Guyana Times -- Saturday, September 14, 2019

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Issue No. 4046

THE BEACON OF TRUTH saturday, september 14, 2019

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

High Court overturns P12 Royston King’s dismissal

Page 9

...PPP outlines in manifesto

More power outages promised by GPL

Page 12

…as 772 outages recorded between June and August 2019

PPP GECOM Commissioners accuse Govt of continuing to delay elections

ꟷ as coalition delegation meets with GECOM

Page 3

Teen stabbed Motorcyclist to death killed after during slamming into argument lorry with another ꟷ pillion rider stable Page 9

Page 7

Driver in P13 horrific Agricola accident to be charged Decomposed body of missing elderly man found submerged in P10 canal

Sophia man arraigned P8 for setting girlfriend on fire

Elderly man P7 beaten, robbed during home invasion

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saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

news

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saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Saturday, September 14 – 05:30h – 07:00h and Sunday, September 15 – 05:30h – 06:30h.

PPP GECOM Commissioners accuse Govt of continuing to delay elections

– as coalition delegation meets with GECOM

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, September 14 –16:30h – 18:00h and Sunday, September 15 – 05:00h – 06:30h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night.

Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Northerly to East North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.91 metres.

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high level team of the Government on Friday met with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on the upcoming General and Regional Elections, but the Oppositionnominated Commissioners are holding out that the administration is bent on delaying the hosting of the election even further.

“It was very clear, from the outset, that the purpose of the meeting was to intimidate the Commission into participating in its ploy to delay elections,” a joint statement from the three People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Commissioners later

GECOM Chair Justice (retired) Claudette Singh and Commissioners meeting with the Government delegation on Friday

High Tide: 04:34h and 16:50h reaching maximum heights of 2.62 metres and 2.62 metres.

Low Tide: 10:27h and 22:41h reaching minimum heights of 0.60 metre and 0.57 metre.

PNC Chair Volda Lawrence speaking with the media after leading a Government delegation to meet with the Elections Commission

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stated on Friday.

It was noted that there was there no prior request from the Government for a meeting until a Bharrat Jagdeo-led delegation met with the Elections Commission earlier in the week and was given a commitment by the GECOM Chair, Justice (retired) Claudette Singh, for the conduct of elections before the end of the year.

The Opposition Commissioners recalled that during Friday’s meeting, Attorney General Basil Williams, who was among the nine-member delegation, cited the pending appeal against the decision of the Chief Justice in Christopher Ram v Guyana Elections Commission, Attorney General et ors, including the filing of an application for a stay of execution.

“It seems as though he wants to delay the holding of elections until the hearing of this matter, possibly by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)… As was expected, the contributions of the members of the delegation, if implemented, could only lead to further delay,” the missive detailed.

Nevertheless, the PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioners reiterated that elections should be held “in the shortest time possible”, in keeping with not only the constitutional prescriptions in Article 106, but also the admonitions of the CCJ and the Chief Justice rulings

in the various cases resulting from the successful passage of the No-Confidence Motion in December 2018.

Article 106 states that upon the passage of a motion of no-confidence, the Cabinet, including the President, shall resign and call election in three months. This meant General and Regional Elections were supposed to be held since March 21, 2019.

The Opposition has been contending that elections can be held long before the end of this year.

However, while the APNU/ AFC coalition is being accused of delaying tactics to push the holding of polls to 2020, Chair of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – the leading party in the APNU fraction of the coalition – Volda Lawrence declared that Government is ready for General and Regional Elections should it be held before the end of this year.

Lawrence led the Government delegation to meet the full Elections Commission on Friday, where they were told that efforts are being taken to see whether elections can be held before the end of this year.

The same commitment that was given to an Opposition del-

egation on Tuesday when they met with the full Elections Commission.

“The Chairperson did say that she had indicated that they are working towards the end of this year to see whether that time frame [and] all the things they have to do – statutory and administration – will allow them to conclude on this matter of elections by the end of the year. But no definite time, they’re still working on their timetable,” Lawrence told reporters after Friday’s meeting.

She explained that the coalition’s purpose of the meeting with the seven-member Commission was to seek clarifications on certain issues and to also lend support to the process of having elections in the earliest time possible.

Lawrence said she reiterated to the Commission Government’s position that there must be “credible elections” using a credible voters’ list and that they were assured that the information from the now scrapped House-to-House Registration process will be used in the upcoming elections as well as provisions for those who did not get to register.

“Basically, we were able also to put forward our case in terms us ensuring that the list is credible, and that persons, who were not allowed to register in the House-toHouse Registration, during the Claims period they will be given the opportunity to do so,” she stated.

“We also asked whether they had enough finances and other resources at their disposal given the time factor that is now placed upon them and they have assured us that they are presently looking at that, given the changes that they’re

requesting of their many service providers. Of course, the cost will go up so they do not have an initial amount at this time”, the PNC Chair added.

She assured that whatever finances are required by the elections body will be provided. According to Lawrence, the coalition has faith in the GECOM leadership and the Commissioners, and will continue to work and meet with them.

She was accompanied to the meeting by Ministers from both the APNU and AFC fractions. These include: Amna Ally, Basil Williams, Cathy Hughes, David Patterson, Jaipaul Sharma, Sydney Allicock, Keith Scott and Tabitha Sarbo-Halley.

Meanwhile, after the Government delegation left GECOM on Friday, the Commission continued discussions. According to Oppositionnominated Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, one of the issues discussed was in relation to the information obtained during the registration exercise.

GECOM had disclosed that over 370,000 registrants were registered during the now scrapped exercise.

“Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to get an update on the process and the progress that that has made so far. So, we are left again in the lurch, with the absence of information that will help us to come to a decision as soon as possible,” he stated.

Recapping on the meeting with the Government delegation, Gunraj noted that the issues that were raised by visitors were nothing new or nothing outside what is already under the consideration of the Commission.

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guyanatimesgy.com

Saturday, september 14, 2019

Views “DANCEINVERSION” 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

Not forgetting the elderly T

he welfare of the elderly is not known to be an issue that dominates discussions at the national level in this country. This is quite unfortunate as in certain countries, there is an ongoing dialogue between policy makers and other actors as to what more could be done to ensure that senior folks lead healthier and happier lives. Leaders look for ways and means of offering more to its senior citizens, whether it is in the area of pensions, care homes, or better health care services etc.

In Guyana, this is not the case. Even though the state has taken some steps to make senior citizens’ lives easier, there is still a very far way to go in creating a more comfortable, convenient and stress-free life for this vulnerable group.

Older folks are given a minimum pension which could hardly sustain them, resulting in some of them being abused by uncaring relatives or neighbours etc. In terms of care, if children or other family members are not around, older folks are left to care for themselves, most times resulting in their health deteriorating and eventually dying. Also, as it relates to transportation, with the exception of travelling on the ferries, there is no other preferential treatment given to this segment of the population as they are made to pay their way and endure the same hassle as younger people do. This should not be; as these persons have given their best years of service towards the development of their country. The least a nation could do to repay its elderly folks is to ensure that they are given basic privileges to live a comfortable life.

The authorities should begin the conversation with the relevant stakeholders as how best to care for older folks and identify priority areas for attention, based on availability of resources. At present, not much is being done to raise awareness on the issues affecting the older population and/or to lobby for more support for them.

For example, in terms of access to health care, the authorities should make it a priority to relook at the issue in its entirety and to explore ways in which this could be improved. They should put systems in place which would allow for older persons to obtain the health services they need in an affordable and convenient manner.

WHO’s guidelines on Integrated Care for Older People recommend ways community-based services can help prevent, slow or reverse declines in physical and mental capacities among older people. The guidelines also require health and social care providers to coordinate their services around the needs of older people through approaches such as comprehensive assessment and care plans.

WHO had correctly pointed out that today’s health systems generally focus on the detection and treatment of individual acute diseases. However, if health systems are to meet the needs of older populations, they must provide ongoing care focused on the issues that matter to older people – chronic pain, and difficulties with hearing, seeing, walking or performing daily activities. This will require much better integration between care providers.

Also, there is a need for special care and retirement homes in regions across Guyana. Older folks want to be sure that they have a comfortable and safe place to enjoy their final years.

As it relates to pensions and public assistance, even though the rates had gone up over the years, they are still insufficient when compared to the cost of living, especially considering the fact that the water and electricity subsidies were taken away by the present administration. If we are going to ensure that the senior folks enjoy their golden years, then they must, first of all, be entitled to a decent and liveable financial assistance at the end of the month.

With this country being on the cusp of becoming an oil-producing nation, it is hoped that more resources will be allocated towards effective and targeted programmes aimed at ensuring our elderly are well taken care of.

Dancers with China’s Peacock Contemporary Dance Company perform Yang Liping’s Rite of Spring during the International Contemporary Dance Festival “DANCEINVERSION” at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia, September 10, 2019 (Reuters/Shamil Zhumatov)

US, Brazil agree to Amazon development

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he US and Brazil have agreed to promote private-sector development in the Amazon, during a meeting in Washington on Friday. They also pledged a $100M biodiversity conservation fund for the Amazon led by the private sector.

Brazil’s Foreign Minister said opening the rainforest to economic development was the only way to protect it.

Ernesto Araujo also hit back at criticism of Brazil’s handling of the forest fires.

He told reporters in Washington that claims the country is “not able to cope with the challenges” were false.

The number of fires between January and August 2019 is double that of the same period last year, data from the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) suggests.

A record-breaking number of fires across Brazil was initially reported.

However, this claim did not reflect all the historical data available.

On Friday, Finland urged EU countries to consider stopping importing beef and soybeans from Brazil in order to put pressure on Brazil to tackle the

Kalamandeen, a tropical ecologist on the Amazon rainforest.

“Those large giant rainforest trees that we often associate with the Amazon are chopped down, left to dry and then fire is used as a tool for clearing the land to prepare for pasture, crops or even il-

fires.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has faced criticism for failing to protect the region.

More than 80,000 fires have broken out in the Amazon rainforest so far this year.

Experts believe the majority of the fires across Brazil this year are caused by human activity such as farmers and loggers clearing land for crops or grazing.

“Fire signals an end of the deforestation process,” says Dr Michelle

legal mining”.

Environmentalists say Bolsonaro’s policies have led to an increase in fires this year and that he has encouraged cattle farmers to clear large areas of the rainforest since his election last October.

Araujo said: “We want to be together in the endeavour to create development for the Amazon region which we are convinced is the only way to protect the forest”.

“So we need new initiatives, new productive initiatives, that create jobs,

Brazil Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met on Friday

that create revenue for people in the Amazon and that’s where our partnership with the United States will be very important for us”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the biodiversity investment fund would support businesses in hard to reach areas of the Amazon.

He added: “The Brazilians and the American teams will follow through on our commitment that our presidents made in March. We’re getting off the ground a 100 million dollar, 11-year Impact Investment Fund for Amazon biodiversity conservation and that project will be led by the private sector”.

Last week, seven South American countries agreed on measures to protect the Amazon River basin.

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname signed a pact, setting up a disaster response network and satellite monitoring.

At a summit in Colombia, they also agreed to work on reforestation.

“This meeting will live on as a co-ordination mechanism for the presidents that share this treasure - the Amazon,” said Colombian Presiden Iván Duque, who hosted the summit in the city of Leticia.

Meanwhile, Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra said: “Goodwill alone is not enough anymore”.

The seven nations also agreed to put more efforts into education and increase the role of indigenous communities. (BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, september 14, 2019

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Where is the APNU/AFC?

Dear Editor, As we very slowly but surely approach this much anticipated and unique general and regional election, something is strikingly odd.

Where is the APNU/AFC? We are in election mode and the contemporary PPP Administration is very upto-date with information.

There are interviews and press conferences very regularly on TV. They are also releasing these interviews moments after airing on YouTube and on other popular social medial platforms. I am not the biggest fan of social media, but it is the way of the world now especially for young people. It is a very important tool to get your message out to the masses effectively, cheaply and efficiently.

At the time of penning this letter there was an interview “Discussion on issues of concern to young people with Ifraan Ali” - September 8, 2019, which was posted on their YouTube channel mere hours ago. There are also

poster boards and outreaches around the country with information on the PPP’s manifesto. We know exactly what is going on with the Opposition quite amply.

Just for the heck of it, I decided to concentrate objectively on the Government for a change to get a better insight and perspective of their program and agenda for the country in order to be fair minded, so I thought I would spend some time and search around for information. No luck finding anything recent there at all! The last uploaded video on their channel on YouTube; “Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence, visits the new building site of the Port Kaituma Hospital” was published on April 15, 2017 - more than two years ago! I don’t have a Facebook account so I really can’t say what is there, but I am sure nothing of recent significance because these platforms reflect each other in some way or another and information is usually posted simultaneously by sub-

scribers.

Even GECOM and other public offices which the government has involvement in are very obscure. This is not transparent or democratic at all, because the citizens have a right to know what is going on in the government at some level.

So, what is the reason for this disappearance?

Your guess is as good as mine. There is a stark difference however, between now and when the parties campaigned in 2015. I firmly believe that Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo answered it correctly when he said that they are terrified of the mere word “election” they become ghastly pale and silent when that word is uttered within hearing distance.

Mr Granger seems to be long gone somewhere, so illat-ease spokesman Joseph Harmon pokes his head out uncomfortably from behind a podium for a few moments now and then, mutters something and retracts back just as quickly into the shadows. A shameful and

cowardly bunch of people, resorting now to low racially motivated “whisper campaigns” and other obstructive behavior designed to stall the election process.

Mr Jagdeo and his team is always trying to point out most kindly and respectfully to them that this “old fashioned” analog style of rigging elections that was effective in the old Burnamite/PNC days - cannot work in these modern digital times where people are more educated and information is available at a moment-by-moment basis by almost everyone now.

If Mr Granger has an iota of residual decency hidden somewhere, he would bite the bullet and call elections, get it over with quickly and face the inevitable consequences. It is the only decent thing left for him to do…because he and his “fossil” administration are only days away now from being totally non-existent.

Dear Editor, Guyana’s many problems stem mainly from distrust between the PPP and the PNC. This distrust came about when the PPP split, with Forbes Burnham forming the PNC and Cheddi Jagan holding onto the PPP. It has been over 50 years and yet this distrust in between the PPP and the PNC has not been resolved. This political distrust has translated to social distrust at times leading to racial polarisation between mainly Indians (who tend to support the PPP) and Africans

(who tend to support the PNC).

Guyana’s problems are not social and economical (per se); it is political which affect the social and economic performance of Guyana.

Many social commentators have acknowledged that Guyana has a political problem yet few seem to want to make moves to build bridges to end this distrust.

It is now up to the ordinary Guyanese man and woman to say “enough is enough”.

