47 minute read
Gazetted P
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Corentyne fishermen engage Agri Minister on zoning with trawler operators
– reassured of Ministry’s support
Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday conducted an outreach to several villages along the Corentyne Coast, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), and met with a group of fishermen who appealed for improved zoning in Guyana’s waters.
During the meeting at Hogs Town, in Fyrish, the fishermen, who usually fish in a dedicated area in the Atlantic Ocean, told Mustapha that there has been a recent migration of the fish stock that requires them to venture beyond their dedicated zone.
Sankar Samaroo, one of the affected fishermen, explained that climate change had adversely impacted the catch level and population within their current fishing zone.
“Due to the climate change, the fish not coming into the amount of water you guys give us to fish in. We gotta go over by the trawlers and we ah get cuss. They say-
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha
this so that there can be a specific time for the trawlers to fish and the fishermen to fish. We’ve met with them and asked for us to be allowed to fish from 6 o’clock in the morning to 2 o’clock in the afternoon and they could fish during the rest of the day and the night because they are fishing primarily for shrimps. The fishes feed on the shrimp noted.
In response, Mustapha committed to raising these concerns with the recently installed bodies mandated to overlook the industry and give recommendations to Government.
“Last week I installed two bodies that are responsible for dealing with these matters; the Fisheries Advisory
Committee and the Guyana Fisheries Limited Board (GFLB). Members of the trawlers association have also raised issues pertaining to the low level of catches and the Ministry, through the Fisheries Department, will launch an investigation into the matter soon. In relation to your matter, I will raise it with the heads of both bodies so that they can meet with all parties involved, launch an investigation and make recommendations for a way forward to the Fisheries Department,” Minister Mustapha said.
Other fishermen also appealed for assistance with the irrigation channel used when discharging their catch and for works to be carried out on the access dam used to transport their engines.
“When the tide low, boat cannot come in. We have to wait for the tide to rise then boats can come in. We are coming in a line so by the time the first boat finish discharging the catch, the catch from the last boat spoil. The channel is very, very narrow. Another issue, whenever the channel where the Albion Estate blow water, the dam is breaking so the channel is being affected. We are asking if… they recently bring a long-boom hymac, but it cannot reach to the middle, so, we’re asking if they can get a pontoon with the hymac and get that thing resolved. The revetment on the eastern half of the channel from where the concrete irrigation is which is like about 500 feet so that the dam cannot break away. It’s tough on us to take out our engines when the tide is low and the catch. We cannot work during low tide. We are asking for something to be done so that we could get better access,” Ramsarran related.
The Minister committed
Several firemen at the meeting on Saturday
ing that that is not our zone. We are asking the Minister if there can be a review of so where ever the shrimps go the fishes following,” Samaroo
Sankar Samaroo, a resident making a point at the meeting
to having works executed to bring some level of assistance to the fishermen.
“I’ve asked the CEO of the NDIA, and within two weeks we’ll send the pontoon with the excavator to clear the entire enlarged channel so that you can have some level of relief,” Minister Mustapha said.
The Minister also told the fishermen that soon there will be a National Aquaculture Conference, during which His Excellency, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali will launch the Government’s aquaculture master plan.
Recently, stakeholders in the fishing industry across the country have raised concerns over low-level catches in both fish and seabob species in Guyana’s waters.
During a recent meeting with the newly installed Fisheries Advisory Committee, President of the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) Ruben Charles expressed concern over the current low level of catches with Minister Mustapha. This, he said, may be linked to the current oil exploration activities offshore. He added that although no scientific research has been done in Guyana to officially link low levels of catches to oil exploration, there have been similar instances of low-level catches in other nations with current oil and gas operations offshore. Farmers also raised issues about drainage and dilapidated roads and dams. Minister Mustapha committed to having a machine deployed to the area to carry out the works. He told residents that the machine will remain in the area until the works were completed. He also committed to providing crusher run gravel to do revetment work on the dilapidated dams.
Gazetted COVID-19 guidelines extended until February 28
Black Bush Polder security officers protest over non-payment of salaries
Security officers of Black Bush Polder who are attached to Integrated Security Services on Monday took to the streets demanding that the company pay their December and January salaries.
The security firm was contracted to provide security to Government buildings.
One of the officers, Sookdeo McTuria, who has been performing duties at the Mibicuri Hospital, said he will not be returning to work until his demands are met.
“We did not have a salary for the past two months and we did not have any leave package for the past three years since Integrated Security come on. Since 2017, we have been working with the company.”
Previously the security officers worked with another company but after the contract was awarded to Integrated Security Services, the guards who were already working at the various locations were employed.
The guards are also alleging that their National Insurance Scheme (NIS) deductions are being made but not paid over.
The guards were last paid on December 18 for the
Several security officers protesting for their salaries on Monday
month of December. Meanwhile, several of the aggrieved officers explained that they either ride a bicycle or walk to their respective work stations since they can no longer afford to take public transportation to get to work. This is not the first time security officers attached to the security firm protested. Back in May 2018, the security personnel had protested in New Amsterdam demanding March and April salaries.
They had also protested in January and February of that year, calling for payment of salaries.
