Guyana Times - Thursday, October, 12, 2023

Guyana to host talks P7 between Caricom, US Trade & Investment Council

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

Issue No. 5520

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

Over 160,000 tonnes of corn & soya harvested at Tacama Savannah Page 3

PRICE $100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Father dead, P2 daughter hospitalised after Corentyne crash Labourer stabbed P to neck during 10 drinking spree Sophia wife killer to be sentenced today P12

Traffic Chief urges public’s cooperation against illegal licensing P10

Passport Offices to now open on Saturdays Page 17

“I was just trying to save my mother; Page I apologise” 8 – man jailed for killing man who attacked his mother

Wanted man caught driving stolen car in P2 Linden …car stolen from Essequibo Coast teacher

Guyana Law School to be built on UG’s Page Turkeyen 9 Campus – AG

…says ongoing feasibility study to be completed by year end

Some motorcyclists believe they are “Superman” – commander …says most accidents in Region 6 caused by motorcyclists

Page 11

29 special P5 prosecutors working along with Police in 5 regions

2 NEWS Father dead, daughter hospitalised after Corentyne crash THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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et another motorcyclist has been killed on the roadway in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

This latest fatal accident occurred at around 12:55h on Wednesday, and involved 67-year-old David Rose of Springlands,

Corriverton, Corentyne, whose motorcycle crashed into motor van GTT 3548 along the Scottsburg Public Road, Corentyne.

Police have said the van involved in the crash was being driven by a 23-yearold resident of Reliance, East Canje, Berbice, and

that Rose was driving motorcycle CG 8848 with his 25-year-old daughter Shenezia Rose as the pillion rider. She has sustained injuries in this accident.

According to the Police, the motorcycle was proceeding north along the

The scene of the accident

western drive lane, and the motor van was proceeding in the same direction behind it. The driver of the van alleges that the motorcycle made a sudden right turn on the road, and that manoeuvre brought it into the path of the van.

The collision resulted in both the motorcyclist and pillion rider sustaining injuries. They were both picked up by public-spirited citizens and taken to Skeldon Public Hospital, where Rose was pronounced dead, and his daughter has been hospi-

talised. The driver of the van is in custody, assisting with the investigation.

Rose is the 10th motorcyclist to have been killed on the roadways in Region Six for this year.

Currently, the road fatality for the region stands at 18. (G4)

Dead: 67-year-old David Rose

Wanted man caught driving stolen car in Linden …car stolen from Essequibo Coast teacher

The stolen car that was found in Linden

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car which was reported stolen from an Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) teacher was on Wednesday found in Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) being driven by a man wanted by Police.

Reports are that about 09:00h on Wednesday, Police ranks, acting on information received, went to Wisroc Junction in Wismar, Linden, where they intercepted a silver-grey motor car, bearing registration number PMM 4928, that was reported stolen at Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast.

Police said that the car, which is the property of a 29-year-old teacher of Mainstay, Essequibo, was reported to have been stolen between September 26 and October 2, 2023.

On Wednesday evening, Police said that when the vehicle was intercepted, it was being driven by Gose Awad,

a 29-year-old 'motor bodywork man' of Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast.

According to Police, Awad was wanted for the offence of break-and-enter-and-larceny committed on Ganesh Jagmohan, a 58-year-old bus driver of Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, which occurred between May 22 and May 27, 2023. It is alleged that the man stole articles valued at $2,500,000 from Jagmohan.

The wanted man was arrested and escorted to the Wismar Police Station, along with the stolen motor car, which was subsequently lodged while he was placed into custody.

He, along with the car, was later taken to Regional Police Division Number Three as further investigations continue. According to Police, he will be escorted to Region Two for the investigation into stolen car.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE The Demerara OPENINGS Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, October 12 – 03:00h-04:30h and Friday, October 13 – 03:30h-05:00h.

Over 160,000 tonnes of corn & soya harvested at Tacama Savannah

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, October 12 – 15:20h-16:50h and Friday, October 13 – 15:50h-17:20h.

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine is expected during the day, with clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

…investors eyeing possibility of replanting next month he corn and soya bean project in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) has yielded more than 160,000 tonnes of corn and soya, with the consortium looking to replant as soon as possible.

Approximately 18,000 acres of corn and soya were planted in the Tacama Savannah in Region 10, by a consortium of companies that included Bounty Farm.

In a recent Agriculture Ministry feature, it was revealed that 162,000 tonnes of corn and soya bean have since been harvested –

make sure it’s covered for the rains that will come in December.

“Just to make sure we don’t have no erosions of the soils going into 2024.

That would be the worstcase scenario, but that depends on if this El Niño continues. But if we see evidence that we’ll get some rain, we can take the risk to plant. But we have to be very careful about that,” Fernandes explained.

El Niño and La Niña are climatic patterns in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide,

High Tide: 15:22h reaching a maximum height of 2.51 metres.

Low Tide: 08:58h and 21:14h reaching minimum heights of 0.73 metre and 0.68 metre.

Harvesting at the Tacama Savannah

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2023

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Crude Oil

$85.46/barrel

-0.42

Rough Rice London Sugar

$286.65/ton $707.30/ton

-0.03 0.00

Live Spot Gold Bid/Ask Low/High Change

Change %

USD Per Ounce $1877.30 $1857.90 +3.30

$1878.30 $1879.40 +0.18

108,000 tonnes of corn and 54,000 tonnes of soya bean, both of which are relatively new crops to Guyana.

Bounty Farm Assistant Managing Director David Fernandes was optimistic that future crops would result in higher yields.

“It was a tremendous learning experience over the last three years. I think that we would have tried now, I think eight different varieties of corn and nine different varieties of soya bean. We tried four different types of fertiliser on the soya bean alone. And so, because remember our environment, our soils, have never done this before,” Fernandes said.

“And so, it was very important for us to have data, to be able to identify what we need to do in the future, to make Guyana self-sufficient in these grains.

We’ve learnt a tremendous lot. And I think now we’re seeing the benefits being reaped with this last crop and no doubt crops going forward, because we now know what we need to do.

And we should see significant improvement.”

Fernandes explained to this publication that they are looking to possibly replant the two crops next month. This, however, depends on weather conditions. If those conditions are not favourable, they may opt for planting millet.

“We have everything on track to plant this November, but the only thing we don’t have control over is the rain, and that would be the only consideration for us not to plant a crop of corn or soya bean.

But nevertheless, we would still plant a cover crop of millet or something like that on the entire land, to

with El Niño being characterised by warmer temperatures and less rainfall and La Niña by cooler temperatures and heavier rainfall.

Assistant Managing Director of Bounty Farm, David Fernandes

Across Guyana, persons have been dealing with scorching heat as a result of record-breaking temperatures. The local hydromet office is, however, forecasting that following months of extremely dry weather conditions, Guyana will experience increased rainfall in November.

However, while there would be an increase in rainfall, Chief Hydromet Officer, Dr Garvin Cummings had told this publication that the uncomfortable temperatures would continue. He had explained that El Niño conditions is predicted to end in the first quarter of next year.

Guyana has aspirations of being a net exporter of

corn and soya by 2025. In the feed industry, Guyana imports close to US$30 million in products annually.

The aim is to not just attain self-sufficiency, but to establish the country as a net exporter.

The consortium cultivating the corn and soya includes Guyana Stockfeed Limited, Edun Farms, Royal Chicken, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and the Brazilian-owned N F Agriculture.

In addition to the farmers and private companies, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is a key stakeholder in the massive corn and soya bean project. The Government has played a crucial role in supporting the growth of the industry, with a commitment of over $1.2 billion to infrastructural development in the Tacama area.

Last year, the Government improved access to the area by constructing 40 kilometres of road, with the remaining seven kilometres scheduled to be completed in 2023. Additionally, the Government invested in a drying and storage facility for corn and soya bean, the first such facility in the country. (Jarryl Bryan)

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

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

Speed of social media G

uyana’s social landscape is changing, and its inhabitants are becoming more tech savvy and technologically inclined as each year passes, as they race to keep up with the trends and developments taking place in other parts of the Caribbean and the more developed world.

Social media has, since 2005, been redefining the manner in which Guyanese view each other, the society in which they live, and those who wield political power and influence. This newer form of media has, in a Guyana context, become more popular and way more influential than the traditional forms of media and the press in shaping the public’s perception and opinions about good governance, democracy, racism, traditional and non-traditional gender roles, health care, business and innovation, and local Government reform.

It is therefore not strange that many social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Tik c Tok, for instance, have become modern exemplars of unbridled growth, with an unimaginably popular — and powerful — product used regularly.

As we have said in previous editorials, social media is a world within a world, and for those who were born in the 21st Century, technology is only but a natural phenomenon.

Facebook alone has over 1 billion users, which makes it the most popular social network website on Earth.

Research conducted by Facebook shows that 50 per cent of its users are active users, who log on daily and spend over two billion minutes per month on the site. There is no doubt that social media and social networking are here to stay; however, added to these ‘natural’ luxuries are risks and dangers.

While these sites’ open dialogue allows individuals to express themselves, there must be some amount of user censorship, not necessarily by the domain host, but rather by the individuals themselves. Creating a profile, and giving details about yourself, hobbies and educational background are all acceptable; however, for many, every aspect of their day, work and lives is posted. Like driving, the users of social media should be cognisant of the five Cs – caution, care, common sense, courtesy and consideration – as many of the things posted can arise in the future to haunt thrones.

Guyanese must also take note that while those socialmedia masters sold their platforms as a great democratising force, a neutral platform allowing ordinary people around the world to make their voices heard and join with likeminded others, they also designed them to be incredibly addictive and to reward sharing of information. Human nature being what it is, people with darker motives have learned to harness this power for decidedly undemocratic aims.

Over the years, we must have learnt that social media platforms were tools used by political ideologues, both left and right, to spread false and inflammatory claims in many election cycles.

Guyanese cannot afford to fall victim to this sort of abuse. Hoaxes and lies have been a part of society forever, but the power and speed of social media amplify the damage immeasurably.

Already, several Guyanese have been hauled before the local courts to answer charges related to defamation and character assassination, cyberbully which took place on social media. Others have been arrested here for sharing sexually explicit images of young women and men on social media without their permission.

That trend is worrying, even if one wants to ignore the fact that the national and global influence of social media platforms goes beyond simply providing the platform for changing and shifting a country’s social demographics and behavioural trends.

Guyanese therefore need to become smarter about evaluating what they see on social media platforms. The Education Ministry should include in the schools’ curriculum sessions on dealing with the effects and dangers of social media.

President Dr Irfaan Ali met with SBM Offshore Chief Executive Officer Bruno Chabas and the General Manager of the local office, Martin Cheong. Discussions included the operations of the company and the development of the oil and gas industry in Guyana.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat and Director of Presidential Affairs, Marcia Nadir-Sharma were also part of Wednesday’s meeting, as were Christopher Chapawanya and Gwenetta Fordyce (Office of the President photo)

Caricom serious about agriculture T

he following is an address by Caricom Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett at the opening ceremony of the 17th Caribbean Week of Agriculture on Tuesday in The Bahamas.

I am very pleased to join you for this opening ceremony of the 17th Caribbean Week of Agriculture, one of the premier activities on the Region’s agriculture calendar. This is the first live staging of the CWA in six years and we are understandably enthusiastic about the week ahead.

On behalf of Caricom, I express appreciation to the Government and people of The Bahamas, who are so graciously hosting us. I also acknowledge the institutions and members of the various planning committees for your combined collaborative efforts to stage this event.

This collaboration augurs well as we work together to transform our agriculture into a sustainable, productive and competitive sector, producing healthy foods for everyone.

This year’s theme, “Accelerating Vision 25 by 2025”, reinforces the Region’s ongoing commitment to food and nutrition security, agricultural development, investment and innovation.

Since the launch of the 25 by 2025 Initiative in 2018, there have been several notable programmes and achievements across the Region, even with the delays caused by the pandemic.

Member States have

Caricom Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett

been working to create an enabling environment for inclusive, resilient agriculture and food sectors.

Efforts have been made to increase budget allocations, and support digitisation and innovation, climate change adaptation and regional investment, especially in niche high-value commodities.

This week’s activities have been designed to bring together key regional decision-makers from both the public and private sectors, so that stakeholders in the agriculture and related sectors can continue to forge and advance a common vision.

Technical sessions will focus on carefully-selected topics, such as animal and plant health, food safety, fisheries, research, innovation, digitisation, youth and women involvement, climate change and trade facilitation. They will provide insights to inform strategies and projects to facilitate the growth of ag-

riculture in the Region. We invite your active participation in all the sessions.

The trade show is focused on increasing business-to-business engagements, and extra-regional trading opportunities for micro, small and medium, as well as, large agri-businesses and services within the Region.

On Friday, Ministers of Agriculture will address major policy issues, such as increasing agricultural production and trade, agricultural health, and food safety during the Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) – Agriculture.

As a region, we have been intentional about increasing engagement with vulnerable groups. Of particular significance will be the half-day Youth dialogue which will provide a forum for direct engagement with this key demographic, and engender even more solutions for in-

novation and sustainability in the agricultural sector.

We are working together towards finding solutions to the challenges of transportation, agriculture financing and insurance, which are critical to the development of the sector.

