30pm to 4am ...Govt offices revert to rotation of employees WCB murders

Harmon should stop playing cheap, insensitive politics with sorrow of grieving families – Govt

Iwokrama unearths more illegal mining within reservation

See story on page 3

See story on page 5

After series of irregularities

Govt relieves NICIL/ SPU head of duties … signed leases for NICIL properties without public tender

…no valuations, no board, no Cabinet approval See story on page 9 …issued 14 agreements of sale, leases without full payment … failed to facilitate Auditor General’s audit of NICIL’s accounts

…replacement to be named shortly

Coastal residents cautioned as high tides persist until Nov 3 P11

P15 Teacher charged for killing cousin Money-changer, businessman robbed by lone P15 gunman

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, October 31 – 05:00h – 06:30h and Sunday, November 1 – 04:30h – 05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, October 31 – 16:00h – 17:30h and Sunday, November 1 – 16:25h – 17:55h.

WCB murders

Harmon should stop playing cheap, insensitive politics with sorrow of grieving families – Govt

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine will prevail during the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: West South-Westerly to Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 16:21h reaching a maximum height of 2.7 metres.

Low Tide: 09:58h and 21:16h reaching minimum heights of 0.6 metre and 0.49 metre.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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Rough Rice

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President Irfaan Ali

he PPP/C Government has lashed out at Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon for playing “cheap and insensitive” politics with the heinous murders of the three West Coast Berbice (WCB) teenagers.

The butchered bodies of cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry were found on September 6, 2020, in the backlands of Cotton Tree, WCB. Then on September 9, 17-year-old Singh was found murdered at the Number Three Village, WCB, backlands.

While no arrest has been made in relation to Singh’s murder, several persons were arrested for the murder of the Henry teens but later released without any charge.

There has been much public outrage over the pace of justice for the murdered teens.

In a statement on Friday, the Government called upon Harmon to “stop playing his cheap and insensitive politics with the pain and sorrow of the grieving family.”

This was in response to a media release from Harmon earlier in the day in which he said he is “disturbed” by recent developments that the Government has refused to have the State bear the cost, to the tune of US$35,000, of the independent Argentinian investigative team to come to Guyana to assist with the probe into the killings.

“The Henry families deserve and demand justice and no stone must be left unturned and no effort must be spared in ensuring that justice is delivered… It is clear that there is a well-orchestrated effort, involving the police and under high-level political direction to thwart the investigations,” the missive from Harmon detailed.

However, the Government in response to the claims by Harmon reminded that it has promised a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the killings of the Henry boys and Haresh Singh.

“The Government does not need sanctimonious outpourings from Mr Harmon on this issue… No doubt when the Commission begins its inquiry, Mr Harmon’s and the APNU/AFC’s conduct will be the subject of scrutiny, having regard to the clear role played in the resulting mayhem, and possibly, prior events,” the PPP/C Government stated.

Already, President Irfaan Ali had enlisted international help to solve the gruesome crime and a team comprised of officials from

countries within the Regional Investigative Management Systems (RIMS) were in Guyana.

The five-member high-level team from the Regional Security System (RSS) have since handed over a report to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and amongst its findings is that one of its officers was informed by a relative of the deceased that a politician asked the family to lie and say that the killings were politically and racially motivated and that if the family did so, they would be “looked after”.

On this note, Government reminded that it was after Harmon met with the relatives of the deceased that

the roadways of West Coast Berbice,” Government said in the missive.

RSS recommendation

Only Monday last, President Ali told reporters that another recommendation from the RSS team is for the Guyana Police Force to do more work.

“I have been briefed on the content of it [the report] and what I have been told is that the RSS did some work, they recommended some additional work to be done but in total, they were satisfied with the work the local police have done,” the President had stated.

The full findings of the RSS investigation have not

Dead: Isaiah Henry, Joel Henry and Haresh Singh

the unrests along the WCB corridor followed.

There were blockages of the public road, where people were beaten and robbed, thousands of Guyanese along the WCB roadway were inconvenienced and also the loss and damage to public and private properties.

“The incendiary and inflammatory undercurrents contained in the Leader of the Opposition’s Press Statement have not gone unnoticed and Mr Harmon will continue to be held responsible for any future violent outbursts along

been released to the public.

Meanwhile, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said earlier this week that the police are still pursuing various leads regarding the murders of cousins: 16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-year-old Joel Henry; as well as 17-year-old Haresh Singh.

Isaiah and Joel had left their Number Three Village, WCB home to pick coconuts but never returned home.

Their bodies were found two days later.

In relation to Singh’s murder, it is suspected that his

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon

death was in retaliation for the murders of the Henry cousins, since he was related to one of the persons initially held by the police.

Police had explained that the location where the bodies of the Henry boys were found was not the primary crime scene, that is, it is not the location where the young men were killed.

Investigators are yet to locate the primary crime scene.

Meanwhile, an Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology, the world’s foremost agency in forensic anthropology, which was expected to arrive in Guyana to support the Police Force in its probe into the murders of the three teenagers, has suffered a setback due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in that country.

The team was due in Guyana two weeks ago to commence their investigations but with the high cases of the novel coronavirus in that country, it is unclear when the team will arrive.

According to a well-placed source, once the team arrives in Guyana, their main priority is to comb the areas where the mutilated bodies of the teens were discovered for any forensic evidence. (G8)

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

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

Containing COVID-19

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or some time now, in spite of COVID-19 cases going up daily, persons have still not been taking seriously the health guidelines issued by the authorities. In some cases, persons just go about their daily routine as if they are not bothered at all.

Now that the National COVID-19 Measures, as were gazetted, cater for a further ease of the curfew measures taking effect from November 1 to 30, we support the move as was previously announced, making it mandatory for persons to wear masks while out in the public. The Health Minister has made it clear that it is not Government’s intention to have persons locked up or fined for not wearing a mask while out in public. He said that all efforts are being made to educate persons about the need to safeguard themselves and their families from being infected, and to have them voluntarily comply with the guidelines.

Of note, too, is that even in cases where persons choose to wear a mask, they do not do so properly. A face mask should cover the nose, mouth and chin. When not in use, the mask should be safely stowed away, or discarded, and not be placed on any other part of the face or neck.

Mandatory mask-wearing, along with the other preventative measures: handwashing or sanitising, and social distancing, are the key measures to halt the severe impact of COVID-19. With the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Government, along with the various health partners, has wasted no time in stepping up the national response to contain the spread of the virus. However, citizens also have a role to play, and they must take that role seriously, or else the country would not be able to win the battle to control the virus.

The fact is that once the health guidelines to contain the spread of the virus are not taken seriously by citizens, the infection rate would continue to climb, and it would take an even longer time for the country to be fully reopened. This, we know, would have severe economic and social impacts on the country.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), masks are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from travelling in the air and onto other people when the person wearing the mask coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice. CDC explains that this is called source control.

“This recommendation is based on what we know about the role respiratory droplets play in the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, paired with emerging evidence from clinical and laboratory studies that shows masks reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth,” CDC explains.

CDC notes that COVID-19 is spread mainly among people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet), so the use of masks is particularly important in settings where people are close to each other, or where social distancing is difficult to maintain.

CDC has recommended that all persons 2 years of age and older wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

It must be noted, too, that COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected. For this reason, it is important that everyone wears a mask in public settings and practise social distancing.

However, while masks are strongly encouraged to reduce the spread of COVID-19, CDC recognises there are specific instances when wearing a mask may not be feasible. In those instances, adaptations and alternatives should be considered whenever possible.

As was previously said by this publication, everyone wants the virus to be contained, so that they can get on with their daily lives, but this would not be possible if citizens are complacent, or continue to ignore the health guidelines. The heavy hand of the law must come down on those who are not wearing a mask while in public space.

President Dr Irfaan Ali making the first deposit into the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Kettle Appeal which was launched at Duke Lodge, Kingston on Friday (Office of the President photo)

US elections and immigrants

Dear Editor, The US election is on Tuesday. The outcome would have far-reaching consequences for emigration, in addition to other aspects of relations from Guyana and the rest of the world. Trump plans to erect hurdles for aspiring legal immigrants and visitors and professionals seeking employment in the US. This would reduce the number of Guyanese allowed in America.

Over the last several years, Guyana sent about 10 thousand immigrants a year into the US as permanent residents, and many also got visitors and students visas, adding to the green card recipients. The number was much higher in preceding years.

Between 2012 and 2015, in addition to green cards, over 30 thousand visitors’ visas were granted to Guyanese, the overwhelming majority being given to Indians to reduce their presence in Guyana for the 2015 elections, which helped to bring about the ouster of the Ramotar Administration.

That number of green cards and visitors’ visas could be reduced to a trickle should Trump win re-election. Only selected immigrants would be allowed into the country, ac-

cording to his campaign advisor. The campaign is playing up the anti-immigration card to win votes among whites.

The Trump Administration has, since early this year, frozen immigration into the US, and has announced on Thursday stricter rules for immigration into the US, were he to win another term. A Biden Administration promises to reverse the Trump policy on immigration, continue the liberal policy of the past, and restore DACA, the Dream Act, which allows undocumented college students to remain and work in the US provided they have no criminal record.

Opinion polls put Biden in the lead to defeat Trump. While Biden leads in overall popular support, the contest is much closer in some swing states that would determine which candidate becomes President. Based on my own assessment of opinion polls and conversations with voters, Biden is projected to defeat Trump.

The Trump Administration has made anti-immigration a centerpiece of its policy, hoping that can take it to victory in the elections, in which he is trailing in support.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Stephen Miller told a news outlet that if the President wins re-election, he will take a harder line on immigration — limiting political asylum, punishing and outlawing so-called sanctuary cities that give protection to illegals, expanding travel entry bans, limiting visitors’ visas, and slapping new limits on work visas.

Tens of thousands of professionals, most IT workers and engineers, come to the US annually. Most are from India. The Trump Administration ended the practice, saying preference should be given to American skilled workers.

But the US has a shortage of STEM workers.

Miller said the objec-

tive behind a new immigration policy is “raising and enhancing the standard for entry to the United States”. Unskilled immigrants would be excluded from coming to the US, preventing many from uniting with families.

Chain migration through family sponsorship would be reduced, if not altogether eliminated.

Immigration, keeping out minorities, was central to Trump’s victory in 2016. The campaign is playing the immigration card again in 2020, hoping it pays political dividends.

The race is tightening.

A significant number of Guyanese, over 20%, are supporting Trump.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

James Bond now missing in action!!!

Dear Editor, Haven’t heard from the political spy chief James Bond since the US million-dollar disclosure, or is it a “bust”? This is so strange, as he is such an informative chap to hear from. Come on, Jamsie boy, all Guyana is anxiously waiting to hear

your outburst; and please bring in the racial overtones of victimisation. By the way, “I see yo party has thrown yo under de bus.”

I hear other disclosures are to follow.

Best regards, H N Nawbatt

NEWS

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Schools can reopen – new COVID-19 order …Education Ministry says date will be announced soon

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

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he new COVID-19 Gazetted Order has given the Education Ministry the green light to reopen schools.

The document, which was released on Friday and effective until November 30, indicates that “The Ministry of Education may issue guidelines or give any instruction to minimise the risks of coronavirus transmission in schools.”

All schools, in addition

to the national measures, are also required to comply with any guidelines issued or instruction given by the Education Ministry.

This week, the Education Ministry would have wrapped up a week-long consultation with parents and teachers of students writing the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examina-

tions for 2021 on the possibility of reopening schools.

During the course of these discussions, Education Minister Priya Manickchand and senior officials shared ideas with stakeholders from each administrative region.

After deliberations, it has been noted that a date will be announced soon for reopening.

“The date for the reopening of schools has not been announced but this will be done soon so that students can return to the classroom and begin working to be prepared to write their examinations next year,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Classroom activity has been restricted since midMarch, when Guyana started witnessing an increase in COVID-19 cases.

In September, schools remained closed and an online approach was adapted for learning. It was decided that a variety of methods was needed to address challenges of epidemiological patterns, internet access, and availability of resources through the usage of radio, the inter-

Students and parents meeting with Education Minister Priya Manickchand at one of several meetings hosted in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Friday

net, the learning channel, and physical work papers.

However, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has published dates for the writing of the 2021 examinations. This development necessitated the Ministry to foster these consultations virtually.

Phased reopening

The Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson

Iwokrama unearths more illegal mining within reservation

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he Iwokrama International Centre said it has discovered more evidence of illegal activities within the reservation and reminded of the penalties as outlined in the Iwokrama Act. The Centre said during planned monitoring and enforcement exercises in the week of the October 16, Iwokrama staffers along with Natural Resources Ministry Corp of Wardens and the Guyana Police Force witnessed more intrusions of illegal mining operations, not only in the Iwokrama protected forest, but also in the one-kilometre buffer zone on the other side of the Siparuni River.