Only two months after the security company took up the contract, workers protested, demanding uniforms and salaries in December of 2017.
In September 2020, Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton had called out security companies for not submitting NIS contributions and late payment of salaries.
He had also said that his Ministry was going to look into allegations that a certain security company was in the habit of withholding salaries from the working class.
Meanwhile, telephone calls to the company’s head office in Georgetown went unanswered.
– bars can open to 40% capacity
The Government has further extended the gazetted COVID-19 measures from December 2020 until February 28, 2021. The measures maintain the curfew from 10:30h to 4:00h daily, and restrictions on social activities.
However, the new guidelines facilitate the opening of bars and restaurants from 4:00h to 21:30h. The updated order restricts indoor dining to 40 per cent of the capacity of the building, with tables placed six feet apart and no more than four persons allowed at one table.
Further, staff at the restaurants and bars are required to wear their masks properly and sanitise tables, chairs and bar countertops after each use. Buffet dining remains prohibited.
The guidelines restrict social gatherings and recreational activities including private parties, receptions, wakes or vigils. Restrictions on visitations are still in place at places of quarantine or isolation, prisons or correctional facilities, hospitals and nursing homes.
Additionally, healthcare workers must still benefit from preferential treatment when conducting business and, on submission of proof of identification.
Physical exercise is only allowed in parks, on roads, seawalls and near creeks and rivers. Gyms are also allowed to open at 50 per cent capacity, while sporting events are subject to approval from the Ministry of Health and must comply with the measures.
While the country’s borders with Brazil and Suriname remain closed, the Lethem crossing will be opened on Thursdays to facilitate trade.
The measures also stipulate the wearing of masks, social distancing, along with frequent sanitising and handwashing to curb the spread of the disease.
Regional
LAC needs to immunise about 500 million people to control COVID-19 – PAHO
The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said the Americas region needed to immunise about 500 million people to control the pandemic.
The COVAX global vaccine-sharing scheme expects to deliver 35.3 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine to 36 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) States from mid-February to the end of June, the World Health Organisation’s regional office said.
It said WHO would complete its review in a few days of the Oxford UniversityAstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use listing (EUL).
“The number of doses and delivery schedule are still subject to EUL and manufacturing production capacity,” PAHO said, adding that supply deals also had to be agreed with producers.
Of the 36 nations receiving AstraZeneca’s shot, it said four countries, namely Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador and Peru, would also receive a total of 377,910 doses of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine from mid-February.
The GAVI alliance, the group that co-leads COVAX with WHO, said last week it aimed to deliver 2.3 billion vaccines worldwide by the end of 2021, including 1.8 billion free doses to lower-income countries.
Geneva-based GAVI was expected to publish details of its allocations by country on Monday.
The 36 LAC nations to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine ranged from regional giants Brazil and Mexico to small islands such as Dominica and Montserrat.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday that the country planned to import an additional 870,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine from India in February, as well as producing it locally.
Mexico and Argentina have a deal with AstraZeneca to produce its vaccine for distribution in Latin America, with financial support from the foundation of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
A demonstrator holds a banner reading ‘’vaccine now’’ during a rally honouring COVID-19 victims and demanding vaccines in
Brasilia, Brazil [Adriano Machado/Reuters]
El Salvador violence: Deadly attack on party activists
Gunmen opened fire on activists from El Salvador’s main Opposition party, killing two people, a rare political attack that has shocked one of Latin America’s most violent countries.
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) supporters were returning from a campaign rally when their lorry came under fire by suspects in a car.
The attack on the leftwing party came four weeks before legislative and municipal elections are due to be held.
Three people have been arrested.
The attack happened in the centre of the capital, San Salvador, on Sunday afternoon local time in front of one of the offices of the FMLN party. Five other people were injured.
Party activists had attended a rally launching the mayoral campaign of FMLN’s candidate Rogelio Canales.
Nidia Díaz, a FMLN lawmaker, said she saw the car with the attackers block the path of an open-backed lorry carrying party supporters. “A man got out with a gun in his hand and started shooting,” she tweeted.
El Salvador’s Attorney General, Raúl Melara, called the attack “serious”, saying: “The electoral battle cannot become a bloodbath”.
In a reference to the country’s civil war, San Salvador’s Mayor, Neto Muyshondt, also condemned the attack, calling it a “step back” in El Salvador’s history.
According to a 1993 United Nations Truth Commission report, 80,000 people were killed in the conflict, which lasted from 1979 until a peace deal was signed in 1992.
The FMLN party was formed by left-wing rebels as part of the peace deal and quickly became an influential force.
It won the 2014 presidential election and its candidate, Salvador Sánchez Ceren, served as president until 2019.
In the most recent presidential election, however, the FMLN’s candidate lost out to Nayib Bukele of the centre-right Gana party. (Excerpt from BBC News)
COVID-19 outbreak at Barbadian prison “under control”
Barbados’ largest coronavirus (COVID-19) cluster has been brought under control at Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds.
At its peak, the cluster comprised 363 infected people – 85 prison officers, 261 inmates, and 17 staff members.
A media statement from the COVID Communications Unit said that on Monday, only seven COVID-19-positive people remain to be medically discharged.
