Guyana Times - Sunday September 26, 2021

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Agnela Patil’s Namaste Yoga beckons healthier lifestyle for Guyanese Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4782 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

President Ali, VP Jagdeo support EPA’s decision to bypass EIA for new DHB − say high-span bridge likely to have less impact than current floating one Page 3

Venezuela Govt, Opposition talks derailed after Page 27 Gov’t no-show

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Local content in oil and gas sector is top priority for PPP/C Govt − acting P28 President ...says structured policy will ensure Guyanese benefit

New water treatment plant for Corentyne – Minister Rodrigues P28

...tells Berbicians housing programme will be expanded

− in wake of Pres Ali's rebuttal of Venezuelan tactics at CELAC, UNGA North West Secondary School fire

CXC results to "We will rebuild be released better and stronger" on October 14 Page 32

– Education Minister

Page 33

…NGSA to follow on October 15

5 more unvaccinated patients succumb to COVID − 211 new cases detected in 24h Page 31

Pedestrian P27 crushed by truck at Eccles traffic light 4 juvenile P7 offenders who escaped from Holding Centre recaptured 12-year-old girl hospitalised after relative gave her drugs, alcoholP38

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, September 26 – 09:00h-10:30h and Monday, September 27 – 09:30h-11:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, September 26 – 07:10h-08:40h and Monday, September 27 – 07:50h-09:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected during the day, with clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 07:20h and 19:30h reaching maximum heights of 2.46 metres and 2.47 metres.

Low Tide: 13:07h reaching a minimum height of 0.82 metre.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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President Ali, VP Jagdeo support EPA’s decision to bypass EIA for new DHB — say high-span bridge likely to have less impact than current floating one

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resident Dr Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo have both supported the move by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to bypass an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the new Demerara Harbour Bridge project.

In a public notice published last month, the EPA said it screened the environment permit application for the new bridge across the Demerara River and determined that it would not significantly affect the environment, hence it was exempted from conducting an EIA as outlined in Section 11 of the Environmental Protection Act. However, EPA’s Executive Director Kemraj Parsram had explained that an Environmental Assessment and Management Plan will have to be done instead.

When asked about their views on this decision during a press conference in New York on Friday, both President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo supported the move. According to Ali, at face value the proposed new bridge would be an environmental improvement on the current one.

“So you have a Demerara Harbour Bridge there now that is a floating bridge; that, of course, and this is in my own analysis that I’m giving you now, even without looking at the technical report, you have a floating bridge that affects flow, that affects the sea bed and everything and is a big part of siltation,” President Ali said.

“And you have a (new) bridge now that is a highspan bridge, that does not have anything to do with the flow of water and so on. So, it’s actually an improvement. In my analysis, it is an improvement from an environmental perspective, from a marine life perspective. It’s an improvement from where we are to where we’re going,” the President also said.

Jagdeo meanwhile not only agreed with the President, but also went on to call out the selective criticism of the work of the EPA, highlighting instances in the past where decisions were made that had significant impacts on the environment.

“What bothers me a lot is this newfound vigilance about Environmental Impact Assessments. We had an EPA that presided over issuing some of the worst work permits in the

President Dr Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

past. And we had nothing to say about it. For Liza 1 and Liza 2,” the Vice President said.

“A 25-year environmental permit was given to Exxon when the law says only five years you should give an environmental permit for. So, the EPA has credible explanations, Mr President, I don’t think we have to do that,” Jagdeo also said.

The Public Works Ministry launched the bid documents for the new Demerara River bridge in April. The contract for the much-anticipated new Demerara River crossing is expected to be awarded and signed by the end of this year.

The new bridge across the Demerara River will be a high-fixed span with a 50-metre flyover at minimum or “as high as, or higher than, the Marriott Hotel” to allow for marine vessels to pass without any interruption to vehicular traffic.

As such, the bridge would land aback Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara, from where an alternative highway would be constructed all the way to Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

The new bridge is expected to be completed in two years from the date of the commencement order.

Its construction will be timely, as the East Bank is notorious for its heavy traffic congestion due to the current retractable bridge.

Floating at 1.25 miles, the current Demerara Harbour Bridge is a strategic link between the East and West Banks of Demerara, facilitating the daily movement of thousands of vehicles, people, and cargo.

The structure was built in the 1970s and was opened in July 1978 with the expectation of lasting only 10 years. However, some 43 years later, the bridge is still floating and being kept alive by maintenance works.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

The President at the UN

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resident Irfaan Ali passed with flying colours that now obligatory test of modern world leaders at his first appearance at the UN General Assembly debate last week. While to some extent the event is symbolic, politics whether domestic or international - thrives on symbolism.

And in sharing the space in meetings with his peers from so many other countries, and with global institutions like the OAS and the IDB, President Ali was able to make the connections that are so vital in a globalised world.

Take his meeting with the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo. President Ali had already met him as a member of the Opposition when the former leader visited Guyana in June 2019 on a State Visit. At that juncture, the PNC-as-APNU in Government had attempted to sway the mind of a leader of a country with long historical linkages to our people and country.

A large percentage of our population - including our National Hero Cuffy/Kofi - originated from the Ghanaian Akan tribe. More recently, President Jagan, when he was a student in the US, met Ghana’s First-President-to-be, Nkrumah, in Harlem, and attended Ghana’s independence celebrations in 1957. Nkrumah sent his personal emissary, Professor Abraham, to Guyana in 1964 in an attempt to convince Burnham to accept Jagan’s offer of a coalition to thwart the neo-colonial (Nkrumah’s words) “independence” imposition. The effort failed due to Burnham’s intransigence.

President Ali also participated with President AkufoAddo in the first African Union-Caricom Summit earlier this month. On the UN sidelines, the two Presidents had been able to discuss more concretely - or arranged to have their personnel meet later - the exploitation of their offshore oil resources, which are part of the same geological formation. For instance, Ghana’s experience with using the natural gas from their fields to fire their power generating plants and also to convert to LNG can be very useful, since they are a decade ahead of us.

Just as pertinently, Ghana’s politics can be an object lesson for us to understand that ethnic politics has very similar dynamics, even though that country’s populace is all of the same “race”. In Ghana, there is an Akan/non-Akan divide. In Guyana, the question can be asked after viewing the Ghanaian example, “What’s race got to do with it?” Since their historical “free and fair” elections of 1992, Ghana has attempted many of the innovations floated in Guyana to deal with their ethnic challenges. As one study concluded, “Ghana has demonstrated that national constitutions must provide the bedrock for establishing independent electoral bodies free to adopt innovative ideas in the management of the electoral process.”

In the ultimate multilateral forum, President Ali was able to present Guyana’s position on Venezuela’s latest outrageous rejection of the UN process, which resulted in the Venezuelan border controversy being sent to the ICJ/ World Court. Speaking after Venezuela, President Ali was able to counter Maduro’s specious argument. It probably led to Maduro’s team not showing up in Mexico for second round of talks with the Guaido Opposition, mediated by Norway.

President Ali also utilised the opportunity to connect with the large Guyanese diaspora in NY - popularly known as “Region 11”, in a wry acknowledgement of the size of that community. In a series of non-stop meetings during and following his meetings with world leaders, the young leader displayed the incredible stamina that he has become known for in Guyana since his ascendancy to the Presidency last Aug 2nd. Noticeably present was his Foreign Secretary, who has been attempting to mobilise the diaspora to play a more significant role in the development of their home country, as other countries ranging from Jamaica to China have done. Hopefully, he will build on the momentum generated by the President to bring home the bacon this time.

All in all, it was a very successful first outing for President Ali on the world stage.

US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch hosted a reception on Friday evening to celebrate an exhibition of American and Guyanese art. In photo are three pieces that were on display at the event. They are Merlene Ellis’ “Jazz in the Park” & “Guyana Birds”along with Aiesha Scotland’s “Growth”

Guyana is on the move: just tell the truth

Dear Editor, After meeting several Heads of Government in New York City during (September 21-23, 2021) the 76th Session of UN General Assembly, President Dr Irfaan Ali, and Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo squeezed in time to meet with several diaspora groups, including at the Hilton Hotel in Jamaica, Queens on Friday September 24, 2021.

All the interactive meetings were fully attended. A major theme of the sessions was the dire need to tell the truth about Guyana's progress. In the first session of September 24th, President Dr Irfaan Ali and Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, along with Foreign Secretary Robert M Persaud met with business leaders; at the second session, they met with religious leaders of the Hindu, Muslim, and Christian faiths; and at the third session, they met with political enthusiasts and commentators.

The PPPC leadership team also emphasised the need for Guyanese to be involved in the shaping of a new Guyana. Those with skills-set, those with financial resources, as well as others (retirees) were exhorted to return to Guyana to become part of the country's development thrust.

The leadership was pellucid: Guyana’s future development does not depend on oil alone. “We are pushing aggressively for a diversified economy with oil revenues helping to facilitate this process. The nonoil sectors’ growth has been good so far at 7%,” said President Ali. The Head of State also

stated that Guyana’s position on food security has been restored after languishing from 2015 to 2020, and that agriculture expansion is not only generating exciting economic activities, but also improving confidence in food security.

The President said that Caricom has determined to reduce food imports by 25%, and that Guyana could play a key role to offset the reduction.

The Vice President touched upon the lies, contrived information, and deception being spewed by Opposition elements, whose most powerful tool of political mobilisation is racism.

Dr Jagdeo said that when the Guyana Government required visas for Haitians entering the country, such a policy was deemed racist by the Opposition, notwithstanding that other CARICOM countries have a similar visa requirement for Haitians. He then asked rhetorically, “Would they deem President Biden’s deportation of hundreds of Haitians as racist?”

The Vice President insisted that available data does not support any of the Opposition’s outlandish claims. “Afro-Guyanese have made the greatest progress under the PPPC governance,” explained the VP. The evidence is reflected in the allocation of jobs, housing, scholarships, house lots, housing, land, etc. As an example, in the housing sector, the VP pointed out that in Linden (Region 10, a PNCR stronghold), the two major housing projects there were accomplished under the PPPC's governance.

Dr Jagdeo beseeched

Guyanese to tell and report the truth. “We are not asking you to support or to defend the PPPC, but to speak the truth."

When asked about the controversy with Venezuela, President Ali said there is no controversy. It is Venezuela which has raised a claim that was already settled. He stated that the matter is before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for consideration. On this issue, Dr Jagdeo raised an important point of historical significance. When he, as Guyana's President, decided to take the maritime dispute between Guyana and Suriname to the ICJ for adjudication, the Opposition PNCR leader joined with the Surinamese Opposition Leader to denounce that move. The VP emphatically stated that the PPPC, whether in Government or in Opposition, always support and defend a unified policy on Guyana's territorial integrity.

When asked about electoral reforms in the wake of the daring attempt to stage an electoral coup d'état in 2020, the VP explained that it is difficult to legislate behaviour. It was the technical professional staff at GECOM that were key players in the attempted electoral heist.

He also cited the PNCR’s ignoring of important constitutional provisions (such as illegally appointing a GECOM Chair and the PNCR’s refusal to adhere to the No Confidence Motion) as examples of a concerted effort to rig the 2020 elections. Nevertheless, the PPPC will propose legislation in the hope of blocking

loopholes and preventing further electoral mischief.

On the issue of crime, Dr Ali emphasized, “One crime committed is one crime too much.” As part of the Government’s efforts to improve policing, it will also install cameras on streets as well as body cameras on Police officers, among other measures.

Dr Vishnu Bisram drew the attention of the Guyana leadership team and the audience to the case of popular singer Rita Persaud who was killed in a car crash, but the assailant could not be traced for over 9 months.

In the audience were the two NYPD officers who made the arrest of the suspect on Thursday November 23, 2021.

Jennifer Rajkumar, the first Asian to be elected to the New York State Assembly (representing NYC Assembly District 38), showered praises on the two officers and colleagues of NYPD for their good detective work in apprehending the suspect.

President Ali also commended the NYPD for bringing the suspect to justice, and further suggested a collaboration between the NYPD and the Guyana Police Force.

The audience was happy with the outcome of the meetings, and showed their deep appreciation by giving citations to the President, the VP, and the Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud.

Citations were also given to Foreign Minister Hugh Todd and Guyana's Ambassador to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.

Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

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

Get the work done, Registrar General; stop giving excuses Dear Editor, Under the caption “Frustrated with birth certificate department of GPO”, published by Stabroek News on September 22nd, and the reply published under the caption “Persons with complaints/queries can also reach GRO via social media”, published on September 24 in the Guyana Chronicle, the reactive nature of the Registrar General of the General Register Office (GRO), Mr. Raymon

Cummings, is shown, instead of being proactive and solutions-oriented.

As an imam of Meten Meer Zorg (East) masjid, this issue with the GRO is not an isolated case, since scores of pandits and imams can testify to the poor service being offered since February, 2021.

If Mr Cummings wishes to deny this, then he can host a press conference with the media and send out a general invite for the marriage officers, specifically imams and pandits, to

It is time we restore the Georgetown Cricket Club

Dear Editor, Permit me a space in the letters column to voice my concern about the state of the Georgetown Cricket Club and the management, or should I say the lack thereof.

Since His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali and other Caribbean leaders have voiced their concern about the state of West Indies cricket, I felt it the opportune time to raise the following issues in the hope that same sort of change is achieved.

Let me start by commending the Government of Guyana for efforts in furthering sports in Guyana, particularly cricket, by giving subsidies to clubs across the country to enhance grounds, etc. As a result of this initiative, the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) got $2M from the Government of Guyana.

However, if one were to visit the ground, it is visible that the club is in a terrible state.

In fact, the doors and seating, the buildings, are falling apart.

This begs the question: What use was made of the subsidy?

Editor, it’s a well-known fact that clubs garner funds from various sources, a primary source being dues paid yearly by club members. However, GCC has not had a “ballot” in over 18 months.

For those readers who are unfamiliar with the term “ballot”, this is the process of vetting, deliberating on the entry of new members. In my respectful view, allowing new members into the club increases revenue for the club to enable its upkeep and maintenance. Therefore, 18 months of no “ballot” is significance lost to the club, since there are tons of persons who are awaiting admission to the club.

Further, the Executive Members and/or Committee Members are rarely seen or rarely ever present at the club. In my view, this is a significant contributory factor to the myriad of problems facing the club currently. The President of the club is rarely ever there, and rarely looks after the club’s interests. This is

just one example of the terrible leadership that has befallen this once prestigious organisation.

As a result of the President and Executive Members’ lack of interest in the club, the manager runs the organisation as his private business.

Many members are upset at the current state of affairs.

The basic services the club offers are terrible, and persons are more often than not disgusted with it.

Notably, the President and Executive Members of the club are all successful businessmen and women. Clearly, if they were committed to the interests of the club like they are to their various businesses, the club would be successful, and not in the derelict state that it is in currently.

Editor, I must mention that due to the pandemic, I do not expect that the club would be reckless and hold massive events to raise funds, etc.

However, I recently visited the Everest Cricket and a few other clubs, in Georgetown and some on the East Coast, and these clubs are all flourishing. These clubs have: increased their membership; increased their complement of sports offered to members, thus attracting persons from all backgrounds; erected lights; been doing repairs and improvement to their various club buildings and other facilities.

Therefore, I do not buy the excuse of “…oh, it’s COVID time, that’s why we are in this position…”

It is my hope that by penning this missive, more persons would come on board and speak up for a change in the state of affairs at GCC. It is time we have new leadership; leaders who genuinely care and want to effect change and carry on the legacy of the organisation.

It is time we restore this club to its once prestigious position, and to do this, we must first get rid of the bad leaders currently just filling positions in the decision-making seats.

Yours faithfully, Rawle Nichols

attend and question him at that event. I will personally attend and gather many of the persons affected.

In giving an example, a foreigner wanted to get married, and when he applied for the marriage licence, he was asked to provide proof of his legal status in the country. This foreigner, by the way, is employed as a doctor by the Ministry of Health.

I visited Mr Cummings’s office on several occasions, and have not been able to see him. He is not

a Government Minister or the President, and if he (were), I can only imagine we would have had to wait the entire term in office for him to get something done.