Actions are being taken to facilitate intra-regional trade by addressing animal health and food safety, legislation, and administrative practices. All in all, fundamental groundwork is being laid to fast-track additional successes.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are now at the halfway point of our 25 by 2025 Initiative. At this time, we cannot afford to lose sight of our target. We must leverage the agriculture sector to empower farmers and food producers, and especially our women, young people, and rural communities. We must reduce the Region’s growing food import bill, and ensure food and nutrition security for future generations of our Region.

Our expectation is that the engagements from this week will further advance regional priorities, and emphasise the Region’s vigorous commitment to food and nutrition security.

I wish all stakeholders – producers, buyers, Government officials, regional institutions, development partners, and farmers, especially young farmers – a very successful week.

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

5

News

29 special prosecutors working along with Police in 5 regions …9 more to be added to system – AG

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he cohort of special prosecutors being trained to work in the magistrates’ courts across the country continues to be expanded, and nine new additions are expected soon.

In order to strengthen the prosecutorial arm of the Guyana Police Force, Government has introduced the Prosecutorial Programme – a course being offered at the University of Guyana to equip holders of Bachelors of Law Degree and third-year LLB students with the necessary knowledge and skillset to prosecute cases in the magistrates’ courts on behalf of the State.

Last year, the first batch of these special prosecutors graduated, and there are currently 29 of them working along with the Police prosecutors at various magistrates’ courts across the country.

These include Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and 10 (Upper DemeraraUpper Berbice).

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, S.C., has since disclosed this number would soon increase. “We have 29 [special prosecutors] currently in the system working, and we’re adding nine

more, who are now completing another course of training. So, we will have 38 very shortly in the system,” the AG said during this week’s edition of his programme Issues in the News.

The Certificate in Advocacy and Evidence for Summary Courts and Prosecutor’s Course was launched in March 2022. It is a collaboration between the Government of Guyana, through the Attorney General’s Chambers, and the Ministry of Legal Affairs, the University of Guyana (UG), the ‘Support for the Criminal Justice System Programme’ (SCJSP), and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), which is funding the initiative.

At the launch of the programme last year, some 71 students were admitted to pursue the Advocacy and Evidence for Summary Courts and Prosecutor’s Course.

This Special Prosecutor’s course was developed to equip students with indepth knowledge of procedural and substantive law concerning ethics, the law of evidence, criminal practice and procedure, fundamental human rights, and aspects of constitutional and legislative interpretation.

This programme is be-

NIS as an organisation is lethargic

Dear Editor, President Irfaan Ali has proclaimed that, by year end, some 10,000 NIS matters would be resolved. He shared that this feat would be accomplished by the marvel of a special secretariat which will soon be established.

I must share that it seems the President was badly advised. The NIS, as an organization, is lethargic, backward, and completely inept.

Editor, in my area alone, I know of persons who have been waiting not days, not weeks or even months, but years for the NIS to address their issues. Many pension-

ers are already seeing the Pearly Gates and St Peter, but NIS personnel cannot be bothered to at least get off their laurels.

The NIS, to my mind, is simply an embarrassment to the Government and a shameful organisation that has moved away from its objectives. I think, Mr President, it’s best you begin to replace the NIS officialdom from top to bottom.

The current bunch, as I see it, is hopeless, and will fail you and your government.

Regards, Liebert Alleyne

ing taught by top officials in the local and regional legal fraternity, including Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, S.C; High Court judges such as Justices Jo-Ann Barlow and Justice Simone MorrisRamlall; the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C; former Chief Justice of Belize, Professor Kenneth Benjamin; former Justice of the High Court of Belize, Professor Courtney Abel; Darshan Ramdhani KC; and Magistrate Dillon Bess.

Upon completion of the course, the graduands will be inducted into the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as sergeants, before commencing their prosecutorial duties for the State.

Moreover, summary prosecutors who acquit themselves well would benefit from scholarships to pursue their Legal Education Certificate (LEC) at one of the region’s law schools, thus paving the way for them to become attorneys-at-law.

They will then undergo additional training for a period of three months to become acquainted with the rules, regulations and standing orders of the GPF, as well as the practical workings of Guyana’s magistrates’ courts.

This training will, in part, serve as an orienta-

The group of Police Prosecutors who graduated from the Prosecutors’ course at School of the Nations in July 2023

tion for the prosecutors, informing them of pertinent information, including the GPF’s operational protocols, the chain of command, and how they are expected to conduct themselves as ranks of the GPF. Once they become prosecutors, these graduands would be paid a gross salary, inclusive of allowances, of approximately $220,000.

Additionally, the GPF has moved to strengthen its own legal team by training dozens of Police ranks in an international prosecution course at the School of the Nations. The Police Prosecutors’ course was established to give Police ranks formal accredited

training to improve their performance in court.

Back in May, some 32 Police ranks comprised the second batch to benefit from the course, and among these recent graduates were three top performers, all of whom have completed their studies with a 100 per cent pass rate. Then in July, another 29 ranks graduated from the Police Prosecutors’ Course.

During his programme, AG Nandlall pointed out that while the Police prosecutors have traditionally excelled going up against experienced lawyers in court, Government saw the opportunity to bring in the many LLB holders to fur-

ther enhance the Police Force’s prosecutorial capacity.

“These LLB holders are further trained in practice, in procedure, in evidence, and prepare them for prosecution… This is new initiative, never tried anywhere before. And we have tried it and we are succeeding. This is a model programme that Caribbean countries would like to emulate, [and] we started it in Guyana. We are the only country in the entire Caribbean where you have these persons, where you have LLB practitioners prosecuting in the magistrates’ courts,” the Attorney General noted.

(G8)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

Foundation ◄

Page

Test Questions Question 1

By Kenji Miyazawa

Wednesday’s answers 1a) (2 1/2 x 4/5) ÷ 5/8 = ( 5/2 x 4/5 ) x 8/5 ( 5/2 x 4/5 ) x 8/5 = 20/10 x 8/5 20/10 x 8/5 = 160/50 = 16/5 = 3 1/5 1b) Farmer Rampersaud plants 3/8 of her farmland with coconuts. That leaves 5/8 .

She plants 4/5 of the 5/8 with bananas. She has 2.5 acres left to plant rice.

I

n this fun and easy magic science experiment, we’re going to use an optical illusion to make it appear a straw is bending.

Materials:

Water Glass Straw

Instructions:

Fill the glass about halfway with

That means 1/5 of 5/8 = 2.5 acres.

So the total acres planted with bananas = 4 x the amount to be planted with rice = 4 x 2.5 = 10 acres 2) Five mangoes cost $200, so one mango cost $200 ÷ 5 = $40 Two apples cost $350, so one apple cost $350 ÷ 2 = $175 The total cost of eight mangoes and 2 apples = $40 x 8 + $350

= $670 Carl bought 10 apples and sold them at $227 each His profit per apple = Selling Price – Cost Price = $227 – $175 = $52 His total profit = $52 x 10 = $520 His total Cost Price = $175 x 10 = $1750 As a percentage of the Cost Price, his profit = $520 ÷ $1750 x 100 = 29.7%

water.

Now put the straw into the glass of water.

Observe the straw from the top, sides, and bottom of the glass.

When you observe the straw from the sides of the glass, it appears to be broken or bent.

water, it slightly changes direction.

So, as we look at the straw in the glass, the light from the top part of the straw travels straight to our eyes whereas the part of the straw that’s underwater has light that is refracted since it travels through the water before it reaches our eyes.

How it works:

Refraction causes the straw to look bent and sometimes it can even appear to be broken. Light usually travels in a straight line to our eyes, but when the light goes through the

Make this a science project:

Try different sized glasses. Try writing messages and hold them behind the glass. Try putting different sized and shaped items in the glass. (sciencefun.org)

Under the malicious glints of the clouds the Kitakami, grown twice in width, perhaps ten times in volume, bears yellow waves.

All the iron barges are being tugged to the army camp.

A motorboat sputters.

The water flowing back from downstream has already turned into marshes the paddies on the dried riverbed, hidden the bean fields, and devastated half the mulberries.

Gleaming like a snail's trail it has made an island of the grass patch under the pines and of the Chinese cabbage fields.

When and how they got there I don't know but on the warm frightening beach several dark figures stand, afloat.

One holds a fishnet.

I recognize Hosuke in leggings.

Has the water already robbed us of our autumn food?

I climb the roof to look.

I hauled the manure bundles to a high place.

As for the plows and baskets I went in the water a few minutes ago, up to my waist, and managed to retrieve them.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana to host talks between Caricom, US Trade & Investment Council tive.

US Deputy Trade Representative Jayme White will be in Guyana for the meeting

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uyana will soon be hosting the ninth meeting of the Caribbean CommunityUnited States (CaricomUS) Trade and Investment Council, during which discussions will be held on agricultural sustainability and trade relations between the region and the US. It has been revealed in a statement from Caricom that the meeting will be held on October 13 at the Caricom Secretariat Headquarters, and will be co-hosted by US Deputy Trade Representative Jayme White and Dominica’s Ambassador to Caricom, Felix Gregoire.

During the meeting, the two sides will review matters pertaining to the Caribbean Basin Initiative, which allows 19 countries, including Guyana, to benefit from duty-free access

to the US market for most goods.

Other matters that would be reviewed by representatives of the two sides include agricultural sustainability, food and nutrition security, trade in services, trade facilitation, and good regulatory practices.

US trade preference programmes for the Region and ways to enhance the trade and investment relationship between the United States and Caricom would also be explored.

“As Caricom accelerates efforts to achieve the goal of 25 percent reduction in food imports by the year 2025, the discussion on agricultural sustainability and food and nutrition security would highlight the use of biotechnology and other tools to promote climate resilience in agriculture, and Caricom’s 25 by 2025 initia-

“On trade facilitation, officials are expected to discuss avenues for streamlined procedures to facilitate exports, and the participation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in international trade,” the statement said.

The meeting is also expected to explore ways of enhancing the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), which is an agreement designed to set up a framework for Caricom and the United States to grow and diverse their trade in products and services on a long-term basis.

The Caribbean, particularly Guyana, has strong trade ties with the US. For last year alone, trade between the US and Guyana amounted to more than US$3.9 billion, an announcement that was made incidentally during the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Guyana in July 2023.

Following a meeting between the visiting United States official and senior members of the Cabinet, at State House in Georgetown, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had highlighted the strong trade relations Guyana and the US share.

“United States is Guyana’s largest trading partner, with accumulated trade of over US$3.9 billion in 2022. United States is overall ranked our number one export destination…

US$2.7 billion in 2022; and

The meeting will be held at Caricom HQ

our number one import… source, US$1.2 billion,” he disclosed.

According to President Ali, while the relationship between the two countries spans many sectors, they share common interest in three priority areas – food security, energy security,

and climate security.

“Guyana is contributing significantly [in the region] in all three of these areas. The vision of Guyana is to position our country as a global leader on energy security, food security, and climate security. We’re seeking to expand our part-

nership with the US in all of these areas,” he had posited.

Secretary Blinken was the second US Secretary of State to visit Guyana under the current PPP/C Government, following the visit of then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2020.

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“I was just trying to save my mother; I apologise” – man jailed for killing man who attacked his mother

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n Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the death of a 66-year-old taxi driver.

The punishment has been imposed on Roopchan Taylor, 30, a father of one,

by Justice Simone MorrisRamlall on Wednesday at the Demerara High Court.

Initially indicted for the capital offence of murder, Taylor had opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, admitting that he had unlawfully killed Aaron Damdar, a father of three.

The judge took into account a number of factors in determining an appropriate sentence for the convict, including his early guilty plea, the fact that he is still relatively young and has a realistic chance of rehabilitation, his prior unblemished criminal record, the fact that his expression of regret and apology to the family of the deceased seemed sincere, and the positive probation report.

She also considered that Taylor's intoxicated state may have contributed to an apparent misunderstanding that resulted in the loss of life.

Taylor's pre-trial custo-

dy time has to be subtracted by the Prison Service from his eight-year sentence.

The accepted facts detailed that on October 20, 2019, at Ogle Sideline Dam, East Coast Demerara (ECD), Damdar of Mes Delices, Canal No 1, West Bank Demerara (WBD) had attacked Taylor’s mother after she allegedly boarded his car while intoxicated.

In responding to his mother’s cries for help when he heard them, Taylor and the geriatric Damdar had become embroiled in an argument, which resulted in Damdar being hit in the face and sent sprawling to the ground.

Damdar had been hospitalised after the incident, but died a few days later. This publication understands that Damdar died from brain injury caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

During an interview with a probation officer, Taylor’s mother had described him as “quiet”, but the probation officer also reported that family members claimed he would verbally abuse them, especially when he was high on marijuana and alcohol.

According to the social services officer, Taylor’s ex-reputed wife and mother of his eight-year-old son

Jailed: Roopchan Taylor

had related that their relationship had been “good”, until the birth of their child.

The probation officer further reported that Prison Officers had told her that Taylor has displayed positive behaviour, and is enrolled in rehabilitative programmes.

In a victim impact statement, Mrs Damdar, widow of the deceased, described her late husband as hardworking, and expressed conviction that her family should be compensated for her husband’s killing.

Taylor’s lawyer, Teriq Mohammed, had stated during a plea in mitigation that his client had inter-

vened in that situation to protect his mother, and that his actions had not been premeditated. As such, counsel had implored the court to “please have mercy and leniency” on his client.

When the judge asked if he had anything to say, a soft-spoken Taylor had responded: “I am very sorry for what happened. I was just trying to save my mother. I apologise”, and had gone on to beg Mrs Damdar, who was seated in the courtroom, for forgiveness.

