Guyana Times - Saturday, October 8, 2022

Govt removes vaccination requirement for entry into Guyana

less than 80 active cases being monitored

Persons travelling to Guyana no longer need to present proof of vaccina tion against COVID-19, accord ing to updated measures insti tuted by the Government.

The new measures were implemented with immediate effect and this was communi cated via a letter to all airline operators by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

“Please be guided that the Ministry of Health – Guyana has removed the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for entry into Guyana effective October 7, 2022,” the letter stat ed.

Back in June, the Guyana Government lifted the COVID-19 testing requirement for international travel.

Persons travelling to Guyana were required to pres ent a negative COVID-19 test, either an antigen or PCR, that was taken within 72 hours of their arrival in the country. But the Health Ministry stated that

this requirement was set aside.

At the time, passengers 12 years and older were still re quired to present documents that they were fully vaccinat ed before entering Guyana. These new measures were im plemented as countries around the world are opening up to vis itors and removing COVID-19 restrictions, or testing require ments that were implemented after the pandemic had struck.

Back in June also, the US lifted the requirement for inter national travellers to produce a negative COVID-19 test to gain entry into the USA. Countries in which no COVID-19 testing is mandated include the United Kingdom, Mexico, Norway, Bahrain, Aruba, Curacao, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, Sweden, Poland, Grenada, Denmark, Argentina, Jamaica, Greece, Dominican Republic and Italy, among others.

In March of this year, the Government official ly announced that numerous

changes had been made to the COVID-19 regulations, paving the way for several of these re strictions to be lifted.

New cases

However, statistics re leased by the Health Ministry on Friday confirmed that it is monitoring less than 80 ac tive COVID cases nationwide. These include 69 in home isola tion, two in institutional quar antine, one in institutional iso lation.

For the past 24 hours, only seven new cases were detect ed. To date, 71,368 cases were detected from the time the first case was recorded back in March 2020, with the high est number recorded in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) with 35,540 cases.

The Ministry also stat ed that 70,017 persons would have recovered from the dead ly virus with a total of 1281 deaths. There are no patients in the Intensive Care Unit

(ICU) of the Infectious Diseases facility at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

Subject Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Thursday did not rule out the possibility that newer strains of the virus may still pose a challenge to the health system.

The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has had sever al subvariants that affected the globe.

Subvariants like the BA 1, BA 2, BA 3, BA 4, BA 5, BA2.75 and others are continuously evolving, making the future of the pandemic uncertain.

“If these strains become dominant and they have a to tally different clinical picture, then we might have trouble all over again and that is why we have to be prepared, because we don’t know what these future variants are going to be like and whether they will cause more hospitalisation, some of the re searchers are predicting that as winter is coming, in some of the

Passengers arriving at CJIA

temperate countries, you will start seeing a new surge of cas es and if that is the case then we have to be prepared.

“During this pandemic one of the interesting things that we were doing, when we saw something in the US, in two to three weeks’ time, we will see it here in Guyana because of the connections and so forth, so if we start seeing a surge in the US, I think we ought to be pre pared,” Dr Anthony said.

The Health Minister noted that even the current low num

bers do not accurately reflect the rate of infection, since most people are mistaking it for the flu and not visiting health facil ities.

Health workers from across the country are cur rently engaged in a two-day workshop on Intensive Care Units Management as part of a COVID-19 response pro gramme. The programme is a collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

WEATHER

BRIDGE OPENINGS

Major opportunities for locals as intl transport, logistics company is launched in Guyana

FERRY SCHEDULE

D

enmark-based inter national transport and logistics compa ny, Blue Water Shipping, has officially launched its service in Guyana.

With 65 offices world wide, Blue Water Shipping is known for handing large cargos for the oil and gas industry. The Danish com pany, earlier this year, partnered with Guyaneseowned Falcon Logistics Inc, to further enhance services to the local petroleum sec tor.

Thursday evening’s launch was a celebration of that partnership between the two companies.

Chief Operations Officer – Energy, Port & Projects at Blue Water, Thomas Bek, said entering the Guyana market is another sub stantial commitment for the Danish company in the Caribbean Region.

offices such as Singapore, Houston, Dubai or Rio de Janeiro.

According to the COO, many more Guyanese are expected to benefit from this programme in the fu ture.

Meanwhile, both the Chairwoman of Blue Water Shipping Board of Directors, Anne Skov, and co-found er of Falcon Logistics, Jennifer Falconer, have lauded the fact that the two companies have shared val ues and missions.

“To me, the values are the most important thing as it is the foundation of do ing business together. Blue Water is a family-owned company… throughout the years, Blue Water has grown and we have become an international company with may employees and of fices around the world. The core values of our company

Guyana.

On the other hand, Falconer noted that her company has grown over the past nine years by ser vicing the local extractive sector and is now looking to expand into the oil and gas

Falcon… This unification, I am confident, will allow us to expand our reach and compete on the regional and international stage, and create even more market leadership. We both bring a wealth of experience to the table so I have no doubt that together, we can take on the market with renewed vigour,” Falconer posited.

In recent years, Blue Water has strengthened and expanded its activities in Guyana and the Caribbean Region. Blue Water handles large volumes of cargo for the oil and gas sector into Guyana and with the acqui sition of Falcon, the compa ny has expanded the range of services to include shore base, warehousing, truck ing, laydown management, heavy haulage and lifting project-related business into and out of Georgetown.

He underscored the im portance of logistics and welcomed the more than 50 Guyanese onboard the Blue Water Shipping Guyana op erations.

“We are proud to have Falcon Logistics team join the Blue Water family, which will provide glob al reach to already expan sive Falcon Logistics prod uct. This newly formed Guyanese-owned compa ny (Blue Water Shipping Guyana) not only com plies with the full spirit of Guyana’s Local Content legislation but creates an abundance of opportunities for local Guyanese people within this industry,” Bek noted.

In fact, the first two Guyanese employees have already been selected to join the Blue Water Shipping Management Training Programme. This is a twoyear combination of study in logistics, and on the job training around the world.

The two employees have commenced training and al ready travelled to Denmark for a two-week training at the company’s Business Academy. As part of the two-year programme, these beneficiaries will spend the first year working in Guyana followed by one year abroad in company

are still very strong values – our team spirit and our dedication to serve our cus tomers,” Skov noted.

She noted that the ambi tion when the company was started by her father 50 years ago was to be the best in town in Denmark. Now, the aim is to be the best in

industry by joining forces with Blue Water Shipping.

“This new venture, with a company that has the ca pability and the sterling reputation as Blue Water Shipping, was the next logical step for our expan sion. Blue Water Shipping shares the same values as

Founded in 2013, Falcon is a 100 per cent Guyanese employee company based on strong values and sup porting the oil and gas sec tor in the region. Under the structure of the acquisition, Blue Water Guyana will re main majority Guyanese owned, maintaining full compliance with local con tent law.

COO – Energy, Port & Projects at Blue Water Shipping, Thomas Bek

Co-founder of Falcon Logistics Jennifer Falconer

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

More male teachers

The current situation regarding males in education is significant enough to warrant a strategic, long-term intervention. For over a decade, there has been clear evidence that the boys in our schools are not having an equal experience to that of girls. More importantly – as studies have unearthed – the issue goes well beyond a mere question of competence, interest in, or value for, education.

There are at play deep socio-cultural and other factors that indicate the need for a multifaceted approach towards addressing the issue. The potential consequences of ignoring the problem are dire, and the red flags are numerous, demanding that something be done at the soonest. The issue is affecting the entire Caribbean, and as such, there are some lessons from sister territories that could inform the approaches adopted.

One dimension — and arguably one of the most significant contributors to the problem — is the absence of male teachers in the system. The exodus of males from the teaching profession would have been chronicled over the last three decades. The process unfolded gradually, and, over time, it appears that the system simply adjusted to the changes. There has not been any intervention to target the absence of male teachers in the system.

Initially, economics was considered the major push factor at play. The question of whether this remains the primary consideration has merit, and studies are now examining why males are not opting for teaching as a career.

Regardless of the causes, there has to be a well-thought-out solution, since the issue has now hit crisis proportions. The most recent data shows that there are over 8000 female teachers in the system, as compared to just about 2000 males.

Research has indicated that this acute imbalance impacts the quality of the educational experiences boys are having. It is important to mention here that female teachers view the behaviour of boys much differently from male teachers. The research indicates that female teachers consider boys at the primary level to be highly disruptive and uninterested in education; whereas girls, on the other hand, are viewed as settled, model pupils. An extension of this is that boys are more often penalised for their behaviours, which in turn impacts their academic experiences.

As early as Grade Four, there are decisions made regarding the academic potential of boys that have little basis in competence indices, but more to do with their behaviours.

In studies across the world, boys have reported that their male teachers encourage them more, and have a greater impact on their confidence levels as pupils.

This issue has implications well beyond the academic experiences boys are having, however, and speaks to the very nature of their socialisation. Schools are critical socialising institutions, and the absence of male role models in schools must impact the extent to which boys receive critical social cues regarding their gender identity and their expected roles.

The fact is that the absence of male teachers further compounds the problem of the education of the ‘emotions of boys’. This forces boys to seek guidance from alternative external sources that oftentimes are not as wholesome. Research has also shown that boys feel more comfortable speaking to male teachers about issues they are having both at home and at school.

It must be noted here that boys are not the only ones to benefit greatly from the presence of male teachers. Girls also need solid male role models to provide balance in their socialisation. In addition, to the extent that schools are a microcosm of society, they should fully reflect the diversity and prevailing cultural dynamics found in the wider society. There is an overabundance of accounts of the ‘feminisation’ of schooling, brought about in large part by the absence of male teachers in the profession. Both female and male inputs are vital to the effective delivery of education.

The work environment is greatly enhanced by the presence of male teachers providing balance in perspectives and approaches. As we had previously said in editorials, traditionally, males have championed the use of technology and the importance of sports and other extracurricular activities in schools. Their absence has left key voids that need to be addressed.

Anger management: why She-Hulk is such a powerful symbol of female rage

By Emma BrockEs

For a while during the presidency of Donald Trump, female anger was a big topic of discussion. Women in general and American women in particu lar had, as the Australians say, had a gut ful, and via movements (#MeToo), books (Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister), and the 2017 Women’s March, public ex pressions of this feeling were prominent. Things have deteriorated since then, thanks in large part to the ultra-conser vatives on the supreme court, but five years after about half a million women marched on Washington, at least we have a handy new symbol of female rage: SheHulk.

You’re familiar, of course, with the original Hulk, a scientist, Dr Banner, who, after “accidental overexposure to gamma radiation”, turned green and threw things every time he got mad. In the late-70s TV show, he was played in his transformed state by the bodybuild er Lou Ferrigno. More recently, Mark Ruffalo and a lot of CGI carried the char acter in the Avengers franchise. Now Disney+ has updated the idea with a large, green lady monster who works in LA and would rather not be a superhero, given the lack of benefits or career pro gression. She is the former deputy dis trict attorney Jennifer Walters, or as the show’s title has it, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

This would be an unremarkable spinoff if the premise didn’t touch on larger anxieties, or the show didn’t seek vague ly to own the political side of its DNA. Tatiana Maslany, who plays both Walters and her alter ego, throws people through walls, smashes furniture and creates a sonic boom that flattens palm trees just

by clapping her hands. She also speaks directly to camera, Fleabag-style, to pass commentary on the action and prosecute a studiously ironic tone familiar to fans of all those Chris Hemsworth Avenger movies. (Is it Hemsworth? Or the other one? I can never get my Chrises straight.) Anyway, the effect is to enjoy the drama while opening up space to recognise the evolution of the character and the social and political context she moves in.

And this Hulk is very different from her male forerunners. In the male ver sion, the Hulk bursts out of his shirt and for a solid five minutes grunts, gri maces and lifts cars above his head in an expression of sheer, uncontrollable rage. Walters, by contrast, has total mas tery over her Hulk side. She can, while Hulking out, still fulfil her contractual obligations to her corporate law firm, as long as she is wearing enough spandex to accommodate the transformation. She may lose her shoes and one sleeve of her jacket, but she is otherwise broadly pre sentable. She doesn’t make cavewoman sounds. She speaks in her regular voice. She is sufficiently composed to roll her eyes at the behaviour of those around her.