“Operations at the prison have so returned to normalcy, that virtual court will resume from the prison effective today, Monday 1st February.”
Home Affairs Minister Wilfred Abrahams; Superintendent of Prisons, Lieutenant Colonel John Nurse and Dr Carl Ward, who was the Medical Officer of Health responsible for care and health systems at the prison during the outbreak, have expressed satisfaction.
The outbreak at the prison started on December 31, last year with the diagnosis of a prison officer.
According to the statement, it was brought under control through an “aggressive campaign” led by Manager of Isolation Facilities, Dr Corey Forde and Dr Ward. This included extensive sanitisation of the prison, preventive scanning, testing, quarantining, and isolation of prison officers, civilian staff, and inmates at Dodds.
Additionally, the medical facility at the prison has been transformed into a full tertiary level COVID-19 treatment facility with ventilation capacity.
Nurse said prison leadership implemented “observance and practice of the 4Es – engagement, education, encouragement and enforcement among all staff members and inmates”. (Excerpt from Nation News)
Brazil Senate elects Bolsonaro ally to head the upper chamber
Brazil’s Senate voted 57-21 on Monday to elect Rodrigo Pacheco, the candidate endorsed by right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, to head the upper chamber for a two-year term.
Although he is a Bolsonaro ally, Pacheco of the centre-right Democrats party has said he would not make a priority of privatising Eletrobras, Latin America’s largest utility and one of the Government’s biggest potential asset sales as it works to cut the fiscal deficit.
Before the vote, Pacheco vowed to seek a compromise between fiscal restraints and assistance to socially vulnerable Brazilians hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. (Reuters)
3 THA Secretaries resign after Chief Secretary’s call to do so
Three Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Secretaries Kelvin Charles, Jomo Pitt, and Hayden Spencer have resigned.
Charles, a former Chief Secretary, headed the Division of Education, Innovation, and Energy, while Spencer was the Secretary for Food Production, Forestry, and Fisheries. Pitt was Secretary for Youth Affairs and Sports.
This follows a decision by Chief Secretary and People’s National Movement (PNM) Area Representative for Buccoo/Mt Pleasant, Ancil Dennis.
Dennis asked for the Secretaries’ resignations as they did not offer themselves up as candidates in the January 25 THA elections and are no longer Assemblymen.
With a tie of six seats each for the PNM and Progressive Democratic Patriots in the THA elections, no new Executive
Former THA Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles
Council can be formed. The old one remains in place.
The Assemblymen have not chosen a Presiding Officer despite attempting to do so on two occasions.
Without the Presiding Officer, there can be no new Chief Secretary and other Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries.
Speaking with reporters outside the Assembly Legislature building, Jerningham Street, Scarborough on Monday, about the Secretaries’ resignation, Dennis said the remaining Secretaries would handle the additional portfolios. Asked if rejected candidates, Infrastructure’s Secretary – Kwesi Des Vignes and Community Development’s Assistant Secretary – Shomari Hector, would remain in their respective portfolios, Dennis said yes. (Trinidad Guardian)
Gunman fatally shoots Trelawny woman at worship
The police theorise that a contract killing stemming from a domestic dispute triggered Sunday’s horrific death of a woman who was brutally gunned down as she worshipped at Agape Christian Fellowship Church on Market Street in Falmouth, Trelawny.
Quick Police action resulted in three persons of interest being taken into custody for questioning in connection with the gun slaying. The Police say they have also seized the vehicle which reportedly transported the trigger man. No one else was physically harmed during the attack.
“Following strong investigative leads the Police were able to zone in on several persons of interest in this matter and were able to seize the vehicle. But it is still tenuous, so we cannot say much more at this time,” Head of the Area One Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Clifford Chambers told the Jamaica Observer Sunday night.
The Police have identified the deceased as 50-year-old National Commercial Bank employee Andrea Lowe Garwood, of a Stone Brook Manor, Florence Hall, Trelawny address.
About 10:30h on Sunday, pandemonium struck during the praise and worship segment of the church service after the gunslinger, who had been posing as a worshipper, fired a volley of shots hitting Lowe Garwood and sending members of the congregation scampering in all directions.
The Police say the attacker reportedly fled from the church and boarded a waiting motor car which sped away. The injured Lowe Garwood was taken to the Falmouth Public General where she was pronounced dead. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)
Andrea Lowe Garwood
19 Around the World
OILNEWS
Oil prices gain as inventories fall and demand picks up
Oil prices rose on Monday buoyed by falling inventories and hopes of a swifter global economic recovery, although halting vaccine rollouts and renewed travel restrictions capped gains.
Brent crude was up 57 cents, or 1 per cent, at US$55.61 a barrel by 1449 GMT. US crude gained 41 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to US$52.61. Both benchmarks gained nearly 8 per cent in January.
“Positive risk sentiment is one factor helping oil prices. The outlook of an ongoing decline in oil inventories over the coming weeks, as result of lower production from Saudi Arabia, is also helping crude,” UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.
He said he expected Brent to hit US$60 a barrel by mid-year.
Goldman Sachs said prices could rise to US$65 a barrel by July, forecasting an oil market deficit of 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the first half of 2021, a higher level than its previous prediction of 500,000 bpd.