State Attorney Praneeta Seeraj, in her submissions, had asked the court to take into account a variety of aggravating circumstances while determining the proper sentence: such as the seriousness and frequency of the offence, as well as the fact that Taylor had been intoxicated at the time of the attack.

After the late Damdar had been admitted to hospital, Taylor had been accused of attempting to kill him. However, the charge against Taylor was upgraded to murder after Damdar’s passing. (G1)

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

Ain’t it a shame… …about our cricket?

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our Eyewitness received a text from a friend in South Africa, who said he was looking at the World Cup and found it surreal there was no West Indian team playing. Not seeing the famous maroon jerseys and hearing some calypso music this year is definitely hard to digest not just for West Indian fans, but cricket lovers the world over. Ain’t it a shame?? For the first time in Cricket World Cup history, our Caribbean lads will be missing in action.

Champions of the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 with bowlers who once sent shivers down the spine of any batsman in the world – West Indies cricket is at its lowest ebb. We’re now ranked below teams like Afghanistan and Bangladesh! From being world beaters, we’ve been defeated by minnows like Zimbabwe, Netherlands and Scotland in the World Cup qualifiers, to shatter the dreams of West Indies long-suffering fans like your Eyewitness.

Now, postmortems have been conducted since the eighties - when we were knocked off the perch on which we sat for decades. Don’t forget that it was in 1987 that Rudder belted out his “Rally round the West Indies”, when the downward slide began. “For ten long years…We ruled the cricket world…Now the rule seems coming to an end…But down here…Just a chink in the armour…Is enough, enough to lose a friend Some of the old generals have retired and gone…And the runs don't come by as they did before…But when the Toussaints go the Dessalines come…We've lost the battle but yet we will win the war."

Twelve years later, even though we had Lara and Chanderpaul, they didn’t prove to be no Dessalines, and we were forced to adopt the song as our Anthem to give us cricket tragics in the Caribbean some hope. “Rally, rally round the West Indies…Now and forever…Rally, rally round the West Indies…Never say never Pretty soon the runs are going to flow like water…

Bringing so much joy to every son and daughter…Say we're going to rise again like a raging fire…As the sun shines, you know we gonna take it higher”!!

For a while, the runs did flow and the ball did hurtle, but the moments of victory were few and far between.

Quarter-finalists in 2011 and 2015 was our best. Rudder laid the blame on those up in England who ran the game and changed the rules to crimp our style. “Now they are making restrictions and laws to spoil our beauty…But in the end we shall prevail…This is not just cricket, this thing goes beyond the boundary…It's up to you and me to make sure that they fail.”

But it ain’t just the rules, is it?? There’s T-20 money!! …about our Opposition??

Have the Opposition given up on elections to unseat the PPP? They seem to be placing all their energies on “regime change” - by any means necessary. They whined that they didn’t have money to contest the last Local Government Elections – but could find the money to fly a mega-delegation to Washington to woo the Congressional Black Caucus!!

Flying out to NY from GT - at that time of year - had to’ve set them back at least US$1400 a pop. So, their 30-person delegation blew some US$43,000 - which would’ve been supplemented by at least an equal amount for boarding and lodging. And what did they get – apart from the shmoozing??

A Congressional delegation’s gonna be coming down to check out their complaints. But they should know that such delegations would still need data to initiate any kind of action back in the States. So, are they executing the necessary fact-finding to brief the delegation??

Not from where your Eyewitness sits!! …about the Israelis Six million Jews were massacred by the Nazis because the latter didn’t see them as equals. Now the Jews are carpet bombing the Gaza Strip ghetto with its two million Palestinians. The abused have become the abusers. Tragic!

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

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

NEWS

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana Law School to be built on UG’s Turkeyen campus – AG …says ongoing feasibility study to be completed by year end

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he Guyana Government has decided to construct the much-need law school on the Turkeyen Campus of the University of Guyana (UG).

This was revealed by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, S.C., during the recent edition of his weekly programme Issues in the News.

“It has already been decided at level of Committee, and of course the Government of Guyana, that the law school will be located at the Turkeyen Campus of the University of Guyana on a five-acre plot of land that will be dedicated to that purpose,” he noted.

The committee which was set up to oversee establishment of the law school in Guyana is chaired

by AG Nandlall, and comprises representatives from the Finance Ministry, the University of Guyana Law Programme, and a Chartered Accountant.

Back in September 2022, Guyana’s propos-

Attorney General & Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, S.C

al to set up its own law school was accepted by the Council of Legal Education (CLE), which administers legal professional education in the Caribbean at law schools throughout the region, under the CARICOM Treaty.

The CLE subsequently outlined the requirements that the country needed to fulfil, including the conduct of a comprehensive feasibility study in which Guyana has to illustrate the number of students the school would attract

and accommodate, as well as Government’s capacity to fund the construction of the facility and its initial operating cost.

According to the Attorney General, work has already begun to demonstrate the viability of such an institution in the country.

“Information has been requested from the University of Guyana and all the law schools in the Caribbean, as well as all the universities in the Caribbean and learn-

ing centres that do the Bachelors of Law Degree.

And those statistics are being compiled for the purpose of the feasibility study. I believe the intent is to get the number of persons who are studying law, who have LLB degrees but have been unable to get into one of the regional law schools. So [to know] how many persons are out there and what is the market like etc., all of that information is being gathered,” he posited.

As part of their work, members of the Committee have been travelling to law schools in the region to gather information for this study. Only last month, while in Jamaica for a CLE event, AG Nandlall used the opportunity to update the Council on the progress of the feasibility study.

On Wednesday, Nandlall told Guyana Times that he anticipates the study would be wrapped up before the end of this year.

“It should be completed before year-end the lat-

est,” the AG indicated to this newspaper.

At present, the CLEoperated laws schools in the Caribbean are: the Hugh Wooding Law School, St Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago; Norman Manley Law School, Kingston in Jamaica; and Eugene Dupuch Law School, Nassau in the Bahamas.

For nearly three decades, Guyana has been trying to establish a law school within its jurisdiction, as law students are forced to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad. However, only the 25 top law students from Guyana are allowed each year into the programme. UG’s Law Degree programme usually sits about 40 students per year.

Moreover, the high cost of living in Trinidad has deterred many persons from further pursuing a legal career, but in response, the Guyana Government now offers limited fully-funded scholarships to Hugh Wooding Law School.

Under the A Partnership for National

Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition Administration, attempts were made to establish the Joseph Oscar Fitzclarence Haynes Law School.

However, the CLE was not approached about the project initially, and when permission was eventually sought, it was denied in late 2017.

AG Nandlall had previously declared that any law school that is established in Guyana would be done under the ambit of the CLE. This, he explained, would also allow the country to capitalise on the overcrowding at the other institutions across the region.

During his programme this week, the Attorney General reiterated, “We are getting closer to the realization of that dream to make Guyana the home of a regional law school. In fact, the broader vision is to make Guyana an education destination – bringing the law school here is only one step in that direction.”

(G8)

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Traffic Chief urges public’s cooperation against illegal licensing

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n a stern warning to the public, Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh, has emphasised that individuals accusing Police officers of obtaining licences illegally for others are in fact encouraging and soliciting such actions.

Since assuming the role of Traffic Chief, Singh has been resolute in his unbiased enforcement of the law, and has expressed disappointment at those who question the integrity of the GPF campaign. Addressing the public on Tuesday, Singh clarified the Traffic Department's stance, and reminded the public that the enforcement campaign is unbiased and follows strict protocols.

He has urged individuals to refrain from offering money to Police officers to obtain licences illegally, and has said that such actions would not be tolerated.

"If you, for some reason, may not have passed the test; and because of your own adherent failure you did not pass, and you want to make allegations, that is another thing. If you are saying to me that you knowingly entered into a transaction which has im-

selling forged driver’s examination pass papers to a 35-year-old labourer in Bush Lot, Essequibo Coast, Region Two. The GRA staff member, based in the Administrative Department, aided the labourer in attempting to obtain a driver’s licence dishonestly. When the labourer submitted the fake document at GRA's headquarters on December 20, 2022, alert employees detected the fraud, leading to the labourer's detention.

Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh

plications for corrupt transactions…YOU solicited and engaged in such…!" Singh remarked.

He has highlighted that there are prescribed legal procedures in place for obtaining licences, and has warned that any deviation from those methods would be dealt with appropriately.

He has stressed the importance of the public cooperating with the Police, urging the public to trust the system and work together with law enforcement agencies to ensure road safety and adherence to regulations.

"There are steps to

be taken to have it dealt with appropriately…you read, you comprehended, and once you have passed, you will go on to the next stage…" Singh added.

The Police Force continues to emphasise that steps would be taken to investigate any report of illegal licensing activity involving Police officers. Any individual found guilty of encouraging or soliciting illegal means to obtain a licence would face legal consequences.

Earlier this year, a 28-year-old Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) employee was arrested for

The labourer confessed to buying the document for $100,000 from the GRA employee, who in turn admitted to buying it for $50,000, but refused to disclose the identity of the source. The GRA employee was later arrested.

The Police have also introduced an online option for the Driver’s Licence Theoretical exam, allowing immediate results upon completion. The exam takes place at the Zara Cyber Security Centre in

Georgetown, and strict rules apply: no paper, pens, or electronic devices are allowed; test-takers need to present ID cards; cannot pause the timer; and all questions are multiple-choice. Changing answers is permitted. Only one attempt is allowed, and while a printed copy of the results is provided, it cannot be used for the practical examination.

Despite this, reports of illegal licence acquisition persist. (G9)

Court regular remanded for stealing from woman

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ico Persaud is back before a magistrate for allegedly stealing a woman’s belongings.

He has a lengthy history of court appearances related to theft.

Persaud, 28, a labourer of Perseverance, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was brought before Sparendaam Magistrate Ruschelle Liverpool on Monday to answer a charge of simple larceny, committed on October 2 con-

trary to Section 164 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01.

He pleaded not guilty to stealing the belongings of Rohanie Persaud, and has been remanded to prison until November 23.

Persaud has been appearing in court ever since he was first accused of trying to break into a Georgetown office building in 2016. In 2017, he was accused of many charges of simple larceny involving the theft of a laptop computer and several cell phones. In 2018, he was accused of breaking into the Agriculture Ministry at Vlissengen and Regent Road, Bourda and taking $5,000.

There are reports that he had been sentenced to

Remanded: Rico Persaud

nine months in prison for theft of the cell phones; however, this publication was unable to independently confirm the legal status of those matters. (G1)

Labourer stabbed to neck during drinking spree

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53-year-old gold miner of Four Miles Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni Mazaruni), has been arrested for stabbing his drinking buddy in the neck.

This incident, which occurred at about 02:15h on Wednesday, has left injured 32-year-old Rapheal Schroeder, a labourer of Third Avenue, Bartica.

The incident occurred at Third Avenue Bartica, where the victim and suspect were imbibing alcohol

together before they got into a heated argument.

It has been reported that during that argument, the 53-year-old suspect armed himself with a knife, with which he stabbed the victim once to the neck.

Public-spirited persons rushed Schroeder to the Bartica Regional Hospital, where he was admitted.

Police ranks subsequently apprehended the suspect and took him to the Bartica Police Station. (G9)

11 Some motorcyclists believe they are “superman” – commander NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…says most accidents in Region 6 caused by motorcyclists

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egion Six Police Commander, Senior Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus, is cautioning motorcyclists to use their vehicles in a manner conducive to good road practices while using the roads.

His comments came on Tuesday as he revealed traffic statistics for Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Of the scores of serious accidents that occurred for the year so far in Region Six, Commander Bacchus said, the majority of them involved motorcycles.

For the year so far, 18 persons have lost their lives on the roadways in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

This is compared to 16 for the corresponding period last year. The 18 lives were lost from a total of 15 road acci-

Because some of them feel they are Superman and… superheroes – ‘stat boys’; they are stunt-makers. They are lying down on the motorcycle and popping; riding in a dangerous manner in front of vehicles,” the commander said, while noting that motorcyclists are the main contributing factor for the increase in fatal accidents as at 2023.

dents.

A total of 151 accidents have been reported to the Police so far this year, compared with 174 for the same period last year. Of those classified as serious, 22 were reported for this year, as against 37 for the same period last year, representing a 43 percent decrease.

Six of the 15 fatal accidents recorded this year have

resulted from speeding; four have resulted from driving under the influence of alcohol, and four have resulted from inattentiveness.

Of those killed on the roads for this year, only one is female. For this year, 10 motorcyclists have lost their lives in the region, compared with four for the corresponding period last year.

“Why the motorcyclists?

Bar owners

Meanwhile, Commander Bacchus said Police officers have been visiting bars and asking owners to pay attention to how much alcohol they sell and serve patrons who would be driving home.

Bacchus, however, noted that more of that activity needs to be done in terms of engagement with bar owners.

So far this year, there

have been 18 road deaths in the region – 10 being motorcyclists. This compares with 16 for the corresponding period last year. The 18 lives were lost from a total of 15 road accidents. The commander said the police traffic department is taking a proactive approach to reduce carnage on the roadways, noting that the force has embarked on the use of the entertainment industry to get its message out.

“Especially when they have big social events, so as to encourage road users to be cautious and don’t drink and drive. We are using plainclothes Police to spot errant road users. We have found that not only in this region, but throughout Guyana, there are road users who are not courteous and don’t use the five ‘Cs’, and want to fight

with others for very little issues.