The person holding the position of Registrar General should be neutral and pro-active. Issues with birth certificates and marriage certificates are in the thousands, and the only excuse he can rely on surrounds the COVID-19 protocols, but the President and Government officials are getting things done on

the ground while he sits in an office giving excuse after excuse on why his work cannot be completed.

The GRO needs a more motivating and inspiring management style for the future that awaits Guyana.

These types of excuses being put forwarded are for a bygone era, imagine the Tourism Ministry trying to promote wedding tourism with such atrocious service.

I personally know many persons who have not been responded to via the GRO

social media and WhatsApp platforms provided.

I am penning this letter for all and sundry to know that all is not well at the GRO, and some investigations should be done on the production and workload of the departments that are placed there in service of all applicants. Stop giving excuses and find solutions; that is what you are being paid to do. Stop being a white elephant.

Sincerely, Imam Halim Khan

Should anti-vaxxers who catch COVID jump the line for treatment ahead of heart and cancer patients?

Dear Editor, Just after Judge Fidela Corbin-Lincoln whacked the PNC unions for their lawsuit opposing vaccinations, Mr. Lincoln Lewis said, “The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), which have a case before the High Court on the Government’s vaccination mandate, (are) not opposed to persons who are eligible for, and desire to take, the vaccine, from doing so.”

Not to be outdone, the GTU said “it wishes to disassociate itself from the recent ‘Priya is a Wild Hog’ jingle, which hurls derogatory remarks at the sitting Minister

of Education.

“We are of the view that political figures have taken this to another level.”

The GTU and other PNC unions must be vigilant that anti-nationalist political motivations do not hijack the union’s improvement agenda. At a time of grave national emergency, they betrayed their mission and played politics with our national safety and security. They chose to “stick it to the PPP.” In my view, if the unions were truly for vaccines, they would not have filed frivolous, unwinnable lawsuits similar to what happened during the 5 months of election rigging. The unions would have been in the forefront, encouraging vaccina-

tion and hosting vaccination sites, not fuelling protests.

They did not really support vaccinations.

The unions have wasted the workers’ money on lawsuits, and those who followed them and missed work should ask their unions for reimbursement for loss of pay. Their actions harm the economy, and these unions would soon be asking for salary increases and benefits.

But the damage has been done. Now the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised against travel to Guyana, stating that even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.

The CDC placed Guyana

on the highest COVID-19 travel health notice level, that is, Level Four. This means the CDC believes that travel to the country should be avoided due to the current surge in COVID-19 infections. It stated, “If you must travel to Guyana, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.”

So, nation, if someone persistently refuses to be vaccinated and contracts the virus, should that person be allowed to jump the line ahead of someone with a heart condition, cancer, or similar chronic condition?

Or should the COVID victim wait in the line like everybody else? What do you say?

Sincerely, Dr Jerry Jailall

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Feature

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he first thing that we must decide upon is whether there in fact exists a problem during the giving-birth period (parturition). What are some of the more common signs that should tell us that all is not going right? i. Contractions have begun (labour), and 2-3 hours later, she is still pressing with great effort without a puppy/kitten being born.

Further assistance during abnormal parturition one must be sure that she had conceived more than one pup/kitten. Your prior visits to the vet would have determined this. v. Some animals display great fear and anxiety, even restlessness, (especially if this is the first pregnancy). vi. Some mothers-tobe show great lethargy. In some cases, the mother has no strength to stand up. She urinates and defecates right

orld Habitat Day is celebrated annually on the first Monday in October. The day is recognised by the United Nations to reflect on the state or condition of towns and cities, and promote the basic right to adequate shelter or housing for all. High population density, coupled with poor building techniques, only results in a chaotic situation and

the vulva and anal area. You may use soap. ii.

Please insert your cleansed index finger into the vagina and try to ascertain what is going on in there: whether the head is stuck,

ii. Dark green fluid (sometimes tinged with blood) exudes from the vagina, but the first puppy/kitten has not been expelled. Please note that the presence of the dark green fluid is normal after the first pup is born. iii. The 'water bag' (amniotic sac) bursts (golden fluid appears), but no pup/kitten is born after 30 minutes have elapsed. iv. After the first birth, no other puppy/kitten appears. In fact, she may cease to press (does not show labour contractions). Of course,

slowing rotate the head in such a way that it is aligned with the birth canal. iv. Similarly, if the leg (hind or front) is stuck behind, try to pull it forward into the birth canal. v. Always use one hand to lift the mother’s pelvic area, while you digitally feel the pup/kitten, via the vagina, with the other hand.

As I had mentioned previously, my objective is not

there where she is lying down.

What can you do?

Obviously, the first step is to contact your veterinarian, if you feel there is a problem developing. It is better to involve the vet than to be confronted with a serious (perhaps even lethal) problem later on. If you have to intervene, please ensure that you follow this advice: i. Wash (with water that has been boiled and treated with an antiseptic)

W

WORLD HABITAT DAY

or the rump is coming first, or one leg is left behind, or the head is twisted to one side, etc. iii. If the head is deviated, place your index finger in the pup/kitten mouth and

to turn the caregiver into a pet midwife. However, if the absolute necessity arises, even while one tries to contact his/her vet, the pet owner may have to literally take matters into his/her hands.

enormous loss of lives.

World Habitat Day aims to remind people across the world that they have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of towns and cities. The basic idea is to remind the world of the effects of urbanisation and its collective responsibility for the future of human habitat.

For this year’s celebration, on October 4, the United Nations General Assembly will continue its focus on our habitat with the theme, “Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world”. This focus is timely, given the rapid increase in urban cities. Attention must also be given to the increase in slums, often found on the outskirts of these urban cities. In comparison to the cities, basic necessities such as housing, shelter, potable water and food are nonexistent in these slums. Moreover, in this new paradigm of COVID-19, the living standards are seen as even more deplorable, with limited access to health care and even basic medical drugs. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on these communities cannot be fully comprehended.

Environmental impacts of overcrowding in cities * Concentrated energy use leads to greater air pollution, with significant impacts on human health. * Automobile exhausts produce elevated levels of lead in urban air; the world has since moved to phase out lead in gasoline, with Algeria being the last country to report empty reserves of leaded gasoline. * Large volumes of uncollected waste create multiple health hazards, particularly during periods of flooding. * Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards, such as flash flooding. * Pollution and physical barriers to root growth promote loss of urban tree cover. * Animal populations are inhibited by toxic substances, vehicles, and the loss of habitat and food sources.

Solutions * Reduce air pollution by upgrading energy use and alternative transport systems. * Create private-public partnerships to provide services such as waste disposal and housing. * Plant trees and incorporate the care of city green spaces as a key element in urban planning.

The approach taken by the UN, really spelt out in this year’s theme, aligns with its Sustainable Developments Goal 11- Sustainable Cities and Communities. However, this can be achieved only when people from all facets of life begin to take responsibility for the areas which they inhabit. These include national, regional and local governments and organisations, communities, academic institutions, the Private Sector and all relevant stakeholders working together to create sustainable, carbon-neutral, inclusive cities and towns upon which the future of our planet depends.

Sources https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/ urban-threats https://unhabitat.org/events/world-habitat-day-2021 You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana one of few countries taxing oil companies for flaring – VP Jagdeo ...says PPP Govt has proven environmental track record in oil & gas

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ointing to Guyana’s status as one of the few countries in the world to have established a tax on oil companies for every ton of gas flared, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has made it clear that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government already has an environmental track record.

During a press conference in New York during the week of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Vice President responded to questions from the media on whether the government has had discussions with oil giant ExxonMobil about its flaring.

In his response, Jagdeo pointed out that Guyana is one of the few countries who have set up a tax for oil companies whenever they flare outside of the commissioning period. According to Jagdeo, the administration is a firm believer in no flaring.

But when they entered office, it was to find that the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) government had left very deficient environmental permits for the Liza one and two de-

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

velopments, which did little to safeguard the environment.

“So, we set about, in that short period of time, to fundamentally change the environmental issues surrounding the development of the gas fields. So, in the new environmental permit that was issued, we have now introduced a tax for flaring that was not there before,” Jagdeo said.

“And we have now established that beyond the commissioning period, any flaring that is done will be taxed US$45 per metric ton of carbon emitted. Very few countries in the world managing an oil and gas industry have

such a tax based on carbon emissions. And there’s a second component to the fine, that we will also receive payment for our share of the gas flared.”

He noted that they also made adjustments to the permit that ensured ExxonMobil would handle its waste from cradle to grave, that is, the harmful by products of their oil and gas production from start to finish.

“In many countries, the waste is left by oil companies to handle after their gone. In the new environmental permit, Exxon would be responsible for handling all of that, cradle to grave management of waste, including through their subcontractors. The third component we introduced in the Payara work permit was to manage and treat waste water up to an international standard before it is reinjected,” Jagdeo further explained.

Meanwhile, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who was present at the press conference, noted that Guyana’s commitment to the environment and climate change has not changed with the instances of Exxon flaring gas.

“Our credentials and ac-

4 juvenile offenders who escaped from Holding Centre recaptured

F

The two broken padlocks and four pieces of steel rods that were found at the scene

our juvenile offenders who escaped from the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre on Saturday morning have been recaptured.

Police stated that on the day in question, about 02:00h, the teens who were housed in cells three and four escaped from the Holding Centre by breaking the padlocks that were used to secure the doors and removing several pieces of wooden lattice work from the ceiling on the eastern side of the building.

Ranks who were on duty at the facility, heard a loud noise and upon making checks, noticed the four juvenile offenders on Dennis Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown running in a westerly direction.

One of the ranks chased after the offenders, but they made their way to Pike Street, Campbellville.

A Police patrol was informed and the four offenders were recaptured on Delhi Street, Prashad

Nagar and taken to Brickdam Police Station.

Investigations are ongoing.

tivism on climate change would not change. And we are going to pursue an agenda that will see the development of our oil and gas sector without affecting our agenda on climate change. And that is what we took a lot of time to explain and engage other leaders on.”

“And we’ve been able to demonstrate to them that our plan on renewable energy and standing forests, our aggression in supporting the world to come to a decarbonized environment is as strong as it was in the past,” the President said.

It was revealed earlier this month that ExxonMobil has paid approximately $400 million (US$1.9 million) to the Government of Guyana for its flaring of gas at its Liza-1 operations in the

Stabroek Block.

This was revealed by Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kemraj Parsaram, during local radio programme – Guyana’s Oil & You. Parsram subsequently told Guyana Times that this fee was paid between late July and early August for the first flaring application that was made. That application, which took effect from May 26, was for a 36-day period.

The EPA was forced to amend the Environmental Permit for the Liza 1 Development Project after the oil company had been flaring excessively following technical issues with its gas compressor on the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel on two sep-

arate occasions earlier this year.

The regulatory body engaged Exxon’s local affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), to modify the permit back in May to include specific regulatory requirements for flaring of associated gas offshore Guyana, in accordance with the EPA’s legislation. These were missing from the original permit that was issued under the previous APNU/AFC Administration.

At the time, a cost of US$30 per ton of carbon emission was agreed upon, but the EPA Head has revealed that this fee has since been increased to US$45 during discussions with the operator over the past month.

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Checkmating…

A

…Maduro s your Eyewitness predicted he would, President Ali threw a monkey wrench into the craftilylaid plans of Maduro and his enablers to save their nefarious plans to keep their Border Controversy like an albatross on our necks. You’d remember that supposedly out of sympathy for the human tragedy unfolding in Venezuela - Norway brought the Maduro and Guaido governments (well, both sides have countries recognising them!!) three weeks ago in Mexico to hammer out a rapprochement.

And guess what?? As part of their agreement to set the stage for democratic elections in Venezuela, the Norwegians went along with the two sides agreeing that the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal decision wasn’t final!!

Imagine that!! The Norwegians protest every time the Swedes plough snow on their border and accidentally go over a few feet, and here they are, giving away two-thirds of Guyana (61,600 sq miles!) as if it’s just sweetie!! Dividing Guyana like the European Empires carved up Africa in their 1885 Berlin Conference! We always knew all Venezuelans are as one on their Border Controversy, but the question is, who gave Norwegians the blasted right to encourage this sordid “agreement”?

Anyhow, as we recounted, even though his party and Government are firmly committed to liberal democracy and the free market system, Pres Ali bearded the leftist allies of Venezuela - the Pink Wave! - at the CELAC meeting on his way to the UNGA. As is the norm, he didn’t make his ire public, but in one-on-one meetings with other Latin American and Caricom members, he must’ve expressed our position very forcefully. As the new oil giant in the region, when Guyana speaks nowadays, people listen!!

And so it was at the UN - where leaders are expected to be as candid as they want to be when addressing the entire body of world leaders - Pres Ali came out swinging. As luck would have it, he was scheduled to speak the day after Venezuela, and boy, did he get his kicks in!! As we Guyanese say, “tek first lick, but not last lick!!”

Referring to Venezuela’s “overt threats” over their Border Controversy, Pres Ali asserted forcefully, “We have responded in clear terms. And I repeat our response now in these hallowed halls in which nations of the world meet in peace and co-operation: Guyana cannot be used as an altar of sacrifice for the settlement of Venezuela’s internal political differences.”

In the meetings with other world leaders, President Ali “worked the room”, and his aggressive defence of our national interest paid off. The Norwegians had arranged for Venezuelan “governments” to schedule a follow-up meeting on Friday.

And lo and behold, the Maduro “government” didn’t show up!!

Knockout punch by Pres Ali? …the race card While the President was away, the Opposition provocateurs had quite a “field day”. Having seen the teachers’ strike wither like a jumbie umbrella and pegged on their back foot with their manufactured COVID-19 issue - “my body my choice” - they couldn’t contain themselves when a SWAT team egregiously killed a young Essequibo businessman, Orin Boston.

That he was African Guyanese, gave them just the political frisson they were desperately seeking - RACE!!

And boy, did they jump on it!! Just because Pres Ali had held an outreach in Essequibo - which Boston had attended - it was shouted from the rooftops (via Facebook and other social media platforms) that this was another politically directed “extrajudicial murder”. That the Commissioner of Police (appointed

by David Granger, mind you) and his Crime Chief flew in immediately and promised an inquiry by the Office of Professional Responsibility didn’t cut any ice.

So, expect the opportunists to “keep on keeping on” with the race card, even though from NY, Pres Ali also promised an “impartial” inquiry.

…corruption Some sprouts of corruption are evidently germinating after a year of the PPP coming into office following the PNC’s five-year rape of the state treasury.

President Ali has to nip these in the bud pronto!

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

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FEATURE

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Child Protection Week…

Child Protection Officers provide essential services at a great risk − Ascena Jacobs I was particularly responsible for taking care of the sheep. I would literally have to come home from school and find the sheep wherever they were grazing. I know this doesn't sound like something that girls would do, but I loved doing it, and I took the responsibility very seriously,” she recounted.

She graduated from secondary school in 2011, and went on to the University of

By Lakhram Bhagirat

C

hild Protection Officers are an integral part of ensuring the safety of children while in the hands of their caregivers. They are often the unsung heroes of society, because these officers often risk their wellbeing to ensure a child gets the best.

They work around the clock, often neglecting their own wellbeing, and sacrificing family time to deal with cases. They encounter verbal abuse, and even physical sometimes, when in the field to extract a child from an unfavourable situation.

Also, Child Protection Officers are among those unpaid workers in the public service. However, it is their love for the job that keeps them going.

Being a Child Protection Officer has never been the dream job for 26-year-old Ascena Jacobs, and she still does not consider it her ideal career path. She currently serves as a Probation and Social Services Officer employed by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, but she is attached to the Childcare and Protection Agency and functions in the Family Court Division.

Ascena believes that Child Protection Officers across the globe are burdened with high caseloads

and unstaffed offices, but yet they rise to the occasion every time. They work to resolve the issues in the child’s best interest, so that child could thrive.

“This is a profession that is understaffed, overworked, and underpaid.

There is also the issue of inadequate compensation. We are simply not paid well, and there are a lot of risks associated with this job.

Social workers, especially Child Protection Officers, provide an essential service, and we are just as essential as other sectors,” she said.