Jessica Gao, the creator of the show, has done this knowingly. In the pilot, while training to be a more effective Hulk with her Hulk cousin (Ruffalo), Walters gives him a lecture about female rage and the necessity of containment. She is, she ex plains to him, moved to anger every sin gle day when some guy shouts obscenities at her in the street, or seeks to explain her own expertise back to her. Angermanagement is, she says slowly, while he does a series of very slow blinks, a prereq uisite for all women, who must maintain a calm exterior even as their ego assumes the shape of a 6 ft 7in monster.

When the public comes up with the name “She-Hulk”, she complains bitterly about the unfairness: “I can’t even exist without being a derivative of the Hulk.” And if there was an option to turn down the job, she would: “I didn’t go to law school and rack up six figures in debt to become a vigilante hired by narcissists and billionaires.” It’s all very jolly and by episode three, when Tim Roth shows up as the reformed villain Abomination, I defy anyone to stop watching.

Still, there is a part of one that longs for something a bit less arch, a bit less Disney and more Marina Abramović. In the late 1970s, the Incredible Hulk ended each week with Dr Banner walk ing mournfully down a deserted high way, moving on from whatever chaos his Hulk side had caused, a man ennobled and shunned by his suffering. Jennifer Walters ends each episode in perky tri umph, leaving one to wonder what it might look like if she really lost it one day, became incandescent with anger and went so far as to do something that fully messed up her hair. (She’d be dismissed as crazy, of course.) (The Guardian)

(Emma Brockes

Fire Prevention Month 2022: Ranks of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) teaching citizens how to use a fire extinguisher (DPI photos)

The mantra “emerging apartheid” is nothing but clutching at straws

Dear Editor,

The recurring mantra of “emerging apartheid” is nothing but propaganda used in a desperate effort to gain political traction by a drowning set of people clutching at straws. Those persons are themselves weak, and there is abso lutely no evidence that can be peddled by those quixot ic naysayers who are trying to let the world believe that our society is deeply divid ed.

In its five years in Government, APNU/AFC created a Ministry of Social Cohesion with the purpose of uniting Guyanese of all walks of life. In the end, nothing was achieved, but what was manifested was victimisation and violence by one race against another, instigated by leading politi cians at West Coast Berbice in 2020 and at Mon Repos in 2022; and crime was gen erally perpetrated by one

race against another.

None of these so-called leaders have beseeched their followers to keep the peace, and these followers are itching to be egged on, due to the spoils collected from plundering and their own lack of work ethics.

Having failed as a Government, some Opposition backers are now weeping and gnashing their teeth, crying apartheid when all other efforts have failed. They lament about inequity in awarding con tracts. People have to un derstand that to prequali fy for contracts, prospective contractors must have cap ital: tools, equipment and machinery, cash, lines of credit, and compliance cer tificates from GRA and NIS, among other prerequisites. This precludes many - some of whom cry foul - from bid ding for large contracts of hundreds of millions of dol lars.

The fact is that people of all races, not excluding Afro-Guyanese, secure con tracts. Just fact check who gets contracts in Buxton, Linden etc.

In the social sphere, there is absolutely no ev idence of emerging apart heid anywhere in Guyana. Young people, as well as adults of all races, for the most part mix and min gle without qualms. Be it a wake house, funeral, wed ding, party, concert, car nival or sporting event, all races in Guyana co-ex ist without division. They support each other’s snack ettes, diners, restaurants, shops and other businesses regardless of race, and gen erally do not boycott oth ers for any collective rea son. Further, they employ others as builders, masons, plumbers, electricians, welders etc., regardless of race, and can be found daily in bars and restaurants ex

changing ideas, many times jovially, with each other.

In the political arena, there is a blend of people from all races — from the Central to the Regional to the Local Government tiers – governing and working to gether for the advancement of Guyana. This is also ev ident in the Public Service, teaching, nursing and other professions, where workers cooperate with each other without fear of victimisa tion due to race.

Editor, it was the Chairwoman of the PNC, who was also a Minister of Government, who boast ed in November 2018 at Sophia that “…the only people a gon give wuk to is PNC …”. Where were the elements then, who are now crying emerging apart heid? Conveniently hiber nating as usual - like what they did, or rather omitted to do, between March 3 and the end of July 2020 - when

Some suggestions on keeping Le Repentir Cemetery clean

Dear Editor, Permit me a space in your newspaper to air an opinion that I believe is vi tal and can be implement ed by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), and by ex tension the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, for the upkeep of the Le Repentir Cemetery.

Construction work has begun on the new four-lane road from Princes St to Mandela Avenue. As such, traffic slows down actual ly to a halt sometimes. It is great for the development of Guyana that more inter-con necting roads are widened, constructed, and enhanced wherever possible. Having said that, as the traffic slows down, one gets a first-hand look at the ongoing cleaning exercise in the cemetery.

As a trained Agriculturalist, I think the method/s applied by the con tractor wouldn’t yield the desired results in regard to weed control. The burial ground spans acres of land that are literally blanket-cov ered like an abandoned cane field that is in the process of being fallowed. The noxious weeds, like ‘ANTIDESMA’, CONGO PUMP etc, to name a few, together with the an telope grass, cannot be sup pressed by a few 20 oz bottles of weedicide. It's impossible, and is clearly an exercise in futility.

This project needs a trained agronomist to assess the conditions on the ground and recommend the appli cable weedicide for the re spective weeds in the burial ground.

Weedicides are of two types: PRE-EMERGENT – to be sprayed before the weeds emerge, and

be sprayed after the weeds have emerged. Hard chemi cals like 24D, Merlin, Diuron (KARMEX), Glyphosan, or any chemical with Glyphosate as the active in gredient, would yield the req uisite result.

The exercise would need drums of chemicals for such a large acreage.

Now, there are several spray hands that were laid off from the East Demerara Estates and Wales. The ser vices of those persons would be ideal at this juncture, for GuySuCo has the best weed control practices, and these persons are constant ly trained. Every new chem ical on the market that is ef fective is used or tested by GuySuCo.

Employ an Agronomist who was forced into retire ment by the downsizing of the sugar industry, and let that person calculate the amount of chemicals needed for the entire cemetery. I am fully behind President Ali’s ‘ONE GUYANA’ initiative, I would volunteer to help any Agronomist selected to do this job.

By putting an organised system in place, less mon ey would be spent moving forward. Spraying would be done periodically and sys tematically, resulting in full suppression of the weeds.

The individuals currently employed in this weed-erad ication exercise in the Le Repentir Cemetery are sim ply clueless. Weeding yes, that’s okay; however, the method/s applied wouldn’t last a proper two weeks at the most, especially with the unpredictable weather con dition and an area where the water table is high and the grass can readily absorb ground water.

This can be a depart ment under the Solid Waste Director, or a department in the Ministry of Local Government, wherein the workers are contracted, can be paid a retainer fee like obtains with the CDOs in the Amerindian communi ties, and be fully compensat ed when actual spraying or weeding is done.

There is no shortage of knowledge in the agricul ture sector, a plan can be derived and a proper pre

sentation can be made in which top-level executives of the respective ministries would be present, including Ministers Edghill, Mustapha and Dharamlall, and Mayor Narine.

I look forward to seeing the changes enacted, so that the final resting place of our loved ones is accessible and kept at a standard that is pleasing to all.

Sincerely yours, Ronald Shepherd

their accomplices were bla tantly trying to rig the elec tions.

Contrast that mentali ty with what the PPP is do ing for Guyanese. The parttime jobs initiative initiated by Vice President Jagdeo has provided thousands of jobs for young people of all races. The only qualifica tion for eligibility is to be Guyanese.

Additionally, Guyanese in general are the beneficia ries of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships, through which they can study online and improve themselves. This sometimes is not accorded the appreci ation it warrants. (I lived in Canada, where students are working at nights, many as security guards, to finance their studies).

Where is the emerging apartheid, being peddled by desperate wannabees who cannot accept blames, can not apologise, try to gov ern through the back door, and dream of high offic es which continue to elude them? They are no less than mischief-makers who want to “undermine this Government”.

It’s a figment of their imagination, like that of the Man of La Mancha — Don Quixote — who had delu sions of grandeur. Do they really know what apartheid

means? More likely, they are trying to stir up trouble after the unsuccessful fivemonth attempt at rigging the 2020 elections.

Editor, their man tra will not have the ef fect they desire. Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, preached that if you tell a lie as often as possible, people will start to believe it. That was 80 years ago, when it was pos sible; not today. With social media and instant ubiqui tous knowledge, people can not be fooled the same way.

Come again, advocates of the mantra “emerg ing apartheid”, with a new mantra; try something else. The indisputable fact is that the People’s Progressive Party Civic Administration (PPP/C) has done more than the previous administration to empower African commu nities through its deliberate policies that target housing, land, jobs, health, and eco nomic prosperity under the ‘One Guyana’ platform.

The irrevocable dispen sation is that the PPPC, without practising apart heid in any shape or form, is uniting our country under the slogan ONE GUYANA, and will continue to do so indefinitely.

Thank you.

Karan Chand Region 2 resident

Page Foundation

Polygons

A polygon is any closed 2-dimensional figure that is made up of line segments. Triangles and quadrilaterals are polygons. However, a polygon can have any number of sides greater than two. The number of sides equal the number of angles. Many polygons are named for the number of sides. The following are the main types of quadrilaterals

Tall tales feature a larger-than-life, or superhuman, main character who solves a problem in a funny and fantastical way. In this writing activity, spin a tall tale about a conquering hero or heroine on a new

frontier — the Moon! Even though a tall tale isn't true, the story should be told as if your hero's adventures really happened. Remember what you have learned about the Moon so you'll have some interesting facts to exaggerate!

By The BroThers Grimm

Penta = 5, hexa = 6, hepta

7, octa

8,

4 pumps non-functional at Black Bush

Polder as rice farmers get ready to replant

dire need of water

Seventy-five per cent of harvesting in the Black Bush Polder (BBP) has been completed and some farmers have already started to prepare lands for the next crop. However, the replant ing of rice has been challeng ing as several pumps which supply water to farmers are not operating.

“The next crop is due to start somewhere around October 24, so whilst we are finishing off the other 25 per cent harvesting of this pres ent crop, we are now moving apace to start the other crop,” Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) Chairman, David Armogan said.

However, three pumps at the Mibicuri Pump Station are not working.

The Chairman, who was at the time address ing the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) on Thursday, was expected to officially in form Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha about the situation.

To add to the water woes, the pump at Manarabisi is also out of order.

“That has not been work ing for a long time now. For the entire crop, that pump has been out of order be cause of a radiator problem. I am hoping that some of these little things would be sort ed out so that we don’t have any hiccups for the start of

the new crop. As you would notice, the weather is a bit friendlier and so once we start the crop around the 24th, it means that we will have to pump irrigation wa ter for a while because all of the farmers will need irriga tion water.”

He said he is seeking the help of the Agriculture Minister to ensure pumps are up and running in time for the next crop.

“Right now we are in the process of doing dams,” Armogan told the RDC while adding that most of the dams have already been repaired.

“The Ministry of Agriculture did give us a substantial amount of money to repair dams and so quite

a number of all the dams that were slated to be re paired have already been re paired. There are still a few dams left and we are work ing to get those done. The en tire sum has been expend ed so whatever work has to be done now, has to be done with machines that we have in our system,” Armogan added.

Meanwhile, the BBP which cultivated BBP 14,161 acres still has another 3500 acres to harvest. The yield is 38 bags per acre.

For the front lands which include the 52/74 Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Maida/ Tarlogie NDC, Good Hope/ Number 51 NDC and Macedonia/Joppa NDC, where 26,246 acres are un der rice cultivation, 44 per cent have already been har vested. The farmers there are getting an average of 35 bags per acre.