“We are also engaging the owners and operators of electric bikes, informing them of the Police and what they need to do in order to acquire their licences and so forth,” Bacchus said.

Worrying, the Commander added, is the way persons who are doing construction use the roadway. “What we have in the construction areas, especially on the major roads, is that we found that persons are doing the stockpiling of materials.

If it is to develop the street in the village, they are stockpiling their material on the roadway, causing hindrance to other road users. It is an offence, and we are asking contractors to desist from this practice.” (G4)

12 NEWS Ann’s Grove man Sophia wife-killer to stabbed to death be sentenced today A THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

tragic incident unfolded at Powis Landing in Region One (Barima-Waini) on Sunday, when Jamal Fields, a resident of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara, was stabbed to death during a heated argument.

Details regarding the incident are sketchy, but reports indicate that Fields sustained a fatal stab wound to the left side of his chest. Family members have received the distressing news of Fields's murder, initially described as occurring in the interior.

Upon Police arrival at Powis Landing, they discovered Fields lying in a pool of blood. A video posted on social media and seen by

Dead: Jamal Fields

this publication captured Fields gasping for breath, but despite the presence of onlookers, no immediate help was provided. Police officers arrived shortly after the incident.

On Monday, Police apprehended a person of in-

terest, who confessed to having been engaged in a heated argument with Fields.

The suspect is currently in custody, cooperating with the Police as they conduct their investigations.

(G9)

W

Olivia DeFreitas

azim Perreira will this morning know his fate in connection with the killing of his reputed wife, who died shortly after she had been set on fire at her Sophia, Greater Georgetown home in 2019.

This former Sophia resident has been convicted for the 2019 murder of 23-yearold Olivia DeFreitas, and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for today before Justice Simone MorrisRamlall.

Wazim Perreira

Reports are that at approximately 13:00h on September 9, 2019, Perreira visited DeFreitas’s home and requested to speak with her. However, when the woman refused to entertain his request, he went away, but returned shortly after with a container containing gasoline, which he reportedly threw on the woman and set her afire.

As the woman’s loud screams rang out, neighbours ran to her rescue, and rushed her to the

Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), where she was admitted and treated for second-degree burns to her face, chest, abdomen, and back. She, however, succumbed to her injuries a month later.

When DeFreitas was admitted to hospital, Perreira had been charged with attempt to commit murder.

However, the charge against him was upgraded to murder after her passing. (G1)

13

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12,, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

14 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Grass fire erupts at Brighton, Corentyne

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grass fire that erupted in the frontlands of Brighton Village in Central Corentyne shortly after 13:00h on Wednesday was still burning up to late Wednesday evening, despite numerous firefighters being actively engaged in dousing the blaze in an attempt to extinguish it.

Residents of the area have said the entire eastern half of the village has been affected, and reports are that farm camps have been destroyed.

Having its genesis in the frontlands of the village, the fire has gravitated towards the backlands and has engulfed most of the vegetation there. Some residents have said the thick smoke billowing from the fire has forced them to leave their

The grass fire at Brighton Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne)

homes and stand on the roadside in the hot sun for hours, even into nightfall.

Reports are that animal owners who have their animals in pens could not access those pens to release them. One resident has said she has five pit bull dogs in a pen, and although they are being affected by the smoke, she and the rest of her family could only stand on the roadside without going to their assistance.

Several grass fires have been reported in Region Six over the past days. One such has forced the suspension of classes at the Canje Secondary School on Tuesday.

And on Thursday, the western half of Stanleytown Cemetery in New Amsterdam was un-

der fire. Firefighters there could do nothing but try to contain the blaze within the ‘final resting place’ of the several departed souls.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), in an advisory on Tuesday, pointed out that during this current dry season, the probability of grass fires occurring has been greatly increased. GFS has said it has been receiving a number of reports of these types of fires occurring, and is calling on citizens to be vigilant and cautious.

“Citizens are urged to desist from lighting grass or garbage fires at this time,” the GFS has said.

Persons are being advised to follow a few safety tips in order to control and prevent grass and garbage

fires. These are: to desist from openly burning grass and garbage; find other means of disposal and/or land clearing.

“Do not throw cigarette or cigar butts on the

ground or out of a vehicle.

Dispose of them properly, and make sure they are compAdults are also being advised to educate children about the dangers of playing with fire.

As a safety measure, persons are being advised to keep a shovel, bucket of water, fire extinguisher, or other fire suppression tools on hand. (G4)

Guyana looking to partner with EU to expand local pharma manufacturing – Dr Anthony

W

ith the aim of expanding the manufacturing environment of pharmaceuticals and vaccines, the Guyana Government is turning to the European Union (EU) for assistance to strengthen local systems, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony has disclosed.

He made this revelation on Wednesday at the opening of a TAIEX INTPA Regional Workshop on EU-Caribbean Regulatory Systems for health products. TAIEX is the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange arm of the

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

right framework in place with the right type of regulations in order to create the enabling environment

Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana, Ambassador Rene Van Nes

European Commission.

The two-day workshop is being hosted by the EU Delegations to Guyana and Barbados in collaboration with Guyana’s Health Ministry and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). It aims at strengthening the European Union-Latin American and the Caribbean (EU-LAC) partnership on health resilience and vaccine production.

Delivering the remarks, Dr Anthony said the discussions during the workshop would help Guyanese, as well as Caribbean authorities, identify the regulatory gaps and start putting the

to expand pharmaceutical manufacturing and start vaccine manufacturing in the Region.

“We also recognise that if we’re going to do pharmaceutical [and vaccine] manufacturing here in Guyana, we need to understand what is it we need to put in place to be able to do pharmaceutical [and vaccine] manufacturing,” he noted.

According to the Health Minister, the Guyana Government recognises that the challenges that will come in preparing the local environment for such expansion. He reminded that the country has been manufacturing and contin-

ues to manufacture pharmaceuticals, which are exported to countries like the United States.

“So, we have some amount of work that has been done over the years [to be able to manufacture and export pharmaceuticals].

What we want to do now is expand it [to manufacture vaccines] and we think with the right partners, with the right persons, with the right teams in place, we can make that expansion,” he noted.

Already, Guyana has been receiving assistance from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), which has deployed two experts to Guyana to conduct an assessment of the local environment in order to ascertain what is needed to ensure that the country can do pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing.

“So, with that report and the findings from that report, we will have a basis to understand what are the things we need to invest in, how we should invest; what we should do first; what we should second and so forth, so that we can build that infrastructure and get this process started,” the Health Minister stressed.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

NEWS

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GCOPD calls for better systems to allow persons with disabilities to vote

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ecognising the importance of inclusivity and accessibility, the Guyana Council of Organisation for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) is urging authorities to implement improved systems that facilitate voting for individuals with disabilities on polling days.

A recent accessibility audit conducted by GCOPD, in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), assessed approximately 554 polling stations across Regions One (Barima-Waini); Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) during the last Local Government Elections (LGE) held on June 12, 2023.

The findings of the audit were revealed at the National Library on Wednesday.

The objective of the assessment was to evaluate the accessibility of polling stations for persons with disabilities and the measures taken to accommodate this marginalised group.

GCOPD Programme Manager Ganesh Singh highlighted that "over 50 per cent of the established polling stations can only be accessed by steps, with only 12.3 per cent having ramps to cater to individuals with walking disabilities".

Guyana Times understands that the majority of the observed polling stations (87.1 per cent) were located on the ground floor, while only 1.4 per cent of stations had elevators or lifts for accessibility. Further, only 22.2 per cent of polling stations provided sufficient seating, and slightly over half (51.7 per cent) offered obstacle-free access to voting booths.

The report also included findings on tactical ballots and marking guides as braille nor audio voter guides were observed, so it was not possible for voters who are blind or low-vision to vote independently and in secret.

Additionally, 78.5 per cent of polling stations had ballot marking tables positioned low enough for all voters to access, However, only 46 per cent of polling stations provided adequate space at the voting booth for persons with

Another recommendation was that voters with disabilities should be allowed to select an assistant of their choice, rather than be limited to one who

is registered at the polling stations.

“These recommendations would see the increase in participation of persons with disabili-

ties taking steps to be a part of the electoral process,” GCOPD said on Wednesday.

Guyana looking to partner...

FROM PAGE 14

Excited about prospects

GCOPD Programme Manager Ganesh Singh

wheelchairs or walkers.

The audit also states that 71.2 per cent of polling stations also had poll workers who reported receiving training on how to support persons with disabilities and less than half of polling stations (43.5 per cent) provided written information for voters with auditory disabilities.

The vast majority of surveyed voters with disabilities indicated that they had received adequate information about the voting process (94.5 per cent) and that they had enough time to vote (89.1 per cent). Traditional media reports showed 54.5 per cent of polling stations provided enough information accessible for persons with disabilities and only 49.1 per cent reported the same for political parties.

Most registration centres had stairs leading up to the entryway and only 28 per cent of them had ramps to allow for access by voters with physical disabilities.

Challenges

Meanwhile, Gabriel Gilks, a wheelchair user who served as an observer during the recent LGE, described some of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities at the polling stations he visited. Gilks noted that "the only accessible area I encountered was the Sophia Nursery School due to its flat surface and ramp".

Initially assigned observer duties at the Aquatic Center, Sophia Primary, Sophia Nursery, Guiding Light Deliverance Service Church, and Brian Bobb's residence, Gilks highlighted the lack of proper fans or air conditioning units at any of these locations, which could have made the process more comfortable for persons with disabilities.

The audit report includes several recommendations to address these issues, such as increasing the number of trained persons with disabilities as election day staff and implementing a more comprehensive system to ac-

commodate persons with disabilities in future elections. GCOPD emphasised the need for accessible voting processes, ensuring equal participation of all members of society. It pointed out that polling locations and facilities should be located on ground floors with either step-free access or an appropriate ramp.

It noted that if polling stations could not be located on the ground floor, then there must be adequate accessibility features, such as elevators or lifts, so that people with disabilities can be afforded the same opportunity to vote in person.

GCOPD also highlighted the need for better washroom facilities and seating areas similarly accessible to persons with disabilities. This also goes for interior locations as well as seeing adequate parking being made possible for persons with disabilities at all polling stations. Among the recommendations also is that entryways and the interior of polling stations be free of obstacles and allow wheelchair users enough space to navigate freely, including enough space to enter the voting booths.

Voting booths, it was recommended, should be placed at a far enough distance so that people could not overhear conversations about marking ballots between a voter and their assistant.

It was noted that reasonable accommodations must be put into place to allow people with disabilities to vote independently and in-secret since by law it is their democratic right.

Assistive materials, such as tactical ballots guides, should be deployed so that people who are blind can vote independently. The GCOPD is also adamant about the training of election day staff to cater to persons with disabilities, noting that this would better enable them to set up polling stations to suit persons with disabilities for maximum accessibility.

Dr Anthony went on to outline that all the other international organisations that Government has been working with in this process, such as the EU, were excited about the prospects of collaborating on this type of work.

Turning his attention to the EU workshop, the Health Minister noted that all the Caribbean nations should participate in this initiative, which is beneficial to understanding the various systems that exist internationally.

“The EU is very rulebased and we can learn from them some of the rules that they have, good practices that they have and to measure our systems to see where are we in terms of those rules so that if we feel we’re falling short, we can lift those standards to meet globally-recognised and accepted standards,” he noted.

During the two-day workshop, key stakeholders from the European and Caribbean regions are being brought together in Georgetown to discuss regulatory strengthening as it relates to pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing as well as to

A section of the gathering at the EU workshop

explore opportunities for collaboration.

TAIEX supports public administrations with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation as well as facilitating the sharing of EU best practices. It is largely needs-driven and delivers appropriate tailor-made expertise to address issues.

Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana, Ambassador Rene Van Nes highlighted that TAIEX was a powerful tool with more than 2500 EU experts available to offer much-needed assistance in a number of areas.

Under this programme, more than 17,000 public officials across the globe are being trained.

“I’m really happy with the colleagues from Italy, Spain, Lithuania and from the EMA (European Medicines Agency) that are here today to share their insights and their knowledge when it comes to rules and regulations, and the EU legislation and best practices on pharmaceutical production… So, it’s all about the transfer of knowledge and of course, regional integration and cooperation – something that the EU is all about [because] there is nothing else that binds us together,” the EU Ambassador asserted.

On this note, Van Nes expressed his delight at the fact that there were representatives from various Caribbean countries at the workshop. (G8)

Team Guyana in robotics play-offs

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The all-female team representing Guyana at the First Global Challenge in Singapore and a mentor

he first all-female team representing Guyana at the First Global Challenge since its inception in 2017 is in the robotics play-offs in Singapore.

Ariel Taylor (CoCaptain); T'Sehai Holder (Co-Captain); Xaria Holder (Strategist); Lateisha

MacArthur (Driver) and Italy Ton-Chung (Driver) competed against teams from 190 other countries over the last three days and were able to make it to the play-offs, a release from St Stanislaus College on Tuesday stated.

Team Guyana secured a top-25 spot and is the

highest ranked team out of the Caribbean this year.

Other members of the team are Arrianna Mahase (Coach); Joshua Reece (Mentor); Tarico Henry (Mentor) and Shamar Stewart (Mentor). Four of the members are from St Stanislaus College.