Ascena’s passion for the work she does stems from the experiences she had while growing up.

Backtracking to her early years, the young professional explained that she grew up in a single parent household at Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD), which means very limited resources were available when she was growing up.

Her mother and sister migrated when she was young, and she had to live with her grandmother while also assisting with her younger siblings.

However, true to the saying, “It takes a village…”, Ascena’s childhood involved a lot of relatives raising her and siblings.

“I would say my most fond memory was caring for my grandmother’s livestock.

Guyana the following year, where she began pursuing studies in Social Work.

Ascena completed studies at UG in 2016, and this year she completed reading for her Bachelor’s degree in Law. “My educational journey was challenging, but rewarding. I have been working since the age of 16, and I have worked while pursuing my studies; and while this

was challenging, it helped me to appreciate the value of my education and what it means to me.”

She started working as a Child Protection Officer in May of 2015, and has been there ever since.

“I always wanted to be in a profession that allows me to help people. While this is not my dream career, I am happy that this job provides me with the opportunity to

help others. Children are one of the vulnerable groups in society, and working with this group is a huge responsibility and requires dedication and commitment. It is a responsibility I take seriously. I love working with children and families, and being able to impact their lives in a positive way,” she said.

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Child Protection Week…

Leon Anthony Phillip – CC&PA’s longestserving male Child Protection Officer

By Lakhram Bhagirat

L

eon Anthony Phillip started his journey as a Child Protection Officer with the Childcare and Protection Agency (CC&PA) on November 16, 2009, and has remained there while moving through the ranks. Today he serves as the Manager of the Family Court Services at the Agency, and is one of the longest serving male Child Protection Officers.

The 33-year-old was just 22 when he started working there, and he was among the first batch of staff to be hired at C&PA following the passage of the Child Protection Agency Act of 2009, which paved the way for establishment of the Childcare and Protection Agency.

“I joined the service as a Probation and Social Services Officer (Child Protection).

In 2013, I was promoted to Senior Probation and

Social Services Officer (Child Protection), and in 2016, I was promoted to my current position: Manager, Family Court Services,” he said.

Hailing from the small village of Coomacka in the Upper Demerara River, Leon has always had big hopes and dreams for himself. He drew inspiration from his community as well as his older siblings, since he was the youngest.

“Coomacka is a beautiful village, suitable for persons who enjoy nature and the outdoors. In addition to the many blue lakes and creeks, the Demerara River literally runs through the backyard of almost every household, and for this reason, we have produced many national swimmers. I myself am an excellent swimmer, but I have never taken up the sport competitively,” he said.

Life has taught Leon a number of lessons, and he uses those to ensure that he

remains positive. He grew up in a large family setting.

Recounting parts of his childhood, Leon says that because Coomacka is such a small village, almost everyone knows each other. It also meant that they looked out for one another.

Growing up, there was also a lot of challenges.

“In those days, we weren’t so fortunate to have the luxuries of tablets, video games and other gadgets; however, we were innovative and contented. As a young boy, my friends and I made our own toys. For example, we made cars and boats from a type of palm branch; we searched the mined-out dumps for bearings, and made scooters; we made missiles from bamboos, etc. Those were fun days, and if I had a chance to choose, I would choose that kind of childhood, since it has made me tough and resilient.”

Leaving the village of Coomacka for school in Linden every day was a struggle for the young Leon, because children had to get up early to prepare to get the bus, so that they could be present at school for the start of class at 8am. In those days, they were allowed to board the LINMINE buses that transported bauxite workers, and some days, when the buses were filled, they had to walk the eight miles to school. That meant they reached late and were punished.

“Many days I was locked out of school and punished for my tardiness, as some teachers were not familiar with my reality. However, this somewhat changed while in secondary school, as a larger number of my peers from the village attended the secondary schools outside of the village, as there was no secondary school in the village. Hence, in secondary school, our situation was more accepting by the school’s administration.

By then we were known as

the ‘Mines Children’, and never had to join the late lines to be subjected to corporal punishment,” he reminisced.

After completing his secondary education at ChristianburgWismar Secondary School (Multilateral School), he matriculated to the University of Guyana, where he read for a degree in Social Work, and subsequently a degree in Law. However, Social Work was not his dream career. Rather, he had no idea of what or who a social worker was prior to entering the University. Leon wanted to go into the field or engineering and then law, but did not meet the requirements for entire, so he was advised to pursue studies in social work.

“At the time, I opted to study Civil Engineering or Law, which were my areas of interest, but I hadn’t the prerequisite for those programmes. It was then the admissions personnel suggested that I pursue a diploma in Social Work as a prerequisite to the Law programme. I graduated with the Diploma in Social Work at age nineteen, and I found it interesting, so I went on to the degree programme.

Subsequently, I also completed the law programme as desired,” Leon said.

“When choosing social work as a career choice, one must have a passion for the profession, as it most times requires going beyond the call of duty. In addition, as a Social Worker, it is very easy to be consumed in helping others and neglect self, but always remember you can’t pour from an empty cup, therefore it is important to take care of yourself.

“Social work agencies around the world are faced with the common challenge, which is having a high case load; but, overtime, you must master the way you manage your time, and prioritise,” the young man has highlighted.

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Child Protection Week…

“I am doing something that I am passionate about” − Probation and Social Services Officer Ira Ali

By Lakhram Bhagirat

C

hild Protection Week runs from September 20– 26, and this year it is being observed under the theme, “Together, Let’s Keep Children Safe”. The week places focus on the challenges faced by Child Protection Officers as well as the country’s response to protecting the welfare of every child.

Sunday Times this week is highlighting the stories of some of our Child Protection Officers, who go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that every child is treated with respect, and nurtured in an environment that gives them the opportunity to thrive.

Without a doubt, we all have a story to share. Sometimes our story is adventurous and other times it is about overcoming ad-

versities. These stories are a vital part of who we are, and can influence decisions concerning our life. Like everyone else, Ira Ali has had her fair share of challenges, which only motivated her and made her resilient.

She recently shared her story with Sunday Times.

The 26-year-old is currently a Probation and Social Services Officer attached to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.

Growing up, Ira was always encouraged to follow her own path in life, and received the support of those around her. She observed her parents’ many acts of selflessness, which she wanted to emulate.

Despite being born in Guyana, Ira spent most of her early childhood years in St Kitts and Nevis.

She attended both nursery and

primary school there, and enjoyed the island life up until her family relocated to Guyana.

In Guyana, she wrote the Common Entrance exams and moved on to secondary school.

Initially, she had some challenges adapting to the environment and change in culture, but was able to successfully navigate her way through school. After completing her secondary education, Ira decided to further her education at the University of Guyana (UG).

She wanted to read for a degree in Psychology, but it was not being offered at the time, so she ended up choosing a degree in Social Work, since it had some of the courses she initially wanted to study.

“During my university years, one of the challenges was bridging the age gap, since majority

of persons reading for said programme were working adults, whilst I was the youngest members of the class (being 16 years of age). I successfully completed the degree programme in the year 2015, and I passed with a distinction,” she said.

During her internships, Ira applied at various agencies for a job, and was eventually called by the Childcare and Protection Agency for an interview.

“I had been working with children during all of those internships, and I had the chance to work alongside them before; so, naturally, it seemed like the best fit for me to expand into the world of Social Work. It may not have originally been my dream career, but it grew on me to become a passion.”

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“I am doing something...

At the age of 21, she became a social worker, and has been in the field ever since. However, it has not been a smooth ride for her.

The profession is laced with challenges, and she anticipates more in the future.

There are times when Ira had to detach herself from situations in order to effectively deal with the issues.

That is not something that happened only to Ira, rather, many social workers of-

ten experience these situations.

“The overall consolation is knowing that you are working on behalf of a child and in that child’s best interest. Despite the challenges, I am doing something that I am passionate about every day, and even if it is difficult at times, my focus remains on building individual strengths so people can contribute to making stronger and healthier

families and communities.

“Further, I cannot think of a profession which would be better suited to my interests, skills and passion.”

Human beings, especially children, despite their personal circumstances, can sometimes show us how resilient they can be, and they can teach us a lot about overcoming adversity once they are given a voice to express themselves freely in a nurturing and loving environment.

“Our most common frustrations as social workers are not typically from our client-related experiences, but from our systems, which sometimes create barriers. Social workers are a compassionate and supportive group of people, therefore much of our strength to push on no matter what comes from each other. We celebrate our successes, and help each other get through our most challenging times. I continue to be proud to identify myself as a social worker.

I always try to promote my profession to others, and

try to convey my gratitude to each colleague and client who allow me to play an integral part in their journey, no matter how big or small, so they can achieve healthy interdependence and a happy life,” the young social worker has said.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about a number of changes and restrictions in how we go about doing things, and it is no doubt that social workers are affected. At the start of the pandemic, Ira and her colleagues knew they would have to adapt and implement changes to address the needs of the most vulnerable.

Rather than constant in-person meetings, they provided services over the telephone, and sometimes video chats wherever the internet was available. Ira also continued some of her face-to-face meetings with some cases that required her to be present whilst following the COVID-19 protocols.

“A lot of the cases we

could not see and verify.

We had to take the verbal agreement of our clients, because we could not be there to spot and identify issues they may have been facing. So, it was difficult for us to get the full picture at times, and I felt that the quality of our services had decreased in these moments.

“Personally, in my field, I saw a rise in cases due to victims being in close confinement with their perpetrators, and perpetrators taking advantage of the situation to shut us out because of COVID fears, which led to a lot of cases being underreported until they finally came to light.

Ongoing school closures and movement restrictions due to the curfew in place left some children stuck at home with increasingly stressed abusers. The subsequent impact on these protection services and on social workers meant children had nowhere else to turn for help, which led to the increase in cases I saw during the pandemic,” Ira

FROM PAGE 19

reported.

Ira has said she tries to ensure that her best is always provided for her clients, and urges her fellow social workers to understand the complexities of every person. She also advises that they should take care of themselves.

“You will touch the lives of all you work with in different ways, even if you don’t see it right away.

Be realistic about what to expect. Also, this type of work, dealing with social ills on a daily basis, may trigger feelings and thoughts in you; sometimes you will take those feelings and thoughts home, but be mindful to respect client confidentiality. In addition, we are so good at taking care of others in this field that sometimes we forget ourselves in that process.

So, learn to take better care of you, find ways for stress relief, and make time to laugh. It is extremely important to work toward a balanced life, including time for you and your family and friends.”

FEATURE

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Agnela Patil’s Namaste Yoga beckons healthier lifestyle for Guyanese

Founder of Namaste Yoga, Agnela Patil

By Rupa Seenaraine

W

ith the sprouting of newer lifestyle trends aimed at promoting greater well-being, Agnela Patil is reintroducing yoga and its abundant rewards, and is urging Guyanese to give it a whirl.

The former Yoga Ambassador to Guyana, who was contracted to teach yoga here through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), recently opened her Namaste Yoga and Ayurveda Centre, in which she is offering a Zen

environment for beginners and avid students. It has created an atmosphere wherein people can adopt yoga as part of their lifestyle, with coaching sessions being provided on how to improve their posture, form and focus. In recent time, the practice has become increasingly popular in Guyana, with the pandemic triggering persons to find different ways of being active.

Patil, who hails from the State of Goa in India, had initially studied in the field of engineering, but later switched to yoga – explain-

ing that that is where she found her passion.

Thereafter, she passed the examination of the Quality Council of India for yoga professionals.

These examinations have recently been renamed Yoga Certification Board (YCB) Examinations by the Ministry of AYUSH. During her stint in Guyana as a yoga teacher, she recalled conceptualising the idea of Namaste Yoga, but was a little hesitant to do so. However, she returned to Guyana during the COVID-19 pandemic, and decided to tap into her plans.

“I left Guyana not long after the advent of the COVID-19 virus here, and soon after, the Indian Government made a decision to put a hold on yoga teachers posted around the world. While away, I was still in contact with Guyanese yoga students and friends who used to do yoga at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre. These classes were conducted virtually. Many of them encouraged me to return to Guyana, and this country, which I loved, I returned,” she told Guyana Times in an interview.

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FEATURE

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Agnela Patil’s Namaste Yoga beckons...

FROM PAGE 21

Students during a session at the studio

Located at Lot 3, Area CC, Temple Street, Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara, the Centre has been flooded with positive responses from the public, prompting Patil to consider extending these services to other parts of Guyana. She noted that this is favourable, since yoga aids with a range of health issues. Among them are lower risk of heart diseases, a healthy weight, stronger bones, improved sense of balance, anxiety

relief, reduced chronic back and neck pain, lowered stress level, increased flexibility, lower blood pressure and sugar levels in diabetics, and improve lung capacity.

She added that anyone can get started if they wish to take the classes, since it does not require a specific level of flexibility or strength.

“Yoga is not for asanas (postures) only; yoga is an exercise-and-wellbeing reg-

Child Protection Officers...

FROM PAGE 17

She presently functions in the Family Court Department, where the responsibilities of preparing custody reports for the Family Court and mediating in custody access cases are hers. She previously worked as a Child Abuse Investigation Officer and as a Family Services Officer, before transitioning to her present role.

Generally, the Coronavirus pandemic impacted how the Childcare and Protection Agency delivered its services.

For example, children were not attending schools, so there were numerous incidents of child abuse that went unreported. In this regard, officers had to be engaged in more field work.

“Specifically for the Family Court Department, we saw an increase in the number of access/custody cases being reported to the agency, and I believe this is due to the fact that the pandemic placed a strain on co-parenting. As a result, the department conducted a high volume of family conferences with parents to help mediate their grievances and discuss co-parenting skills during the pandemic. The Department also saw an increase in court report requests, which required us to conduct additional field work,” she said.

Ascena continues to work hard to ensure that the children of Guyana are in the best environments to help them thrive.

“I commend my colleagues for the job they do on a daily basis. In this job, it is easy to neglect yourself and place the interest of others above yours. So, my advice would always be to take care of yourself first, because it is only when you're comfortable and happy with yourself can you provide the best service to your clients.”

imen. It is not a mere exercise; yoga is not only meant for the flexible. It is not associated with the idea of the supernatural, or linked with miracles.

“Similarly, it is not true that yoga ranks low as a cardiovascular workout.

Yoga is a science; that is, it is a technique that leads us to consciously connect with ourselves and with life.”

She added, “As yoga is a science, there is no dogma or belief system attached

to it. Yoga simply tells us to do a certain practice and then to feel the effect of that practice. Example, if we breathe slowly in a relaxed manner, our heart rate will slow down; and if we focus the mind, we will develop mental peace and deep insight. Anyone with or without the various health issues can get involved in yoga.”

All classes run for onehour sessions. Apart from

Patil, the team of teachers includes Sushma Yenge who served in Iceland as a yoga ambassador. She has been assisting with face-to-face classes, while Tanya Gupta and Rudresh Kumar Singh, who worked in Guatemala and Bahrain respectively, are part of the online classes.

Apart from yoga, the Centre will also be introducing ayurvedic products to the Guyanese populace.

These products are manufactured by a 75-year-old manufacturer and approved by the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department.

“The Ayurveda products are mostly plant-based, with no side effects, and are used to treat various illnesses. This will complement yoga, which helps to deal with anxiety, stress, physical fitness, mental health, and other lifestyle diseases,” she outlined.

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FEATURE

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HEALTH TIPS

POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS) - Part 4 - "Never Choose Indifference" tain about 20 micrograms (mcg) of estrogen. Highdose birth control pills typically have between 30 and 35 mcg of estrogen.