The PPP and the PNC are not about to turn over a new leaf and work together to build trust. If anything, the political scene is getting more and more acrimonious as we move into elections. It is either they work together or Guyanese kick them both out of High Office.

The problem is that there are no viable alternatives and the PPP and PNC know this.

So, what can be done?

The only alternative left is to go separate ways. When reconciliation is not working then it is time to explore

going separate ways unless Guyanese want to spend the next fifty years repeating the mistakes of the past.

Some may say that partition is harsh but the PPP and the PNC is the cause of Guyanese problems as they continually seek to blame each other for everything under the sun.

They have to work together or go their separate ways (no point in them dragging the Guyanese society down with them.

Sincerely, Shane Lindie

There is not enough trust in Guyana’s political circles

Yours faithfully, Sean Ori

Why are the ABC countries still silent?

Dear Editor, In a letter published in the letters column of Guyana Times on August 5, 2019, it was stated therein that the ABC countries need to be more specific with the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition Government (now of caretaker status) to call General Elections immediately in keeping the constitutional timeframe. To date, no such call has been made by any member of the international community with the degree of specificity and their silence continues as if there is no justifiable reason for Guyanese to be concerned as the APNU/ AFC caretaker Government continues to function with their full and unfettered powers and dominance over Guyana. The ABC nations professed amongst third world countries to promote and uphold democracy as the pillar of freedom of choice to govern and civil rights of citizens. Then why after 9-plus months of the passing of a valid no-confidence vote, since December 21, 2018, no definitive call has been made by the ABC representatives for the Government to hold General Elections – Is there a reason for the ABC coun-

tries’ soft stance towards the APNU/AFC caretaker Government?

It is noteworthy to mention that the ABC countries were very much instrumental and accommodating by joining the then APNU and AFC (combined) parliamentary Opposition back in 2014-2015 when President Donald Ramotar prorogued (a legal appliance and presidential prerogative embodied in the Constitution) Parliament in November 2014 and pressured the PPP/C Government by way of spurious pronouncements to dissolve Parliament and set a date for General Elections.

From a civil standpoint, the ABC representatives in Guyana should advise President David A Granger without delay, to issue his proclamation of dissolving Parliament (National Assembly and Regional Democratic Councils) on or before September 18, 2019, and set a date for General Elections in order to avoid any political crisis in the best interest of the Guyanese people.

Sincerely yours, Paul Ramrattan

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sATURDAY, september 14, 2019

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Foundation

Why is child-rearing advice so contradictory? ...is there a way to make sense of all the confusion?

O

ne of the most important jobs we have is raising, or socialising, children to be happy, responsible, caring, and productive members of society. It’s not surprising, then, that parents – the main agents of socialisation – worry about whether they are doing the best job possible. And it’s also not surprising that there are many individuals who respond to that worry by providing supposedly expert advice.

Hundreds of books are available about various aspects of child rearing and an online search for “parenting advice” yields (at the moment of writing) 201,000,000 hits. The only problem is that the advice-givers don’t always agree with one another, even those who base their advice on research.

Consider the following recommendations: Pick up babies when they cry so they feel secure.

Don’t pick up babies when they cry or you will reinforce undesirable behaviour.

Mild and occasional spanking can be useful for teaching children correct behaviour.

Don’t ever spank a child; it teaches them undesirable ways of resolving disagreements.

Make sure to give your child lots of praise.

Don’t praise children too much as it can undermine their desire to behave well for its own sake.

Treat your child with the respect you would give a friend.

Your child is not your friend. Remember that you are the boss.

Set rules for your child, but be willing to compromise on occasion.

Set rules for your child

and make sure they are followed. Try not to compromise as this leads to confusion.

Don’t punish children when they have misbehaved.

Talk to them about why what they have done is wrong.

When children misbehave, they should experience the negative consequences of their actions.

Given this level of contradiction it’s easy to dismiss experts as not quite so expert after all, and as possibly even harmful. However, apparent contradictions can be understood when you realise that there are different reasons why children don’t behave in an optimal way and that a parent needs to respond differently depending on that reason. We tend to think that one form of parenting works across the board, but that’s not the case. When children behave in a way that is troubling, it can happen for a number of different reasons.

And each requires a different sort of parenting.

Why experts disagree: Socialisation happens in different domains

Following is a list of “domains” of socialisation, including reasons for why a problematic behaviour might occur. When we don’t identify the domain correctly, then we may choose the wrong way of dealing with the problem.

Hence the contradictory advice.

Protection

This domain is activated when children are distressed, upset, or anxious. In this domain, parents need to provide comfort as well as help children deal with distress on their own. As a result, children feel secure and trust

them to have friends who are a good influence. The family can visit an animal shelter or help out in a soup kitchen. But some undesirable behaviour occurs because parents unintentionally engage in it themselves, leading to the not very convincing directive of “Do as I say, not as I do”.

How thinking about domains helps a parent deal with problems

their parents’ guidance.

Reciprocity

Children need to comply with their parents’ requests.

But parents need to comply with their children’s (reasonable) requests as well. The more compliant parents are, the more compliant their children will be in turn. Parents who play games their children have chosen even though they find them boring, or who give their children a choice about what to wear or where to go for a walk, are building up capital; this capital is used in the future when a parent asks for cooperation or freely-given compliance.

Control

This domain is usually the source of parents’ greatest concern – what to do when their child misbehaves even though that child knows better. Here is where reward and punishment have a role to play. A considerable body of research indicates that corporal punishment is harmful. But interventions such as withdrawal of privileges and

verbal disapproval, accompanied by reasons for good behaviour (that make sense) are appropriate. On occasion compromise may be okay but generally, limits need to be clear and maintained.

A good start in any situation is to identify the domain involved and, therefore, what the appropriate response is.

Is my child afraid or anxious or sad and needs to feel that I understand and will help? Is my child uncooperative because I rarely go along with what he or she wants?

Does my child know their behaviour is wrong, and so I need to be clearer in my disapproval and apply negative consequences where appropriate? If my child doesn’t know the behaviour is wrong, should I look for opportunities to teach about it? Finally, if my child is a bit aggressive, should I do something about the video games he or she is playing?

This way of organising events suggests, then, that one explanation for contradictory advice is that the advice givers are thinking about different domains. In future posts I will look more closely at the kind of parenting that is effective in each of these domains. (psychologytoday.com)

Guided learning

Here appropriate behaviour is taught through discussion and exchange of views, often before the problem behaviour appears.

Parents read stories to their children that have good and bad characters and they talk about the characters’ behaviour, or parents take advantage of an event such as passing a homeless person on the street to guide their children’s thinking about caring for others.

Bees build their hives out of tiny cells shaped like hexagons (with six sides). This shape lets adult bees fit huge number of cells into the hive, holding thousands of new bee eggs.

What you’ll need

• Pencil or crayon • Magnifying glass • Black paper

What to do

Observational learning and participation

We learn a great deal about appropriate behaviour by watching others as well as by joining with them in activities associated with that behaviour. Parents can prevent children from playing violent video games and encourage Draw it Can you find the hexagons in this picture of a beehive?

How many do you see? Draw the hexagons you found.

Find it Insects and other things in nature (like snail shells or leaves) come in many shapes. What hexagons and other shapes do you see around you?

Record it Use this chart to keep track of all the shapes you can find in a week.

Did you know?

The pattern of shapes on an animal’s skin can help the animal hide or scare away enemies. (247science.org)

news

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saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Motorcyclist killed after slamming into lorry – pillion rider stable

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popular motorcyclist, Devon Hopkinson, also known as “Wild Buck” was killed just after midnight on Thursday after his motorcycle collided with a motor lorry in the vicinity of Pearl on the East Bank of Demerara.

Reports are that Hopkinson, 33, of Lot 31 Railway Line, Kitty, Georgetown, was returning home around 12:45h when tragedy struck.

According to the police, the driver of the motor lorry and trailer was attempting to turn into a lumberyard when Hopkinson failed to stop and crashed his motorcycle CD 7536 into the truck.

Hopkinson, as well as his female pillion rider, was picked up and rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he later succumbed to his injuries.

His reputed wife, Lesa Kellman, told Guyana Times that she received a call from a woman who informed her of the accident. According to her, the now dead man went to “check up” on their house in Soesdyke, EBD. Kellman explained that as she arrived at the medical facility, she saw her

but he did not put on his indicator so by time he realise the truck was turning, for he to pull brakes he didn’t make it in time and collide with the truck,” she explained.

On the other hand, the now dead man was seen partying at the Soesdyke Junction. In addition, he was seen riding towards

the house that he purportedly went to check. As he was making his way back to the Soesdyke Junction, he was reportedly seen doing “stunts”.

On this note, it is believed that the man might have been speeding along the East Bank roadway when the accident occurred.

Hopkinson was a me-

chanic and a father of five.

He leaves to mourn his young children aged four and two years old with Kellman. His youngest child is just two months old.

The dead man’s mother, Lorna Atkinson, is calling for justice for her son’s death. She said her son was a very experienced and careful rider as he has been

riding since the age of 18.

A breathalyser test was conducted on the driver of the motor lorry, a 36-year old resident of Kuru-Kuru, Soesdyke Linden Highway, and it proved that he was over the prescribed limit of alcohol consumption.

He is presently in Police custody assisting with the investigation.

The elderly man was discovered just five minutes prior and based on evidence, the house was ransacked.

After the startling discovery, the injured Peters was picked up and rushed to a city hospital, where he was given medical attention and underwent an emergency surgery on Thursday evening.

Because of the extent of his injuries, he is scheduled to undergo other surgeries.

Smith told Guyana Times that his father is a citizen of the United States and lived alone. At that time, no one was arrested, but Police are continuing their investigations.

Peters was still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

of a private facility. He was described as an able-bodied person.

“The Police are still continuing their investigations. He is still in a serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit at a private city hospital. Nobody has been arrested as yet but I have been given the assurance by senior Police operatives that they will get to the bottom of it. He lived alone so the son just went to visit as usual. He’s pretty agile. He moves around and is able bodied,” the son related.

Family members are calling on persons within the community to report any information surrounding the incident that may lead to the apprehension of the perpetrators.

Elderly man beaten, robbed during home invasion

Dead: Devon Hopkinson

husband’s wounds and realised that he was in pain.

According to her, he tried speaking to her but was unable to due to his condition.

A few minutes later, Kellman said, she was informed that he did not make it. In the meanwhile, the pillion rider was treated and discharged from the facility.

The dead man’s wife said she was told by the young woman that the truck driver did not indicate that he was turning.

“The girl stated that when they were coming down, the truck was turning to go into the sawmill

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n 82-year-old man, suspected to have been badly beaten and robbed by unknown perpetrators, was found unconscious at his Ann’s Grove home by relatives.

According to information received, Leroy Peters, also known as “John Wayne”, was found in an unconscious state in a pool of blood by his 10-year-old son and villagers on Thursday afternoon.

Family members suspect that the incident occurred sometime between Tuesday evening and Thursday morning.

His eldest son, Leroy Smith, detailed that he was making a routine visit to his father’s house when he saw a large crowd at the

Beaten and robbed: Leroy Peters

man’s property. It was at that time that he was made aware of the fact that something was wrong.

8 news

saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sophia man arraigned for setting girlfriend on fire

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ust days after he attempted to kill his girlfriend by setting her on fire, 25-year-old Wazim Perreira of Sophia, Greater Georgetown was on Friday arraigned for the heinous crime when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The matter which was brought before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan was held in-camera.

Nevertheless, Guyana Times understands that the accused was not required to plea to the allegation which read that on September 9, 2019, at Sophia, with intent to commit murder, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded the woman According to information, around 13:00h on the day in question, the defendant visited the victim and requested to speak to her; however, the victim refused to do so. As such the accused left.

Sometime later, Perreira returned to the victim’s home with a container

Wazim Perreira

containing gasoline which he allegedly threw on her and set her alight.

As a result of this, the injured woman started to scream which caught the attention of neighbours, who went to her rescue and rushed her to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Meanwhile, the accused, who was attempting to make good his escape, was apprehended by public-spirited persons and handed over to the Police.

The Police Prosecutor objected to Perreira being granted bail on the grounds of the serious nature of the charge and the penalty it attracts.

The court also heard that the victim remains hospitalised and is currently being treated for second degree burns to her face, chest, abdomen and back.

As such, Perreira was remanded to prison and is expected to make his next court appearance until September 25, 2019.

Mechanic gets 18 months for wounding co-worker

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26-year-old mechanic, who the court heard maliciously wounded his co-worker during an argument over money, was on Friday arraigned for the offence when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The defendant, Sean Bobb, called “Banks” appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly and admitted to the allegation which stated that on September 9, 2019, at High Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Anthony Allen.

Police Prosecutor Christopher Morris, who presented short facts to the court, explained that both the defendant and Virtual Complainant are known to each other.

The court heard that on the day of the incident, the duo was fixing a mini-

Jailed: Seon Bobb

bus and upon completion of the job, the VC refused to pay Bobb for the work done.

This annoyed the defendant, who left the location and later returned armed with a cutlass. The court was told that Bobb approached the VC from behind and dealt him a chop to the left side shoulder.

As a result, Allen was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he underwent emergency surgery. Bobb was subsequently arrested and the present charge was instituted.

Meanwhile, in an explanation to the court, the defendant stated that it is habitual for the VC to not pay him for work done.

Nevertheless, Magistrate Daly, after listening to the facts, handed down the sentence.

Labourer jailed for trafficking over 7lbs of ganja

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hirty-year-old Dennis Nunes was on Friday sentenced to three years and nine months’ imprisonment after he was

found guilty of trafficking in narcotics by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Nunes of Durban Street, Georgetown, was on trial be-

fore the Chief Magistrate after he pleaded not guilty to a charge which detailed that on June 7, 2019, at Durban Street, Georgetown, he had

Jailed: Dennis Nunes

in his possession 3.605 kilograms (equivalent to 7.94 pounds) of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Facts presented by Police Prosecutor Adduni Inniss stated that on the day in question, Police acted on information and conducted a search at the accused’s home.

While in the process of searching the defendant’s bedroom, the ranks found a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be marijuana in a barrel.

Nunes was subsequently told of the offence to which he denied ownership of the illegal plant. He was subsequently arrested, taken into custody and charged for the offence.

Along with the sentence, Nunes was fined $2.1 million.

The road to…

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…elections or centuries, those who want to emphasise that hurdles sprout up whenever you want to accomplish something important like to cite: “the path of true love never ran smooth”. No more. After what’s been going on in Guyana to fix the elections date after the NCM, it’ll be “the path to free and fair elections never ran smooth”! It’s been like this for decades, of course, under the PNC. But Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, the PNC leader since 2011, has taken matters to new lows.