16 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Lab professionals schooled on importance of standards & safety

Some of the participants at the laboratory symposium held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC)

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ome 31 clinical and testing laboratories have been certified under the Guyana National Bureau of Standards’ Laboratory Certification Programme, which serves as a stepping stone to international accreditation.

This has been announced as the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) currently observes National Quality Week 2023 under the theme “Shared Vision for a Better World: Incorporating SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing).”

On Tuesday, the GNBS hosted a laboratory symposium to educate laboratory professionals on the importance of standards, quality, and safety in the laboratory.

The event, which was hosted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC),

attracted 65 participants from clinical and testing laboratories in the public and private sectors.

Addressing the opening ceremony, GNBS Head of Industrial Metrology and Testing Department, Donna Canterbury, in her remarks, pointed out that the forum is intended to educate the participants of their responsibilities.

“This session brings together you, as laboratory professionals, and the regulatory agencies to clarify what is needed to set up and maintain laboratories that are compliant with standards and laws,” she informed.

Permanent Secretary of the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry, Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, in her remarks, emphasised the importance of laboratories in the success of healthcare institutions, the wellbeing of the population, and tourism and international trade. She pointed out that standards must be intertwined with day-to-day operations to ensure consumers are assured of quality and consistency.

“With the increasing number of private healthcare facilities, there are more significant interactions between facilities and patients of medical institutions sourcing specific tests from other sites because of availability or urgency. This places a greater

demand for consistency, since doctors will rely primarily on the results supplied by external facilities. It also ensures that clinical diagnoses are consistent regardless of the laboratory that conducts the tests, she noted.

Roopchand-Edwards added that beyond the need for standards in the medical labs, testing labs also have a critical role to play in quality control, international certification, and food security.

The Permanent Secretary also spoke of the major developments taking place in Guyana’s healthcare sector, including the construction of medical facilities and capacity building. She went on to note that Government, through the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry, would continue to support the work of the GNBS, which provides various calibration, testing, certification, training, and other standards-related services to laboratories.

She alluded to the construction of a new state-ofthe-art laboratory facility with a loan from the InterAmerican Development Bank for the GNBS to provide more services in an efficient manner.

Meanwhile, the acting Head of the Health Ministry's Standards and Technical Services Department, Dr. Pedro Lewis, told participants it is important to ensure all

regulatory and compliance documents are in place for the operation of the laboratories.

Dr Lewis, who was also a presenter at the symposium, lauded the GNBS for playing an important role in ensuring clinical and testing facilities are operating in accordance with the standard.

Presentations were also done by GNBS technical officers, and the senior occupational safety & health officer of the Labour Ministry. The topics covered included Regulations and Compliance Requirements for Laboratories, GNBS Laboratory Certification Programme, the GYS 170:2021 National Standard, Auditing Services provided by the GNBS, Laboratory Safety and Quality, Occupational Safety and Health requirements, and requirements of the ISO 15189 and ISO/IEC 17025 standards.

The GNBS has a list of activities planned for the remainder of National Quality Week, including the National Quality Awards on Wednesday, a free Food Safety Training for stakeholders, and an Impromptu Speech Competition for secondary schools in Region Three (Essequibo Islands– West Demerara) on Thursday.

These activities conclude with a Staff Appreciation Awards Ceremony on Friday.

Pinktober 2023 commits to over 2500 free mammograms

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TT, in collaboration with the Health Ministry and several non-governmental cancer support organisations, will offer more than 2500 free mammograms to members of the public who qualify.

Mammography is the process of using low-energy X-rays to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening.

The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer.

According to GTT, to obtain a free voucher to undergo a mammogram examination, members of the public must first be pre-screened at any of the community health centres across the country or through any of the Champions of Hope NGOs offering pre-screening. A list of the Champions of Hope partners can be found on the GTT Pinktober website (https:// www.gttpinktober.com/).

The mammograms will be offered by The Cancer Institute, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, and the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital, GTT said on Wednesday.

Program Director for NonCommunicable Diseases and Mental Health within the Health Ministry, Dr Lachmie Lall lauded the initiative. “We continue to see GTT play an instrumental role in the fight against cancer and that is very commendable. What we are witnessing is the power of collaboration, which is the key to providing comprehensive care

and support to individuals affected by cancer,” she is quoted as saying in a release from GTT. This year's Pinktober campaign, themed “Many Hands, Caring Hearts”, is poised to make a significant impact on cancer awareness, early detection, and support for those affected by the disease with large and small organisations joining the fight.

Caribbean Surgery Inc has also joined the movement by offering free breast examinations throughout the entire month of October. Chief Operations Officer Naresha Ramnauth expressed the company's dedication to the cause: "We are honoured to contribute to this important movement. By providing free breast examinations, we aim to encourage more people to take control of their health and get screened early."

Woodlands Hospital is also offering free assistance. It has

provided in excess of 40 cancer screenings to the public through the Pinktober 2023 initiative, inclusive of breast ultrasound, pap smears, H&E, PSAs, and colonoscopy screening, contributing significantly to early detection efforts.

Dr Vilas Gobin, Managing Director of Woodlands Ltd, said that the company’s commitment was in keeping with its mission. "Our mission has always been to prioritise the well-being of our community. We are proud to be part of this collective effort, and we will continue to support cancer awareness and early detection in Guyana," Dr Gobin declared.

Meanwhile, the public is also encouraged to participate in the Pinktober Walk/Run for a Cause and Health Fair on October 29 beginning at 06:00h at the Everest Cricket Ground, and to contribute to the cause by texting “Donate” to 620-2828.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Passport Offices to Civil engineering student now open on Saturdays named Canada’s High T International Day of the Girl Child

Commissioner for a day I

n celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child, the High Commission of Canada has maintained its tradition of naming a girl as the High Commissioner for the Day, selecting Tatiana Norton.

According to the High Commission, Norton, a 20-year-old civil engineering student at the University of Guyana, had the opportunity to see the wide range of responsibilities and activities that a High Commissioner would undertake on a given day and get an insight into the work that the High Commission is doing in Guyana.

Norton emerged as the winner out of tens of brilliant young women who submitted video presentations for the coveted title. She delivered a strong and wellthought-out submission on the topic: “Girls are ready for a decade of acceleration forward. Which of the following areas do you personally believe should be a priority as we move forward?

Women’s health, education, gender-based violence or equal pay and access to opportunities?

For her day as the High Commissioner, Norton had a packed agenda of meetings, including with the management team at the High Commission, a networking lunch, a courtesy call with the United Nations Guyana, a donation on behalf of the High Commission and then she ended the day with a trade engagement with the Canada Guyana Chamber of Commerce.

According to a release, High Commissioner Mark Berman took some time to sit with Norton to discuss her aspirations and learn more about the areas that she was passionate about.

He also shared his journey towards becoming the High Commissioner and his advice on developing your potential and taking risks.

One of the other highlights of Norton’s day was the networking lunch held in her honour that included University of Guyana

Tatiana Norton, who was Canada’s High Commissioner for the Day, with Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman

Vice Chancellor, Dr Paloma Mohamed Martin; UN Resident Coordinator Ye?im Oruç and British High Commissioner Jane Miller.

Both the United Nations and the British High Commission also hosted girls as UN Resident Coordinator for the Day and British High Commissioner for the Day respectively, so the conversations were insightful with the women exchanging advice and guidance on career development, sharing the challenges they have experienced and opportunities available for girls.

Later in the day, Norton had a very informative tour of the UN House where she learnt more about the United Nations and its various programmes and how Canada partners with the UN worldwide and in Guyana.

At the end of her engagements, Norton expressed that the experience afforded her one of the most impactful days of her life and she feels even more motivated and inspired as a young woman.

According to the High Commission, over the coming year it will continue to

engage Norton for various activities and initiatives and provide a platform for her to be empowered.

In a release, the High Commission stated that Canada recognised the importance of creating space for girls to flourish, to demonstrate their potential and to have their voices heard. The High Commission will continue to use its platform to afford girls the opportunity to see themselves in any role they desire.

On October 11, 2011, Canada initiated the call for the establishment of an International Day of the Girl at the United Nations to raise awareness about the unique challenges that girls face and to urge all to take action. The UN then declared October 11, 2012 as the world's first International Day of the Girl Child.

Since 2016, the High Commission of Canada in Guyana has hosted the High Commissioner for the Day Contest every year (except 2020 owing to COVID-19) in observance of the Day of the Girl.

he Central Immigration and Passport Office, as well as the Regional Passport Offices in Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Springlands, Parika, Bartica, Lethem and Linden, will now be open on Saturdays, commencing from October 14, 2023 until further notice, only to facilitate the delivery of passports.

According to a statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), “this will aid in mitigating the current backlog of passports and bring back the passport processing time to the standard five working days”.

In this regard, the GPF is advising persons who have applied for passports and are currently waiting to uplift them, whether it was a renewal or a new passport, that they can now collect them on Saturdays.

“A weekly announcement will be published notifying the public of the

dates and times for the Central Immigration and Passport Office. So, check your white slips for your return date; this will indicate which Saturday you should visit the Passport Office,” the GPF explained.

At the Regional Passport Offices, passports are available for upliftment at various periods: Anna Regina: October 16 to October 25; Parika: October 16 to December 18; New Amsterdam/Springlands: October 16 to December 11; Bartica: October 16

to December 12; Lethem: October 16 to October 30 and Linden: October 16 to November 2.

The GPF has said that no other service will be provided on Saturdays.

Moreover, the normal passport and immigration services will be available from Monday to Friday.

“Additionally, if you cannot uplift your passport on the Saturday that was announced, you will be able to do so on the original date that was given,” the GPF added.

ExxonMobil strikes US$60B deal for shale giant

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xxonMobil announced on Wednesday that it was acquiring Pioneer Natural Resources for $59.5 billion, deepening its reliance on fossil fuel production even as many global policymakers grow increasingly concerned about climate change and the oil industry’s reluctance to shift to cleaner energy.

Exxon has spent decades investing in projects around the world, but the deal would squarely lodge its future close to its Houston base, with most of its oil production in Texas and along the coast of Guyana.

By concentrating its operations close to home, Exxon is effectively betting that U.S. energy policy will not move against fossil fuels in a major way even as the Biden administration encourages automakers to switch to electric vehicles and utilities to make the transition to renewable energy.

Exxon executives have said that in addition to producing more fossil fuels, the company is building a new business that will capture carbon dioxide from industrial sites and bury the greenhouse gas in the ground. The technology to do that remains in an early stage and has not been successfully used on a large scale.

“We’re doubling down on our organizations and capabilities,” said Darren Woods, Exxon’s chief executive. The combined company would generate value “well in excess of what either company is capable of doing on a stand-alone basis,” he added. The focus of the deal is “on taking the best of both organizations,” he said.

American oil production has reached a record of roughly 13 million barrels a day, around 13 percent of the global market, but growth has slowed in recent years. Despite a wave of consolidation among oil and gas companies, and higher oil prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, pro-

ducers are having a more difficult time finding new locations to drill.

The Pioneer deal is a sign that it is now easier to acquire an oil producer than to drill for oil in a new location.

Exxon, a refining and petrochemical powerhouse, needs a lot more oil and gas to turn into gasoline, diesel, plastics, liquefied natural gas, chemicals and other products. Much of that oil and gas is likely to come from the Permian Basin, the most productive U.S. oil and gas field, which straddles Texas and New Mexico and where Pioneer is a major player.

Exxon’s $10 billion Golden Pass terminal near the TexasLouisiana border is scheduled to begin shipping liquefied natural gas to the rest of the world next year. Gas bubbles up with oil from the Permian Basin, making the basin all the more valuable for exports as Europe weans itself from Russian gas.

The Pioneer deal would be Exxon’s largest acquisition since it bought Mobil in 1999.

It is bigger than the company’s ill-fated $30 billion acquisition of XTO Energy, a major natural gas producer, in 2010.

Exxon had to write off much of that investment later when natural gas prices collapsed from the high levels that prevailed when it bought XTO. By buying Pioneer now, when the U.S. oil benchmark is around $84 a barrel, Exxon is counting on prices remaining relatively high in the next few years.

Exxon has been careful in recent years to invest modestly as it has raised its dividends and bought back more of its own stock. Buying Pioneer would add production, a big change in its strategy.

The acquisition would make Exxon the dominant player in the Permian Basin, far outpacing Chevron, its biggest rival.

The merged company would combine Pioneer’s 850,000

acres with Exxon’s 570,000 acres in the Permian, giving it one of the largest undeveloped oil and gas inventories in the world. Provided the deal receives regulatory approval, Exxon’s production in the basin would more than double to 1.3 million barrels of oil and gas a day, the company said.

Combining the companies’ acreage would allow the group to drill longer wells to reach deeper into the layer cake of shale resources in the basin.

The companies said they could stretch some lateral drilling up to four miles.

Shale fields require constant drilling of new wells because production exhausts after a few years. As oil production recedes, the output of natural gas from wells increases, promising to make the Permian a major source of gas for decades.

Energy experts noted that the deal underscored a big shift in the industry’s view of shale drilling over the last decade.

“In the early days of the fracking revolution, Big Oil wasn’t especially interested in going into the Permian or other shale plays,” said Bernard Weinstein, an economist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “They were more interested in deepwater drilling and working off the coast of Africa. That’s really changed.”