• Progestin-only pills Progestin-only pills, known as mini pills, are an effective alternative for women who have PCOS and are unable to take combination birth control pills. PCOS causes women to have low levels of the hormone progesterone. Progestin-only pills in-

Dr Tariq Jagnarine Fam Medicine, Endocrinology / Diabetes

BEST BIRTH CONTROL FOR WOMEN WITH PCOS

Oral contraceptives Oral contraceptives are the most common and the most effective option used to manage PCOS symptoms. There are two types of oral contraceptives: combination pills and progestin-only pills. Both types of birth control are effective for treating PCOS symptoms, and can help patients to: • Ovulate regularly – release an egg every 28 days • Have regular periods • Have lighter periods

• Reduce cramping • Have clearer skin • Lower the risks for endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and ovarian cysts • Reduce extra hair growth Most women who have PCOS don’t experience side effects when taking the pill, but different types of birth control affect users differently. They may experience one or more of the following: • Mood changes mild to moderate • Possible weight

gain or loss • Nausea • headaches • Sore breasts • Some spotting Combination pills Combination pills contain estrogen and progestin, two synthetic hormones similar to the ones made by the ovaries. The amount of hormone present varies from brand to brand. The best approach is to opt for low- or high-dose formulations. For example, lowdose combination pills con-

crease their progesterone, which would cause them to have regular periods and lower their risk of endometrial cancer. Progestin-only pills can contain up to 35 mcg of synthetic progestin.

• Skin patch The contraceptive patch is a thin plastic patch that contains estrogen and progestin. Wear the patch for 21 days, remove it for seven days to allow for a menstrual period, then replace it with a new patch. Like the

pill, the patch has the same functions and side effects.

• Vaginal ring The contraceptive ring (NuvaRing) is a soft, flexible plastic ring that is inserted into the vagina. It is worn for 21 days, removed for seven days to allow for a period, and then replaced with a new one for the next month. Works Like the pill and the patch.

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HEALTH TIPS

POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS) - Part 4 - “Never Choose Indifference” FROM PAGE 25

WILL ANY FORM OF HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL WORK?

Combination birth control — whether in the form

of a pill, ring, or patch — is the most popular and recommended form of treatment for PCOS. If someone is unable to take the combination

pill or use other combination methods, then it is recommended to use the progestin-only pill. There are also other alternatives, includ-

ing: • Progesterone therapy: Use of progesterone for 10 to 14 days every one to two months. This treatment

doesn’t prevent pregnancy or improve androgen levels, but it can help manage PCOS symptoms.

• P r o g e s t i n containing intrauterine device (IUD) and IMPLANTS: IUDs and Implants that contain progestin can help ease the symptoms of PCOS in the same way combination or progestin-only pills do.

• Metformin: This medication for type 2 diabetes lowers insulin and androgen levels and improves insulin resistance. Insulin resistance commonly occurs with PCOS, and metformin might be used to treat this. It isn’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat PCOS specifically, so this is considered off-label use; but research has shown that it may help restart ovulation and lead to regular periods.

• Using birth control to protect against pregnancy Although PCOS is the leading cause of infertility, it affects every woman differently. Some women may become infertile at a young age, and others may find that pregnancy is still possible.

On average, the birth control pill is about 91-99% percent effective at preventing pregnancy. This means that about 9 out of every 100 women using the pill will become pregnant each year.

Missing a dose increases one’s risk of pregnancy. Set a reminder on a phone app to help remember to take the pill at the same time every day.

CHOOSING THE BEST OPTION FOR YOU

Those with PCOS can speak with a health care provider about treatment options that are optimal, considering the following: • Ease of use: think about what type of oral contraceptive would be easier to use. If it may be hard to take a pill every day, then the ring or patch may be a better option.

• Side effects: Most hormonal birth control options share similar side effects. Health care workers may be able to recommend one over another, if you have concerns. It may take trying a few different options before you find the one that is best for your body and your lifestyle.

• Cost: If you can, check in with your insurance company to find out whether any birth control methods are covered, and what your out-of-pocket costs may be. If you’re uninsured, talk with your doctor about patient assistance programmes.

PCOS is a complex condition. The central mechanism is difficult to understand and state. Thereby, no treatment can be claimed as a magic bullet, as it targets the clinical symptoms rather than curing the syndrome.

Alternative drugs such as herbal or medicinal plants should be considered by knowing their mechanism of action. Improvising lifestyle could ease the PCOS-related symptoms.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Venezuela Govt, Opposition talks derailed after Govt no-show Killing coolies officially

− in wake of Pres Ali’s rebuttal of Venezuelan tactics at CELAC, UNGA

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his Thursday, September 30, will be the 149th anniversary of the slaughter of five indentured sugar workers and the wounding of seven others at Devonshire Castle, Essequibo Coast. The 1872 killings signalled the unity of interests of the sugar planters and the state, since the highly armed Police could be called in to “settle” labour disputes between workers and management.

The Devonshire Castle killings also exacerbated already strained relations between newlyfreed African slaves and the Indian immigrants, since the Police Force, then and now, was overwhelmingly Africanmanned.

Ravi Dev While some Indians who had completed their indentureship had been recruited and performed satisfactorily, by the 1870s, Governor Kortright discouraged this practice by imposing “minimum physical requirements”. He said he feared them making common cause with the “coolies with cutlasses on the plantations”. Additionally, while most of the official violence was deployed to quell labour uprisings on the plantations, there were other daily humiliations inflicted on the immigrants. Police Force historian John Campbell noted: “Police were employed to levy rents and to act as bailiffs (and) East Indians quite rightly viewed the Police as agents or allies of their oppressors”. Chief Justice Beaumont noted Police harassment of Indians in the 1870s as “galling subjection”.

Since any protest of their working conditions on the plantations was arbitrarily defined as an “overt rebellion” and resulted in lengthening of their indentureship term, immigrants did not lightly embark upon such actions. Yet, since they did protest, one could only imagine the provocations. The overall dire conditions on the plantations by 1870 can be gleaned from the bare population statistics. Of the 69,380 Indian immigrants that had arrived by 1869, some 6,523 had returned to India, but only 44,936 showed up in the census. It meant that if not a single birth occurred – which was impossible - 17,921, or 26%, had died.

The seminal precursor to Devonshire Castle occurred in July of 1869, when forty workers of the shovel gang at Plantation Leonora disputed the wages for work done and allegedly “assaulted” a manager. The response was swift: the Police and the 2nd West India Regiment were called in. After the “Leonora Riot”, the Guiana Police Force became “the most heavily armed Police in the British West Indies,” according to Adamson. Even though no one was killed, the protesting workers were arrested, convicted, and jailed in short order. The system had begun to perform a “one-two-three” – first the Police would use violence to maintain “order”, and then the judiciary would emphasise the condign lesson by applying the “law”, where any claimed non-performance or underperformance of their tasks - civil violations - earned criminal penalties of jail terms and onerous fines. Finally, the planters would add the jail time to the indenture period of the immigrant and expel some of them from the plantations for good measure.

The Leonora protests precipitated a Royal Commission, but not any changes on the unbalanced Police-immigrant equation, which continued inflicting violence to “keep the Indian in his place”. The underlying cause at Devonshire Castle was the Indians’ mistrust of the judicial system.

On Sept 29, one Parag had been arrested for “assaulting” a Manager at Devonshire Castle, but was rescued from confinement.

He cross-charged the Manager. The next day, Parag refused to appear at the Magistrate Court, where the accused, as a Manager, would have been allowed to sit beside the Magistrate. Instead, he, along with 250 other immigrants, appeared at the Estate, and prevented the Manager or anyone else from entering.

Twenty-three armed Policemen and the Magistrate appeared, and the latter ordered the Policemen to load their rifles. The Police were then ordered to charge - the immigrants stood their ground, and one Policeman (Archer) discharged a shot. The other Policemen thought the order to shoot had been given, and nine of them opened fire. Five workers, Maxidally, Kaulika, Beccaroo, Baldeo and Auckloo, were killed, and seven others were wounded.

At the Inquest, the Policemen’s actions were exonerated as “justifiable homicide”. Labour protests were henceforth routinely dubbed “riots”.

The Colonist, a paper friendly to planter interests, exulted, “the leaden argument has brought submission quicker than all honeyed words that could have been used.” The “leaden argument” from the Police guns was to be made with terrifying regularity against Indian Guyanese sugar workers from then - 1896: Non Pareil (6); 1903: Friends (6); 1912: Lusignan (1); 1913: Rose Hall (14); 1924: Ruimveldt (13); 1939: Leonora (4); until 1948: Enmore (5).

They were just “coolies”.

President Dr Irfaan Ali used the UN forum to rebuke Venezuela for reigniting its illegal claim to Essequibo

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alks between the Venezuelan Government and its Opposition, which were supposed to have continued in Mexico City, Mexico on Friday, had to be suspended after the Government team was a no-show.

The development was reported by AP news, which had quoted unnamed sources attached to the process as having said that the first session of the round of talks had to be suspended. According to the news report, the talks were supposed to resume on Saturday if the Government delegation arrived.

The news report also stated that the Government delegates did not provide a reason for their absence on Friday, and even though the Government side was a noshow, the Opposition delegates would continue their participation.

Venezuela Opposition Leader Juan Guaido was quoted as saying he would remain in Mexico.

News of the collapse of Venezuelan political talks comes after Guyana had used the forum of the United Nations (UN) last week to

make strong rebuttals of Venezuela’s recent reignition of its illegal claims to Guyana’s territory.

In his address to the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had informed the world about Venezuela’s continued disregard for international norm in pushing its illegal claim to Guyana’s Essequibo and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

“Just recently, an agreement was issued in Mexico City by which the contending internal factions in Venezuela renewed a baseless claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s territory…

Guyana cannot be used as an altar of sacrifice for the settlement of Venezuela’s internal political differences,” Ali had said.

“While my Government welcomes efforts to bring about domestic harmony within Venezuela, agreements that defy international law and processes can be no basis for mediating such harmony. Guyana does not promote the use of violence or threats to settle disputes,” President Ali had added, going on to remind that Venezuela is bound to adhere to the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) final decision based on the 1966 Geneva Agreement.

President Ali also used recent meetings with the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to update them on Venezuelan’s actions.

Following his meeting with Caricom, the community issued a statement rebuking Venezuela and urging it

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó

to adhere to the ICJ process.

The Venezuelan Government and political Opposition met in Mexico earlier this month to iron out their differences at home. It was supposed to be a discussion about Venezuela’s domestic politics, with a number of other countries, including the Netherlands, Russia, Turkey, Norway and Bolivia, taking part.

Instead, the two sides ratified partial agreements reinforcing Venezuela’s illegal claim to Essequibo. The partial agreements almost immediately drew stinging rebukes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the parliamentary Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC).

Guyana filed its case against Venezuela with the World Court on March 29, 2018, seeking a final and binding judgement that the 1899 Arbitral Award which established the location of the land boundary between the then-British Guiana and Venezuela remains valid and binding, and that Guyana’s Essequibo region belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela, as is being claimed by the

Spanish-speaking country.

Guyana moved to the World Court after exhausting all means of negotiation with Venezuela.

Then United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, in January 2018, decided that the case should be settled by the ICJ after exercising the powers vested in him to decide how the controversy should be settled by the 1966 Geneva Agreement between Guyana, Venezuela and the United Kingdom.

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945, and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 Judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).

Back in March 2021, the ICJ had granted Guyana until March 8, 2022 to file its written submissions for the case, after requesting 12 months. Venezuela was given until March 8, 2023 to submit its counter memorial.

Pedestrian crushed by truck at Eccles traffic light

A

The scene of the accident on Saturday

77-year-old woman was on Saturday crushed to death by a truck as she was crossing the Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) main access road.

The dead woman has been identified as

Jasodra Samwaru of Grove Squatting Area, EBD. The Police have said the accident occurred at about 10:00h and involved motor lorry GVV 1309.

The truck was reportedly in the traffic at the Eccles stoplight, and as the light

The truck that was involved in the accident

turned green, the truck drove off and struck down Samwaru, who was crossing the road.

The pedestrian fell on the roadway and was run over by the truck. She was later pronounced dead by a doctor of the Emergency

Medical Service unit at the scene of the accident.

A breathalyser test was conducted on the driver, but there was no trace of alcohol in his system. He was arrested and is assisting with investigations as they continue.

28 NEWS Local content in oil and gas sector is top priority for PPP/C Govt — acting President SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…says structured policy will ensure Guyanese benefit

presence of ChampionX in Guyana will see Guyanese benefiting from advanced skills training in a high-demand industry.

“Guyana is on the brink of transformative development and it will take every effort and all of our resources to effectively manage this development so that the country can thrive for generations to come,” the Prime Minister emphasised.

ChampionX Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sivasankaran Somasundaram acknowledged Guyana’s economy as one of the fastest-growing around the world and said that the company was com-

Acting President, Mark Phillips addressing the gathering on Thursday

Acting President Mark Phillips along with ChampionX CEO Sivasankaran Somasundaram and Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

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cting President, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips on Thursday last stated that Guyana must leverage its growth in the oil and gas sector in a manner that is beneficial to all Guyanese.

He underscored the importance of a good Local Content Policy and a strong Natural Resources Act. “We recognise the need for legislation, through a Natural Resources Act that

will ensure the accountable and transparent management of our oil and gas revenues. Additionally, a solid Local Content Policy will further ensure that our citizens and local businesses are front of the line in reaping the greatest benefits.”

The acting Head of State made these remarks as the chief guest at the launching of ChampionX Guyana Incorporated, an oil and gas associate com-

pany at McDoom, Greater Georgetown.

He added that the Government was working assiduously to ensure that Guyana did not repeat the mistakes of other oil-producing nations and fall victim to the Dutch disease.

Phillips also stated that the administration has already created a local content panel aimed at engaging with stakeholders to develop a proper policy and that the

ChampionX Guyana Inc at McDoom, Greater Georgetown

mitted to the long-term development of the country in a safe and sustainable way.

He said that ChampionX has already begun to partner with the University of Guyana to develop human

capacity and that the company was committed to respecting all the laws of the country.

“We are committed to stimulating Guyana’s industrial, human and technological development… to

that effect, we are already working with the University of Guyana in exploring various possibilities to increase science and engineering talents, [and] upgrade lab facilities, etcetera,” Somasundaram said.

ChampionX is headquartered in Texas, USA. The company has over 6000 employees and specialises in chemical technologies, artificial lift technologies, drilling technologies and automation and optimisation.

Also present at the launching was Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh.

New water treatment plant for Corentyne – Minister Rodrigues − tells Berbicians housing programme will be expanded

Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues addressing Berbicians on Friday

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third water treatment plant is expected to be established on the Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), which will see all residents along the Corentyne Coast having access to treated water.

This announcement was made by Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, on Friday during a one-day outreach to the Region.

The Minister explained that, with the new treatment plant, the entire water distribution system along the Corentyne would be interconnected.

Currently, water treatment plants are at Rose Hall Town and Corriverton on the

A section of the gathering at one of the meetings

Corentyne, but some residents have been complaining bitterly about the poor quality of water they receive through their taps.

However, Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) Regional Manager Randolph Leitch, during one of the meetings, informed the Minister that they have been receiving non-stop interruption of power supply from Guyana Power and Light (GPL).

On this note, Rodrigues, stated that the issue is being addressed at the ministerial level. During her one-day outreach, Rodrigues visited Fort Ordnance, Chesney, Babu Jaan and Ankerville in Port Mourant.

The visit to the various communities, she noted, was to get first-hand information about issues affecting resi-

dents ahead of the preparation of the 2022 budget.

Expanding housing programme “We are looking to expand… our housing programme here in 2022. We are going to do an aggressive housing drive here in 2022 to address the backlog of over 7000 application that we have right now in Region Six – people who are waiting for their allocations,” Minister Rodrigues said.

“We have been trying as far and as much as possible to give every region the type of attention they need…we have started putting together budget 2022, this is an opportunity to identify the needs of the community,” she further stated.

She also pointed out that

The Minister addressing a concern on the spot

there are, at Ordnance Fort Lands, ongoing works from the 2021 budget to the tune of $150 million, and another $200 million is being spent on infrastructure works in Hampshire and Williamsburg.

In addition, $250 million is being expended at Number 79, 76 and 77 Villages for infrastructural development.

“And all of these works are scheduled to be completed before the end of December 2021.”

Further, the Minister stated that projects for upgrades to Number 76 and 77 Villages

along with Fort Ordinance are at the Tender Board level.

In response to poor street lighting, she has committed to donate those to be erected at Ordnance Fort Lands as well as Chesney. The Minister also committed to providing the needed remedial upgrade to major roads in all four communities she visited.