OPEC oil output rose for a seventh month in January, a Reuters survey found, after the group and its allies agreed to ease supply curbs further, although the production growth was smaller than expected.
“OPEC is continuing to implement the agreed production cuts in a disciplined manner ... which is one of the main reasons why oil prices are so stable,” said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch.
Russian oil and gas condensate production also increased in January, two sources told Reuters on Monday, but the increase was in line with expectations, following Moscow’s deal with OPEC on output cuts.
US oil and gas drillers are gearing up for a pick-up in demand. As higher prices make new wells profitable again, they added rigs for a sixth month in a row in January.
US production data from the Energy Information Administration showed output rose above 11 million bpd in November, the first time it has exceeded that figure since April.
Oil also found some support from the dollar’s weakness. Crude prices tend to move inversely to the US currency. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Huge snowstorm hits US east coast
The massive winter storm expected to pummel the US east coast has begun its snowy deluge, grounding flights and shuttering vaccination sites.
By Monday morning, snowfall had begun in New York state, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where up to 60cm (24in) of snow may fall in the coming days.
Wind gusts of up to 50mph (80km/h) are also forecast for several days creating a blinding, blowing snowstorm.
New York City and New Jersey have both declared a state of emergency.
The storm - which is expected to bring snowfall for two days straight - has already wrought havoc on local travel. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio issued an order restricting non-essential travel from 06:00 local time (11:00GMT) on Monday.
In New Jersey, Governor Philip Murphy suspended the state's bus and rail operations on Monday. His emergency order allows authorities to shut roads and evacuate homes.
Major airports in the storm's path, including Newark Liberty International Airport, John F Kennedy Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport, have cancelled hundreds of fights. At New York's La Guardia Airport, all flights were suspended as of Monday morning.
The storm will also halt vaccine distribution in Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Philadelphia, parts of Washington, DC and the New York area.
In New York City vaccinations will be cancelled today, as Mayor de Blasio has said it is "not safe" for older residents to go outside in the blizzard conditions. "We're in a local state of emergency," de Blasio said at a news conference. "I'm fearful that this tough situation we have now could get worse." (Excerpt from BBC News)
Coup prompts outcry from Myanmar as West ponders how to respond
Western leaders condemned the coup by Myanmar’s military against Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected Government and hundreds of thousands of her supporters took to the social media to voice their anger at the takeover.
The sudden turn of events in the early hours of Monday derailed years of efforts to establish democracy in the poverty-stricken country and raised more questions over the prospect of returning a million Rohingya refugees.
The UN Security Council will meet on Tuesday, diplomats said, amid calls for a strong response to the detention of Suu Kyi and dozens of her political allies, although Myanmar’s close ties with council member China will play into any decision.
US President Joe Biden said the coup was a direct assault on Myanmar’s transition to democracy and the rule of law.
The army handed power to military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and imposed a state of emergency for a year in the country, saying it had responded to what it called election fraud.
Min Aung Hlaing, who had been nearing retirement, promised a free and fair election and a handover of power to the winning party, without giving a timeframe.
Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which won a landslide 83 per cent in a Nov 8 election, said that she called on people to protest against the military takeover, quoting comments it said were written earlier in anticipation of a coup.
But the streets were quiet overnight after troops and riot police took up positions in the capital, Naypyitaw, and the main commercial centre Yangon. Phone and internet connections were disrupted.
Many in Myanmar voiced their anger on social media. (Excerpt from Reuters)
NLD supporter holds up a picture of leader Aung San Suu Kyi outside Myanmar's embassy after the military seized power from a democratically elected civilian Government and arrested her, in Bangkok, Thailand February 1, 2021
Gang close to Bangladesh PM extracts bribes for State contracts
Acriminal gang is colluding with Bangladesh’s security forces to extract bribes for State contracts and job positions, all the while maintaining powerful links with the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, an Al Jazeera investigation has found.
All the Prime Minister’s Men reveals how Haris and Anis Ahmed, both convicted of murder, are being protected by their brother, a high-ranking military officer, after they fled abroad to escape law enforcement.
Their brother is General Aziz Ahmed, head of the Bangladesh Army and close confidant of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the ruling Awami League.
During the two-year investigation, Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit managed to track down Haris and Anis Ahmed, who were found guilty for their involvement in the 1996 murder of Mustafizur Rahman Mustafa, said to be a member of a rival political party, in Dhaka.
Following that murder, both Haris and Anis fled from the authorities and went into hiding abroad.
Haris, who is still on the country’s list of most wanted criminals, fled to Budapest, Hungary, and has been living there using the assumed identity of Mohammad Hasan.
The second brother, Anis Ahmed, is living in Kuala Lumpur, where he escaped to after his murder conviction was upheld in 2007.
Despite the fact that they are wanted by Bangladesh law enforcement, General Aziz stays in contact with both his brothers.