In a statement, the Centre said that it believes the activities are being perpetrated by individuals taking advantage of the current restrictions and lockdown protocols established to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

It reminded that all mining, logging and commercial fishing are not allowed in the Iwokrama Forest unless the Centre gives express written permission for any of these activities to be undertaken.

The Centre said it spent enough time and resources on education and awareness with regard to illegal activities and as such, it intends to continue its zero-tolerance approach to all illegal activities especially gold mining. It added that with the recent support including the acquisition of the high-tech drone funded by ExxonMobil, monitoring and enforcement operations will be scaled up and the Natural Resources Minister

informed parents on Friday that many students have not had any engagement since March 2020 when schools closed. He said that the Ministry needed to develop a plan and has therefore crafted a National Strategic Plan to address this phased reopening.

Hutson reiterated that the Ministry is concerned about the future of its students and must provide the opportunity for them to enhance their education and move forward. The CEO noted that many students wish to apply to universities locally and abroad, and with these tertiary institutions remaining open across the globe, Guyana’s schools cannot remain closed as it will be a disservice to students.

Care packages

Meanwhile, Minister Manickchand has also informed parents and teachers during the course of this week that all teachers, students and cleaners returning to school will be provided with care packages containing masks, hand sanitis-

Illegal mining found within the Iwokrama protected forest

and the Guyana Police Force have given their full support towards stamping out these illegal activities.

The monitoring and enforcement team has reported that there were several persons fishing in the buffer zone of the Iwokrama Forest, some claiming to be engaging in sport fishing, yet large seines were encountered within waterways in the Iwokrama protected area.

In this regard, Iwokrama sought to remind fisherfolks that the protected area buffer also applies to them and commercial fishing is prohibited in the buffer zone as well.

The Centre’s monitoring team together with the regulatory institutions in Guyana, including the Ministry of Natural Resources Corps of Wardens, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Wildlife Management and Conservation Commission (GWMCC), Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will continue to undertake regular monitoring and enforcement activities within the environs of the Iwokrama Forest.

Further, the Centre will also be rigidly enforcing the prescribed penalties under the Iwokrama Act and other laws of Guyana to any person found illegally operating in the Iwokrama Forest.

Offering reward

Meanwhile, the Centre is offering a reward for any information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of persons involved in illegal activities in the Iwokrama Forest. The Centre will also be following up on information it received on specific mining operators within the Iwokrama Forest. It promised to fully publicise all convictions.

In September 2019, a miner was arrested for illegal mining in the Iwokrama Forest and was placed before the courts. In May 2020, two “four-inch” dredges were found, although no one was apprehended.

Last week, the team noted even more significant damage and clear indications of preparations for further mining in the forest. The team also noted the burning of large trees, no doubt to aid in felling to enhance mining activity.

Due to the unexpected nature of the operation, the team found itself targeted by gunfire from miners who quickly scampered away into the forest. One arrest was made and the person is before the courts.

In the buffer zone, miners claimed as they often do, that they did not realise that they were in the one-km buffer zone and that they received approval to be there following a deal with a miner that had claimed the location. In this case, there was an excavator and small dredges working in the area. They were given two days to remove from the area as there is absolutely no mining allowed in the buffer zone.

The Centre also encouraged persons to report any illegal activities in the forest to Dr Raquel Thomas, Director of Resource Management at rthomas@iwokrama.org (G2)

ers, face shields and other items to ensure they remain safe before, during and after school.

The Minister would have also said that parents need to stress the importance of wearing masks with their children.

She informed teachers that there will be no “one size fits all” approach to how a school functions in preparing students. For this, schools will be given the liberty to create an efficient timetable to prepare its students. Schools that have difficulty doing this will be supported by the Ministry to get it done.

Internationally, several countries have reopened schools. Germany and France announced on Wednesday that their schools will remain open while taking the necessary precautions. Ireland too had decided that schools will remain open despite restrictions being placed on other sectors. Regionally, Jamaica has begun a phased reopening, starting with 17 institutions in nine parishes. (G12)

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

Page

Foundation Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN

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dog asleep in a manger filled with hay, was awakened by the cattle, which came in tired and hungry from working in the field. But the dog would not let them get near the manger, and snarled and snapped as if it were filled with the best of meat and bones, all for himself.

The cattle looked at

the Dog in disgust. "How selfish he is!" said one.

"He cannot eat the hay and yet he will not let us eat it who are so hungry for it!"

Now the farmer came in. When he saw how the dog was acting, he seized a stick and drove him out of the stable with many a blow for his selfish behaviour.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana to use new resources to foster local innovation, research – President Ali

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President Dr Irfaan Ali

resident Dr Irfaan Ali has urged the participants of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) Pivot Programme to share not only their plans for the future but also their moonshot mindset.

President Ali gave this charge during the IDB’s virtual unveiling of the moonshot ideas, which are radical solutions to huge problems.

“I'm very thankful for the invitation in today’s unveiling of our moonshots, the first step of many to creating a more vibrant and resilient Caribbean… Today, I'm proud to be part of such a movement, such a shift in direction that will only do well for us in the future,” President Ali is quoted by the Office of the President’s Public Information and Press Services Unit as saying.

The Head of State noted that the moonshots developed at the pivotal event represent deliberate and cooperative actions that we as Caribbean nations can use to make the future better

for this generation and those that follow.

Ali also urged participants to learn from best practices and to harness the opportunities available in these trying times. He alluded to the common threads which continue to bind Caribbean nations together even in the wake of our distinctive differences.

“In making these moonshots for the Caribbean, when one idea succeeds, we all succeed. When we embrace our visionaries and innovators and encourage them to dream big, we can make the impossible possible…

This is our moment to make moonshots. This is a moment to harness the collective energy of all Caribbean people.

This is our moment to change the world. This is our time to shine.”

The Public Information and Press Services Unit stated that the President recalled one of the greatest feats in Caribbean history which he associates with the idea of moonshot – when the West

Indies cricket team defeated England for the first time at Lord's on June 29, 1950.

“I use this cricket example to demonstrate to you how through sport men came together, players came together, went to Lord’s and won a cricket series that none expected them to win. That inspired not only Caribbean people, but inspired people all across the world. It inspired the South Africans. It inspired Africa, and it placed the West Indies cricket team and the Caribbean people in a different light.”

He noted too that while the greatest move towards technological advancement and innovation is the development of an idea, ideas remain just dreams unless they are acted upon and move in a conscious way to implement programmes and plans that would realise those dreams.

On this note, he said leaders of governments and industries are therefore obligated to create environments in which persons have the freedom to generate new ideas and build on them.

He said too that a thriving workforce is critically important for Guyana moving forward.

“Here in Guyana, as our economy transforms and we welcome more foreign investment, we will use some of these new resources to foster local innovation, creativity, and research, but policy is nothing without the people to drive it…This is our moment to make moonshots,” President Ali is quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, General

Manager of the IDB’s Country Department Caribbean Group (CCB), Therese Turner-Jones said that “The Pivot Movement is a vehicle for Caribbean transformation driven by ideas. It gives anyone, anywhere the opportunity to help shape the future of our region. We are creating an innovative space where pioneering minds will discuss moonshot ideas to

drive a more resilient and secure future for all Caribbean people”.

Moonshot thinking is an approach entrenched

by Singularity University, which facilitated sessions at the inaugural pivot event, where leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs were invited to plan a vision for the Caribbean in the next decade.

From October 15-30, participants in the virtual event considered exponential ideas for electric vehicles, digital transformation and tourism. They combined thoughts and concepts and created a manifesto of nine moonshots for the Caribbean.

They will now work together to create a roadmap for access to funding.

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

1 more COVID-19 death, 45 new cases recorded

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he Health Ministry on Friday announced that one more person who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has died.

The latest death is 70-yearold Godfrey Layne of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

Layne was admitted to the hospital on September 30 and was in the dedicated COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The 70-year-old man is the country’s 124th death thus far and the 40th for the month of October.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry on Friday also reported 45 new COVID-19 cases. There are ten per-

Another day...

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sons in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit – after three persons were added.

Meanwhile, 75 persons are in institutional isolation, 740 in home isolation, and 37 in institutional quarantine. Guyana has recorded 3192 recoveries while the active cases stand at 862.

From the newly reported cases, 19 were from Region One (BarimaWaini) and 26 from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

The number of cases in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) still stand at 73, 315, 28, 72, 375, 132, 376 and 139 respectively.

To date, 2185 males have contracted the virus as opposed to 1958 females. The number of tests processed for COVID-19 is 19,266.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry continues to encourage persons to take all necessary precautions to avoid contracting the virus.

These include the need for correct and consistent use of face masks when leaving home; maintaining six feet of physical distance from others, and good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www. health.gov.gy (G1)

...another giveaway hen it comes to giveaways, Santa Claus has nothing on the PNC!! And it’s not that Santa comes around only one night a year (Christmas)…but his stuff has to pass through those chimneys he insists on climbing down!! Now, the PNC, we’re discovering, made every night (and day) Christmas! But the trick is, while Santa gave out stuff to everybody who “did good” during the year, the PNC focused on those who were willing to do the dirty.

Think about it. We just had another expose wherein another plot of land at Ogle was transferred to a bunch of carpetbaggers with just peanuts handed over rather that the money clearly spelled out on the contract!!

Now, if there is one thing we Guyanese know, it is that “you don’t pass over transport before you get all the money!” And it has nothing to do with us knowing that this is one of the peculiarities of Roman Dutch Law, which governs our land transactions. We just know this like we know we gotta breathe without troubling ourselves about the need to know about oxygen having to be bound in the lungs to hemoglobin to be taken to the cells!! You just KNOW it!!

So why would the PNC hand over all those acres of land all over the place - not just in Ogle? Yes, that’s right, dear reader - money, the stuff that makes the (PNC) world go round - once it’s shovelled into the pockets of the PNC operative in question! In one instance, the said operative - believe it or not, “007” was his handle!

- was indiscreet enough to leave the paper trail to US$1,000,000 (that is Gy$200,000,000!) transferred to his bank account open to public view!! So, trust your ole Eyewitness, the others might’ve been slicker than the fella who “likes it shaken, not stirred”, but the money that passed hands under the table will be exposed.

And one reason for that is those PNCites who weren’t in the loop on the giveaways - but were fighting what they thought was the “good fight” for the PNC in the trenches and blogs - are now pi55ed!! And Hell hath no fury like the PNCite who didn’t get his cut!! Very soon the Police and the DPP are going to get all sorts of anonymous tips - complete with bank account numbers and all!!

So, let’s not get too het up when more of these giveaways come to light. The PNC has never been a party for developing this country. They’re just a bunch of ethnic entrepreneurs who exploit the anxieties of their members at the bottom to fill their pockets.

Just think why none of them live with those followers! …other fight on elections One anxiety the PNC leadership exploit in their followers to their loyalty is on elections. Now, think why elections are accepted all over the world? They work!! As Churchill once said, democracy might be all messy and all that, but it’s still the best way to choose governments, ain’t it? And how do you get elections to work for you? You make yourself or your party as attractive to the largest number of persons who would be voting, won’t you?

But not the PNC. They cheat, rob and bully people, but still expect them to vote PNC!! But that’s not what they tell their supporters. No siree Bob!! The fault’s ALWAYS with the PPP! THEY’re always the ones who deny the PNC their due with one trick or another. Just look at their posture on Local Government Elections that’s due sometime next year.

Now, you’d think that with them claiming the last General Elections were messed up, they’d want GECOM’s system fixed before the LGE, no?

Not the PNC!! …another hustle It’s not surprising that the fella who got on his high horse about the President not having the authority to “confer silk” has now accepted silk from the incumbent.

Says it’s because the Judiciary was consulted!! But could they have rejected?

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

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 NEWS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

After series of irregularities

Govt relieves NICIL/SPU head of duties

C

olvin Heath-London has been relieved of his duties, with immediate effect, as Chief Executive Officer of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) following a series of illegalities and failures, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government announced.

Heath-London served as head of the Special Purpose Unit as well. The SPU was convened by the David Grangerled A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government after it closed four sugar estates.

The Unit was responsible for the privatisation and divestment of identified assets of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

The PPP/C Government said that a review of NICIL’s and SPU’s operations revealed illegalities and serious failures by Heath-London in the performance of his duties. It noted that the shortcomings had a detrimental impact on Government and NICIL’s business.