Granger’s fighting nothing less than a “war of attrition” against the PPP since Dec 21, 2018 after the initial shock of Charrandass’ vote had sunken in. As our friendly Wiki reminds us, “Attrition warfare is a military strategy consisting of belligerent attempts to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel. The war will usually be won by the side with greater such resources”. Granger is a military man…and after the Opposition’s lightning strike with the NCM— which the PNC never thought the PPP could pull off (“bring it on, big boy!” crowed Aunty Amna!)— he weighed his options and launched his strategy.

Firstly, he occupied the strategic high ground of incumbency, which guaranteed him access to all the state’s resources. And those resources could always trump the Opposition’s. Just look at the PNC’s first line of counterattack. After setting up their Attorney General with a battery of advisory legal “old heads”, they could still afford any number of Senior Counsels from the Caribbean to argue the most specious half-man argument to bog down the PPP’s legitimate call for elections within three months.

As the war ebbed and flowed through the High, Appellate and the CCJ Courts, the PNC just kept coming on like “Smokin” Joe Frazier. While the PPP didn’t play “rope a dope” – but sought to put up a fight— the PNC just kept opening up and widening new fronts. With the benefits of hindsight, after his battles to unilaterally appoint James Patterson as Chair, one can see that Granger always had GECOM in mind as one of those signal fronts. The very fact that GECOM is supposed to be an “autonomous” constitutional entity, was subverted though his appointive power to weaponise this institution.

And this is where the war of attrition is now being waged by Granger, where they’re stretching any one of the scores of statutory rules for GECOM conducting elections – such as number of days between “Nominations” and “Elections” Days.

We’re told that setting that as 55 rather than the statutory 32-33 days, isn’t REALLY delaying elections!! …African unity The road to unity also never does run smooth – and it matters not what kind of “unity” we’re talking about. In Guyana, we’ve been moaning even before independence that our disunity was caused because we were of different “races”. But over in South Africa, we’re seeing their citizens of African origin rioting against African migrants because they claim the latter are “taking their jobs”. The former indignantly points out that “they’re all ‘Africans” and they’d worked very hard to acquire the little wealth they may possess – like small shops.

In the home country of the migrants, like Nigeria and Zambia, there have been retaliatory riots against South African interests and matters look like they’ll escalate to governmental levels. But these unfortunate events have a message for us here in Guyana. To wit, that our problem, which sounds suspiciously like that now roiling Africa, isn’t really “racial” but economic. More specifically, that when any group believe they’re coming up short economically, tensions will be generated.

As is happening now in Guyana after the PNC government’s skewed, racial policies! …hell It’s long been said that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. So where does the road paved with bad intentions lead?? Dante’s 9th circle?

This is an urgent matter in view of the sordid intentions of the PNC to delay elections.

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

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saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Loan write-off, free tertiary education for all Guyanese – Ali ...PPP outlines in manifesto

PPP Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali

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s the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) rolls out aspects of its manifesto for the upcoming elections, Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali continues to highlight specific sectors – this time drawing focus on the education sector.

He pointed out that the policies in the education sector under the PPP Administration would be geared towards improved access, quality, affordability and preparing Guyanese students at the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Tertiary levels so as to ensure that they secure better-paying jobs in line with the requirement of the economy.

“Consistent with these

stated objectives, we would pursue several initiatives,” Ali asserted.

Prominent among these, he added, would be the delivery of free education at the University of Guyana (UG) and enhanced access through the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Previously, it was explained that fee university education would not be available from day one of a PPP Government but within two or three years as they work out the details of this policy initiative. The party had also announced plans to give out 20,000 online scholarships, which will help with private education, especially in courses that are not offered by UG. Adding to this, Ali out-

lined that a PPP Government will also peruse plans to have all outstanding loans written off. He noted that the party’s manifesto will detail policies to support these initiatives.

“In addition, we recognise the role of the Private Sector in education, as such, we will be announcing measures that will see generous tax concessions given to private providers from nursery to tertiary levels including technical vocation,” he stated.

The PPP Presidential Candidate went on to say that in order to address issues of affordability, quality and access, the party’s manifesto will detail a number of measures in this regard.

These include the restoration of the “Because We Care Grant”; attention to nutrition through various initiatives such as hot meal programmes; providing required textbooks to school children; ensuring all school children have access to school uniforms, and improving educational facilities.

Moreover, the PPP Administration will also establish special incentives for teachers and enhanced training and skill development opportunities; expand the use of ICT in ed-

Teen stabbed to death during argument with another

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teenager was on Thursday afternoon stabbed to death by another teen with whom he had a heated argument at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.

Dead is 15-year-old Derril Wong of Lot 42 Plaisance, East Coast Demerara. He was a student of Cummings Lodge Secondary School.

Based on reports received, the now dead young man, after returning home from school, went to visit a friend in Graham Street, Plaisance, when he was stabbed twice to his back around 16:00h. Initial investigation revealed that the two teenagers were in a yard when an argument broke out between them.

Soon after, Wong was seen lying in a pool of blood with at least two stab wounds to his body. The injured teen was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he subsequently died.

At the teen’s home on Friday, his grandmother, Orleen Holder, explained, “Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon he came from school and I was lying in the chair there. I told him he could go and take out his food and so on so he did…I end up sleeping away and like he ate and went away”.

She told Guyana Times that the young man was warned several times by his uncle not to leave the yard

The dead teenager: Derril Wong

due to the violence in the community.

Nevertheless, the elderly woman recalled that when she woke up, she realised that he was not at home and began to enquire. It was not long after that a villager came and informed her that her grandson was dead.

Holder said she rushed to the scene only to discover that her grandson was already placed in an ambulance. “I went in and they say call he, call he name so I call out to he and he answer…”

The woman said her grandson was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where doctors attended to him before he breathed his last around 22:00h.

The elderly woman said she was told that her grandson went to visit a friend when he was confronted by the suspect who told him he was not allowed into the premises.

“He (suspect) told him you get ban from the yard boy, you can’t come in the yard but he insist that he go because he said he ain’t going to him, he going to the sister and with that like the two of them had an argument and so and this boy (suspect) he claiming that my grandson picked up a wood and lash him,” the woman said she was told.

The suspect, who is said to be 17 years old, retaliated by stabbing Wong twice to his back as he walked away.

The teenager has since been apprehended and is currently in Police custody assisting with the investigation.

Wong grew up with his grandmother and would have celebrated his sixteenth birthday in a few months.

The grandmother related that she will miss her grandson dearly. She recalled holding him as a child in her arms and sending him to the shop whenever she needed something.

The woman said she never thought that this day would have come when she would have to say good bye to him.

ucation and thus ensure all Guyanese children and teachers have access to the infrastructure that will enable the use of ICT; enhance the focus on technical education and establish an online University.

Additionally, Ali said they will also be reforming and strengthening the monitoring systems for school management at public and private levels.

“These among other measures would ensure the delivery of quality education to our nation,” the Presidential Candidate stated.

Ali has already started talking about policies his party will undertake in major sectors such as economic development, security, mining and forestry among others.

Last month, PPP’s General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed that the party’s elections manifesto is being rolled out in three phases.

The first version of the manifesto will be in the form of posters circulating, containing some of the policies the party plans to institute immediately upon taking office. The second phase will be a more popular version of the manifesto, while the final version will be a detailed technical document.

The manifesto, Jagdeo

had said, will be launched closer to elections and will give people more insight into the party’s vision and policies for the future of the country and its people.

Already, the PPP has published on its social me-

dia accounts several of these posters, outlining the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on key areas such as electricity, water and healthcare, as well as the reversal and/ or reduction of taxes among other things.

10 news

saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Decomposed body of missing elderly man found submerged in canal – family believes man was murdered, body dumped in canal

Dead: Sewkuar Somwria, also known as “Balgobin”

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lmost one week after a Canal No 1, Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD) elderly man went missing, his nude body was on Wednesday afternoon discovered by relatives submerged in water aback said Canal.

The dead man has been identified as 87-yearold Sewkuar Somwria, known as “Balgobin”, of Lot 6 Goodland, Canal No 1 Polder, WBD who went missing just after noon.

Guyana Times understands that Somwria, who normally wanders off, left his home on Friday last and was last seen by several per-

sons throughout the day.

He was spotted in Dairy (La Parfaite Harmonie), WBD, and then again in the Canal Polder at approximately 15:00h. However, the last time that he was seen alive was at around 17:00h.

Family members formed several search parties to search for the elderly man, but came up empty-handed.

A missing person’s report was filed at the La Grange Police Station by the man’s daughter on Saturday morning.

Family members, however, continued their search and it was on Wednesday at about 12:00h the man’s partly decomposed and nude body was discovered lying face down submerged in water aback Baya Dam in Canal Polder.

When Guyana Times visited the man’s family, Somwria’s son-in-law, Prahalall Singh, said he and other relatives made a decision to recheck Baya Dam where they had previously searched when the discovery was made.

“We went through the dam deh but we didn’t go straight down, we crossed over and go to Baya Dam so I tell me son, that take a few others and ayo go down in the dam straight in. Because

The house where the man resided

the dam narrow, my son who went in with a motorbike couldn’t tow one of the other boys so the boy came off and my son alone ride ahead and the two other boys follow he on foot. While he riding going in now, he smell a stinkness but because the dam cut off, he couldn’t go further. So he come off the bike and he decided to look in the drain that cut off the dam and when he look, he just see this bow foot, this man swell and deh in this drainer,” Singh detailed to this publication.

The family is alleging that foul play was involved in the man’s death since in addition to Somwria’s clothing being missing, his body looked to have been dumped

at the area where it was discovered.

“He didn’t have on no clothes, no clothes, naked!

We can’t find him clothes but Sunday night when we went in the same dam, we saw a fire…when I go there I tell them boys to don’t go further that this look like murder because when I go on the scene, it nah got no impression in this grass of if like this man roll and go in the drain, nothing and the person that he is, he would not go there. And when the Police them come and them see where the man deh, them even she its murder”, Singh recalled.

The last person to see Somwria alive, a teen who identified himself only as

Ganesh, said that at the time, the elderly man was cladded in a brown shirt and pink trousers.

Kowsilla Singh, the dead man’s daughter, reflected on the last moments she spent with her father.

“The morning now before me go cremation, me tell he eat up because me nah know when me coming back.

Me cook bora and chicken and shrimps curry. I give him little bit of all two and me and he and my lil son, we sit down and we eat. Ow babe, that was the last, me daddy did old but he was strong, nothing didn’t happen to he, strong man” the grieving woman cried.

She further de- The area where the body was found on tailed that the Police Wednesday did nothing to assist do nothing,” Singh cried. the family with locating The father of six leaves to Somwria after the missing mourn his children, grandperson’s report was filed. children, relatives and many “If me daddy wasn’t friends. smelling, I would have nevThe Post-Mortem er find he at the place where Examination (PME) to dethey throw he body, the termine cause of death is Police nah come, them nah scheduled for Monday as the do nothing, when me find he Police continue their investibody and meh go tell them, gation into the crime. (Kizzy how me cry, I tell them that Coleman) me report and nobody nah

11 Gaming Authority guilty of corrupt practices – Opposition Leader news

saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Harmon that there has been a surge in the number of betting and gaming shops in Guyana. Jagdeo lamented that this is because of the slackness in having companies pay the bribe without making any investments that could provide services or employment to Guyanese.

“You have some foreign companies that have come in here and quickly go through

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holders’ forum that a second application was filed.

During that event, Harmon had acknowledged that there has been a multiplication of these gaming outlets and admitted that the Authority would be pressured to ensure that all outlets were in compliance with the requisite licensing.

Some of these gaming establishments are situated in

The Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel Casino

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

he Gaming Authority has been listed as another agency that is culpable of corrupted actions, after information surfaced that one business owner was asked to bribe officials in order for his casino licence to be granted.

This was brought to light by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday, who stated that the owner of SleepIn Hotel was denied his licence after

and that they operate within the confines of the laws of Guyana, because they cannot escape notice that some of these operations are in some of the especially challenged communities of our country,” he had stated.

The Director General insisted that operators and consumers of these establishments should be engaged on the negative impacts of betting and gaming sites.

sued to his establishment and then sold to the SleepIn owner.

Under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration, provisions were made for only three casinos to be operational in every region. While the Ramada Princess Casino was functional, the Marriott Hotel had signalled interest along with SleepIn Hotel.

As part of the requirements, prospective casino

Marriott Hotel

The proposed SleepIn Hotel Casino

being asked to pay a large sum of money to see his application through.

This is one of the main reasons why the casino of the Hotel was never opened to the public, despite a multimillion-dollar investment.

Another individual was involved in the process, proposing that the licence be is-

owners were asked to construct a hotel with no less than 150 rooms and other requirements to encourage economic activities and they would be granted a licence to operate.

It was recently announced by the Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph

the process of getting licences. They never built a hotel, they never built 150 rooms and employed thousands of Guyanese. … This is what is happening now,” the Opposition Leader alleged.

In 2016, hotelier Clifton Bacchus was denied permission from the Gaming Authority to commence operations, having invested millions into developing a stateof-the-art casino, which remains closed. Chairman of the Gaming Authority, Roysdale Forde indicated on Wednesday during a stake-

communities which are suffering from socioeconomic constraints.

“With our economy moving at the pace at which it is moving, I can only anticipate that it is going to be a tremendous pressure on the Authority for licences to open gaming establishments. What I have also seen that there is a proliferation of these betting shops all across Guyana. I trust that the Gaming Authority takes this responsibility of ensuring that these entities are properly regulated

“The Gaming Authority has a responsibility to ensure that the public and operators of gaming establishments are aware of not only the positive but also the negative impacts that gaming can have on an individual and our society in general.

This is necessary so as to assist owners in appreciating the need for a systems and policies that will support responsible gaming and gambling.”

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saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

More power outages promised by GPL …as 772 outages recorded between June to August 2019

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series of power outages have plagued thousands of residents living along the coast in the past few months and as the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) continues to rectify the situation, there will inevitably be more blackouts.

Although GPL has cited a major shortfall of 23 megawatts of power which contributed to several power failures in the country as of recent, coupled with other issues, the public should expect more power outages even as the utility company works on addressing the current challenges.

This is according to the Chairman of the GPL’s Board of Directors, Rawle Lucas, who explained the situation to stakeholders on Friday. “…the need to perform continued scheduled maintenance on our generating systems will result in the continued unavailability of at least another 18 megawatts for a further period of time. I wish to acknowledge that GPL’s management is not proud of the situation in which its customers find themselves and is committed to rectifying and improving the situation very quickly.”

Lucas stated that the challenge for GPL is in the

integrated network known as the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) which ranges from West Demerara to Moleson Creek in Berbice and reaches south as far as Kuru Kururu, Linden-Soesdyke Highway and Timehri on the East Bank of Demerara.