In March 2019, Haris and Anis even visited Dhaka for the wedding of Aziz’s son, where the two fugitives partied alongside Bangladesh’s President Abdul Hamid and foreign dignitaries during an opulent ceremony. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Iran “weeks away” from enough nuclear material for bomb – Blinken
The Biden Administration will return to the Iran nuclear deal provided Tehran return to compliance and then negotiate a “longer and stronger” accord, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with NBC News. During the interview, taped on Sunday, Blinken said Iran was months away from developing enough nuclear material to create a bomb, in “a matter of weeks”, if Iran continues to lift restraints put in place by the 2015 deal.
Iran began to lift the restraints after the former administration of President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, a widely-criticised move.
The Iran deal was signed on July 14, 2015, by a group of six countries called the P5+1 – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, United States and Germany, and the European Union.
It agreed to lift sanctions imposed on Iran, giving it greater access to the global economy, in return for measures blocking Iran’s development of nuclear weapons.
Washington would consider issues that were not on the table during the negotiations surrounding the 2015 Iran deal, Blinken said, including the release of US prisoners held by Iran.
Iran has said it will not renegotiate the deal and placed blame on the US for its unilateral withdrawal.
Blinken also discussed possible new sanctions against North Korea and Russia, which has jailed top opposition politician Alexey Navalny and thousands of protesters demonstrating for his release, among disputes with the US. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Israel and Kosovo establish diplomatic relations in virtual ceremony
Israel and Kosovo established diplomatic relations on Monday, via online links due to the coronavirus crisis, under a US-brokered deal that includes a pledge by the Muslim-majority country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
Israel sees its new ties with the tiny Balkan country as part of its broader normalisation with Arab and Muslim countries under agreements sponsored by former US President Donald Trump.
Trump announced the two countries’ ties in September as a side deal to an economic agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. As part of the deal, Serbia, which has ties with Israel, also agreed to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
During a signing ceremony held via Zoom video conference, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the new ties were “historic” and “reflect a change in the region, and in the Arab (and) Muslim world’s relationship with Israel”.
Ashkenazi said he had received an official request from Kosovo to establish a Jerusalem embassy, which Israeli officials hope will open by end-March.
Only two countries - the United States and Guatemala - have embassies in Jerusalem. Others, including Malawi and Honduras, have pledged to make the move.
The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to forging a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who with broad international backing want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as their capital.
Kosovo Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla said Kosovo and Israel share a “historic bond” and had both “witnessed a long and challenging path to existing as a people and becoming states”. (Excerpt from Reuters)
ARCHIE
DILBERT
PEANUTS
CALVIN AND HOBBES
SUDOKU
SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE
ARIES (March 21April 19)
TAURUS
(April 20May 20)
GEMINI (May 21June 20)
CANCER (June 21July 22)
LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)
LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
You’ll be right on target. Your insight and ability to take control and get things done will be impressive. How you handle others will pay off. Spend some meaningful time with a loved one.
Uncertainty will prevail if you make a premature move. Consider every angle before you forge ahead with plans that can affect your income. When in doubt, talk to an expert. Be careful with your health.
You’ll be offered insight that can help you make an important decision. Added discipline will pay off when putting together a proposal or taking advantage of an opportunity that comes your way.
Don’t flirt with temptation. An attraction to something or someone will put you at a disadvantage if you are too friendly or accommodating. Take a wait-and-see approach
Handle professional matters and partnerships with discretion. Making an impromptu move or decision will set you back. Nurture essential relationships to avoid a falling-out.
Do whatever it takes to arm yourself with the necessary information, skills and experience to follow your dreams. Take responsibility for your happiness. It’s up to you to make things happen.
Don’t procrastinate. Opportunities are available; all you have to do is to take action. Speak up, share your ideas and engage in stimulating conversation. Love and romance are favored.
Keep your thoughts and plans secret. Don’t give anyone ammunition that will set you back or interfere with your life. Work under the radar until you have everything in place.
Reach out to people who can help you bring about positive change. An opportunity to raise your earning potential or start a new career looks inviting. Romance is in the stars.
Take a back seat and listen carefully. The information offered will help you make adjustments at home to improve your performance, but roommates, family or friends aren’t likely to be impressed.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)
Take care of financial, medical and legal matters before they have a chance to escalate. Let your instincts lead the way. You must find out who’s on your side and who isn’t.
Use your intuition and creative mind to push forward. Make changes that will help you get ahead. Let go of what no longer works for you. Choose a positive path.
Players did not stick to the game plan, says Fenwick following 7-0 thrashing
Excitement builds as rival teams arrive for CG Insurance Super50
Players and match officials for the upcoming CG Insurance Super50 Cup arrived in Antigua as they prepare for the return of cricket in the West Indies.
The six franchise teams will do battle in the marquee 50-over tournament, which bowls off on Sunday, February 7. It will conclude with the grand final on Saturday, February 27 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, when a new winner will be crowned.
Guyana Jaguars all-rounder Christopher Barnwell was among the players and said he was looking ahead to the tournament. The Guyanese last won the event back in 2008, and are keen to lift the Sir Clive Lloyd trophy this year and record their 11th triumph.
“It’s been a long time since we last won this tournament and we’re eager to come out, give a good account of ourselves this year. I think we have a very good chance of winning,” said Barnwell. “We had a few really good weeks of training...some very good preparation. Obviously, the pitches in Antigua will offer more bounce than those back home, so we will have to make that adjustment. I’m hitting the ball sweetly in the nets and my mind is clear. As an experienced member of the team, I know I have a key role to play and we’re here to win for Guyana.”