A few large European oil companies, which have generally moved faster to renewable energy than U.S. businesses, have stayed away from the Permian or sold their holdings in recent years.

In a call with reporters, Mr. Woods said the Exxon and Pioneer would work together to reduce emissions. “As long as the world needs oil and gas,” he said, the companies will work to “have the most efficient, effective and responsible” operations. (Excerpt from New York Times)

18

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Honduran Prosecutors accuse Ecuador’s presidential hopefuls 2 ex-Presidents of diverting pledge action on ports, where bananas hide cocaine public funds to campaigns

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Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez is escorted by members of the National Police and the Military Police after arriving at the Hernan Acosta Mejia Air Force Base for his extradition to the United States, to face a trial on drug trafficking and arms possession charges, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, April 21, 2022 (Reuters/Fredy Rodriguez photo)

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Honduran special anti-corruption unit indicted two former conservative Presidents on Wednesday on charges of fraud for the diversion of over US$12 million of public funds into political campaigns, the state prosecutors’ office said.

Ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is awaiting trial in the United States on drug trafficking charges following his extradition last year, and his predecessor, Porfirio Lobo, were indicted alongside six other former officials, including ex-Finance Minister Wilfredo Cerrato.

Lawyers for the accused

could not immediately be reached for comment.

The indictment, filed in the country's Supreme Court, accuses both Hernandez and Lobo of fraud for the diversion of a combined total of some 288 million lempiras (US$12 million) to finance political campaigns, as well as money laundering by Hernandez, a spokesman for the prosecutors' office, Carlos Morazan, told Reuters.

The indictments come amid an expansion of the socalled Pandora case, an investigation that has for five years probed some 38 people for corruption – mostly politicians, deputies and former officials. Almost all have

been acquitted.

The six former officials indicted stand accused of fraud and abusing their authority.

According to Honduras' Public Ministry, the public funds were diverted into a political campaign for Hernandez' National Party in 2013, to pay debts for the Liberal Party, and finance two other fringe political groups.

A "network of corruption" was formed between 2010 and 2013 that helped extend and approve the transfer of over US$12 million into political campaigns, the Ministry said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Paraguay jail: Rioting inmates hold guards hostage

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t least 10 guards are being held hostage by inmates at Paraguay's largest prison, Police in the South American country have confirmed.

Prisoners started a riot at the Tacumbú jail in the capital, Asunción, on Tuesday afternoon.

Television footage showed prisoners on the roof of the jail throwing stones at Police.

The prison director says members of a prison gang called Rotela Clan are behind the unrest.

The exact number of guards still being held hostage is unclear.

A police spokesman said it was "at least 10", but in a video call with a local radio station on Wednesday morning local time, the prison's director, Luis Esquivel, said he and 21 guards were still being detained by the rioters.

Standing in front of his uniformed staff in what he describes as "at the back of a wing", Esquivel ex-

A prisoner throws a stone during a riot at the Tacumbu penitentiary after inmates took hostage a dozen officials and caused a fire, in Asuncion, Paraguay October 10, 2023

plained that he and the guards had been held for 15 hours. He added that they were being "treated well".

According to Esquivel, the inmates have made three demands in exchange for letting the hostages go: a guarantee that the Police will not storm the jail, a signed document guaranteeing that there will be no reprisals for the riot, and a promise that the overcrowded Tacumbú will be reopened for new inmates.

Local media have reported that the last de-

mand is an attempt by the Rotela Clan to further strengthen its influence in Tacumbú by having even more of its members sent to it, even though the jail is already holding thousands more inmates than it was designed for.

More than two dozen women are also reportedly inside the jail, but it is not clear if they are being held against their will or if they stayed voluntarily with their jailed partners when the riot broke out during visiting hours.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

residential candidates in Ecuador are pledging to use the military to crack down on drug exports from the country's ports, where over half of banana shipments flagged as suspicious and searched by authorities hide packages of cocaine.

Cocaine is also increasingly found in shipments of tuna, as well as hidden in hollowed-out pineapples and stashed amid sugar, police say.

The security situation in Ecuador has sharply deteriorated in recent years, one factor in South America's migrant exodus. The outgoing

Government has blamed an uptick in murders, prison violence and other crime on the growing presence of drug gangs.

Police have seized some 50 tonnes of drugs so far this year at the country's two principal ports.

The 6500 containers of bananas which leave Ecuador – the world's top banana exporter – each week, many bound for Europe, are a top target for smugglers, then national anti-narcotics director Pablo Ramirez told Reuters last month.

The two presidential candidates in the upcoming

October 15 election – business heir Daniel Noboa and leftist Luisa Gonzalez – have said something needs to be done.

Both have promised to militarise ports and airports to fight the drug trafficking. Alongside the economy, security is a top concern, voters say.

Gonzalez, a protege of former leftist President Rafael Correa, who led the first round, but is now polling slightly behind her rival, said during a televised debate earlier this month she would use the military to retake control of ports and prisons, though she did not give details of her plan. (Excerpt from Reuters)

“Shameful”: OAS accuses Guatemalan Prosecutors of election interference

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u a t e m a l a n Prosecutors are seeking to block the landslide winner of the country's presidential election from taking office, the head of the Organisation of American States (OAS) said Tuesday, denouncing the push as a "shameful example for the hemisphere".

Luis Almagro, the chief of the Washington-based OAS, called the ongoing investigation by the Guatemalan attorney general's office into the party of President-elect Bernardo Arevalo and the electoral authority an unprecedented attack on Guatemala's democracy.

Running on an anti-corruption platform, Arevalo won the August run-off with a 20-point margin of victory.

Since last week, tens of thousands of Guatemalans have taken to the streets to protest what many have called a slow-motion coup, while demanding the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and other judicial officials collaborating with her inquiries.

"The prosecutors' office has

A man pours a liquid on a burning barricade, as part of a national strike to demand the resignation of authorities from the attorney general's office, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, October 10, 2023 (Reuters/Josue Decavele photo)

chosen to ignore numerous calls from the international community and its behaviour violates democratic norms," Almagro said.

"It continues to take measures that appear to be designed to override the will of the electorate," he added.

Porras' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the past, her office has justified its raids on Arevalo's Semilla party and the electoral body as necessary for lawful investigations into alleged irregularities during

the election, especially claims that Semilla's registration six years ago was tainted by falsified signatures.

Isolated violent incidents were reported on Monday, which have since led to some banks, schools, supermarkets and restaurant chains, including McDonald's, to temporarily close.

Overall, the protests have been largely peaceful.

Arevalo described the violent incidents as caused by "hit groups" looking to destabilize the protests.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Argentine executives pitch fiscal discipline as election hits home stretch

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rgentina's next government will have to cut spending and stop printing pesos to get the inflation-wrecked economy back on track, executives and other members of the country's business community told Reuters.

The country holds its presidential election on October 22 amid triple-digit inflation, a dramatic erosion of the peso currency, and with two in five people living in poverty.

The three leading candidates are each running on their own remedy for the ailing economy: radical libertarian Javier Milei's dollarisation proposal; a bi-monetary system proposed by conservative Patricia

Bullrich; and ruling party candidate Sergio Massa's plan to stick with the peso.

The candidates mostly agree, however, on reducing the Government's large fiscal deficit, like many business leaders.

"We Argentines must stop arguing about obvious things like public spending," said Javier Goni, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of agribusiness company Ledesma. He said cutting state spending is a must.

Executives are also calling for greater labour market flexibility, citing worries about the legal risks and high costs of layoffs, and a unification of

Argentina's disparate currency exchange controls, following a rise in the difference between the official and informal rates to 200 per cent earlier this week.

"Currency controls have taken away our ability to pursue new investments," said a steel firm executive who asked not to be named.

Another recurring demand from executives is better access to credit to spur business growth.

The election is playing out as the Government struggles to service its US$44 billion loan with the International Monetary Fund.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

19

Around The World

Biden warns Iran over Gaza; Israel OILNEWS OIL NEWS forms emergency war cabinet

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Oil falls over 2% after Saudi pledge; investors keep wary eye on Israel

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il prices fell over two per cent on Wednesday as fears of disruption to supplies due to conflict in the Middle East receded a day after top Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producer Saudi Arabia pledged to help stabilise the market.

Brent futures fell US$1.83, or 2.1 per cent, to settle at US$85.82 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell US$2.48, or 2.9 per cent, to settle at US$83.49.

Brent and WTI had surged by more than US$3.50 per barrel on Monday over concern the clashes between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas could escalate into a broader conflict that would disrupt global oil supply.

Prices settled slightly lower on Tuesday after Saudi Arabia said it was working with regional and international partners to prevent an escalation, and reaffirmed its efforts to stabilise oil markets.

"Both WTI and Brent retreated yesterday as concerns of a sudden and unexpected supply disruption have been swept aside for now," PVM analyst Tamas Varga said.

Trading house Mercuria sees oil prices reaching US$100 a barrel if the situation in the Middle East escalates further, deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Magid Shenouda said on Wednesday.

"The only thing that is becoming clear for energy traders is that the road for the global growth recovery is getting rockier," said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA, noting the "US consumer is weakening (and) Germany might be headed for a deeper recession".

In Europe, the German government confirmed it expects the economy to contract by 0.4 per cent this year because of persistently high inflation.

Russia and Saudi Arabia met in Moscow on Wednesday, when Russian President Vladimir Putin said that OPEC+ coordination will continue "for the predictability of the oil market".

OPEC+ is the partnership between the OPEC and its allies, including Russia.

Putin also urged companies to prioritise the Russian domestic market. The country's ban on gasoline and some diesel exports was rolled back again last week as diesel exports that arrive at ports by pipeline were permitted.

In the US, producer prices increased more than expected in September amid higher costs for energy products and food, but underlying inflation pressures at the factory gate continued to abate.

US investors would be looking ahead to the release of the Federal Reserve's September policy meeting minutes due later on Wednesday for clues on future interest rate decisions.

Interest rate hikes to tame inflation can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that she still expected the US economy to experience a soft landing, despite "additional concerns" brought about by the situation in Israel.

Uncertainty around the path of the US economy pushed Federal Reserve officials into a cautious stance at their meeting last month, according to minutes of the September 19-20 session.

In a report, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected global oil inventories would fall by 200,000 barrels per day in the second half of 2023 from voluntary output cuts from Saudi Arabia, along with reduced production targets among OPEC+ countries.

Exxon Mobil agreed to buy US rival Pioneer Natural Resources in an all-stock deal valued at US$59.5 billion that would make it the biggest producer in the Permian shell, the largest US oilfield.

Analysts in a Reuters poll forecast US crude inventories rose by 500,000 barrels in the week ended October 6.

On US supply, industry data showed crude stocks rose by about 12.9 million barrels in the week ended October 6, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute (API) figures on Wednesday.

EIA will release data on stockpiles today.

(Reuters)

S President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned Iran against getting involved in Israel's conflict with Hamas amid fears of a wider regional conflict, while Israeli leaders formed an emergency war cabinet to present a united front.

Israeli jets have pounded the Gaza Strip for days in retribution for a weekend attack by Palestinian Hamas militants who breached the border fence enclosing Gaza and rampaged through towns and villages, killing 1200 people, injuring over 2700, and taking scores of hostages, the Israeli military said.

Biden dispatched his top diplomat, Antony Blinken, to the Middle East to show

A man carries a wounded Palestinian girl at the site of Israeli strikes on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 11 (Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa photo)

Washington's enduring support for Israel; to seek to secure the release of captives, including Americans, and to prevent a wider war from erupting.

Speaking to a roundtable of Jewish community leaders in Washington, Biden said his deployment of military ships and aircraft closer to Israel should be seen as

a signal to Iran, which backs Islamist groups Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

"We made it clear to the Iranians: Be careful," Biden said.

Iran likely knew Hamas militants were planning "operations against Israel", but initial US intelligence reports showed that some Iranian leaders were surprised by the group's unprecedented attack from Gaza, US sources said on Wednesday.

Blinken was expected to arrive in Israel today and will also visit Jordan. He was not scheduled to visit the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where he ordinarily meets Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Russia warns Israel-Hamas war is entering ‘hot’ phase and could be ‘potentially very dangerous’

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t’s a busy day for international diplomacy in Europe as allies discuss the war in Ukraine, IsraelHamas conflict and oil market stability.

Oil-producing giants Russia and Saudi Arabia met in Moscow Wednesday to discuss the oil market situation amid the ongoing vio-

lence and geopolitical uncertainty between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Kremlin warned Wednesday that the IsraelHamas conflict has the hallmarks of a “hot war” right now and could potentially be “very dangerous,” especially on a humanitarian level.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Belgium Wednesday as he meets NATO Defence Minister and other allies, trying to bolster support and military assistance for Kyiv ahead of winter.

The meeting comes amid signs of flagging support

for continuing military aid Ukraine as the war drags on to its 19th month. The nascent war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas is also a distraction for Western leaders hoping to avoid a wider and more destabilising Middle Eastern conflict.

(Excerpt from CNBC)

US House in limbo as Republican Scalise appears short of votes for speaker

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epublicans who control the US House of Representatives on Wednesday nominated Steve Scalise to serve as Speaker following last week's ouster of Kevin McCarthy, but delayed further action when he appeared to be short of the support needed to win a vote of the full chamber.

Scalise, now number two on the Republican leadership ladder, edged rival Jim Jordan in a secret ballot vote to secure his party's nomination for the top post.