Meanwhile, she noted that the Ordnance Fort Lands Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and the Kilcoy-Chesney NDC continue to provide the relevant services to residents in those ar-

eas, even though residents do not pay their taxes.

Rodrigues added that the new schemes have not been handed over to the NDCs, and as such, the services being provided by the respective NDCs to those new schemes are limited.

“The system requires that when a new housing area is being developed, Central Housing and Planning Authority will do the initial infrastructure work up to about 80 percent, and then they will hand it over,” she pointed out.

NEWS

29

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MoU signed to establish call centre in Linden − over 250 jobs to be created

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, and CEO of MIDAS BPO, Malcolm Sobers, on a tour of the call centre

Young people registering in hope of gaining employment

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ore than 250 persons in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) will soon be gainfully employed following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a call centre.

The MoU was signed between the Government of Guyana and MIDAS BPO on Friday, and the signatories are the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Go-Invest, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, and the CEO of MIDAS BPO, Malcolm Sobers.

At the event, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh stated that the Government is building an industry that would create meaningful employment for young people. He said the call centre industry is able to create more jobs for young people than any other sector.

Dr Singh added that the PPP/C Administration remains committed to its promises. In addition to pushing for the creation of 50,000 jobs, the Government has liberalised the telecommunications sector, as promised in its manifesto. The liberalisation will help investments like MIDAS BPO. Reading an excerpt from the manifesto, Minister Singh said, “The ICT sector, if properly incentivised, can generate thousands of new jobs through co-investment, providing infrastructure support, state-sponsored training, and employment opportunities for the disabled. I want to submit to you, my brothers and sisters of Linden, that what you are witnessing here today is the living manifestation of this very paragraph in action. A partnership with a private company, investment in infrastructure, facilitation of infrastructure, and improved and more affordable access and job creation.”

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, who also delivered remarks, said the signing of the MoU is a signal that Government is a partner for development.

Minister Edghill said a mature political culture is what is required for the township to be developed.

“What we are doing here is to the benefit of Linden, jobs coming to Linden. Every political leader in Linden, if they take to a platform, they will speak about high unemployment in Linden, that is the issue. Well, here it is, your Government, the PPP/C Government, is answering by way of a solution, by bringing to Linden an opportunity for Lindeners to be employed and work in Linden.

“So, what we need is a clear statement to investors and others. We are going to behave in a mature and a responsible way that people can invest, benefit from their investment, and that the people of Linden could get real jobs.”

Meanwhile, the CEO of MIDAS BPO noted that there is a genuine interest by the Government to create employment for Guyanese.

He said four years ago he approached the previous administration to undertake the same venture, but was faced with roadblocks.

“It is an extreme pleasure, it is a dream, the highest portion of motivation, to see that we are able to do this when we have all of the things that we need in place.

We have the Government’s support, we have a very progressive business happening, we have very committed clients that are looking to grow significantly in Guyana, and we have the potential with prospective employees here.”

Sobers said 95 per cent of the positions at the centre will be filled by Lindeners.

He said the hope is that by October 15, at least 75 persons would be employed following a job fair set for October 1 and 2. He said that by the end of the year, another 150 persons should be employed, and based on the job demand, that figure could double.

Sobers disclosed that, in the near future, MIDAS BPO would expand its operations to Regions Two, Three, Five and Six. Meanwhile, Lindeners have since lauded the initiative. Zechariah Williams, who is seeking employment, said the centre will be a

Chief Executive Officer of Go-Invest, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, and Chief Executive Officer of MIDAS BPO, Malcolm Sobers, signing the MoU as Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, and Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, look on

great opportunity for young people.

“I recently finished writing CXC like many other children, and because there are not many jobs out here,

this place will be very nice for everybody, because from school, into the workforce.

No time for loitering, less people will be in gangs, so this is very nice,” he said.

In addition, Annece Noble explained, “Right now, Linden is filled with unemployment, this is a really big and exciting thing for Linden, and I really appre-

ciate it very much, because I am also looking for a job. It is really nice what they are doing, and I think everybody would appreciate it.”

Finally, speaking for the Department of Public Information (DPI), Zalika Samuels said, “In a wider sense, it is a great opportunity for young people, because there is not a lot of job opportunities for Linden. So, this is a great, great, great opportunity for them, whereby there could be less crime and more young people could be in jobs.”

In 2015, Toucan Call Centre, now MIDAS BPO, closed its doors, leading close to 100 persons unemployed.

The building has since been rehabilitated by the PPP/C administration to the tune of $142 million.

30 NEWS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Alumni donate to West Dem Secondary T

he West Demerara Secondary School (WDSS) recently received a donation of printers, power wash, sport equipment and other items from its Alumni The presentation was done in the school’s auditorium, where former student Malisa Jeffers did the formal handing over on behalf of the Alumni. The donation includes a power wash, two weeding machines, two printers with accessories, tennis racquets, footballs, volleyballs, and tennis balls among other items to aid the academic and sports programmes.

Headteacher of the school, Mr Harrinarine, was full of praise for the Alumni, and thanked members of the Alumni such as Dr Abdul Latiff Ayube, Chris Thakurpersaud, Terry Sawh and Sandra Persaud.

The headteacher, during the presentation, stated that the school at last year’s CSEC Examination recorded a 95

per cent pass rate of grades 1 to 3 and a 93 per cent matriculation rate, with 100 per cent passes in English and 93 per cent pass in Mathematics.

The school produced 17 top students with eight grade ones and more, with top student Joseph Singh getting 12 ones and 3 twos.

Additionally, Reuben Ally of the West Demerara Secondary top the country in the field of Electronic Technology.

According to Harrinarine, the school’s aim is to produce rounded students, and he noted the success of former student and champion athlete Joana Archer, who is on scholarship in the USA. He said there is a correlation between attendance and sports, and the donation by the Alumni will enhance various aspects of the school’s programme.

In closing his remarks, he assured all stakeholders that the school would make good use of all support to improve the service of education.

Former student Malisa Jeffers handing over the donation to Headteacher Harrinarine

NEWS

31

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

5 more unvaccinated patients succumb to COVID − 211 new cases detected in 24h

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he Health Ministry on Saturday reported that another five persons have lost their lives to COVID-19, thus taking the country’s death toll to a whopping 754.

Those persons, all unvaccinated, died on September 24.

For this month, records show, 129 persons have already died from the virus, thus making it the deadliest month since the first death was recorded back in March, 2020.

Those who died on Friday are a 79-year-old woman from Region Four, a 68-yearold man from Region 10, a 70-year-old woman from Region Four, a 77-year-old man from Region Five, and a 43-year-old woman from Region Three.

These patients were admitted to medical facilities with COVID-19-like symptoms, but died while receiving care. Samples taken at the time of admission subsequently returned positive tests.

However, new statistics provided by the Ministry on Saturday stated that 211 persons have tested positive. This has taken the total number of confirmed cases to a staggering 30,907.

There are 35 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 180 in institutional isolation, 3692 in home iso-

lation, and three in institutional quarantine.

Since the pandemic, 310,231 individuals have been tested – of which 14,716 males and 16,191 females contracted the virus.

The regional breakdown of new cases showed that 52 were recorded in Region One (Barima-Waini); 23 in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); 43 in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 89 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); 17 in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); five in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); four in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); seven in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and seven in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

There was no increase in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni).

On Friday, the National COVID-19 Task Force issued a notice informing both local and foreign online operators that they are required to comply with section 15 (2) of the Gazetted COVID-19 Emergency Measures, which state that every operator and conductor of any public transportation service must be vaccinated, and have in their possession an official identification card and their vaccine card.

All airline operators and services are also required to

implement and enforce section 17, which also states that persons who wish to access services at Government agencies must be vaccinated or possess their PCR test result of less than seven days’ issue. A certificate or vaccine exemption from a fully registered medical practitioner is also acceptable. For this purpose, all airports, aerodromes and airstrips in Guyana are considered as providing such services.

Guyanese currently awaiting their second dose of the Sputnik V vaccine have been assured that another shipment containing this component will arrive in Guyana within seven days.

At a press conference on Friday, President Irfaan Ali informed that the jabs will arrive soon. Global shortages of the Russianmanufactured jab have disrupted the supply chain, posing challenges for authorities to access more vaccines.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline: 231-1166, 226-7480, or 6246674 immediately, or visit us at www.health.gov.gy All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise the need for correct and

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD SEPTEMBER 25, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

211

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

180

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

3692 35

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

3

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

16,191

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

14,716

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

30,907

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

26,246

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

350,182

FULLY IMMUNISED

180,922

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

754

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1467

REGION 2

1099

REGION 3

4052

REGION 4

14,761

REGION 5

1087

REGION 6

2258

REGION 7

1586

REGION 8

490

REGION 9

2318

REGION 10

1789

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the

importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance

from others; and the need for good hand-hygiene.

32 NEWS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

North West Secondary School fire

“We will rebuild better and stronger” – Education Minister

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ours after a massive fire had gutted the North West Secondary School in Region One (Barima-Waini), Education Minister Priya Manickchand has already signalled plans to rebuild.

Between 22:10h on Saturday and 01:45h on Sunday, the fire reportedly erupted at the educational facility.

The affected building, a two-storey wooden-and-concrete structure measuring about 150 feet by 200 feet, consisted of an auditorium, six classrooms and a home economics department. The rooms had an undisclosed amount of stationery besides desks and benches, chalk boards, computers, laboratory equipment, kitchen utensils and other items.

Enquiries disclosed that a security guard of Baranobo Hill, Mabaruma was in his guard hut on his cellular phone when he heard three loud explosions. The sounds emanated from a room on the second floor of the eastern side of the building.

Checks were made and he

The structure engulfed in thick smoke

observed the room engulfed in flames. The man immediately made his way to the Mabaruma Police Station and lodged a report.

On the fire Service’s ar-

rival on scene, and with assistance from members of the Joint Services and the public, the fire was extinguished - but most of the building, along with the aforemen-

tioned articles, was damaged.

An investigation has since been launched.

Minister Manickchand took to social media to express dismay at the series of

events, noting that she had recently visited the school and found that it was in a state to offer quality educational opportunities to students. However, she posited that the institution would be rebuilt.

“I visited there only last month and promised that these children would receive the type of education at this school that would give them the same opportunities as the children of any national school. I am resolved that this fire will not stop us in this quest. We will rebuild better and stronger. Because together we can,” Manickchand posted on her social media handle.

This fire comes just mere weeks after the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School was gutted by fire.

The teaching block which housed all the classrooms, located on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, was completely destroyed.

While firefighters had responded to the scene, the blaze quickly became uncontrollable and completely destroyed the school’s main

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

building, leaving just the outer walls standing.

Government has pledged to rebuild the structure, which had 512 students and 39 teachers. Some 65 of the school’s students who were scheduled to write the 2021 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations had to do so in the auditorium instead.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana supports Multidimensional CXC results to be released on October 14 Vulnerability Index to aid …NGSA to follow on October 15 small States — President Ali ...says use of GDP per capita for developing nations is inadequate

President Irfaan Ali

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resident Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday said Guyana fully supports the development of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) to aid small island developing states (SIDS), since the current system of using GDP per capita is inadequate.

He gave his support via video message at a high-level side event on the UN Secretary-General’s report regarding the MVI for SIDS. The Head of State pointed out that even some of the world’s largest, advanced, diverse and resilient economies have been struggling to cope with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This fallout, he said, has had a worse effect on SIDS in the Caribbean and the Pacific that are dependent on tourism and other affected sectors for their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), export earn-

ings and employment.

“SIDS had to contend with a pandemic that has pushed public health systems to the brink and that has brought entire economies to standstill.”

The President noted that Guyana welcomes the renewed attention being paid to the development, finalisation and use of the MVI. “Against this background, Guyana strongly supports the call for work on developing a robust and credible MVI be brought to a timely conclusion and finalisation, and Guyana urges strongly that we move swiftly as a global community to incorporate the MVI into the framework for determining eligibility for development support, especially concessional support.”

The President said the renewed attention to the MVI comes after three decades of advocacy of the development of such an index to be put to use, especially in determining the eligibility for international development support. In essence, a MVI will allow for the inclusion of more than just income-based criteria to assess eligibility for concessionary finance.

“We are long past the stage of recognising the inadequacies and shortcomings of using a single limited metric, such as GDP per capita, as a measure of development status and needs. The international community recognises the inherent, ar-

chaic and often perverse results that arise from the use of the single measure to determine a country's eligibility for development support.”

He pointed out that a perusal of the SecretaryGeneral’s report shows that it is patently obvious that a single matrix such as GDP per capita is totally unsuitable for determining support to SIDS. President Ali reminded the Summit that in 2005 Guyana experienced a devastating flood that caused damages equal to 59% of the country’s GDP at the time, and in June this year he was forced to declare a national disaster after record levels of rainfall inundated large swathes across the country.

“I hasten to add that even though I highlight the events of 2005 and 2021, floods are not a one-in-a-twenty-year event for Guyana. Every year, one community or another in Guyana feels the brunt of extreme weather events, facing either floods caused by heavy rainfall or coastal inundation caused by high tides and rising sea levels. For us in Guyana, vulnerability to climate change is not an abstract concept that we read of, or a future prospect that may or may not materialise.”

The President emphasised that climate change is a current, ever-present reality that citizens of Guyana and other low-lying coastal developing states and SIDS face on a daily basis.

Some children seated to write the NGSA earlier in the year

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he Education Ministry on Saturday announced that the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) has chosen Guyana as the host country to release the Caribbean Secondary Education Certification (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) results on October 14.

The examinations were written earlier this year due to the effects, consequences, and impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the Caribbean and the world. Apart from the release, results will be available to candidates on the CXC online portal from October 15, 2021.

“The Council’s representatives and MoE officials will preside over this ceremony during which Guyana’s Minister of Education is scheduled to deliver the feature address,” a statement said.

In addition, the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) was also affected by the pandemic, and was writ-

ten in August of this year.

In this regard, the statement added, “The Ministry of Education is happy to announce that, in collaboration with CXC, we will be announcing and releasing the results by October 15, 2021.”

In light of the effects of the pandemic, NGSA candidates will not be penalised with their raw scores because they were older than 12 years, six months at the end of March of the year when the examination was written.

“Standardised scores per subject will be rounded up to the nearest whole number, and the total score will be given as a decimal number, thereby offering candidates more fairness.”

Since 2016, CXC was contracted by the Government of Guyana to develop, administer and mark this assessment annually. This year, to further advance the transparency and integrity of the assessment, CXC’s responsibilities were extended and increased to include verification of raw scores as well as conduct and management

of all reviews or appeals after the results are published; and further, to present the data and analysis of each year’s assessment.

The Ministry has been informed by CXC that the raw scores will be ready and sent from Barbados to Guyana by Tuesday, September 28, 2021, after which the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) will standardise the scores and offer placements according to the scores and printed results’ slips.

Additionally, the Ministry is encouraging students who had written this year’s NGSA, CSEC and CAPE candidates to return all textbooks and resource materials to their respective schools. Failure to do so may result in their not being able to access results.

Authorities had informed a few weeks ago that a decision was taken not to facilitate the National Grades Two, Four and Nine Assessments for the upcoming academic year in light of the COVID-19 disruptions which have hampered preparation of students.

The Grades Two, Four and Nine Assessments were not written in 2020 either. Only the NGSA and Caribbean Examination Certificate (CXC) examinations have been facilitated.

With schools closed since March 2020, online platforms and other resources were enabled as the new tool to reach students, but there were setbacks in some remote communities owing to difficulties in access.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 injured in 2-vehicle smash-up at Pouderoyen T

wo West Bank Demerara residents are now injured following a two-vehicle collision on the Pouderoyen Public Road, West Bank Demerara (WBD) on Saturday.

Police said the accident involved motorcar PPP 3788 driven by a 27-yearold man of West Minster La Parafaite Harmonie WBD and motorcar PYY 6390 driven by a 61-yearold man of South Better Hope East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Reports are motorcar PPP 3788 was proceeding along the Pouderoyen Public Road when the other motorcar which was travelling in the opposite

direction made a U-turn and ended up in the path of PPP 3788.