“We are gathering here at a time when GPL appears to the onlooker that is unable to manage this system to the level of reliability that our customers expect and deserve. In response to recent enquiries from the Board, GPL management has reported that there were 772 outages of varying duration from June 1 to August 31, 2019. Over a 92-day period that amounts to an outage occurring 8 times per day.”

According to Lucas, the data reveals that GPL’s customers from Charlestown to Timehri have been suffering the most. They experienced 32 per cent of that outage period while other areas experienced electricity woes also.

“The customers on the East Coast have suffered 23 per cent of the outages while the customers in the West Demerara area have suffered 21 per cent of the outages. The GPL customers in Berbice experienced

Chairman of the Board of Directors at Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Rawle Lucas

17 per cent of the outages.

Reporting this information is not comforting since the inconveniences remain as I speak.”

23 MW shortfall

Last week, GPL announced that it had suffered a deficit of 23 megawatts of power, due to a number of reasons. As such, thousands of residents and businesses in the Demerara and Berbice region will experience another round of periodic power outage.

The company cited a series of “unforeseen occurrences and generation/operational issues” that are preventing the supply of adequate electricity for “peak demand”.

Among the reasons is the uprooting of a pole with two

transformers in the vicinity of the Rubis Gas Station on Mandela Avenue while a contractor was carrying out works on the Sheriff/ Mandela street expansion project on September 3.

In Berbice, GPL explained that it is unable

to export 6.9 megawatts of power to the DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System (DBIS) due to a defective transformer at its Onverwagt, Berbice Substation.

Additionally, a 5.5-megawatt generator at the Canefield Power Plant is unavailable because of scheduled maintenance. At the Kingston Power Plant, a 6.9-megawatt unit is unavailable due to a defective alternator, which had to be sourced overseas.

GPL, at that time, had said that the new alternator has arrived and repairs are expected to be completed by the end of the week.

Thereafter, the unit was expected to return to operation by Monday, September 9, 2019.

At the Garden of Eden power station, a 4-megawatt unit is also unavail-

able. GPL said it is awaiting the arrival of replacement parts for the defective components.

Load shedding

Just a few months ago, thousands of persons were majorly inconvenienced by the constant power outages and load shedding after two submarine cables were damaged within the space of five days.

This issue resulted in GPL publishing daily load shedding schedules, which saw several areas across the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System experiencing complete power outages for long hours.

This will likely be the system again until the power company can restore its electricity shortfall. GPL normally posts its load shedding schedules on its Facebook page.

High Court overturns Royston King’s dismissal

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ormer Town Clerk Royston King’s dismissal was reversed by the High Court on Friday, paving the way for him to be reinstated at the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

King had challenged a decision by the Local Government Commission (LGC) to fire him back in January for gross misconduct after a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) had recommended criminal charges against him.

However, in a ruling on Friday morning, High Court Judge, Justice Simone Ramlall found that the former Town Clerk was unlawfully dismissed. She also ruled that the CoI in its entirety was unlawfully established hence all of its decisions and findings are null, void and of no effect.

This includes King’s dismissal, which was based on the findings and recommendations of the probe.

According to the Judge, the Commission is only permitted under the Local Government Commission Act to delegate its powers within the Local Government system and not investigative bodies outside such as the CoI that was set up to look into the operations of City Hall.

The 2018 CoI was conducted by ret’d Justice Cecil Kennard, who found King guilty of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and misappropriation of funds. He had also stated that King performed the duties of treasurer and other officers of the Council, which were not his designated duties.

Prior to his dismissal, King was sent on administrative leave on September 21, 2018, to facilitate the inquiry.

The CoI report concluded that King leased lands to Quick Shipping Incorporated at Lombard Street, which is owned by the National

Royston King

Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). Throughout that time, the company argued, payments of $625,000 were made on three occasions but there were only receipts at the Council for two disbursements.

King appeared before the one-man Commission after being subpoenaed and positioned that he was “unaware” or couldn’t “recall” most of the incidents.

Moreover, the management of Giftland Mall had also informed that King had a special arrangement between City Hall and the enterprise, whereby he would waive taxes.

MCG Investments Inc Consultant, Ray Hugh represented the owner of the mall, Roy Beepat, and exposed that a meeting was convened between the duo whereby it was agreed that all rates and taxes, including penalties and interests, would be waived completely for the years 2015 and 2016.

Giftland Mall would only be required to pay a sum of $11,467,500 after the interests and penalties would have been waived. This was after a letter was issued, stating that the mall owed $44,255,183 to the municipality.

King reportedly issued a

letter sometime after, stating that the agreement “no longer stood” because of the lapse of time and “certain circumstances”.

The former Town Clerk admitted that he did attend the meeting, but only at the behest of the Finance SubCommittee, which thought of it as the best way of obtaining whatever sum was owed.

King also refuted claims about the waiving of outstanding rates and taxes.

In light of these findings, King appeared before the Local Government Commission to answer to the findings of the report and was also requested to present dialogue on other matters. However, his refusal to discuss the accusations which were brought against him triggered a decision by the Commission to dismiss him with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, in his court document, King had asked for a series of orders including the reinstatement of his benefits, which his lawyer, Attorney Patrice Henry, said he will have to be paid.

According to his lawyer, King will now have to be reinstated but as per his status quo prior to his termination, he will remain on administrative leave.

The attorney told Guyana Times that because King is almost at the age of statutory retirement, his accumulative leave is sufficient to take him to that period.

“So Mr King would not return to the job officially given his age. Mr King would just be paid off,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the former Town Clerk told reporters after the ruling that he feels vindicated.

“I’m very happy. I have always exercised great faith in the judicial system. Today justice has been done and I have been vindicated,” King stated.

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saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

CDC, GBTI appeal to public to donate for The Bahamas – following devastating effects of Hurricane Dorian

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n light of the devastating effects that Hurricane Dorian left in The Bahamas after taking the lives of scores of persons and destroying numerous homes there, the Guyana Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in collaboration with Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) is appealing to the public to assist in donating funds to aid citizens of that country.

Persons desirous of contributing financial donations are asked to make those contributions to an

account set up at GBTI under the account name: GBTI Hurricane Relief FundBahamas with the account number 011802963011.

Even as the Government and people of The Bahamas are left to pick up the pieces following Hurricane Dorian’s arrival and departure, another storm is expected to hit that island soon.

Tropical Depression Nine formed near The Bahamas on Friday and is forecast to become a tropical storm today, the National Hurricane Center said.

As such, The Bahamas Government has issued a tropical storm warning for its northwestern islands — which is the same area decimated by Hurricane Dorian earlier this month.

The storm was about 240 miles east-southeast of Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, and about 140 miles east-southeast of Great Abaco Island, the hurricane center said. Tropical Depression Nine has maximum sustained winds of 30 mph and is moving northwest at 8 mph.

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altercation with man

Pensioner denied medical attention Linden labourer chopped during at Uitvlugt Estate Dispensary 73-year-old pensioner on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) was forced to seek alternative healthcare after she was denied medical attention at Uitvlugt Estate Dispensary on Friday during her monthly visit.

Ramrajie Singh, who suffers from a heart condition and hypertension, was scheduled to make her visit on Thursday but owing to the fact that she was not feeling well, she opted to visit the facility the following day.

“I’m a regular patient at the GuySuCo (Guyana Sugar Corporation) dispensary. I’m a heart patient and I suffer from hypertension.

Thursday was my day to go to clinic but I was sick and I couldn’t make it to go. I had to go and collect my pension today so I said I would go over to the clinic because it is in the same building,” she

A The Uitvlugt Sugar Estate

told Guyana Times.

Upon arriving at the facility, the woman was reportedly told by a medical staff that they could not aid her on the said day.

The medical personnel claimed that she missed her scheduled date and refused to attend to Singh, despite the woman explaining that she was unwell.

“When I go over to the dispensary, the medic in charge refuse to look at me or give me anything. She said I was supposed to come yesterday (Thursday) at the

clinic. I told her I haven’t been able to come. I go to her twice and she said she can’t look after me. I worked in the estate and I’m very disappointed. What bothers me is that I am a regular clinic patient. People were coming in without any emergency and she looked after them,” Singh recalled.

Meanwhile, the elderly woman was given a date to return to the clinic on October 10. She argued that for one month, she would be denied her services and medications attributable to

Driver in horrific Agricola accident to be charged

D

anion Welcome, the driver of the truck in the horrific accident at Agricola Public Road, Greater Georgetown, that claimed the life of seven-year-old Ciara Benjamin back in June, will face the charge of death by dangerous driving.

Guyana Times was informed that after a long investigation, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack would have recommended for charges to be instated.

As such, Welcome will make his court appearance in the new week.

During that unfaithful Saturday afternoon, chaos broke loose at Agricola on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) when Benjamin was crushed to death by a truck, driven by Welcome.

Based on reports received, the child was attempting to cross the road with her aunt, Samantha Barry, at about 16:45h in the vicinity of the Independence Arch at Agricola.

During that time, a truck

Dead: Ciara Benjamin

bearing registration number GWW 962 was heading to Georgetown when he allegedly swerved to avoid hitting a vehicle and ended up in the path of the pedestrians.

Upon impact, the woman was flung some distance away while the truck remained fixed on the median with the child pinned underneath. A light pole was unearthed from the impact and collapsed on the roadway.

Hundreds of people

flocked the roadway and streets to witness the aftermath of the tragic incident.

With the truck lodged in the middle of the roadway, Police officers made efforts to clear the streets to allow for the body to be removed.

About one hour later, a forklift and crane were used to lift the vehicle and remove the child’s remains.

Her body was completely severed in two.

Welcome was, however, severely beaten by residents and then handed over to the Police.

After the scene was cleared, another unexpected tragedy arose when the lorry was set alight, creating a towering inferno in the middle of the roadway.

Laden with fuel, it burned for hours, blockading the flow of traffic.

Pedestrians stood in disbelief as small explosions erupted from the fire. The Guyana Fire Service arrived sometime after and contained the blaze from spreading to nearby buildings.

slackness on the part of the health officials.

This publication contacted the medic of the facility on Friday, who denied that such an incident occurred but referred all questions to the personnel manager of the estate.

chopping incident has left 28-year-old Morvin Somersol of Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden, receiving medical attention at the Linden Hospital Complex.

He sustained several chops to his right forearm during an altercation with another man at approximately 20:30h on Thursday evening at Canvas City, Wismar, Linden.

According to information received, the victim reportedly borrowed a freezer from the suspect to conduct

business back in April. The suspect is said to have requested to have the freezer returned sometime last month, however, Somersol refused to do so.

It is also alleged that Somersol went to the suspect’s home and damaged several louvre panes.

As a result, the two men reportedly got into an altercation on Thursday evening.

Following the incident, Somersol was rushed to the hospital where he was admitted, treated and remains a patient in stable condition.

14 news Sacked Fly Jamaica workers still to receive salaries saturDAY, september 14, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

…claim meeting with Labour Dept was for “show”

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hree months after meeting with the Social Protection Ministry’s Labour Department, sacked workers of Fly Jamaica are still awaiting a word from the Government with respect to the payment of salaries.

An employee, who served as a flight attendant, reached out to Guyana Times stating that the meeting held with the workers three months ago was just a “show”, as the Department never contacted any of the sacked workers following same.

The female staffer explained that the sacked workers are still awaiting their payments and are becoming frustrated as even the Government seems to be failing them and are unable to make proper representation.

This publication understands that the embattled airline still owes workers for the period November 2018 through March 2019.

A few sacked Fly Jamaica workers

Fly Jamaica had made its staff redundant at the end of March as was announced by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Paul Ronald Reece in a letter to employees dated Friday, March 29, 2019.

It has been reported that the Jamaica-based airline had employed some 400 persons, and Reece had assured employees that the compensation they are owned from November to date would be

paid, but he pleaded for time to fulfil this commitment.

After weeks of suspense, the Labour Department finally met with the workers who claimed the meeting failed to address the issue of owed salaries, among other important matters.

Nevertheless, along with ex-staffers, passengers are still awaiting refunds from booked tickets. In May, some 46 complaints were received by the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission which value about $8,316,504.

However, more recently, the agency said the number of reports received has doubled.

The airline became crippled following a November 9 crash last year. The Boeing 757 flight destined for Toronto, Canada crash-landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri, East Bank Demerara, after encountering hydraulic issues.

It was reported that the flight

took off around 02:10h but later returned to the airport where the aircraft crash-landed at about 02:53h.

Hope recently surfaced for the airline when new investors announced their move to take over the Fly Jamaica.

On July 29, it was reported that a team of investors including Jamaican aviation veteran, Glenn Logan, led by Yann LeProvost of the French-based company W&Y SAS has taken over the problem-plagued airline.

The new owners took over on July 26 from Guyanese operators, Paul and Roxanne Reece. They have since pledged their commitment to addressing the issues affecting the airline, such as owed salaries to workers and compensation for tickets.

This promise however remains in limbo as the investors are presently ironing out matters with regards to Fly Jamaica’s Insurance.

15 students benefit from GBTI’s annual Bursary Awards

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ifteen holders of Early Savers accounts at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), who were all successful at the recent National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), were on Friday presented with Bursary Awards.

The fifteen students included top 1 per cent performers Venecia Lall, Umashankar Singh, Devine Amsterdam, Ajala Maharaj along with Manoj Ram, Julia Bacchus, Jonathan Robinson, Christopher Shepperd, Neeraj Joree, Nandishraj Singh, Dhanpal Singh, Cameron Siers, Shemroy Singh, Bomeka Singh and Marissa Siriram.

The monetary award is expected to assist the students with their school needs in order to make their school life easier.

Speaking at the brief ceremony held at the bank’s main branch in Kingston, Georgetown, Executive Director of GBTI, Richard Isava encouraged the stu-

The students who received their Bursary Awards at GBTI’s main branch on Friday

dents to be consistent and to remain focused at all times.

“During this phase of your life, you can be easily distracted by the natural and social pressures in school or in the society as a whole. But remember that you are not alone – you have support and keep telling yourself you can make it and if you keep reassuring

yourself you will succeed.

You have come this far; you should only seek to climb higher” the Director encouraged.

Isava noted that GBTI continues to believe in investing in the future and in providing opportunities for their growth and development.

“Our Early Savers Account is one way in which

we support growth and development of our young people. You would know about some of the other features and benefits of being in our Early Savers Club but today I want to underscore the importance of Education…”

Isava said.

Also, in attendance at the ceremony was Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Primary) of the Education

Ministry, Owen Pollard, who delivered brief remarks, also encouraging the students to keep working hard for their achievements.