Lawmakers had been told to expect a 15:00h ET (1900 GMT) vote, but that hour came and went with no action after several of Jordan's backers said they would not support Scalise in a vote on the House floor.

Republicans can afford only a handful of defections as they control the chamber by a narrow 221-212 majority and Democrats are not expected to vote for any Republican candidate.

"We're working hard to get unified. We need to get unified because the world is not waiting," Scalise, 58,

encouraging his colleagues to do the same, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

McCarthy in January

had to endure 15 rounds of voting before clinching the speakership.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Minor parties could hold key to New Zealand election

T

US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) (Reuters/ Evelyn Hockstein photo)

told reporters. "Obviously we still have work to do."

Acting Speaker Patrick McHenry told reporters a vote "could be as early as today".

"It's not over yet. That was the inside race. Now the outside race starts," said Representative Thomas Massie, who had voted for Jordan. Massie and said he expected to meet privately with Scalise ahead of a floor vote.

The tally was 113 for Scalise and 99 for Jordan, lawmakers said.

Jordan plans to vote for Scalise on the floor and is

he National party’s Christopher Luxon is leading Labour’s Chris Hipkins in the race to become New Zealand’s next Prime Minister, but any victory could depend on the support of smaller rightwing and populist parties.

Less than a year after Jacinda Ardern, the darling of the international community, passed the leadership to Hipkins, New Zealand’s left-leaning Labour party is facing an election where many of its trademark policies – from green farming to Maori co-governance – could be rolled back if the centre-right Nationals take power on October 14 as the opinion polls suggest.

Four years since the devastating Christchurch Mosque attacks, which were carried out by an Australian white supremacist, there are also concerns about the tone of the campaigning.

“I think some of our poli-

ticians are certainly playing the race card in this election,” Hipkins said during a debate last month between the leaders of the two main parties.

Hipkins questioned Luxon’s willingness to work with the New Zealand First party, quoting a racist statement made by one of the party’s candidates.

The centre-right Nationals are leading in the polls, but may need one or both of New Zealand First and the AMP party, another populist right wing party, to be able to form a government.

Responding to Hipkins’s reference to racist campaigning, Luxon told Hipkins he was willing to “make the call” to work with New Zealand First if it meant “stopping you, Te Pati Maori and the Greens coming to power”. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

(March 21-April 19)

Speak the truth, do your own thing and don't make waves. Sticking to your game plan and finishing what you start will help you alleviate interference.

Update your skills to avoid falling behind.

Be receptive to what others are doing and decide on your version. Your insight will give you the edge you need.

Your discipline and initiative will help you build a better life.

PICKLES

(April 20-May 20) Refuse to let anyone sidetrack you.

Consider what you enjoy doing most, and polish your skills. Refuse to let the past limit you or stand in your way. Embrace new beginnings.

(May 21-June 20) Slow down, examine what's happening around you and consider your options. Don't feel you have to be a follower. Consider what excites you and take the path that looks most promising.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Figure out what you want. An abrupt move will be costly. Set boundaries with people who ask for too much. Use your knowledge and apply logic to every situation you face. Be a good listener.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

Take more "me" time. Update your image, get fit and pay attention to your health and emotional well-being. Learn and apply new techniques to help you master the art of living a balanced lifestyle.

Put your energy where it counts and pitch in and help a cause or someone in need. Use your insight and experience to guide you. Refuse to let anyone lure you into an argument or take advantage of you.

It's up to you to make things happen. Shift into high gear and turn your dream into a reality. Focus on producing a statement of what's to come. Be pioneering and bold.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Don't give up when promoting what you offer is critical. Stand up for your rights, make yourself heard and put your skills to good use. Refuse to let someone else's vision unnerve you.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay attention to what's going on in your community. Staying on top of matters concerning family and finances will make a difference when dealing with colleagues, friends and relatives.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Find out what's available before participating in something unfamiliar.

Staying on top of what's new and exciting will help you keep your finger on the pulse. Do your homework.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Consider what's expected of you before you get involved in a partnership.

Distance yourself from anyone who may put your reputation in jeopardy. High standards will be necessary.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

21

ICC World Cup 2023…

Rohit, Bumrah headline fiery India display vs Afghanistan

I

ndia vs Afghanistan was one of the closer encounters of the 2019 World Cup, but a blistering hundred from Rohit Sharma ensured there would be no double jeopardy in 2023.

Any jeopardy at all was taken out of the game in the first ten overs or so of the chase, when Rohit, who went past Sachin Tendulkar for most hundreds at the ODI World Cup, took the attack to

all Afghanistan bowlers, turning a potentially tricky chase of 273 into a net run rate-boosting cakewalk.

A half-century from Virat Kohli capped a near-perfect day for India, as they eased to an eight-wicket win with 15 overs to spare, after a disciplined performance with the ball had restricted Afghanistan to a below-par total, despite half-centuries from Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai.

India's top order, Rohit included, had missed out badly against Australia after the hosts had fallen to 2 for 3. Today, Rohit ensured there was no repeat of that.

A sedate first couple of overs were followed by Rohit's first boundary, and the floodgates were opened.

Fazalhaq Farooqi was belted over long-off for a six, followed up by a couple of fours. There was a repeat dose in the following Farooqi over, with Rohit speeding along to a lightning half-cen-

Jasprit Bumrah brought out a Marcus Rashford celebration after dismissing Ibrahim Zadran

have wanted. Towards the back end, as both brought up half-centuries, Afghanistan were picking up boundaries at will, and appeared primed for a total in excess of 300.

Once Hardik Pandya had cleaned up Omarzai with an

F

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham

erees announce and explain the outcome of an on-field review is a “step in the right direction”, but added: “My personal point of view is I do think (live audio) will continue to be a question over time, because the greater transparency shows how difficult the referee’s job is, and it has worked in other sport.

“There is an understandable nervousness from others that the referee’s job is hard enough as it is. In a tournament you have referees with multiple languages, so it is not as straightforward as some might suggest.

“So, I think we are taking a step in the right direction with announcing the decision and explaining why it has been reached. Let’s see if that leads to further progression.”

Bullingham’s Irish FA counterpart and fellow IFAB director Patrick Nelson spoke more cautiously on the VAR decision-making process, adding: “We just need to see more evidence on this at the moment.

followed could never quite wrench control back. Shahidi plugged along, his 88-ball 80 vital in putting up a respectable score, but when he fell reverse-sweeping to Kuldeep Yadav, any hopes of attaining 300 went up in smoke.

Virat Kohli looked fluent from the get go

Lawmakers could allow audio between referees and VARs to be available live

ootball Association chief executive Mark Bullingham has raised the prospect of the game’s lawmakers examining whether audio between referees and VARs should be available live.

Miscommunication between VAR Darren England and referee Simon Hooper led to a Luis Diaz goal for Liverpool at Tottenham being wrongly disallowed last month, leading to further calls for such conversations to be played out in real time.

The incident caused huge controversy, with Reds Manager Jurgen Klopp even calling for the match to be replayed.

Broadcasting conversations between on-field officials and VARs live is currently prohibited under football’s laws.

Bullingham, who is a director at the International Football Association Board (IFAB) which has the power to change the game’s laws, said the organisation had discussed the subject, but added: “Generally, there is a split in the room over that, and quite often it is between the marketing and commercial people and the referees.

“Our point of view, from the marketing and commercial perspective, would normally be that transparency is a really good thing, and we want fans to have the maximum experience.”

Bullingham said an ongoing FIFA trial where ref-

tury, which he brought up with a boundary, off 27 balls.

Another couple of sixes and a boundary followed, and by the end of the powerplay, India had rollicked along to 94, the highest of this tournament.

With Ishan Kishan content to play a supporting role at the other end, Rohit let

“It’s interesting when we look at recent examples but we still need to remember that VAR as an entire concept is relatively in its infancy compared to the game of football and compared to IFAB. There is still more that we can learn.”

The PA news agency understands the IFAB is set to open up the trial of in-stadium announcements by referees beyond FIFA events to other interested competitions.

The IFAB may also look again at the wording of Principle 10 in the VAR protocol, which currently prevents VARs from revisiting a decision once play has restarted and meant the officials could not call play back after the Diaz error.

It could be updated to allow a decision to be revisited where a clear mistake has occurred, and where no significant action has taken place since play restarted.

Bullingham also said he was aware IFAB had been asked to consider widening the scope of VAR to rule on decisions such as corner kick and free-kick awards.

“I think we would be really reluctant to have a game that was stopped a lot more than it currently is, but that will be a proper discussion,” he added.

VAR interventions are currently limited to goals, penalties, straight red cards and mistaken identity.

(Sportsmax)

his languid arms loose, and the spinners weren't spared: Mujeeb-ur-Rahman leaked three boundaries in four deliveries to the opener, and before the end of the 18th over, the inevitable Rohit hundred was up.

Coming in 63 balls, it was the fastest by an Indian at an ODI World Cup. That Rohit was the one that achieved that record was not in the least surprising.

Rashid Khan removed Ishan Kishan at the other end, but Rohit just motored along with Kohli for a while.

But Rashid, who came on to bowl later than his side perhaps needed him, finally cleaned him up with a flipper for 131, though by then India needed only to go through the motions.

Kohli's innings was little more than batting practice, and by the time he tonked the winning shot back down the ground, that net session, and India's win, was complete.

Afghanistan had won the toss and elected to bat first, but spent much of the innings playing too many dot balls, interspersed with the occasional boundary. Jasprit Bumrah proved hard to get away, as ever, though Mohammad Siraj came in for some tap, leaking 76 in nine overs.

Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran fell cheaply, with Rahmat Shah falling to the golden arm of Shardul Thakur, leaving Afghanistan tottering at 63 for 3. Afghanistan's best passage of play followed, with Shahidi and Omarzai compiling a 121-run partnership that rendered the spinners largely ineffective, forcing Rohit to bring the quicks back earlier than he might

Hashmatullah Shahidi helped Afghanistan recover from an early triple-strike

off cutter, though, things began to fall apart. Mohammad Nabi looked woefully out of touch, his knock of 19 off 27 robbing Afghanistan of momentum, instead of giving it any, and the men that

It left Rashid, Mujeeb and Naveed to play dainty little cameos that pushed the score up to the 272 they managed, but as Rohit ensured, it was much too little in the end.

(ESPNCricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Afghanistan (50 ovs maximum) Rahmanullah Gurbaz † c Thakur b Pandya 21 Ibrahim Zadran c †Rahul b Bumrah 22 Rahmat Shah lbw b Thakur 16 Hashmatullah Shahidi (c) lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 80 Azmatullah Omarzai b Pandya 62 Mohammad Nabi lbw b Bumrah 19 Najibullah Zadran c Kohli b Bumrah 2 Rashid Khan c Kuldeep Yadav b Bumrah 16 Mujeeb Ur Rahman not out 10 Naveen-ul-Haq not out 9 Extras(b 2, lb 3, nb 2, w 8) 15 TOTAL 50 Ov (RR: 5.44) 272/8 Did not bat: Fazalhaq Farooqi Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Ibrahim Zadran, 6.4 ov), 2-63 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 12.4 ov), 3-63 (Rahmat Shah, 13.1 ov), 4-184 (Azmatullah Omarzai, 34.2 ov), 5-225 (Hashmatullah Shahidi, 42.4 ov), 6-229 (Najibullah Zadran, 44.2 ov), 7-235 (Mohammad Nabi, 44.6 ov), 8-261 (Rashid Khan, 48.1 ov) •

BOWLING Jasprit Bumrah Mohammed Siraj Hardik Pandya Shardul Thakur Kuldeep Yadav Ravindra Jadeja

O-M-R-W 10-0-39-4 9-0-76-0 7-0-43-2 6-0-31-1 10-0-40-1 8-0-38-0

India (T: 273 runs from 50 ovs Rohit Sharma (c) b Rashid Khan 131 Ishan Kishan c Ibrahim Zadran b Rashid Khan 47 Virat Kohli not out 55 Shreyas Iyer not out 25 Extras (b 1, lb 4, w 10) 15 TOTAL 35 Ov (RR: 7.80) 273/2 Did not bat: KL Rahul †, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj Fall of wickets: 1-156 (Ishan Kishan, 18.4 ov), 2-205 (Rohit Sharma, 25.4 ov) • BOWLING O-M-R-W Fazalhaq Farooqi 6-0-50-0 Mujeeb Ur Rahman 8-0-64-0 Naveen-ul-Haq 5-0-31-0 Azmatullah Omarzai 4-0-34-0 Mohammad Nabi 4-0-32-0 Rashid Khan 8-0-57-2

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

GFF, NAMILCO partner to assist “Jackie Chan” T

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and National Milling Company of Guyana Inc (NAMILCO) on Tuesday joined forces to provide financial assistance and a six-month gift certificate to former national footballer Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson, whose home in Georgetown was destroyed by fire on October 4.

The former Carolina Railhawks striker received the gifts on October 10 during a simple handing-over ceremony at the GFF Headquarters in Georgetown.

Richardson, along with his wife and children, lost all of their possessions when the three-storey family home in Howes and Lyng Streets in Charlestown caught fire.

During the ceremony, Richardson expressed his sincere gratitude to the GFF and NAMILCO for their support during this difficult

NAMILCO’s Alicia Anderson making a presentation to Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson

time.

“Everything’s going good so far. I want to thank GFF President Wayne Forde and NAMILCO for coming on board with us and supporting

Under-17 footand supporting me during t h i s trage-

ball

dy,” the beloved retired national player shared.