Identifying some of London’s shortcomings, the Government outlined that various leases for NICIL properties located in Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD), were signed without public tender, valuations, Board approval, Cabinet approval, and review and approval by NICIL’s counsel. It noted that the counsel’s approval was to ensure that the leases contained the standard and customary provisions

relating to termination and non-assignment and other protections to NICIL. In a statement, Government identified that Heath-London issued approximately 14 agreements of sale and leases for NICIL lands located at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and the subsequent vesting of seven tracts of lands without ensuring that full payment was received for those lands in accordance with the terms of the relevant agreements. He also issued the agreements and vesting orders without ensuring that the vesting orders issued were drafted by approved NICIL counsel or contained the usual and customary language sufficient to protect NICIL’s interests.

He is accused of procuring the execution and gazetting the vesting orders without first ensuring that payments were made in accordance with the terms of the various agreements executed by the parties. Heath-London failed to facilitate and procure the auditing of SPU’s accounts by the Auditor General.

The now terminated CEO reportedly failed to facilitate and procure the necessary NICIL account reconciliations in order to allow the Auditor General to audit NICIL’s accounts from 2014 to 2019.

The Government noted that Heath-London’s transgressions constitute serious misconduct and dereliction of duty generally. He not only breached applicable laws and violated policies established by the Government

Colvin Heath-London

and NICIL, but caused NICIL and the Government to lose millions of dollars. “His actions also amount to a breach of the fiduciary duties and duty of care owed to NICIL imposed by the relevant provisions of the Companies Act 1991 and generally, warranting his immediate termination,” the statement noted.

On several occasions, Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan was with Heath-London at the sod turning and launching of several of the proposed projects which gain NICIL’s lands which failed to meet the legal and transparent requirement according to the laws of Guyana.

Just Monday, Attorney General Anil Nandlall revealed that more than 50 acres of land

at Peters Hall were signed away without the proper leases intact.

The State Lands Act of Guyana stipulates that when State lands are leased, the lease must state that the lessee must not part with possession without the consent of the landlord (the State) or shall not assign the interest in the lease without the consent of the landlord. If the lessee acts in contravention of that clause, then the State reserves the right to step in and repossess the lands.

However, in the case of the three agreements at Peters Hall, a PNC member in drafting the lease agreements, changed that to state: “the lessee may assign, sublet, grant any licenses or otherwise part with the possession and/or purpose and/or dispose of the whole or any part of the demised property or any building or other erection at any time standing thereon or any right or privilege in relations thereto conferred by this agreement.”

Nandlall noted that the clause itself acts in contravention of the law. The contracts were reportedly drafted by an attorney who is also a member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

Criminal investigations

Just this weekend Guyana Times reported that massive tracts of prime State land which were leased at bargain prices under the former Government will soon be the subject of criminal investigations, as the current Government undertakes a review of several shady land deals in the proximity of the Ogle/Diamond bypass road.

The review of the legality of these transactions is being

undertaken by the Attorney General Chambers.

The Ogle/Diamond bypass road is a massive project conceived as a way of steering traffic away from central Georgetown and the East Bank thoroughfare and easing the massive traffic jams. It is supposed to see some 26 kilometres of road constructed, linking two of the country’s main thoroughfares.

There have long been reports of a land grab in areas associated with the project. The contract for the road is likely

to be awarded by this year-end.

The land associated with the project that was secured since 2015 is likely to have jumped in value.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government has adopted a no-nonsense policy on land that was allocated under the former APNU/AFC Government during the time when they were in caretaker status – having been defeated by a No-Confidence Motion – and not authorised to conduct such large transactions.

M&CC defies LGC’s suspension of City Treasurer …tells him to return to work

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ity treasurer John Douglas, who was suspended for two months after monies belonging to the Mayor and City Council was found in a bag of the entity’s vehicle, was asked to return to work one month into his suspension. This is despite the fact that the Local Government Commission (LGC) had endorsed disciplinary measures against several officers at City Hall including Douglas following the issue with the money being found in a bag.

This was confirmed by acting Town Clerk Sherry Jerrick during a brief telephone interview with Guyana Times.

Jerrick explained that the city treasurer was suspended for two months, but on his first month into the suspension, the Council had called him back to work.

“He would have proceeded on the leave, but the Council

City Treasurer John Douglas

called him back out. It was supposed to be two months suspension, and he proceeded month into the latter month, he was called out,” Jerrick said.

TURN TO PAGE 12

11 American Airlines to resume services in Guyana on Monday F NEWS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ollowing the suspension of its services back in March, after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) hit, American Airlines has made a decision to restart operations in Guyana, effective from Monday.

Operations would resume with six flights per week to Miami, and this would be followed by non-stop flights to New York, which would be rolled out by December.

On October 12, Guyana’s two main ports of entry – the Eugene F Correia International and the Cheddi Jagan International airports - were reopened to commercial flights. An important aspect of allowing incoming passengers is a negative PCR test, which must be proven by persons entering the country. This

type of test is separated into two categories and can be done either within 72 hours or seven days of the flight.

In regard to the seven-day window, travellers would be asked to pay for a second test at the airport.

If someone tests positive during their second PCR test, they would be picked up by the Health Ministry’s specialised COVID-19 team.

A number of commer-

cial carriers have already reintroduced flights to and from Guyana since the Government moved to reopen the ports.

Eastern Airlines has introduced four flights weekly from Miami and New York; COPA Airlines has started three flights weekly from Panama, while American Airlines has announced six flights weekly from Miami.

Beginning November 1,

Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) will be flying between the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada. CAL said flights would be operated each Monday and Friday, with connections available from Trinidad and Barbados.

CAL has already reintroduced its commercial service between Guyana and New York, which took effect on October 19 following reopening of the country’s international ports last month.

A few days ago, JetBlue announced December 11 as the launch date for its commercial flight between New York and Guyana. The airline announced that flights would initially be operated up to four times weekly, with seats available for purchase

starting on October 27.

JetBlue had originally announced the new route between New York City and Georgetown in September 2019, but temporarily paused the sale of seats and adjusted the launch schedule in response to changes in global travel demand.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Government is also engaging Virgin Atlantic and InterCaribbean Airways on adding Guyana to its list of destinations.

Local authorities had closed the country’s borders – including the two main international airports – since March 2020, after the first imported case of COVID-19 was detected. From then to August, the CJIA recorded losses of over one billion dollars due to the pandemic.

Figures representing

aircraft seats occupied between January and July 2020, when compared with the same period in 2019, revealed that the number of available aircraft seats was 229,126, or 132 per cent less than the 532,602 available in 2019. This year, international aircraft landing has also declined by 137 per cent, from 2,380 to 1,005.

Regarding the movement of cargo, while the airport is closed to passenger movements, cargo operations continued, albeit in a limited manner. For cargo imports, there was a 19 per cent reduction: from 3,101,936 kilograms to 2,501,345 kilograms.

Meanwhile, cargo exports have declined by 22 per cent: from 1,652,028 kilograms to 1,294,391 kilograms. (G12)

Coastal residents cautioned as high tides persist until Nov 3

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esidents along Guyana’s coastal stretch are asked to remain alert as the period of high tides is in effect, and will continue until November 4.

The Hydrometeorological Office has advised that above-normal high tides would persist, and may result in flooding. As a result, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is also advising residents of riverine, low-lying and floodprone areas to take all necessary precautions, and to contact the National Emergency Monitoring System should they be affected.

In the event of their being flooded, persons are asked

to stay out of the water and keep food items safe. Waterborne diseases can be contracted through contact with these waters. Direct contact with floodwaters can expose persons to several germs that can lead to any of these diseases. Guardians are also asked to keep children especially out of the water, as they are most at risk of contracting diseases; and everyone avoid swimming in canals and trenches.

Protective gear should be used, and feet should be washed regularly after persons exit the waters. If necessary, Vaseline or oil can be applied to form a barrier to protect from the dirty water.

Additionally, water is a breeding ground for mosqui-

Residents are asked to be on the lookout for flooding during this high tide

toes which spread Zika, dengue and chikungunya virus.

Fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly with clean water to prevent contamination.

To protect against an electric shock, turn off the main electrical switch, unplug all appliances, and move them to safe areas in the home. If it is suspected that electri-

cal wiring has been damaged in a home, turn off the main switch and have it checked by a qualified electrician before turning on the power again.

In October last year, the high tides were unforgiving to communities on the West Coast of Demerara, including Blankenburg, Hague, Den Amstel, Fellowship, Cornelia Ida, Anna Catherina, and Oceanview Uitvlugt. This is the second major inundation to hit those communities in just over one year.

In March last year, breaches in the sea defence resulted in persons being relocated to shelters after their homes were severely flooded.

The CDC can be contacted around-the-clock at the National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) on 623-1700, 600-7500, or 226-1114, or by leaving a message on its social media page.

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Curfew now in effect from 10:30pm to 4am ...Govt offices revert to rotation of employees …non-essential travel to Regions 1, 9 restricted

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overnment has taken a decision to extend the National Covid-19 Measures for the month of November and has eased the curfew hours which are now 22:30h (10:30 pm) to 04:00h (4 am).

Published in the official gazette, the measures will take effect from November 1, and last until November 30 – unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

These emergency measures are made pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2)(b) of the Direction by the President, given under the Public Health Ordinance, Cap 145, and published in the Gazette, Legal Supplement – B, 16th March 2020.

The Government concluded that it made a rapid assessment of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and found that it was fragmented and incapable of administering the public health, economic and social measures needed to keep the population safe. The Order noted that the current measures are extended

to allow for further assessments and consultations to develop updated protocols to aid in the combatting of the COVID-19 spread.

Restricted travel

Non-essential travel into or out of Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) is restricted, and travel shall only be permitted where it is connected to essential travel.

The special measures for these regions state that gatherings shall not exceed five persons and the physical distance of six feet must apply to all these gatherings. Where the Health Ministry considers necessary, any person may be tested for coronavirus or isolated. Regions Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) have been removed from the special measures category.

Gyms

Gyms are to be opened for only 50 per cent of the building’s capacity and by appointments. Physical exercises shall be allowed only in parks, roadways, beaches, rivers and sea-

walls while maintaining social distancing.

The restriction to home continues, where persons shall remain in the confines of their house or yard space. No one is permitted to host or attend a cinema except for drive-in movies; private party, banquet hall, bar, public swimming pool or water park, wake or vigil, spa, club, meeting fraternity or any other social activity.

No person shall visit any place of quarantine or isolation facility, prison, patient in a hospital, nursing home, or other care facility. If it is not a COVID-19 patient, the hospital can grant permission on a caseby-case basis.

Meanwhile, for religious services, the attendance is restricted to 25 per cent of the building’s capacity and where there are multiple services, there should be no less than 45 minutes between each to allow for sanitising. All measures and guidelines must be followed.

Meanwhile, all persons employed within the Public Service, a semi-autonomous agency, statutory body or State-owned enter-

M&CC defies LGC’s...

Those suspended were Douglas; Iva Bryan (two months), Sonia Pit (three weeks), and Yolanda Forde (one month). Clerk of Markets Sherlock Lovell, along with Felicia McRae, were issued warning letters.

The decision to suspend the officers were implemented following the recommendations by the LGC after

a bag of cash was found in the vehicle of the then Chief Constable, Andrew Foo, and monies were missing from the Bourda Market.

According to reports, the monies were supposed to be deposited in the bank on behalf of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC). However, a staff of the Council found the bag of

FROM PAGE 10

cash bearing the M&CC seal in the Chief Constable’s vehicle.

A complaint was lodged at the LGC, and an investigation was launched.

During the investigation, the Commission found that Foo, along with officers, had breached the standard operating procedure. (G1)

prise shall work on rotation.

Sporting events permitted

Sporting events are permitted subject to the approval of the Health Minister and compliance with requisite guidelines.

From 04:00h to 21:30h, stakeholders will be able to access services at banks, markets, supermarkets, grocery shops, gas stations, postal or shipping services, beauty salons, barbershops, hardware stores, clothing or stores; or other maintenance services.

Outdoor dining at a restaurant shall only be permitted between these

hours, with tables six feet apart and a maximum of four persons that are three feet apart per table. Food services are still permitted to conduct delivery and curbside pickup.

Persons are still required to wear a mask, covering the nose and mouth, when in public. Both pri-

vate and the public sector will have their staff on rotation while those in the health sector will be subjected to priority treatment.

Failure to comply with the mandatory mask requirement would make persons liable under Section 152 of the Public Health Ordinance.