Guyana Times spoke to two of the awardees including special needs student Jonathon Robinson, who expressed his gratitude to have been selected to be recognised.

The young man encouraged parents to open accounts with GBTI so that their children can benefit in the future.

Devine Amsterdam, who was awarded a place at Queen’s College, said that she is proud to be among those chosen by the financial institution.

“I’m proud to be here, to be collecting a gift from GBTI. I have been an Early Saver since I was born so I am really happy for the support that GBTI have been giving to us” the student expressed.

Over the years, GBTI has seen some of the country’s top performers emanating from their Early Savers Club including last year’s top performer, Nalia Rahaman.

Presently, GBTI also offers financial support for students wishing to pursue their tertiary education.

However, this is not limited to students only but to all customers.

15 GPL to implement changes to ease customers’ burdens news

saturDAY, september 14, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

– WhatsApp meter reading, e-billing services optional for the public

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n an effort to provide quality and efficient service to customers throughout the country, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) on Friday announced that several new initiatives have been implemented inclusive of the introduction of an electronic billing (e-billing) service.

Director of the company’s Customer Services Department, Rhonda Lafar stated that technology can play a vital role in easing the burden of any customer who may not find the time to

it GPL’s website and utilise this service by entering their customer account number and the relevant billing information would be provided.

According to Lafar, GPL has also catered for the needs of persons who may not have internet access, or those who may have difficulties in using the internet to verify information about their bills.

“We also have a text messaging feature called SMS Freedom. This does not require a smartphone, Director of Customer Services at Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Rhonda Lafar

visit GPL’s offices to pay a bill or simply enquire about his/her account.

“We have an e-bill facility so that you can register either online or you can call in to the call centre and request that your account is put at the e-bill. So once the e-bills are generated you will automatically receive an e-bill but this would require us having your email.

So we are encouraging customers to ensure that we have updated contact information, updated emails addresses, updated cellphone numbers so that we can provide information.”

She explained that an online enquiry service is also available via an emailing method. Persons who opt to use this method can vis-

you can use any cellphone, and once you text your reference number which is a combination of your customer number and your account number, once you text that number to this number a message will come back and it will tell you what is your bill due, what was the last payment you made, the date you paid it and the due date on your current bill. So you do not have to come into the office to get this information, this information is available out there.”

Meanwhile, in relation to the reading of meters, a “WhatsApp meter read feature” was developed since a large number of customers were concerned about estimated readings that are done in their absence.

“A lot of persons are not at home during the day so when the meter readers are out reading, they are unable to access your meter. What you can do is you can look at your bill, look at the read date of your bill, and on that date you take a picture of your meter, put in your account number and you can WhatsApp it to us and that will be used as an actual read submitted by the customer.”

However, this does not mean that the company will no longer be conducting in-person meter readings at residences. GPL’s Director of Customer Services pointed out that the law allows the company to accept two months reading of meter via “Whatsapp” but on the third month GPL is required to do its mandatory reading.

“So this is a feature to make it easier but we still require access to be able to verify the readings that you have submitted.”

With regard to the power company’s responsiveness to emergencies, some changes have also been made, with

the hope that they will aid in providing better services for customers countrywide.

“Last year we had several emergency numbers that customers could contact us on and we combined it and so we have one emergency number which is 226-2600 and the extension that you

dial is one (1) and you get on to our call centre. We have also implemented an emergency WhatsApp and that number is 608-9090 so customers can use either one of these options to make contact with the call centre to make a report and you can also call these numbers to have queries done”.

The call centre is operational 24 hours and the queries department, which was previously open only during working hours on weekdays, is now operational until 21:00h.

“So prior you would call during the day up to 04:30 pm to ask questions concerning your bill and so on.

So it is not necessary for customers to actually come into the office and query your bill, they can actually call the call centre, and the query can be done on the telephone. We are trying to make it easier for customers to access information without having to come into the

office,” she added.

Meanwhile, GPL recognises the sloth in its fulfilment of applications within a 12-day period where residential customers apply for meters at their homes. As such, work is presently ongoing by the company to reduce the timeframe as well as allow persons to apply for the service online.

“We are also looking at actions to speed up the process so we are working on allowing customers to go online and submit the required documentation after which they will come into the office and it will be a much faster much. Also, the unavailability of some types of prepaid meters. We have already put systems in place to ensure that we have a cycle of procurement to ensure that as soon as one batch of meters is here another order is already placed…to fulfil the requirements of customers.”

(Kristen Macklingam)

16

guyanatimesgy.com

Saturday, september 14 2019

Regional

Hurricane Dorian: Number Brazil Supreme Court Chief says of missing drops to 1300 money laundering unit overreached E

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Brazilian government agency monitoring money laundering, at the heart of the recent fight against corruption, has repeatedly overreached by acting without judicial approval, the head of the country’s Supreme Court told Reuters.

The Council for Financial Activities Control (COAF) has faced scrutiny since uncovering suspicious deposits in the account of the son of

President Jair Bolsonaro.

In an interview on the eve of his first anniversary at the head of Brazil’s top court, Dias Toffoli offered his clearest explanation yet behind a decision in July to suspend investigations that were based on information provided by COAF. That decision, which said COAF should not have been passing information to prosecutors without the approval of a judge, scuppered the investiga-

tion into Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. COAF had identified 48 suspicious deposits worth a total of 100,000 reais ($27,000) deposited in his account in a single month in 2017.

Toffoli said the decision was not intended to help the president’s son, but rather to protect civil liberties.

“These bodies (prosecutors) started asking COAF directly to extract financial flows of specific tar-

gets, subverting what they should have been asking the judiciary,” Toffoli said at his office in Brasilia.

“Coaf proceeded to replace the judiciary, a usurpation of competence,” he added. “These cases were suspended, these irregularities.”

Toffoli said the court was deliberating over a solution that would better allow for individual rights to be protected. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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cord to take a photo,” he told reporters in Caracas.

Venezuelan Interior

as evidence to the state prosecutor’s office, which later opened the investiga-

across the country, including along the Venezuelan border.

Guaido crossed into Colombia before a USbacked attempt on February 23 to send trucks loaded with humanitarian aid into Venezuela from the Colombian border town of Cucuta. Maduro, however, had ordered the border’s closure and told the military to block the aid’s entry.

At the time, it was not clear how Guaido had crossed the border. He appeared at an aid concert

by Cucuta on February 22 dressed in the same clothes as he was wearing in the photo with the two men.

Venezuela Govt investigates Guaido over photo with suspected Colombian criminals

enezuela’s state Prosecutor’s office said on Friday it would open an investigation into Opposition Leader Juan Guaido after the interior minister presented photos on state television showing Guaido in the company of two suspected members of a Colombian drug-trafficking group.

Guaido on Friday said the two men had asked to take a photo with him when he secretly crossed into Colombia from Venezuela in February via an informal border route after a Venezuelan court had barred him from leaving the country.

He denied knowing who the men were. “We didn’t ask for their criminal re-

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaido, whom many nations have recognised as the country’s rightful interim ruler, talks to the media while arriving to attend a political rally in Caracas, Venezuela [Photo by: REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado]

Minister Nestor Reverol said on state television that the two men were leaders of a “Colombian paramilitary organization” called the Rastrojos. Reverol said he would send the photos

tion.

Colombian Police sources confirmed they were members of the Rastrojos, a criminal group made up of ex-paramilitaries that engages in drug trafficking

Dorian.

The frustration level in the Bahamas is palpable, as many residents said that the only assistance they’ve gotten has come from foreigners.

When asked what he’d gotten from the Bahamian government, Barry Cooper said “nothing at all!”

The Bahamian government said it’s coordinating relief efforts from Nassau.

But since most of the field

teams come from private foreign aid groups, that’s all the residents in hardhit communities see.

CBS News correspondent Errol Barnett visited two remote islands with a group of retired Navy SEALs based in South Florida who were on a mercy mission to deliver food and supplies.

“For me and the guys of my company, it’s basically just that continued want to

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Bahamians decry Govt hurricane response as new storm looms

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nother major storm could be headed to the Bahamas, as a new system takes shape over the southern parts of the island chain.

By Saturday, it will pass Grand Bahama, which was devastated by Hurricane Dorian less than two weeks ago. And as residents brace for another storm, they slammed their government for not providing aid in the wake of

give back, and just continue serving after service,” said Mike Oberhelman.

The scene on the islands was familiar: The journey to remote areas was possible only with a combination of seaplanes and small boats. And in those remote areas, residents had been living with no cell service, no power, and no running water for more than a week. (Excerpt from

CBS News)

mergency services in the Bahamas say the number of missing following Hurricane Dorian stands at 1,300.

The number is down from the 2,500 listed missing earlier this week.

The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said the drop in numbers came after cross-referencing names of the missing with those in shelters.

Hurricane Dorian battered the Bahamas earlier this month killing at least 50.

The death toll is expected to rise as the clean-up operation continues.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said in a televised address on Wednesday that the government was being transparent and would “provide timely information on the loss of life as it is available.”

Dorian was packing sustained winds of 185mph (295km/h) when it made landfall at Elbow Cay on the

Cubans fear return to 90s austerity amid cuts avana awoke in the country since Tuesday

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Thursday to long lines at gas stations and public transportation stops after President Miguel DiazCanel warned fellow Cubans to expect fuel shortages and blackouts that he blamed on US sanctions.

The fuel crisis immediately raised fears of a return to the extreme austerity of the 1990s “Special Period” following the collapse of its main benefactor, the Soviet Union.

“I’m worried. Terrified!” said Katia Morfa, 36, as she took her seven-year-old daughter to school.

“When they announce these kinds of measures, it gives us Cubans chills from head to toe. It’s inevitable that we think of the dark and very sad days of the Special Period,” Morfa told AFP. In a televised address late Wednesday, Diaz-Canel said the “low availability of diesel” will affect transportation, power generation and distribution of merchandise.

He said no fuel had arrived

Emergency response seen outside of the hospital

neurostimulator – behind.

“It’s a device he depends on for a living ... We asked a fire fighter to go get it with-

out this device he won’t live.

If I could get in there, I’d get it myself,” she told Globo news site.

A witness, Fatima Chavier, told Reuters it was a panicked scene as the patients waited for fire crews. “Lots of people wanted to jump [out of the hospital building]... There was a lot of smoke, lots of people screaming”.

Fire fighters arrived on the scene just before 18:00 local time and the blaze was under control two hours later, according to local media.

An investigation is under way. The hospital’s management said they believe it was caused by a short circuit in a generator. (BBC News)

and the situation will persist until Saturday when an oil tanker is expected to arrive in port.

The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on various companies for transporting Venezuelan oil to Cuba.

Diaz-Canel accused the United States of acting “with greater aggression towards Cuba.”

But in a bid to calm fears, he insisted the shortages did not mean the country had entered “a Special Period.”

The 1990s austerity caused widespread shortages and led to malnutrition and associated diseases, as well as the exodus of 45,000 refugees, mostly to the United States.

The President’s reassurances fell on deaf ears for within minutes of the end of his televised speech, thousands rushed to gas stations, alarmed at news that they would not be refueled before Saturday at the earliest. (Excerpt

from AFP)

Rihanna honours Barbados PM at Diamond Ball

Brazil: Fire at Rio’s Badim Hospital kills 11 F P

atients from the private Badim Hospital in northern Rio de Janeiro were evacuated, as thick smoke spread through the building on Thursday night.

People on stretchers filled the pavements of the surrounding streets, before being moved to an alternative location.

Some of the patients had been in the intensive care unit.

One woman told Globo news site that her 77-yearold father made his own way out of his room, but had to leave medical equipment – a

Abacos on 1 September.

It equalled the highest winds ever recorded for a hurricane at landfall when it struck the Abaco Islands.

Police commissioner Anthony Ferguson said that the search for the victims was a slow process.

“We have to go through all of that rubble, take our time and search. It’s going to take a long time before you can really say,” he said.

On Thursday the US announced $4 million (£3.2 million) in new humanitarian assistance for the Bahamas. The US Agency for International Development said the money would go towards providing shelter, food, medicine and water to those on Grand Bahama and Abaco, the worst hit islands.

More than 5,000 people have been evacuated from the two islands to New Providence, the island where the country’s capital Nassau is located. (Excerpt from BBC News)

or the fifth year in a row, Barbadian superstar Rihanna has focused attention on the importance of humanitarian pursuits and social justice endeavours.

And the Grammy Awardwinning pop icon did that by organising her annual Diamond Ball, a glittering affair in the heart of Wall Street, New York, last night.

A highlight of the evening was Rihanna’s presentation of the Diamond Ball Awards to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, and prominent writer and civil rights activist Shaun King, for their efforts to make the world a better place.

She described Mottley as

a “fierce champion for women, young people and empowerment through education (and) pioneering revolutionary programmes such as the education sector enhancement [initiative]”.

In a statement before the exclusive event held at the glamorous restaurant, Cipriani’s at 55 Wall Street, she said both Mottley and King had made the award ceremony an evening to remember.

The annual gala event contributes to her Clara Lionel Foundation’s global initiatives in health, education and other areas. (Barbados Nation News)

guyanatimesgy.com

Saturday, september 14, 2019

17

Around the World

Turkey’s Erdogan to discuss US New Delhi to slash use of cars in November missile purchase with Trump to cut pollution –

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u r k i s h President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will discuss buying US-made missiles with President Donald Trump this month despite ongoing tension with Washington sparked by Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile defence system.

In an interview with Reuters news agency on Friday, Erdogan said he discussed buying the surfaceto-air Patriot missiles in a

phone call with Trump two weeks ago, and would follow up on those talks when the pair meet at the UN General Assembly, which opens next week.

The Turkish leader’s comments come after Ankara’s purchase of the Russian missile system in July irked Washington and raised the prospect of US sanctions being rolled out against its NATO ally.

The State Department has said an offer to sell

Raytheon’s Patriot missile defence system to Ankara had expired.

Ties between Ankara and Washington have been strained over a host of issues, including conflicting strategies in Syria and the Trump Administration’s approach towards Iran.

However, the dispute over the Russian systems has brought the NATO allies to the brink of one of their biggest ruptures in ties.

In July, the US start-

ed removing Turkey from its F-35 programme - as it long threatened - after Ankara started receiving the missile defence system.

Trump has repeatedly said Turkey was treated unfairly over its decision to buy the S-400s and blamed the “mess” on the Administration of former President Barack Obama.

However, Trump has not ruled out imposing sanctions on Ankara over the issue.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Floods kill at least 5 in southeast Spain, thousands evacuated

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t least five people have been killed and some 3500 evacuated in two days of torrential rains in southeastern Spain, with many roads, railways and an airport closed on Friday and emergency services rescuing people stuck in flooded highway tunnels.