While the yield is a some what low, it cannot be con sidered bad when compared with some previous crops when the yield was stuck at 26 bags per acre.

The price being paid by millers in the Region is be tween $65,000 - $66,000 per tonne which is the same as what was being offered to farmers during the last crop.

During the crop, there has been a moderate infes

tation of paddy bugs in some communities.

Meanwhile, cash crop farmers in both the front lands and the BBP are call ing for the water levels in the canals to rise.

The water at the Adventure Canal has de creased considerably, result ing in salt sea water seep ing in and making it difficult for vegetable farmers to get fresh water for their crops.

“Is share salt water we getting here. I ready to plant and is share salt water. We was getting rain and every thing dead out and now we getting sun but there is no water,” one farmer told this publication. A similar situa tion exists for those farmers who depend on the Mibicuri Canal and those that de pend on the Number 43

Canal which leads out from Yakusari.

Meanwhile, all rice farm ers have since collected their flood relief cash grants. However, some 50 livestock farmers are still to uplift their cheques from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA).

According to Armogan, these persons cannot be found. He said most of them have no phone numbers list ed. The administration, he added, will compose a list of those names, so that when persons contact the region al administration enquir ing about their flood relief cheques, they will be able to check the list of outstand ing payments and advise the persons accordingly.

Meanwhile, the National Agricultural Research and

Extension Institute (NAREI) has completed its distribu tion of flood relief cheques to rice farmers.

“And so persons who did not benefit in terms of re ceiving cash grants, they will benefit in terms of fertilis er and seedlings and other kinds of assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture.”

He pointed out that the Agriculture Ministry is working very closely with all farmers, be it rice, cash crop or livestock so that they can produce as much as possible.

“As you know, the prices of vegetables have increased in the market and so we are trying to ensure that all our vegetable farmers get going again so that we can reduce the price and get it back to some normalcy in the mar ketplace.” (G4)

Paddy being offloaded into a grain cart in the Black Bush Polder community

Region Six Chairman David Armogan

Jury in Stabroek Market murder trial to deliberate next Tuesday

Timehri man pleads guilty to killing drinking buddy

Tussle…

…with Trini carpetbaggers

Agroup of 12 jurors will commence delibera tion on Tuesday on a murder charge in which a 25-year-old man is accused of stabbing another man to death at the Stabroek Market, Georgetown.

The trial of Timothy McKenzie of Kitty, Georgetown, commenced on September 22 before Demerara High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon.

McKenzie is alleged to have murdered Richard Noel, called “Nippo”, 20, on June 4, 2018. He has pleaded not guilty to a charge for the cap ital offence. At the time of his demise, Noel lived at Kitty, Georgetown, and worked as a vendor.

The murder accused is be ing represented by lawyer Ronald Daniels, while State Counsel Muntaz Ali is leading

the prosecution’s case.

Police reports indicate that the murder reportedly stemmed from an old griev ance between the two men, al legedly involving the sister of Noel, whom McKenzie had re portedly hit, and that had re sulted in a fight between the two men. However, on the day of the murder, the men had reportedly crossed paths, and McKenzie had been heard asking Noel if he “wanted a problem”.

It has been reported that Noel had walked away, and McKenzie, aggravated, al legedly went after him and stabbed him twice to his chest.

After Noel had fallen, McKenzie had reported ly stomped him on his chest. Noel had been rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed to his in juries one day later. (G1)

Alabourer on Tuesday pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter at the Demerara High Court over the killing of his work mate, who he lashed to the head several times with a piece of wood when a drunken argument broke out between them.

Phillip Solomon, 45, of Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), appeared before Justice Brassington Reynolds before whom he was indicted for the capi tal offence of murder.

The accused, who was represented by legal coun sel, however, opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence, admitting that he killed 51-year-old Vernon Cummings called “Ervil” on October 24, 2018. The incident took place at Timehri Docks, EBD.

Sentencing for the con vict has been deferred un til October 25.

According to the pros ecution’s case, the two men, who were both la bourers, were at a wharf at Timehri, where they would normally consume alcohol together.

On the day in question, while they were imbibing, an argument ensued be tween the two.

Based on reports, the now dead man armed him self with a piece of iron, and Solomon, who then armed himself with a piece of wood, and the two began lashing each other about the body.

Solomon’s brother was alerted and went to the scene. He took the piece of iron from Cummings, but his brother dealt Cummings a blow to his head, causing him to fall to the ground.

The injured man was pronounced dead on arrival at the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital. (G1)

Looks like these Trinis won’t ever give up on preventing us from benefitting from our oil industry, just as they’ve done for 100 years without being harassed by others. They, of course, used their petrodollars to build up their economy to tower over the rest of us in Caricom - where they replaced the departed colonial power and shipped manufactured goods to flood our markets!! And then smarmily inform us that they “weren’t nobody’s cash machine” when help was needed!! Right after our Local Content Law was passed, Trinidad’s Massy – which is flooding our country with businesses, from security to supermarket - threatened to take us to the CCJ for violating the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Luckily, good sense – meaning their bulging pocketbooks – prevailed, and they backed off!!

Now comes the director of the “Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Services Industries” (TTCSI) with the same complaint – but more crudely threatening that if the Government doesn’t do a backflip on the Local Content Secretariat’s decision on Trini business Ramps Logistics, they’ll take their business to Suriname!! Can you believe this arrogance?? The matter of whether Ramps satisfies the qualification on Guyanese participation in ownership is now before the Courts, do the Trinis want us to tell the Courts how to make their decisions?? Maybe that’s how it’s done in Trinidad, but not here!! More recently, the GRA pointed out that Ramps played fast and loose with the tax laws; will the Government be blamed for that also??!!

Recently, Pres Ali and PM Rowley held bilateral discussions to straighten out this issue. Have the Trinis no confidence in their PM?? Point is, the Trinis are a bunch of hypocrites on Local Content regulation. They’ve had one for decades, but simply didn’t LABEL it as such!! Stories of Guyanese manufacturers being denied entry to TT markets are legion. In 2004, the Trinis finally made their policy on local content explicit under the heading: “LOCAL CONTENT & LOCAL PARTICIPATION POLICY & FRAMEWORK FOR THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO ENERGY SECTOR LOCAL CONTENT & LOCAL PARTICIPATION POLICY & FRAMEWORK FOR THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO ENERGY SECTOR OCTOBER 7TH, 2004”. It’s on the web!!

Under the heading “LOCAL CONTENT AND PARTICIPATION POLICY STATEMENT”, the Government declared it’d be “giving preference, firstly, to locally owned, controlled and financed enterprises, then to those that demonstrate a clear culture, commitment and capacity for maximising local value-added, participation and capability development, consistent with the country’s aspirations and vision.” What the heck is that, if not “Local Content Legislation”?? Is the fig leaf of not calling it such intended to fool us “simplistic” Guyanese?

Look, these people better get real. They should be told, “Good riddance to bad rubbish”. Good luck to the Surinamese!!

…between Saudis and US

Did you notice, dear reader, the announcement by OPEC – read, the Saudis – that they’ll be cutting oil production by 2 million barrels per day, starting Nov 1st?? This, of course, is being justified as shoring up lagging prices due to “overproduction”. But it shouldn’t escape notice that the cut comes on the heels of Biden’s July trip to Saudi Arabia to meet MBS in the face of widespread criticism over human rights’ violations. And that the cuts gonna benefit Russia, which the US is trying to eject from Ukraine.

But moreso, that the cuts come just one week before the Congressional midterm elections, and won’t redound well for the Democrats!! So, what’s the US to do?? Remove its protective shield over Saudi Arabia via its weapons programme?? But that risks the Chinese stepping in to fill the void!! Wouldn’t want THAT, would we?? Will the Europeans step in?? While not as dangerous as the Chinese, that removes the US leverage over Saudis even further!!

It ain’t easy being a superpower!!

…with smugglers

As if smuggling cocaine weren’t enough of a headache, news has come of an ambulance busted with smuggled frozen chicken. Your Eyewitness wonders about all those ambulances and their wailing sirens.

Gotta deliver the frozen chicken before it thaws out!!

Murder accused: Timothy McKenzie

Confessed killer Phillip Solomon

Dead: Richard Noel

Defunct co-op members fail in bid to stay court order instructing them to give up Corentyne land

Agroup of former members of the now defunct Johns/ Clifton Land Co-operative Society have lost their bid to stay a High Court rul ing that ordered them to give up possession of over 300 acres of lands on the Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The land in question is some 315 acres located at Plantation Clifton and Johns, Corentyne, which was vested to the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) – the agency with the authority to manage and control lands owned by the Government – by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). NICIL subse quently leased the land to the Co-op Society.

However, a series of legal challenges were spurred after NICIL at tempted to recover the lands from the Society back in 2018.

The respondents in this matter – Kalamodian Haniff, Asheem Ali, Mohamed Ali Khan, Chandradat Ramotar, Azeez Ali Khan, Dularie Kunjbehari, Dianand

Jhando, Syjit Kumar Ramotar and Lekhram Jagit – were part of the previous Johns/Clifton Land Co-operative Society to which NICIL had pre viously issued the land lease.

But the Co-op became defunct and an order of court made by Justice Gino Persaud ruled that the de cision to resuscitate the co-op was illegal and void.

As a result, the lease is sued to the co-op was can celled and the respondents became trespassers since

the lease was issued only to the co-op.

With the court ruling that the they lacked legali ty, the respondents had no basis to be in possession of the land and despite being asked by NICIL to vacate the lands, the nine former co-op members continued to retain possession.

To this end, NICIL ap proached the High Court to recover the lands. On July 28, 2022, Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln ruled that the respondents are to give up possession

of the lands and an injunc tion was granted against the respondents, who con tinue to retain possession.

However, the respon dents filed an appeal against Justice CorbinLincoln’s decision and ap plied to the Full Court for a Stay of Execution on the ruling that ordered them to give up possession of the land.

But on Wednesday last, the respondents’ applica tion was dismissed after they failed to secure a Stay of Execution.

The Full Court, which was presided over by Justices Navindra Singh and Nareshwar Harnanan, issued mandatory orders and will rule on the appeal of the High Court Judge’s decision in December.

NICIL was represent ed by Attorney-at-Law Deenawati Panday in these proceedings.

These lands were also the subject of another court battle back in 2018 when a group of 25 farmers filed legal proceedings in which they sought damag es in excess of $48 million against the co-op for losses and destruction of proper ty. The farmers, who were also former members of the Society and residents who farm at Plantation Clifton and Johns, claimed that they were forcefully and unlawfully evicted from the land by the co-op de spite having owned trans ports for the land.

It was noted that the Johns/Clifton Land Cooperative Society was founded in excess of 50 years ago with 30 members along the Corentyne Public Road. Together, they built their homes and farmed

the 350 acres of land that was allotted to them.

The lease expired and the Society subse quently approached the Government through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to acquire title for the lands they occupy but were only given trans ports for portions of the land. However, they con tinued to plant rice and reared livestock and cat tle on lands for which they had no transport.

In 2012, the Society be came defunct and then in 2017, the lands were pur portedly transferred un der GuySuCo’s ownership including portions of the transported land, where houses are located.

That same year, the co-op was resuscitated without the knowledge of most of the previous mem bers and they approached NICIL’s Special Purpose Unit (SPU) and reapplied for the lease, unknowingly to the other original mem bers, and successfully re registered the said Co-op Society – which the court had deemed illegal. (G8)

Berbice stabbing

Wanted man says in Facebook broadcast that ex-girlfriend attacked him first

ing out with friends at a bar when the suspect appeared and informed her that he had left his motorcycle at her house and wanted to collect it.

She said she left the lo cation with the suspect and went to get the motorcycle. During their encounter, she reiterated her stance that she did not want anything to do with him but this led to an argument during which he whipped out a knife and chopped her in the face.

Two days after a 31-year-old father of two went berserk and chopped the mother of his children in the face, he has finally broken his silence but remains on the run.