1 charged, 2 on the run for Ruimveldt teen’s murder

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ne man stands charged and two others remain at large after they allegedly murdered 18-year-old Adrian Purlette of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

According to Regional Commander with responsibility for Region Four, Assistant Commissioner Simon McBean, a teen was arrested earlier this week and charged on Friday for the offence of murder.

Meanwhile, Police are still on the hunt for two other suspects.

Purlette was stabbed on October 21 during an argument over money at D’Urban Street, Lodge, Georgetown. He, however, died on October 22.

Reports are the now dead

Dead: Adrian Purlette

teen was visiting a friend’s house at Hoopie Lane, between D’Urban and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, when

three men turned up at the location and demanded money from him.

The dead teen reportedly told the men that he had no money, which enraged them, leading to a heated confrontation.

According to Police, the teenager was leaving the area, but the men followed and confronted him, during which he was dealt several stabs to his body.

His friend told investigators that he heard Purlette shouting that he had been stabbed. The friend then found him lying in a pool of blood.

Purlette was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital but succumbed to his injuries one day later. (G9)

NEWS

13

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana must seriously address “brain drain” – US think tank report T

he Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in a recent report stated that Guyana’s development efforts will continue to be seriously undermined unless concrete and immediate action is taken to address the issue of skilled professionals leaving for “greener pastures”.

The report “The Guyanese Diaspora” which was authored by Michael Matera, Linnea Sandin and Maripaz Alvarez, provided a comprehensive analysis of the Guyanese Diaspora and suggested a framework within which this valuable asset could be utilised for the benefit of both the diaspora and their home country.

With the ongoing discovery of massive oil and gas reserves in Guyana, the country anticipates a significant increase in demand for skilled labour in many sectors beyond energy. Many had expressed hope that the country’s oil boom would contribute to helping to stem the tide of skilled professionals leaving the country.

According to the report, the “brain drain” that has characterised Guyana since its independence has exacerbated Guyana’s chronic shortages of skilled labour.

“Unless the issue of “brain drain” can be addressed through convincing Guyanese with local tertiary degrees to remain in the country and through attracting diaspora members back to the country, development efforts in Guyana will remain undermined,” the authors warned.

They argued that although higher education institutions in Guyana are trying to implement more targeted education and training programmes, the country’s persistent underdevelopment in recent decades and lack of professional opportunities continue to push many Guyanese to migrate overseas in search of better opportunities.

Noting that the Guyanese

Diaspora is “an educated and skilled community”, the authors cited the United States where over half of working-age Guyanese are in professional, managerial, or sales occupations. Other Guyanese living in the United States work in the service, construction, and agriculture industries.

They further pointed out that key occupations and industries reported by the Guyanese population in Canada were sales and service; business, finance, and administration; retail trade; and healthcare and assistance.

Guyana’s emigration rate, which skyrocketed in the 1960s due to the hardships created by the then LFS Burnham-led People’s National Congress (PNC) Government, is one of the highest in the world, numbering about 30,000 annually.

According to the report, the first-generation immigrant Guyanese Diaspora today is estimated to be approximately 550,000 worldwide, not including their descendants.

“Since the 1960s, the Guyanese emigrant population has increased due to difficult economic conditions, a tense social and political environment, a weak educational system, high levels of insecurity, and an inefficient health-

care system,” the report stated.

According to the report, favourable immigration laws first in the United Kingdom, and later in Canada and the United States, and better job and education opportunities abroad have helped to motivate high levels of emigration among Guyanese.

It noted that as Caribbean countries established better regional relationships through the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in the late 1980s, another significant wave of skilled Guyanese migrated throughout the Caribbean, providing immigrants with a cultural and environmental context similar to that of Guyana (eg, weather, language, religion, heritage) with greater political and economic stability.

“In the early-1990s, investment in Guyana declined, the economy deteriorated, wages remained extremely low, and the country experienced a period of negative growth. This combination of factors contributed to another wave of emigration, as many skilled and educated citizens such as doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, and technicians chose to leave.”

The report further outlined that the regions with the highest numbers of Guyanese immigrants in 2019 were: North

America, accounting for 80 per cent of Guyanese immigrants worldwide; the Caribbean and Latin America, with 12.4 per cent, the majority of whom reside in the Caribbean; and Northern Europe and the United Kingdom, with 5.9 per cent (approximately 30,000).

Very small Guyanese diaspora communities also exist in Asia, parts of Africa, and Oceania.

The United States continues to be the most popular destination for emigrating Guyanese. It is estimated that over 400,000 people in the United States are Guyanese or of Guyanese ancestry with most of them residing in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, and Maryland, though smaller communities

exist in other places, including Illinois, Minnesota, and California, according to the report.

Canada, according to the report, has been another popular destination for Guyanese emigrants since the 1980s.

In 2016, 88,570 people living in Canada reported Guyana as their country of birth, although some members of the diaspora estimate that Canada could be home to as many as 120,000 to 200,000 Guyanese.

Further, approximately 30,000 Guyanese live in the United Kingdom, mostly in the North East region, the East Midlands, and in the London metro area.

The authors further observed that other countries

in Latin America and the Caribbean also have significant populations of Guyanese immigrants.

Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and Barbados each have small Guyanese diaspora communities ranging in size from 5000 to 15,000.

Additionally, they noted that the number of Guyanese leaving for Venezuela was highest during the years of political instability in Guyana in the 1970s and 1980s, reaching well over 100,000, with some estimates of almost 300,000.

However, in recent years, with Venezuela’s slide into instability and crisis, the number of Guyanese in Venezuela has dropped as many Guyanese have returned to Guyana.

14 NEWS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Generosity, kindness essential aspects of human development – President …as Salvation Army launches annual Christmas Kettle Appeal nate, and the fact that they have been doing it for 125 years.

“The work you do is an inspiration to me. The fact that you provide up to 400 meals each day, and meet the basic needs of citizens, including the elderly and children, is noteworthy,” Minister Walrond posited, while recognising the organization’s donations to nursing homes.

She added, “Your labour echoes humility and love for our fellow men, and these are attributes that all Guyanese should exemplify.”

Recognising that the Christmas season is about love, Minister Waldron said,

President Dr Irfaan Ali making the first donation

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday declared open the traditional Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Appeal at Roraima Duke Lodge, as the festive seasons gets underway.

“I now declare this kettle open, the kettle of hope, the kettle of mercy,” President Ali said as he made the first deposit into the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Kettle Appeal.

The President acknowledged the tremendous work being done by the Salvation Army in assisting the less fortunate. He added that the programmes offered by the Army need to be decentralised.

“These types of programmes also need to be decentralised and to go into communities and areas that we are seeing a new wave of abuse of substance; and you have a Government who is ready and willing to partner with you,” the Head-of-State said.

He explained that generosity and kindness are essential aspects of human development, and are attributes to any developing country.

“But the problem is (that) the season, in my view, is just a reminder that we have it in us to give; but out-

al; otherwise, our ability to help each other will be seasonal, and that is not what we want to achieve.”

“Too often, we get so consumed with the cares of life that we forget to show love.

Love is a foundational principle in most religions because it is so critical to our survival.”

Further, she mentioned that people from all walks of life could enter the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Programme and get a second chance at life.

“Just on a personal note, I was a Magistrate for seven years, and I had many young (people) come before me. In fact, I sat on the Juvenile Court for most of those years, and the Salvation Army Drug Rehabilitation Programme, I can testify, saved many young persons’

lives.”

Consequently, she joined the call with the Headof-State to have the programme expanded within different communities throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.

Officers of the Salvation Army will be stationed at strategic locations near popular stores and businesses as they solicit donations from the general public to fund their charitable programmes.

Government provides a subvention for the organisation’s drug rehabilitation programme, but it is dependent on the goodwill of the general public to support its various initiatives. (G1)

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana moves to Barbados …replacement to be named shortly “It has been a very interesting three years in Guyana. I really enjoyed the Guyanese people – beautiful country, wonderful people and I leave with mixed feelings. I will always have a special thought in my heart for Guyana and will only wish the very best for this country” – Lilian Chatterjee

C

Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond making her donation

side of the season, we also have a responsibility. Our love should not be seasonal; our commitment should not be seasonal; our kindness should not be season-

Meanwhile, Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond commended the Salvation Army for their commitment to supporting the less fortu-

anadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee has been named as Canada’s new envoy to Barbados.

This announcement was made on Friday by Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, FrançoisPhilippe Champagne.

She will replace the current Canadian High Commissioner to Barbados, Maria Legault.

However, no information has been released on the new Canadian envoy to Guyana.

While it was not mentioned when the outgoing diplomat will take up her new post, High Commission Chatterjee is expected to remain in Guyana throughout November.

In a brief comment to Guyana Times on Friday, Chatterjee said: “It has been a very interesting three years in Guyana. I really enjoyed the Guyanese people – beautiful country, wonderful people and I leave with mixed feelings.

I will always have a special thought in my heart for Guyana and will only wish the very best for this country.”

Asked about her replacement, the outgoing Canadian diplomat said this announcement will be made shortly. “[The new High Commission] has been identified but it is not public information yet… we will announce it shortly,” she related to this publication.

Chatterjee was ap-

pointed as Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana in July 2017. She also served as Canada’s non-resident High Commissioner to Suriname as well as Ambassador to the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

During her tenure here, High Commission Chatterjee led several successful partnerships between the Guyana and Canadian Governments in various areas of development.

Fight for democracy

Most notable, however, is the role she played as part of the ABCE bloc to ensure that democracy prevailed in Guyana following the March 2 General and Regional Elections when the country was embroiled in a political and electoral crisis for five months before the PPP/C Government was finally sworn-in after being declared the winner on August 2.

At the inauguration ceremony of President Irfaan Ali in August, Chatterjee told reporters: “Democracy prevailed. The will of the people was respected in end. I’m so happy for Guyana and I’m optimistic for Guyana’s future.”

She had reiterated her Government’s commitment to working with the Ali-led Administration to foster development in Guyana.

Since then, the Canadian envoy has met with most, if not all, of the Ministers in the new PPP/C Cabinet and discuss areas of collaboration.

One such collaboration

Outgoing Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee

is electoral reforms. During a meeting with Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall earlier this month, she laid out a plethora of opportunities in the legal sector for Guyana to take advantage of and indicated her Government’s preparedness to lend assistance in the form of experts to aid in the electoral reform process. This commitment was in response to a request by Minister Nandlall.

Chatterjee has had a long career within Global Affairs Canada. She served as Director General of the Strategic Integration, Europe, Middle East and Maghreb Branch.

Prior to that, Chatterjee held the position of Director General of the Social Development; Partnerships for Development Innovation Branch.

In 2003, Chatterjee joined the Canadian International Development Agency where she later became the Director General of the Canadian Partnership Branch.

Canada is the third major destination of exports from Guyana and is a leading foreign investor in Guyana, with investments approximating $600 million. (G8)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Money-changer, businessman robbed by lone gunman

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money-changer and a market stallholder were on Friday morning robbed at gunpoint by a lone bandit.

Reports are the incident occurred at about 07:45 on Friday, shortly after the Corriverton Market had opened for business. Those robbed were Daneshwar Pananlall, called Peter, a money-changer, who was relieved of $500,000 in both local and foreign currencies; and Vibert Dan, a stallholder, who was robbed of more than $20,000.

Speaking with this publication, Dan said the lone gunman was carrying a bag across his shoulder at the time of the incident.

“He just come up and go into the bag and take out the gun and point it at me, and then go into my pocket

phone was also taken away.

“A $1,000 bill drop on the ground, and I bend down to pick it up and he turn back and pick it up,” Dan recalled, while noting that a wallet containing important documents was also taken away from him.

Following the robbery, the bandit left on a bicycle and had a sizeable head start before he was pursued.

Several persons mounted motorbikes and went in

CCTV footage showing the lone gunman carrying out the robbery at Corriverton Market

and pull out the money,” the businessman said.

Meanwhile, Pananlall recounted that the gun was

then pointed at him, and the gunman then went through his pockets and removed the money he was carrying. His

Teacher charged for killing cousin

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23-year-old teacher who allegedly chopped his cousin to death after allegedly suffering a nervous breakdown due to learning of his father’s death as a result of COVID-19 was on Friday charged.

Samuel Henry of Kwebanna, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), appeared before Magistrate Rabindranath Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts via Skype.

It is alleged that on October 26, 2020, at Kwebanna village, North West District, he murdered 35-year-old Kamal Wilson.

It was reported that October 26, at about 19:30h, the now dead man went to check his generator, which was located

Dead: Kamal Wilson

at the back of the yard – some 20 feet away. It was then that Henry was observed walking towards him, armed with a cutlass.