In response, President Forde underlined the solidarity of the football community in Guyana, emphasising that the fraternity stood together as a family, offering unwavering support to Richardson.

“When we say that we are a football family, we are not using those words lightly, we are indeed a family and as the head of this family, it is my duty to make sure that whenever a member of this family is facing the kind of tragedy Gregory is going through at the moment – then the fraternity must stand together and do all that we c a n to support that family member,” he said.

Forde added that

RHTY&SC Naeem Nasir Memorial Cricket Tournament…

History created as Berbice River team win tournament

T

he Area H Ground was filled to capacity as history was created on Sunday as the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS hosted the 10th edition of the Naeem Nasir annual Memorial Tournament.

The day’s event involved seven teams – Rose Hall Town Bakewell, Rose Hall Town Tigers, Courtland, Police, Number 72 Cut and Load, Skeldon, and Berbice River.

Berbice River emerged as the champions of the tournament after defeating a youthful Rose Hall Town Bakewell team by 11 runs in front of a large and noisy crowd. It was the first time that a Berbice River team had won a county-wide tournament.

Batting first, Berbice River rattled up 50 for 5 wickets after the final was reduced to five overs per side owing to time constraints. Man of the Final Gavaskar Chapel led the way with a brisk 29, with two boundaries and a six while Derek Leacock chipped in with 16 (1x6, 1x4). Bowling for Rose Hall Town Bakewell, 17-year-old Raj Tika took 2 for 9 and Troy Mathieson, 2 for 16 (2 overs). Needing to score 51 runs from their five overs, Rose Hall Town Bakewell were restricted to 39 for 3, with Jonathan Rampersaud top-scoring with 14 while Matthew Pottaya scored 13 before he was run out. Joshua Leacock took 2 wickets for 9 runs while D Leacock claimed one for 12.

Earlier in the day, the Berbice River team had drew the bye in the opening round.

Police crushed Skeldon by 50 runs after amassing 121 without loss in just six overs with K Amsterdam scoring 69 not out and Philburg Wilburg 43 not out. Rose Hall Town Bakewell, spearheaded by a brilliant

J

The Berbice River team posed with Bakewell General Manager Rajin Ganga

all-round performance by Jonathan Rampersaud, defeated Number 72 Cut and Load by nine wickets, while a brutal innings of 35 not out by former national player Dilbert Hicks led Rose Hall Tigers to a nine-wicket victory over a hopeless Courtland.

In the semi-finals, Berbice River got past Police by eight wickets after restricting the lawmen to 61 runs in their allotted six overs. They achieved victory with 1.2 overs remaining while Rose Hall Town Bakewell defeated their counterparts Rose Hall Town Tigers by 13 runs. Skipper Rampersaud scored 25 not out as Rose Hall Bakewell reached 69 for 2 from their six overs. Tigers were then restricted to 56 for 5 as their main batsman Dilbert Hicks was bowled by off-spinner Mathison for a two-ball duck.

Under-17 bowlers Tika and Romesh Bharrat took 2 wickets for 13 and 5 runs respectively.

Gavaskar Chapel was named Man of the Final for his crucial innings of 29 while Jonathan Rampersaud copped the best bowler and best batsman accolades. The champi-

ons took home $100,000 while the runners-up got $50,000.

RHTYSC Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hilbert Foster, who is also the Berbice Cricket Board President, hailed the one-day tournament as a huge success. He stated that the club was pleased to honour the memory of Naeem Nasir, the founder of Bakewell. Nasir was a passionate sponsor of sports, especially cricket and lawn tennis, and his company has sponsored the RHTY&SC since 2000. The Secretary stated that Bakewell and Nasir were one of the main reasons why the RHTY&SC was now a respected household name.

Bakewell General Manager Rajin Ganga stated that his company was proud to be associated with the RHTY&SC owing to the club’s record of achievements. He added the tournament was a fitting tribute to the Bakewell founder and hailed the outstanding leadership of Foster at the club over the years. Ganga reassured the gathering the Bakewell would continue to sponsor the tournament in the future and also the activities of the RHTY&SC.

the GFF has a “role to play as a federation to step forward and intervene whenever a member of this fraternity is facing a challenge. The National Milling Company is an extension of the football family. They’ve been working with us for more than seven years now supporting youth development, supporting female football, supporting many of our programmes and it was, therefore, no surprise that Mr [Bert] Sukhai was eager to extend his generosity towards Chan.”

Richardson, with an impressive record of 17 international goals for Guyana, is undoubtedly one of the most decorated Guyanese footballers.

His exceptional skills as a striker had secured him a spot on international and regional teams, includ-

ing Colorado Rapids in the MLS; Puerto Rico Islanders (USL); Carolina Railhawks (USL) and Joe Public (T&T).

Additionally, he has made significant contributions to local football clubs, including Pele, Alpha United, Beacon, Georgetown Football Club and Fruta Conquerors.

Since retiring from professional football, the celebrated player has been actively engaged in youth football development, taking on the role of coaching a NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 League team.

The NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 National Academy Play-offs, which complements the GFF Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme, was launched on October 7.

World champion Jackson among 11 nominees for Female Athlete of the Year

amaica’s Shericka Jackson is among 11 athletes nominated for Women’s World Athlete of the Year.

The athletes were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.

In what has been another memorable year for the sport, the nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, one-day meeting circuits, Label road races, and other events around the world.

In August, Jackson, 29, won her second 200m title at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest where she also won silver medals in the 100m and 4x100m relay. She capped off her impressive season by winning Diamond League trophies in both 100m and 200m at the season-ending meet in Eugene, Oregon.

The impressive list of nominees also includes Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, winner of the Berlin marathon, who set the world marathon record this past season.

Femke Bol of the Netherlands won the 400m hurdles in Budapest and set a world indoor 400m record during the season.

The strong favourite to walk away with the award this year is Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, the World 1500m and 5000m champion, who set world records in 1500m,

the mile and 5000m in 2023.

Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi is the world champion at the javelin.

She is also the Diamond League champion.

Also among the nominees is Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine who is the world champion and Diamond League champion at the high jump.

Spain’s Maria Perez is the 20km and 35km race walk world champion, who established a new world record at the 35km race walk.

Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay is the world 10,000m champion, who won the Diamond League 5000m title with a new world record.

The USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson is the newly-crowned world champion at 100m and bronze medallist at 200m.

Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas won her fourth consecutive world title at the triple jump and also added the Diamond League title to her extraordinary exploits during the season.

Bahrain’s Winfed Yavi is the 3000m steeplechase world champion, who also won the Diamond League title with a world-leading performance.

A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.

The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook,

X, Instagram and YouTube this week; a 'like' on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube or a retweet on X will count as one vote.

The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50 per cent of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25 per cent of the final result.

Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on Saturday, October 28. At the conclusion of the voting process, five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics on November 13-14.

The winners will be revealed on World Athletics’ social media platforms on December 11. (Sportsmax)

CLASSIFIED ADS WANTED Wanted 1 Maid. Must be between the ages of 35 to 45.

Preferably living in Georgetown and East Coast Demerara. Call 653-0311 between 9 am to 4 pm.

VACANCY WE ARE SEEKING TO FILL THE POSITION OF ONE (1) SALES REPRESENTATIVE AT AGRIPARTS FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR OFFICE AT 202 MANDELA AVENUE OR CALL US ON TELE # 225-5416 OR 223-1477

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

23

$77M resurfaced Leonora Track reopens A

fter several delays owing to weather conditions, the synthetic material at the National Track and Field Facility (NTFC) at Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD) has been resurfaced, re-marked, and is ready for competition.

The resurfacing was completed by BSW Regupol, the same German company that had previously laid the track back in 2014.

In making the official announcement of the track’s reopening at the venue on Wednesday morning, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, reminded that the $77M price tag for the resurfacing was one that could have been avoided.

Ramson Jr. informed, “It’s a significant sum that we spent towards the resurfacing of the synthetic track here at Leonora, but what’s also important is that Guyana could’ve gotten this for free. We were under warranty up until 2019, and because of just the overall mismanagement of the facili-

Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr

ty and not relying on taking the opportunities that were available to us at the time…”

The Sport Minister added, “The previous administration did not seize the opportunity to have this re-laid, which we would’ve gotten it for free. Now, the Guyanese people, the country, had to pay $77M to resurface this.”

Looking at the impact that the track’s absence has had on sport over the months, Ramson touched on the importance of the facility, which is still the only sanctioned synthetic

track in the country.

“We know the importance of having this resurfacing happen because we had to postpone one of our premier international meets earlier this year, or during the middle of this year, because of the condition that the track was in, that it did not meet the international standards,” Ramson jr. indicated.

He went on to state, “Now that this is done, we will not face that challenge for many years to come.”

Golden Jags to play entire Nations League 2nd leg in SKN

T

Snapshot of the resurfaced Synthetic Track at the NTFC

According to the minister, the track will be opened to the public as

soon as tomorrow, and will be in full operation for the hosting of the National

World Classic & Equipped Masters Powerlifting Championships…

Taharally (4 silver), Rogers (2 silver, 1 bronze) shine for Guyana

T

he Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) has closed off a hectic 2023 on the international stage with a healthy haul of medals from its two-member team at the ongoing World Classic & Equipped Masters Powerlifting Championships taking place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

On debut, and hitting the platform yesterday, Nadina Taharally competed in the Women's Classic M11 76kg, and was good enough for the silver medals in the squat, bench press, deadlift, and total, putting in a very classy performance against five other competitors.

Not only were her lifts good enough for the silver medals, but she shattered a number of records at the Pan American and FESUPO levels.

Taharally achieved a best squat of 150.0kg, bench press of 77.5kg, deadlift of 182.5kg, and a total of 410.0kg. Her new Pan American records are in the above lifts and total, whilst her new FESUPO records are in the squat, dead-

Roger Rogers

squat was 130.0kg, bench press 60.0kg, deadlift 167.5kg, and total, 357.5kg.

Other athletes in this category were from Finland, Australia, and Norway.

Roger Rogers, competing in the 120kg Men’s Classic division, won a silver medal in the Squat (262.5kg), a bronze in the Bench Press

The Golden Jaguars will play back-to-back matches against Puerto Rico

he October 14 and 17 matches between Guyana and Puerto Rico in the 2023/2024 CONCACAF Nations League Group Stage have been relocated to the St Kitts and Nevis Football Technical Centre (SKN).

The games were moved to St Kitts due to the inadequate condition of the football facilities in both Guyana and Puerto Rico.

CONCACAF approved the change of venue to ensure that players can compete in a safe and secure environment.

Presently, Puerto Rico sits at the top of the League B table in Group D, with six points, holding the leading position on goal difference.

The group also consists of Antigua and Barbuda and

the Bahamas.

Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde firmly believes that Guyana’s Senior Men’s Team has excellent prospects of achieving victory in the eagerly awaited match against Puerto Rico.

“Our boys have made a positive start in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League, so I am confident that they will work hard to deliver a positive result for the nation,” President Forde has said.

In an impressive start to the tournament, Guyana secured a resounding 5-1 victory over Antigua and Barbuda on September 9.

Building on this success, the Golden Jaguars continued their winning streak

with a remarkable 3-2 triumph against the Bahamas in their first home game on September 12.

On September 9, Puerto Rico showcased their prowess with an outstanding 6-1 victory over the Bahamas, followed by an impressive 5-0 win against Antigua and Barbuda on September 12. This season marks Puerto Rico's inaugural participation in League B, as they earned promotion in the previous edition of the tournament.

The GFF urges fans to show their support for the Golden Jaguars as they continue their journey in the CONCACAF Nations League Group Stage.

The October 14 match starts at 3 pm (15:00hrs).

Schools’ Track and Field Championships next month.

Nadina Taharally

lift, and total.

Canadian Sylvia Atkinson won the gold medal, achieving a best squat of 182.5kg, bench press of 82.5kg, deadlift of 192.5kg, and a total of 457.5kg. The bronze medal went to Great Britain’s Franka Ronsome, whose best

(162.5kg), and a silver in the Total (680.0kg). Rogers has also achieved a new FESUPO squat record.

The category in which he competed, which attracted a total of 11 athletes, was won

by Canadian Scott Robertson, with squat of 310.0kg, bench press of 205.0kg, deadlift

of 275.0kg, and a total of 790.0kg. The bronze was taken by Great Britain’s Darren Grenville, with best squat of 250.0kg, bench press of 170.0kg, and deadlift of 260.0kg for a total of 680.0kg.

The other athletes in this category were from USVI, USA, Denmark, Libya, Netherlands, France, Japan, and India.

On behalf of the Federation’s Executive Committee and the Powerlifting fraternity, GAPLF President Franklin Wilson has extended congratulations to both Taharally and Rogers on their excellent achievements for Guyana, noting that they have kept up the medal haul that was started by Carlos Petterson at Senior Worlds (silver and bronze); at Sub-Junior and Junior Worlds, where Romeo Hunter snared the squat gold and Dominic Tyrell got a silver in the deadlift.

The GAPLF is expressing its gratitude to Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr; Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle; the National Sports Commission, Guyana Olympic Association, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, E-Master Corporation, and Fitness Express for their support in making this possible.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

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

Pg 23

World Classic & Equipped Masters Powerlifting Championships…

Pg 23

Golden Jags to play entire Nations League 2nd leg in SKN Pg 23

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