Initially, 23-year-old Rezana Rahaman, a vendor at the Corriverton Municipal Market, had reported that she and the suspect shared a relationship for eight years but separated two years ago. Despite both of them moving on with their lives, he con tinued to stalk her and send threatening messages.

On Sunday, she was in formed that the suspect was looking for her the entire day but she paid no heed.

However, at about 11:40h on Sunday, she was hang

He then left the scene and was not seen since. However, in a video via his Facebook page on Thursday, the wanted man accused the injured woman of attacking him first.

“The day I call she and she said she deh at 63 Beach and I tell she I want to drop my son motorcycle. She then call me back and tell me she deh at Moto Bar and I went there and we were there drinking. While we drinking, I ask she where is my chil dren and she said that she left them pickney by she sis ter. From there, we left and we went season breeze and while she was dancing, she give me one cuff and buss me mouth and ask me why I watching a next girl.”

“Me and she left and we went to collect them kids… we bring them kids home.

Me and she went in the house, and I turn and tell she why she partying every night and leaving them kids alone every night… that was a problem and she start fight and cuss me and tell me that I was watching some woman and that she get something to give me.”

The man recalled that in the heat of the argument, Rahaman whipped out a knife and attempted to stab him about his body.

“She took the knife and cut me to my chest, and while scuffling, me and she fall to the ground, and I tried to pull the knife away from she and I didn’t know the knife cut she face. I will nev er do something like that to my wife... She cheated on me while we was married and

I never do her that, so why should I do that to her now? It was an accident.”

“I cannot beat Rezana; Rezana does beat me. She leave my kids alone home and go and party. It is not easy… all she saying that’s a lie. I was right there with her in the house. I will surrender myself, but I want people to know the story,” he said.

The man said since the incident, he has been receiv ing several threats from per sons, even though the wom an knows that he did not intentionally hurt her.

“You told the whole world lies on me but my kids need me to love them. I rather die and you live just for my kids.”

Up until press time on Friday, the suspect was yet to be apprehended.

Mother who attempted to kill 4-year-old daughter remanded

ACorentyne,

Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) woman was on Friday re manded to prison for alleged ly giving her four-year-old daughter poison to drink.

Niladave Shamsundar called “Tasha”, 23, of Lot 1 Number 50 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, ap peared at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Alex Moore and was not required to plead to the charge of attempt to com mit murder.

It is alleged that on October 2, at Number 50 Village, she attempt ed to murder four-year-old Tenisha Shamsundar by giving her a poisonous sub stance to drink.

The charge was laid un der Section 103 (a) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01.

Magistrate Moore re manded the housewife and ordered that she returns to court on December 9.

The court was told that the child, who is Shamsundar’s daughter, is in a stable condition.

According to the Police, on October 2, 2022, at about 20:00h, the woman and her husband had a heated argu ment and he slapped her.

In response, the wom an allegedly told him that she would ingest poison and give it to her children. At the time, the accused and the vic

tim were in the house, while her husband was in a ham mock on the veranda.

Shortly after, the child started screaming and her father rushed to her and saw Shamsundar with a bottle containing Gramoxone in her hand, which he had brought from his mother's home.

The four-year-old was taken to the hospital where she was admitted and re mains a patient.

It had been report ed that initially, the moth er told investigators that her four-year-old daughter was playing in the yard and subsequently informed her that she had opened a bottle that was in the goat pen and drank some of the substance.

It was also reported that Police subsequently said they were able to obtain a confession statement from the child’s mother, who ad mitted to giving the infant the poison to drink. (G4)

Niladave Shamsundar, called “Tasha”

Rezana Rahaman

The injuries allegedly inflicted on the suspect

3 charged over cattle rustling in Berbice

Linden businessman remanded for assaulting ex-girlfriend

Linden businessman Hilton Lyle was on Friday remanded for assaulting a woman.

Lyle appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on two charges of threatening behaviour along with assault causing actual bodily harm, and malicious damage of property charges.

The prosecution is con tending that the incident oc curred on Wednesday at about 02:00h.

Lakram Deokarran Christopher Sandy Kishore Lallgossi

Three persons were on Thursday charged for the offence of cattle rustling when they appeared at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.

The accused, Kishore Lallgossi, 32, a coco nut vendor; Christopher Sandy, 32, a labourer; and Lakram Deokarran called “Boy”, 33, a cattle farmer, all of Angoy’s Avenue, ap peared before Magistrate Renita Singh and were all not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Police stated that on October 1, 2022, the men stole four heads of cat tle belonging to Marvin Meenkun.

Lakeram was refused bail and remanded to pris on while Lallgossi and Sandy were granted bail in

the sum of $200,000 each.

The matter was trans ferred to New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court for November 11, 2022.

It was reported that the animals were stolen, placed into a boat and taken to Region Five (MahaicaBerbice). However, the Police were able to inter cept the criminals as they were about to commence phase two of their criminal operation.

Initially, two men were nabbed and the third was subsequently arrested. Police were able to detain a boat and a canter lorry during the operation.

Recently, Regional Detective Officer Rawl Nedd told the media that the Police in the region were working to tackle cat

tle rustling across the re gion.

The Superintendent had said they were looking at all players in the circle, including butchers.

“We are dealing with the increase in cattle rus tling in Region Six and we have a team and the CID [Criminal Investigation Department] along with intel and we are attacking that problem head-on. We will be looking at both the persons who are supplying and the persons who are selling,” the senior officer had said.

“We believe in inves tigating, having the evi dence, seeking legal advice, and based on that advice, sending for prosecution,” Nedd had said when asked about prosecution.

Lyle, who operates Foreign Links Auto Parts and Accessories, Foreign Links Motor Cycle and Spare Parts and Tropical Reflection Restaurant and Bar, was ar rested for allegedly assault ing the woman, who is said to be his ex-girlfriend, and her male companion.

According to the prose

cution, the businessman as saulted the woman with a firearm at a house in Amelia’s ward. The woman was tak en to the Linden Hospital Complex where she was treated for the injuries she sustained.

It was also reported that the businessman followed the

male companion to the hospi tal where he allegedly threat ened him with a firearm.

The matter was report ed to the Police station and the businessman was subse quently arrested and charged with the offence. The case will continue on November 3. (G9)

Couple nabbed with cocaine, ganja charged

A

couple of Tabatinga, Lethem in Central Rupununi, who was busted by Police ranks with 1314.8 grams of co caine and 8045.4 grams of marijuana, has since been charged.

The couple - Duane Johnson, 35, along with Nadine Jeffrey, 23 - was charged on Thursday for possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

The two accused ap peared before Magistrate Allan Wilson at the Lethem Magistrate’s

Charged: Duane Johnson and Nadine Jeffrey

Court. However, they both pleaded not guilty and were placed on $300,000

bail each. The matter was ad journed to October 26. (G9)

Charged: Businessman Hilton Lyle

Tomb raiders vandalise Tuschen woman’s grave, desecrate body

scene,” the grieving daughter said.

Immediately after the discovery, the woman said her mother’s body was placed back into the tomb and re buried.

Earlier this year, tomb raid ers broke into a tomb at Buxton Methodist Church Cemetery along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), removing the decaying remains from the casket and lining up the bones on the ground.

Family members of the dead man, who was identified as well-known East Coast resident Manu Durant who was shot dead in 2015, were called to the scene after the discovery was made.

After the discovery was made, the remains had to be placed in a new cas ket and reburied by Durant’s family and friends.

Housewife charged for trafficking ganja

In a barbaric incident at Tuschen on the East Bank of Essequibo (EBE), tomb raiders broke into the grave of a woman in a graveyard in the Zeelugt, EBE area and alleged ly desecrated the dead woman’s body.

According to reports, the shock ing incident came to light after the family of the dead woman, 55-yearold Calawattie Rattiram of Tuschen, EBE, was informed that someone had broken into the grave of the woman who was buried just two days earlier.

As the family members were alert ed of the heinous incident, they went to the area where the woman’s remains were seen on the ground. According to the dead woman’s daughter, Sobrina

Benjamin, her mother had passed away last Saturday, after dropping dead while visiting her neighbour.

She said her mother was buried on Wednesday, and the tomb was proper ly sealed. However, on Friday morn ing, she said she received a call from the representative of the Zeelugt com munity that her mother’s tomb was vandalised.

Benjamin said she was told that the body was discovered by three men who went to the area to cut trees.

“When I go, the coffin was pulled out and the mother’s body was seen half-naked, her underwear was off and her feet in a triangle position. Leonora Police informed were on

Durant was a well-known promot er, one-time wanted man, and for mer bodyguard of convicted drug lord Shaheed Roger Khan. He was shot dead in a strip club on North Road, Georgetown, in June 2015.

Durant was at the Baroombar Strip Club, according to reports, when he got into a confrontation with an other patron of the club.

During the confrontation, Durant whipped out a firearm and fired a shot at the man. The man, in retal iation, whipped out his own weapon and returned fire. One of the shots hit Durant straight in the chest.

He fell to the ground while the sus pect left the premises.

Durant was rushed to the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital where he re mained unconscious and in critical condition until his death. (G9)

Leona

Gomes called “Alliah”, a 35-yearold housewife, was ar rested on Wednesday and charged with the offence of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking at the Bartica Police Station.

The charge was laid un der Section 5(1)(a)(i) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Control Act, Chapter 10:10.

She appeared at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Crystal Lambert where the charge was read to her and she de nied the offence.

The woman of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, was placed on $200,000 bail and the case was adjourned to October 28.

It was also reported that Gomes attempted to traffic a 14-year-old girl but was nabbed at Bartica Stelling during an intel operation.

Police said that based

on information received of a juvenile who was suspect ed of being trafficked, ranks from Regional Division Number Seven went to Bartica Stelling where they saw Gomes and a 14-yearold female of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, who had just dis embarked an incoming ves sel (speedboat).

The rank escorted them to Bartica Police Station where a search was conduct ed on Gomes who was carry ing a brown haversack.

A bulky parcel wrapped with black plastic and trans parent tape was found in the haversack. The parcel was cut open and ranks found inside a number of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The woman was cau tioned by the Police rank after which she admitted ownership of the suspected marijuana. (G9)

Charged: Leona Gomes, called “Alliah”

The

307 cases listed for trial as October Demerara Criminal Assizes opens

The Demerara October to December Criminal

Assizes opened on Tuesday at the High Court with 307 cases for seri ous offences listed for tri al. Justices Brassington Reynolds, Simone MorrisRamlall, and Sandil Kissoon have been ros tered to sit. The customary ceremonial parade by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was held at the southern side of the Supreme Court of Judicature building along the South Road and Croal Street, Georgetown carriageways.

Justice Reynolds took the salute and inspected the Guard of Honour.

He marched in har mony with Assistant Superintendent Malcolm Melville and Assistant Police Commissioner Simon Mc Bean, who were the pa rade commanders.

The GPF band and ser vicemen, dressed in their ceremonial kits, participat ed in the procession to mark the opening of the OctoberDecember 2022 Criminal Assizes.

According to the Oxford Language Dictionary, the word “assize” plural “as sizes” is defined as “a court which formerly sat at in tervals in each county of

Scenes from the customary ceremonial parade to mark the opening of the Criminal Assizes

England and Wales to ad minister the civil and crim inal law”. It is a historical noun and is applied to cer tain courts in England and France.

This practice, which originated in England, was adopted in Guyana when it became a colony. It was re ceived as part of the coun try’s common law and lat er incorporated into its legislation. Assizes are held in the three counties: Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice.

The High Courts in each of the respective counties sit throughout the year to deal with serious criminal

matters: Demerara – the second Tuesday in January, the first Tuesday in April, the first Tuesday in June, and the first Tuesday in October; Essequibo – the third Tuesday in February, the third Tuesday in May, and the fourth Tuesday in October; and Berbice – the first Tuesday in February, the third Tuesday in June, and the third Tuesday in October.