According to reports, without any conversation, the accused dealt several chops to Wilson’s head, neck, and shoulder.

As he was being at-

tacked, Wilson began to scream for help and managed to run into his house and lock the door. By this time, Henry made good his escape. The dead man’s father picked up the injured man and rushed him to the Kumaka District Hospital.

On his way, the father said that his son related to him what had transpired.

Wilson was treated and admitted as a patient in a serious condition. He, however, succumbed to the injuries hours later.

A report was made to the Acquero Police Station, which led to the arrest of the suspect.

Magistrate Singh remanded Henry to prison and the case will continue at the Acquero Magistrate’s Court on January 4, 2021.

(G1)

pursuit of him, but their efforts were futile. The Police were contacted and joined the hunt, but, up to Friday evening, there was no report of his capture.

Back in January, Pananlall had been attacked and robbed. He was on his way to the Market when he was attacked and robbed of $3M in both local and foreign currencies, including Canadian, Surinamese (SRD) and US dollars.

Then he was ambushed by three men - two with cutlasses and one with a stick.

As he slowed his motorbike to turn the corner at the head of his street, there were three guys sitting on the culvert.

They approached him and took away the money bag he was carrying, before pushing his motorbike over, causing him to fall.

Police were not able to find the perpetrators. (G4)

2 in custody for La Grange pensioner’s death

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olice have arrested a second suspect in relation to the murder of 85-year-old Bibi Ramjit, who was found dead in her La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home with her hands and feet tied earlier this week.

In a telephone interview with Guyana Times, Guyana Police Force (GPF) Public Relations Officer Royston Andries-Junor confirmed that this second suspect is a female.

Just days ago, Police had arrested a juvenile in relation to the murder.

When Ramjit was found on Sunday last, her house was reportedly ransacked, which made investigators believe that she was killed during the commissioning of a robbery. She had lived alone.

According to her family members, about four

Dead: Bibi Ramjit

months ago, the now dead woman, who operated a grocery shop, was terrorized, assaulted and robbed by bandits who invaded her home and escaped with a large sum of money.

Ramjit did not make a

report to the police due to fears that the robbers would return.

However, months later, Ramjit was sleeping in her hammock, and again, bandits invaded her home and stole an undisclosed sum of money.

One of her customers told reporters that he went to take some money to the shop owner, and made several calls but got no answer.

This made him curious since both the doors to her shop and house were open.

Upon checking, he found the woman dead.

Meanwhile, a post-mortem examination performed on Ramjit’s body by Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh, gave the cause of death “as asphyxiation due to manual strangulation”.

Investigations are ongoing.

16 NEWS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Neesa Gopaul murder appeal

Convicts seek to quash conviction, claim evidence prejudicial

Murder convict: Bibi Gopaul

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n an attempt to quash their March 2015 conviction for the October 2010 murder of 16-year-old Neesa Gopaul, her mother, Bibi Gopaul and Jarvis Small on Friday argued that prejudicial evidence was led against them by the prosecution which renders their conviction unsafe. Bibi Goopaul and Small were sentenced to 102- and 96-years’ imprisonment respectively by Justice Navindra Singh for the murder of the former Queen’s College student.

Both Gopaul and Small are contesting their conviction and sentence on the basis that the trial Judge made several errors in law which included admitting prejudicial evidence and failing to properly direct the jury. They argued that the sentences they received were excessive, irrational and not grounded in any established legal principles as required by law.

Media reports are that the dismembered and headless remains of the younger Gopaul were found stuffed in a suitcase in a creek along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

Also discovered were a passport and a bank card that bore the teen’s name. The suitcase was wrapped with rope and attached to dumbbells in an apparent effort to keep the young woman’s body submerged. She was found weeks after she was reported missing from her Leonora, West Coast Demerara home. Her cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma to the head.

Hearing the appeal virtually on Friday were Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards and Justices of Appeal Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory. Representing Small were Attorneys-atLaw Nigel Hughes, Ronald Daniels and Sophia Findlay, while Arudranauth Gosai appeared on behalf of Bibi Gopaul.

Separate trials

In addressing the court on why the conviction against his client should be quashed, Hughes submitted that the most grievous issue was the failure by the trial Judge to severe the indictments which would have allowed for his client to be tried separately from Bibi Gopaul. Hughes pointed to the evidence of the prosecution’s main witness, Simone De Nobrega, who was a cellmate of Bibi Gopaul and who had testified that the murder convict told her that it was Small who had killed her daughter by bashing in

Murder convict: Jarvis Small

her head with a piece of wood.

According to Hughes, even with the best of directions in the world, a jury would still be unable to divorce the statements made between Bibi Gopaul and a third party [De Nobrega] when considering the evidence led against his client. The lawyer reasoned that the only possible impact of the testimony of that witness would have been unfavourable to Small.

He said that denying an application to have the indictment severed during the trial, led to the collusion of the case against Small being inevitable.

With regards to the dumbbells, he said that a prosecution witness had testified that he sold the items to Small, while another said that Small packed them up while he was moving to another location.

Assuming that the dumbbells belonged to Small, an issue Hughes said that was

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

raised during the trial; he contended that there is no nexus in the form of direct or circumstantial evidence between his client, the dumbbells and the murder of the young woman.

Relying on a case from the Privy Council, Gosai argued that Justice Singh failed to adequately direct the jury on how to deal with the evidence of De Nobrega. Further, he added that the Judge failed to highlight to the jury the discrepancies in her testimony and the prosecution’s case.

According to the lawyer, the Judge failed to inform the jury that De Nobrega was convicted for crimes of a dishonest nature. Apart from being convicted, he said that the woman had close to 26 charges pending for such crimes.

He explained that the records of appeal show that the Judge admitted the evidence on the basis that he would properly direct the jury, but in the end, failed to do so.

Unless it can show that the evidence is linked and relevant to the charge against Bibi Gopaul, Gosai pointed out that this kind of evidence should not have been put to the jury for consideration. Even if the proper direction were given to the jury, Gosai noted that the evidence was so prejudicial, they would have concluded that she committed the crime.

Sentence

Hughes and Gosai are also challenging the custodial sentences imposed by the Judge.

In recent time, he noted that the Guyana Court

of Appeal has been reducing lengthy sentences imposed on murder and manslaughter convicts to one-third of the original sentence.

According to Hughes, the sentence of 96 years imposed on his client is not only excessive, but beyond the natural life of the average Guyanese.

He added that imposing a sentence that is beyond one’s natural life and three times more than what would have been imposed by the Court of Appeal is unduly served.

As for Gosai, he relied on the submissions made by Hughes in challenging the severity of his client’s sentence.

Properly directed

For her part, Senior State Counsel, Stacy Goodings dismissed submissions that the jury was not properly directed as to how to deal with the evidence of the prosecution’s main witness. Asked by Justice Cummings-Edwards to respond to Gosai’s contention that the Judge failed to administer the caution to the jury as required by the Privy Council case, before putting the evidence of De Nobrega to them, Goodings maintained that the jury was adequately and properly directed.

According to Prosecutor Goodings, the records of appeal reflect that Justice Singh told the jury that they must be “mindful” when considering the evidence of this witness.

Responding to the issue of prejudicial evidence in relation to the death of Bibi Gopaul’s husband being put to the jury for deliberation in the absence of a warning,

Murdered: Neesa Gopaul

Prosecutor Goodings said that this sort of evidence was used as regards to the story told by Bibi Gopaul.

She noted that she was also in agreement with the recent position adopted by the Guyana Court of Appeal as it relates to imposing sentences for murder and manslaughter. The State Counsel urged the court that when considering the ground of severity of sentence, they must consider the facts of the case.

This is that someone Neesa Gopaul - suffered a gruesome death and that there was evidence as to how she was treated prior to her demise. According to Goodings, while the trial Judge did not give reasoning how he arrived at a starting point for the sentences, he did indicate what aggravating factors he considered in increasing the sentences for Small and Gopaul to 96 and 102 years respectively.

The court will hear additional submissions in this case on November 11.

SYMPTOMS

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms or combinations of symptoms may have COVID-19:

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms:

Fever People who think they may be affected by coronavirus need to call the Public Health Ministry hotline 227-4986/624-3067 for further advice. They should not go to their GP, A&E, pharmacy or hospital.

If you have come into contact with somebody who may be infected, you may be told to self-isolate. People needing to do so should take "common-sense" steps to avoid close contact with other people.

(Adapted from BBC News)

Headache

Chills

Sore throat

Repeated shaking with chills

New loss of taste or smell

Muscle pain Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have mild illness.

NEWS

17

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Foreign Minister meets with leading Agri agencies must forge intergovernmental organisation closer ties with Private Sector on private international law

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griculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has called on all of the departments within the Ministry’s purview to establish closer ties with the Private Sector.

These partnerships will aid in advancing agriculture in the long-term, he is quoted by a Department of Public Information (DPI) report as saying. According to DPI, the Minister made the statements while addressing a webinar hosted by the National Drainage and

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oreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd on Friday met the Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Christophe Bernasconi along with representatives of the body.

During the virtual meeting, among mutual areas of interest, they discussed strengthening relations between Guyana and the HCCH. Guyana is not a member of the Hague Conference, however, in 2017, Guyana became a state party to five of the Hague Conventions. These include the 2007 Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance; the 1993 Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption; the 1996 Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd during the virtual meeting

Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Cooperation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children; the 1980 Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction; and the 1961 Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents.

The Hague Conference

on Private International Law is the leading intergovernmental organisation on private international law.

Founded in 1893, it was the first-ever international body to be established in The Hague. It has since drawn up several international treaties to help overcome legal obstacles faced by individuals and companies in cross-border relations and transactions.

Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to discuss ways of fostering public-private partnerships.

Speaking specifically to the NDIA, the Minister called for more effort to strengthen its relationship with other public and Private Sector entities to enhance drainage projects countrywide.

“The services that we provide are important to our country. So, I implore that we form these partnerships and seek other partnerships to extend and develop these

services and improve the drainage system in our country,” Minister Mustapha is quoted as saying.

The NDIA is tasked with all matters pertaining to the management, improvement, extension and provision of drainage, irrigation and flood control infrastructure and services in declared areas of the country.

Minister Mustapha also noted that these discussions should be ongoing and not only held during Agriculture Month.

Reopening of schools

Education CEO discusses transportation service, safety, security of students

UN Chief praises Caricom leaders

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ecretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, praised leaders within the Caribbean Community (Caricom) for their leadership in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as they confront shocks to their economies via the tourism sector, trade and remittances.

The Secretary General was addressing a virtual meeting of the regional body on Thursday.

“Your unique voice is vital as we tackle shared threats such as climate change, citizen insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic that expose deep and systemic inequalities,” he said.

The UN chief stated that

the pandemic’s socioeconomic impacts were worse than the virus itself for some developing economies, including the Caribbean.

He highlighted his push for a relief package equivalent to at least 10 per cent of the global economy, as well as an appeal for debt relief.

Guterres also underlined his solidarity with Caricom members in addressing climate change.

The Secretary-General emphasised his full support for the Caribbean vision of becoming the first fully climate-resilient region in the world, but noted the “significant barriers” countries face, including access to climate finance.

Turning to sustainable development, Guterres reported that the UN system is ramping up support for the Caribbean and all small island developing states.

“We are putting our best capacities and resources to support your voice and participation in global governance processes, to provide sound policy advice and help broker the partnerships that will facilitate your continued progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

The Secretary-General also thanked Caricom for highlighting the crucial issue of advancing gender parity, and its unwavering support for multilateralism.

(Excerpt from Nation News)

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hief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson and team met with representatives of the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department, Deputy Traffic Officer, Stephen Harris; President of the United Mini Bus Union, Eon Andrews; Pastor Felix Walker of

Route 42 United Mini Bus Society; Gobin Persaud of Route 44 United Mini Bus Society (UG), Director of the Department of Consumer Affairs; Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Muriel Innis Duke and Senior Consumer Affairs Officer, Kushana

Archer of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce.

The Special Stakeholders Meeting was convened to discuss transportation service, safety and security of students for re-opening of schools.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

Regional

Bolivian Congress approves Russia makes preliminary report recommending lawsuit submission of COVID-19 vaccine to Brazil regulators against outgoing President

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olivia’s Congress, controlled by the socialist party of the former Indigenous President Evo Morales, approved on Thursday night a report that recommends a lawsuit against outgoing right-wing President Jeanine Anez for genocide and other alleged crimes.

The report, submitted by a parliamentary commission, alleges that Anez and some of her Ministers are responsible for “resolutions contrary to the Constitution and the laws, breach of duties, genocide, murder, serious injuries, criminal association, deprivation of liberty and the forced disappearance of people.”