Emmanuel Stewart will be the first choice wicket-keeper for Windward Islands Volcanoes in the upcoming tournament. He too is excited and has visions of doing great things in the coming weeks.
“I have been working on my skill-set and been training specific to my role as wicket-keeper and batsman. I will be batting in the middle and I’m working hard on rotating the strike and hitting the ball in the gaps and keeping the momentum going in the middle overs. It’s an area we have been lacking, so we are working to get it right,” Stewart said.
“Once we carry this preparations in games, we will do well… not just in the 50-overs matches, but also in the four-day First-Class tournament. Credit to Cricket West Indies to put on this tournament, it gives us as players an opportunity to play and show what we can do. This is what we love and what we enjoy, and I’m sure the fans all around will be tuning in to watch the matches.” A disappointed but not disheartened Terry Fenwick, Coach of Trinidad and Tobago said the team failed to stick to the game plan which resulted in the 7-0 drubbing at the hands of the United States on Sunday night.
Two goals in the first 10 minutes from Johnathan Lewis and Jesus Ferreria paved the way for the heavy defeat at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Lewis and Ferreria each added second goals in the match in which Paul Arriola also scored twice.
Miles Robinson also scored in the rout that had Fenwick and his team smarting at the end.
The USA had 12 shots on target and to rub salt into the wound, Alvin Jones missed a 66th-minute penalty denying the Trinidadians a consolation goal.
The 61-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur defender said there were a number of factors that contributed to the loss.
“We were pulling a squad together in 48 hours to play the USA, who has had five to seven years playing together and who play for some of the biggest clubs in the world. It was going to be a tough task,” Fenwick on Monday told Sportsmax.TV.
Going deeper, he explained that he was only able to manage three sessions with the US-based players, six of whom were included in the starting XI. The early pressure from the US, who scored two goals within the first 10 minutes of the game, saw his team abandon the game plan, Fenwick said.
However, he said the team performed better in the second half once the home-based players came on, players with whom he has been working for about a year. “They knocked the ball about better and got a penalty,” he said. (Sportsmax)
“Crime boss” Daniel Kinahan still working in the sportBoxing:
Asuspected crime boss is still working at the top of world boxing, a BBC Panorama investigation has found.
Daniel Kinahan has no criminal convictions, but has been named in the Irish courts as the head of one of
Europe’s most prominent drug cartels.
The suspected gangster helped set up boxing management business MTK Global – but it was announced last year he was stepping away from the sport.
But the company has now confirmed he still advises some of its boxers.
Panorama has spoken to several boxing insiders who have expressed concerns about Kinahan’s power and influence in the sport. Former world champion Barry McGuigan said there was an element of terror around the Kinahan name. “There is no doubt that there is an intimidation effect, there is no question about that,” he said. “If we were to believe what we believe, this is a very dangerous man.
Barry McGuigan
got to look out for this sport. They really need to look at this situation very carefully, because it’s bloody dangerous.”
The courts in Ireland have accepted the Kinahan Organised Crime Group is involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, and gangland executions. Kinahan moved to Dubai in 2016 and Police believe the Kinahan family is now running the drugs gang from there.
His role in world boxing caused an outcry in June last year when it emerged he had been working as a personal adviser to world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury ahead of his much-anticipated title fight with fellow British champion Anthony Joshua.
Kinahan’s involvement in boxing was raised in both the British and Irish Parliaments, but the criticism fizzled out when it was announced he was stepping away from the sport.
The Panorama investigation shows this has not happened.
Lawyers for MTK Global told the programme: “It is true that Mr Kinahan provides some personal advice to a number of boxers managed by MTK Global and we are instructed that Mr Kinahan also provides such advisory services to boxers who are managed by other worldwide boxing management companies too.”
They said Kinahan had never owned, controlled, or been an employee of MTK Global.
Panorama asked Fury whether Kinahan was still his personal adviser, but he did not respond.
More than 30 people linked to the Kinahan cartel have already been jailed in Ireland.
Panorama understands the Irish authorities are going to try to get other gang members deported from the United Arab Emirates.
John O’Driscoll, an assistant commissioner from the Irish Police, said they had been successful in identifying members of the cartel – but declined to confirm any names.
Panorama also understands the American Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) may be investigating the gang.
The DEA said it was not able to comment on the activities of the Kinahan cartel because it was part of an ongoing investigation.
Kinahan’s lawyers said he has no criminal convictions and the allegations about him running a violent cartel are false and have no evidential basis.
“He is proud of his record in boxing to date. He has operated on the basis of honesty and with a commitment to putting fighters’ needs first,” they said.