Meanwhile, the cas es listed for hearing at the October-December session are for the offences of mur der, manslaughter, sexual offences, attempt to commit murder, inflicting griev

ous bodily harm, trafficking narcotics, abduction, ob taining money by false pre tence, conspiracy to com mit a felony, robbery under arms, conspiracy to commit murder, wrongful confine ment for ransom and acces sory after the fact. Males are predominantly the ac cused in the case of the sex ual offences which include

carnal knowledge of a girl under 15, carnal knowledge of a girl under 12, buggery, rape, indecent assault of a male, sexual activity with a child family member, sex ual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust, sexual assault and incest.

Present at Tuesday’s opening were Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC;

Justices Sandra Kurtzious, Nareshwar Harnanan, JoAnn Barlow, Simone MorrisRamlall, Damone Younge, Sandil Kissoon, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC; Supreme Court Registrar Sueanna Lovell, Deputy Registrar Alicia Lowenfield and First Marshall Aquynce Liverpool.

High Court Judge Brassington Reynolds inspecting the Guard of Honour

8 Guyanese selected for Know India Programme

The High Commission of India in Georgetown has selected eight Guyanese for the other edi tion of the “Know India Programme (KIP)” to go to Gujarat, India.

Those selected were Research Technician from East Coast Demerara, Themeshwar Parmanand; Research Technician from East Bank Demerara, Stephen Seeraj; Special Projects Officer from East Bank Demerara, Yudister Gharbaran; 2021 CAPE student from Berbice, Vish Kistama; Secretary from East Bank Demerara, Hema Manniram; Legal Assistant from Georgetown, Sarah Bovell; Entrepreneur from East Bank Demerara, Indy Ramnarine and Supervisor from East Coast Demerara, Ravita Klass.

This programme began on September 29 and will conclude on October 16.

Before their departure,

High Commissioner Dr KJ Srinivasa met and interact ed with the selected partic ipants, briefed them on the programme, and encour aged them to make the best use of the initiative and to connect to their roots in India - the land of their an cestors.

The participants ex pressed their enthusiasm to learn and explore more

and get a first-hand experi ence of the fastest growing large economy and the cur rent fifth largest economy in the world. The programme provides local hospitality including boarding, trans portation within India, and air tickets both ways be tween their country of resi dence and India. The partic ipants will be visiting New Delhi for a two-day orien

tation programme, Agra, and a select state (in this case Gujarat) in India along with visits to places of his torical, economic, cultural, and religious significance. Participants will be meet ing influencers, leaders, and various department officials to get an overview of India’s economy, society, ongoing growth, and development, etc.

“Know India Programme” is a flagship programme of the Ministry of External Affairs for en gagement with the youth of Indian origin (between 18-30 years) to enhance their awareness of India, its rich cultural heritage, and exquisite art and to familiarise them with var ious aspects of contempo rary India. The minimum qualification required for participating in KIP is graduation from a rec ognised university/insti tute or enrolment and the ability to speak English. The requirement is that the applicant should not have visited India by us ing any programme of the Government of India.

Those who have not visited India before are given pref erence. There is one more KIP for the year 2022. This is between November 1 and 21, 2022 in Rajasthan.

The eight Guyanese who have commenced the 61st edition of the “Know India Programme (KIP)” posing with High Commissioner Dr KJ Srinivasa

AFC calls for greater scrutiny of distribution of cash grants

The Alliance For Change (AFC) – the minority party in the coalition Opposition – has called for greater scrutiny to be employed in the dis bursement of the various cash grant initiatives by the Government.

At its weekly press con ference on Friday, Alliance For Change Chairwoman, Cathy Hughes posited that there needs to be a more structured way in which the various cash grants are distributed.

“We have mechanisms by which everybody [in the public sector] is paid every month… and what we’re saying is use the Government’s apparatus to distribute funds oth er than having PPP oper atives or individuals going into communities and de termine who gets and who doesn’t get with a criteria that is not absolutely fair. And we take that position

because you would recall the amount of persons who got pink slips that are still holding pink slips today,” Hughes contended.

Publicised

Meanwhile, AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan fur ther called for the names of the beneficiaries of these cash transfers to be publi cised in order to allow for greater scrutiny.

“We demanded from the very beginning that if there be cash transfers that are necessary that the names and addresses of those that are beneficiaries of such cash grants be put up on the website of the rele vant Ministry that is do ing the transfers. So, if it is the Ministry of Agriculture via fisherfolks that will be getting 150,000 or let’s say the same Ministry of

Senior official under probe as Skeldon Hospital Ambulance is used to smuggle chicken

Asenior Local Government offi cial in Region Six is under investigation af ter authorities in Berbice intercepted an ambulance attached to the Skeldon Hospital with several hun dred pounds of chicken be lieved to have been smug gled from neighbouring Suriname.

Both the Health Department in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) have re mained mum on the issue.

However, pictures of the ambulance with its back door opened with boxes of chicken inside surfaced on social media surfaced on Friday morning.

Efforts by this pub lication to gain clari ty from both the Health Department and the GRA proved futile.

Staff at the Skeldon Hospital were reluctant to provide any information.

However, this publica tion understands that the chicken was loaded into the ambulance at the Skeldon Health Centre, which is situated next to the Police station.

A source close to the health centre said the am bulance would frequently visit the facility late in the evening and then return to the hospital before leaving the town with its siren on.

This publication un derstands that apart from chicken, the ambulance is sometimes loaded with li quor, also smuggled from Suriname.

There are reports that the chicken belongs to a se nior Local Government offi

cial of the town who report edly fell ill after the bust was made.

When the ambulance was stopped on Friday morning, the driver al legedly abandoned the ve hicle. An investigation has been launched. (G4)

Agriculture with those [for mer GuySuCo workers] who got the second sev erance payment package from that Ministry then put the names of all these people on those websites. That is transparency and accountability, it is not be ing done,” he posited.

Ramjattan went on to outline that there needs to be a streamlined or struc tured rationale behind all of these cash transfers the Government is giving out. He said there needs to be an analysis to ascertain why they are being dis tributed, why to a specific group and how the amount is determined.

Welcomed initiative

This position by the AFC comes on the heels

of President Dr Irfaan Ali on Thursday announc ing a one-off cash grant of $28,000 to all old age pen sioners across the country.

While the AFC welcomed the initiative, Hughes in sisted that a much more standard increase for pen sioners should be under taken.

“We think that the most fool-proof way of increas ing funds to pensioners is by actually increasing the pension rate. That way, it automatically goes into a system that is monitored not only at a parliamentary level but is audited in sev eral different areas. So, in crease the pensions’ rate at the baseline – not at a oneoff for us to hear at a later date that this body didn’t get, this body got and all

the different challenges that have been faced with the previous cash grants disbursements,” the party Chairwoman noted.

She argued that it is un acceptable that with the windfall Guyana has re ceived from oil revenues that persons over 65 years in the country only receive a $28,000 pension to live on for an entire month.

The AFC Chairwoman is of the view that given the high increase in cost of living over the past year, a liveable pension between $75,000 to $100,000 would be fair to this group of cit izens.

The $28,000 cash grant announced on Thursday, is the second one-off trans fer to pensioners by the PPP/C Government, which has also increased old age pension from $20,500 to $28,000 over its two years in office.

Additionally, the Aliled Administration has also restored the “Because We Care” cash grants to students and implement ed new cash transfers to groups such as persons with disabilities, displaced sugar workers, fisherfolk, households across Guyana and a special grant for hin terland and riverine house holds, among others.

AFC Chairwoman Cathy Hughes

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

The ambulance with the smuggled chicken (News Source photo)

Region 10 wins 3rd primary school teachers’ Jeopardy competition

The Education Ministry’s National Literacy Department on Friday hosted a prima ry school teachers’ Jeopardy competition at the Princess Hotel with Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) teachers emerging as winners.

The event was the third

of its kind since being intro duced in 2016, the Ministry said in a release, adding that teams of teachers from eight education districts partici pated in this year’s compe tition.

The contestants compet ed in the quiz game with questions covering a vari

ety of topics mainly from six broad categories: Science, Social Studies, English Language, Mathematics, Literature and School Administration. The first round of the competition consisted of five categories with clues that were val ued from 100 to 500 points,

which were doubled in the second round.

After several intense rounds, the team of teach ers from Region 10 emerged victorious with Region Four in second place and Region Seven taking home the third-place prize.

All other contestants

were awarded consultation prizes for their participa tion. Pupils who were in the audience were also given op portunities to answer ques tions and win prizes.

The first-place winners from Region 10 were Yvonne Nazir, Cheryl Wills and Diane Retemyer while in the

second place were Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) teachers Bhanmattie Dewoekmar, Samina Shaw and Colis Dublin. The thirdplace winners were from Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) Sherlene Bancroft, Anita Embleton and Estiva Lake.

Joint Services unearth large ganja field in Canje River

Members

Canje

Acting on information received,

where they

the

four

The teachers during the teachers’ Jeopardy competition

A section of the audience at the competition

Putin orders Russia to seize Exxonled Sakhalin 1 oil and gas project

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree, pub lished on Friday, to set up a new operator for the Sakhalin 1 oil and gas proj ect, following similar steps to seize other oil and gas projects with foreign partic ipation.

Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), with a 30% stake, was the operator of Sakhalin-1, a development in Russia’s Far East. The largest U.S. producer has been trying to exit Russia operations since March, days after Moscow’s in vasion of Ukraine. Exxon declined to comment on Friday’s decree.

In April, Exxon took a $4.6 billion impair ment charge for exiting its Russian activities, leaving Sakhalin-1 operation open

for a takeover from a part ner. It also proceeded to re duce oil and gas production volumes and remove per sonnel from the country.

In August, Putin issued the Presidential Decree 520 which Exxon said impedes the company to conclude the exit safely. The produc er then escalated the dis pute and issued a note of difference that could ulti mately end up in an arbi tration process.

Exxon’s head of up stream operations said on Tuesday it was still work ing with its partners on its exit. A transfer of operation to a partner would be a pos itive outcome for Exxon.

The Russian company Rosneft (ROSN.MM) is a partner in the project along with ONGC Videsh (ONVI. NS), the overseas invest

An aerial view shows the Yastreb land rig at Sakhalin-1’s Chaivo field, some 1,000 km north of Yuzhno Sakhalinsk, October 10, 2006. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo

ment arm of India’s ONGC, and Japan’s SODECO.

The decree said the Russian government was

setting up a new Russian limited liability company, which would own the inves tors’ rights, including the

operator’s rights of Exxon Neftegaz Ltd.

It said the foreign part ners should apply to the

government within a month after the new company is set up, to notify it of their agreement to take up shares in the new entity in accor dance with their stakes in the previous company.

The Rosneft subsidiary Sakhalinmorneftegaz-shelf is appointed as the manag er of the new company.

Oil production at the Sakhalin-1 project fell to just 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 220,000 bpd af ter sanctions were imposed on Moscow by Western pow ers over its military cam paign in Ukraine.

Putin also signed a de cree in July seizing full control of Sakhalin-2, an other gas and oil project in the Russian Far East cre ated on the basis of a pro duction-sharing agreement signed in 1990s. (Reuters)

St. Lucia's Governor General revokes appointment of Senate President

TheSt. Lucia Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre on Friday said he had asked the Governor General to revoke the senato rial appointment of attorney Stanley Felix, after he ap peared in court on a charge of perverting the course of justice.

In a brief statement, Pierre said he had been informed that Felix, the President of the Senate,” was formally charged by the po lice under section 376 of the Criminal Code of St. Lucia.

He said as head of the government he “demands the highest levels of profes sionalism and integrity from all public at all times.

“As such, the Governor General, acting in accor dance with the advice of the Prime Minister and pursu ant to section 27 (2) € of the Constitution of St. Lucia…. has been advised to revoke Mr. Felix’s appointment and relieve him of his Senatorial duties in the Upper House of Parliament. His successor will be announced at a sub sequent time,” the statement from the Office of the Prime Minister stated.

Stanley Felix, will re-appear in court on November16, after he was granted EC$15,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) on a charge of perverting the course of justice.

Felix, 59, appeared before Magistrate Bertlyn Reynolds after he was arrested by po lice on Thursday as law en forcement officials continue their investigations into a murder.