Bolivia spiralled into chaos after its October 2019 election was mired in controversy amid allegations it had been rigged; Morales then resigned under pressure from security forces and protesters.

After assuming power on Nov 12 of last year, Anez’s

Bolivia’s interim President Jeanine Anez speaks during a ceremony marking the 195th anniversary of the Bolivia Foundation at the Presidential Palace, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in La Paz, Bolivia, August 6, 2020

Government came under fire for a law giving the military broad discretion in the use of force. At least 30 people were killed in protests after she took office, most of whom were MAS supporters and civilians.

Morales’ MAS socialist party resumed control of the presidency when its candi-

date Luis Arce won elections this month. Arce will take office on Nov 8.

The report recommending the suit will now be weighed by Bolivia’s Parliament, where MAS represents a majority but falls short of the two-thirds needed to approve it. (Excerpt from Reuters)

he Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is backing the development and roll-out of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, said on Friday it had completed the pre-submission of preliminary documents to Brazil’s health regulator.

The pre-submission, conducted together with RDIF’s local partners - the Brazilian state of Paraná and União Química Farmacêutica Nacional - is necessary for registration of the Russian vaccine for use in Brazil.

“Production of the first batches of the Sputnik V vaccine will soon be launched in Brazil as part of the technology transfer agreement between RDIF and União Química,” the Russian fund said in a statement.

Brazil health regulator ANVISA said in a statement that the submission by email on Thursday was not sufficiently documented to be

Bottles with Russia’s “Sputnik-V” vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are seen before inoculation at a clinic in Tver, Russia October 12, 2020

considered a formal request to conduct clinical trials and register the vaccine in Brazil.

“The documents were sent with a request for ANVISA to make a prior analysis, before the formal submission of the research request,” the statement said.

RDIF Chief Executive Kirill Dmitriev said registration would enable the start of production and distribution of the vaccine in Brazil.

The Russian sovereign

fund and Moscow’s Gamaleya Research Institute, which is developing the vaccine, last month entered an agreement with Paraná state government test and produce it in Brazil.

The Brazilian state of Bahia has also signed an agreement to conduct Phase III trials of Sputnik V and plans to buy 50 million doses for use in northeastern Brazil. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Sources told Guardian Media that the virtual application was made before Arima Magistrate Cheron Raphael, who heard evidence from the officers in the matter. Raphael later granted a detention order for the money for a period of three months under the Proceeds of Crime Act. During the second DSS raid on Tuesday, PSB officers also seized hundreds of receipt books, documents containing line payments to thousands of individuals and other pertinent documents that could assist investigators.

The DSS was first raided

on September 21 by officers of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) and some TT$22 million was reportedly taken to the La Horquetta Police Station.

However, the money, the amount of which was never verified because Police did not complete counting the seized cash, was released hours later to Clarke by junior police officers from the station who were not authorised to do so.

At least four officers have been suspended and 10 others transferred to other divisions as the probe continues. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Cops get court order to Jamaica’s tourism recovery detain DSS $6.4M on the horizon – Bartlett A

Clear signs that Jamaica’s tourism industry is on the path to recovery, notwithstanding worldwide challenges with the coronavirus pandemic, gave Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett reason to smile as he spoke Thursday at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new development at The Shoppes at Rose Hall, St James (Photo contributed)

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he Ministry of Tourism is reporting that discussions have begun regarding the return of cruise ships to the port of Falmouth.

The discussions follow the success of the resilient corridor in safeguarding Jamaica’s tourism against the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), the Ministry said.

Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, disclosed that as recently as Wednesday, he was in was discussion “with Disney Cruise about their plans for coming back to Falmouth shortly. They made reference to our resilient corridor as the signature statement of how destinations can make their areas safer for travel and tourism in the

future”.

Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new development at The Shoppes at Rose Hall, St James, on Thursday, Minister Bartlett said, “Although concerns continue in our major markets, we are already seeing positive signs of buoyancy which offer encouragement as we rebuild the tourism economy and continue to contribute meaningfully to the rebuilding of the national economy.”

Meanwhile, he noted that with the reopening of global economies, air travel was being restored “and we are cautiously optimistic that we will see a 40 per cent increase in arrival

over the winter season when compared to the preceding period before the massive downturn”.

The Tourism Minister publicly thanked Jamaicans both at home and in the Diaspora for their contribution to the occupancy levels hotels have been enjoying. To date, there has been no known case of the COVID-19 virus among hotel guests or staff and about 30 per cent of tourism workers were back on their jobs.

Strides are being made in laying the groundwork for the full reopening of the tourism sector in Jamaica, in a safe and responsible manner, he said. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

n Arima Magistrate has granted a detention order application for the TT$6.4 million in cash which members of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) seized as part of their investigation into the Drugs SouSou (DSS) operations.

A senior source close to the investigation told Guardian Media on Thursday that the application was made after officers from the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) and Financial Investigations Branch (FIB) conducted a second raid on the DSS headquarters on Tuesday under the coordination of the Barbadian and UK investigators who have come into T&T to assist with the probe.

Stricter protocols for St Lucia to curb COVID spread

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t Lucia Government on Friday announced stricter protocols aimed at addressing the recent upsurge in community spread of COVID-19.

The Allen Chastanet Government said that given the current status of active COVID-19 cases and projections, Castries is with immediate effect implementing protocols in order to curb the spread of the virus for the next 30 days. St Lucia has recorded 76 cases of the virus to date.

A Government statement said that on the recommendations by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Sharon Belmar-George, it has been

agreed that all agencies and businesses should implement a “Blended Service/ Operations Approach” where possible for employees.

In addition, mass crowd events are reduced from 50 to 25 people per venue and religious Institutions are to be guided by the square footage of their respective spaces with each religious institution being aware of how many people can access the building.

The authorities said that all business operations and commercial activities must cease by 9:00 pm (local time) and that all public and private educational institutions

should extend the closure of compounds and ensure continued learning via alternate and telecommunication mediums.

There will only be “grab and go businesses at bars” which will assist in limiting high-risk social gatherings and curb the possibility of community spread.

“The hosting of any contact-sports, high-risk sporting activities and events will be discouraged. Non-contact sports will be listed. This will assist in limiting highrisk social gatherings and curb the possibility of community spread.” (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Caribbean countries record new COVID cases

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14-year-old female visitor is the latest person to test positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Barbados after she arrived on a British Airways flight out of London on October 19.

Health authorities said that the visitor, who is asymptomatic, is a contact of a previously confirmed case and was diagnosed earlier this week.

The confirmed cases are now 236 with 125 females, and the authorities said those in isolation number 10; while those recovered remain at 218.

Suriname health authorities are reporting that an estimated 500 civilians are in quarantine and that 176 “non-positives” were added to quarantine, taking the

total to 472 over the past 24 hours.

With regard to coronavirus infections, six new cases were reported and that there are now 34 active cases out of a total of 5198.

Trinidad and Tobago health authorities are reporting 42 new COVID-19 cases. They said there are now 1236 active cases and the total number of deaths is still 107. Overall there have been 5636 cases and 4293 patients have recovered.

There are 58 patients in hospitals and 32 in stepdown facilities. There are 115 patients in state quarantine facilities and 1146 in self-isolation. The update said the total number of people tested to date is 32,861. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil falls on demand concerns, posts 2nd monthly decline

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il prices fell on Friday and posted a second consecutive monthly drop as rising COVID-19 cases in Europe and the United States heightened concerns over the outlook for fuel consumption.

Brent crude dropped 19 cents to settle at US$37.46 a barrel, after touching a five-month low of US$36.64 in the previous session. The front-month Brent contract expired on Friday and the January contract settled down 32 cents.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 38 cents to settle at US$35.79 a barrel, after dipping to its lowest since June on Thursday at US$34.92.

WTI fell 11 per cent for the month, while Brent dropped 10 per cent.

Leaders in France and Germany have ordered their countries back into lockdown, as a massive second wave of coronavirus infections threatened to overwhelm Europe before the winter.

The United States also faces a surge of cases, breaking its single-day record for new infections.

“Many nations with high oil consumption across the world are seeing infection levels that they didn’t have even during the first wave,” said Paola Rodriguez-Masiu, Rystad Energy’s senior oil markets analyst. “These infection levels are destined to bite oil demand, as traffic will be curbed to a minimum during the coming lockdowns.”

Meanwhile, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, a group known as OPEC+, had planned to raise output by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in January.

However, top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia are in favour of maintaining the group’s current output reduction of about 7.7 million bpd into next year in the face of lockdowns in Europe and rising Libyan oil output.

OPEC+ is scheduled to hold a policy meeting over Nov 30 and Dec 1.

“The outcome has the potential to send oil prices $10/bbl in either direction,” PVM analysts said of the meeting.

In the United States, the oil and natural gas rig count rose in October for the third straight month and drillers added the most rigs in a month since May 2018, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said on Friday.

Money managers cut their net long US crude futures and options positions in the week to Oct 27 by 36,589 contracts to 287,723, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Friday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Canada aims to bring in over 1.2 million immigrants over 3 years

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anada plans to bring in more than 1.2 million new immigrants over the next three years, the federal Immigration Minister said on Friday, as the country tries to fill gaps in its labour market and boost the economy, both hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said the Federal Government aims to accept 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021, another 411,000 in 2022 and then 421,000 in 2023.

Canada needs more workers, he said, “and immigration is the way to get there”.

“Before the pandemic, our Government’s goal to drive the economy forward through immigration was ambitious. Now it’s simply vital,” said Mendicino, who tabled the new immigration targets earlier in the day.

Canada’s immigration

system has long been held up as a model, as it has historically brought in skilled workers as well as refugees and individuals seeking to reunite with family members already in the country.

The country closed its borders to most immigrants in March due to COVID-19.

Through August, it had settled 128,425 newcomers, Reuters news agency reported – less than half of the 341,000-person target it had set for 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic also has put glaring inequalities and longstanding problems with Canada’s immigration system under increased scrutiny.

Many asylum seekers and refugees face poor working conditions, while several key industries in Canada, such as healthcare, food processing and farming, rely on workers whose precarious immigration status places them at risk of abuse.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Deadly earthquake rocks western Turkey, Greece R

escuers dug through heavy blocks of concrete with their bare hands on Friday in a desperate search for survivors from a powerful earthquake that levelled buildings across Greece and Turkey, killing at least 14 people.

The quake caused a mini-tsunami on the Aegean island of Samos and a sea surge that turned streets into rushing rivers in one town on Turkey’s west coast.

Much of the damage in Turkey occurred in and around the Aegean resort city of Izmir, which has three million residents and is filled with high-rise apartment blocks. It was unclear how many people were trapped in the rubble.

Turkish officials confirmed 12 dead and more

Residents and rescue workers search for survivors after a building collapsed in the coastal province of Izmir, Turkey, on Friday [Tuncay Dersinlioglu/Reuters]

than 420 injured after the quake hit the coastal province of Izmir.

In Greece, two teenagers – a boy and a girl – were killed on the island of Samos when a building collapsed on top of them.

People flooded onto the streets in the Turkish city of Izmir after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit, witnesses said.

Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer told CNN Turk about 20 buildings collapsed. The

city is the third-largest in Turkey with about 4.5 million residents. Turkey’s Interior Minister tweeted six buildings in Izmir were destroyed.

Izmir Governor Yavuz Selim Kosger said at least 70 people had been rescued from the wreckage. He said four buildings were destroyed and more than 10 collapsed, while others also were damaged.

Crisscrossed by major fault lines, Turkey is among the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. More than 17,000 people were killed in August 1999 when a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Izmit, a city southeast of Istanbul. In 2011, an earthquake in the eastern city of Van killed more than 500. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

France tightens US issues 1st Israel security after Nice birthplace passport to attack, protests flare in Jerusalem-born teen parts of Muslim world

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rance stepped up security nationwide on Friday to guard against Islamist attacks after the fatal stabbings at a church in Nice, while protests flared in parts of the Middle East, Asia and Africa over French caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad.

President Emmanuel Macron deployed thousands of soldiers to protect sites including places of worship and schools, and the nation was at its highest level of security alert after the second deadly knife attack in its cities in two weeks.

Police were holding a 21-year-old Tunisian migrant, identified by a French police source and Tunisian officials as Brahim al-Aouissaoui, over the attack in which a man shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) decapitated a woman and killed two other people in Notre Dame Basilica in Nice on Thursday.

It occurred almost two

weeks after Samuel Paty, a school teacher in a Paris suburb, was beheaded by an 18-year-old Chechen. Paty had shown his pupils such cartoons in a class on freedom of expression.