At the time, passengers Alecia Munroe, 35, of Middle Street Pouderoyen and Naresh Persaud,57, of Recht Door Zee WBD were sitting at the rear seat of motor PPP 3788.

They both sustained injuries about their bod-

ies, and were taken to West Demerara Regional Hospital where Munroe was admitted for observation in a stable condition and Persaud was treated and sent away.

Both drivers were tested for positive for alcohol consumption. They were arrested as investigations continue.

11 arrested during Police operations in Berbice

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olice in Regional Division Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) conducted a road block exercise on Friday between 17:10 and 18:15h, during which 25 motor vehicles were stopped and searched, and five persons

were arrested.

It was reported that those who were taken into custody were a 30-yearold unemployed male of Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje Berbice - for being an unlicensed driver; a 20-year-old self-employed

male of Section “B” Albion, Corentyne Berbice - who was arrested for tinted motor vehicle; and a 26-yearold unemployed male of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam Berbice - who was taken into custody for arrest warrant and pending investigation of an alleged robbery-under-arms.

In addition, a cordonand-search exercise was carried out at Pitt Street, New Amsterdam, and a 36-year-old male and a 16-year-old female were arrested for possession of narcotics.

Also, six other persons were arrested for failing to wear face masks.

12-year-old girl hospitalised after relative gave her drugs, alcohol

HOSPITALISE

A

12-year-old girl had to be rushed to the hospital to receive medical attention after she reportedly consumed a large amount of drugs and alcohol which were given to her by a male relative.

The incident occurred at around 21:00hrs on Friday at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

Police, in a report on Saturday, said the child’s aunt reported to the Vreeden-Hoop Police Station that a male relative had given the child drugs and alcohol to consume.

After the discovery was made, the victim was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where she was examined by a doctor. A breathalyser test was also conducted to ascertain the amount of alcohol in her system, and it was found that the child had 60% of BAC (breath alcohol concentration) in her breath. As such, she was admitted for observation.

Checks were made for the alleged perpetrator, but he was not found.

Investigations into the matter continue.

NEWS

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Ranks trained to deal with gender-based violence T he recently-launched COPSQUAD2000 initiative by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, in collaboration with the Home Affairs Ministry and the Guyana Police Force, saw the first batch of officers graduating from the gender responsive training on Saturday at the Guyana Police Force Officers’ Training Centre.

The initiative was created in an effort to eliminate the occurrence of gender-based violence.

A total of 17 officers received certificates and badges upon completion of the two-week training session on how to effectively respond to and deal with cases of gender-based violence while providing victims with effective public services.

This initiative is said to be the brainchild of Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud, whose aim is to have a total of 2000 officers trained in this field before year end.

Dr Persaud, in her remarks, stated that this was the first time an initiative has gone past the mere

formality of participation since it will be tackling the social ill of domestic and gender-based violence.

“I think today is a significant day for the country, because this is the first time that an initiative has gone beyond the mere formalities of training, the mere formalities of participation, but this training

was intended for us to have a meaningful, purposeful, tangible impact on a social ill that has created havoc in our country and globally,” the Minister expressed.

“You are the pioneers of the COPSQUAD initiative, and I feel in my heart that you will do justice to the training you would have received through this ini-

tiative.”

She further charged the officers to wear their badges with pride, stating that a reduction in cases could be achieved in the country once the training officers received was channelled. “…and when I say pride, pride that you would go out there and be agents of transformation. Agents

who not only do this, because it falls within your routine duty, but because you believe that you want to be part of a solution.

And if we can harness the energies that you would have expended during your training to make the kind of difference in all of the communities that you will be placed, I think that our

country can see the reduction numbers,” Dr Persaud said.

On the other hand, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn pointed out that issues related to gender-based violence were critical and the training of officers in this regard was important since the first official report of these cases would be made to the Police.

“The first point of contact of a victim is a Police person, the first official done beyond the Human Services Ministry in the form of the welfare officers. One of the problems which do not bring an end to violence, and violence which escalates to serious issues, serious injury and death… is how we engage with the victims even while we are putting in the Police Stations places where victims – children, women – can safely sit and discuss the issue. I think we have to overcome a massive challenge of disdain of not wanting to engage or thinking perhaps it is normal and acceptable for this type of behaviour to continue,” he stated.

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UNHCR opens Child Advocacy Centre to protect children in Reg 1

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he United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN’s refugee agency, and its partner Blossom Inc, along with the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, Child Care and Protection Agency

(CCPA) and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region One (Barima-Waini), on Friday saw the official opening of a Child Advocacy Centre in Port Kaituma.

The Centre, the first of its kind in the region, is a onestop shop where children

and caregivers can access services to prevent, respond to, and report physical and sexual abuse.

Managed by Blossom Inc, the Centre will convene specialised staff to address the needs of child violence survivors.

Services include psychosocial attention, therapy and trauma recovery support in different languages for all children, including refugee and local children.

The Centre will also manage and carry out outreach activities in remote communities of Region One to increase awareness of child protection services.

Cecilie Saenz Guerrero, Head of UNHCR’s office in Guyana stated that violence against children often went underreported, especially in remote areas without access to services.

She pointed out that refugee and migrant children were more vulnerable, particularly when they did not speak the language of service providers.

According to the CCPA, 3129 cases of child abuse were recorded in 2020, with a quarter of the cases being sexual in nature.

Milton Smith, CCPA’s Senior Child Protection Officer with responsibility for Region One, stated that

the region is one that has recorded one of the highest number of cases of child sexual abuse.

“Having such centre is very supportive and needed. It helps bring justice and will help make the perpetrators accountable for their actions,” Smith related.

Meanwhile, Ayodele Dalgety-Dean, Blossom Inc’s Founder and Managing Director, explained that collaboration and partnership were essential ingredients in the formula for protecting children in Guyana.

“UNHCR, Blossom Inc, Ministry of Human Services (Child Protection Agency) and the multidisciplinary team partners want to take a step further in bringing child protection services to all children living in hardto-reach hinterland communities,” Dalgety-Dean noted.

Guyana is host to an estimated 23,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants who fled insecurity in their country and widespread shortages of basic items.

The risks of violence and abuse are higher during the cycle of displacement. The establishment of this centre – the seventh across the country – is part of UNHCR’s efforts to provide a protective environment for refugee, migrant and local children in Guyana.

Officials from the Health Ministry , the Police, Immigration, the Prime Ministerial Office, Education Ministry, the Regional Democratic Council and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council were also present at the event.

UNHCR is dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution.

The agency delivers life-saving assistance like shelter, food and water; and helps safeguard fundamental human rights and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

41

Regional

Cuba kicks off COVID-19 vaccine 14 Mexican soldiers exports with shipment to Vietnam briefly detained in El Paso

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uba said on Saturday it had exported its three-shot Abdala coronavirus vaccine for the first time, sending an initial shipment to Vietnam as part of a contract to supply five million doses to the Southeast Asian country.

Scientists in the Communist-run island have developed three homegrown vaccines against COVID-19, all of which are waiting to receive official recognition from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

State-run pharmaceutical corporation BioCubaFarma made Saturday’s export announcement on Twitter after saying earlier this week it had produced enough doses to meet a target to immunise more than 90 per cent of the local population by mid-November.

BioCubaFarma says it has the annual capacity to produce 100 million dos-

F

Doses of Cuba’s Abdala coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine are seen at a vaccination centre in Caracas, Venezuela July 1, 2021

es of the Abdala, Soberana 2 and Soberana Plus vaccines, which it said recently reduced by about 90 per cent the risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from the disease.

Hard-hit by the pandemic, the Caribbean nation has seen vital exports such as tourism collapse and other foreign exchange earnings

dwindle – creating shortages of food, medicine and other essential goods.

B i o C u b a F a r m a Corporate Vice President Mayda Mauri said once domestic supply goals had been met, Cuba would also start supplying vaccines to countries including Iran and Venezuela. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T&T Government considering vaccination for select groups

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he Trinidad & Tobago Government hinted at the possibility of having public servants vaccinated against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

It maintained, however, that it was not pushing for mandatory vaccination in the two-island state as a policy to curb the spread of the virus that has so far killed 1437 and infected 49, 442 others since March last year.

“We have not today assigned that to Government employees, but if it becomes necessary, we will,” Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said.

“The Government has taken up a whole lot of the response to the virus. For

example, all Government employees have got their full emoluments during this pandemic.

He said: “People who are in the private sector… where the business just could not carry the burden, many persons have lost their jobs.

“But what we did was to make sure that the population got its means of survival with the Government carrying at taxpayers’ expense a huge burden.”

Rowley announced on Thursday that safe zones for fully-vaccinated people will come into effect from October 11.

He reiterated also that face-to-face classes for fully-vaccinated senior sec-

ondary students will begin on October 4.

The Government, which also announced a onehour reduction in the daily curfew hours, said fully-vaccinated people will be allowed to participate in several activities, including in-house dining, going to cinemas, gyms and casinos.

“To get more activity in the country, especially to those persons who have been carrying the burden of the shutdown, give them an opportunity to conduct their businesses because we now know that it is possible to reduce the risk through the vaccination programme,” Rowley said.

(Excerpt from CMC)

Trinidad: Relative held for murders of El Socorro family

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omicide detectives have arrested a suspect in the triple killings of an El Socorro family and recovered what they believed was the murder weapon.

The suspect, Police said, is a relative of the victims.

On Friday afternoon, the bodies of Kumarie Kowlessar-Timal, 76; her daughter Radeshka TimalDavid, 48, and grandson Zachary David, 20, were found slumped on a couch.

The three had each been shot once in the head. Police said around 16:45h, neighbours heard the gunshots and contacted Police.

No motive was given for the murders.

Acting Police

Police outside the house on Oudan Trace, El Socorro where Kumarie Kowlessar-Timal, daughter Radeshka Timal-David and grandson Zachary David were shot dead on Friday night

Commissioner McDonald Jacob stated in the media release that there has been a notable increase in double and triple murders related to domestic and property matters.

On September 17, 60-year-old Savitri Sooklal and her 21-year-old daughter, Arianna Sandeepa Balgobin were both killed at

their Soledad Road, North Claxton Bay home.

Jacob added that there was a need for access to conflict resolution and mediation services in communities. He also stated that it was difficult to prevent these occurrences when they are rooted in familial matters. (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

ourteen Mexican soldiers were detained early Saturday morning for several hours by US border agents after they crossed into El Paso, Texas, from Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)said.

“Just after midnight today CBP officers working at the Bridge of the Americas’ international crossing in El Paso noted two Mexican military vehicles crossing the boundary and entering the US,” the CBP told Reuters in an emailed statement.

The 14 Mexican soldiers said they did not realise they had entered the United States and US border agents secured their weapons and equipment for “safety and processing”, said the CBP, adding that Mexican military leadership was contacted and arrived at the port shortly thereafter.

Thirteen of the 14 Mexican soldiers were processed without incident, but one soldier was assessed a civil penalty after CBP officers discovered a personal use amount of marijuana in his possession.

All 14 soldiers, their equipment and vehicles were returned to Mexico before 05:00h, said the CBP. Mexico’s Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Due to the incident, the border crossing was closed for about two hours, a witness to the events said.

“The CBP (agents) yelled at the soldiers to put their hands up and drop their weapons immediately,” said the witness, who asked not to be named. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Haitian migrants on the move weigh jobs in Mexico after clearout

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any Haitians who are heading for the US border as thousands of their compatriots were cleared out of a frontier camp are giving thought to finding work in Mexico if measures to curb entry to the United States stay tough.

On Friday, the United States said a border camp between the cities of Del Rio in Texas and Ciudad Acuna in Mexico had been emptied of thousands of migrants, most of them Haitian. Some were flown out, while others stay in the United States for now.

For weeks, Haitians have been fleeing economic, political and social chaos in their Caribbean homeland, with many thousands still on the move in Central America and Mexico, in the hope of a better life in the United States.

Thousands have fanned out across northern Mexico in recent weeks, spurring con-

Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S., who returned to Mexican side of the border to avoid deportation, arrive to a new space to take shelter which the National Institute of Immigration provided in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, September 24, 2021

cern among officials that mass crossings such as those seen in Ciudad Acuna could happen elsewhere.

In the city of Monterrey a few hundred kilometres to the southeast, about 2000 Haitians have gathered, tallies by migrant shelters show.

Marck Lender, a 30-yearold Haitian who had travelled from Chile, said he would sit tight until he obtained the

papers needed to legalize his stay.

“I’m afraid of migration authorities, I don’t want to be deported,” he said. “If I find work in Mexico, I’ll be here.”

The US Department of Homeland Security said nearly 30,000 migrants had been encountered in Del Rio in the past two weeks and none were left in the camp there by Friday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

JLP MP wants answers on money reportedly spent on Climate Change Park

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ember of Parliament for St Catherine South East, Robert Miller, has called on the People’s National Party-led Portmore Municipal Corporation (PMC) to account for what he said is J$160 million that was supposed to have been spent on establishing the so-called Climate Change Park in the vicinity of the Portmore Mall.

“We have been asking questions to the Municipal Council as to what has been done to the J$160 million that is said to have been spent on the park, which continues to be a dust bowl and nuisance to many. The citizens of St Catherine South Eastern need answers and they need them now,” said Miller.

He was speaking Wednesday during his contribution to the 2021/22 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representations.

While Miller did not

Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Eastern, Robert Miller

elaborate on his accusation about J$160 million being spent on the park, he said he was set to commence consultations with the citizens on Thursday in regard to the parcel of land.

“While campaigning, it’s on record Madam Speaker, a commitment to transform that area into a state-of-theart recreational park similar to Emancipation Park, with more amenities. Meetings were held with the Urban

Development Corporation, they loved the idea and it was also presented in the Prime Minister’s Budget presentation in Parliament in March of this year,” Miller noted.

He said his office was encouraging citizens to get involved and present their ideas as to the amenities that they would like in their community for their comfort. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

Around the World

Germans vote in close election to decide Merkel successor G

ermans vote in a national election on Sunday that looks too close to call, with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) mounting a strong challenge to retiring Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives.

Merkel has been in power since 2005, but plans to step down after the election, making the vote an era-changing event to set the future course of Europe's largest economy.

A fractured electorate means that after the election, leading parties will sound each other out before embarking on more formal coalition negotiations that could take months, leaving Merkel, 67, in charge in a caretaker role.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and North Rhine-Westphalia State Premier, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader and candidate for Chancellor, Armin Laschet attend a rally ahead of the election

Campaigning in his home constituency of Aachen alongside Merkel, conservative candidate ArminLaschet said on Saturday that a leftist alliance led by the SPD with

the Greens and the hard-left Linke party would destabilise Europe.

"They want to pull us out of NATO, they don't want this alliance, they want another

republic," said Laschet, who is 60. "I don't want the Linke to be in the next Government."

Running against Laschet is Olaf Scholz of the SPD, the Finance Minister in Merkel's right-left coalition who won all three televised debates between the leading candidates.

Scholz, 63, has not ruled out a leftist alliance with the left, but said NATO membership was a red line for the SPD. After a domestic-focused election campaign, Berlin's allies in Europe and beyond may have to wait for months before they can see whether the new German Government is ready to engage on foreign issues to the extent they would like.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Quad leaders press for free IndoPacific, with wary eye on China

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eaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia vowed on Friday to pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific region "undaunted by coercion" at

their first in-person summit, which presented a united front amid shared concerns about China.

The two-hour meeting at the White House of the

Afghanistan: Taliban hang bodies as warning in city of Herat

Taliban fighters — pictured here in Herat on September 10 — have been patrolling the centre of the city

T

he Taliban say they have shot dead four alleged kidnappers and hung their bodies in public squares in the Afghan city of Herat.

The gruesome display came a day after a notorious Taliban official warned that extreme punishments such as executions and amputations would resume.

The men were killed in a gun battle after allegedly seizing a businessman and his son, a local official said.

Local residents said a body was hung from a crane in the city centre.

Wazir Ahmad Seddiqi, a local shopkeeper, told the Associated Press news agency that four bodies were brought to the square, one was hung there and the three other bodies were moved to other squares in the city to be displayed.