“Mr Kinahan is a successful and independent advisor in the boxing industry in his o w n right. It is a matter of public record that he has exited the business
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…Forde urges responsible behaviour during pandemic
targets West Indies comeback after end of Kolpak status
Fidel Edwards has made himself available for West Indies and hopes to return to international cricket for the first time in almost 10 years. Edwards celebrates his 39th birthday this week and last represented
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is investigating reports of the West Indies in 2012. But, reasoning he is as fit now as he has ever launch of an unsanctioned football tournament in the East Coast been, he believes he could play a part in West Indies’ T20 World Cup Demerara region, and wishes to remind the football community campaign later in the year.that no authorisation has been granted by the National COVID-19 Task He also hopes he can secure a return to the Indian Premier Force or the Federation for any further resumption of football activities. League (IPL). He last played a match in the tournament in
The GFF urges all players, match officials, and coaches to abide by 2009 – he was part of the Deccan Chargers side that won the the Federation’s constitutional regulations at all times in the interest of tournament – but will put himself into the auction this year.the entire football community. Any breach of GFF regulations, including “I have made myself available for West Indies,” participation in unsanctioned events, will be investigated and could result Edwards, who is currently representing Delhi Bulls in the in suspension. Any suspected breach of national COVID-19 rules will be Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, told ESPNcricinfo. “I have reported to the authorities. spoken to Kieron Pollard and Phil Simmons and let them
GFF regulations, under its constitution, are in place to protect the interests know that, if there’s any opportunity, I’m ready.and welfare of players, match officials, and coaches, and to safeguard the “Training has always been a big part of my game, but, future development, good governance and orderly organisation of football. in the last 18 months or so, I’ve changed what I do and Under FIFA’s global structure of football governance and its constitution, I’m the fittest I’ve ever felt.the GFF controls football in all its forms in Guyana. “I’ve had my time in England and now I’ve made
“We cannot emphasise enough the need for all of our friends in myself available to represent West Indies again. I think football to abide by the GFF constitution and the national COVID-19 I did pretty well in the CPL [Caribbean Premier League] rules at this time of global crisis,” said GFF President Wayne Forde. “We and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”are planning for the safe and responsible resumption Edwards’ availability for both West Indies and the IPL is due, of football in the coming months, in partnership in part, to Brexit. The United Kingdom’s departure from the with the National COVID-19 Task Force. No football European Union has put an end to Kolpak registrations in the competitions should take place until it is safe to do county game and means that Edwards, who signed such a deal so and until they have been approved by the GFF Fidel Edwards has been a with Hampshire in 2015, is free to play international cricket and the Task Force.” “Unauthorised competitions at this crucial stage in the pandemic not only risk the health of stalwart at Hampshire in recent years again. And while Kolpak registrations were theoretically entitled to play in the IPL, Edwards was obliged to remain available for Hampshire for the entire season and was not, therefore, free the people taking part, but also the well- to enter the auction.being of their loved ones and wider “I enjoyed my time at Hampshire, but that was a big part of society,” Forde said. me not playing in the IPL,” he says. “But now I’m not with them,
Special dispensation was my aim is to put my name back out there and hopefully get granted by the Task Force for another chance to play. Anything is possible.”a spectator-less, limited GFF Although few 39-year-old fast bowlers win top-level tournament in December-January comebacks, Edwards does have some skills that West Indies – as part of the Federation’s “return and some IPL teams, no doubt – may require. Not least, he can to play” plans, which pave the bowl in both the powerplay and at the death and he can still way for the responsible return generate sharp pace. In the most recent CPL season, he was timed of football in accordance with at over 148 kilometres per hour (92 mph) and dominated the list of national protocols. The Task quickest deliveries in the tournament. He isn’t ruling out playing 50-Force has also over or even First-Class cricket again, either.granted permission for the Golden Jaguars to begin GFF President “I still love the game,” he says, “and I’m still doing what I do best: bowling quickly and taking wickets. You never know what can training for FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March. Wayne Forde happen. But if the opportunity comes, I’ll be ready. (ESPNcricinfo)
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23 “We’ve been working hard predominantly against spin,” says Simmons …team will capitalise on every opportunity given
The West Indies team during a training session West Indies players shake hands with Bangladesh Cricket Board XI players at the end of the tour match
Ahead of the first Test match which is slated to commence today at 11:30 pm, West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons was able to shed light on the possible selection of the final XI heading into the first Test and what he expected from them when they took to the field.
It has been seen that throughout the One-Day International (ODI) series, West Indies had a major problem facing spin bowling, as the Bangladeshis rattled the Caribbean side’s batting line-up. However, in the warm-up match, the side showed much improvement in their tactics towards spin and showed much fight in the bowling department, as Rahkeem Cornwall stood out with a fifer.
When asked his view on what the team have been doing as they prepare to face some of Bangladesh’s best spinners, Simmons said, “We’ve been working predominantly on playing spin – using your feet, using the crease, whichever one suits the particular batsman. So, we’ve just been working a lot on all the disciplines of playing spin.”
Simmons also made comments on Guyana’s very own Veerasammy Permaul, who many believe stands a great chance in securing a spot in the final XI with his crafty offspin. “Everybody that is here is here is close, we won’t say that nobody is closer than the other. I think he has bowled well since he is here, he has worked hard and so does everyone in the squad. But he does work hard and he is up for selection and everyone is fit and raring to go and maybe tomorrow we will decide on what the final XI is,” Simmons opined.