According to the charge read out in court, Felix had between 2.00 pm on Thursday, the 21st day of April 2022, and 10.00 am on Sunday, the 24th day of April, 2022 at the Anse La Raye Police Station, west of here “with the intention of

concealing a crime to wit; murder, did attempt to in duce Kyle Alexander aka Kyle Daniel to withhold ev idence of the occurrence of the said crime, which had the tendency to pervert the course of justice, contrary to section 376 of the Criminal Code…of the Revised Laws of St. Lucia 2013”.

As part of the condition for bail, Felix, an attorney, is to report to the police every first Saturday as well as sur render his travel documents.

The main opposition

United Workers Party (UWP) had called for the re moval of Felix as President of the Senate.

“In light of this astound ing development and the sensitivity of the position of President of the Senate, the United Workers Party calls on Prime Minister Philip J Pierre to immediately re lieve Stanley Felix of that po sition in light of the pending charges expected to be laid today.

“The UWP, which lost the last general election here in

July last year, said it viewed the development as “anoth er dark day in the history of St. Lucia, when the country is already battered by an in crease in serious crime, par ticularly robberies and gun related homicides.

“The United Workers Party further urges Prime Minister Philip J Pierre to rid his government of any unsavoury characters and criminal elements within his Cabinet in the interest of this country,” the party said. (CMC)

St. Lucia's Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre

Regional

Chile's Easter Island 'Moai' statues face irreparable damage after wildfire

Anumber of Easter Island's iconic 'Moai' stone statues suffered irreparable damage after a wildfire swept through the island earlier this week, the island's Mayor told Reuters on Friday.

"It's unquantifiable, un measurable, the damage there is, it's irrecoverable," said Pedro Edmunds, Mayor of Easter Island, a territory of Chile. "Because what the fire does is heat the rock and the rock cracks."

He said scientists are go ing to visit the island along side park administrators to evaluate the extent of the damage and determine what can be done.

"I don't know if there's a solution for this," Edmunds said.

A preliminary report re leased by Chile's Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry stated that a wildfire that started on Tuesday swept through more than 60 hect ares (148.26 acres) and dam aged an unknown number of the sacred Moai statues.

The report did not state a cause for the wildfire and said there would be further investigations into the fire and the damage it caused.

The Rano Raraku volca nic crater, which is in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Rapa Nui National Park and where several statues are located, was severely damaged by the fire.

Easter Island, over 2000 miles (3219 km) from the

coast of Chile, recently re opened to tourists on Aug 1 after closing its borders for more than two years due to the coronavirus pandem ic. Carolina Perez, subsec retary of Chile's Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry, said on Twitter that the Government was offering its support to the Mayor, but Edmunds blamed a lack of Government support for the damage. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Bolsonaro ally says Brazil farm sector can adapt to Lula victory

Mexico's economic growth to slow in next few quarters – IMF

Mexico's growth is projected to slow in the next few quar ters, despite the country's fiscal and monetary policy putting it in a good position to navigate global turmoil, the International Monetary Fund said in a statement Friday.

Impacts from the corona virus pandemic and a tur bulent global environment could exacerbate long-stand ing inequality and low growth in Mexico, the IMF said after a mission to the country.

Mexico's interest rate hikes, combined with its neutral fiscal stance in 2022 and 2023, are the appropri ate policy steps to disinflate the economy, the IMF said.

The country is vulner able to a slowdown in US economic growth, the IMF said, which could be offset by speeding up nearshoring, or bringing production from overseas closer to its final sale point.

Mexico's central bank, known as Banxico, has tak en a proactive approach to broad-based inflation by raising interest rates, the IMF said. The bank hiked its key rate last week by 75 basis points to a historic 9.25 per cent.

However, the Fund add ed that taming annual in flation - which steadied at an estimated 8.7 per cent in September - will likely re quire further interest rate hikes. Banxico targets infla

tion at 3 per cent, plus or mi nus one percentage point.

The Fund also judged fis cal measures implemented to mitigate the cost of living as "untargeted."

To strengthen Mexico's fiscal policy, the IMF argued for passing on some fuel costs to consumers to create space in the budget for social safety net programmes.

It also suggested an ad justment to the business strategy of state-run oil com pany Petroleos Mexicanos, one of the most heavily in debted state companies in the world.

Meanwhile, strategies to cushion the blow of higher food prices have so far been "difficult to assess," the IMF said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Jamaica poised to generate record tourism earnings of US$5 billion

Jamaica is poised to gen erate a projected US$5 billion in earnings from tourism for the 2023 calen dar year, based on the cur rent trend in the indus try's out-turns, according to portfolio Minister Edmund Bartlett.

Bartlett said the 2023 revenue inflow projection was based on the fact that come the end of 2022, "we are going to pass US$4 bil lion [in] earnings", describ ing this as "a huge achieve ment for the industry".

said.

Bartlett said the tourism industry is rebounding well from the two-year slump caused by the novel corona virus pandemic and contin ues to experience growth.

T

he leader of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's party and the farm caucus in the Senate said on Friday that the powerful agribusiness sector is pragmatic and will adapt to an eventual victo ry by the incumbent's leftist presidential challenger.

Senator Wellington Fagundes, re-elected on Sunday for Mato Grosso, Brazil's top grain-producing state, told Reuters he hopes Bolsonaro will win re-elec tion. But a win by former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva would not be the end of the world for the farm

industry.

"Farmers will jump into Lula's lap the day after he is elected. They are very prag matic," said Fagundes, who has served Mato Grosso for 20 years in both chambers of Congress.

Fagundes said he be lieves Bolsonaro will cede power without contesting the result of the Oct 30 runoff if Lula wins, playing down the danger of the President's at tacks on Brazil's electronic voting system.

"He attacks the elector al system because he is a provocateur," the senator said of Bolsonaro's baseless

claims that its electronic voting system is vulnerable to fraud.

Lula won the most votes in the first round of the elec tion on Sunday, with 48 per cent support against 43 per cent for Bolsonaro, who outperformed opinion sur veys amid a wave of conser vative sentiment. His progun views and opposition to Indigenous land claims have made him the darling of many farm sector leaders.

Bolsonaro's right-wing Liberal Party emerged from the election as the largest in both chambers of Congress. (Excerpt from Reuters)

UN renews human rights mission in Venezuela

The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday renewed the mandate of its fact-finding mission in Venezuela, an initiative that Caracas has criticized as an aggressive tool for interfer ing in domestic matters.

The renewal of the man date, created in 2019 to as sess alleged human rights violations committed in Venezuela since 2014, was approved by 19 votes to five against and 23 abstentions during a Council session in Geneva. The mission's work will continue for another two years.

Those opposed were Cuba, Bolivia, China, Eritrea and Venezuela it self, whose representative

to the Council, Ambassador Hector Constant Rosales, dubbed the resolution "hos tile."

In September, the third report of the International Independent Fact-Finding Mission for Venezuela (FFM) found that state intel ligence agencies under the helm of President Nicolas Maduro had suppressed the opposition through arbitrary detentions and torture that amounted to crimes against humanity.

The intelligence agencies "made use of sexual and gen der-based violence to torture and humiliate their detain ees" since at least 2014 and "the violations and crimes... continue to this day," the re port said.

The Venezuelan Government said the accu sations in the report were "false and unfounded."

"Through a false report, without the slightest meth odological basis or direct contact with the real situ ation of the country, they intend to keep attacking Venezuelan institutions," the Government said in a statement in September af ter the report was released.

The renewal was a "sign of support for the count less victims of grave hu man rights violations that have been, and continue to be, committed in the coun try," Amnesty's Americas Director Erika Guevara Rosas said on Twitter. (Excerpt from Reuters)

He said the country is also expected to welcome five million visitors in 2024, one year ahead of the initial target timeline.

The Minister was ad dressing day two of the Jamaica Customer Service Association's (JCSA) National Customer Service Week (NCSW) and Service Excellence virtual confer ence on Wednesday.

"We are now seeing [over] the last three or four months of reporting, start ing in June, where we are exceeding arrivals for 2019. Initially, we had set our selves the target of having five million visitors [and] earning US$5 billion over five years. We had set that in 2020 to make it a pro gramme for 2025, [and] we are well down the wicket in that regard," the Minister

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) April to June 2022 Quarterly Report indicates that tourism con tinues to drive the country's post-COVID-19 economic re covery.

The economy grew by 5.7 per cent during the period, relative to the correspond ing period in 2021, with the tourism and hospitality sec tor contributing substantial ly. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Colombia reaches deal to buy land from cattle ranchers

Colombia's Government has reached a deal with cattle farmers to buy 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land, ear marked for poor rural farm ers to push agrarian reform aimed at boosting food pro duction and tackling pover ty, the minister of agricul ture said on Friday.

"We've reached total agreement, this is an his toric act, the third compo nent of the agrarian reform is beginning," Agriculture Minister Cecilia Lopez said in a statement, adding the deal will be signed next week by President Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first leftist lead er.

The cost of the purchase and how it will be financed were not disclosed.

Petro is pushing agrar ian reform to meet part of a peace agreement signed in 2016 between the then Government and the now-de mobilised FARC guerrilla

Cows

group that ended the rebels' participation in Colombia's internal armed conflict, which has run for almost six decades and has left at least 450,000 dead.

Last month, Petro pro posed changing the country's medium-term fiscal frame work to take on internal debt of some 60 trillion pesos ($13 billion) to buy land and sell it to poor farmers affected by violence at below-market prices.

The deal comes amid

a spate of land invasions, which the Government has condemned.

Jose Felix Lafaurie, President of Colombia's Fedegan cattle ranchers as sociation, said the deal was reached in less than a month.

The agrarian reform will also see titles for 600,000 hectares awarded to farmers, while another 125,000 hect ares confiscate from accused drug traffickers will be rent ed, the Agriculture Minister added. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Damaged Moai statues are seen after a wildfire at a local park in Easter Island, Chile, in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters on October 7, 2022

OPEC+ oil output cut shows widening rift between Biden and Saudi royals

The OPEC+ organisation's decision this week to cut oil production despite stiff US opposition has further strained already tense relations between President Joe Biden's White House and Saudi Arabia's royal family, once one of Washington's staunchest Middle East allies, according to interviews with about a dozen Government officials and experts in Washington and the Gulf.

The White House pushed hard to prevent the OPEC output cut, these sources said. Biden hopes to keep US gasoline prices from spiking again ahead of midterm elections in which his Democratic party is struggling to maintain control of the US Congress. Washington also wants to limit Russia's energy revenue during the Ukraine war.

The US Administration lobbied OPEC+ for weeks. In recent days, senior US officials from energy, foreign policy and economic teams urged their foreign counterparts to vote against an output cut, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

Amos Hochstein, Biden's top energy envoy, along with national security official Brett McGurk and the Administration’s special envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking, travelled to Saudi Arabia last month to discuss energy issues, including the OPEC+ decision.

They failed to prevent an output cut, just as Biden did after his own July visit.

US officials "tried to position it as 'us versus Russia,'" said one source briefed on the discussions, telling Saudi officials they needed to make a choice.

That argument failed, the source said, adding that the Saudis said that if the United States wanted more oil on the markets, it should start producing more of its own.

The United States is the world's No 1 oil producer and also its top consumer, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.

"We are concerned first and foremost with the interests of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and then the interests of the countries that trusted us and are members of OPEC and the OPEC + alliance," Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz told Saudi TV Wednesday.

OPEC weighs its interests with "those of the world because we have an interest in supporting the growth of the global economy and providing energy supplies in the best way," he said.

Washington's handling of the Iran nuclear deal and withdrawal of support for a Saudi-led coalition's offensive military operations in Yemen have upset Saudi officials, as have actions against Russia after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

A U.S. push for a price cap on Russian oil is causing uncertainty, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told Bloomberg TV after the OPEC cut, noting the "lack of details and the lack of clarity" about how it will be implemented.

A source briefed by Saudi officials said the kingdom views it as "a non-market price-control mechanism, that could be used by a cartel of consumers against producers."