The Deputy Governor of Herat, Maulwai Shair, said displaying the bodies was done to deter further abduc-

tions. He said the men were killed in a gun battle after the Taliban learnt that they had kidnapped a businessman and his son – who were both freed.

The BBC has not independently confirmed the circumstances under which the men were killed.

However, graphic images shared on social media appeared to show bloody bodies on the back of a pick-up truck with a crane hoisting one man up.

Another video showed a man suspended from a crane with a sign on his chest reading: "Abductors will be punished like this."

Since taking power in Afghanistan on August 15, the Taliban have been promising a milder form of rule than in their previous tenure.

But there have already been numerous reports of human rights abuses carried out across the country.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Quad, as the grouping of four major democracies is called, will be watched closely in Beijing, which criticised the group as "doomed to fail". "?We stand for the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values, and territorial integrity of states," US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a joint statement after the talks.

While China was not mentioned in the public remarks by the four leaders or in the lengthy joint statement and a factsheet issued afterwards, Beijing was clearly top of mind.

Their statement made frequent mention of the lead-

ers' insistence on rules-based behaviour in a region where China has been trying to flex its muscles.

"Together, we? recommit to promoting ?the free, open,?rules-based order, rooted in ?international law and undaunted by coercion, to bolster security and prosperity? in the Indo-Pacific and beyond," they said.

The Quad leaders also voiced support for small island states, especially those in the Pacific, in order to enhance their economic and environmental resilience.

Additionally, they urged North Korea to engage in diplomacy over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, which Pyongyang has refused to do unless international sanctions are dropped. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Rwanda genocide 'kingpin' Théoneste Bagosora dies in prison

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former Rwandan army colonel convicted for his role in the massacre of some 800,000 people in the 1994 genocide has died in Mali, where he was in prison.

Théoneste Bagosora, 80, was a senior figure in Rwanda's Defence Ministry at the time of the killings.

A UN-backed criminal tribunal sentenced him to life in prison, but this was later reduced to 35 years.

His son Achille told the BBC he died at a hospital in Bamako, where he was being treated for heart issues.

Around 800,000 people – mostly from the Tutsi ethnic group – were killed in 100 days during the genocide.

The massacres began after a plane carrying Rwanda's then-President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down on April 6, 1994,

killing everyone on board.

Bagosora was arrested two years later in Cameroon, where he had fled to after Paul Kagame's Rwandan Patriotic Front seized power.

In 2008, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda found him guilty of crimes against humanity, and for orchestrating the murder of several political figures, including Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana.

At his trial, Bagosora maintained he was a victim of propaganda by Rwanda's current Tutsi-dominated government.

Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, head of the UN's peacekeeping force during the genocide, described Bagosora as the "kingpin" behind the killings, and alleged that the former colonel had threatened to kill him.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Under US sanctions, Iran and Venezuela strike oil export deal

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enezuela has agreed to a key contract to swap its heavy oil for Iranian condensate that it can use to improve the quality of its tar-like crude, with the first cargoes due this week, five people close to the deal said.

As the South American country seeks to boost its flagging oil exports in the face of US sanctions, according to the sources, the deal between State-run firms Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) deepens the cooperation between two of Washington's foes.

One of the people said the swap agreement is planned to last for six months in its first phase, but could be extended.

Reuters could not immediately determine other details of the pact.

The Oil Ministries of Venezuela and Iran, and State-run PDVSA and NIOC did not reply to requests for comment.

The deal could be a breach of US sanctions on both nations, according to a Treasury Department email to Reuters which cited US Government orders that establish the punitive measures.

US sanctions programmes not only forbid Americans from doing business with the oil sectors of Iran and Venezuela, but also threaten to impose "secondary sanctions" against any non-US person or entity that carries out transactions with either countries' oil companies.

Secondary sanctions can carry a range of penalties against those targeted, including cutting off access to the US financial system, fines or the freezing of US assets. (Excerpt from Reuters)

China welcomes Huawei executive home, Trudeau hugs Canadians freed by Beijing

"You've shown incredible strength, resilience, and perseverance," PM Justin Trudeau said in a Twitter post with photos of him welcoming them home

H

uawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou arrived in China on Saturday, ending her near three-year US extradition fight, the same day two Canadians detained by Beijing for more than 1000 days returned home, potentially paving the way for improved ties between China and the two Western allies.

Meng, the daughter of Huawei Technologies founder Ren Zhengfei, was allowed to go home after reaching an agreement with US Prosecutors on Friday to end a bank fraud case against her.

The extradition drama has been a central source of discord between Beijing and Washington, with Chinese officials signalling that the case had to be dropped to help end a diplomatic stalemate.

Two Canadians detained

by Chinese authorities just days after Meng's arrest –

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor – were embraced on the tarmac by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after they landed in Calgary.

"You've shown incredible strength, resilience, and perseverance," Trudeau said in a Twitter post with photos of him welcoming them home.

"Know that Canadians across the country will continue to be here for you, just as they have been."

In the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, Meng wore a patriotic red-coloured dress as she exited a plane to be greeted by well-wishers.

"I'm finally back home," Meng was quoted as saying by the Global Times tabloid backed by the ruling Communist Party. "The waiting in a foreign country was full of suffering. I was speechless the moment my feet touched Chinese soil."

(Excerpt from Reuters)

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Lead the way, and don’t look back. If you know what you want, nothing will stand in your way. Strive for perfection and use your intellect to dazzle those who can help you obtain your objective.

Be reluctant to share too TAURUS much too soon. Make sure you (April 20have everything under control May 20) and are fully prepared to negotiate with anyone who tries to take ownership of something you have done by yourself.

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Present what you have to offer. If you let someone stifle your plans, you will have regrets. Trust and believe in your ability to reach your destination on your own. Expand your mind.

Don’t argue a moot point. You’ll CANCER (June 21- gain respect and encourage others July 22) to see things your way by taking

ownership of your beliefs and following through with your plans, regardless of what others think.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

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(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

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Peanuts

Gather all the information required to make a good decision. Team up with someone who shares your ideologies, and together you will develop a foolproof plan that helps you both excel.

Keep your emotions tucked away in a safe place. The less you reveal, the easier it will be to put things in place to overcome any adversity you face.

Initiate a positive personal change.

Congregate with like-minded people. Organize an event with friends and family. Take the initiative to put plans into motion, and you will reap the rewards. Leave nothing to chance.

Work quietly behind the scenes to eliminate interference. Offering too much information will give others an advantage that can hinder your plans. Put a unique spin on the moves you make.

Emotions will surface SAGITTARIUS if you aren’t straight with (Nov. 23someone. Don’t get caught Dec. 21) in another’s dilemma. A direct approach to life, love and happiness will serve you well.

Calvin and Hobbes

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Listen more and pontificate less. Find out how others feel and think before you try to take charge. If you want to change, go about it systematically. Look for incentives.

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Make home and family priorities. Spend more time and money improving your surroundings and making your place inviting and entertaining. Don’t get thrown by a change someone makes.

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Emotions will surface if you get into a discussion with a friend or relative. Limit how much personal information you share to avoid being put in an awkward position.

Concentrate on being your best.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

45

Shami, Bishnoi specials help Kings defend 125 in thriller

…Holder’s heroics not enough as Sunrisers’ horror season continues

Jason Holder scored 46* and bagged 3-19

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i t h eight losses in nine games, Sunrisers Hyderabad are no longer in playoff contention. Punjab Kings knocked them out of the race with a tidy bowling performance that kept their own hopes of making the top four alive and kicking.

Mohammed Shami’s newball breakthroughs to remove David Warner and Kane Williamson hurt Sunrisers early in their chase of 126, after which they failed to find a batter who could change gear in the middle overs. Sunrisers made just 20 in the powerplay - their lowest score for the period in IPL history - and never recovered. Legspinner Ravi

Bishnoi then made the most of the rising asking rate by bowling googlies and taking a three-wicket haul in his first match of the renewed season.

Sharjah has been the most difficult place for run-scoring among the three UAE venues in this IPL, and it proved to be so yet again as Sunrisers struggled to cope with the variety in the Kings’ bowling attack.

The game was not without its thrills though. When Jason Holder struck five sixes late in the chase, it appeared the Kings would yet lose the game from a winning position, but on this occasion they closed it out well, with IPL debutant Nathan Ellis successfully defending 16 in the last over.

When batting was relatively easier in the first innings, the Kings stumbled to 125 for 7. It was Holder who starred for Sunrisers with the ball as well, taking three wickets and eventually winning the Player-of-the-Match award as well. But it would have been small consolation after such a tough loss.

sixes had brought the equation down to 35 off 24. Holder, for his part, looked like he was batting on a wholly different surface. Slot balls from Ellis and Shami were deposited for sixes straight down the ground as he reminded everyone of what a tiny ground Sharjah is, but the lack of support from the others meant he could not drag Sunrisers over the line.

SRH have now been eliminated, and Punjab Kings keep their playoff hopes alive

Shami, Bishnoi impress

Wickets up top were always crucial when defending 125, and it was Shami who got that breakthrough in the first over. David Warner chased a wide ball, only to edge it to KL Rahul. Shami then doubled up by dismissing Kane Williamson in his next over.

The Sunrisers captain tried to punch a length ball through cover, but it jagged back in and he chopped it onto the stumps.

“They have what it takes” – former fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose believes Under-19s could represent senior national teams

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ir Curtly Ambrose, Specialist Bowling Consultant for the West Indies Under-19 team during the recent Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Under-19 High Performance Camp held here, believes that a number of players who were part of the initiative are “good enough” to represent their respective territories in the Regional 4 Day Championships.

The legendary former fast bowler made this statement on the heels of a recent tour to England, where the team lost their six-match ODI series 4-2. He added that he has already reached out to people with influence in some countries in hopes of having players fast-tracked into the senior set-up.

“I won’t call names, because sometimes you do that and guys think that Curtly Ambrose calling my name so they tend to get complacent, but trust me, they have some guys in this team who, in a couple of years, will be able to transform into international cricket,” he said.

“However, they must represent their territories first in four-day cricket, and I have already sent a couple of messages to some of my friends in different ter-

That led to a period of apparent recovery from the other opener Wriddhiman Saha and No. 4 Manish Pandey. But while they did add 22 runs together, it came in 5.4 overs.

Spinners Harpreet Brar and Bishnoi found bounce and turn respectively, and Ellis bowled an assortment of cutters and slower balls, forcing false shots from the two batters.

With the bowlers choking the flow of runs, Pandey (13 off 23) felt it was time to break the shackles. But he fell victim to a googly from Bishnoi that went through the bat-pad gap to crash into the stumps.

Soon after, Kedar Jadhav was out for a 12-ball 12, dragging a Bishnoi wrong’un onto his stumps. It wasn’t long before Bishnoi added another wicket to his tally, Abdul Samad out for 1 when his attempt at a slog went to short third man instead.

Bishnoi finished with 3 for 24.

S a h a Ravi Bishnoi bagged 3-24

ritories, trying to get them to understand that some of these players, and I gave them some names as well, they need to get these players into the four-day system right away, and don’t wait until they get to 22 [years old] and then lose interest.

They are still under-19s, and the way I see some of them play, they are ready for fourday cricket,” he added.

Sir Curtly said players have been given full workout plans as they return to their respective countries following the camp, which started in August and ended with the recent tour to England.

“We don’t want to come back to camp and have to start from scratch, so we gave them some assignments, something to do so

that when they get back to camp they will be still fit, raring to go, and they will just press forward.

“These guys are hungry, and you know I mark myself hard, and so I mark players hard,” he said.

England Under-19s won the opening match by 166 runs, before taking the second match by just one run.

West Indies rebounded in the third contest to win by two wickets, before England won the fourth contest by nine wickets. West Indies again rebounded to win the fifth match by two wickets, before England secured the series win with a nine-wicket victory in the sixth and final contest. (Antigua Observer)

played a lone hand in tricky conditions.

His dismissal, for 30 off 36, came at a crucial time, just after Holder’s three

Kings’ batters do just about enough

The IPL’s most consistent

who followed could not make much of an impact either.

Chris Gayle was out for a 17ball 14, trapped lbw by Rashid Khan, and Nicholas Pooran was out for a four-ball 8 when he slogged a length ball right back to the bowler Sandeep Sharma. It was just reward for Sharma after his opening spell built the initial pressure that resulted in the Rahul and Agarwal wickets at the other end.

With both the track and the outfield nowhere near conducive for boundary-hitting,

Nathan Ellis bowled a smart last over under pressure on his IPL debut

opening partnership between Rahul and Mayank Agarwal got only 26 runs on Saturday, as the captain failed to get his timing right early on.

Looking to increase the tempo after a sedate four overs, Rahul flicked the first Holder delivery of the night to midwicket for a simple catch.

Few balls later, Agarwal’s mistimed drive off Holder went straight to Williamson at mid-off.

The two West Indians

Aiden Markram held up one end to score a slow 27 and take the Kings closer to triple-figures. Cameos from Deepak Hooda (13), Brar (18) and Ellis (12) took them a little further. At the innings break, Rashid said that Sunrisers were ahead, having restricted the Kings to a 125-total on a “140-par surface.” However it wasn’t to be, as any hope of a Sunrisers’ playoff surge was extinguished with an even tighter bowling performance.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD PUNJAB KINGS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) KL Rahul (c)† c sub (J Suchith) b Holder 21 Mayank Agarwal c Williamson b Holder 5 Chris Gayle lbw b Rashid Khan 14 Aiden Markram c Pandey b Abdul Samad 27 Nicholas Pooran c & b Sandeep Sharma 8 Deepak Hooda c sub (J Suchith) b Holder 13 Harpreet Brar not out 18 Nathan Ellis c Pandey b Kumar 12 Mohammed Shami not out 0 Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 3) 7 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 6.25) 125/7 Did not bat: Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh Fall of wickets: 1-26 (KL Rahul, 4.1 ov), 2-27 (Mayank Agarwal, 4.5 ov), 3-57 (Chris Gayle, 10.4 ov), 4-66 (Nicholas Pooran, 11.4 ov), 5-88 (Aiden Markram, 14.4 ov), 6-96 (Deepak Hooda, 15.4 ov), 7-118 (Nathan Ellis, 19.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Sandeep Sharma 4-0-20-1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-34-1 Jason Holder 4-0-19-3 Khaleel Ahmed 3-0-22-0 Rashid Khan 4-0-17-1 Abdul Samad 1-0-9-1

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD INNINGS (TARGET: 126 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) David Warner c †Rahul b Mohammed Shami 2 Wriddhiman Saha † run out (Arshdeep Singh/Ravi Bishnoi) 31 Kane Williamson (c) b Mohammed Shami 1 Manish Pandey b Ravi Bishnoi 13 Kedar Jadhav b Ravi Bishnoi 12 Abdul Samad c Gayle b Ravi Bishnoi 1 Jason Holder not out 47 Rashid Khan c & b Arshdeep Singh 3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar not out 3 Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 4) 7 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 6.00) 120/7 Did not bat: Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed Fall of wickets: 1-2 (David Warner, 0.3 ov), 2-10 (Kane Williamson, 2.2 ov), 3-32 (Manish Pandey, 7.6 ov), 4-56 (Kedar Jadhav, 12.2 ov), 5-60 (Abdul Samad, 12.6 ov), 6-92 (Wriddhiman Saha, 16.1 ov), 7-105 (Rashid Khan, 18.1 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Mohammed Shami 4-1-14-2 Arshdeep Singh 4-0-22-1 Nathan Ellis 4-0-32-0 Harpreet Brar 4-0-25-0 Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-24-3

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

Nortje keeps Capitals’ stifling bowling in win over Royals W hat appeared at the innings break like a small mountain to climb soon looked like Everest to a struggling Rajasthan Royals batting lineup, as Delhi Capitals turned in a disciplined team bowling effort, led by Anrich Nortje, to comfortably defend 154, winning by 33 runs in Abu Dhabi on Saturday afternoon.

Royals were always behind in the chase, after losing three wickets in the powerplay, as the overseas pair of Liam Livingstone and David Miller fell cheaply to dent Royals’ chances.

Sanju Samson could have been the fourth to fall in the sequence, but was reprieved

by DRS. He waged a lone battle through the rest of the innings, ending unbeaten on 70 off 53 balls, but receiving little support at the opposite end.