The Windies Head Coach also went on to discuss Cornwall and Jomel Warrican, whom he credited for adjusting to the wickets as they are not the same as in the Caribbean. He further noted that he was expecting that the fast bowlers would play their roles in the team. While the Windies fast bowlers were not so successful on the pitches in Bangladesh, Simmons did re-
iterate that it is just about adjusting your line and lengths on the pitch and knowing what to bowl as everyone has a role to play in the team. According to Simmons, the West Indies unit are unlikely to have an edge against their opponents on home turf. While the Caribbean side would have match fitness as they played England and New Zealand during the
Rahkeem Cornwall was able to bag a fifer during the warm-up match
pandemic as compared to Bangladesh who have not played a Test in almost a year, Simmons was adamant that while Bangladesh are a good team, they are particularly hard to beat on their home surface despite not playing for a lengthy period of time. He urged the players to develop an improved attitude towards spin as this would be beneficial towards them spending longer hours at the crease and making more runs as seen in the warm-up match. Simmons went on to state that the West Indies would look to capitalise on Bangladesh’s lack of Test match play and while he believes that vulnerability would not last long, he noted that the team would try their best to pounce on every opportunity. Asked what role Warrican is expected to play in the Test as he played a supporting role to Cornwall during the warmup, Simmons responded, “He will play whatever role comes in the game if he is selected. All the bowlers will have to play their role based on the situation they are in and also what the Captain wants them to do at that given point in the game. In the end, they all have to be available to do what the Captain wants them to do at that given time.”
The West Indies will be optimistic of bagging the Test series to make up for their horrid performance in the ODI series. To date, they have a successful record against Bangladesh in the Test arena; from 2002 to 2018/2019, the two teams have played a total of eight Test series, with the Caribbean side winning six and Bangladesh two.
Taffin leads Senior Chess Championships after 3 rounds
With two days of competition and three rounds almost completed, former Chess Champion and Candidate Master Taffin Khan currently leads the charge in the ongoing Senior Chess Championships.
The chess action began Saturday last at the National Stadium, Providence and continued on Sunday, with Khan romping to three victories, inclusive of a win over reigning champion FIDE Master Anthony Drayton.
On day one, playing white against Errol Tiwari, Kahn played the closed Sicilian variation. The game was about equal until move 16 when Tiwari missed a combination that Khan had, which led to Tiwari losing his Queen, after which the game was practically over.
Khan’s second game of the Championship was against FM Drayton, in which Khan utilised the black pieces. The former champion opted for the Chigorin defence against d4. Their encounter flowed smoothly until around move 20. Khan was able to win a pawn and follow a simple chess rule “passed pawns must be pushed”, to set up his imminent victory.
On Sunday, Khan took on Rai Sharma, playing white. In that round, he played the Vienna game. The fast-paced encounter saw Khan being able to get a past pawn on the 7 rank, forcing Sharma to give up a piece at
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Tournament Director Shad Hussain look on as Anthony Drayton takes on Loris Nathoo
which point he resigned.
In spite of the loss to Khan, Drayton still managed to pick up two wins in his three rounds. His first game was against Sharma on Saturday, which he described as “not that difficult”. Paying homage to Netflix sensation “The Queen’s Gambit”, Drayton chose that very opening and by the eighth move, his opponent gave up the Bishop pair and blundered a pawn at the very next move. After that, it was smooth sailing until the game finished in 46 moves.
“It’s only after the game and reviewing it, I realised that I too made a critical blunder at move 16, which could have cost me the game by losing a piece, but lucky for me, my opponent was playing very fast and didn’t capitalise on it. In the coming matches, I will have to keep my focus to be able to regain my title, because the other players wouldn’t be so kind to miss an opportunity like that,” Drayton said, reflecting on his opening game.
Among other notable victories, Glenford Corlette defeated National Blitz champion Davion Mars. In that game, Mars chose to play the Sicilian defence, which was going well for him until he failed to adequately defend his kingside castle. Acting on this, Corlette successfully managed to remove the two defenders of the f7 pawn, by first attacking his Rf8 with bishop to h6 followed by d5 pawn push threatening white bishop at e6. Mars’ defence of king side rapidly crumbled soon after and the hourglass of his defeat was activated.
Loris Nathoo also picked up an exciting win over Errol Tiwari. Tiwari opened with pawn to d4 and Nathoo countered by playing the opening lines of the Kings Indian Defence. However, Tiwari opted to play the Samisch variation, with the subtle pawn to f3 on move 5, setting up a positional battle for both players to strive for attacks on the opposing kings.
On move 15, however, Tiwari made a tactical blunder that caused him to lose one of his minor pieces – the black bishop. Nathoo then quickly liquidated Tiwari’s other minor pieces. Seeing the writing on the wall, Tiwari resigned on move 25.
While CM Khan has three wins, FM Drayton and CM Wendell Meusa have two points each. Nathoo has 1.5, with a win and a draw with Mars. Corlette has one point, Mars 0.5 and Sharma and Tiwari currently have 0.
The chess action will continue today and Wednesday, when Meusa takes on Corlette and Sharma battles with Corlette. Thereafter, the games will return to their weekend schedule as Round 4 commences.