On Thursday, Biden called the Saudi decision "a disappointment", adding Washington could take further action in the oil market. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Around the World

Libyan authorities find 15 bodies after fire on refugee boat

Libyan rescue work ers have recovered at least 15 bodies found on the coast in Sabratha, including a number burned in a boat and others on the beach, a member of the Red Crescent in the city said.

A spokesman for Libya’s Red Crescent, Tawfik Al Shukri, said on Friday that local authorities had in formed the aid group of bodies washing up onshore after a shipwreck off the country’s western coast.

He said they were re trieved and transported to a hospital, where the remains would be examined to deter mine the cause of death.

A security source in Sabratha, 70km (43 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, also said that the dead peo ple were migrants caught in a dispute between two rival groups of people smugglers

in the northwest city.

Migrants regularly try to cross the Mediterranean from Libya in a desperate

NYC Mayor declares state of emergency amid migrant busing crisis

New York City Mayor Eric Adams de clared a state of emergency on Friday in re sponse to thousands of mi grants bused to the city in recent months from the US southern border in a politi cal dispute over border se curity.

The city expects to spend US$1 billion to manage the influx of the migrants, Adams said in a speech at City Hall. More than 17,000 have arrived in New York since April; an aver age of five or six buses each day since early September, with nine buses pulling into the city on Thursday, said Adams, a Democrat, strain ing the city's homeless shel ter system.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican who is seeking a third term in November's US midterm elections has bused more than 3000 migrants to New York. Adams criticised Abbott for failing to alert city officials when sending migrants to the city, calling

it a "manufactured crisis."

Abbott's moves are part of a high-profile campaign by him and the Republican governors of Florida and Arizona to put a spotlight on record crossings at the USMexico border in the runup to the midterm elections. They argue US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has failed to adequately secure the border.

Abbott has also bused more than 900 people to Chicago, while Texas and Arizona combined have bused over 10,000 migrants to Washington, DC.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is seen as a possible presi dential contender in 2024, recently flew a group of about 50 migrants to the wealthy enclave of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Those aboard the plane have said they were misled.

Democrats have called the moves political stunts and accuse the governors of using people as pawns. (Excerpt from Reuters)

attempt to reach European shores. Sabratha is a ma jor launching point for the mainly Africans making the

dangerous voyage across the Mediterranean.

A video and pictures circulated online showed a burning boat on a beach with dark smoke pour ing from it and what ap peared to be the same ves sel, scorched inside and containing charred human remains. The video and pic tures could not be immedi ately verified.

The cause of the deaths was not immediately clear, nor was it apparent when the fire started.

The International Organisation for Migration said in June that at least 150 migrants departing from Libya were feared to have drowned in the first sixth months of 2022. Crossings typically increase around the middle and late-middle of the year. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Ukraine war: World must act now to stop Russia nuclear threat – Zelensky

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian officials have begun to "prepare their society" for the possible use of nuclear weapons, but added he does not believe Russia is ready to use them.

In an interview with the BBC, President Zelensky de nied having urged strikes on Russia, claiming that an earli er remark had been mistrans lated.

"You must use preventive kicks," he said, referring to sanctions, "not attacks".

In recent weeks, the Ukrainian army has recap tured large swathes of ter ritory in a successful count er-offensive that has forced Russian troops to abandon long-held positions. In what Kyiv describes as Moscow's re sponse to its defeats, President Vladimir Putin has incorpo rated four partially occupied regions of Ukraine.

The annexations, wide ly dismissed as illegal, have raised fears of a possible es calation in the seven-month

war. President Putin and oth er senior Russian officials have suggested that nucle ar weapons - possibly small er, tactical weapons - could be used to defend those areas, al though Western officials say there has been no evidence Moscow is prepared to do so.

Speaking in English at the President's office in Kyiv, President Zelensky said: "They begin to prepare their society. That's very danger ous.

"They are not ready to do it, to use it. But they begin to communicate. They don't know whether they'll use or not use it. I think it's danger ous to even speak about it."

President Zelensky said action was needed now, as Russia's threats were a "risk for the whole planet". Moscow, he claimed, had "made a step already" by occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear pow er plant, Europe's largest nu clear station which President Putin is trying to turn into Russian property. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinian teens in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have shot dead two Palestinian teens in separate inci dents in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has said.

One teen, 14, was shot in the city of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank and another was killed in the village of al-Maz ra’a al-Gharbiyah near

Ramallah, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

The Israeli mili tary said it was conduct ing routine activity near Qalqilya earlier on Friday when a suspect hurled a Molotov cocktail at its forces, who responded with live fire.

The Palestinian WAFA news agency reported that there were confrontations

between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the area.

The 14-year-old was identified as Adel Ibrahim Daoud, who was shot near the Israeli separation bar rier, WAFA reported.

In al-Mazra’a al-Ghar biyah, witnesses said Israeli soldiers opened fire at the residents during confrontations with Israeli settlers, killing a

17-year-old Palestinian and wounding another.

Witnesses identified the 17-year-old as Mahdi Ladadweh and said he was shot in his abdomen, WAFA reported.

The Israeli military said rioters hurled rocks at settlers and Israeli forces, lightly wounding a soldier, and the forces re sponded with riot disper

sal means “in accordance with standard operating procedures”, including live fire.

Both incidents were under review, the spokes person added.

Israel has intensi fied its raids in the occu pied West Bank in recent months following a spate of Palestinian street at tacks that killed 19 people

in its cities and as a gen eral election approaches on November 1.

More than 80 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, have been killed since January, in what the European Commission de scribed as the deadliest year in the occupied West Bank since 2008. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

A group of migrants rescued by volunteers of the Ocean Viking rescue ship, run by NGOs SOS Mediterranee and the International Federation of Red Cross [Jeremias Gonzalez/AP Photo]

HOROSCOPES

You'll be prone to indulgence. Learn to say no, and stop trying to please ev eryone else. It's time to do what's best for you and reap the rewards. Make fit ness and health your priorities.

(March 21-April 19)

You may crave change, but if you ar en't sure, sit tight. Bide your time; enjoy the company of people who offer insight into how to use your skills and talents to get ahead.

(April 20-May 20)

SUDOKU

(May 21-June 20)

A personal change will lift your spirits and motivate you to have fun. Socialize with people who encourage you to explore the things you enjoy and are good at. Make solid plans for the future.

Slow down, savor the moment and adjust your thinking to promote more relaxation. Taking a minimalist attitude will offset excess spending or an unwise investment.

(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22)

Broaden your interests, and you'll make new friends. Attend a reunion or participate in something you believe in, but don't offer monetary assistance -just hands-on help.

Be careful; money will slip through your fingers if you aren't cautious. Don't get involved in ventures that require you to depend on someone else. Focus on what you have to offer and do your part.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Become the driving force, and you'll attract attention and interest. Don't be shy; size up your situation and ask for what you want or the help you need. Personal growth and travel are favored.

You can have fun without going over board. Don't spend too much trying to impress someone. Stick to the basics, and think twice before you get involved in a joint venture or take on the impos sible.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Take a trip, attend a family gath ering or look into something that can broaden your awareness. Be honest with yourself and those you love about work, money and your health. Romance is en couraged.

Temptation will lead you to take on too much. Trying to change or fix some thing will cost you time and money. Slow down, enjoy the moment and spend time with the people you love.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You'll be lucky in love and finance if you use your intelligence when mak ing physical improvements and invest ments. Take the time to figure out the best and cheapest way to get what you want.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Share colorful anecdotes with friends and family, and you'll be the center of attention, but don't stretch the truth or embarrass someone. Kindness and charm will help you avoid trouble.

(Feb. 20-March

Hetmyer headlines strong Berbice team for Senior Male Inter-County tournament

Sterling Products Limited joins U11 football action

…As Courts’ Under-11 Pee-Wee tournament begins today

The much-anticipated return of the Senior Male InterCounty cricket tournament after more than five (5) years’ absence is set for Monday, October 10, when Berbice takes on Demerara at Bourda and Essequibo faces the GCB President’s XI at Everest.

Demerara has named a strong squad, led by Guyana Harpy Eagles captain Leon Johnson, and has a very strong batting line-up on paper, as most of the batsmen have regional experience.

Discarded West Indies opener Chandrapaul Hemraj; fellow opener and in-form batsman Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who has had a stellar year with the bat in this year’s CWI FourDay Championship; talented batsman Tevin Imlach, and experienced Guyana batsman Christopher Barnwell are all expected to put sizeable totals on the board.

Economical left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd is expected to spearhead the bowling department, with support from leg-spinner Steven Sankar, offspinner Richie Looknauth, former West Indies under-19 pacer Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed,m and seamer Qumar Torrington.

Essequibo will be led by the experienced left-arm spinner Antony Adams, a member of the Guyana Harpy Eagles team this year. West Indies pacer Keemo Paul will spearhead the bowling, with support from national pacer Ronsford Beaton and skipper Antony Adams. Talented wicketkeeper/ batsman Kemol Savory will lead the batting department, with support expected from Kevon Boodie and pugnacious left-hander Ricardo Adams.

Boodie is the only Essequibo batsman to have scored a double century in senior intercounty 50-over cricket.

The GCB President’s XI will be led by the aggressive experienced opener Trevon Griffith, who would also lead the batting. Talented and diminutive West Indies under-19 opening batsman Matthew Nandu will

serve as Griffith’s deputy, while he is also expected to give good support with the bat.

Exciting young batsman Marvendra Dindyal, who was one of the two (2) centurions (Rampertab Ramnauth being the other) for Guyana in this year’s CWI Regional Under-19 three-day tournament, former national under-19 batsman Garfield Benjamin, all-rounder Kwesi Mickle and wicketkeeperbatsman Ricardo Peters would make up the batting lineup.

In the bowling department, national senior team standby Shamar Joseph is expected to spearhead the bowling, which includes Guyana’s under-19 leading wicket-taker the offspinner Jonathan Rampersaud, off-spinner Kwesi Mickle, leftarm spinners Akini Adams, Raj Nannan and pacer Joshua Jones will try to make scoring difficult for the batsmen.

Veerasammy Permaul will lead a strong Berbice team which includes West Indies players such as stroke-player Shimron Hetmyer, all-rounder Romario Shepherd, left armspinner Gudakesh Motie and off-spinner Kevin Sinclair.

Hetmyer would be expected

to showcase his class and dominance at this level. He would be well supported by Jonathan Foo, who a few years ago was Guyana’s leading run scorer in the Regional Super50. Talented young batsman Kevlon Anderson, national wicketkeeper-batsman Anthony Bamble, hard hitting all-rounder Romario Shepherd; along with Permaul, the two Sinclairs (Junior and Kevin), Motie and Pestano, are all expected to contribute with the bat.

West Indies opening bowler Romario Shepherd, whom many feel should have been in the World Cup team, will spearhead a very strong and varied bowling attack with national pacers Nial Smith and Pestano, and spinners Permaul, Motie, Kevin Sinclair and Junior Sinclair.

BERBICE SQUAD: Veerasammy Permaul * Kevlon Anderson, Shimron Hetmyer, Rampertab Ramnauth, Jonathon Foo, Anthony Bramble, Jason Sinclair, Romario Shepherd, Clinton Pestano, Junior Sinclair, Kevin Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie, Nial Smith, Demetri Cameron.

reserves: Kelvin Umroa, Seon Glasgow, Nigel Deodat, Eon Hooper, Sylus Tyndall

The Courts’ Under-11 Pee-Wee Football tournament kicks off today, and at the proverbial last minute, Sterling Products Ltd (SPL) took the opportunity to associate their name with this worthy tournament through meaningful sponsorship.

This year will witness the 9th edition of the tournament being played. It is organised by the Petra Organization, which seeks to introduce the sport competitively in schools at the youngest age-group possible.

Twenty-four teams are today set to do battle at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground on Carifesta Avenue, and proceedings commence at 10am with a march-past ceremony. With the teams being sorted into 6 groups of 4 teams, the roundrobin segment could readily commence.