Floods swept away cars and debris in the regions of Valencia, Murcia and eastern Andalucia. Motorway tunnels in some areas were flooded almost up to the tunnel lighting, with some vehicles partly or fully submerged.

A total of 74 roads were closed, as was the entire Murcia regional railway service, and the Murcia airport.

Rescue workers on a boat rescue a person stranded inside a flooded tunnel after heavy rain floods in Pilar de la Horadada, Spain, September 13, 2019

The railway link between Alicante and Spain’s two main cities - Madrid and Barcelona - was shut, acting Interior Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska said, calling the

floods “a serious tragedy”.

Some affected areas saw record daily rainfall for the month of September and remained flooded throughout Friday.

Rescue workers, including over 1500 army troops, were using helicopters and boats in various areas.

In addition to some 1500 people evacuated earlier, another 2000 residents of the town of Santomera in Murcia were removed from their homes pre-emptively due to a controlled release from a local dam to avoid its overflowing, the Interior Minister said.

Authorities have recommended citizens stay at home in the affected areas and avoid using their cars.

Tourists were left stranded in Alicante airport as many flights were delayed or cancelled.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Felicity Huffman handed jail time over college admissions scandal

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S actress Felicity Huffman has been sentenced to 14 days in prison for her involvement in a college admissions scandal.

The Desperate Housewives star admitted to paying US$15,000 (£11,500) to have her daughter’s exam answers secretly corrected in 2017.

She must also do 250 hours of community service and pay a US$30,000 fine.

Parents and athletic coaches were among the 50 people charged in the scheme, but none of the children were indicted.

Judge Indira Talwani said she believes Huffman has ac-

Felicity Huffman arrives with her husband William H Macy at John Joseph Moakley US Courthouse in Boston

cepted full responsibility for her actions, but “trying to be a good mother does not excuse” what she did.

She must report to prison in six weeks. Prosecutors had asked for a month in prison and a $20,000 fine.

The parents charged in the

college scam investigation allegedly paid bribes, had exams altered, and even had their children edited into stock photos to fake sporting talents on applications.

Prosecutors say they managed to fraudulently secure spots for the teenagers at

in the country.

The move has been brought to the forefront of South African society after 19-year-old Nene Mrwetyana was raped and murdered in August by a post office employee Luyanda Botha.

Botha told Police he struggled to kill Mrwetyana, a University of Cape Town student, after luring her to the Clareinch Post Office in the Western Cape to rape her.

“Society has failed women at every level,” said an eight-

month pregnant protester, Alex Fitzgerald.

“We have failed them in a legal sense, on a societal sense, in our community and in our churches. Every institution in South Africa has failed to protect women. It’s become so endemic in our society that people somehow think this is the norm,” she said.

Lindelwe Nxumalo, another protester who stood on a blocked-off street in the city centre, said Mrwetyana “had her entire life ahead of her,

elite US universities including Yale, Georgetown and Stanford.

Huffman pleaded guilty to mail and honest services fraud in May. She is the first parent sentenced in the scandal.

Her legal team had asked for a year of probation in lieu of jail time, 250 hours of community service and a $20,000 fine.

But prosecutors wrote in a memo last week that “neither probation nor home confinement (in a large home in the Hollywood Hills with an infinity pool) would constitute meaningful punishment or deter others from committing similar crimes”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

South Africa: Protesters demand action on violence against women

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housands of protesters wearing all-black, brandishing placards and singing apartheid-era struggle songs took to the streets of Johannesburg to demonstrate against what they called a scourge of femicide in South Africa.

Friday’s demonstrations, which Police said were attended by 4000 people in the Sandton neighbourhood, followed weeks of renewed activism and protests against gender-based violence

like so many women that are treated like this by the men in South Africa”.

Nxumalo wore a T-shirt that read #AmINext, the hashtag demonstrators have rallied behind.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2016 indicated South Africa had the fourth-highest female interpersonal violence death rate out of the 183 countries listed, behind only Honduras, Jamaica and Lesotho. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Chief Minister

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ndia’s capital New Delhi will enforce strict restrictions on use of private cars from Nov 4-15 to curb pollution, its Chief Minister said on Friday, in an effort to help improve air quality that tends to deteriorate sharply in winter months.

Private vehicles will only be allowed to use roads on alternate days during the period, Arvind Kejriwal told a news conference, depending

and crop residue in nearby fields.

The Delhi Government would also distribute free face masks in the city, he said, as part of efforts to encourage people to reduce their exposure to polluted air. Unlike in other polluted cities in the world, it is still rare in Delhi to see people taking measures to reduce exposure to pollution, such as wearing face masks.

People hold up mobile phones during the Mid-Autumn Festival, in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, China September 13, 2019

on whether their registration plate ends in an odd or even number.

The city also aims to introduce 1000 electric buses, Kejriwal said, as well as policies to promote other electric vehicles.

New Delhi is the world’s most polluted capital city, according to several studies, plagued by vehicle and industrial emissions, dust from building sites, and smoke from the burning of rubbish

North Indian cities, including Delhi, top a list of places with the worst air in the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO database of more than 2600 cities shows that 14 of the 18 most polluted cities on the planet are in northern India, based on the amount of particulate matter under 2.5 micrograms in size found in every cubic meter of air. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Lantern-waving Hong Kong protesters take to hills, as leader pledges housing reform

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ong Kong pro-democracy protesters took to the hills to form flashlight-carrying human chains on Friday, using the colourful Mid-Autumn Festival as a backdrop to the latest in more than three months of sometimes violent demonstrations.

The protests, on a day when families traditionally gather to gaze at the moon and eat mooncakes while children swing colourful lanterns from the end of sticks, came after Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam promised to focus on housing and jobs to try to end the turmoil.

There were some scuffles late at night, and a few people taken away by Police, but no reported widespread violence.

Lam, who said she caused “unforgivable havoc” by igniting the crisis and would quit if she had the choice, said in a Facebook post her Government would increase the supply of housing in the Chinese-ruled city.

Hong Kong has some of the world’s most expensive real estate and many young people say the city’s housing policy is unfair, benefiting the rich while forcing the less

People hold up mobile phones during the Mid-Autumn Festival, in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, China September 13, 2019

well-off to live with their parents or rent “shoe box” apartments at exorbitant prices.

Sun Hung Kai Properties, which reported its earnings on Thursday, said the current unrest was a wake-up call to both the Government and private companies to build more housing.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan told reporters a new vacancy tax aims to push developers to launch completed apartments on to the market as soon as possible. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, september 14, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

dilbert

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

A change will lift your spirits. Participate in something that you find stimulating. An adventure will lead to an exciting encounter that will have an impact on your life.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Question anything that doesn’t seem right. Use your intelligence to convince others to see things your way.

Walk away from temptation and indulgent situations.

Offer peace, not chaos.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

Calvin and Hobbes

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

SUDOKU

Emotions will surface when dealing with co-workers or business partners.

Don’t let anger set in when reason and reliable solutions are what’s needed.

Make plans to do things that will bring you closer to the people you love. Host a gathering or make romantic plans. Personal gains are within reach. Partnerships are favoured.

Taking a short trip or engaging in an activity that challenges you mentally or physically will lead to new friendships and an exciting proposal. Communication will promote new beginnings and a brighter future.

Set a goal and make it happen. A change will be energising. Celebrate with someone who brings out the best in you. Love, romance and commitment are featured.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Be smart when dealing with people who might meddle in your affairs. Offer only essential information; if you are too accommodating, someone will take advantage of you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Go places or do something conducive to meeting interesting, productive people. Participate in events that require a team effort.

Stand up for your rights.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

A little charm will go a long way. Sticking to the facts and being practical will help you gain respect and ward off individuals trying to mislead you.

CAPRICORN

An emotional situation can be dealt with reasonably if you are open about your feelings and expectations.

Make an offer and put it in writing.

(Dec. 22Jan. 19)

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Common sense, innovative ideas and expressing your thoughts and feelings will all pay off. An offer can be negotiated in your favour. Celebrate your success with a loved one.

Just be honest. It’s all PISCES (Feb. 20- you can do when faced with March 20) a confusing or unstable situation. How you treat others and the help you offer will make a difference.

saturday, september 14, 2019

19

Archer, Curran dismantle Australia to earn valuable lead I

f Australia want to take a series victory as well as retaining the Ashes they will have to do it the hard way after Jofra Archer claimed his second six-wicket haul, and Sam Curran enjoyed an eye-catching return to the side, to earn England a priceless 69-run lead despite another fine innings from Steven Smith.

To no one's surprise, Smith top-scored but this time fell for 80 - his lowest score of the series - when he was lbw to Chris Woakes, the moment when England probably believed they could end the innings with an advantage.

While Smith was there, even with the tail, anything was possible and England would have feared the worst when Joe Root dropped him at slip on 66.

Neither was it a quiet end to the day with Joe Denly, who was late to the ground on the second day after the birth of his daughter, dropped in the slips

by Marcus Harris and against the final delivery Rory Burns was given lbw to a ball which DRS showed had pitched well outside leg stump. A day of solid batting - and that's far from assured from either side in this series - and England will have share of the series in their sights.

Marnus Labuschagne continued in his role as Smithlite but either side of that pair there were familiar problems for Australia with the openers again dispatched cheaply David Warner with a hint of DRS controversy - and the middle-order failing to offer the support Smith needed.

The major shift in the innings came after tea when Australia lost 4 for 27 -

including the scalp of Smith - with Curran producing a terrific six-over spell of leftarm swing which accounted for Tim Paine and Pat Cummins in consecutive deliveries. Archer then claimed his fifth wicket to halt a troublesome ninthwicket stand between Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon before a spectacular catch at gully by Burns round up Australia. It left Archer, who didn't bowl his fastest but had an excellent control, with 6 for 62 to follow his 6 for 45 at Headingley.

England had resumed on 271 for 8 with Jos Buttler and Jack Leach taking their stand to 68 before the innings was wrapped up by Mitchell Marsh's first five-wicket haul in Tests. If there had been a lot about the home side's display that felt like groundhog day, the same could certainly be said when Australia came out to bat.

Warner managed to get off the mark for the first time in four innings but didn't go much further. It wasn't Stuart Broad who removed him this time, instead a slash at a wide delivery from Archer which Ben Stokes, at second slip, was convinced had been edged and encouraged Root to review.

The initial replays suggested daylight between bat and ball, but then a spike appeared on Ultra Edge. Warner appeared happy enough to walk off.

Harris has struggled since replacing Cameron Bancroft and was squared up from around the wicket by Archer, who claimed 2 for 7 off seven overs in his opening spell, with Stokes again in the action as he grabbed a low catch at second slip to leave Australia 14 for 2.

That marked the next stage of

SCOREBOARD

Jofra Archer celebrates his five-wicket haul (Getty Images)

the contest: Labuschagne and Smith. Either side of lunch it went Australia's way, although Smith was more uncertain than previously in the series, particularly against Archer and the different angled presented

by Curran to whom he twice padded up leaving the ball.

It was Archer who sparked England early in the afternoon with a hostile spell to Labuschagne who took a painful blow on the right arm before being pinned lbw, a plan coming to fruition for Archer who had probed away for such a dismissal - similar to how he removed him in the second innings at Old Trafford.

After tea he would strike again, having Marsh caught at long leg off a poorly controlled halfhearted pull following another series of short deliveries which had also seen a rare error from Smith when he top edged short of deep square.

Matthew Wade wanted to

be positive but was beautifully set up by Curran who sent down a series of away swingers before bringing one back into the pads which Wade played across. That was just a prelude from Curran when, after tea, he produced trademark leftarm dismissals by slanting one across Paine then swinging one back into Cummins' boot in a spell that would read 6-4-6-2.

There is a feeling no one really knows what sort of cricketer Curran will become, and how to best fit him in an England Test side, but the bare facts are he has won six out of six Tests at home and played a key role in most of them.

Before all that, Smith had moved to another half century by depositing Leach over longon - in the process moving beyond 700 runs for the series and into the top 20 of all time - but Curran should have had the most prized scalp to his name as well when Smith tried

England 1st Innings RJ Burns c Marsh b Hazlewood 47 JL Denly c Smith b Cummins 14 JE Root (c) b Cummins 57 BA Stokes c Lyon b Marsh 20 JM Bairstow † lbw b Marsh 22 JC Buttler b Cummins 70 SM Curran c Smith b Marsh 15 CR Woakes lbw b Marsh 2 JC Archer c †Paine b Hazlewood 9 MJ Leach b Marsh 21 SCJ Broad not out 0 Extras (b 3, lb 7, nb 2, w 5) 17 TOTAL (87.1 Overs, RR: 3.37) 294 all out Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Joe Denly, 8.3 ov), 2-103 (Rory Burns, 30.5 ov), 3-130 (Ben Stokes, 39.5 ov), 4-170 (Joe Root, 56.1 ov), 5-176 (Jonny Bairstow, 59.4 ov), 6-199 (Sam Curran, 63.6 ov), 7-205 (Chris Woakes, 65.5 ov), 8-226 (Jofra Archer, 70.4 ov), 9-294 (Jos Buttler, 86.1 ov), 10-294 (Jack Leach, 87.1 ov) BOWLING PJ Cummins (25.5-6-84-3) JR Hazlewood (21-7-76-2) PM Siddle (17-1-61-0) MR Marsh (18.2-4-46-5) NM Lyon (4-0-12-0) M Labuschagne (1-0-5-0)

Australia 1st Innings DA Warner c †Bairstow b Archer

5 MS Harris c Stokes b Archer 3 M Labuschagne lbw b Archer 48 SPD Smith lbw b Woakes 80 MS Wade lbw b Curran 19

to upper cut a short delivery.

The edge flew high towards Root, but Stokes started to go for the catch which may have disturbed the England captain and it burst through.

For a short while it looked more likely that he would run out of partners than be

MR Marsh c Leach b Archer 17 TD Paine (c) † c †Bairstow b Curran 1 PJ Cummins lbw b Curran 0 PM Siddle c Burns b Archer 18 NM Lyon b Archer 25 JR Hazlewood not out 1 Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 5) 8 TOTAL (68.5 Overs, RR: 3.26) 225 all out Fall of wickets: 1-5 (David Warner, 1.5 ov), 2-14 (Marcus Harris, 5.5 ov), 3-83 (Marnus Labuschagne, 29.2 ov), 4-118 (Matthew Wade, 36.4 ov), 5-160 (Mitchell Marsh, 48.4 ov), 6-166 (Tim Paine, 53.4 ov), 7-166 (Pat Cummins, 53.5 ov), 8-187 (Steven Smith, 61.1 ov), 9-224 (Nathan Lyon, 68.1 ov), 10-225 (Peter Siddle, 68.5 ov) BOWLING SCJ Broad (12-3-45-0) JC Archer (23.5-9-62-6) SM Curran (17-6-46-3) CR Woakes (10-2-51-1) MJ Leach (6-1-18-0) England 2nd Innings RJ Burns not out 4 JL Denly not out 1 Extras (lb 4) 4 TOTAL (4 Overs, RR: 2.25) 9-0 Yet to bat: JE Root (c), BA Stokes, JM Bairstow †, JC Buttler, SM Curran, CR Woakes, JC Archer, SCJ Broad, MJ Leach BOWLING PJ Cummins (2-2-0-0) JR Hazlewood (2-1-5-0)

dismissed, but the first ball of a new spell from Woakes brought the moment England have strived so hard for when Smith missed a straight one.