France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim community and hit by a string of militant attacks in recent years, has defended the right to publish such cartoons. Macron has insisted France will not compromise on its basic freedoms of belief and expression.

In Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Palestinian territories, tens of thousands of Muslims staged anti-French protests after Friday prayers.

In Bangladesh, marchers in the capital Dhaka chanted “Boycott French products” and carried banners calling Macron “the world’s biggest terrorist”. Some burned effigies of the French president.

Protests also took place in India, Lebanon and Somalia.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

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he United States has issued the first passport to a Jerusalemborn American that lists Israel as the place of birth, a policy change by Donald Trump that has been condemned by Palestinians but will likely please the US President’s pro-Israel base ahead of next week’s elections.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman on Friday presented the passport to 18-year-old Menachem Zivotofsky.

“You have a nation of birth – the State of Israel,” Friedman told the teenager, thanking Trump for having “set this course in motion”.

Trump has taken a staunchly pro-Israel position since coming into office, recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017 and moving the US embassy to the city a year later despite protests from Palestinians and human rights groups.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President

Mahmoud Abbas, on Friday slammed the US’s passport policy change as a violation of international law and international resolutions.

The status of Jerusalem, which contains sites holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians, is among the most contentious issues in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Israel captured the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the 1967 Middle East war and continues to occupy those Palestinian territories.

The Palestinian Authority wants East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Since Israel was founded in 1948, successive US Governments declined to recognise any country as having sovereignty over Jerusalem and the US State Department’s policy previously was to list only the city as the birthplace on passports. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Coronavirus: US sees record-high daily COVID numbers as election nears

T

he US saw a record high of 91,000 new COVID-19 cases reported on Thursday, with spikes in dozens of states just days before the presidential election.

The same day, over 1000 Americans died with the virus, as the national death toll and number of patients in hospital continue to trend upward.

The US is just shy of nine million total cases, according

to a Johns Hopkins University tally. The contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden comes to a head on Tuesday.

This is the third time this month that the US daily death toll has surpassed 1000, according to Reuters.

Twenty-one states are experiencing outbreaks, with some of the most severe in the states that will be key in deciding the 2020 election.

In the battleground state of Wisconsin, hospitals in Green

Bay warned that President Trump's Friday rally there could make the outbreak worse.

At recent Trump rallies, attendees have been screened and given masks. The events have also been held outdoors due to the pandemic. But there has not been social distancing, and some supporters continue to avoid masks.

Biden has also continued to campaign, though the Democrat's rallies have en-

forced social distancing practices, opting to have people attend inside their cars, for example.

CDC data on October 29 reported an additional 1060 deaths due to COVID-19. The total US death toll is over 228,000 people.

US health experts are warning the caseload and death toll will continue to rise as the flu season coincides with the outbreaks. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Pick up the pace. Don’t leave yourself open for criticism or complaints. Keep your life and actions simple, moderate and within budget. Take charge and focus on getting things done.

A change of plans will TAURUS turn in your favor. Be (April 20quick to act on an opportuMay 20) nity that will give you inside information or a competitive edge. Follow your intuition.

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

Do what you do best Concentrate on personal improvements and physical fitness. Expand your interests, skills and knowledge, and strive to reach personal goals.

VIRGO

It’s up to you to bring about change. Talks will lead to positive developments, better relationships and a brighter future. Get the help you need to take care of business.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

Take charge and get things done your way.

Listen to a loved one and make adjustments to avoid getting into a spat over something inconsequential.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Don’t waste time.

Channel your energy into something that matters to you. Helping others will be rewarding and will lead to an exciting encounter with someone special.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Don’t give in to someone trying to dictate what you can do. Keeping the peace and constantly compromising are admirable, but there should be a healthy limit.

Don’t hold on to negativity or waste time on payback. The sweetest revenge is success and happiness. Move forward with appreciation, gratitude and the desire to make your life better.

An open discussion SAGITTARIUS will lead to exciting plans.

Someone close to you will (Nov. 23offer insight that will lead Dec. 21) to good fortune. It’s time to make some important changes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

If you take on too much or overdo it, you’ll have regrets. Be specific, stick to your plans and say “no” to anyone enticing you with unhealthy choices.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Keep your life simple.

Don’t feel compelled to make a move because someone else does. Tally up what everyone in your life is contributing and make adjustments to ensure equality.

You are overdue for a change. Your accomplishments will draw praise and position you for new and exciting opportunities.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

21

Stage nine of Vuelta a Espana…

Penalty denies Sam Bennett victory – Richard Carapaz retains lead

I

reland’s Sam Bennett has been demoted for shoving another rider on stage nine of the Vuelta a Espana.

The Deceuninck-Quick-Step sprinter, who won the green jersey at the Tour de France, muscled his way across the line first on the stage into Aguilar de Campoo, near Bilbao.

However, he was demoted after race commissaires said he shoulder-charged Emils Liepins of TrekSegafredo, and Germany’s Pascal Ackermann of BoraHansgrohe inherited victory.

Ineos Grenadiers’ Richard Carapaz remains in the overall lead, with Britain’s Hugh Carthy fourth.

The 157.7km stage from Castrillo del Val near Burgos was a largely soporific race on wide, pan-flat roads, but Bennett showed the strength and efficiency which saw him win on the Champs-Elysees in Paris in September to finish a bike wheel ahead of Ackermann of Bora-Hansgrohe and Belgian Gerben Thijssen of LottoSoudal.

Thinking he had secured his 50th career win, Bennett

said before his demotion that he had been involved in a tussle with other riders before the final sprint.

“It was slightly uphill, and a headwind (was prevalent),” said Bennett. “But we had to come from behind at speed.

There was a big fight with some guys, who nearly put us in the barriers trying to take the wheel; so, it was a bit sketchy trying to stay upright.”

In another incident during Thursday’s stage, Caja Rural’s Hector Saez suffered a nasty fall in which his head struck the ground and his helmet shattered. He, however, was checked over by officials and allowed to rejoin the race. The incident fuels questions about how the sport deals with head injuries and potential concussions, following Romain Bardet being allowed to finish stage 13 of the Tour de France despite suffering a bleed on the brain after a crash; as well as several other recent examples during this season’s Grand Tours.

In the overall standings Ineos’ Carapaz maintained his 13-second lead over Primoz Roglic of Jumbo-

Visma, with Dan Martin of Israel Start Up Nation 28 seconds down and Carthy of EF Pro Cycling 44 seconds behind the wearer of the red jersey.

How has Froome been getting on?

Ineos’ Chris Froome has been showing signs of steady improvement, after losing time at the start of the race a week ago. The four-time Tour de France winner, 35, spent much of Thursday near the front of the peloton, expending energy for his team in protection of leader Carapaz.

Froome’s improvement will be welcome for Ineos and his new team Israel Start Up Nation, for whom the Briton will ride from 2021 after Ineos decided not to renew his contract.

Froome had struggled to keep pace during races in the lead up to the Tour de France in late August, leading to Ineos deciding not to select him to take part in cycling’s biggest race, as he recovered from a horrific crash in 2019.

Ineos said Froome is enjoying his role in the team, as he re-acclimatises him-

self with racing conditions in Spain.

Friday’s stage is another flat sprinter’s race from Castro Urdiales to Suances.

(Modified from a BBC.COM article)

Stage nine’s results

1. Pascal Ackermann (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) 3hrs 39mins 55secs 2. Gerben Thijssen (Bel/ Lotto-Soudal) same time 3. Max Kanter (Ger/ Sunweb) 4. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/ UAE-Team Emirates) 5. Jakub Mareczko (Ita/ CCC)

6. Alexis Renard (Fra/ Israel Start Up Nation) 7. Jon Aberasturi (Spa/ Caja Rural) 8. Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra/ Total-Direct Energie) 9. Robert Stannard (Aus/ Mitchelton Scott) 10. Janse van Rensburg (Rsa/NTT)

General classification

1. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/ Ineos Grenadiers) 32hrs 31mins 6secs 2. Primoz Roglic (Slo/ Jumbo-Visma) +13secs 3. Dan Martin (Ire/Israel Start Up Nation) +28secs 4. Hugh Carthy (GB/EF

Pro Cycling) +44secs 5. Enric Mas (Spa/ Movistar) +1min 54secs 6. Felix Grossschartner (Aut/BoraHansgrohe) +3mins 28secs 7. Esteban Chaves (Col/ Mitchelton Scott) same time 8. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +3min 35secs 9. Marc Soler (Spa/ Movistar) +3min 40secs 10. Wout Poels (Ned/ Bahrain-McLaren) +3min 47secs Other 111. Chris Froome (GB/ Ineos Grenadiers) +1hr 40mins 44secs

Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi Natasha Hunt out of England’s Six to stay at Alfa Romeo in 2021 Nations finale after positive COVID test

K

imi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi will remain at the Alfa Romeo team for the third consecutive year in 2021.

Raikkonen, who at 41 this year broke the record for number of Grand Prix starts, will be going into his 19th season in F1.

Giovinazzi did enough this season to convince Ferrari, who control one of the Alfa seats, to keep him in a drive. He is also Ferrari’s reserve driver.

Alfa Romeo said the lineup highlighted the team’s “commitment to continuity”.

The announcement comes a day after Alfa Romeo confirmed its commercial deal to brand and back the Swiss-based team that started its life in F1 as Sauber in 1993.

Team boss Frederic Vasseur said: “I still see the passion and motivation in Kimi every time I see him at work. He can be trusted to deliver 100% of what the car can produce, and he is a true leader for the people working around him.

“Antonio finished last year’s campaign strongly, and he picked up where he left off and kept improving throughout 2020.

N

From the track to the engineering briefings, Antonio has played a crucial role for our team, and he has thoroughly deserved a new contract for 2021. His work ethic, commitment to the team, and contagious enthusiasm are (huge assets).”

Alfa Romeo are eighth in the Constructors’ Championship with five races to go this season, and have spent much of 2020 battling towards the back of the field with Williams and Haas.

Raikkonen, who made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2001, before moving back to them in 2019 after being dropped by Ferrari, said: “It is more than a team to me; it is like a second family. So many of the faces that were around me when I made my F1 debut in 2001 are still here, and the unique

atmosphere of this team is what gives me that extra motivation to keep going.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in the team’s project and in what we feel we can achieve together. This is a team that values hard work over words, and this fits well with my style. I am looking forward to next year, and hopefully making some steps forward towards the front of the midfield with the team.”

Giovinazzi added: “The team has put a lot of faith in me, and I have done my best to repay this confidence with hard work and commitment. We have achieved some good results, and I feel I have done my part to make the team progress; but the road ahead is still long, and there is much more we want to achieve together.” (BBC.COM)

atasha Hunt has been forced to withdraw from England’s squad for their final Six Nations match against Italy, after testing positive for COVID-19.

Hunt would have started at scrum-half in Parma on Sunday, but will now isolate for 10 days. However, no other positive test was returned

by England’s players, and it was determined that no one else in the squad needed to isolate or be withdrawn because of close contact with the GloucesterHartpury captain.

The news will be a relief to an England side chasing successive grand slams, after winning the title when France held Scotland to a draw last weekend, and to the Six Nations after the other two women’s matches scheduled for Sunday had to be cancelled because of COVID outbreaks among the France and Scotland players.

Hunt will be replaced at scum-half for England by

Wasps’ Claudia MacDonald, with Leanne Riley coming on to the bench.

England’s head coach, Simon Middleton, said: “While we’re understandably disappointed for Mo [Natasha Hunt], the health and safety of all players and staff members is paramount. The situation has been handled very well by our medical staff. All trainingsession and training-venue footage was reviewed to establish any close contacts, and players were interviewed.

Fortunately, no one else needed to isolate.

“Claudia is a fantastic replacement, and the game gives her a chance to impress from the start.”

Middleton will also hand a debut to Loughborough Lightning’s Morwenna Talling i n the second row, while Abbie Ward and Marlie Packer are set for their first appearances in the pack for

almost a year. Emily Scarratt will captain the side in the absence of Sarah Hunter, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury this week.

Middleton said: “Despite a number of injuries, we have real depth to our squad. After a tough year for everyone, we’re grateful to be preparing for international rugby again, and targeting a grand slam.”

The match takes place at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi at 5pm GMT, and will be live streamed on Sky Sports Arena.