Mahipal Lomror's 19 served as the only other score to get into double-digits as the Capitals strangled the scoring rate from start to finish to seal a victory that puts them two points clear of Chennai Super Kings into sole possession of first place in the IPL points table.

Tyagi picks up where he left off

Royals were buoyant early in the match after Samson chose to field at the toss, when Kartik Tyagi, the final-over hero from Royals’ win over Punjab Kings in the middle of the week, struck with his very first ball of the match in Abu Dhabi, after entering in the fourth over.

Boundaries were hard to come by early on, and Shikhar Dhawan tried to play with soft hands, looking for a single in the ring but managing only to drag the ball back onto his stumps for 8.

The lack of boundaries created enough pressure for

mentum in their reply after a disappointing first six overs.

Livingstone, who was sent up to open with Evin Lewis out injured, was dismissed in the first over by Avesh Khan, getting a toe edge to an attempted swat over the leg side.

Yashasvi Jaiswal fended at the next ball to start the second over and sent a healthy edge through for Pant's second catch, as DRS had to be used to overturn a not-out decision from Nortje's appeal.

Prithvi Shaw to throw away his wicket soon after as well, beginning the fourth over shovelling a catch off Chetan Sakariya to Livingstone at mid-off to make it 21 for 2.

Shrey-yes

In what proved to be the most important partnership of the match, Shreyas Iyer was joined by Rishabh Pant for a 62-run third-wicket stand.

The pair spent most of the sequence knocking around ones and twos. But Iyer delivered a pair of crunching blows in the 10th and 11th overs, taking on Rajasthan's spinners.

Rahul Tewatia was the first victim, as Iyer punched him back over his head for six.

Tabraiz Shamsi, who came into the lineup in place of the unavailable Chris Morris, was the next to feel Iyer's wrath, being clubbed over extra cover for an elegant six. On a day when boundaries were few and far between, these were a pair of hammer blows delivered straight to the gut of the Royals’ bowling unit.

Iyer wound up top-scoring with 43 off 32, and when he and Pant departed, Shimron Hetmyer provided a flurry of

boundaries in his 28 off 16 to propel Capitals toward and eventually past 150.

Rajasthan Royals fined for slow over-rate

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has been fined for a slow over-rate for the second time since the IPL has resumed. For the second offence, he will be fined INR 24 lakh, while his team-mates who played against Delhi Capitals will be fined the lesser of INR 6 lakh or 25 percent of their individual match fees.

Royals power outage

Royals never got any mo-

A bigger blow was struck in the fifth when Miller's charge to R Ashwin went completely awry, resulting in a simple stumping for 7.

At 17 for 3, Royals looked miles behind. Samson continued to lose partners, and was scoring at well under a run a ball by the time Riyan Parag's missed slog to Axar Patel in the 12th made the score 55 for 5, leaving the required run rate at well above 10 per over with half the team gone.

Samson eventually started to get unstuck by using finesse over power to find the boundary and get his innings

Skerritt calls on West Indians to support T20 World Cup West Indies Team

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resident of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Ricky Skerritt, is calling on West Indies cricket fans everywhere to throw their full support behind the West Indies team when they defend the ICC T20 World Cup title next month.

With the countdown already begun towards the start of the marquee event in the UAE, Skerritt has asked the fanbase and all stakeholders to help create a winning West Indian spirit of passion and unity in the face of a global battle. The West Indies team is going in pursuit of an unprecedented third ICC T20 World title.

“The selectors have produced a fit-for-purpose squad which is a rich mixture of experienced leadership, proven match-winners, and youthful talent. For the first time for years, the selectors had good options within a growing pool of exciting West Indian talent.

But this is a major world tournament, not a development tour. All the best teams

in the world will be setting out to dethrone the West Indies as defending champions. And just coping with the discomfort of an ongoing COVID-19 bubble will be tough enough for the players. So, the mental toughness of our team will be stiffly tested both on and off the field.

“That is at least one good reason why they deserve our support. If you are a West Indian fan, then this is your team no matter which territory the players hail from.”

According to the CWI President, “A successful World Cup journey requires that all of us who love and support the game and who have seriously studied the fortunes of West Indies cricket come together and send positive vibes to Captain Pollard and the members of his squad, no matter what.”

The last time the T20I tournament was staged in 2016, West Indies beat England in spectacular fashion at Eden Gardens in Kolkata to capture their second title. The first T20 World Cup victory came in

2012 w h e n they beat Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. West Indies have also reached the semi-finals on two occasions – in 2009 in England and 2014 in Bangladesh.

Head Coach Phil Simmons will be looking to make it backto-back titles as he was the mastermind behind the title success in 2016. Captain Kieron Pollard will also be looking for a second world title, as he was an influential member of the squad which won in 2012.

West Indies have shown encouraging form this year in the build-up to the tournament. They contested four CG Insurance T20I home series against Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia, and Pakistan. They played 17

going. He eventually reached a half-century off 39 balls, but by that stage the match was well gone. With 56 needed off the last three overs, Royals could only manage two bound-

SCOREBOARD DELHI CAPITALS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Prithvi Shaw c Livingstone b Sakariya 10 Shikhar Dhawan b Kartik Tyagi 8 Shreyas Iyer st †Samson b Tewatia 43 Rishabh Pant (c)†b Mustafizur Rahman 24 Shimron Hetmyer c Sakariya b Mustafizur Rahman 28 Lalit Yadav not out 14 Axar Patel c Miller b Sakariya 12 Ravichandran Ashwin not out 6 Extras (b 2, lb 1, w 6) 9 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 7.70) 154/6 Did not bat: Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Shikhar Dhawan, 3.1 ov), 2-21 (Prithvi Shaw, 4.1 ov), 3-83 (Rishabh Pant, 11.4 ov), 4-90 (Shreyas Iyer, 13.2 ov), 5-121 (Shimron Hetmyer, 16.3 ov), 6-142 (Axar Patel, 18.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-22-2 Mahipal Lomror 1-0-5-0 Chetan Sakariya 4-0-33-2 Kartik Tyagi 4-0-40-1 Tabraiz Shamsi 4-0-34-0 Rahul Tewatia 3-0-17-1

RAJASTHAN ROYALS INNINGS (TARGET: 155 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Liam Livingstone c †Pant b Avesh Khan 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal c †Pant b Nortje 5 Sanju Samson (c)† not out 70 David Miller st †Pant b Ashwin 7 Mahipal Lomror c Avesh Khan b Rabada 19 Riyan Parag b Patel 2 Rahul Tewatia c Hetmyer b Nortje 9 Tabraiz Shamsi not out 2 Extras (lb 1, w 5) 6 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 6.05) 121/6 Did not bat: Kartik Tyagi, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Liam Livingstone, 0.6 ov), 2-6 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 1.1 ov), 3-17 (David Miller, 4.2 ov), 4-48 (Mahipal Lomror, 10.2 ov), 5-55 (Riyan Parag, 11.5 ov), 6-99 (Rahul Tewatia, 17.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Avesh Khan 4-0-29-1 Anrich Nortje 4-0-18-2 R Ashwin 4-0-20-1 Kagiso Rabada 4-0-26-1 Axar Patel 4-0-27-1

Senior National Team pips U23 … Games tied at 2-2, decider set for October 5

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matches – won 8, lost 6, with three “no results” due to bad weather.

The squad is due to assemble in the United Arab Emirates in early October, where they will have a training camp before finetuning the final preparations, including warm-up matches against Pakistan and India.

West Indies have been drawn in Group 1, and will play five group games against England, South Africa and Australia, along with the winner of Round 1 Group A (Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Namibia) and the runner-up from Round 1 Group B (Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman). West Indies’ first group game will be against England in Dubai on October 23. (Windies Cricket)

aries off the final three overs, as Capitals never let up their relentless discipline with the ball to seal their eighth win in 10 games. (ESPNcricinfo)

he Senior National Team pipped the National U23 last night (September 24, 2021) to claim game 4 of the best of five series game in five sets.

This levels the series 2-2.

The U23 team won the first set 24-23, the second and third sets were claimed by the seniors 2522, 25-19 respectively. The U23 team came bouncing back in the fourth set to win it 25-19. The seniors then went on to close out the game and claim game four 17-15.

The top scorers from the Senior National Team were * Vance Harding with 19 points * Quacy Matheson with 16 points * Trevon McRae with 12 points The top scorers from the National U23 team were * Tyrone Farley with 16 points * Kristoff Shepherd with 14 points * Ronaldo Bobb with 12 points

Game 5 of the series will be played on the 15th of October 2021.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

Trojans team 98% vaccinated …. Joseph urges everyone to help curb the spread of COVID-19

By Timothy Jaikarran

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he COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc around the world. While there has been some restart of certain sports, things still have not returned to the status quo, and no one knows when things will return to the way they were.

The UG Trojans

cricket returns, the team would be in top shape.

In an interview with this publication, he was asked how the Trojans are coping, and Joseph said, “We are training, doing a lot of fitness.

We do sessions Joseph doing some training in 2019 in the park thrice a week. COVID-19 has The UG Trojans Cricket Team, who are no strangers to the GCA negatively impacted my team’s cricketing fraternity, have been progress. A lot of the guys have anxiously waiting to hit the field turned to unhealthy practices and once more return to their that have made our fitness level to be below par. Leadership skills winning ways.

Head coach of the Trojans have increased, since myself and unit, Kenroy Joseph, has taken the captain have learned new this opportunity to work on the ways to keep our team together. fitness of the team, so when I am just looking forward to the

restart of cricket. My team is 98% totally vaccinated.”

Joseph is also pleading with the general population for everyone to become totally vaccinated. It is his belief that while COVID is real, as sportsmen, it is his duty and that of the teams to protect not only themselves, but their fellow teammates as well.

Joseph has also noted that, in terms of training, the team is presently doing a lot of tyre training in the park and also step training at the Muslim Youth Organization (MYO).

Joseph has said, “Stop politicising COVID-19 and see that daily people are dying. Let’s practise all guidelines that reduce the spread of COVID, especially being totally vaccinated.”

Trophy Stall supports ongoing National Youth and Juniors

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ith the National Youth and Junior Track and Field Championships underway, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) needs not worry about the prizes their podium finishers will receive, thanks to the Trophy Stall.

The entity has once again sought to partner with the Association, as is now customary for the generous company.

The track and field meet got underway yesterday (Saturday, September 25) at the National Track and Field facility at Leonora, West Coast Demerara with the athletes divided into two age groups, 14-17 and 18-19, with the usual exciting events on the cards.

Titled as a ‘timely contribution’, the Trophy Stall has provided its specialty trophies for the two-day competition.

AAG boss Aubrey Hutson thanked Proprietor Ramesh Sunich and the Trophy Stall for their donation just ahead of the championships on Friday, sharing that the entity has always been a supporter of track-and-field.

Meanwhile, Sunich noted that it is his love for sport that continues to drive his desire to make donations to all organisations that manage sport in Guyana.

In addition, Sunich congratulated the AAG for keeping the athletes encouraged and active amid the pandemic, and revealed

Trophy Stall’s Ramesh Sunich making the presentation to AAG President Aubrey Hutson

that he must get behind athletics that continues to show improvements each year.

With over 150 youth and Juniors competing today and on Saturday, a lucky few are fine tuning their skills as they prepare for the South American Under 23 Track and Field

Championships, and then later this year, the Junior Pan American Games.

The Under 23 Championships are scheduled for October 16 and 17 in Ecuador, while the Junior Pan Am Games will be hosted in Cali, Colombia from November 25 to December 5.

47

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

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

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Jared Ramnarayan

here is much that a father and son can share; from DNA, to physical features, to likes and dislikes. However, agreeing on the love of the same sport is a phenomenon, but it is by no means rare.

Former grass track motorcycle champion Keith Ramnarayan had his heyday at the Ogle grass track many years ago, and now his 25-year-old son Jared is in the prime of his life, racing circles around the go- karting competition in Canada.

While Jared always possessed a liking for the sport, it was not until he was much older that he became focused on the track. Prior to that, Jared attended and completed a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Canada.

The elder Ramnarayan reflected on his son’s entrance to the sport, disclosing that at first “it was just for fun”.

“Well, what happened in 2017 in Canada, he told me that, you know, he wants to do go- karting, but not on the competitive side, he just wanted to do it for fun. So, for that year, he drove just for fun. But in 2018, he decided to go into the competition,” Keith explained.

His first year of

competition in 2018 was more of a learning experience for the young driver. It was

but while his familiarity with ‘all things cars’ did part of the job, the zealousness he now possesses could only come through Jared’s personal growth and understanding.

“Well, for me, my passion for racing started at an early age, especially since I’ve always been into cars. It started with my dad, who raced motorcycles himself, having some form

for the sport.”

As one would expect, the fast lane and sheer competitiveness of the sport keeps Jared focused, and as told by the go-karting sensation himself, there is no feeling like knowing your hard work is paying off. “ There

Jared Ramnarayan (at centre) in one of his podium finishes

in 2019, however, that Jared raced his way to second place in the final of the ROK Seniors class of the Canadian

National Championships.

Having had a remarkable achievement, he could only build on the stellar reputation he had already set for himself.

It can be argued that the younger Ramnarayan’s passion for the sport stemmed from his father’s involvement on the track,

of motorsport always on the TV most Sundays. However, being that young at the time, I only saw racing at the

surface level, where it was more ‘this car is fast, that car is fast’,” the racer told this publication.

He continued, “But the older I got, the more I started to understand the technical side of things and the variables involved in making a driver/team fast, which is what I think kept my passion

is a lot of problem- solving involved in the sport, and there are many different solutions that can be used by different drivers to achieve the same goal. As far as what keeps me interested in the sport, I’d have to say is mainly the competitive nature of the sport. With the competition being as tough as it is, as a driver, you’re always trying to find new ways to improve and be better for the next race, because, at the end of the day, every driver around you is also trying to become the best version of themselves skill-wise. And when you get it right, it’s such a satisfying feeling because you know your hard work is paying off,” Jared candidly shared.

Of course, the Coronavirus pandemic had, like in many other parts of the world, put a halt to sports. But the Canadian competitors were soon back out on the track, and the elder Ramnarayan is grateful that the down-time did not affect his son much.

“It didn't really affect him, to be honest. You know, because they still had their season, the go-karting season still went on, they still had the races as per normal, but there were some

restrictions,” he stated.

As for Jared, he is also quite happy w i t h t h e

achievement is within reach for Jared, but finishing strong is his ultimate goal.

On this topic, he noted, “To finish the season off as strong as I’m about to

way things are going on the circuit, after making a number of podiums this season.

The racer commented, “I’m honestly quite happy with the performances that I’ve had so far this year, which also too are a clear reflection of the progress that I’ve made this year in my driver development. It’s refreshing to see that all the time and effort being invested into my development is paying off.”

While Jared basks in his success, Keith is a proud father, watching from the sidelines. Not only is he impressed with Jared’s commitment, but his consistency, even after moving up to a more

means a lot, because there’s never a guarantee of a perfect season. But with the season that I’ve had this year, I can gladly say I was on the more positive side of things.”

On a similar wave, Keith is also optimistic about his son’s future in the sport, one that he hopes would lead him to the big leagues in Europe.

“I would like him to move forward, but there are all of the restrictions happening, not only in Guyana, Canada and the US, but worldwide. I was hoping that one day he will go and race in Europe,” the father expressed.

When it comes to what his son can bring to the table locally, Keith Ramnarayan is

competitive class.

“And why I'm so proud, too, is because this is his first year in the shifter category, which is the highest class, and the go-karting over there is a very competitive sport, I must say. You know, you have like about 21 to 25 starters, and you have drivers from the US, Europe, Canada who take part in those races,” Keith shared.

Like any other professional athlete, the icing on the cake is always ‘to win it all’. This

of the opinion that there are lots Jared can share about the realities of professional racing in North America; advice that he thinks can raise the bar for the sport in Guyana.

Keith posited to this publication, “Well, I guess he would able to share some of his experiences with them, how competitive the sport is over there. Because it's a much higher standard. So, with his experiences, he'll be able to help them.”

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