This has been a series full of surprising moments and that was another. (Cricinfo)

Laporte out until January or February, says Man City manager M

anchester City defender Aymeric Laporte will be out until January or February, says manager Pep Guardiola.

The France centre-back, 25, has had surgery on his right knee after being carried off in the 4-0 win over Brighton on 31 August.

He damaged his cartilage and lateral meniscus in a challenge with Brighton defender Adam Webster.

On Laporte's absence, Guardiola said: "Not long. Five months, six months - next year, January or February."

The defender made 35 league appearances last season, with Bernardo Silva the only City outfield player to play more.

His injury leaves City with just Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones

as central defenders, following the departure of Vincent Kompany to become player-manager of Anderlecht in the summer.

Stones could play at Norwich City on Saturday in the 17:30 BST kick-off and Guardiola said the England centre-back "trained good".

Guardiola backs City transfer idea

Meanwhile, Guardiola says his club's proposal for the Premier League to have different deadlines for domestic and international transfers is "a good idea".

Many clubs, including City, were unhappy at the three-week gap between the English transfer window closing and that of the remainder of Europe, believing it offered rival clubs an unfair advantage.

At their meeting in London on Thursday, Premier League bosses discussed whether to revert back to the end of August, rather than closing the window on the Thursday before the start of the season, as has been the case for the past two seasons.

City put forward a compromise solution, with the deadline remaining as it is for transfers within England, but leaving clubs free to sign players from elsewhere in Europe for the remainder of August.

Guardiola said: "It is a good idea.

"I would like to finish the window the day before we start the season.

All the managers would want to start with the players we are going to work with. But the other clubs have three weeks. Maybe that is a solution." (BBC Sport)

Aymeric Laporte left the field on a stretcher during City's 4-0 win (Getty Images)

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Andre Russell’s scans clear after blow to helmet

Andre Russell is dazed after a blow to the helmet (Getty Images)

A

ndre Russell was stretchered off the ground by medical staff after a blow to his helmet in the first innings of Jamaica Tallawahs’ clash against St Lucia Zouks at Sabina Park on Thursday.

Following the incident, he was taken to hospital for a CT scan. A medical update from the franchise confirmed that Russell was later cleared of serious injury. Having been advised rest, he returned to the hotel and didn’t play further part in the game.

The incident took place in the 14th over, after Russell, batting on zero, failed to connect with a pull. Zouks pacer Hardus Viljoen had bowled it short and at the body, and the ball struck Russell’s helmet near the right ear.

Russell had backed away before Viljoen had delivered the ball, and so the bowler followed the batsman, cramping him for space.

Russell immediately dropped to the ground

and the Zouks fielders then removed his helmet. When the medical team rushed in to check on Russell, the batsman looked dazed but stood up on his feet.

Russell was beginning to walk off, retired hurt, when he was made to stop. A stretcher was brought in, and Russell - with a neck brace on - was taken off. At first look, it appeared that Russell’s helmet did not have a neck guard.

Three overs after the incident, Tallawahs head coach Donovan Miller told the broadcasters that “there was no update on Russell just yet”, but at the innings break, the commentators informed that Russell had been taken to the hospital for further checks.

Tallawahs finished their innings on 170 for 5, adding only 38 runs in the last six overs. They eventually lost by five wickets, suffering their third straight loss of the campaign. (Cricinfo)

Unbeaten Roberts claims Keith Moseley Memorial billiards title

Tournament winner Troy Roberts is flanked by Stephen Grant (L) and Avery Trim

T

roy ‘Movements’ Roberts, known for his music-playing and planemaking skills, turned in a brilliant performance to win the first ever Keith Moseley Memorial four-ball billiards tournament, which was hosted by the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) as that entity seeks to encourage more membership following its recent elections.

Roberts was unbeaten after taking on Avery Trim and Stephen Grant in a threeway final, which began with Trim getting past Grant in a close encounter 100-96.

In his next game, however, Trim suffered a 100-80 defeat to Roberts, who then took home the bragging rights with a 100-99 thriller that crowned him the Keith Moseley Memorial champion as the contest ended at

the MSC last Sunday.

In that final game between Roberts and Grant, Roberts took the advantage just past the halfway mark, and looked to be in good form before he lost control and had Grant catch him at 89; and, with a fine display, Grant led 99-97 before Roberts pushed past in a nail-biting finish 100-99, to leave Grant high and dry.

For his win, Roberts walked away with $15,000, while Grant collected $10,000 and Trim $5,000.

The organisers have said that two more tournaments are planned before this year ends: the Hardcourt Warde Classic in November, and the John Emmanuel Trim Memorial Classic in December.

Sarfaraz retained as Gasol fires Spain into World Cup final captain for Sri Lanka series M

arc Gasol netted 33 points and Ricky Rubio dished out 12 assists as Spain came from behind to beat Australia 95-88 in a double-overtime thriller and reach Sunday’s basketball World Cup final.

Contesting their first semi-final since winning the tournament in 2006, Spain led by a single point after the first quarter but suffered a shooting slump in the second that enabled the Australians to open up an eightpoint lead.

With point guard Patty Mills, who notched a game-high 34 points, slashing to the basket and dictating the tempo, the Australians looked set to make it to the World Cup final for the first time.

Both teams struggled to shoot from distance but Australia’s offensive rebounding and accuracy from close range put them in the driving seat for much of the second half.

Things were looking bad for Spain as Australia increased their lead to double digits in the third, but they upped the tempo on defence, finally getting to grips with Mills.

With Rubio threading passes all over the court, Gasol started to chip away at the lead, mixing up post-move scores and long-distance three-point bombs with trips to the free-throw line as Australia’s game-plan started to unravel.

With both the United States and Serbia already eliminated, both sides sensed a glorious opportunity and a bruising encounter got even more physical as Spain battled back to force overtime.

The first extra period ended even but as Australia’s shooting touch deserted them, Spain finally found their offensive rhythm to pull away in the second and go through to Sunday’s final

Scola send Argentina in World Cup final

Power forward Luis Scola scored a gamehigh 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Argentina breezed past France 80-66 to book their place in Sunday’s basketball World Cup final against Spain.

France blew the tournament wide open by beating favourites and reigning champions the United States in the quarter-finals, but they never got going here as centre Rudy Gobert struggled and shots from beyond the arc would not drop for them.

Frank Ntilikina top-scored for the French with 16 points and Louis Labeyrie added eight off the bench, but all too often they left open lanes to the basket for the aggressive Argentine attack to exploit.

Scola made the most of their defensive lapses, scoring ten points in the first quarter and he went on to hit three of four three-pointers and make nine of 10 free throws over the course of the game in a dominant offensive performance.

Facundo Campazzo drained a deep three to send the Argentines into halftime leading by seven, and though Labeyrie’s strong first-half showing off the bench had kept the French in touch, they were down by double digits midway through the third period.

Gobert’s game was summed up by a third-quarter dunk attempt that would have cut the lead to eight, but the ball cannoned off the back of the rim as France’s attempt at a comeback stalled.

Argentina’s smothering defence limited Gobert’s opportunities inside and forced France into a succession of three-pointers, but they could only hit seven of their 31 long-range shots on the night.

Led by the energetic efforts of Scola, Argentina closed out the game and will now play their first World Cup final since 2002 against a Spain team that beat Australia 95-88 in a double-overtime thriller earlier on Friday. (Reuters)

Babar Azam (right) will be Sarfaraz’s deputy (Getty Images)

S

arfaraz Ahmed has been retained as Pakistan’s captain for the upcoming ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka, on the basis of recommendation made by Misbah ul Haq (head coach and chairman of selectors) and the PCB Cricket Committee. Babar Azam has been named his deputy. The appointments were confirmed

by Ehsan Mani, the PCB chairman, on Friday (September 13).

Sarfaraz, who has led the T20I team since April 2016, had his position questioned after Pakistan failed to qualify for the semifinals of the recently-concluded 50-over World Cup. He had led the ODI team since early 2017 and even captained them to their maiden Champions Trophy win that year. Overall, he has led Pakistan in 13 Tests, 48 ODIs and 34 T20Is, winning four, 26 and 29 matches respectively - and taking them to the top position in the T20I rankings.

Commenting on the appointment, Sarfaraz said, “I feel humbled and honoured to have been awarded an extension to my captaincy

term. I have enjoyed captaining the Pakistan cricket team and look forward to improving my leadership qualities under the new set-up of Misbah-ul-Haq who also has a proven record as captain.

Misbah, the newly-appointed head coach of Pakistan’s senior national side, said, “Both are one of the most talented and exceptionally gifted Pakistan cricketers and thoroughly deserve these assignments.

“Consistency backed up by good performance has been my yardstick for recommending Sarfaraz as captain. Furthermore, I think I am better placed to get the best out of Sarfaraz as I know him better than most of the cricketers as he has played most of his cricket under my captaincy. I have always been an admirer of his commitment and the energy he brings to the side.

The selection committee will name a 19-member probable for the T20I and ODI series on Monday while the final squad will be announced on September 23. (Cricbuzz)

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21

Next Gen & HJ Entertainment’s “Not In My House” …

Marques confident ahead of showdown

By Timothy Jaikarran

A

lthough he has had more than a year’s absence from the ring, Guyanese star flyweight boxer Dexter Marques will take on Colombian top fighter Jose Antonio Jimenez in a highly anticipated clash that headlines the NextGen Global Marketing/Caribbean Knockouts /Hits & Jams Entertainment’s boxing card, bubbed “Not In My House”.

The card is set for staging on September 28 at the Durban Park in Georgetown, and the action commences from 18:30h.

According to BOXREC, Guyana’s official boxing record-keeper, Marques, having fought a total of 19 fights, has a record of 17 wins and 2 losses. Jimenez, on the other hand, has fought 32 fights, winning 21, losing 10, and drawing one. Although currently inactive, should Dexter ‘De Kid’ Marques prevail in this fistic battle come September 28, he will get a shot at a major fight.

In an interview with this publication, Marques was asked about his preparation for this epic encounter, and his response was, “I am grateful that I have received this opportunity to redeem myself once again, and I would like to say thanks to

Dexter "De Kid" Marques

Jose Antonio Jimenez

the (Guyana) Boxing Board (of Control) for this chance I have been given. I don’t do a lot of talking, as I will leave it for the ring.

“Preparation is coming good, as I am currently with the coaches and sparring with the youngsters.

It’s been a while since I have been out of the ring; nevertheless, I have been given the chance to take a shot at the world title, and I feel this is the best decision that was made, as I have been training hard.

“In terms of my opponent, I have been looking at a lot of videos of him, and I am confident that I will take him out.”

Not having been active for some time, Marques

is presumably out-oftouch; a condition that in some quarters is called ‘rusty’. Jimenez, on the other hand, is currently active and holds the edge over him in terms of knockouts.

Jimenez,

also, has KO’d 9 opponent in his 21 wins, while Marques has a total of 5 KO victories.

The fight is considered evenly matched, with the 36-year-old experienced Colombian battling the 33-year-old fiery Guyanese.

There will also be an after-party powered by 94.1FM and HJ Entertainment Guyana Carnival. Complimentary tickets are available at Hits & Jams Entertainment’s main office, and at New Trend Auto.

Russian ice hockey team Veronica Campbell-Brown award AK-47 rifle as Man- signs off on statue for Oct 20 unveiling of-the-Match prize

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Goalkeeper Savely Kononov poses with the AK-47 he was awarded

Russian ice hockey player has been awarded an unusual prize for his man-of-thematch performance - an AK-47 automatic rifle.

The head coach of Izhstal, a club in the second tier of Russian hockey, told the team it was a fitting choice for a team from Izhevsk.

The city is known for producing one of the world's most recognisable rifles.

"Lads, today we too are introducing a tradition," head coach Ramil Saifullin told the squad, cocking the gun.

"As we live in an arms manufacturing city, the city of the Kalashnikov, every match you will

for yourselves name the best player, and the previous [recipient] will hand it over to him," he said inviting the captain to name the first recipient.

"Can we fire it?" the captain joked, before awarding it to the goalkeeper Savely Kononov to applause from team-mates.

"Congratulations on the win, but if we play poorly we will be shot with it," Kononov said to more applause and laughter from players.

"How do we take it to away matches?" one asked.

"We will figure it out. We will carry a wooden model," the coach replied. (BBC Sport)

Veronica Campbell-Brown blows a kiss at the maquette of the statue that is to be mounted on October 20 at Statue Park in Kingston

A

ll is now set for the installation of the statue of the Jamaican Olympic and World Champion sprinter, Veronica Campbell Brown that is to be unveiled at Statue Park at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday, October 20.

On Thursday, the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, received the all-clear from the iconic track star.

“We’ve been in discussion with Veronica and the sculptor, Basil Watson, about the design, but today

when Veronica saw the maquette she said, ‘Yes, this is it!’. She loves it!" the minister said.

The Campbell-Brown statue is the third of four statues in tribute to outstanding Jamaican athletes that were designed by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport as part of its Jamaica 55 Legacy programme.

The first two statues of Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce were unveiled in 2017 and 2018 respectively. The statue of Asafa Powell, the last in the series, is being finalised. (Sportsmax)

22

saturday, september 14, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League…

Zestful Zouks claim first win for the season S

t Lucia Zouks secured an impressive first victory of their 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign on a night marred by a nasty-looking injury for Jamaica Tallawahs’ star all-rounder Andre Russell.

Rahkeem Cornwall continued his fine start to the season as he and Andre Fletcher did the bulk of the work to send the Zouks powering past the Tallawahs’ 170/5 with five wickets and 20 balls to spare.

But the sight of Russell being taken from the field on a stretcher having been struck on the back of the head by a Hardus Viljoen bouncer was one nobody wanted to see. Russell was taken to hospital and given the all-clear after a scan.

On the doctors’ advice, he returned to the team hotel to rest. The Tallawahs are hopeful he will return to action after a few days off.

Back on the field, the Zouks’ run-chase was a formality after the flying start provided by their opening pair, who put on 111 in just 52 balls, despite a late wobble as Oshane Thomas took three wickets in his final nine balls.