At the Providence, EBD Head Office of Sterling Products Limited on Friday, the company’s Marketing Manager Dellon Lynch gave reasons why Sterling is so eager to jump on board.

“It is indeed an honour for Sterling Products to be part of such an amazing project.

It has a lot to do with the personal development of young boys, which we see as a very important aspect of the initiative,” he explained.

He further stated, “And the fact that Petra has been doing this - this is their ninth yearit shows that they’re doing an important and strategic job, and it shows a lot of value. And so Sterling Products, we stand as strong sponsors, because we believe that Petra, they’re doing something good and they will continue to do it effectively.”

Petra’s Co-Director Troy Mendonca had many words of gratitude for Sterling Products as he underscored the importance of corporate support for the sport.

“I want to express our thanks to the company for seeing the vision, or sharing the vision that we have at Petra, which is to have football played from under-11 throughout to under-18. Thank you once again, Sterling for being on board with us,” Mendonca remarked.

“I think they will enjoy being involved with this programme. We have over 300 kids going to be in one venue

for the next several Saturdays, and it’s definitely providing a platform for them to enjoy themselves through the sport of football,” Mendonca added.

Following today’s marchpast ceremony, Sophia and Victoria Primary schools would be among the first to go headto-head in the 2022 Pee-Wee tournament. Colaaco Primary would also lock horns with Winfer Gardens Primary.

St. Agnes Primary were the last school to champion the tournament in 2019, before the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Pakistan to launch The Women’s League in March 2023

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that it would launch a new Twenty20 tournament, called The Women’s League, in March 2023.

This league would run from March 3-18, and involve four city-based teams which would be building squads of 12 local and six overseas players.

There will be 12 league matches, and a final which will take place the day before the Pakistan Super League final, and all games would be played in Rawalpindi.

This league could clash with the first edition of the Women’s Indian Premier League.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja has said: “I am delighted to announce The Women’s League. This league will attract young women cricketers to this great sport, and help our current players further enhance their skills when they will get to share dug-outs with the overseas players.

“The league will feature present and past trailblazers in women’s cricket, in what promises to be an exciting

13-match event. This event is aligned to our strategy of making Pakistan a stronger cricket-playing nation across all formats and genders.”

All of the matches would be broadcast live, and some will take place before games in the Pakistan Super League, the country’s male T20 franchise league.

Pakistan are currently ranked sixth in the International Cricket Council’s Twenty20 standings, and have never made it out of the group stages at a global tournament. (BBC Sport)

Sterling’s Marketing Manager Dellon Lynch making a presentation to Petra’s Co- Director Troy Mendonca

Warner, David, Starc shine in convincing Australia win

-Joseph bowls well, but target never under threat

David fires, rest of mid dle order not so much

It was an innings of con trasts from Australia. While Warner motored, Finch stut tered with an ungainly 15 off 19 balls. Then as David lit up the latter part of the in nings, life was much harder for Steven Smith, who man aged 17 off 16 deliveries. To add to that was Maxwell's run

of an eye.

Over-rate issues

West Indies were so slow that they had to have an extra fielder inside the ring for the final two overs. But they con tended with it well, the last two overs going for 16 runs, as Australia didn't quite pull off the ideal finish.

After David's dismissal, Australia made just 21 runs off the last 19 deliveries. A major factor in that good fin ish from West Indies was Alzarri Joseph, who went for 11 in his last two overs as he completed an impressive pair of outings early in the tour.

power in the latter stages, be fore the West Indies' chase struggled to build a consistent tempo, then faded away.

Warner and Aaron Finch, who this time batted at#3, added 85 for the second wick et, to which Finch contributed 15. A brief wobble, in which three wickets fell for five runs, was then righted by David, who struck at over 200.

Brandon King was the most assured of the West Indies' top order, but when he charged at Adam Zampa and missed, no one else threat ened to take the chase on. Mitchell Starc topped and tailed the innings to take a ca reer-best 4 for 20.

West Indies now con tinue their preparations with two official warm-up matches against UAE and Netherlands, while Australia - minus their first-choice bowlers and Glenn Maxwellhead to Perth to face England before two more games in Canberra.

Warner goes it alone

It wasn't so much Australia against West Indies early on as it was Warner

against West Indies. Of the 45 runs scored in the pow erplay, Warner made 37. Of the 96 on record when he was dismissed, he had made 75. His first six was a sweep off Jason Holder's slower ball, and the timing was impecca ble throughout, and his last six was a straight drive off Obed McCoy, considered among the best of his strokes.

Given the way he dominated the scoring, and

out, which ultimately looked his error, albeit Smith had started to come, and it meant another short stay.

Maxwell's lack of re cent runs makes it a lit tle curious that he is miss ing the next game in Perth. However, David did what he has done so many times

Australia were also slow, and had to bowl their last over with five persons inside the ring. Neither team faced se vere consequences for this er ror tonight, but they may not be so lucky at the World Cup.

Can West Indies find the batting balance?

The powerplay scores of both teams were identical: 45 for 1. So it may seem harsh to single out West Indies, but the 24 dot balls they faced in the first six suggested there were a few runs left unscored.

Australia

Johnson Charles.

Another Gabba special from Starc

It didn't quite have the same impact or feeling as the first ball he bowled in the Ashes to Rory Burns, but Starc again did something special in his first over at the Gabba.

After Kyle Mayers, who played a shot for the ages at Metricon Stadium, had pro

duced a wonderful straight drive for six, Starc somehow managed to grab hold of a fiercely-struck straight drive in front of his shin. It was a good evening for Starc, who also claimed the key wick ets of Nicholas Pooran and Holder, as West Indies nev er really threatened to chase the target. They have work to do before their World Cup be gins. (ESPN Cricinfo)

West Indies

Joseph

Yannic Cariah

Extras (b 5, lb 2, w 4) 11

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Mayers

because the innings was only just past the halfway mark, speculation was rife about what could be possible when he was caught and bowled by Odean Smith.

around the world in recent times - leather the ball into the stands with awesome power. And again he gave himself a little bit of time: 12 off 10 balls became 42 off 20 in the blink

faced 18 in the same period.

The batters are still try ing to find touch after a long journey, but there was a sig nificant amount of swinging and missing, especially from

PSG's Mbappe beats Messi and Ronaldo to top of Forbes rich list

BOWLING

Paris

St Germain for ward Kylian Mbappe has emerged as the world's highest paid soccer player, according to Forbes magazine. It is the first time in eight years that a play er other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the list.

Mbappe, 23, is estimat ed to earn $128 million for the 2022-23 season, before agents' fees. This is a record for Forbes' annual rankings, with PSG team mate Messi placing second at $120 million, and Manchester United's Ronaldo occupying third spot with $100 million.

PSG's Neymar ($87 mil lion) and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah ($53 mil lion) rounded off the top five.

Erling Haaland, who has made a blistering start to his Manchester City ca reer after joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in the close season, has made his debut in the top 10 with earnings of $39 million.

The rise of Frenchman Mbappe and Norwegian Haaland, the only players un der the age of 30 on the list, signals a shift in the global game, the Forbes report has said, as Messi and Ronaldo each edge closer to the end of their glorious careers.

In total, the 10 highest paid soccer players are ex pected to collect record earn ings worth $652 million this season, up 11% from last year's $585 million.

Warner was named “player of the match” and “player of the series”

Joseph claimed three wickets

Smith is cleaned up by Starc

Paris

Germain's Kylian

2022 Suriname Open golf tournament tees off today

B y T imo T hy J aikarran in S uriname

The 2022 Suriname Open golf tourna ment commences to day at the Paramaribo Golf Course, and 25 golfers are representing Guyana at this regional tournament, which would also see ac tion tomorrow. Guyanese golfers would be seeking to dominate their Surinamese counterparts in this tour ney.

The Guyanese team

ry, and their spirits were lifted when they saw the Paramaribo Golf Club in its pristine glory. LGC Vice President Paton George was asked for a comment, and he said he is confident the Guyanese golfers would emerge victorious.

Of the tournament, he said: “It feels good! I have some things to work out, but hopefully, tomorrow we can come and work those things out. But it feels good, I am happy to be back at the Paramaribo Golf

explained that while he is not one to brag, he is ex tremely confident that the team can walk away with the Suriname Open title. He detailed that the team comprises back-to-back Guyana Open winners, and he confessed that he would not be honest if he did not say he thinks the trophy would be coming back to Guyana.

levels.

London in particular, he said, is the defending Guyana Open female cham pion, and based on what he had seen from the last time he was at the course, London would be the top fe male golfer at this competi tion this year.

travelled to neighbour ing Suriname via fer

Club.”

Giving his take on the contingent, George also

The Guyana squad also consists of two fe males: Eureka Giddings and Shanella London, and George has said these two ladies are not just two fe male golfers, but one is a middle handicap golfer and the other is a low handicap golfer; meaning that they are doing very well at their

West Indies to visit South Africa for

His assessment is based on the practice session alone, George has said. While the practice area is a bit chipped, it is still in good condition, he offered.

“With the course condi tion, I expect the course to play fast, and the greens to play fast as well. It will be the same challenge for everyone. I expect a chal lenging course, but a great course,” George has shared.

Urban Benjamin Memorial Cycle Race set for October 9 in Region 2

The annual Urban Benjamin Memorial Cycle Race is set for staging on Sunday, October 9, in Essequibo. The race will start at Charity and proceed to Supenaam, before returning to Charity for the finish.

This race, a collaborative effort with KFC Team Evolution and Conrad Gomes, will see the top rider in the senior catego ry bagging an ounce of gold, while the sec ond-placed rider would be rewarded with $105,000 in cash. The third-placed winner will be rewarded with $80,000.

A total of six finishers in the senior cate gory would be rewarded, while the top three juniors, veterans under-50, veter ans over-50 and ladies would as well be rewarded.

West Indies Men will travel to South Africa in February 2023 for an all-format tour which would feature two Tests, three One-Day Internationals, and three T20 Internationals.

The first match of the two-match Test Series will be played at SuperSport Park in Centurion from 28 February to 4 March, and would be fol lowed by the second Test at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg from 8–12 March. This series will be the final round of match es in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

The first two matches in the three-match ODI Series would be played at Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on 16 March and 18 March, before the series wraps up at the JB Marks Oval in

Potchefstroom on 21 March.

The first two match es of the three KFC T20Is would be contested at the SuperSport Park on 25 March and 26 March, and the last match would be played at the Wanderers ground on 28 March.

The last West Indies tour of South Africa was an all-format series played from December 2014 to January 2015, during which Kraigg Brathwaite had made a breakthrough Test century at the St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth. In the T20Is, West Indies had a famous win, when they made 236-6 to win at the Wanderers. The series had also featured an histor ic century by AB de Villiers, which came off just 31 balls.

FULL TOUR SCHEDULE 21 to 24 February: WI vs

South Africa Invitational XI

at Willowmoore Park, Benoni

28 February to 4 March: 1st Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion

8-12 March: 2nd Test at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Thursday, 16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night) Saturday, 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night) Tuesday, 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom

Saturday, 25 March: 1st T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion Sunday, 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion Tuesday, 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)

Five sprint prizes each worth $5000 each would be up for grabs.

The top junior cyclist would be rewarded with half an ounce of gold, while the junior placing second would be rewarded with $50,000. The top veteran U-50 would also receive half an ounce of gold, while the top veteran over50 would be rewarded with $50,000. The top female cyclist would be re warded with $35,000.

Top racers Jamual John, Briton John, Romello Crawford, Andre "Padlock" Green and the Team Evolution boys: Paul De Nobrega, Christopher Griffith and Curtis Dey, would be hot contenders for the prizes on of fer.

Registration for this race will be held today, Saturday October 8, from 13:00h.

-

Patton George confident in ability of Guyanese contingent

The golfers examining the course

LGC VP Paton George practising his swing

The list of golfers to represent Guyana

Christopher Griffith

West Indies Test skipper Kraigg Brathwaite had made a Test hundred in South Africa