(Guardian)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

Stokes, Samson trump CLASSIFIED Gayle as Royals stay alive ADS

ACCOMMODATION

R

Ben Stokes scored a brisk 50

ajasthan Royals (RR) did a remarkable job in the runchase, as they beat Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) by seven wickets in Match 50 of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Needing 186 runs to win, RR were off to a flying start, as Ben Stokes cut loose to bring up the fastest fifty for any team in the season. The lefthander zoomed past fifty in 24 balls, hitting 6 fours and 3 sixes.

KXIP, however, managed to get a much-needed breakthrough in the final over of the powerplay, after Stokes got out off Chris Jordan’s bowling.

Sanju Samson replaced Stokes in the middle, and while KXIP conceded 13 in the next two overs, Samson creamed a four and two sixes across the 9th and 10th overs to take RR past 100.

While RR lost Uthappa in the 11th over, they continued to score at a brisk pace, as Samson continued on his merry way with the bat. Over the next three overs, Samson hit two fours and a six, while Smith hit two fours as RR zoomed past 140 after 14 overs.

Sanju was

hit from J Suchith.

RR needed 40 runs off the last five overs to seal a win, and they scored 29 of those in the next two overs. First Buttler creamed a six on the final ball of the 16th over to help his side score 10 from that over, and then he and Smith hit fours in the next over to take RR past 170.

The duo of Smith and Buttler closed out the match in the 18th over, as RR completed a fine run-chase for the second time in a row, and kept their playoff hopes alive.

Earlier, KXIP remained unchanged; w h i l e RR, who elected to bowl, brought in Varun Aaron to replace Ankit Rajpoot.

Jofra A r c h e r struck in the first over with a ripping short ball, after Ben Stokes took a

stunning diving catch to dismiss Mandeep Singh.

Chris Gayle got a life in the fourth over because Riyan Parag could not hold on to a catch in the deep off Varun Aaron’s bowling.

The left-hander immediately made RR pay for this error by hammering a six and two fours in the fifth over, bowled by Kartik Tyagi.

Rahul joined the party, creaming a six and a four in the final over of the powerplay, as he and Gayle completed a fifty-run stand to take KXIP to 53/1 in the powerplay.

Gayle tonked his third six of the match in the next over, and added a four to his account in the eighth over.

Rahul Tewatia was introduced into the attack in the ninth over, and he made a good start, conceding just two runs in his first over.

Rahul then hit a six in the next over as KXIP moved to 81/1 after the halfway stage of their

innings.

Gayle then brought up his second successive fifty and third of the season in the 11th over. A couple of overs later, KXIP moved past hundred, as Gayle a n d Rahul c o m pleted a cent u r y stand.

R R t h e n broke t h e GayleRahul partn e r s h i p a f ter Ben

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Service Chris Gayle scored 99 and crossed 1000 T20 sixes

Stokes dismissed the KXIP skipper for 46 in the 15th over.

Nicholas Pooran announced his arrival in some style, the left-hander hammering three sixes in the first nine balls he faced. But he got out in the 18th over after Tewatia took a fine catch near the

square-leg boundary rope.

Gayle then completed 1000 sixes in the T20 format, and was in with a chance to notch up his seventh IPL hundred, but an Archer delivery ricocheted onto the stumps from his pads, and he got out for 99 before KXIP posted 185/4 on the board. (IPLT20)

SCOREBOARD KINGS XI PUNJAB INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) KL Rahul (c) †c Tewatia b Stokes 46 Mandeep Singh c Stokes b Archer 0 CH Gayle b Archer 99 N Pooran c Tewatia b Stokes 22 GJ Maxwell not out 6 DJ Hooda not out 1 Extras (lb 1, nb 2, w 8) 11 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 9.25) 185/4 Did not bat: CJ Jordan, M Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Mandeep Singh, 0.6 ov), 2-121 (KL Rahul, 14.4 ov), 3-162 (Nicholas Pooran, 17.6 ov), 4-184 (Chris Gayle, 19.4 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W JC Archer 4-0-26-2 VR Aaron 4-0-47-0 Kartik Tyagi 4-0-47-0 S Gopal 1-0-10-0 BA Stokes 4-0-32-2 R Tewatia 3-0-22-0

RAJASTHAN ROYALS INNINGS (TARGET: 186 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) RV Uthappa c Pooran b Ashwin 30 BA Stokes c Hooda b Jordan 50 SV Samson † run out (sub [Suchith]) 48 SPD Smith (c) not out 31 JC Buttler not out 22 Extras (lb 2, w 3) 5 TOTAL (17.3 Ov, RR: 10.62) 186/3 Did not bat: R Parag, R Tewatia, JC Archer, S Gopal, Kartik Tyagi, VR Aaron Fall of wickets: 1-60 (Ben Stokes, 5.3 ov), 2-111 (Robin Uthappa, 10.5 ov), 3-145 (Sanju Samson, 14.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Arshdeep Singh 3-0-34-0 Mohammed Shami 3-0-36-0 M Ashwin 4-0-43-1 CJ Jordan 3.3-0-44-1 Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-27-0

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“Hope should drop T20 cricket”, says legendary cricketer Sir Clive Lloyd – believes shortest format spoiling player’s batting

Samju Samson on the go

on the brink of his fourth fifty of the season in the 15th over, but could not reach the landmark following a brilliant direct

W

est Indies cricketing legend Sir Clive Lloyd does not believe discarded batsman Shai Hope should be playing T20 cricket, because the sport’s shortest

format is ruining his game.

After a barren run of form, which has led to Hope averaging 19.48 since December 2017 and just 14.45 since February 2019, the player was dropped from

the team ahead of the upcoming tour to New Zealand.

Not surprisingly since his struggles in a 2-1 defeat against England - a place where he made headlines three years ago – Hope has seen his overall Test average slip to 26.27.

The 26-year-old is one of a few players to represent the regional team in all three formats.

He has not had these struggles in One Day Internationals, where he averages 52.20 from 78 games. In T20s, however, he averages 21.63 in 13 matches, with a strike rate of 136.

It is his involvement in the latter format of the game that the former West Indies skipper believes could be a problem.

“I don’t think this T20 is for Shai Hope. He gets into bad habits,” Lloyd told the Mason and Guest radio programme. “I know that you don’t want to take away money from people, but the point is that he should not be playing in T20s; it is destroying his cricket,” Sir Clive added.

Lloyd also believes the player should possibly have been included in some kind of A Team for the tour, instead of being left out of the squad entirely.

“If we had A Teams and A Team tours, young Shai Hope should have had a stint with the A Team, to build his confidence back, as England did with Nasser Hussain and (Mark) Ramprakash,” Sir Clive said. (Sportsmax)

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

“Hetmyer is too loose a player to face the new ball”

– says former wicketkeeper-batsman Roland Butcher

W

Roland Butcher

est Indies have included only two openers in the Test squad to tour New Zealand. Those openers are Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell, with the latter having failed miserably on the England tour.

Lead Selector Roger Harper has said the selec-

tion panel did a lot of thinking about which openers should be in the Test squad, and decided to keep faith with Campbell and Brathwaite.

Shimron Hetmyer, who did not play in the England Test series, has returned to the Test squad, but the Guyanese - who played at number six in the past - may have to make way for Jermaine Blackwood, the man who scored the most runs for the West Indies in England.

Given that Hetmyer is a number three batsman, and that opening the batting while playing junior cricket is in his DNA, there has been some noise about Hetmyer being able to solve the woes of the

Shimron Hetmyer

West Indies top order.

Former England and Barbados wicketkeeper-batsman Roland Butcher has

opined that having Hetmyer as opening batsman could cause harm to his Test career.

Speaking on the Mason and

Guest radio show, Butcher advanced that giving Hetmyer a chance at the top of the order would be tantamount to doing him a disservice.

Asked if Hetmyer should open the batting, Butcher, who played 277 first-class matches, said: “Definitely not!

To consider him as an opener would be folly. He still has to build his career; he is not a permanent in the team; and he still has a lot to (learn). I think he is too loose a player to face the new ball.”

Butcher has said that among the ingredients of an opening batsman are patience, a solid defence, the ability to leave balls alone; and, crucially, discipline. “Neither of

these are a part of Hetmyer’s game,” Butcher has said.

During Hetmyer’s international debut, against Pakistan in 2017, he batted at number three, made 11 and 20, and continued in that position until the Bangladesh tour to the Caribbean in 2018. In the return tour to Bangladesh, when he became the fixed number six player, he smashed a 47-ball 63 in his second innings.

Only time would tell whether Hetmyer would open the innings, or if he would play in the starting XI of the upcoming Tests in New Zealand.

(Brandon Corlette)

Guyana Golf Association hands over cheque to Cancer Institute

“Holder still wasted at #8”

A

Jason Holder

F

Former PM Sam Hinds (second left)

s Cancer Awareness Month comes to an end, the Guyana Cancer Institute received a cheque from the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy to help in the fight against a disease that affects so many of our families and friends.

This was as a result of the event held at the Nexgen Golf Academy & Driving Range over the past week in an effort to raise funds and awareness.

With the participation of local and Guyanese-Canadian players, the LGC and GGA golfe r s h a v e , since 2017, been supporting the efforts of the Cancer Institute; and plan to continue the efforts to use the sport to bring awareness of the dreaded disease and to raise funds to fight it.

On hand for the presentation of the cheque to Ms. Harry of the Cancer Institute was former President and Prime Minister Sam Hinds, who said he is pleased to be part of both the golf event and the fight against cancer.

“I have always been a strong advocate of the search for a cure,

and am happy to see that this young organisation has stepped up to play a role in this particular issue. Both myself and young Marcus participated in the event, but unfortunately (we) did not win,” the former PM said.

Ms. Harry thanked the organization, and especially the players and companies that participated to make the event a success.

“We understand that it was a challenge to organise a COVIDcompliant event, and are grateful to all those who took part and contributed in whatever mann e r to our ongoing efforts to win our battle against c a n c e r , ” s h e said.

The c o n -

– says former WI bowler Ian Bradshaw; hopes skipper is pushed higher up the batting order

Some of the participants of the recently concluded tournament

tribution to the Guyana Cancer Institute was made possible by the joint efforts of: CIMGRO Maraiko Bay Golf Resort; Trophy Stall; Assuria General; Sissons Paints; AR Printery; Survival Shopping Complex; Guyana Beverages; Vivaanta Spa & Salon, through the Nexgen Golf Academy & Driving Range.

Guyanese have, in many ways, been prepared for their current fight against the COVID-19 virus by their constant battle against cancer.

“You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live,” said Stuart Scott.

“And we have to adopt a similar attitude to our current health crisis.

Recently, Sports Minister Charles Ramson Jr said in a meeting with GGA President Aleem Hussain that we must learn

to live with COVID and figure out a way to move forward in a manner that allows us to continue our lives without fear.

“We should plan for the worst, pray for the best, and always live for the moment, because the memories we create are all that we leave behind,” said Hussain.

Former PM Hinds, who recently was introduced to the game by GGA President Aleem Hussain, is now using the sport as a way of bonding with his young grandson, Samuel Marcus Hinds Jr, as well as getting regular exercise several times weekly.

“This is an opportunity for everyone of all ages to participate in a physical activity that is COVID-19compliant and helps to relieve stress and improve concentration. I wish that I could have started years ago!” said the former President/Prime Minister.

ormer West Indies bowler Ian Bradshaw believes WI skipper Jason Holder would be better-suited batting higher up the order, but insists the team must solve its stability issues first.

Holder, the top-ranked Test all-rounder in the world, typically bats a t 8th. So far, the majority of his contributions have been with the ball, but he has shown he can do plenty of damage for the team with the bat as well.

In fact, his highest score of 202 unbeaten came just last year against England, but the player is yet to demonstrate a level of high consistency with the willow.

Bradshaw insists the player’s improvement should be a process.

“I’ve said before (that) he needs to move up the order; eighth and so forth

was too low, and that was based on the facts. When you look at how well he was batting and his average compared to the rest of the batting unit, he was one of better batsmen, so he is a wasted talent batting at eight,” Bradshaw told the Mason and Guest radio programme.

“Ideally, I’d like to see him get to six. I believe he has the talent, but if it’s a gradual process, then I don’t have a problem with it. It depends on the balance and structure of the team,” he added.

“What we must do is to get our top five in the order correct, so that a guy like Jason, (and) Dowrich and so forth, they can come and build on strong starts. We are not going to win games when we are 60 for 4 in Test matches consistently. So, those are the critical things we must put together.” (Sportsmax)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Golf Association hands over cheque to Cancer Institute

“Hetmyer is too loose a player to face the new ball” Pg 23

Page 23

– says former wicketkeeperbatsman Roland Butcher

“Holder still wasted at #8” – says former WI bowler Ian Bradshaw; hopes skipper is pushed higher up the batting order Pg 23

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