Nine sixes came in the six-over Power Play as loose bowling and dropped catches cost the Tallawahs dear.

Cornwall raced to his 50 in just 19 balls, six of which he sent over the ropes. Three sixes came in the third over of the innings, bowled

by Jerome Taylor. First Fletcher picked him up over the legside before Cornwall went down the ground for the full count off successive deliveries.

Another pair of successive sixes off George Worker’s part-time spin took Cornwall within one run of the half-century, which he duly reached next ball with a single.

The end of the fielding restrictions did nothing to change Cornwall and Fletcher’s intent. The big man blasted a four and two more sixes from the first four balls of the seventh over, and when Fletcher hit the first ball of the eighth over to the cover boundary the hundred was up and the required rate down below a run a ball.

Cornwall’s fun was eventually ended by an inside edge into his stumps off Shamar Springer for a remarkable 75. He faced just 30 balls, eight of them dispatched into the stands.

John Campbell followed soon after, plumb lbw to Ramaal Lewis, but the Zouks were so far ahead of the rate that they could afford to take stock. Colin de Grandhomme joined Fletcher and, after giving himself a few sighters, plundered two fours and a huge slog-swept six over deep midwicket from Lewis’ second over.

The Zouks were far enough ahead of the game that a superb two-over spell

from Thomas, picking up the wickets of de Grandhomme, Daren Sammy and Roland Cato while conceding just four runs, came too late to affect the final result.

Thisara Perera smashed a six and a four off Jerome Taylor in the 17th over with Fletcher remaining unbeaten on 47 to get the job done with plenty of time to spare.

The first Sabina Park fixture of the 2019 Hero CPL had got off to the most dramatic of starts.

A scruffy beginning to the over from Obed McCoy was soon forgotten when extra bounce had Chris Gayle nicking behind for a golden duck.

And things got better still for McCoy in his second over when Chadwick Walton – on the back of a Hero CPL record stand with Gayle in the Tallawahs’ last game – also fell cheaply. He made just 8 before picking out Campbell at deep squareleg.

That brought Phillips and Powell together, though, and they set about the Zouks bowling. Nobody was spared.

Powell struck the first Hero Maximum of the night, straight and true into the sightscreen off Fawad Ahmed, while Phillips was finding the boundary with regularity.

16 runs came from the final over of the Power Play, with Phillips smacking

Kesrick Williams way back over midwicket for

SCOREBOARD

Rahkeem Cornwall whips ones to the square leg boundary

h i s first Hero Maximum.

Phillips reached his half-century from just 26 balls and at the halfway stage the Tallawahs had raced to 108/2 with the PhillipsPowell partnership worth 81 from just 42 balls.

It was going to take something special to break the partnership, and de Grandhomme produced it. Powell was millimetres

Jamaica Tallawahs Innings (20 overs maximum) GD Phillips † c de Grandhomme b Ahmed 58 CH Gayle (c) c †Fletcher b McCoy 0 CAK Walton c Campbell b McCoy 8 R Powell c de Grandhomme b Ahmed 44 GH Worker b Perera 16 AD Russell retired hurt 0 SK Springer not out 14 DC Green not out 17 Extras (b 1, nb 6, w 6) 13 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 8.5) 170-5 Did not bat: JE Taylor, RA Lewis, O Thomas Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Chris Gayle, 0.3 ov), 2-27 (Chadwick Walton, 3.2 ov), 3-114 (Rovman Powell, 10.3 ov), 4-125 (Glenn Phillips, 12.4 ov), 4-131* (Andre Russell, retired not out ), 5-137 (George Worker, 14.3 ov) BOWLING OC McCoy (4-0-32-2) KOK Williams (4-0-35-0) Fawad Ahmed (4-0-28-2) GC Viljoen (4-0-33-0) C de Grandhomme (2-0-19-0) RRS Cornwall (1-0-15-0)

away from reaching his half-century but instead had to depart for 44 as de Grandhomme caught the ball just inside the rope and flicked it in the air before going over the boundary and then stepping back inside to complete the catch and give Fawad Ahmed his first wicket of the night.

He removed Phillips

NLTC Perera (1-0-7-1) St Lucia Zouks Innings (target: 171 runs from 20 overs) ADS Fletcher † not out 47 RRS Cornwall b Springer 75 JD Campbell lbw b Lewis 0 C de Grandhomme c Springer b Thomas 25 DJG Sammy (c) c Walton b Thomas 5 RO Cato c †Phillips b Thomas 1 NLTC Perera not out 11 Extras (lb 1, nb 2, w 4) 7 TOTAL (16.4 Overs, RR: 10.26) 171-5 Did not bat: KOK Williams, OC McCoy, GC Viljoen, Fawad Ahmed Fall of wickets: 1-111 (Rahkeem Cornwall, 8.4 ov), 2-112 (John Campbell, 9.2 ov), 3-146 (Colin de Grandhomme, 13.4 ov), 4-155 (Darren Sammy, 15.2 ov), 5-157 (Roland Cato, 15.6 ov) BOWLING JE Taylor (2.4-0-44-0) O Thomas (4-1-26-3) DC Green (2-0-29-0) GH Worker (2-0-23-0) SK Springer (4-0-26-1) RA Lewis (2-0-22-1)

as well in his next over – a far simpler catch for de Grandhomme this time – before Russell’s injury cast something of a pall over the night’s action.

Perhaps understandably, the Tallawahs’ innings never really got going again after Russell left the field on a stretcher, with just 38 coming from the final six overs.

(Cricinfo)

Cycling action set to return GCA/NBS 2nd Division 40-Over Competition… to Berbice on Sunday Massiah optimistic

A

fter today’s highly- anticipated cycling race at the National Park at Thomas Lands Georgetown, the country’s top cyclists will assemble in Berbice on Sunday September 15 for another such highly-anticipated event.

This Berbice event is jointly organised by Club Fiesta, the Jagdeo Racing Stables, D J Dauren, and Jugernauth Entertainment, and has the collaboration of the Rose Hall Town Council.

Moreover, the Trojan Cycling Club is on board this event.

This race will commence at 8:00h from the Rose Hall Town Arch Road, and participants will travel to Number 53 Village, Corentyne before returning to conclude activities at the point of origin. In addition to the Open and Junior categories, the Veterans, Ladies and Juveniles will be on show.

This race has the following rewards: Open category winner would receive $50,000; second placed rider $25,000; third placed rider $15,000; fourth placed rider $10,000; fifth placed rider $8,000, and sixth placed rider $5,000.

Winner of the Veteran category would receive $10,000; second placed rider $9,000, and third placed rider $6,000.

Winner of the Ladies category and winner of the Juveniles category would each receive $5,000.

Persons wishing to participate in this race have until 7:30h to register.

There are 10 prime prizes of $1,000 to be awarded to the best sprinters throughout the race.

Top riders Romello Crawford, Balram Narine, Andre Green, Ajay Gopilall, Curtis Dey and Andrew Hicks who will represent Berbice will find

about upcoming season

T

Flashback! Romello Crawford racing away as Team Evolution’s Paul DeNobrega takes a back seat

themselves facing worthy opponents in Jamaul and Briton John and Paul De Nobrega, among others, who will represent ‘the city boys’ as the battle for supremacy on the Berbice highways is enjoined.

he cricket season is set for resumption on September 29 with commencement of the GCA/NBS 2nd Division 40-Over competition, and Chairman of the Georgetown Cricket Association’s (GCA’s) Competitions Committee, Shaun Massiah, is optimistic about this impending season.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Massiah was asked how he views this impending season, and he responded: “What I can expect is what I know for sure: that teams will be coming harder in the competition. They all will be vying for the semifinals and the final, which will be played under lights.

“From the winner and runner-up of that final, the teams have a chance to compete in ‘the Clash of the Champions’. This competition will see the winner and runner-up (teams) from Georgetown battling the winner and runner-up teams from Berbice.

“I expect that the Georgetown teams will be more competitive, and we will see emerging players coming out of this competition so they can move on to the next level.”

Regarding his expectation of the senior players on each team, such as the Forresters and the Barkers, Massiah said each team has experienced players, and they are expected to lead from the front, since the younger ones will be looking up to them.

He noted that senior players would be expected to employ their best efforts to win games, since they would want to advance in the ranking and even be selected for franchise cricket.

He reminded that the most points a team may

Chairman of the GCA Competitions Committee, Shaun Massiah

garner from a complete game is 20: 10 points are guaranteed for a win; five are guaranteed for scoring in excess of 200 runs, and five for taking all ten wickets in a match.

Teams in ‘Zone A’ are as follows: Muslim Youth Organisation, University of Guyana, Third Class, Guyana Defence Force, Diplomats, Gandhi Youth Organisation, Malteenoes, and the GCC. Teams in ‘Zone B’ are: Sophia, Police, Everest, Ace Warriors, Transport, Demerara Cricket Club and GNIC. (Timothy Jaikarran)

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, september 14, 2019

23

Unbeaten Guyana Amazon Warriors set to battle SKN Patriots today

By Brandon Corlette

T

he Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) have thus far played unbeaten in the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament; and, moreover, have never lost to St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the Warner Park in St Kitts and Nevis.

On Saturday, September 14, from 20:00h, they play the SKN Patriots at the famed Warner Park in this twin island state ensconced in the Caribbean Sea. The question that arises is: Who will shine in this big occasion between the GAW and the SKN Patriots.

GAW defeated SKN Patriots by four wickets at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence on September 10, and are high in confidence as they take them on again in the Patriots own backyard at Warner Park, with history and form on their side.

one, while the GAW won the other.

These two teams met again at Warner Park in the 2018 CPL season. In that encounter, GAW won by four wickets after overtaking the Patriots’ 169.

Imran Tahir, who will play his first match for the GAW in the 2019 Hero CPL as Shadab Khan’s replacement, took 4-22 in his last encounter at Warner Park. Head to head, the GAW enjoy a 4-0 lead over the home team at Warner Park.

What the captains said

After the Patriots had clashed with the GAW at Providence, Captain Carlos Brathwaite had said that his middle order batsmen must show more intensity against the GAW. “We haven’t shown intensity at the middle, Patriots v GAW at Warner Park but the top order has been The small boundaries at Warner starting solid,” Brathwaite had Park have often put bowlers under told media operatives after that pressure from the inception of games.

Providence match.

This was seen in that epic match beBut after four matches, tween the Patriots and the Jamaica Brathwaite, the axed West Tallawahs, wherein the Patriots, as the Indies T20 captain, has had home team, overtook 242 with seven poor scores in CPL 2019: 2,0, balls to spare.

0 and 1. He has also been GAW defeated Patriots twice at expensive with the ball, reWarner Park in the 2015 season of the turning figures of 0-12 in CPL, winning respectively by seven one over, and 0-42, 0-34 wickets and by 23 runs. and 1-28 in three overs.

In 2016, the GAW defeated the Speaking about his Patriots by four wickets, again at personal game with the Warner Park; but in 2017, these bat, Brathwaite had two teams played matches in Devon Thomas this to say: “First game has led the batting Florida, and the Patriots won it didn’t happen for me for Patriots

Shimron Hetmyer will be aiming to continue his form

with the bat, and I have been finding a way to get out; and unfortunately, when we are in the field, we have not been finding a way to get the opposition out”.

The inconsistent Brathwaite had said that he needed to ‘come to the party’ with the bat and take more responsibility.

GAW captain Shoaib Malik has emphasised the need for optimum consistency as the tournament progresses. After three matches at Providence, Malik had said the team had practised hard and had recorded good performances in all three departments, although the fielding needed fine-tuning.

“That fielding department needs to improve, and we would have had some fielding sessions and we are looking forward for what’s coming our way next”, Malik had stated.

Players to keep watching

Heading into this clash, the Patriots have thus far had a solitary win in the tourney after four matches, while the GAW have recorded three wins from three matches. From a GAW team perspective, the entire team has been firing, with Shimron Hetmyer, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Nicholas Pooran and Sherfane Rutherford being dynamic with the bat.

In the bowling department, Romario Shepherd will be aiming to continue his brilliance, while spin king Imran Tahir will be aiming to reconnect at Warner Park.

Devon Thomas of the Patriots has been in good form, as have been Laurie Evans, Evin Lewis and Fabian Allen. The Patriots bowling will be spearheaded by Sheldon Cottrell.

Limacol Football Tournament 2019…

Riddim Squad short-circuit Pouderoyen ꟷ Pele, Dynamic in fiery battle to stalemate

P

ele Football Club and Dynamic FC had to settle for shared points in their second round encounter after a clash of youth and experience.

Playing at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue, Pele and Dynamic, having both registered wins in the first round of competition, were pitted against each other as the fourth edition of the Limacol Football tournament continued on Friday evening.

Dynamic’s Julius Hamilton was the first player to find the back of the net, in the 4th minute, to give his team a crucial advantage over the eager Pele youths. The lead was however short-lived as young talent Dorwin George got past the Dynamic goalkeeper in the 18th minute to level the scores.

Hamilton however returned in the 37th minute to re-establish the Dynamic lead, and after the half, completed his hat trick in the 51st, making Dynamic look comfortable with a 2-goal lead.

But the Pele boys, determined to pull off a win or at least a draw, made a heroic come back, with Captain Marl Jhalu finding the back of the net in the 54th minute, while Akosie Jarvis levelled the scores in the 58th.

Neither side was able to find that goal that would make the vital difference, so each had to settle for a 3-3 draw.

The following encounter saw Pouderoyen facing off with Riddim Squad in a quest to acquire the first points of the tournament. A relentless Riddim Squad were however again able to pick up their second win.

Kevin Gordon opened the Riddim Squad scoring against a hapless Pouderoyen outfit in the 10th minute, and Michael Charles added to the tally in the 24th.

And as Pouderoyen, again unable to connect with the nets, watched all their attempts at goal go astray, Kevin Gordon returned to complete his brace in the 53rd, handing Riddim Squad a 3-0 victory.

The New GPC Inc-sponsored Limacol Football Tournament will continue tonight with another double-header. At 19:00hrs, Camptown will take on Black Pearl; while at 21:00hrs, Fruta Conquerors Under-20 will hunt their second win when they face off with Georgetown

Football Club (GFC).

This tournament, also supported by W.J Enterprise, will reward the winner with $400,000; while second, third and fourth placed teams would respectively receive $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000.

Part of Thursday night’s action between Pele and Dynamic at the MoE Ground

saturday, september 14, 2019

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

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Unbeaten Guyana Amazon Warriors set to battle SKN today

Page 23

Limacol Football Tournament 2019…

Page 23

Riddim Squad shortcircuit Pouderoyen

Cycling action set to return to Berbice on Sunday Page 22

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